DAY 1 | Using Up What I Have

Day One is finally here and I’m terrified. Not that I can’t do it, because I love being ecofriendly, but because I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do this every day for a year.

But like all great things, they happen one step at a time and one day at a time.

Today’s challenge is USING WHAT I HAVE BEFORE BUYING MORE.

I think we’re all guilty at buying something when we already have some left at home. We may have eggs in the fridge, but come home with two more dozen when we go to the store. And yes, that’s a real-life example courtesy of my friend’s mom!

But think about the bathroom. I know a lot of people have different lotions. They go and buy more lotion even though they have some at home. They may not like the one at home, but it’s still there ready to be used.

So today’s change is me telling myself that I will not buy anything if I have some at home. Even if I hate the shampoo I picked up, I will still use it until it’s bone-dry before buying another.

If I run out of rice but have barley in the cupboard, I will switch to barely then quinoa until there are no more grains before buying more.

This is a good first change for this challenge because it lays down a good foundation to my new zero waste lifestyle. Being zero waste isn’t about immediately throwing away your toothbrushes and getting bamboo ones. That’s WASTEFUL!

It’s about using up what you already have until you can’t use it anymore then replacing it with a better option.