How I Began my Low Waste Journey

I've always been obsessed with tumblers and mugs, ever since I discovered the magical powers of coffee (and matcha!). In college, I went through a very financially-irresponsible phase where I would go out to a coffee shop at least 3 times a week. I would choose to dine-in whenever I wanted to study there, but there were also many times where I would take orders to-go. This meant more plastic and paper waste. (Don't be fooled, because even paper cups are typically lined with plastic to keep the liquids from seeping through, thus making the paper cups unrecyclable).

As a student, I slowly started making conscious changes, like using a reusable water bottle (a sticker-covered Hydroflask, specifically, because that's what was trendy on my campus). However, I didn't fully understand the impact I was making with the waste I was producing. After all, I was simultaneously working at the coffee/juice shop on my campus, which was a maaajoor waste producer. It wasn't until I graduated from college (Biola Class of 2018 BABY!), that I started to do more research and follow more eco-lifestyle Instagrams. 

Fast-forward to 2019, after getting married and relocating to Fort Worth, Texas: it was time to start home-making the first place Nick and I could call "home." It was once we had our own place that I started to care more about my lifestyle choices. Producing less waste was always in the back of my mind, but when I was living under my parents' roof (and then my in-laws' roof), I didn't necessarily control who made the home-making decisions. (Side note: this shouldn't be a valid excuse for not taking small steps though, because those were also great opportunities for me to share what I was learning). Moving ultimately pushed me to create a new environment for my family to start making more intentional decisions.

Don't get me wrong, as soon as we moved in we made the quick-and-easy decisions like buying plastic household cleaners, a plastic Swiffer mop, and all the Costco bulk-sized paper towels, ziplock bags, and toilet paper rolls you can find. Starting a home from scratch isn't easy, and I didn't start implementing lower waste swaps until a couple months in. Although, making swaps doesn't necessarily render anything plastic as evil, because we still use our Swiffer and are still finishing our bottles of cleaners. What I'm conscious of now, is to use what we have, and then in turn take steps towards a better solution, once we've utilized everything we already purchased. Making less waste doesn't mean buying all the fancy zero waste swaps you can find (because let's be honest, doing so would be a huge hit to the wallet), but it's also about utilizing everything you already have, slowly transitioning into more intentional choices, and making a lot of things yourself! 

So I hope you would like to join me on my Low Waste Journey, because I'm still learning A LOT. I'm taking baby steps, some smaller or bigger than others, but every effort counts. We can all take baby steps together, and I encourage you to join me in learning more about how we can better steward this Momma Earth we've been blessed with!