Weeks 20 and 21
As I write this, I’m realizing for the first time that we’re just a month away from our halfway point! This has been an incredible journey so far, and I’m delighted to report that our shoebox isn’t even close to full. We’re sailing through these weeks leading up to Christmas, which is probably a good thing given the potential trash we’ll receive from gifts packaged in non-reusable materials. We’ve decided to cross that bridge when we come to it, hoping that we can repurpose some trash items. Our family and friends are so supportive of our project that I know many are going out of their way to package gifts in recyclable paper or reusable containers.
Since it’s approaching faster and faster, I should mention that I received several tips from family and readers about how to package Christmas presents in an eco-friendly way. My cousin’s wife passed along a project she’s made in the past – cover an old shoebox with fabric and reuse the box over and over for gift-giving. Great idea! The fabric attaches easily to cardboard with a spray adhesive (make sure a local facility can recycle the aerosol can). Many years ago in Girl Scouts, I did a similar craft project in which I covered an old cigar box with fabric. I still have this box today (this must have been 18 years ago).
I also found a suggestion in this month’s Martha Stewart magazine suggesting the use of old glass jars for packaging small presents, which is an idea I also love.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I last updated, mostly because we spent a week in Washington with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a nice time visiting relatives, even though it was Adam’s turn to get the flu over the holiday. We’ve gotten better at being garbage-free during times of sickness, thanks to our recent bouts of illness.
I have found one item that produces leftover packaging that I’m simply willing to live without. Call it my amnesty item, if you will, but all year long, I look forward to satsumas hitting the grocery stores. These are essentially seedless mandarin oranges, and I love them. I eat them by the dozens. They are only in season for about two months a year, and I swear these are my secret weapon against any winter colds, I eat so many. I know they aren’t local, unfortunately, but I buy local produce all year round so I can afford a few splurges. My satsumas are one of them. This said, satsumas have always come in a recyclable box. This year, however, the satsuma people are bundling the fruit in netting, and this netted bag of satsumas then comes in a box. This irritates me greatly, but I’m still buying them. So now, I have four or five of these orange nets floating around my house. I refuse to add them to our shoebox, because I’m sure I can reuse them for something. Right now I’m thinking I can trim the raw edges of the net with fabric and perhaps use the nets are reusable produce bags. Any other ideas?
In the past weeks, we run into no other garbage dilemmas. Thanks for reading, and have a good week!
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Maybe you could weave scraps of yarn or cloth through the netting, and use it as a gift-bag?
I love that your family and friends are supportive of your efforts and are willing to make similar efforts themselves. Way to extend your impact!