June 9th, 2019

I'm so thankful for being given the opportunity to embark on this low waste journey. I've been wanting to for the past year or two, but never thought that I could actually start thinking about it. This honors contract with Professor Summer Gray really held me accountable for my aspirations, and I am so happy to have begun this journey. It's really been interesting trying to keep my trash in a mason jar, reducing my packaging purchases, and even changing my attitude to consider the GHG impacts of my actions.

I noticed that I stopped driving so much because I didn't want to emit GHG. I didn't buy lots of my favorite food because of the packaging. And I even started buying shrimp from the market versus frozen foods. This is an improvement but honestly, the transition to a plant-based meal will be a later adventure.

Overall, here is a photo of the items I kept in my mason jar. There is no way that this was all the trash I made over the past quarter. There were items that couldn't fit, such as food packages because they were significantly cheaper than other items, recyclables, and compostables. I still consider recyclables and compostables waste because you aren't 100% sure if they get sorted properly... even if you did your best to clean the items and place it in the correct bins. I am harsher on recyclables because only PLA 1 & 2 are accepted in SB County. It frustrates me that it is possible to recycle all plastics, but only 2 categories are accepted. This basically means recycling is useless to lots of materials that hold groceries. So what's the point of recycling if you can't do it for the majority of plastic? The plastic that is accepted could also be contaminated... so companies are only recycling a tiny portion of what they could be doing.

As I continue on this journey, I am telling others my story. I hope that this encourages others to think differently about the food system and their consumption so that they alter their attitudes and habits into something more considerate and sustainable.

June 3rd, 2019

Today I received some tomatoes from Chapala Gardens. This produce grew without pesticides or chemicals AND I got them without packaging. If everyone had access to Tower Gardens, we would be getting rid of the "middle man," chemicals, GHG from produce production and transportation, final delivery, and so much more. This would help with human health and our environmental issues. I think I'll continue to work with Chapala Gardens because now I feel like it's my duty to inform my community and make it accessible to all - not just wealthier families.

May 28th, 2019

Looking back at the quarter, I realized that I have made a huge difference in my consumption thought process. Before I choose what brand to buy, I look at the composition of its packaging. This change of attitude has helped to reduce my waste, but obviously I've struggled to eliminate plastic and other unsustainable materials out of my life. My mason jar is now just a collection of stickers because YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM FRUIT & VEGGIE STICKERS! I don't think we could do anything to stop companies from placing stickers, but wow they are a waste...

I have also been more proactive in bringing my own cup/straw/tupperware everywhere I go. It's second nature to bring my own things to the stores now. Practice really does make perfect... maybe I could convince my brother to bring his own cup everytime gets boba. LOL (Maybe not). Not that these materials are huge factors in GHGs, I think every little item matters because that's one less item in landfills. Overall, minimizing food waste is best in reducing GHG. We must consider the GHGs related to packaging compared to the food that it saves. If the amount of GHG coming from food production is large, it may be worth it to maximize packaging to save the food... Just something to think about!