We are still following our 2017 and 2019 lists and here are a few more ideas that are we've implemented over the years.
1. Borrowing books from the library, one book can be read by hundreds of people. If you amortize the cost of the book into just one hundred people, book cost of $30, the cost is $0.30 per person.
2. Reading digital books, no printing and no physical waste!
3. Buy less products online. There is so much waste involved in shipping a single item, if it can be bought at the store for a similar price to online, go get it while combining the trip with other needs.
4. Do not use plastic bags to hold produce unless it's "wet". Wet examples include spices like basil and certain salads. Anything that is loose such as bananas, avocados, apples, etc can sit in your cart and then get bagged at the cashier station in your own totes. We wash everything at home, and we're careful in handling these items, so I see no need for an extra plastic bag. I've been following this rule for many years with no damage to produce.
5. We donate all clothes that are no longer wearable but are still in good condition. I used to sell them through consignments but it got to be too much work.
Goals for 2022:
1. Take totes to all stores, despite getting 75% of our groceries from Aldi and Costco, the remaining 25% give us a ton of bags and since the pandemic it's becoming increasingly hard to find anyone who is still offering recycling bins.
2. I want to take a tour of our local recycling plants and learn more about it to make sure we are doing everything correctly.
3. Switch to biodegradable trash bags. I'm guilty of two things:
- I buy the cheapest trash bags.
- I use Target/Walmart bags for small trash cans