Zero waste living

Corks (background) and small glass jars are
a few examples of reused items in my home.

One of the most satisfying things in life for me (other than reading a good book, finding a super deal at a store or watching a poignant movie) is making lifestyle and consumption choices that keep waste to a minimum. In this blog, I will share some surprising and awesome uses for items we typically throw away or in the recycling bin instead of reusing multiple times.

Seasonings and condiments

It must have been some creative intuition that led me to use the juice from a sweet pickle jar many months ago. I was looking for some liquid to keep my salmon moist in my slow cooker. The result was sublime. Since then, I have not thrown the liquid away when I would normally, after all the pickles are gone.

I also keep the bottom-of-the-bag treasures. First, there are crackers. The crumbles end up being a nice crounch-crounch to add texture to salads ! Second, I love the spices at the bottom of a bag of spicy nuts, which can also be added to recipes of all kinds, like salads, dips, vinaigrettes, oven potatoes...

Containers and jars

There is a restaurant I really enjoy that serves tiramisu and other desserts in a small glass jar. Whenever I treat myself to a sweet delight after dining at Selland's or Obo, along with the other leftovers, I ask for the lid because I want to stretch the pleasure and eat the rest the next day. The jar happens to be the perfect size for my breakfast these days: chia seeds pudding with coconut milk, almonds and fruit. I now have about 8 of these jars and it is perfect to prepare a few portions for my breakfast ahead of time.

Be also observant of certain unique glass bottles that catch your eye even if you don't know immediately what you would do with them. You mind find out later that they might turn into the perfect  vase, or a soap dispenser for instance (in this example, I had ''rescued'' a Kombucha bottle from a resident while on call at the hospital with them. I had no idea what I would do with it at the time but it seemed too nice to recycle. When I decided to upgrade my liquid hand soap dispensers to something classier, I rediscovered its present and found a new role for it, and I was even able to find a plastic dispenser from a body moisturizer container to match).

For ambiance

I started gathering twigs on my yard this winter. I also kept bigger branches that broke after a storm: that has been great ''bois d'allumage'' and the smaller the branches, the stronger the heat that is generated by the fire. I also keep some citrus peels (for zest, or to throw in the fire when dried).

I have no shortage of ideas for decoration or craft projects. Corks have an unlimited repertoire of functions. I started covering a wall in my kitchen (and no, in case you wonder, I didn't drink all the bottles that came with each one of these corks ! I must thank a few friends and my sister-in-love for giving me most of the corks that are not from my house).

This is not an exhaustive list of the items that can be useful rather than discarded. I am currently doing a project with metallic cans and if it turns out ok, I might have to write a part 2 for this blog post. Stay tuned ! There is a lot going on at The House of Enchantments.

And what about your own ideas ? Feel free to leave a comment so we can all expand our habits towards zero waste living.