All the same, it seems to be trending on a lot of the budget blogs I'm coming across lately. They're all touting their version of zero waste—and of course they list their Amazon affiliate links to items that will help you in your zero waste journey. Some of which are pretty nifty and enticing, others seem a bit Goop-worthy.
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Mesh produce bags, reusable grocery bags, PVC zipper pouches, beeswax wraps... all very cool, very useful products that can be bought or made fairly inexpensively. Or at least the reusable bags can be gotten cheaply—the zipper pouches can run $20 for a set of 5, and the beeswax cloth can run $16-$20 for a set of 3. Although, if you're the crafty sort, you can make them rather inexpensively.
Reusable Mesh Produce Bags
Transition level: easy
Mesh produce bags, like the reusable grocery bag, seem like a logical next step to reducing the amount of plastic in the world. They're light enough in weight to not throw off your bulk buying or produce budget and you can purchase them ready made from Amazon or Etsy (a set of 10 runs about $10-$12)—or you can make your own [tutorial courtesy of DIYMama.com].
Like reusable grocery bags, though, you have to remember to actually take them into the store with you, otherwise you get sucked into the plastic convenience zone, telling yourself you'll just use plastic *this one time* and you'll remember the reusables next time, for sure. A year later, you've managed to use them exactly twice & once was for bulk sugar—realizing that you didn't think that one through thoroughly.
Reusable Shopping Bags
Transition level: easy
If you're like us, you probably already have a glut of reusable shopping bags—most likely shoved in the backseat or trunk of your car where they seem to multiply, the cheeky bastards. If, by some miracle, you have no cloth bags, no tote bags, no reusable bags whatsoever... I would ask you HOW? HOW is this even possible?
Most stores these days have jumped on the reusable bag bandwagon, opting to take advantage of new product sales. I've seen them priced from $1-$10, depending on the material (or the branding).
If you passed your 8th grade home economics class, you can probably make your own super sturdy bag and forgo the cheap-o store versions [tutorial courtesy of Sew4Home.com]. I'm not promising you that it'll be cheaper, but it'll probably be cuter.
Reusable Snack & Sandwich Bags
Transition level: easy-moderate
Packing your sandwiches or snacks in these may take a little getting-used-to. It was hard for me to get acclimated to the different material. Some reusable pouches are made of plain-old cotton cloth, which I felt weird putting things like PB&J sandwiches in—because they can be sticky and messy. Other versions are made from food grade poly, which is a little better, but they sort of reminded me of pencil cases I would keep in my Trapper Keeper in 8th grade.
Of course with the cloth bags, you can throw them in the washer. The other ones you have to wipe down (which is pretty much what we do with our Ziploc baggies when we reuse those).
For now, we'll stick to washing and reusing plastic baggies, since mostly we use them to store our cut refrigerated produce—things like half an avocado, or cut up onions.
If you want to have a go at making your own cloth version, by all means give it a whirl [tutorial courtesy of CasaCrafty.net]
Beeswax Wraps
Transition level: easy-moderate
I got a beeswax wrap for Christmas last year and love it, although I have to be careful what I use it on. Cut onions tend to make the next thing you wrap in it smell like onions (even after it was washed). I used mine on the cut end of a loaf of homemade bread and it kept it from drying out over night. I wouldn't use it long term for that though.
The best uses were for things like hard cheeses or leftover sandwiches.
Beeswax wraps aren't the cheapest. A set of three will cost you about $20, or you could make your own for about $2 each [tutorial courtesy of MyHealthyGreenFamily.com]
To Go Mugs
Transition level: easy
There are to-go mugs, then there are the products like the Joco Cup* or the KeepCup*, that seem to appeal to the more affluent, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gooperesque crowd. (I'm not saying that if you like or own one of these that you're a Gooper or a Gooper wannabe, but...). These seem more like a commodity rather than a tool used for a zero waste lifestyle.One of the KeepCup product descriptions states, "Made from fully tempered soda lime glass, the KeepCup Brew Cork Edition features a natural cork band. Made in Portugal using waste product from the wine cork manufacture, the band is beautiful to hold. Over time it’s patina will tell the story of your use."
First of all, they come in "editions." I mean seriously? Absolutely brilliant marketing tactic, but seriously? And that patina to which they're referring? I'm pretty sure what they're saying is that the oils in your hand will stain the cork. Again, brilliant! because they're basically selling you on the fact that the reused cork wrap, as beautiful as it is to hold, is porous and will absorb the dirt and oils from your hands (no matter how clean you think they are)—how charming.
"...and that spot there is where I cut my finger that one time I had to get a tetanus shot. That spot was when I forgot to wash my hands after cleaning up chicken poo, and THAT oily bit right there was after I descaled that trout, see how it shimmers?"
Oh, and this particular "edition" isn't dishwasher safe, because, well... cork breaks down and will eventually dry out and crumble off. What a cool story that will be! "yeah, I fuckin' paid $25 for this POS glass and it's falling apart. You can't even see that shimmery bit from when I gutted the trout!"
Seriously though, when it comes right down to it, these are basically glass mugs with lids. Yeah, they're cute, but any to-go mug or thermos will work. Come to think of it, any mason jar would work, so why exactly should I spend $25 on an 8 oz. glass with a lid and a cork (or silicone) band?
(clearly I am not the intended audience for this product.)
Other Stuff
All Goopiness aside, there are plenty of areas in which we can make improvements that inch us closer to the zero waste lifestyle. That said, I'm not giving up toilet paper. Sorry, it's a no-go.
Although we still use aluminum foil fairly regularly, as well as Ziploc baggies and plastic wrap, we are slowly making the transition to alternative products.
I have several silicone baking mats and often use them as pan liners rather than aluminum foil. I also have glass food storage containers that we use instead of wrapping food in foil or plastic wrap to store in the fridge. Of course, a year ago I bought the big-assed package of aluminum foil at CostCo—so it'll be a while before we're completely foil free. (I'm guessing it'll last us to the end of the decade.)
We still use paper towels (that habit is proving particularly hard to break). We're using less than we used to, and I do have a stack of cloth towels at the ready—but when one of the cats puke or when we need to squash a bug (or escort it outside), we reach for the paper version not the cloth. That seems to be a threshold we're not prepared to cross.
Equally, we're sticking with regular t.p.—not the "un-t.p." cloths, because honestly, I can't get over the 'eww' factor.
We're also not giving up Q-tips or toothpaste, and I can't imagine people giving up things like condoms & lube—I mean, let's be practical here.
I DO, however, like the idea of shampoo and conditioner bars rather than bottles of the stuff—although they've proven a bit hard to find in my neck of the woods. I'm convinced that my local health food stores only order one bar of each and that my shampoo bar nemesis always beats me to them. Always.
Zero Waste is a lovely and beautiful idea, but until the apocalypse closes all the stores and shuts down Amazon with it's drones and key deliveries, it feels like an expectation that sets you up for failure. There is always going to be SOMETHING that goes into the trash. You're always going to have those weak days where you buy a frozen pizza or a carton of ice cream in its non-recyclable packaging.
I don't believe the blogs that post pictures of a mason jar partially filled with detritus, stating that that was the amount of trash their family of 5 made for the month—I mean, sure, they probably composted their used Q-tips, and they make their own tooth powder, etc. But, I've yet to see one that has a condom in it, or an empty birth control pack.
*& Just FYI, these are not affiliate links.
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