The holidays, the festivities and the parties are over. We are back to our normal routine. We made resolutions and we made some promises to ourselves. The best one I made to myself is going green and saying no to plastic. How about you? How did you start your new year? Are you going green too?
I will tell you how I ended my last year and started my new year on a green note. The last party of 2019 was the new year party that I organized in a very eco-friendly way. I used all my crockery instead of using the plastic plates and spoons. It was better than spending money on something that just adds to the waste. My party was a potluck and I made sure everyone brought food in their own kitchen utensils, instead of the disposable plastic or aluminum containers. Kids love juice but I did not buy any bottles for them. Instead, I used my juicer to make fresh, organic juice at home. Kids loved it and finished till the last drop.
For the decor, I didn’t do much but I am a cleanliness freak and I used to cover all my tables with disposable covers so that I just throw away all trash in one go. But this time I did not use any of those. I cleaned the tables post-party and loaded my dishwasher with the help of friends. It took 30 minutes more after the celebration ended but I was able to create a little less mess than my last party.
After the new year, I saw loads of trash bags for pickup trucks outside most houses and compared it with mine. I had just one bag of trash while others in my locality had on an average of six bags. Of course, everyone had different guest count but I was happy for creating waste less than a lot of other people.
This year, I got zero plastic bags from my regular grocery store. So far I have only used my own bags. I also carry my own basket in my car and dump everything I buy in that basket. This helps me avoid the plastic bags just in case I forget my own reusable bag. I have also convinced some of my friends to not buy plastic water bottles and use reusable ones.
For my family, I am switching to more organic fruits, vegetables and dairy in 2020 to eliminate any pesticides. Also, organic food is fresher and lasts longer than non-organic food. My other resolution is to have a little organic kitchen garden to grow some herbs that I regularly use in my cooking, like cilantro, basil and mint.
This year I also changed my style of packing sandwiches and bagels for my family. Instead of using the regular aluminum foil, I have started using the beeswax wrap. This wrap is reusable and washable. You can even use it to cover any food instead of using the cling wrap. I would highly recommend going the green way of packing lunches and snacks for your family. It has no health hazards and in the long run, it is more economical.
Coming to personal care, the first soap I have used this year is made from organic products and was gifted by a friend. I always wanted to try the organic soaps but never actually did it. Thanks to this friend of mine, she changed my entire outlook on these organic personal care products, They are so much better on your skin than the usual soaps.
The year has just started and I will try my best to adopt green, eco-friendly ways in my daily life. I also request you to start practicing more sustainable, zero-waste, environmental-friendly ways of living life. It will be your contribution in helping the planet stay greener and healthier for everyone. I am doing my bit, what about you? Join me in my initiative to stay green.
Blog Image Credit: Jamie Street on Unsplash
