- Jenica
February 2019 Waste Audit
February is over so I gathered up my trash and took a look at what I made this month. It's quite the mixed bag! It totaled 5.5 ounces of trash and contains a mix of items I bought knowing they would make waste (i.e. cheese) and others that I sourced second hand and gave new life to, but also had some trash come with them. Like the coffee bag! I got some very old coffee grounds off of my local Buy Nothing Group to use in the body scrub I make at workshops. The coffee had slowly lost its flavor so the owner was going to throw it out. I gave it a second life! But it also came in a plastic coffee bag I now have to throw out.
There is a balance to being "zero waste". We have to keep in mind the larger picture and realize that sometimes using plastic and making waste, doesn't mean it's "bad". Sometimes the benefit of giving something a second life or buying something that will last a long time or simply investing in a quality product, even if it has plastic, will outweigh the plastic ending up in the landfill one day. We all need to find this balance to create a lifestyle that is sustainable, both for us and the planet.
February 2019 Waste Audit:
bus passes
receipts
two hair ties
pine resin bag
box of peaches case
straw
milk bottle seals
cheese wrapper
Twist sponge wrapper
duct tape pieces
laminate pieces
coffee bag
handmade card with glue
yogurt yeast packet
parking pass
orange candy package
envelope window
tea package
owl sticker
vitamin seal
Ripple milk seal
two staples
Well Earth Goods sticker
Brie sticker
feminine hygiene product
What are you throwing out this month?