A year in focus
So as the year winds to a close, it's always good to look back and see what you have managed to accomplish and what you would like to achieve moving forward.
I haven't been able to write as many posts as I was hoping to, life and work got more hectic with less free time to sit and concentrate on writing but here is a summary of things that went well and things that didn't on this year's journey.
What have I achieved?
Although it has been small steps, overall the amount of disposable plastic I use in my household has been reduced;
Swapping to a veg box with fruit bag means that (mostly) my veg doesn't come in plastic bags and boxes. Thanks to Wonky Veg boxes
It helps now my youngest is slightly older and I no longer have to cook whilst holding her, so we have moved into quick home cooked meals rather than things I can put in the oven using one hand.
With the exceptions of Christmas and birthdays most of the things I have bought have been to replace things that have worn out, broken beyond repair or kids have outgrown.
Swapping to shampoo bars, face soaps, conditioner bars means there are less plastic bottles. Thanks to Funky Soap Shop
I tend to use Tupperware now rather than cling film (though I am intrigued by the Beeswax wraps) and have encouraged my husband to use sandwich boxes (ok yes plastic ones but they are reused rather than thrown away).
We now use soap rather than handwash so again less plastic bottles. Though the cheap supermarket soap often comes wrapped in unrecyclable plastic.
We now have orange juice that comes in glass bottles from the milkman to go with the milk we were already ordering. Unfortunately my coconut and oat milks come in tetrapak cartons from the supermarket.
I have stopped using cotton buds with plastic stems. I know you shouldn't put them in your ear at all but oh it feels good.
And we ended the year managing not to wrap any presents in wrapping paper (by hiding the big ones under a throw and reusing the fruit bags to put the other ones in. And reusing gift bags for others outside the household.) Thankfully the kids are young enough to not care about wrapping, their main focus are the gifts.
Unfortunately what my eldest asked for was essentially a big mound of plastic which was too new to be available second hand.
What haven't I achieved?
Most of the things I have bought have been new, which often comes covered in plastic. I would really like to buy more second hand but just do not have the free time to look around charity shops or scan second hand sites. This may get easier as the kids get older.
Not all my ethical purchases have been successful, my first attempt to source non-plastic cotton buds I bought off Amazon and when they arrived I discovered they had come all the way from China! All those airmiles for the sake of trying to save a few pennies! Doh.
After years of line drying and the house being covered in drying washing I gave up and bought a tumble dryer. Yes the least ecological of all appliances. But I did buy an expensive A++ rated one and it has made a big difference to our time in doing household chores. Plus hopefully I won't need to buy quite as many clothes (kids mainly) as they will be dry the same day rather than a week later.
Nappies - thanks to my youngest having toddler diahorrea we haven't been able to (or more accurately willing to) use the piles of reusable nappies we own. So it's been disposables (though I have shelled out for the expensive compostable ones). My finances will be very glad when she potty trains!!
Despite a good start decluttering has definitely slowed down and I feel I am still drowning in clutter.
What do I hope to achieve in 2018?
I hope to do more decluttering, I'm not sure I will ever achieve anything close to minimalist but just to not be drowning in stuff would be good!
And to try identify and reduce the amount of single use plastic coming in.
Wishing you all a happy new year!!
I haven't been able to write as many posts as I was hoping to, life and work got more hectic with less free time to sit and concentrate on writing but here is a summary of things that went well and things that didn't on this year's journey.
What have I achieved?
Although it has been small steps, overall the amount of disposable plastic I use in my household has been reduced;
Swapping to a veg box with fruit bag means that (mostly) my veg doesn't come in plastic bags and boxes. Thanks to Wonky Veg boxes
It helps now my youngest is slightly older and I no longer have to cook whilst holding her, so we have moved into quick home cooked meals rather than things I can put in the oven using one hand.
With the exceptions of Christmas and birthdays most of the things I have bought have been to replace things that have worn out, broken beyond repair or kids have outgrown.
Swapping to shampoo bars, face soaps, conditioner bars means there are less plastic bottles. Thanks to Funky Soap Shop
I tend to use Tupperware now rather than cling film (though I am intrigued by the Beeswax wraps) and have encouraged my husband to use sandwich boxes (ok yes plastic ones but they are reused rather than thrown away).
We now use soap rather than handwash so again less plastic bottles. Though the cheap supermarket soap often comes wrapped in unrecyclable plastic.
We now have orange juice that comes in glass bottles from the milkman to go with the milk we were already ordering. Unfortunately my coconut and oat milks come in tetrapak cartons from the supermarket.
I have stopped using cotton buds with plastic stems. I know you shouldn't put them in your ear at all but oh it feels good.
And we ended the year managing not to wrap any presents in wrapping paper (by hiding the big ones under a throw and reusing the fruit bags to put the other ones in. And reusing gift bags for others outside the household.) Thankfully the kids are young enough to not care about wrapping, their main focus are the gifts.
What haven't I achieved?
Most of the things I have bought have been new, which often comes covered in plastic. I would really like to buy more second hand but just do not have the free time to look around charity shops or scan second hand sites. This may get easier as the kids get older.
Not all my ethical purchases have been successful, my first attempt to source non-plastic cotton buds I bought off Amazon and when they arrived I discovered they had come all the way from China! All those airmiles for the sake of trying to save a few pennies! Doh.
After years of line drying and the house being covered in drying washing I gave up and bought a tumble dryer. Yes the least ecological of all appliances. But I did buy an expensive A++ rated one and it has made a big difference to our time in doing household chores. Plus hopefully I won't need to buy quite as many clothes (kids mainly) as they will be dry the same day rather than a week later.
Nappies - thanks to my youngest having toddler diahorrea we haven't been able to (or more accurately willing to) use the piles of reusable nappies we own. So it's been disposables (though I have shelled out for the expensive compostable ones). My finances will be very glad when she potty trains!!
Despite a good start decluttering has definitely slowed down and I feel I am still drowning in clutter.
What do I hope to achieve in 2018?
I hope to do more decluttering, I'm not sure I will ever achieve anything close to minimalist but just to not be drowning in stuff would be good!
And to try identify and reduce the amount of single use plastic coming in.
Wishing you all a happy new year!!
Comments
Post a Comment