the ReFab Diaries

1. Reduce my reliance on single/limited-use plastic items
2. Slowly replace things with non-plastic alternatives
3. Stop bringing plastic into my home

Goals - Week 6:

1. Spend less time dealing with email
2. Avoid the message to buy
3. Avoid the damn message to BUY

Stretch goal: ZERO promotional emails

If you use gmail, you have a partitioned inbox like I do. And it's a really a great way to filter "promotional messages", most of which we've volunteered to receive. Who knows why. Many reasons, right?

Here's the problem: they're all tempting us to buy things we don't need. So. My goal this week is to scroll down and UNSUBSCRIBE. It's a pain. But if I'm committed to reducing my "stuff" and trimming my waste, temptation to buy doesn't help.

Any of you done this?

1. Precycle - bring less non-recyclable plastic into my home
2. Buy less, make more (without being stinky)
3. Save money!

Goals - Week 4:

1. Look for ways to make my coffee habit more environmentally friendly
2. Make less trash
3. Repurpose more

Stretch goal: pay more to buy locally roasted, fair-trade coffee.

Goals - Week 3:

1. Upcycle a non-recyclable item
2. Repair or repurpose old clothes
3. Buy less, make less trash and create more  :)

Stretch goal (punny!): use old tights to line plant pots

Goals - Week 2:

1. Really pay attention to how much I throw away #thereisnoaway
2. Decrease landfill waste
3. Notice how fast the recycling fills up

If you missed it, here's the post explaining the whole "trimming my waste" thing.

Goals - Week 1:

1. Precycle: reduce the amount of packaging I bring into my home, even if it's recyclable
2. Reduce exposure to chemicals in cosmetics. Because no one seems to be regulating them or       explaining them very well. See Stink! ... you won't like what you smell hear
3. Support small, local businesses making products using simple ingredients

Stretch goal: DIY soap or body wash.

Happy 2016! I'm a week late but hey ... better late than never right? In fact, that's sorta the sentiment behind the new series I'm kicking off this week. Better something than nothing. Better to start than wait for the perfect time and place to start. Right?

So here's the plan: for the next 51 weeks, I'm going to share with you all the small changes I've made (and will make) to "trim my waste". And by "waste" I mean everything from actual trash (and recycling) to the unworn items in my closet, the energy suckers in my home and an array of other wasteful habits and behaviors. Why? Because I've been arguing for years that upcycling is my low-pressure way to change mindsets. A gentle prod in the direction of more conscious, conscientious consumption.