zero-waste kitchen summer check-in

the kitchen is where the bulk of zero-waste efforts need to be made... and summertime can offer the zero-waste glory days.  farmer's markets are in full swing and offer lots of package-free goodness.  if we are lucky enough to have a patch of soil to grow some of our own food, we've got farm-to-table within steps of each other... no packaging required.  abundance, planning and a bit of time in the kitchen come together with canning as the sparkling result... no waste that will stretch it's benefits into the months to come.

grocery shopping:  at our house, i haven't been braving the crowds at the farmer's market quite as often as i thought i would at the beginning of the season.  there is a lot of local produce offered at my supermarket and i have a garden.  at the store, i put those jewels right into my reusable shopping bag- no produce bags.  bulk flour, sugar, granola, honey, peanut butter, cheese, nuts, beans, rice, spices, tea, etc. go in reusable containers.  sliced bread goes into a cloth bag... and into a reused plastic bag at home before being slid into the freezer.  glass returnable and reusable bottles hold milk (some of which gets made into yogurt at home). each of my helpful shoppers gets a big bulk cookie slid into a cloth drawstring bag.  that's my zero-waste weekly grocery shopping.

we do still buy some packaged items, some less often than others:  
-free range eggs in a paper carton (recyclable)
-butter (recyclable paper box + compostable wrappers)
-baking soda (paper recyclable box)
-baking powder
-tuna (recyclable can)
-mayonnaise (recyclable glass jar)
-mustard (recyclable plastic)
-soba or udon noodles in a plastic bag (smallest bag for noodles that are my girls'  favorite meal)
-pretzels (favorite snack for two... much less costly than the bulk ones... we use the bags for trash- one a week is plenty)
-bonne mama jam (we use the jars as cups and for take along snacks + i freeze tomato sauce in the jars for   perfect portions + freezer fit)
-vinegar (recyclable glass or plastic)
-salt (recyclable paper canister)
-coconut oil (glass jar we reuse for glasses, take to work meals, freezing beans)
-olive oil (glass jar to recycle)
-boullion (glass jars i use for spices)
-ketchup (recyclable plastic)
-dish soap (i buy a large jug to decant, recyclable)
-advil (recyclable plastic)
-tea (it's our first aid + the type i can't find bulk... recyclable paper box, compostable bags)
-yeast

right now we also have:
-ice-cream sandwiches (because- yum)
-dill (because pickles... recyclable/reusable glass jar... my store doesn't offer in bulk)
-ant spray (because just before we left on our road trip we had a little issue that i couldn't trust to natural remedies while we'd be away)
-bug spray (used sparingly because, lyme disease)
-alcohol (used for an effective remedy)
-lightbulbs in packaging
-masking tape (because we hang stuff on walls with it instead of buying frames)

practice:
-we bring our grocery shopping kit to the store every time.
-i keep a folded baggu bag in my little purse at all times.
-i make yogurt once per week
-we grow tomatoes to make sauce + freeze.  i just used the last jar of last year's tomato sauce last week!  
-we are growing cucumbers for pickles this year.
-i'm growing potatoes, strawberries and chives as well this year.
-i make pizza dough, cookies, and other baked goods.
-we don't buy meat other than fish at the store.  we will eat it at friend's/family's... and occasionally out, when we really want it.
-we buy organic as much as possible.
-we try to eat locally as much as possible.  bananas are only occasional treats.  avocados, on the other hand, are necessary.  :)
-we try to save gas (and money) by only going to the grocery store on fridays.
-i like to know the farmers who grow our food, so try to get to the farmer's market as much as possible.
-we make use of the multifunctional nature of each piece in our kitchen, and keep stuff to a minimum.
-we recycle everything that we don't refuse or reuse.  i try to be careful to remove bits that aren't recyclable (like a little plastic window on a box or staples) so that the whole thing doesn't get tossed into the landfill.
-we compost all food waste, hair, dryer lint (because we only dry cotton sheets and towels), and food soiled paper.
-but... we still toss a pizza box or two into the trash each month.  we end up recycling a few more plastic cups and tossing a few more straws in the summer months too. 

stuff:  
-i looked through all the cabinets and considered each thing.  it didn't take long- maybe ten minutes- this time.  think i've maintained pretty well and haven't really added anything, so there wasn't anything to remove this time around.
-i cleaned out + tidied the junk drawer (just a few receipts i'd saved, but no longer need).
-i went through my shopping kit to make sure there weren't any extras. 
-i consulted the kitchen and grocery shopping section of bea's book to make sure i didn't forget anything.

trash:  we still have a little bag of trash each week mostly containing items that get brought into the house from elsewhere.  i think we do pretty well for a family of four.  at the same time, we can do better and it's fun to try.  :)

love,
jane