Staying Green in Quarantine

By Tammye McDuff

Being green in a regular everyday routine takes hard work, dedication and will power. It is definitely not an easy lifestyle change to take on, especially when our world is built for convenience. But you can stay green during quarantine.

Our options have become limited these days; so many stores will not allow customers to bring in their own reusable shopping bags or containers. California has some of the most progressive recycling policies in the United States. Recycling organic material is fundamental to the state’s recently enhanced efforts to reduce the impact on climate change. Now that most of us find ourselves at home more there are things that we can still do to benefit our communities and environment.

Evaluate your kitchen and garage storage options. Often times the most sustainable storage option is the one that may already be in your kitchen cupboards. Consider taking an inventory of the items you currently have and use a ‘first in first out system. This ensures older products are used first and less waste occurs.

Wasting less food begins with shopping smarter. Plan ahead and always eat a good meal before shopping, this will avoid any impulse buying. Purchase loose vegetables and fresh fruits from a local farmers market to avoid less plastic consumption. Be sure to store produce in glass containers so that they are accessible and stay fresh.

When possible switch to cloth material instead of paper towels. Switching to sustainable paper towels is a transition; use a microfiber cleaning cloth instead for those everyday spills, cleaning and countertops. If switching from paper towels is just too much to ask, you might want to check out reusable paper towels. Food 52 offers reusable sheets made from a three dimensional blending of cellulose cotton. They are super absorbent and won’t leave fibers on your surfaces. They are little pricey, but each sheet is guaranteed to last for a week and they can be used in a compost.

When you can, consider replacing those plastic bags and containers for glass containers. It is generally safer than plastic and food can be safely re-heated without chemicals leeching into the food.

Lastly, fix what you already own. Take an inventory of items that would require simple fixing like sewing a button on, binding a book or repairing home projects that can easily be repaired instead of replacing them. Conserving the lifecycle on your items will reduce waste in landfills and conserve that hard earned cash.