When you’ve lived a certain way all your life it’s at times difficult to step back, observe and consider that it may not be the best way to live. Growing up in a Mexican household it wasn’t unusual to reuse and repurpose items, as a matter of fact, it was necessary at times due to financial burdens. Countless times have I opened the fridge to find “Tupper ware”, which was actually just old food containers, filled with things other than what was once in them. Butter container? perfect size to hold the frijoles. Where’s the salsa? most likely in the yogurt container. Being resourceful was instilled in me since childhood, hand-me-downs clothes from older sisters and cousins were normal occurrences. However, as time fly by and I became an adult with a job and somewhere “being resourceful” was lost in translation.
Thank God, that my husband has a great job that allows me to be a stay-at-home mom and we are not financially burdened. However, being resourceful by reusing and repurposing items doesn’t mean you can’t afford new things. I want to live a more mindful life where I’m not consumed with unnecessary items that clutter my mind and space. I also want to help make an impact on our ecosystem even if it’s small.
For a few months, I’ve been slowly making changes that have helped me become more eco-conscious but also as a direct result has saved me money. It’s a win-win for me!
Plan/ Meal Prep
Aside from the obvious time and money-saving, meal planning is a great way to reduce food waste. I would consistently throw out veggies, yogurts, etc. every week that my family and I didn’t even touch. Now I only buy what I need for the meals I have planned. This method also takes the guessing games out of “what am I going to make”. If you want to go a step further, create your meals around in-season veggies and head over to your local farmer’s market. Take your reusable bags and support local small businesses.
Reuse Glass Jars & Containers
I am a very visual person, who loves aesthetics. Having mismatched jars and containers took some time for me to get used to. It sounds dumb that something so simple like containers not matching would bother me but it’s easy to fall into the “perfect eco-friendly” pantry trap when it’s all over Instagram. And let’s keep it real, we’re always scrolling the ‘gram or Pinterest, and that’s all we see. However, once you move past that ridiculous ideology of having to buy new containers you’ll find that you have exactly what you need already. Glass Pasta or jelly jars are what I use because that’s what I buy regularly so I try my best to reuse them as much as possible. They’re great for storing dry goods in the pantry or for propagating little pothos, the uses are endless.
Glass/Metal > Plastic
If you find that you still need other containers aside from the ones you reused and repurposed then opt for glass or metal over plastic. Remember, the end goal is to avoid using plastic as much as possible and use environmentally friendly materials. A few simple swaps that you can do today.
Educate yourself
Once you know better you do better. You don’t need to be a environmentalist to do your part in helping the world. Follow a few social media accounts that help explain what you should and shouldn’t do to help the environment and start implementing what you can into your lifestyle.
What do you do to make a positive Eco-friendly impact on the world? Let me know below!
Maitte Eugenia 