9 a.m. @ Java Central Café and Roaster
Bring your own mug or travel cup and Java Central will brew up your morning caffeine in it.
10 a.m. @ the grocery store
Prepare for your waste-free grocery trip with reusable produce bags, glass jars and reusable grocery bags. Avoid any plastic or non-recyclable material – for example, if you purchase granola that comes in a package, try opting for a self-serve and self-scoop granola. For meat and seafood, ask your butcher over the counter to use your glass containers instead of the plastic packaging.
Noon @ the office
Instead of heading to the water cooler every hour with a plastic or Styrofoam cup, bring in your own water bottle to refill throughout the workday. If you normally go out for lunch, try packing instead using your washable containers. The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year. To reduce your daily usage at work, go an entire day by emailing important documents to coworkers and clients. Use online presentations instead of handing out agendas at meetings.
6 p.m. @ dinner
When eating out, there’s a few ways to reduce your trash intake. For example, ask for no straw in your beverage. Bring cloth napkins, and if the restaurant uses plastic utensils, bring your own travel silverware. Instead of using a to-go plastic cup, bring your own water bottle. It’s always a good idea to bring extra Tupperware as well, just in case you want to take home leftovers.
Pro-tip: Be polite when making waste-free requests. Take note of if a host is holding your napkins and silverware already in hand and let he or she know in advance that you won’t be needing them.
9 p.m. @ home
Not-so-fun-fact: Toothbrushes are in the top five most commonly found trash item during beach cleanups. Switch to bamboo toothbrushes, which are made of compostable materials. If you’re really dedicated to going entirely waste-free, try an Alum stone, a plastic-free deodorant. For face wash, try finding an alternative that’s in a bar shape.
