#fck plastic

1) Always carry around a glass jar.

My go-to jar is actually an empty Tostitos dip jar that has gotten me many confused looks from friends and co-workers. However, this little jar - and all glass jars - can do so much! I’ve used it for overnight oats, granola, hot tea, soup, kimchi, and so much more.

(THE iconic kimchi moment)

You can even bring your breakfast or lunch in a glass jar since they’re microwaveable (make sure to remove metal lids and be careful when removing hot items from the microwave!). 

2) Always carry around metal utensils.

I know that reusable bamboo utensils are all the rage now, but as a Korean-American, I can’t help but gravitate towards metal utensils, including my metal spoon, fork, two straws (in case someone else needs one), and chopsticks (my personal belief is that Korean metal chopsticks help you build character). 

I picked up this “Little Prince” set while I was still living in Korea, and I have to admit that the themed nature of it really encourages me to carry it around with me everywhere. (Plus I can fit so much in there!)

(The outside of the pouch - isn’t it so cute??!)

3) Grab a crap-ton of produce bags from Trader Joe’s. 

Despite the plethora of plastic packaging at Trader Joe’s, I find myself going pretty often. Before you judge, here’s the reason why: 

Meet Mocha, my little poodle-mutt fur demon. 

This might seem a bit silly (and cheap), but I always grab a ton of produce bags from Trader Joe’s every time I go to use as... poop bags! Their produce bags are not only the perfect size to scoop up Mocha poop (sorry not sorry for being gross), but they’re also biodegradable and compostable, which will allow for her poo to biodegrade waaaay faster than if I used a regular plastic poop bag. 

Thanks for the help, Trader Joe’s! 

4) Cut out unnecessary purchases.

(Accurate representation of me shopping)

Okay, so admittedly I started doing this more for financial reasons than environmental reasons. But it works! Whenever I go shopping, I always stop and take a few minutes to think about whether I really need that new sushi-shaped eraser or adorable Pikachu plushie. My go-to method is to actually hold the item in my hand and ask myself, “Does this spark joy?” And guess what? 99.999999% of the time, I realize that I don’t actually need whatever item I have in my hand, even if I want to think that I do (self-restraint ftw?). 

(Marie Kondo would be fuckin’ proud.)

By cutting down my purchases to only items that I absolutely need (groceries, medication, etc), I have really cut down on my own waste, since everything seems to be covered in plastic packaging these days. Hey, even the EPA says that reducing is the most important “R” of the three “R’s” so it must mean something. 

5) Be HONEST with myself.

Like most people before they try out a similar lifestyle, I thought that I didn’t generate a lot of waste. After just a week after deciding to go zero-waste, however, I realized just how wrong I was. The cotton pads I used every day? ?One use, and they went straight in the trash. A new Swell water bottle that I picked up to cut out plastic water bottles? It came in a little plastic bag. Even the lip balm I use? Once I finish using it, I’ll have the empty plastic tube leftover. 

Why does everything have to come in unnecessary packaging?!!?!?

Admittedly, I don’t have actual numbers for how much trash I generate every day, or even every week (I am far too lazy to calculate that). However, I know that there’s so much packaging I can cut out of my life that I never accounted for before. After taking a step back and really examining my lifestyle, everyday products, beauty regimes, and other daily processes, I can figure out where I can reduce packaging, and what I can actually reuse. 

For example, I recently purchased reusable cotton pads that I am using and loving in my everyday beauty routine, and I am planning to switch over to shampoo and conditioner bars instead of constantly having to buy plastic bottles of hair products. The plastic bag that came with my Swell bottle is going to be used as a Mocha poop bag (not the most green use of it, but it’s better than using another plastic bag unnecessarily). 

Even my lip balm tube, once empty, will be reused! One of my best friends has her own beehives (I know, whaaaaaaat?), and I asked her to harvest me some beeswax so I can DIY some homemade lip balm (anyone have a favorite recipe?), which I will then pour into my lip balm tube. Reuse when you can!