Bring Your Own Container: Limiting packaging waste of all kinds

#packagingwaste #resuablecontainers

One common mistake that I made when I was trying to reduce my waste, especially packaging waste is choosing paper packaging over plastic packaging. My motive was simple but naive, it's to avoid utilizing single-use plastic and choose something more eco-friendly or things I believed to be as "eco-friendly". So what's wrong with paper packaging you ask? With time I have learnt that using an item for a longer period of time plays a prime role in reducing our carbon footprint in the long run. Although paper packaging is made with natural raw ingredients and isn't a product of the fossil fuel industry like plastic packaging is, we have to realize that any kind of single use product(even paper), even the most sustainable ones have some amount of carbon footprint associated with it. You can still use a plastic container if you can use for a very long period of time.

The motive behind this blog post is to diversify what your knowledge on ways you can limit your packaging waste and choose something that is more accessible to you.

So here are 5 easy, simple and effective ways you can follow to reduce your packaging waste.

1. Bring your own coffee mug: We all carry our own grocery bags and tote bags while shopping but have you considered bringing your coffee mug? Although they serve you coffee in a paper cup it's not a very sustainable

choice. A paper cup can be used only once and a paper cup on it's own a massive carbon footprint and let's not forgot to mention about how most paper cups have a plastic lining inside of them which makes it so hard to recycle. A high quality reusable plastic cup works but certain brands are coming up with creative ways to make zero-waste products. This mug from Cafe Coffee Day which is the largest coffee chain in India is repurposing used up coffee beans to make this cup.

2. Minimize takeout waste: Take out food is convenient and comforting but it comes a lot of waste. Apart from the food that is packed, things like condiments, cutlery and napkins create a huge waste problem. Luckily, most food delivery systems has given the consumer a choice to avoid getting unnecessary items in their takeout simply by ticking a check box. Although the food is delivered in a plastic bag, you can always use it again.

3. Repurpose your old container: Give your all kinds of used containers a new life by reusing it to store other things around your house.

A takeout container is an excellent way of storing food, hair pins and figuratively anything in the house that needs to be organized or stored.

I truly found a place and use for almost all the things that I have been tossing in the trash. An old moisturizer container is perfect to store little accessories like hair pins and bobby pins. I even cleaned and reused an aluminum cup that came with a chocolate cake. The possibilities are endless. Take a scan of things around your own, your trash bin and how can you can deposit less trash by being creative.

4. Buy in bulk: In my blog about being a conscious consumer, I mentioned about how buying in bulk as it's a minimal packaging process. By best, you should be avoiding single serving items and go for big boxes and use reusable storing options to keep them in.

5. Choose reusable packaged items: Few days ago while I was shopping for coconut milks and found two options, one has is packaged in a tetra pack while the other one is a metal tin can. Although tetrapack recycling is available but it's not accessible to many whereas Metal recycling is more widely practiced. This applies to so many of our every day items. Again, just a look at your trash and you will know what you can swap and what can you remove to produce less waste.