Zero Waste and Minimalism Habits: What Has Stuck Around and What Has Been Left by the Wayside?

For various reasons, not all of the habits I have picked up have stuck around in the long-term. Here are a list of the habits that have stuck for me and a list of the habits that have not:

Minimalist Wardrobe (sticking around)
I still have my minimalist wardrobe and I love it. I even made some improvements. For instance, I don't have pajamas anymore, I just sleep in one of my four black t-shirts that I have. Speaking of my black t-shirts, I amazingly have not become bored with them. Probably because they are just such fantastic t-shirts. I've had these t-shirts for over a year now and they are still in great condition.

Soap and Towel in My Work Restroom (sticking around)
There are some bins in my work restroom. I put my name on a  post-it note and stuck it in one of the bins and keep a bar of soap and a washcloth in there for washing my hands after using the restroom at work. I used to keep some homemade lip balm and sunscreen in there as well, but those items were stolen, I think because they wanted my reusable containers, so I just keep the soap and washcloth in there now. I keep the bin open a bit so the washcloth can dry out, and once it is pretty damp, I take it home to wash and replace it with a dry one. For the soap, I keep it in a travel soap container, but leave it open to dry out.

Furniture-Free Living (sticking around)
Maybe two years ago now, we got rid of our couch, desks, and dining room table and instead sit on floor cushions on the ground. We also have a small coffee table for eating off of. This has been amazing for our health and for our recent move. Having to get up and down off the floor and use our back muscles to hold ourselves up instead of the back of a chair is great for being physically fit. It took a little getting used to at first, including a little soreness, but that transition is long gone now. Our recent move was such a breeze as there was only one item we had that required two people to move it.

Minimalist Beauty Routine (left by the wayside)
I am going to be 38 soon and I have been having so much trouble with my skin (acne AND accelerated aging from sun and acne damage). I made some dietary changes and actually did some medical spa treatments, but soon realized that I would have to make changes to my skin care routine if I wanted to see better results and keep my skin looking better in the long run. So, I am now buying products in plastic and glass bottles again. 

Restaurant Kit (left by the wayside)
Back when I lived in Phoenix, I put together a zero waste restaurant kit that I used very consistently. Then I move to the Pittsburgh area. I was in an area that did not have any vegan-friendly restaurants (other than Chipotle) and money was tighter then, so we stopped eating out for the most part. I'm now living in the city and am eating out more, but I've lost the habit with being zero waste at restaurants. I even forget to ask that they leave out the plastic straw. This is one area I want to work on getting back into the habit on.

Minimalist Composting

If you have a trowel and and a yard, you can probably compost.

This is the most minimalist compost method I have found, and it's also a great upper body workout. Here's what you need:

-0.5-1.0 gallons of kitchen scraps
-Kitchen knife and cutting board
-Trowel or shovel
-A yard with relatively soft soil
-Ability to dig a hole


Steps:
1. Dig hole
2. Fill hole with kitchen scraps
3. Cover hole
4. Profit?

Here are my kitchen scraps I keep a jar in the fridge to accumulate kitchen scraps. Keeping kitchen scraps in the fridge keeps them from starting to break down and smell.

Chop up the scraps, the finer the better. If you have a food processor, you can use that.

Dig your hole. Your hole should be about 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep. My trowel is 13 inches long, so I used that as a guide. 

I live in an old neighborhood that used to be housing for steel workers. What do you suppose this metal thing I found is?

Add your scraps. Mix in a little bit of the dug out soil.

Cover your hole with the remaining soil. There will be a little bit of leftover soil that has been displaced so just spread it around the area.

Source for this method: https://dengarden.com/gardening/Compost-Holes-A-Cheap-Easy-Way-to-Enrich-Your-Soil