Sustainability

At the UN gift shop, there was an entire section with products designed to reduce waste. Bamboo and metal straws, reusable silverware in clever containers that could live in a purse. No plastic bags for the souvenirs purchased. They were practicing what they preach. It reminded me a lot of being at the Mother Earth News Fair. All it was missing was the beeswax covers and Scandinavian dish towels.

Living in California, there are a lot of environmental measures in place like rebates for harvesting rainwater and going solar. Also single use bags from stores are gone and you have to request a straw at a restaurant. I was already used to bringing my own bags to stores because my grocery store used to credit a nickel for each one used. That’s me – forever frugal.

Despite these assists, there is always more that could be done if it’s top of mind. A recent conversation with Kurt brought environmentalism back into focus. He mentioned that he’d tried to not use any single-use plastic products for a single day. It was a greater challenge than he expected.

That got me thinking about my baggies habit. I researched silicone bags ages ago, and DH2U was kind enough to get me some for Hanukkah last year. The UN tour had me pulling them out of the packaging and putting them into use.

I also realized many of the bags I’ve been using in my pantry could easily be replaced with jars. Heaven knows I have jars.

Recently I purchased a fabulous drying rack for the silicone baggies that was made in Canada from reclaimed wood from furniture makers. It works great for that, my silicone food huggers that I use daily on my apples, and Swedish dish towels.

I’ve heard from more than one person, “What’s the point of doing these things?”. To me, it makes me feel good knowing that it’s one less piece of plastic going into the ocean, less waste heading to landfills, and more non-chemical fertilizers going into my food. My answer to the question is “It’s not hurting anyone, so why not?”