I had a really disappointing food waste week last week. I didn’t store produce properly, I didn’t eat food when I should have, and I had to compost a lot. My first exposure to a comprehensive list of how to store fruit and vegetables was in Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How…
Empty lotion tubes and bottles (without the pump) can be recycled. Make sure they are empty so you don’t contaminate the recycling stream. If you can’t get all the lotion out and/or are worried cutting the tube open may cause the pieces to jam the sorting machines, then put the tube in the trash. Check…
You can recycle clean aluminum foil. Check with your local provider for specifics but in Austin, Texas clean aluminum foil can be balled up 2 inches or larger and go in the curbside recycling carts. You can also recycle aluminum baking pans. Word of caution: Sometimes people think they’re hosting a zero waste event by…
*The opinions expressed here are my own and I purchased these items myself. Last month my family was having a picnic in the park. We have never picnicked before as a family, we just take snacks into the park so normally my small U-Konserve containers are sufficient. Most parks prohibit glass, which is my husband…
We received a new set of prescriptions for the dogs this week. Our vet uses a mail service, which is super convenient but comes with padding in the bottles to cushion the tablets. I want to share a reminder, or a heads up if it’s new to you, that “cotton” is not always cotton and…
This article originally appears in the Mueller Front Porch Flyer April 2021 edition. Bulk Buying Buying in bulk can help you save money and resources. Buying in bulk can mean two different things: 1) buying loose items from bulk bins in stores and 2) buying larger quantity packages. With COVID, some stores have either closed…
We had our first ice cream cone of the year today. I recommend when you are getting ice cream or gelato to order it in a cone if you can so you can eat your “container,” and compost the hand wrapper and/or napkins. Most ice cream cups are plastic-lined paper and go in the trash.…
I purchased the items in these pictures myself and these opinions are my own. Grove Co. is a company that ships healthier home and beauty options to your door. It sells a lot of the “green” names you recognize or hear about in zero waste articles and blogs. The company seems defaulted to the subscription…
I was craving brownies Friday so I bought a mix while I was out. Not all baking mixes come in the opaque bag that you can rinse, dry and recycle with plastic bags. Some mixes come in the silvery bag that goes in the trash. You get a feel for the possibility or you learn…
I talk about the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center a lot (RRDC if you see the abbreviation). It’s where you can drop off recyclables and HHW in Austin if you live in an apartment that doesn’t take much, and for those items that can be recycled in Austin, but not in the blue curbside collection…