I live a generally plastic-free lifestyle, but it’s not 100% plastic-free…yet. So, in an effort to figure out where the last 1% was coming from, I decided to start collecting my trash in October of last year.

Here’s my first trash pile from October 2019:

And here’s my latest pile from October 2020:

As you can see, there’s been some progress! It’d be pretty sad if there wasn’t. 😛 Along the way, I’ve learned a few things.

Holding Yourself Account Keeps You On Track

One of the things that quickly became obvious was that if I had to post a picture of my trash each month, it really motivated me to have less trash! So, when I would see a bag of chips at work calling my name, I’d think twice before grabbing it.

When starting a new habit, experts say to tell your friends, so they can hold you accountable. If you want to run a marathon, you tell your friends. In turn they ask you how it’s going and it motivates you to put on your running shoes instead of pushing the snooze button.

Collecting my trash and showing others added extra motivation to reduce the pile!

Creativity is Queen

I’ve said before, plastic-free living is like a game or a puzzle. You have a problem–things you want to buy are in disposable plastic. And finding a solution can involve some creativity.

Before COVID, I would bring my containers to the butcher to get meat. Or I’d bring my beeswax wraps to the deli to get blocks of cheese. Most recently, a reader told me that there was a dried Sriracha spice that comes in a glass bottle.

Doing these trash audits and pushing myself to reduce my plastic as much as possible reminded me that sometimes we need to get creative and think outside the box to solve a problem.

People are Positive & Helpful

Not going to lie, we can live in a pretty negative world. Between social media trolls and our twitter-ranting president, there is just a lot of crap out there. So, the first time I posted my trash audit, I held my breath a little.

Luckily, I had nothing to worry about! All of the feedback was either positive or helpful! Readers had such kind words about how inspirational the post was. And others had tips on how to get rid of the trash they saw in the pile. It was amazing! I’m not sure why other parts of the internet can’t be this positive but I hope it spreads!

Plastic-Free Living Leads to Healthier Eating

Finally, this should shock anyone, but these trash audits have pushed me to eat healthier. Think about all the bad things you’re trying to avoid in your pantry or at the store. They come in plastic, right?

On the opposite side, most everything at my farmer’s market is healthy and comes without packaging!

What do you think? Are you interested in starting a trash audit?

For related and random posts, check out:

• 5 Things to Know Before Going Plastic-Free
• What Plastic-Free Living and Being a Contestant on the Bachelor Have in Common