Summer was to produce as little waste as possible.
I knew that avoiding waste entirely would be an impossible task, especially when you have kids who always, and I mean ALWAYS, want to eat or drink something.
Flying Out
On the way out of the UK, at the airport, we didn’t get any food wrapped up in plastic, which was a pleasant surprise for me because, as some of you already know by now, I don’t think the UK plans very well for long-term sustainability solutions. When it comes to taking concrete, positive environmental actions and thinking about long-term sustainability, the UK is seriously lagging behind many EU countries. We bought a couple of cans of lemonade and a bottle of water since the water fountain was still closed.
Over the past few months, the teenage M. has become so aware of plastic that he consciously refuses to buy drinks in plastic bottles and opts for glass or cans. In many European countries, glass bottles can be returned, but this hasn’t been widely practised in the UK.
Meanwhile in Poland
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find easily accessible recycling bins while we were out and about in Poland. The only places where recycling and trash segregation were available and visible were on the beaches in Gdansk and Sopot. Still, many people choose to ignore the signage and dump garbage in whatever container they feel like dumping it in. (Makes me soooo MAD)
So, when you are out and about in Polish cities (I visited four this summer), the recyclable material neither goes into the regular trash bins (I don’t know what happens with that after the collection), nor do you have to take recyclables home and recycle them in your own/communal containers. This is what we did most often with glass and paper.
Most of the waste we’ve created came from plastic water bottles. When in the city (Wroclaw), we drank water from the tap, but when at my parents’, who live in a tiny village, the water from the deep underground stream isn’t good enough to drink straight from the tap. Regrettably, we had to buy water in plastic bottles. We tried to look for recycled bottles and only found one brand selling water in recycled bottles. However, that brand wasn’t freely available in many local shops or supermarkets.
I didn’t buy any facial masks or shampoo bottles. We only got a shampoo bar from Lidl. I still don’t dig it that much, but my hubby says he’s okay with it. My mum gave me one of her many body lotions; it came in a plastic bottle, but if I hadn’t used it, it would have gone unused. ( I also found a shampoo bottle and soap in one of the baskets in the storage room.)
We bought a soap for Baby M. in paper wrapping, which we all used up. I also bought a body lotion for baby M. in an aluminium container, which was inexpensive and, to my biggest surprise and joy, cleared up dry patches that were randomly appearing all over her tiny body.
While we were in Wroclaw, we had take-out three times. Each time, it was boxed in biodegradable or paper boxes.
While in Gdansk, we didn’t have take-out at all. Only once I bought Vegan Greek Salad that came in a paper container, which I couldn’t properly recycle because there wasn’t a bin available for that. To eat the salad, I had to get a plastic fork from a nearby restaurant, ’cause the vegan place I bought it from didn’t have any wooden cutlery.
On the last day of our stay, we asked for a takeaway box for two slices of pizza. To my greatest horror, the container we got was non-recyclable, which I thought was illegal to use in the EU anymore.
That experience only shows that I must be more vigilant when asking for take-out containers and not assume everyone follows the rules. I didn’t have our food containers with me, but next time, I won’t make such a silly mistake.
I used my metal straws whenever possible. Unfortunately, one place in Wroclaw, for reasons unknown to me, wanted to give me a plastic straw. My request not to use one was met with astonishment from the staff member. Note to self: a hipster place doesn’t necessarily mean progressive or sustainable thinking.
Once again, I devoted a significant amount of time to decluttering the storage room in my parents’ house. I always find lots of things that are gathering dust but could be easily turned into gifts. I’ve already managed to pass on a few things and reuse teenage M’s colouring and sticker books for baby M.
When it comes to food, I tried to buy as many plastic-free foods as possible and eat mostly from my parents’ garden (now, at the end of August, the garden has plenty of late-summer fruits, and some veggies are still going strong). Earlier in the summer, we ate lots of cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes. Unfortunately, there is no farmers’ market nearby (it’s a bit insane), so most of my shopping was done at a supermarket, but the food wasn’t necessarily local.
I must admit that I’ve been feeling guilty about the plastic water bottles, but on the other hand, all the organic food waste has been reused, something we don’t do in London, but I’m looking into it. I’m also psyched that we didn’t get any toys for our kids; they did get some gifts from our friends, and I really need to learn how to accept that not everyone sees the waste the way I do.
I’ve not bought anything unnecessary myself (tons of beauty products, as I used to do every year in non-recyclable containers), no takeaway coffee or teacups, nothing non-essential like that. That is a massive improvement over all those years when I was still into my overconsuming, wasteful ways.
Conclusion
All in all, travelling, if done mindfully, can be more sustainable. Honestly, I’m not sure whether it can reach zero waste. People who are religious about the zero-waste movement will most likely tell you that yes, it can be done. Still, I have my doubts, especially when you travel internationally and with children.
As long as each of us does whatever we can in any given situation to reduce our consumption, which often leads to waste, that act of kindness towards suffering Mother Earth will always contribute towards a sustainable future. If enough of us follow eco-minimalism and become mindful consumers, the momentum for change will gain enough traction. Finally, the governments and organisations profiting enormously while polluting the planet will hear our screams (hit it where it hurts the most – their pockets).
PS. This has been my first mindful travelling summer ever. I’m not saying I’ve done a brilliant job, but I stayed the course and wasn’t distracted or diverted from my path, which makes me pretty happy.
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