My last reflection question! This challenge helped me realize most of my waste comes from small non-recyclable plastics (such as fruit stickers, plastic clothes tags, etc) as well as paper-packaged food products that are unsuitable for recycling. When I'm not at the mercy of a mandatory school meal plan, I expect my food-related trash to decrease substantially, and in the meantime, I plan to start making eco-bricks for those plastics that can't be recycled. 

Steel razors save so much money and so much unnecessary plastic waste! When I think of all the razors that I've purchased in my lifetime, I've easily spent $1,000+ on them. Alarming, right? But, that's the norm! It's what everyone does! NO. It doesn't have to be the norm and it shouldn't be what everyone does. Consumerism is so ingrained in our day to day lives that most wouldn't think twice about switching to a more common-sense solution for hair removal. It's an easy switch with a big impact.

I've definitely experienced rashes before. But, beyond that, it would be difficult to pinpoint the exact side effects from aluminum deodorant. There are a lot of great scientific articles which point to myths about aluminum deodorant, and many that suggest we simply don't know enough. I personally dislike using aluminum deodorant because the ingredients included are often not necessary, and I find local products more attractive. Regardless of your stance on the ingredients, it is true that your average deodorant comes in packaging that cannot be recycled or reused. For that reason alone, it's worth switching to an alternative.

Since adding a compost I've realized that quite a bit of food goes to waste. I have improved my food waste over the year but there is still plenty of room for improvement on my end. In addition, having a compost provides my garden with nutrients. I would have had to purchase a fertilzer but using a compost is plastic-free. Although I should always strive to not let my food go bad, life happens and having a compost alleviates waste going to a landfill. If it goes to the landfill then the nutrients are not available for use and are almost trapped.