Lately (along with the rest of the world) I’ve been thinking a lot more about reducing the waste I create. Even though I once hosted a podcast about eco-friendliness, saving the environment has never been at the top of my list in terms of causes I care about. To clarify: it’s always been on the list, just not at the very top.
But as the world starts to reckon with its environmental impact, I have started to reckon more seriously with my own. I’ve noticed that some of my habits are not aligned with my values, and that it would only take some small changes to get me to a (slightly) more sustainable way of living.
I have always been inspired by the blog Reading My Tea Leaves, and there are a couple of her posts that have really stuck out in my memory as I’ve been thinking more about this lately. The first is this post about her commitment to plastic-free iced coffee, a resolution that I’d also like to make this summer. Whether it’s by committing to just sit down and have my coffee/smoothie/drink in a cup “for here” rather than “to go” (which only takes a few minutes longer), or by bringing my own cup and straw, it feels like an easy but effective way to cut back on my plastic consumption.
On that note, I also loved this older post about having a zero-waste work bag. In hers, she carries a reusable straw, a cloth napkin, a water bottle/coffee mug, and a reusable grocery bag. So this week, I packed up the front part of my backpack with a stainless steel straw and cloth napkin, neatly folded into a Ziploc bag, and a canvas grocery tote. I have an old water bottle that I’ve been carrying with me a lot more lately, but I’m in the market for a smaller, insulated one that doesn’t sweat or conduct heat so that I can use it for both coffee and water. And I’d love to make something like this to protect my straw from the detritus that has a tendency to collect in my bags!
That’s all for now. Simple shifts that I want to really commit to. Eventually I’d love to start exploring the world of shopping for bulk items using my own containers, and cutting back on plastics in other areas of my life, but for now these shifts feel manageable and sustainable. Do you have any zero-waste habits? I’d love some inspiration! Until then, you can find me at my local coffee shop bringing my own straw.
