At the beginning of the year, I pledged to take one action a week to reduce my environmental impact. I haven't exactly been able to keep up that pace, but I have been working away at it.
1) I have started freezing food in repurposed milk and OJ cartons. My logic is that the waxed cardboard is the cheapest, lightest, and safest alternative to freezing in plastic or glass (one cracked bottle of veggie stock was enough for me to give up on glass). And I can recycle them when they have worn out. Although, odds are it's petroleum based wax. Sigh.
2) I have decided to purchase only local beer from now on, and to look for sources for local spirits. Oh the sacrifices I make.
3) I bought a good stainless steel stove top espresso maker, so that I stop spending money, fuel, and self-respect on cappuccinos at Starbucks.
4) I am phasing out bath soap in plastic bottles. I started with a
bar of shampoo.
It took us about four minutes to fill it. I think it'll be a few more weeks before the basement is free of a thousand yoghurt containers. For an interesting look at residential waste in Alberta, take a look at Evan Osenton's (disclosure: I am marrying this person in three weeks) feature on the subject in Albertaviews, Beyond Landfill.
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