Eliminating waste production on my 24-day trip
Packing for vacation is always a challenge. You need to make sure you don’t bring too many clothes, buy travel-size containers for your toiletries, remember to pack any gifts you want to give, and fit it all in your suitcase without exceeding the checked baggage weight limit.
In the midst of my packing frenzy, it occurred to me that I should also bring a reusable shopping bag. But why stop there? I decided to pack an aluminum water bottle, a set of cutlery, reusable straws, and food containers too. I’ll explain which reusable items were most useful.
For every piece of waste I accumulated on the trip, I recorded it. I included every item that I threw out, except for any organics, glass, or metal recyclables. I included plastic cups in my list of garbage, because although they are usually recyclable, they are less likely to actually be recycled because plastic is a less valuable material.
Food waste produced on my trip:
- 3 fountain drink cups
- 1 plastic cup
- 10 snack wrappers
- 1 plastic spoon
- 1 Dairy Queen Blizzard cup
- 3 plastic straws
Buying food while I was on vacation was probably the most difficult part of my zero-waste challenge. Any snacks such as granola bars or cookies that I bought from grocery or convenience stores were packaged in plastic. I avoided takeout meals whenever possible, though the rest of my family members complained about the inconvenience whenever we were in a hurry.
While I was sure to ask for no straws anytime I ordered a drink, many employees unfortunately misunderstood. One bartender immediately placed two straws in my one drink, handed it to me, then remembered, “Oh right, you said no straw,” then pulled them out of my drink and threw the straws into the trash. The third straw was wasted when I got milkshakes with my cousin and he’d already placed it into my drink because of a miscommunication between us.
Many employees also weren’t allowed to use my personal water bottle to fill my drink order with because they explained that their establishment had a policy to not take any customer belongings over the counter. The exceptions that I encountered were Starbucks and a few bubble tea shops. These places would ask for the volume of my water bottle, and price the drink order to the closest size.
Toiletries used:
- 14 o.b. tampons
Before leaving for my trip, I ordered a menstrual cup from Amazon. Unfortunately, my order didn’t arrive by the estimated delivery date, so I didn’t have the menstrual cup with me. I bought o.b. tampons instead, which don’t have a plastic or cardboard applicator, so there’s less waste than a traditional tampon. However, there is still a thin plastic wrap on each tampon to maintain hygiene. These were pleasantly easy to use and didn’t leak.
Menstrual products are often overlooked when it comes to unnecessary waste. It’s estimated that the average woman uses 9,600 tampons during her lifetime. I would recommend switching to o.b. tampons or a menstrual cup to anyone who wants to reduce the amount of waste they create.
For other toiletries such as hair products, body wash, and dental hygiene, I used Lush’s package-free shampoo bar, solid conditioner, and body scrub, which I stored in tin containers. I brought a bamboo toothbrush (biodegradable!) and also tried Lush’s toothy tabs, which were packaged in a recyclable plastic container, as opposed to a traditional tube of toothpaste which isn’t always recyclable. These solid body care products were also helpful because they didn’t contribute to my carry-on liquid limit when I went through airport security!
Other waste:
- 1 metal butter knife
- 1 stainless steel straw
“You have a knife in your bag,” the airport security guard accused me. And so I did. I had made the mistake of packing my cutlery set in my carry-on bag, and the X-ray machine had flagged it. Airport security confiscated my butter knife and I survived the entirety of my trip without being able to butter any bread.I also misplaced one of my stainless steel straws after leaving Los Angeles. Luckily, I had the foresight to pack two before I left, so I can only hope the next person who stayed in that Airbnb put it to good use.
The only item I brought with me that didn’t see much use were the food containers, which I hoped I could use to store any leftovers from restaurants or snacks I bought. What got the most attention during my trip was whenever I ordered a drink and mentioned that I didn’t want a straw. Many of my family members that accompanied me for meals began to ask why I was so against straws, and were surprised to learn that they aren’t recyclable.
At one restaurant in Drumheller, Alb., where I ordered a milkshake, the owner who was taking orders at the register was confused about how I would drink the milkshake without a straw. After she saw me take my stainless steel straw from my purse, she came over to my table and asked where I bought mine, how often I use it, and if I thought her customers would be interested in purchasing them if she started selling them at her restaurant.Another small win: One of my friends back home sent me a message while I was on my trip to share that she bought a set of reusable straws because she was inspired by my strong opposition to single-use straws!
Overall, I would have to say that it was moderately difficult to limit my waste production during my vacation. It meant choosing restaurants wisely when it came to eating meals, and convincing my friends and family to accommodate those meal choices. This meant asking them to dine in, rather than take away our order in disposable to-go containers. Some of my friends and family made an effort to support me and reduce their plastic waste, but often they forgot to ask for their drink orders without straws too late, or prioritized convenience over zero waste, citing that vacation was a time for relaxation and they didn’t want to worry about these small things the way I did. Additionally, many employees were not accustomed to providing a zero-waste experience because either their store policies did not allow it or they were so used to their regular routine that they automatically reached for the disposable cutlery and single-use items.Since my vacation has ended, I find myself more conscious of the ways I can be more sustainable when I’m at home too. Because of this, I would now like to extend the zero-waste challenge to you. Make a change to reduce your waste in your daily life, and your next vacation. Even by taking just one small step at a time, we can all make a big stride towards preserving our Earth.
Photos by Karen K. Tran