Another Year towards Zero Waste Living and What the Hail is Going On

Hello again folks, I hope we are all doing well.

Today I would like to share some thoughts on zero waste living strategies and products. This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce waste at the individual level. Last year I wrote about this topic here and have a few new items to highlight. Amidst the pandemic flu crisis, garbage is sill an issue, so lets switch our focus towards that for a moment, shall we?

Cue dream sequence music…

 

Over the course of 2019, I introduced the following products to my zero waste repertoire: #1 a fancy reusable razor with a lifetime guarantee, #2 wooden dish-brush w/replaceable bristles (Redecker brand), #3 “period panties” (leave it to me to bring up the “gross” topics), and #4 sunscreen in a tin.

Whenever possible and within reason, ie, never for items in the realms mentioned above because that would seriously queeb me out, I do first look to purchase items second-hand, usually resorting to Craigslist, having found this to be the easiest way to locate specific items, locally. I like doing this because it reduces packaging and production waste and is usually cheaper. For example, I purchased a blender ($20) and cast iron pan ($5) through Craigslist this year instead of purchasing these items new somewhere else. Saved me beaucoup bucks with the added benefit that there was no packaging or shipping involved. Wunderbar!

I have also continued to monitor my personal waste production, finding that To-go containers, bread bags, and other packaged food to remain my main source of trash.

Moving forward, I am planning to experiment with plastic-package free dish soaps and laundry detergents. So far, I see that my local package free shop, “creatively” titled “The Package Free Shop,” offers a solid dish soap, so I will probably try that one when the time comes to restock. As for laundry detergent, the same shop also offers a laundry detergent made from simple, natural ingredients that comes in a glass jar, so I am planning to try that recipe as well.

Now, to plug the new products I love:

Period Panties~

Period panties replace the need for disposable pads, which to me, is awesome. Thus far, I have tried Thinx brand, and am very satisfied with their product. This is their website, check it out.

And finally, a comprehensive review of all the zero-waste lifestyle products I have tried in the past few years that I would recommend:

1. Reusable utensils (To Go Ware, lemme know if you want some, I bought a bunch whole-sale last year and would be happy to send your way, they make great gifts)
2. Metal straws
3. Reusable food wrap (Bees wrap)
4. Deodorant in a tin (Meow Meow Tweet)/Deodorant bar from Lush that has no packaging (Aromaco)
5. Home-made toothpaste or toothpaste in a jar (I tried Uncle Harry’s this year and will try Georganics Tooth Powder next)
6. Dental floss in cardboard box (Dr. Mercola)
7. Leaf Re-usable razor (with lifetime guarantee)
8. Raw Elements Sunscreen in a tin (will try this next because the one in the tin was real thick)
9. Menstrual cup (Diva)
10. Period underwear (Thinx).
11. Non-plastic dish scrubber (Redecker)

If there’s anything you’ve tried that you’d like to give me a heads up about, please do let me know!

Now, back to matters at hand: cue dream sequence outro…

I will leave you with a fun hand-washing link to make washing your hands a zillion times a day a bit more bearable: https://washyourlyrics.com/

Peace~

Kelly