I’ve been saving my trash in a “plastic audit” since October of 2019. I live a generally plastic-free lifestyle but I’m not 100% plastic-free…yet. So, to see where the last 1% of my trash was coming from, I started keeping track of all of it. At the end of each month, I look to see where I can improve.

Last year, I changed the rules up a little. Before, it was just my trash, not necessarily including trash from my kids but I’ve expanded to include anything that I purchase regardless if I use it or not. So, this includes pretzels or cereal for my kids (which I don’t eat). However, this does not include anything gifted to my kids. (I’m trying to keep the peace here. :P) Also, this does not include anything my husband purchases as he’s not plastic-free and this isn’t his project. But even so he doesn’t generate too much more trash than me and I usually purchase all the items for our kids.

Finally, the city I live in provides compost and recycling along with trash pick-up. Now, given the state of recycling, I only recycle metal, glass, and paper. This generally includes a can or two of sardines, a glass mayo jar with metal lids, a glass bottle of olive oil, glass wine bottles, cardboard boxes, and junk mail. But even so, I try to reduce the amount of metal, glass, and paper we use.

So, now that we’ve covered the ground rules, let’s dive in! Here’s all my trash for 2023!

• 21 bread bags
• 5 roll bags
• 13 bagel bags
• 41 sliced cheese bags
• 23 deli turkey bags
• 3 cereal bags
• 27 venison bags
• 36 beef bags
• 23 sheets of butcher paper & bag
• 6 pouches of meat for cheese boards
• 8 cream cheese wrappers
• 4 bags of string cheese & wrappers
• 36 block cheese wrappers
• 1 mustard bottle
• 18 rice noodle bags
• 12 potsticker bags
• 9 ramen bags
• 5 burrito bags
• 8 bulk chip bags
• 9 individual chip bags
• 3 loose leaf tea bags
• 26 bulk candy bags
• 99 individual candy wrappers
• 4 lime bags
• 12 contact lens blister packs
• 29 sparkling water bottle caps
• 2 cups & straws
• 2 condiment cups
• 1 clamshell
• 1 tray
• 23 milk caps and seals
• 53 bottle seals
• 6 vinegar caps
• 6 bulk alcohol bottle caps
• 7 toothpaste caps
• 5 hot sauce caps
• 9 random caps
• 4 markers
• 1 COVID test
• 2 laundry detergent bags
• 4 sugar bags
• 2 chocolate chip bags
• 24 shipper bags
• 6 piece of styrofoam
• Misc packaging from online orders

CHANGE IN PRIORITIES

Like I mentioned last year, the biggest change is that I am prioritizing ingredients over packaging. A great example is bagels. I used to get a dozen bagels from our local chain and it would come in a paper box that I would use to hold our compost. However, I had no idea what ingredients were in the bagels and whether they used seed oils. So, I switched to One Mighty Mill, a brand I can get at Whole Foods, which uses all organic, whole grain ingredients and their breads and bagels don’t include seed oils. 

I did the same with the cheese and occasional deli meat we consume. I used to bring my containers, beeswax wraps, or silicone bag to get cheese or turkey at my local deli but they didn’t offer organic options.

And since my kids started school and I pack more sandwiches these days, it felt better switching to an organic option. So, now I buy those at Whole Foods. I still check my local deli to see if they started offering more organic varieties but for now, they haven’t.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAY

For this year, the biggest takeaway is online orders! I’ve been ordering a few more things online to make the front of our house more presentable for guests. After having lived in our house for more than 5 years, I realized that we never really invite anyone over. This changed with my daughter’s birthday party, which meant, glamming up our space a little.

I ordered some solar powered outdoor lanterns, which unfortunately, came packaged in styrofoam. I sort of expected it since it is glass but was secretly hoping they figured out a good way around it. In any case, I ordered the things I needed and don’t suspect I’ll run into that problem again.

FOR 2024

For this year, I’m focusing on gardening and figuring out what we can grow on our patio. I’ve done this in the past but there’s no water hook-up in the front of our house so it’s an uphill battle. I’m hoping that this hobby will lead to less time ordering things online and I’m sure I can find the items I need at my local stores.

I’m also hoping that I’ll be able to grow some fruits and vegetables to avoid things like lime bags. I’m also working on simplifying our kitchen and our weekly meals so there will be less ingredients and hopefully less associated packaging.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After keeping my trash and tracking it for over four years, the biggest impact on my daily life is that I am more thoughtful about my purchases and what I eat. I hardly do any takeout, instead, I choose to sit down and eat at a restaurant. Not only that but I bring my own utensils and take-out container…just in case. Otherwise, I cook at home using whole foods instead of heating prepared meals or using pre-cut items.  I also go for bigger bulk packages (of items I can actually finish) instead of individually packaged items.

Over the years, I’ve found that the hiccups along the way where I got plastic I wasn’t expecting helped me build systems to avoid it next time.  Tiny improvements over time. That’s what’s important and I hope you’ll find something in my posts what will help make tiny improvements in your life.

What do you think? Are you interested in trying a trash audit? Maybe not for a whole year but how about a month or week?

For related and random posts, check out:

• A Day in My Plastic-Free Life: Part 1
• All My Trash for 2022