2 posts tagged “68/ slowly reduce consumption of packaged and disposable goods”
I listed No. 68 out of a sense of duty to the environment, our budget, and my own sense of responsibility. If there's a way for me to avoid bringing home plastic that I'll turn around and trash, I want to follow that way.
But I think No. 68 is about more than using mesh bags for my grocery shopping, or buying in bulk to avoid the over-packaging of one-off items.
There is a whole world of goods in our home that I could make myself. Foods, tools, art. What, exactly, am I getting out of buying those things from a store other than convenience? And do I really need the convenience? My life isn't overwhelmed; I'm not hurting for free time. And though I overthink my life in general, I am not so mentally stretched that I couldn't pick up a few extra projects.
So I'd like to list some ways I feel I could make our home more do-it-ourselves and trash-free(ish):
1. Knit our own dishrags (we have plenty now; when they wear out, I'll investigate the best yarn and have at it).
2. Bake our own:
* breads
* cookies
* crackers?! Can you bake your own crackers? Surely. Why not give it a go?
* pastries
* tortillas
3. Make our own:
* shampoo (I've seen recipes. They'll require rigorous testing.)
* soap
* yogurt (from which we can make soft cheese!)
* snacks (chips, granola, trail mix)
* cereal (?!)
* sauces
* soups
* pasta
* jam
* butter
4. Compost
5. Recycle
I want this list to grow, a lot. And I don't know if I'm setting myself up for disappointment or heartache or the most amazing new life or what. But if I could feel like we relied as little as possible on processed, prepackaged goods, I'd feel pretty good about it.
I've already started on this one -- I bought Patrick and I canvas lunch bags and "string bags" for our groceries. If I can remind myself to take those out every time I have to pick up groceries, we'll be able to eliminate those plastic bags. I even got some reusable sandwich wraps, too.
I'd love to reduce our use of paper towels (good clean rags are just as good, if not better); pay closer attention to the product:package ratio of the groceries we buy; and I'm sure there are countless other ways we could adapt our everyday life to make it free of that unnecessary *stuff*.
Perhaps I should establish a measure of success -- how often we empty the trash? Which means we should make a better effort to recycle. And make ourselves a little compost heap for scraps.
This No. 68 is already pushing beyond its expectations!
