Safe the Earth!

On our travel around Asia, we faced a garbage crisis we haven't seen before. Single-use plastic is in full swing even in restaurants. Then there is bottled water which saddened me the most. Us being the "tourists" were tied to the stores, up until we found big 20L bottles. That was the first victory and it boosted me to change my home practice. Once we returned I challenged myself to produce as little plastic waste as possible. The way I tackled this seemingly impossible task was step by step.

This is not sustainable folks!

Does it look normal?

The first thing I did was replacing the ordinary store-bought detergent for the conkers or wild chestnuts. As it turned out they are surprisingly effective in cleaning the clothes but a little less magical on my hair. When it comes to keeping snow-white color I come to the conclusion that bicarbonate soda with hydrogen peroxide is the best idea. Sun drying the whites here and is beneficial as well.

Waste doesn't belong to nature

Speaking of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), this is the best cleaner and plant aid one can wish for. All you need to do is dilute it to the desired percentage and let it do the work for you. I found that 3% H2O2 cleans the toilet, watermarks, and old porcelain stains really well. All you need to do is to watch when the bubbles stop forming (indicator that the bacteria isn't present anymore) and wipe it off with a clean towel. In the spirit of minimal waste, I got the 35% bottle and dilute it whenever I need the new batch.

The Spruce / Katie Kerpel

As you know the food is usually individually wrapped in plastic so I thought what can I do about that. Starting a vegetable patch is a brainer, so I got digging. I know not everyone has the land or the will for that, but I tell you my salad somehow tastes sweet. By the way, it grows fast in pots. I guess this is just a bonus with all the nutritional abundance. However, I found something else that is way better homemade and everyone should and can do it. I'm talking about kefir. When I make it mild is like yogurt, when it is stronger I drain it and get silky smooth cream cheese. I guess it helps that my neighbor has cows and their milk is yummy fatty. Fatty unprocessed milk has another benefit and this is cream. When it forms the top I scoop it out and use it elsewhere. Sometimes in a spread sometimes in my coffee or carbonara. Talk about getting two items for the price of one, right! Also, creativity with the kefir cream cheese is incredibly rewarding. Not only it works with savory and sweet additions but also keeps me on my plastic-free path. Goodbye Philadelphia spread, I got something way tastier for my cheesecake. I guess I can mention the sourdough and kombucha as well, both taste way better than store-bought and can be simplified. Kombucha vinegar is my favorite hair rinse while baked sourdough starter I can eat all day long.

Enjoy the richness of nature

Most of all I feel blessed that we have drinking tap water, which should be available to everyone. Another blessing is buying locally where I can bring my own reused plastic bags. Luckily fishery is a walking distance so my dog gets to come along. In fact, he is the one who produces the most waste and that is a new challenge for me.

This little boy is our biggest waste producer I the house :)