Attempting Sustainablility

We all have our weak points, our sustainability foibles.  I recognized one of mine the other day, seamless web. It’s a site that allows you to have dinner delivered from nearly any restaurant in your area.  Samosas, fried chicken, gnocchi, or spring rolls at my doorstep.  All in their plastic containers, wrapped in a paper bag, and carried in a plastic bag.  Not to mention the pile of napkins and disposable utensils.  That’s quite a lot more waste than making stir fry at home.

So how do I lessen my non-sustainable ways?  Curb my seamless-ing, begrudgingly yes.  But I also got creative with my problem solving this week and incorporated one of the points from the environmentalist’s mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  Reuse.  It’s easy to recycle, I can throw my plastics in the recycling bin and have a self-aggrandizing moment, I’ve done my part for the planet.  Despite the fact that I know NYC only recycles bottles and jugs, not the plastic container my dumplings came in, “ego deflating sounds.”  But reusing items often requires a little innovation and inspiration which for me was delivered in the mail.  That’s right, my seeds came!  Now I need something for starting my seeds, but do I really need to go out and buy plastic seedling planters?  Nope.  I don’t have the space in my apartment nor the confidence that I’ll love the grow-your-own process AND I know they can’t be recycled if I decided to part ways with them.  So I’ve gone a different route and have actually had my initial planters for a week.  Behold my reuse planters

Egg cartons to hold my seedlings and old pad thai containers as water basins. Now I know I’m only delaying the inevitable.  I’ll have to throw these things away in a few weeks anyway (technically the egg carton will biodegrade and a lot quicker because of its seed raising duties, but the container will just break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic, leeching chemicals and what not), but my ingenuity has kept me from going out and buying something new and unnecessary, it’s helped me reduce.  Look at that!  Two of the trifecta for one.  Let the planning begin… as soon as I get some soil.

P.S. It’s spring in NYC!  I know this for two reasons: 1. The daffodils are blooming in the park 2. The ice cream truck has set up shop around the corner from my apartment.