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Using biological resources is a permaculture principle that aligns with the concept of re-use and zero waste. Having a Permaculture Apartment means you live in the city and likely travel a lot to work, go shopping, visit friends, etc.
As we head toward our destination, we sometimes overlook the waste we acquire along the way, which builds up over time.
One way to avoid this is by using reusable items instead of single-use items.
Single-use items happen to be mostly made of plastic which is non-biodegradable. These items make up a lot of waste and pollute the environment since they take about 3000 years to finally degrade.
Using reusable items helps to get you a continuous yield, which means you're spending less and helping reduce pollution at the same time.
I've put together a quick guide on items to help you minimize waste on your weekly journeys.
Bags
Avoid using plastic bags to carry freshly-brought groceries home. Instead, opt for a reusable bag such as a tote made from cotton. Take the bag along with you every time you go to the supermarket to buy groceries.
Totes come in various sizes and attractive patterns. They're also in vogue, so you will not have to worry about sticking out like a sore thumb among people.
Cups, Thermos or Tumblers
Drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning seems like the perfect start to your day. Yet, due to hectic schedules, most people get their choice of drink from nearby Starbucks on their way to school or work.
Try to bring a reusable cup along with you on your next coffee run instead of using the single-use plastic cup that Starbucks offers. If you can't bring a mug, then you could use a thermos flask or tumbler instead.
Metal/Wooden Cutlery
You could also try using metal cutlery as opposed to the free plastic variants. These free ones are so widely available they often end up in our oceans.
Metal cutlery is not difficult to carry and takes up very little space. The only thing is that you have to ensure you wash it every time you get home.
If this looks inconvenient, you could buy a wooden cutlery set pack from amazon that you can throw away on the go, knowing that it's biodegradable.
Cloth Napkins
These were quite popular in the old days. My grandparents always seemed to carry reusable cloth napkins. Nowadays we always get single-use paper towels.
While this is a biodegradable resource, thousands of trees have to be cut down to produce them. Therefore, it doesn't favor the ecosystem.
This is one of those things that is often overlooked as waste. However, It is much more environmentally friendly to use a cloth that we can wash and re-use.
Old Jars for New Containers
Instead of purchasing new containers to store things like leftover food, you can opt for reusing old jars. An old jar of pickle or peanut butter is convenient for such purposes. You can also use Mason jars to store different items.
These are relatively small changes in our routine life. However, all of these minor changes can significantly impact saving our earth’s environment in the long run.
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