Every Christmas, my aunt gives handmade gifts to certain family members. In the past, she’s given things like rope-woven doormats and carved wooden stools. This year, she gave the home-owning women of the family a “zero waste kit.” She had sewn reusable fabric paper towels which were wrapped around a paper towel holder and connected so you could snap a piece off from the roll. She also made beeswax wraps (alternative to plastic wrap), reusable produce bags, and reusable cotton rounds.
I’d had the idea of going more zero waste in the back of my mind for a while, but seeing zero waste items in real-time kickstarted me into action. I got to talking with my cousin about her knowledge on this topic, and she recommended I check out the blog Litterless.
Exploring the way one could live a less wasteful life was really interesting and inspiring. After reading some of Literless blogger Celia’s posts, I immediately gathered up a list of changes my family could make to our life at home.
Then, I realized I had to consider what my life is like at school. A lot of the suggestions I made to my family pertain to the running of a household. I would say that the waste we produce at home is far greater than what I produce at college. I don’t really use paper towels, plastic bags, straws, or other waste products as are used at home. However, there are definitely changes I can make to become even more zero waste here. My first step in my exploration of zero waste for dorm life was to make reusable cotton rounds.
I followed the DIY reusable cotton rounds how-to on Litterless, and the result was perfect! I actually have to thank my mom, who sewed together all of the fabric pieces I’d cut out to make the finished rounds— because I was down to the wire and didn’t get to finish them before I returned to school. Thanks, Mom!
These cotton rounds work and feel great. I keep them in a little container and wash them in a mesh bag so they don’t get lost in the rest of my laundry. This first step into a less wasteful lifestyle while in college has been successful, and I recommend giving these reusable cotton rounds a try! I’m excited to try more sustainable practices in the future.
Image: X
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