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The move toward zero waste is progressing. The goal for our household from March 15 to April 15 was one small bag. Lisa and I made it to April 30th before needing to empty. Six weeks!

We are raising the bar and aiming for one bag in two months. Our carbon neutral wedding is coming up in a month which may add up as we can’t control what people bring for gifts. We have asked that there be no wrapping or creative recycled wrapping at most. Packaging is still the primary contributor to our waste and is extremely difficult to get away from. We have been buying more items bulk and bringing our own bags which has taken a little retraining but has been effective in reducing packaging waste. I also learned how to make phad thai seasoning from scratch this month so I don’t have to buy it in packages anymore. If anyone wants the recipie leave a comment and I’ll post it.

To keep everything foul out of the garbage, all vegetable waste, paper scraps, receipts and dust get composted. To deal with a chicken carcas after it was boiled to make chicken broth, I tossed it in the blender with some water and turned it into a liquid paste that would rapidly compost in the outside bin while not attracting vermin.

I started the hunt for ingredients for my homemade detergent experiment today. I found Borax at Safeway ($6.49 CDN) and London Drugs ($4.99 CDN). Safeway also had washing soda by Arm & Hammer but it smelt like it was perfumed which I’d rather stay away from. No luck finding Fels Naptha Soap yet. I did find some Sunlight bar soap at Safeway that would work but it came in a plastic package that couldn’t be recycled or composted so my hunt continues. I think I need to find an old time pharmacy as the mainstream ones only carry Tide and it’s competitors.

I have made almost every stride in my own personal life to reduce my contribution to landfills toward zero but as of late I am feeling a stuck. Our home produces about one small bag of garbage a month, mostly comprised of plastic packaging from food items. So far the shift hasn’t required any major sacrificies to convenience, only mindful purchasing. Further progress will most likely require a compromise to convenience, take more initiative, resourcefulness and a desire to craft many things from scratch. I am up for the challenge.

If anyone else out there has taken on such a project and can offer any suggestions, please leave a comment.