Then the list I created back in Australia came to mind. I hadn’t been active in my pursuit of being sustainable. ‘Be sustainable and a conscious consumer’ was #7 on my list. I knew I needed to create less waste and be more mindful of my choices, but I wasn’t actively living it through.
I had to change. I had to – just do it. My focus was food and how to waste less. So, I started asking myself the same questions that people now ask me on a daily basis – “How do I begin?”
I began by shopping for food with less packaging (still plastic), then slowly avoiding extra packaging altogether (bye, plastic). Bringing my own bags to the store with me really helped and ensured that I wasn’t adding more waste to our landfills and oceans or destruction to our natural resources. Shopping at bulk stores (such as The Source Bulk Foods) for food that would typically be in packaging such as, grains, nuts, and detergent.
When time came for cooking, I laid out all my ingredients and placed a small bowl just next to my cutting board and knife. This bowl was for my food scraps and compost. During this time, I had removed my rubbish bin from my flat, so I wasn’t pressured to toss anything “away” and still remain without a bin today! Slowly, I began to see how much food I was wasting after every meal and remembered my cold friend Paul – who was struggling to find a meal that night. I made a vow with myself that night that I would never waste a single scrap of food again. Sounds familiar too, right? Maybe your parents telling you “don’t waste your food” rings a bell?