Zero Waste•ish

Nine percent of plastic waste was recycled in 2017. The remaining bulk of that plastic is sitting in landfills and leeching into our ecosystem. Landfills are responsible for one fifth of methane emissions in the United States. Methane is almost 30 times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide (the alleged villain in the climate change crisis). Plastic does not biodegrade. Instead, it photodegrades (breaks into tiny pieces with sun exposure) and this process takes 1000 years! Water bottles are in the middle of the spectrum at a whopping 400 years. The low end of the spectrum is where you can find plastic bags which take 10-20 years to decompose.

The Zero Waste movement aims to divert waste from landfills through reduction of consumption, reusing what you can and recycling what you cannot. It’s about being proactive to the pollution & climate issue instead of reactive. I love nature. I despise litter and waste, specifically all the adverse effects it has on nature. I’m a firm believer that natural is best when it comes to everything. 

I’m not living a zero waste lifestyle yet but I’m on my way. I started in the heart of my home; the kitchen. Most waste is created in the kitchen. As a self taught chef, I cook A LOT. I also use a lot of ingredients. Decanting your pantry staples and switching to bulk shopping not only looks gorgeous (I mean, how cute?) but the benefits are plenty. Besides being eco-friendly a zero waste pantry saves time, money and supports better lifestyle habits. It’s a win-win.

The container store is the Mecca of organization. They have endless options for pantry storage containers. I chose to go with the Bormioli Rocco Fido glass jars. They’re aesthetically pleasing and functional. The rubber gasket around the neck of the jars keeps food fresh. I also picked up glass spice jars. I used an old school Dymo labeler to label each one. What I already had in my pantry was decanted and new goodies were bought from the bulk bins to fill them.

What I found was that bulk shopping cost significantly less than buying the same items in packaging. Being able to see everything I have makes it easier to find things. I don’t double buy things I couldn’t see because they were hidden in clutter. I can see what is low and what needs a refill. This also saves me time at the store, and time is priceless. 

Going Zero waste in my kitchen has also supported my plant based lifestyle. My new and improved pantry has given me all the necessary tools to create healthy meals. Most animal products (meat, dairy, ect.) are pre packaged so going zero waste fosters reducing your consumption of animal products.

Practicing more thoughtful consumerism can save this planet. The added bonus is that I love being in my kitchen now more than ever.