(Chelsea Update would like to thank Shawn Sinacola and members of the Chelsea Zero Waste Coalition for the information in this story. And, leave a comment on this story about which ones you plan to try.)
Hello Chelsea:
Chelsea Zero Waste Coalition members shared their 2020 zero waste resolutions at our Jan. 7 meeting.
We invite you to join us in pledging to reduce our collective waste and carbon footprint. Consider joining one of our resolutions.
The best thing about zero waste resolutions?
They save you money, reduce pollution, and keep harmful chemicals out of our bodies and our community.
Check out our list below:
- Reduce carbon footprint; bike and walk to work
- Consume less stuff
- Buy only used items
- Eliminate single use plastic
- Make own soap
- Switch from plastic pop bottles to aluminum
- Bring bamboo fork/knife/spoon when eating out
- Reuse family heirlooms
- Make a habit of carrying own coffee cup
- Eliminate plastic tubs in kitchen storage; use beeswax wraps and mason jars
- Encourage and support breastfeeding
- Make use of the library
- Switch to bar shampoo, conditioner and body wash
- Breathe Yoga to eliminate single-use water cups and instead encourage refilling of reusable water bottles.
- Eat vegan five days a week
- Austerity January; eat from stored food until all gone
- Eat local food year around
- Make full use of the barter/trade economy
- Only use reusable bags; no more plastic
- Purchase food with no packaging
- Repurpose items
- Buy no new clothing or household items for the year
- Eliminate plastic containers for cleaners and personal care items
- Recycle plastic packaging
- No more Styrofoam coffee cups
- Recycle batteries
I switched to a refillable glass container for floss and am using a mop system without disposable pads.
Last year my resolution was to make my own laundry detergent- it works great and I’ll continue doing this! I’m also making my own deodorant now; think how much plastic packaging this will eliminate!
I don’t want Styrofoam that ends up in my body or my environment! I avoid Styrofoam but sometimes it arrives anyway. I’m finding places to recycle it in other towns. I wish we had this option in Chelsea!
My husband and I invite people to bring us their *clean* Styrofoam (we live up in the Lanewood neighborhood). When we have a Suburban load, we bring it up to Dart Industries in Mason where they have a free, 24-7 styrofoam recycling drop off center. They turn it into picture frames.
Another woman in the Zero Waste Coalition also collects and delivers styrofoam to Jackson where they have very low fee styrofoam recycling drop off.
Love this! I’m doing many of the things on the list above, but will try to add even more. I would love to learn more about any local barter/exchange systems. 😉
Love all of this!
Polly’s – get rid of your plastic bags!