Straws
I stopped sucking in 2017
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When ordering at a restaurant or bar, get in the habit of saying, "may I have a (insert drink here), with no straw?" (smile :)
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Want a straw?
Simply Straws and Glass Dharma both have a lifetime guarantee against breakage.
Steelution and Wild Minimalist sell Boba straws. I love boba milk tea, so this is a necessity for me.
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Check out The Lonely Whale's
To-go Cups
Keep a mason jar (a wide mouth is nice for the barista), coffee mug, or stainless steel cup in your bag or car.
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Savers never has a shortage of mason jars for $1-2 each.
Jazen Tea in Oakridge ($8/ jar + includes drink) and Boba Pub on Branham Ave. sell 20 oz mason jars and will happily fill yours :)
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Got some time? Choose to eat in, and ask for a real cup.
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I love cuppow lids, available in wide mouth and regular on Amazon too.
Forgot your cup? Establishment won't fill your own?
Go topless (and strawless).
Skip the plastic lid and straw, and just fill their cup.
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Plastic free July 2017 was the first time I started making changes when eating out.
I remember we went to the movies, Steve went to get a soda, and came back topless! No lid or straw!
I was so happy that just me talking about it helped him make that small choice to reduce plastic.
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Some movie theaters offered a reusable cup (I saw it in 2017) that you pay a little more for initially, then bring it back and get cheaper refills for the whole year.
I think it was at Oakridge and Santana Row. I'll have to ask again.
Plastic Utensils
Some restaurants and taquerias offer plastic utensils for eating in. I keep 2 sets of bamboo to-go ware in my purse. They come in handy for parties too.
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Amazon, Kokua Foundation, and Package Free Shop have cute sets.
Ice Cream
When you go out for ice cream, get it in a cone instead of a cup with a plastic spoon (but you brought your bamboo spoon, right?)
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Ice Cream is just one example. Basically, if you can get your food without all the packaging hooplah, just ask for the food.
To-go Boxes
Lots of to go boxes are still made of styrofoam, which is worse than plastic!
Keep some tupperware in your car for leftovers when eating out.
I'm a big fan of nesting containers.
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I got 7 stainless steel nesting containers (in photo) on amazon for $25. If I wanted to splurge, I'd buy UKonserve or EcoLunchbox. $25-30 for 3 nesting.
And a bag to carry it all
My daily purse wasn't big enough to carry my water bottle, and didn't have enough pockets to keep my things organized.
I overheard a woman complaining about the same thing while in a fitting room line at Lululemon. She said she bought a diaper bag (she doesn't have kids), because they make really cute ones on etsy with tons of pockets.
So I made my own. I've had so many people ask me where I bought mine, that I started selling them here.
How much does "zero waste" cost?
"Zero waste" (which doesn't truly exist) and minimalism are not the same thing. They share a lot of the same ideas and goals, but if you're going to avoid single use items, you need to be prepared, and bring your own.
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In 2016 & 2017, I spent about $350 on all the recommendations on my site.
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I haven't needed to buy any "zero waste" items in 2018.