As a kid I learned about the “3 Rs” of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. When I decided to attempt a zero waste home, I learned about Bea Johnson’s “5 Rs” of her zero waste home: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. I also like Kathryn of Going Zero Waste’s modification to this rule.

Reusing an item is a great way to cut down on your household clutter, your waste/garbage and help the earth.

If you buy/make a high-quality item that is meant to be reused over and over again, that’s one thing. But here’s the question: is intentionally bringing something into your home with the wish or hope to reuse it “someday” that helpful to your life or the planet?

That greasy plastic takeout container? Don’t accept it in the first place if you can help it. Sure you might wash it and keep it for some imagined perfect use. You would use it giving leftovers to a friend! Bringing food to share at work! To corral small items in your office/playroom/garage? Pinterest ideas abound.

I used to get caught up in “it’s better than nothing!” And it is. Sort of. Maybe.

How often do you actually grab the things you’ve designated for “someday” reuse? How often do you take a look at your “reuse for later” piles and end up eventually – possibly after years of collecting – tossing them in the trash or recyling anyway? I am definitely guilty of this practice.

Continue reading “Get Real About “Reuse””

Here’s a little story about the Amazon.com order that changed my life.

I think it’s safe to say that my husband and I are Amazon super-users. We were quick to adopt their new technologies and offerings. We even tried out the kooky Amazon Dash button for Lara bars. (Oy, that one wasn’t a winner for us for lots of reasons.) We like Amazon Prime Video and regularly buy Kindle ebooks. We’ve been Prime members for years and I really like the fact that lots of different items are available, and typically for a good price. I also like reading reviews about different products large and small.

And we didn’t order so often that we felt like we were drowning in boxes and packaging. Ironically a lot of the items I ordered on Amazon.com were eco-friendly, plastic-free items that I couldn’t find at local stores.

But then we received this box. This one shipment that changed my relationship with Amazon.com forever, and helped guide me towards zero waste.

Continue reading “The Amazon Shipment That Changed My Life”

I’m sure my “favorites” will change, especially now that I am on the path towards zero waste, but here’s what I recommend to friends thinking about overhauling their makeup bag in favor of healthier, safer cosmetics. A few notes before I share my picks. There are many wonderful companies out there with clean, eco-friendly products. This is by no means an exhaustive list but I … Continue reading Meredith Tested: Organic, green, clean, safe, non-toxic cosmetics