After debating between the two possible inquiry topics (yoga and zero-waste) I have decided to go with zero-waste! I felt that this topic would be of more interest to me, as I have been becoming increasingly annoyed with how much waste life creates and the impact that it has on our environment!

I have always been very mindful and on top of recycling, but over the past 4ish months I have realized that recycling isn’t the solution to waste. I have always felt better about waste by recycling, but after hearing that Canada recycles only 9 per cent of its plastic it made me become more mindful and aware of the waste that I can eliminate from my daily life.  Over the past few months I have taken small steps in our house and my lifestyle to eliminate waste as much as I can. Listed are some steps that I have taken to reduce my waste:

AVOID FOOD IN PLASTICS WRAP

Buying food while trying to eliminate waste is probably the most difficult factors I have encountered with trying to take a zero-waste approach.  It feels like every single thing that you buy has some sort of plastic component to it and if it doesn’t it is usually more expensive. We have a household of two adults and two children (2 out of the 4 in our house also have Celiac Disease, so that adds an additional challenge when trying to keep things 100% gluten free) and when trying to be cost effective, it makes more sense to buy things in bulk. That being said, I have been trying my best to find food products that aren’t covered in plastic.

BRING YOUR OWN BAG (BYOB)

This is one that most people in Victoria have adapted, as the City of Victoria had a plastic ban. Unfortunately, other parts of Victoria do not have this bylaw and plastic bags are still being used.

GOING VEGAN/VEGETARIAN

I have not given up meat and dairy completely, but I have eliminated from all meals prepared at our house. I find this most difficult to follow if I am out of my usual schedule or eating with others who do eat meat. I have previously done a research paper on going vegan and results showed that animal agriculture is very damaging to the environment (land, water, greenhouse gases, etc) and also has negative health impacts.

MEAL PLAN

Being organized with what you are going to eat in a week keeps you from wasting food. I also find this to be a great way to save money from eating out and feeling organized for the week to come. Typically, when you buy food on the go it usually is plastic-packaged food, so I have been making a solid effort to avoid this.

BUY THINGS IN BULK

I have been bringing in my own mason jars to Bulk Barn and stocking up on bulk foods. This also provides some limitations because they aren’t known for being certified gluten free, but still reduces waste on single-use plastic bags on bulk items at the grocery store!

REUSABLE WATTER BOTTLES AND TO GO MUGS

This is a super easy habit to pick up that helps reduce waste and saves money! I have a Swell water bottle that I use for water and as well as for tea. I also use a reusable glass coffee cup from JOCO and love using it. A lot of places will give you a discount for bringing your own mug as well, which is a bonus if you need to get coffee on the go!