My New Year’s resolution journey – Be more sustainable

By November I wondered what was the percentage for my trash vs recycling. I didn’t bring out the trash and recycling for 3 weeks. (A Veterans Day and Thanksgiving holiday, where trash removal day was delayed a day, along with my out of sync memory may have also helped.) I was amazed. My recycling was double that of my trash. One bag of trash per week for a somewhat active couple made me think: How much less trash would I have if I started composting?

At the end of the year, my key learnings…

As 2020 came to a close I thought it would be a good time to sort my deodorant containers from toothpaste tubes and separate all the black plastic (Black plastic cannot be recycled easily)  and plastic containers that did not have a recycling logo (like those fancy looking night moisturizing cream containers) and prepare for my TerraCycle drop off. As I was sorting, it became apparent that I ordered allot of take out in 2020 but here are a few other findings:

• Styrofoam - made up most product that I had that could not include with curbside recycling. I had two 35 Gallon trash barrels full! Luckily my city has a Styrofoam recycling event a few times a year so I can properly dispose of those.
• Container tops – you know the tops to condiments, laundry detergent, toothpaste, wine bottles – I collected 3.5 lbs or ½ a grocery bag of these random tops. They add up! I found out that these can be in fact recycled. You just need to clean out the bottle/container and put them back on prior to recycling.
• Bags – ½ way through my “recycling journey” I wondered about all the plastic food bags that my salads came in, vegetables, stuffing, nachos etc. unfortunately these cannot be recycled. I attempt to avoid purchasing food in bags – but it proves more difficult that one thinks.
• Glossy milk containers – I thought these could be put in with paper recycling but upon reading an article from my city’s Zero Waste group – I learned this wasn’t true. Make sure you know your local recycling rules.
• Spray bottles tops – sad to say, but you can’t recycle the spray portion. Because of this I started to make my own counter cleaner out of vinegar and water and use a reusable spray bottle. There are also companies like Jaws or BlueLand that offer a reusable bottle and tablets for cleaning supplies. Water is the main ingredient of any cleaner.
• Paper napkins  - even though these can’t be recycled I thought about the impact of how many napkins my house hold went through in a week, let alone a month. I now use cloth napkins and wash them with towels. In addition to contributing to less waste I also feel more civilized. I never saw any of the characters in Downton Abby using paper napkins.
• Zip lock bags – I cut my use of Ziplock bags after I found reusable ones that you can even put in the dishwasher!
• Plastic wrap – I’ve felt plastic wrap to be something I shouldn’t use but have out of force of habit. While walking around in Salem Massachusetts, my favorite sea-side-village, I found a ZWraps, a REUSABLE food wrap alternative at Oak+Moss! Get this – it sticks to glass bowls and plates better than plastic wrap!
• Random plastic – without a recycling logo on it, tops of food containers, daily and night moisturizer containers.
• Daily Contact lens containers – I’m guilty of using daily disposable contacts. The result is a plastic shopping bag or 5lbs of small plastic pieces that I would have thrown out otherwise as they are not allowed for curbside recycling. The good news is that Bausch + Lomb partners with TerraCycle to help assist in recycling the plastic packaging as well as the contacts themselves. Items can be dropped off at select eyecare locations or mailed in.