I knew the process of eliminating plastic in my life would be a slow one… Anxiously waiting for items to empty out so you can feel proud of the fact that you can see progress.
I received a real sense of accomplishment when I was cleaning out my spice cabinet, virtually all single use plastic items have been eliminated, never to return again! 4 bags of spices remain to get through along with some larger plastic containers (however these will never see a landfill or be shipped off to a poor developing country to be “recycled.”) The big ones have already come in handy for replenishing the cabinet and allowing this corner of the kitchen (that used to be filled with small single use plastic shakers or bags to be 90% waste free.
All that remains of single use plastic bags in my spice cabinet.
It’s a small accomplishment but overall still one to be proud of, now every time I refill a container I think about the fact that it’s one less container in a landfill or ocean, one less new container needed to be manufactured for my consumption.
Plastic containers which will continue to be refilled
A reused plastic container.
These little victories add up on a personal scale and even more so when I see people around me starting to do the same thing. Shortly after I switched from margarine in a big plastic tub to buying real butter wrapped in parchment paper, my mother did the same. I have people approaching me asking for advice for certain products, recipes or alternative items for the home. I’m hopeful that the momentum will continue in hopes that we will leave a healthier world behind.
