Happy Monday! As I’ve mentioned on the site before, I am somewhere in the middle of my zero-waste journey. I have some fast fashion clothes, still eat meat and drive a small sized SUV, but I’m working on making better choices for the future. In my opinion, little accomplishments add up to big ones and we should celebrate and recognize each change that moves us in the right direction. So here’s this month’s edition of my zero-waste wins!
My family is beginning to venture back out into the world a bit more and we recently went to Target early one morning. Normally, I’d scour the racks and look for fun bargains, but this time I tried to be thoughtful about buying things that I would actually use. I asked myself what I wanted to bring into my house and/or if I wanted to participate in the consumption of fast fashion. I am not perfect – I did treat myself to a new pair of lounge pants (it’s still Covid, after all!) – but I didn’t mindlessly fill my cart either. I really considered whether I needed that $3 piece of junk and if I would use it. I encourage you to ask yourself the same question. If the answer is yes, buy it. I don’t one believe that should totally deprive themselves; that type of life is unsustainable and where’s the fun?
However I think that you’ll often find the answer is usually more likely “no”.” I’m proud to say that my children have started doing the same thing. Sure, they walked away with a few things (what mother doesn’t want to bring a smile to their child’s face right now?) but we didn’t over-consume and my kids do use and wear every single item that they bought that day.
Clothes waiting at the end of my driveway for Hannah to pick-up. She will pass on the items that she doesn’t want.
The other day, a friend texted and I asked if I wanted to look through her pile of clothing. She had cleaned out her closet in an effort to make it more streamlined and “capsule-like” and had a ton to give away. Rather than just bringing it all to Goodwill, she offered to pass t on to me. I had so much fun looking through the piles (she and I have very similar fashion taste!) and picked out a few things that I love. Hannah is now getting the rest and will pass on to another friend when she’s done. I love this little game – it’s like free and sustainable shopping – and want to keep it going in the future!
My family celebrated Passover this weekend. We weren’t perfect – there was a beef brisket – but I tried to be really mindful about the rest of it. All of the produce – carrots, potatoes, onions, greens, apples – were bought seasonally and locally. In the past, I would have purchased some fancier vegetables at the supermarket, thinking we had to have them. But you know what? I was perfectly content with this type of meal and it felt good to eat seasonally while lowering my carbon footprint. If you’re celebrating Easter this weekend, Hannah talks about ways that you can accomplish a similar goal during your meal.
That’s about it from me! What about you? What small wins did you have this month? Share with us! – Rachel
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