Today was my first day of work at the new job. And... it was good! I spent the day with my hands in a bucket of water cleaning the dirt off the mud covered finds that had come back from some of the excavated sites... it was so cool. I got to see pottery, glass, metal, shell and bone. It was so exciting.
For lunch i even took my vegan "mess" which was a lovely meal to have on Meatfree monday. It was also really yummy.
I love that my new job also ties into Sustainable September. As an Archaeologist I get to look at and excavate the rubbish left over from past generations. This always makes me wonder what future archaeologists will be excavating from our era. The truth is this will probably be referred to as the plastic age. And it is something we need to change. Now! So todays environmental kindness idea is...
Day 4: Reduce your use of single use plastic –
First start like all arvhaeologists by looking at the rubbish you are producing in your house. My biggest plastic haul comes from food shopping.
I combat this by buying foods based on reusable packaging. I like to buy cool and interesting glass Jars instead of plastic. I then reuse those jars to store a whole range of things I need to keep in my pantry. Or I even use my jars for taking places. You will be surprised what foods you can get in glass or paper/cardboard even (that can then be composted).
If you get really enthusiastic you can ask the local butcher to put the meat you are purchasing into a reusable container you are using yourself. I find that meat is the hardest thing for me to get plastic free.
I have fallen in love with the jars that my Coconut Oil comes in. I use them for everything from storing my collection of weird and wacky dried foods, to use them to store leftovers, and I’ve even used them as bowls on the odd occasion. Bowls with lids! Winning! Normally it would cost a bunch to buy jars like these. The coconut oil jars tell me how much they can fit inside them. I particularly love them for preparing my fruit and coconut yogurt to take with me in the mornings. 250g is enough for a good desert/breakfast.
Why does this save you money? Well, for me it has meant that I haven’t had to buy new expensive glass containers, as I am setting up my Pantry in the UK. These jars are an added bonus for the products I have already - which is awesome. Free stuff is great. Particularly for someone like me who is still setting up their home.
I purchased pureed fruit (from the baby food isle - dont judge me) and there was a choice between glass and squeezy sippy bags. I only realised that the jars were not only cheaper but 30p (60c AUD) cheaper per little jar. And then I can reuse the jars for spices or snacks. Perfect for me.
I hope you are enjoying this shorter Sustainable September series.
love Daena
ps. For a kindness idea - save any jars that you dont think you can reuse, remove the labels and donate to a zero waste store like The Wasteless Pantry (in Western Australia). If you dont have one near you, local schools with art departments are often looking for glass jars for paints and paintbrush cleaning. So call a local school and ask if they are interested before dumping them off.
P.P.S. For more Zero waste stores check out places like Wasteless Pantry (which is about to open two more stores), Hetu (London) or The Source Bulk Foods (in both Australia and the UK). And Ripple_Living is going to be arriving soon in Wales (as a not for profit - Exciting).
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