As far back as I can remember I have been passionate about the environment. Growing up on a farm in rural Ohio, I remember finding worms in my mom’s garden that had crawled away during a storm and trying to put them back in the ground once the storm had passed. 我会教训那些乱扔垃圾的朋友(是的, 我就是那个孩子), and I also distinctly remember collecting cans and bottles as a family and taking them to the redemption center for recycling.
那是在80年代早期, 三个r -略读, 重用, 回收是小学的基本课程. Along with my family’s thrifty lifestyle that followed these guidelines as I was growing up, this trifecta of strategies was drilled into my brain from a very young age.
But as a young adult in New York City, I started to notice the focus pivoting away from these 3 Rs. “Reduce” and “重用” shifted to the backburner as most people honed in on the third R – recycling – which offered the most convenience for New Yorkers’ modern living. Seeing this clear behavior shift was what led me to pursue zero waste profession所有y and truly embed it in my own life and principles.
现在，作为导演之一 bc菠菜论坛零浪费 评级制度 GBCI, I work with project teams to help them understand the value of resource management and how important 所有 r真的是! 在bc菠菜论坛, we focus on upstream choices such as reduction and 重用 as essential steps that facilities and companies can take on the pathway to achieving certification in zero waste.
在这个COVID-19的奇怪时期, it is more important than ever to be mindful of our materials management while going about our daily lives. With constant news of neighbors and loved ones dealing with shortages of paper towels and cleaning supplies, I’m reminded of why I committed to a zero-waste lifestyle to begin with. I wanted to share a few techniques I’ve embedded into my life over the years in hopes it will 帮助他人采用类似的策略 that will benefit not only their health and sense of wellbeing, but the environment, too.
重复使用旧衣服作为纸巾的替代品
“零浪费”通常被认为是一种特权的生活方式, 但事实是，这些概念起源于卑微的起点, 在很多方面, 可以为更简单、更经济的生活方式铺平道路吗. 例如, if you save old clothing and linens and turn these into dish cloths and rags, 你不再需要买纸巾了.
自制洗手液和清洁液
其他难以获得的产品也可以很容易地在家里制作. 需要洗手液? Combine equal parts rubbing alcohol, Aloe vera, and if you want, add in an essence such as lavender. 清洗液用完? 把家里的主食混合起来做一个简单的食谱. Try 4 cups of hot water, ¼ cup of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and a dash of lemon.
妥善回收——这可能有助于挽救生命
Reducing your waste during this time is not only good for your pocketbook and the environment, 这对我们的核心工人也有帮助. 环卫工人 are showing their superhero status as they continue to serve their communities during this crisis. Anything we can do to make their jobs easier is a real gift — understanding your local recycling, 用垃圾填, and composting guidelines is even more important now (and it’s always pretty darn important!). The best thing you can do is learn what is or is not acceptable in your recycling stream and put everything in its proper bin. Remember: The recycling label that appears on a product may not line up with your local regulations so 总是检查 第一个. 当你有疑问的时候，把它扔出去可能会更好. Incorrectly placed materials can clog up recycling systems and shut down facilities or cause delays, 将工人置于更大的风险之中. 当然, 搬运工必须处理的材料就越少, the less potential risk they will encounter; so try to do your part in being mindful of what goes out to the curb.
尽量减少食物浪费
因为我们发现自己做的越来越多，点的却越来越少, 许多人面临着食物浪费过多的问题. Try to only buy the perishables that you know you and your household will be able to eat before they spoil, or prepare excess fresh foods so that they can be frozen as ready-to-eat meals. One thing I like to do with my leftover food scraps is to keep any clean vegetable scraps in a separate container in my freezer. 等我攒够了钱，我就做汤. 然后，我把残骸堆肥. 通过这种方式，食物残渣被重新利用，然后再循环利用! 一个行动中三个r中的两个就是我的策略.
试着做做园艺
如果你已经给出了 重新种植大葱 a shot, try experimenting with planting some edible fruits and vegetables, too. One great thing about this time of year is that it’s just right to plant a garden! 我建议从香草和生菜等简单的蔬菜开始. These plants can be expensive or delicate when purchased from the store and you may only need a sm所有 amount for a recipe so they are more likely to spoil in the fridge. Herbs, especi所有y, can even be planted in sunny spots indoors for those without access to a yard. 拿一副手套，然后 种植日历 祝大家玩得开心.
放心地重复使用手提袋
One big ch所有enge for the zero-waste community during this time has been the increase in single-use materials and 取消塑料袋禁令. 必须把公共卫生放在首位, but there is an incorrect perception that single-use materials are the only clean and sanitary option. 实际上，这些产品已经 处理过很多次 throughout manufacturing and processing by the time they arrive in your hands. 可重用的, 然而, have the opportunity to be one of the most sanitary products because they have been thoroughly washed by you or in an industrial process through a coordinated effort with programs such as 循环.
This new normal is a reminder to me why I pursued zero waste person所有y – and profession所有y – since I was a young girl playing with worms in my mom’s garden. By sharing these practices, I hope I can encourage others to try them out as well. And who knows — maybe some new reduce and 重用 strategies will stick with you beyond the quarantine.
Celeste McMickle是公司客户解决方案总监 bc菠菜论坛零浪费. 阅读她和其他人的故事 livingstandard.org.