A lot of strides made in the Zero Waste community have gone by the wayside right now due to COVID-19. Bulk sections have been removed and most grocery stores won't allow you to bring in your own reusable shopping bags. Refilling any item can be difficult. Coffee shops only offer to-go cups (not recyclable due to the composition of plastic and paper) and restaurants, due to restrictions, can only serve food in to-go boxes that end up in the trash (even the compostable ones have cancer-causing chemicals in them). Farmers' Markets are threatening to shut down and some have already closed until further notice. There are still many ways to be Zero Waste even if for the time being, you have to buy some of your food in plastic. One of the great things about being "Zero Waste" is that you become resourceful, mindful, and diligent. Household items do double or triple duty serving many purposes and you extend the life of what you already have by any means possible. So yes, there is a lot more plastic out in the world right now, but the majority of ways you can cut down on trash are still available to us.
First off, food waste - just don't do it. Food waste is a huge, multifaceted issue and in America alone up to 40% of the food grown is wasted. Most of what ends up in our landfills is organic matter a.k.a. food, and when food decomposes in the absence of oxygen, like it often does in a landfill, it releases harmful greenhouse gas emissions adding to the climate crisis (read more about the impacts here). Right now, in a time where many people are struggling to put food on their tables to feed their families, food waste seems like even more of a crime. In order to stop food waste, pay attention to best-by dates and keep an eye on your produce. To extend the life of produce, chop it up and freeze it for soups, breads or smoothies later on. A great trick is to save all of your carrot ends, garlic and onion skins, broccoli stumps, etc. in a container in your freezer. Once the container is full, boil them to make a rich vegetable broth. If you eat meat, do the same with the leftover bones to create bone broth. Mushy grapes can be frozen into a cute, icy snack that kids love. Even breads- sandwich breads, muffins, bagels, pastries, etc. can be frozen for later use. Get creative and utilize your freezer, it's your new best friend (as an added bonus, your freezer operates optimally when full so you save on energy as well). If you can't eat your canned goods before they expire, donate these goods to a food bank. Food banks are experiencing a huge influx of needy people right now and it's just the right thing to do. If you have fruit trees in your backyard and are unable to eat all of the fruit, put a box in your front yard with a sign offering the fruit up for free. When COVID-19 is over and if you live in Los Angeles, you can also contact Food Forward (read about them here) and volunteers will come and collect your unused food to donate it to those who experience food insecurity so it doesn't go to waste. Something to keep in mind when this all over.
Farmer's Markets have always been a great way to avoid plastic and shopping at them now is more important than ever. Farmers' Markets are one way we can still support small business, keeping money directly in our own communities and away from huge corporations. All small businesses are hurting right now so I'm trying to support them more than ever. At the Farmers' Market you can still use your cloth produce bags and unlike conventional grocery stores, you have to use a reusable grocery bag to carry your produce. Shopping at them also helps to keep food miles down. Depending on the market and the vendor, you may or may not be able to transfer small items that come in the those plastic green baskets, like berries, to your own produce bag. At my market, most vendors will do it for you and don't mind but a few won't. Large items can be paid for and directly placed in your reusable grocery bag like always. These markets are practicing social distancing with one entrance to ensure only a few people are allowed in at a time so we can all keep our six feet between one another. I personally feel safer at Farmers' Markets since they are open air and less people are touching the food.
For those who have had their local Farmers' Markets close down for now, and you have to shop at a conventional grocery store, here are a few tips to be as Zero Waste as possible. When given a choice, always buy organic and always buy the product that comes in glass or aluminum instead of plastic. Avoid the plastic produce bags and place big items directly in the cart (you will wash them when you get home) and use cloth produce bags for small items. At check out, if the store will not let you use your reusable grocery bag, opt for paper instead of plastic as you can reuse, recycle, or compost the paper bag.
If you haven't made the switch to natural cleaning products yet, now is a great time. After you have used up your conventional cleaning supplies, switch to white or apple cider vinegar that comes in glass bottles and baking soda that comes in a cardboard box. Use the vinegar as a glass and hard surface cleaner and the baking soda as an abrasive substance and odor neutralizer. The only other cleaning product we use is Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap that comes in a plastic bottle. Up until now, we were refilling our gallon jug at refill stores, like Sustain LA, which are still open in Los Angeles, but you can only purchase from them using their glass jars and bottles for pickup. This is still a great alternative to plastic while supporting small business owners! You can also ditch the plastic sponges and go for a natural fiber based one, like coconut husks, a loofah or just plain cloth rags. Avoid toxic dryer sheets and instead put essential oils directly on wool dryer balls to freshen your laundry while it dries.
In your bathroom, avoiding plastic is easy. Make the switch to plant-fiber or silk dental floss, bamboo toothbrushes, DIY toothpaste (like the one I make here), and body, shampoo and conditioner bars. Use olive oil for make-up remover (as explained here) and a washcloth instead of cotton balls. Most of these items can be found at The Soap Kitchen, Life Without Plastic, Zerowaste Store, and Package Free Shop. These stores are owned by people who care about the environment and support ethical and sustainable practices. Please support them now so we can support the people whose values line up with our own.
Lastly, avoid meaningless and mindless online purchasing. When I heard that some people were going on online shopping binges, I understood the impulse because times are stressful right now. Naturally, I found it concerning, though, because so many people how now lost their jobs. Avoid going into credit card debt by buying a bunch of stuff you don't need. Instead, pass the time by going through what you already have, mending and fixing items, and cleaning out closets. Thrift stores aren't open right now but you can hold onto what you want to get rid of until they reopen. For the things that are absolutely past their lifespan, and need to be disposed, please avoid throwing them out in the trash bin. Read this post about how to properly get rid of items without adding to our immense trash problem. You will have to wait until lockdown is over, but it will be worth it.
Any questions? Anything ways you'd like to add to this list? Email me! I would love to hear from you.
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