Paper or Plastic? How about neither!

5 Easy ways to choose low-waste.

One of the good things to come out of our home renovations is that I have been able to reorganize my kitchen to reduce what I use, and throw away as little as possible. These low-waste habits are grounded in the same spirit of use what you have and reduce what is thrown away.

Start with the big step: no more single-use plastic products

Now you may think, “But Puneeta I recycle….”

The truth is our recycling system was never meant to handle the volume and variety of plastics that exist today. And the harsh reality is…the only thing that works is when we stop the single-use plastics. This includes coffee that comes in pods, water in plastic bottles, vegetables in plastic bags and plastic packaging and cling film, aluminium foil and Ziploc bags. There’s a swap for all of this.

Watch the video for additional tips like: French press coffee, BYOB, beeswax wraps, steel cutlery instead of disposable, mesh bags. Set aside bread and frozen veggie bags and grease your baking pans with oil like our grandmothers used to!

Next, let’s tackle single-use paper

Single-use paper often uses our precious Canadian boreal forests. We’re cutting down ancient tress to wipe our butt and clean our kitchen counter.

So, what’s the solution for the kitchen:

Replace paper towels and napkins with cut pieces of old clothing, or swap with dish towels. Keep separate piles for ‘regular mess’ and ‘super icky mess’. Rinse and dry, or run a kitchen wash every Sunday.

Clean green routine

Create your own reusable wipes, add soap + water; a little baking soda for those stubborn stains. That’s it! That covers a lot of messes including the hairballs that our cat hides around the house.

Make composting easy

A paper bag on the counter, green bin in the kitchen or one of the new appliances, see what works for your family. Starting simple? Consider using small citrus peels, tea leaves, and eggshells for your garden.

No more takeout containers

BYOC everywhere (I’m struggling with this because of the changes due to the pandemic). Check the box for “I don’t need cutlery” where asked. Black plastic take-out containers can NOT be recycled in Hamilton or Toronto. Find organizations that are helping to remedy this and support them.