5- Minute Low-Waste Lifestyle Adjustment

Nobody's perfect.  We do not live a zero-waste lifestyle yet.  It takes time and a conscious effort to adjust.  The most important thing to ask is why we want to do it.

Why do I want to reduce waste at home?

Since having moved to the countryside, we started improving ways our family manages household waste because our garbage truck passes only once a week, so we had to find ways to avoid a pile up of smelly garbage. 

Second reason, we are also facing a problem with ants.  Leaving a crumb on the kitchen counter and any surface, I bet you, will be swarmed with ants after 60 seconds. Hence, we have to be conscious of leftovers and how we store our food. The first time I kept them in the storage shelf, inside air tight containers -some are not as effective as others, my penne pasta and rice were filled with those extremely tiny red ants.  

Guess what, I keeps seeds, grains and pasta inside the fridge where we live. You won't believe I found ants inside our fridge twice, even in the freezer while some invaded my jar of instant coffee.  

Third reason, I feel sad when I see single use plastic in nature that find their way to the nearby sea.  

We also had a compost pit for vegetable scraps.  Yet, our former compost pit failed because it was semi-exposed. It attracted unwanted toads, vermin and pests.  Worse, it was next to a rice field bordered by a concrete fence. I spotted a snake a few times in it.  I had to make loud noises, sometimes, even sing to drive the snake away whenever I had to throw scraps in the pit. 

When we moved to Moalboal , we continued segregating and adapted this system at home that works out to reduce waste.

1.  Meat, Rice and Cooked Meal Left-overs 

We try to consume everything we cook and there are days we only eat left overs.  It is cost effective and healthier.  However, we collect, store, refrigerate, leftover bones, meat and fat of pork, chicken and beef along with stale rice for street cats and dogs.  We live in a 3rd world country so we have plenty of street animals who scavenge for food. We have a neighbor who has 6 dogs and these left overs go to them most of the time. 

Our recycling bins

2.  Recycling bins for Glass Bottles and Jars,  Metal and Plastic

As soon as the jars and cans are empty, I immediately wash them with dish washing soap and are left to dry, before placing them inside their respective recycling bins. The labels are also removed.

When the bins are full, they can be sold to the nearest recycling place here. Sometimes, there are families knocking on doors asking for recyclable materials so they can sell them and use these earnings to buy their food. 

3.  Using thermos for water instead of buying individual water bottles. 

It reduces our plastic waste and is also more cost effective. 

4. Investing on Bulk Items. Buying larger containers instead of small bottles.  

For Toiletries, we realized buying the biggest bottle of washing liquid is a major expense, but larger quantities cost less in the long run. We try to avoid individual plastic sachets and single use plastic whenever possible.  We also refill re-usable bottles with shampoo and shower gel when traveling. 

5.  No to Plastic Straws

We drink straight from the glass period. Most establishments here have switched to re-usable stainless steel or bamboo straws and paper. Among the three, the best one is the stainless steel. They don't leave any after taste while the paper disintegrates after several sips.

6.  Re-using glass jars

I wash, sterilize and keep jars.  Maybe I am turning into my grandmother who hoarded jars (Rest in Peace, Lola), but I use these as containers for grains, spices and storing food at home.  I also use these in storing chia puddings in the fridge for breakfasts 

7.  Re-usable Market Bag

When going to the vegetable market to buy fresh produce, unwrapped vegetables and fruits are dumped  inside my re-usable bag.  

Sometimes we can't avoid using plastic grocery bags when we forget to bring them but we make sure to re-use these plastic bags again. 

It's helpful to keep re-usable market bags inside the car trunk and in plain view near the door to avoid forgetting it.

8. Re-using Take -Away Clear Plastic Containers 

Wash, sterilize, dry and store.  I hate throwing these away. I keep them and use them again for left overs, as vegetable scrap trays  and whenever we have family and friends over for a party and they wish to take home food.  

I also use these to store and organize nails, screws and small items.  

9.  Re-using leftover small soap pieces to make a homemade liquid hand soap

My friend, Romina taught me this.  They collect small slivers of soap and when they're plenty enough, are chopped and melted on stove with equivalent cups of water to create a liquid soap that are poured in a re-usable bottle as liquid hand soap. How to do it, Click here

Home grown tomato using soil from compost

10.  Compost pit

I followed this step by step guide to create a barrel compost suitable for the Philippines, link here .  If you are more nifty, try a vermiworm bin