I was out of town in Washington, DC, this past week and unfortunately had some zero waste fails. Living a zero waste lifestyle at home where I can control the environment is relatively easy, but once there are other people and places involved, it can get a little tricky. Despite my best efforts, I still made some mistakes:
– My period came early, and I hadn’t packed my reusable cloth pads or Diva cup. Whoops!
– I met friends and clients out for meals, and two of the restaurants only served disposables plates, flatware and cups (these weren’t fast food restaurants either!)
– My cat made some messes while I was away, and my cat sitter used paper towels to clean them up 🙁
This past week taught me that I have to be better prepared for the unexpected if I want to completely reduce my waste. The good news is that all this trash was avoidable, and I’ll definitely do better next time!
Lessons learned:
– Always pack zero waste period supplies, just in case 😉
– Keep a little to-go kit in my purse with utensils, reusable straw and cloth napkin so I’m never caught off guard
– Make it easy for house guests to find and use reusable cleaning supplies
#liveandlearn #alwaysimproving #zerowastestriving #zerodechet