CONFESSION: I am not an Eco-Warrior, a Green-Guru or a Nature-Ninja. I buy milk in plastic bottles, the cucumber 🥒 in our fridge right now came wrapped in plastic, my kids get slathered in sunblock every morning from October to March (the stuff that comes in plastic bottles and is full of chemicals) and until recently, we used a plastic bag to line our rubbish bin.
I am so far off 'zero-waste' or 'plastic-free' that they're barely a speck on the horizon. In fact, to be completely honest, those terms freak me out a bit.
But about a year ago I saw a video clip of this churning sea of plastic infested waves rolling into (the equally plastic-infested) shore (it's the second ever post on my Instagram page if you want to check it out), and for me that was the moment. That was the moment that something in my brain clicked and I realised that I couldn't keep living the disposable lifestyle that I had; using something once, throwing it away, wheeling the rubbish bin out to the curbside once a week and promptly forgetting about it.
So I started making some changes, just one at a time. I started with reusable shopping bags, and once I had that mastered, I looked for something else. I quickly discovered that not only was it easy, but I was also really enjoying myself and saving money. Most of all though, the very small changes that I was making were adding up. We have now reduced our household waste by 300%! And we are still going! I am all about baby steps, progress not perfection, and not beating yourself up because you send more than a mason jar full of rubbish to landfill. I am passionate about the fact that big things can come from small beginnings.
So I may not be an Eco-Warrior, but I'm trying. I'm learning. I'm on the 'journey', and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Oh, and we just planted some cucumber. 🥒