With Earth Day around the corner, it's a great time to stop and think through the small and the big ways that we can help reduce our own waste and contribute to the larger-scale efforts to conserve our earth!
In celebration, this Saturday + Sunday, simply request no bag for any purchase and we will donate $1 for every bag not used to the
Wildlife Conservation Network!!!
On a personal note, I have to confess that reducing waste can be a bit daunting. I thought it might be helpful for me to share some of the easy ways I've learned to reduce the amount of waste that comes out of my own home. Have further suggestions and ideas? I'd love to hear them!!
1. Reusable glasses, cloth napkins, silverware: If I'm going out for a meal with friends, I pack a small extra bag with a glass jar, aluminum straw, and a cloth napkin. It's an easy way for me to give up a plastic glass, plastic straw, and paper napkin. If you think you might have leftovers, bring a clean "to-go" container from home!
2. Recycling: With the City of Harrisonburg no longer offering single-stream recycling, I've been saving my glass/plastic/aluminum/paper for about a month and taking over my bin! The closest center to Downtown Harrisonburg is located at 2055 Beery Road, link to a map
here.
3. Composting: It's a little impractical for me to start my own compost pile in my current neighborhood, but thankfully there is a local compost drop off provided by
Black Bear Composting.
You can either keep a small compost bin on your kitchen counter, or keep a bag in your fridge/freezer and fill with weekly kitchen scraps, peels, shells, etc. For a guide on what is / isn't compostable, see this helpful
list.
4. Buying locally: We live in such a beautiful and rich farming area, and it's easy to purchase lots of food and supplies from local farms and families. The Harrisonburg Farmer's Market, local CSA shares, and farm stands all over the Valley are easy ways to start. Bring your own bags or a basket and start shopping!
5. Grocery Shopping: Aside from using reusable grocery bags, there are also reusable produce bags, or bring your own jars for dry/bulk goods. Most grocery stores will weigh your reusable containers prior to filling so that you're ready to shop!
Other great resources:
- Bring Your Own: A locally owned
store in Downtown Harrisonburg that offers everything you need to make practical changes to reduce waste.
- Friendly City Food Co-Op: Lots of local options here beyond produce (dry goods, honey, beverages, etc.), also carry options for earth-friendly products.
- WithSimplicity Beauty: Natural skin-care and beauty
items (they also offer free recycling on all finished bottles/jars)!
Read more here:
https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/37-ways-to-reduce-trash
Happy Earth Day, Friends!
Until Soon,
Sara XX
