Let's take a peek once again at what I trash I accidentally (and sometimes purposefully) made over the last month. The reason I mention both accidentally and purposefully is because sometimes waste comes into my life that I really don't intend on having. These are things like gifts, waiters putting straws in my drink even when I ask them not to, and products that had hidden stickers or plastic that I didn't seen when I bought them. At the same time though, most of the trash I produce is purposeful in that I actively choose to consume it. As you'll see in my trash jar this month, there are some Top Ramen packets. There is not way that Top Ramen "accidentally" fell into my mouth. And I could make up excuses about how a friend gave them to my roommate and since she didn't eat them, I didn't want them to go to waste. But really, I chose to eat those even though they made waste. I'll just have to live with that.
So yes, even though I am zero waste and truly believe in waste reduction, I am also not a perfect human being. I still give in to childhood cravings and eat Top Ramen. Or I buy a package of cough drops when I am super sick and just don't want to make my own. I continue putting my trash jar online each month to show just that. Zero Waste isn't some exclusive club that only perfect people can join. You can make mistakes and even still choose to make waste at times. None of us are perfect, and I suggest you look closely at any zero waste blogger than tries to claim so.
What's in my jar:
1 Ricolla bag
1 envelop window
1 receipt
1 green onion tag
1 almond milk seal
1 vitamin air thing-y
1 plastic card covering
1 probiotic seal (prepping for another trip!)
1 ice cream container seal
1 random plastic stick
2 clothing tags
2 vitamin seals
2 condiment seals
3 Top Ramen packets
Some staples
Some price tags
A month's worth of bus passes
In total, it weighed 1.2 ounces!