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I passed my first month! In addition to not buying stuff, I also intended to drastically reduce my waste. My main focus is on plastics, tin cans, drink cartons and residual waste.
Much more than before, I have become aware of how many plastic packaging we bring home from the supermarket! I wanted to do this challenge in a completely honest way, so I took home plastic packaging when I quickly bought a snack while I was on the road. It is easy to keep the garbage bags empty at home by dumping my garbage in the public trash cans. So I chose to be drastical about this and take home alle the garbage I create … And that confronted me even more with how everything is packed in plastic.
After my first week, I went through my garbage bags. This gave me an idea of what kind of waste I collected and made me think, looking for alternatives.
In the meantime I have found a butcher nearby where I can bring my own boxes instead of carrying home the meat in plastic packaging.
I have a handy, foldable bag that is always in my handbag. When I buy freshly baked chips/fries nearby, the saleswoman allows me to take the fries in my own bag, instead of in her plastic bags. Even in the clothing store I asked to take my pants in that bag instead of in one of their plastic bags.
Right now, I choose not to buy certain foods that are not necessary and are only available in plastic packaging or in cans. And if there is an alternative in glass or paper or if I can use my cotton bags, then I choose these options!
I also manage to serve more homemade meals to my cats; that saves a lot of cans …
And I replaced the worn plastic head of my electric toothbrush with a completely new bamboo toothbrush; this can be thrown at the compost when it is worn.
The biggest dilemmas left for me right now: where to find chocolate and crisps/chips that are not wrapped in aluminum or plastic? And the terrible choice in the supermarket: do I buy organic vegetables and organic fruit that are packaged in plastic or do I buy fruit and vegetables that have been treated with chemicals but that I can take home in my cotton bags?
It also requires more planning if you want to avoid plastic as much as possible. You have to buy much larger portions of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, … when you’re at the organic farmer’s or the packaging-free store (especially when these are not close to your home). And you have to process those large quantities quickly so that you don’t have to throw anything away.
The supermarket is easier to quickly walk in, but from there you take home masses of plastic with you.
And that’s how I keep looking for alternatives step by step. It should be possible to live comfortably and pleasantly, without creating plastic, tin or residual waste, shouldn’t it ?!
It’s easy to fry your own crisps/chips! You can even use the peels of your potatoes (that you would normally throw away) – when you fry them, they’ll taste even better than the fries themselves…
Just use a peeler to cut a few potatoes into thin slices, dry them well in a towel (just like fries) and then fry them until they start floating. Add salt, pepper, herbs, whatever you like for a flavour, and there they are, your homemade crisps!
Super! Thanks!!