I’ve reduced the amount of plastic packaging I bring in from the grocery and other stores but can’t seem to eliminate it. I dispose of it by cramming it into a plastic jug or juice bottle. When there’s no room left in the bottle I put the cap back on and throw it in the trash. Not an ideal solution, but it keeps smaller pieces of plastic from escaping into waterways while reducing the volume of my trash. And someday perhaps an archeologist will unearth it from a landfill and say, “No wonder this civilization collapsed!”
We are avid composters and use a pile in the backyard that we turn. We want to start "hole composting" and are curious what we can't use there because of the worms?
Composting solves so many problems :) I bury the same things I put in a compost bin (fruit and vegetable scraps, peels and pits, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc.) and avoid oily food. Worms don't like it.
Great tips! I would add: Also bring reusable bags/containers when shopping (love your diy vegetable bags, Anne!) and when grabbing coffee to go. And - new to me after a stinky experience: Walk your dog instead of training it to pee on a pad. We recently had a house guest who left this type of pad in our home at 95 degree weather - and we don’t have garbage pickup at all (very common in rural areas).
Thank you for all you do, Anne Marie! We’ve been composting for decades. I feel so defeated seeing people still (!!!) carting out single use plastic water bottles from stores, but feel good about our efforts. Great article.
I was in a Lucky supermarket a few days ago and overheard the cashier telling another customer of a promo that if you spent $25 (easy!) you would receive a giant multipack of single-serving water bottles… WTF⁉️ 🤯
Great advice Anne Marie! I find that composting produces great rewards - for reducing flow into the waste streams right at the source, i.e., the kitchen, as well as yielding wonderful nutrients when ultimately mixed back into the soil. Thanks for sharing all your strategies!
Thank you @Anne Marie! I heard you speak during the Sunnyvale Sustainability Speaker Series years ago and I haven’t looked back — you inspired our household to embrace ALL the waste reduction techniques (including buying a new item only when absolutely necessary).
Another one worthy of this list it saving vegetable scraps in the freezer and making veggie broth to use in your cooking — budget friendly and you’ll know exactly what’s in your broth 😋 so many people have electric pressure cookers now, making broth becomes so simple!
The city of Mountain View rolled out composting for the city residents with a free small him and starter set of bags back in 2017. I don't have exact stats, but it's reduced our trash as a city by a decent percentage of 10%. Our household's only real trash comes from unavoidable plastic packaging and our trash bag is light and barely half full after a week for a family of 4. It's definitely doable when you compost everything you can!
When I first heard of people fitting a year's worth of garbage in a jar, I thought they must have been tricking me. Then I started avoiding packaged food and all doof (https://joshuaspodek.com/avoid-eating-doof) and went from filling a load weekly to bi-weekly to monthly.
A mindset shift followed by continual improvement ensued. Now I haven't filled a load since 2019.
How it shows up in your life will be unique, but anyone can do a mindset shift. Anyone can continually improve. The side effects are serious though: improved health, safety, security, free time, budget, community, family time. It helps people without access most.
I’ve reduced the amount of plastic packaging I bring in from the grocery and other stores but can’t seem to eliminate it. I dispose of it by cramming it into a plastic jug or juice bottle. When there’s no room left in the bottle I put the cap back on and throw it in the trash. Not an ideal solution, but it keeps smaller pieces of plastic from escaping into waterways while reducing the volume of my trash. And someday perhaps an archeologist will unearth it from a landfill and say, “No wonder this civilization collapsed!”
Reducing is the solution! Haha, yes I think that's exactly what archeologists will say.
Love this. Would't it be amazing if everyone clubbed together to reduce their waste during a strike? Then something good would have come from it.
Thank you! I think if the strike goes on for a long time, people will have to. (At least I hope so!)
Your tip about brings containers from home for leftovers is brilliant. Why the heck didn't I think of that?!!
Thank you! Glad you like it :)
And - this is a great article!
Thank you!
We are avid composters and use a pile in the backyard that we turn. We want to start "hole composting" and are curious what we can't use there because of the worms?
Composting solves so many problems :) I bury the same things I put in a compost bin (fruit and vegetable scraps, peels and pits, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc.) and avoid oily food. Worms don't like it.
Ah, okay. We mainly compost all components/pieces/bits of veggies, fruits, eggshells, and coffee grounds, so we're good.
Great tips! I would add: Also bring reusable bags/containers when shopping (love your diy vegetable bags, Anne!) and when grabbing coffee to go. And - new to me after a stinky experience: Walk your dog instead of training it to pee on a pad. We recently had a house guest who left this type of pad in our home at 95 degree weather - and we don’t have garbage pickup at all (very common in rural areas).
Thank you for all you do, Anne Marie! We’ve been composting for decades. I feel so defeated seeing people still (!!!) carting out single use plastic water bottles from stores, but feel good about our efforts. Great article.
I was in a Lucky supermarket a few days ago and overheard the cashier telling another customer of a promo that if you spent $25 (easy!) you would receive a giant multipack of single-serving water bottles… WTF⁉️ 🤯
Great advice Anne Marie! I find that composting produces great rewards - for reducing flow into the waste streams right at the source, i.e., the kitchen, as well as yielding wonderful nutrients when ultimately mixed back into the soil. Thanks for sharing all your strategies!
Thank you @Anne Marie! I heard you speak during the Sunnyvale Sustainability Speaker Series years ago and I haven’t looked back — you inspired our household to embrace ALL the waste reduction techniques (including buying a new item only when absolutely necessary).
Another one worthy of this list it saving vegetable scraps in the freezer and making veggie broth to use in your cooking — budget friendly and you’ll know exactly what’s in your broth 😋 so many people have electric pressure cookers now, making broth becomes so simple!
The city of Mountain View rolled out composting for the city residents with a free small him and starter set of bags back in 2017. I don't have exact stats, but it's reduced our trash as a city by a decent percentage of 10%. Our household's only real trash comes from unavoidable plastic packaging and our trash bag is light and barely half full after a week for a family of 4. It's definitely doable when you compost everything you can!
When I first heard of people fitting a year's worth of garbage in a jar, I thought they must have been tricking me. Then I started avoiding packaged food and all doof (https://joshuaspodek.com/avoid-eating-doof) and went from filling a load weekly to bi-weekly to monthly.
A mindset shift followed by continual improvement ensued. Now I haven't filled a load since 2019.
How it shows up in your life will be unique, but anyone can do a mindset shift. Anyone can continually improve. The side effects are serious though: improved health, safety, security, free time, budget, community, family time. It helps people without access most.