Zero Waste Traveling: Preparation

Attempting to reduce your trash output involves a bit of planning especially with traveling. So here's a rundown of my preparation. Hoping this will minimize my impact on my travels for the next two weeks if only a little.

So first of all, I'm flying to meet my father up north for a road trip. I don't want to check a bag, and I'm trying to pack light. So as we all know, can't bring liquids over 2 ounces on a plane (or something like that). When you go through security, all liquids must be in a plastic bag and must be removed from your luggage. So to avoid use of a plastic bag, I'm using my mesh produce bags to store my tightly sealed liquids. I also use reusable little bottles for my shampoo/conditioner etc rather than buying disposable little travel sized bottles.

To avoid buying a drink or using the little plastic cups they give you on the plane, I am of course bringing my reusable water bottle which will be utilized the entire trip. I'm not sure what to do about food since I can't bring food through security. But if I get hungry, I'll try to find whatever option produces the least trash.

I'm bringing some extra reusable bags as well. And then I also am bringing some powdered laundry detergent that I made, so we don't have to use single use detergent at laundromats.

So here's the small amount of preperation I've done. Hoping this will help.

I'll report back in two weeks!

Trash Tally #1

I hate my decision to do this. It's a pretty awful thing to do. Only because I am so much more aware of what I'm producing trash wise. So here it is. The amount of trash I've produced in four days. This isn't even all of it. I kept forgetting and throwing things away. So let's take a look at this terrible quality photo.

So what I've produced: granola bar wrappers (I think I threw away a few on accident), a tinfoil wrap from a sandwich, multiple stickers, plastic wrap with tape from a tattoo I got earlier this week, a waxy piece of paper from an online order, packaging from my prescription, a huge awful piece of plastic my watch came on, one of four poptart wrappers, and two cans on biscuits. No pictured: a Styrofoam cup/plastic straw (I know, I know).

I think that's it for four days. But today isn't over. You may think, not bad. But I think it's pretty bad. I leave for my trip tomorrow morning really early. Here's to hoping that I only produce about this much on average while on my trip. And hoping that when I get back, I'll make huge improvements. I'll keep collecting in the meantime.

Still Learning

Summer yields not much free time, I've come to realize, since I haven't updated in a solid two months.

I've been distracted with travels, two jobs, and getting settled yet again among it all.

I'm currently prepping for perhaps my most exciting travels of the summer and hope to update with a zero waste travel edition. My first true attempt, I might add, so I'm guaranteeing many mistakes.

Throughout all the adventures I've had this summer, I've been thinking a lot about this task I've set myself up to and all the excuses I've made for not being further along. I've realized that there have been a ton of subconscious excuses. I have the mindset that I am a zero waste advocate; therefore, I don't produce much trash. False. Every time I'm at work and I grab a pack of peanut butter crackers "just one time" it grows into a habit. A habit I don't even realize is happening. A habit I go to every time I'm hungry at work and have peanut butter crackers wrapped in plastic at my fingertips whenever I want them. This applies to other things as well, this is just an example.

So yesterday I found a series of blogs/projects (which I will share at the bottom) that have the same general thought process as me. These people looked at the American society and how it functions. They questioned how sustainable our practices are for future generations. They decided our practices can really suck. Then they decided to change said practices in their own lives.

So I decided that I'm going to start collecting the trash I produce. Starting right this second. Anything that can't be reused, recycled, or rotted will be saved to show you before I send it off to the landfill. Maybe at the end of the week. Maybe at the end of the month. It depends on how much trash I produce. I'm not really sure what to expect honestly. I have a feeling this vacation is going to be sobering. It's harder to be zero waste when I'm on a road trip for two weeks.

Fortunately, I have a father who supports me (and even agrees with me) on my views. So maybe it won't be too bad. I suppose we'll see the beginning of August.

Wish me luck! And if you wanna try it yourself, I wish you luck as well.

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/photos/9-bloggers-yearlong-green-journeys/rising-to-the-challenge