This has inspired my new-year's resolution of taking my habits to a darker shade of green. Hopefully, I too will have a few good tips and updates as my efforts unfold month-to-month.
A movement against plastic shopping bags has created a small amount of awareness. However, even in eliminating the mode of transportation for food, we are still faced with a problem. (Even if the horrible feeling of plastic bags digging into your fingers is solved.)
(FACT: Sea turtles are one of many animals who ingest plastic bags thinking they are eating a jelly fish. After the animal dies, the plastic bag will remain even after the body has decomposed.)
A box of cereal will have a cardboard box and a plastic bag to keep things fresh. A bag of Reeces Peanut-butter Cups has the outside plastic bag, a wrapper around each candy, a cardboard platform, and a final piece of waxpaper. Even to make dinner, (let's say fajitas,) there will be a plastic bag from the tortillas, a plastic container from the sour cream, a glass bottle from the salsa, plastic bags that brought home the onion, peppers and tomatoes and a foil wrapper from the seasonings.
In short, we all know that trash adds up fast. And nowhere faster than the kitchen.
So taking the plastic bag effort a little further, I have made smaller bags for bulk foods and produce. On a routine trip to the store today, I bought flour, quinoa, rice, granola and dried chickpeas in bulk. All of which would have come in paper, plastic or tin. I also brought home apples, lettuce, mangos and mushrooms in my new bags as well.
I still brought home a fair amount of packaging that will be thrown away, but hopefully over the course of my new bags, it will add up. I figure today, I eliminated 10 plastic bags, 1 paper bag, 2 cardboard boxes, 1 styrofoam container and at least 12 tin cans. It's a start, anyways.
The bags were very easy to make. My sewing machine is old: it was made somewhere between 1930-1950. Needless to say, its stitching capability is limited to a single, straight forward stitch. I didn't rely on a pattern to cut the fabric, (I chose batiks since the weave is tighter than other types,) and just eyed the size as I cut based on the quantities I normally buy. Using a fold as the bottom, I hemmed the tops of the bags to prevent fraying and then stitched the sides of the bags, being sure to double-stitch the corners for reinforcement. And that's it.
Tip: get your resuable bags as souvenirs from trips, or make them yourself from favorite old tee-shirts. They will remind you of your fun adventures every time you use them.
Hopefully this simple step will cascade into others I can share. But if anyone else hears of daily improvements, please send them my way. They will be greatly appreciated.
