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1. Unfurl a Baggu at the grocery store to avoid using plastic bags. These cuties fold up, so they can easily be stored in your purse, car, wherever, just in case.
2. Learn about the exciting world of composting! Compost is decayed organic matter that turns into rich, nutritious fertilizer. Simplified into pop culture lingo, it's what Tom Haverford would rebrand as "future soil."
3. Using your new compost know-how, instead of trashing organic food waste, toss it in a compost bin. Google the location of your local compost site and drop it off so it can slowwwwly but surely transform back into soil. Compost piles are garbage's form of heaven.
4. Rethink your relationship with paper coffee filters and get a reusable one for a pour over or traditional drip coffee maker. Now you can brew cup after cup without wasting filter after filter.
5. Or use a French press to make coffee and tea with #nofilter. This one is made of glass and wood, meaning NO plastic was used in the making of this coffee.
6. Switch out plastic wrap for beeswax wrap, which keeps food fresh *and* is washable, reusable, and compostable. Any job plastic wrap would normally do, beeswax wrap has it ~covered~.
7. Or DIY your own beeswax wrap by melting a thin layer of beeswax onto a cotton sheet. Ahhh the sense of accomplishment that comes with banishing plastic wrap from your kitchen with your own two hands.
8. Replace disposable plastic sealing bags with silicone Stasher bags. They're reusable, dishwasher-safe, and — most importantly — airtight, meaning you get the same level of freshness and versatility you're used to.
9. Save any vegetable scraps, bones, and leftover herbs in the freezer until you have enough to make your own broth. Here are some easy ideas if you're just getting started, but any collection of scraps you have on hand should make a mighty delicious, aromatic broth.
10. Nestle your cut produce in some Food Huggers that'll save your half-used veg without the use of plastic wrap. Awww...look at that tender embrace.
11. Upcycle any empty glass jars to use for...well, anything! But of course they're great for airtight food storage, packing lunches, and overnight recipes.
12. Pack your lunch in a metal bento box as a more sustainable way of ~sustaining~ your energy through the day!
13. Decline plastic silverware when ordering carry-out. If you still need to-go silverware, opt for your own metal or bamboo set, optimized for easy travel.
14. Resist the urge to reach for those flimsy plastic produce bags at the supermarket and bring your own reusable ones instead! Produce bags are NOT recyclable curbside. Even the soft *crinkle, crinkle* of their movement sounds evil.
15. Pop fruit and veggies into a produce saver to keep them fresh longer and avoid unnecessary food waste. YES these are made of plastic, but look at how happy that second berry looks. I think it's a worthy trade if it makes you EAT THE PRODUCE.
16. Hit the farmer's market for tons of package-free produce, flowers, and even eggs! Need somewhere to put all those loose eggs (lol)? Try a cute ceramic container.
17. Educate yourself and your household on what you can actually recycle. Definitely look up specifics for your area, but start by committing the EPA's top 10 recyclables to memory...or low-key just get a tattoo of them.
18. Use a tea infuser and loose leaf tea instead of paper tea bags. It may only be a teensy bit of paper, but every bit counts! Also, loose leaf just feels very sophisticated *and* you can make your own blends.
19. Switch to biodegradable trash bags for all the things you can't compost, recycle, reuse, or upcycle. Nothing worse than the thing you use to carry trash also being trash.
20. Trade your regular paper towels for durable, reusable, and machine-washable bamboo paper towels. One roll of these babies can replace up to 60 rolls of traditional ones — you're gonna make trees and your wallet so happy.
21. Wean yourself off of paper goods by getting cute, durable fabric towels and napkins. If you always have some on hand, you'll always have time to clean the dirty ones. And less money spent on paper goods = less money in the literal garbage.
22. Try to buy in bulk whenever possible. It can be hard, but use resources like Litterless to find grocery stores near you that offer zero waste options. Just try not to spill everything everywhere.
23. Actively choose products with less packaging. There are often both a packaged and unpackaged option for *the same produce* at stores, and it takes very little effort to reach for the unpackaged one. That way you can also get exactly how much you need, reducing the chance of food waste!
24. Repurpose citrus peels to make a scented, all-purpose cleaner. This trick makes use of food waste and *also* saves you from buying a plastic bottle of cleaning product! Double win.
25. Stick a Blueapple freshness extender in your fridge to absorb ethylene gas, which is what causes produce to ripen quickly. Reduce food waste and cook with the most delish produce just by placing this little guy amongst your groceries.
26. Ditch store-bought Keurig cups in favor of reusable ones to save on the cost of store-bought K-cups, create your own ~blends~, and keep yourself from making more plastic waste. Win, win, win.
27. And after you order all of your reusable goods, don't forget to reuse or recycle the PACKAGING THAT IT CAME IN! It's great to do your best to shop local and package-free, but sometimes we just don't have the time or energy. Try to live that Prime life as sustainably as you can.
Have fun challenging yourself to make your kitchen more ~waste-free~! And don't forget:
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