1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: tip is that many single use items aren't nearly as 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: disposable as you think. By thinking about how you use things, 5 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: you might be able to extend the life of objects 6 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: that would otherwise quickly wind up in the trash. So 7 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: when I am out and about in the world, I 8 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: tend to take a disposable plastic water bottle with me. Now, 9 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: perhaps that seems wasteful, but here's the deal. I don't 10 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,639 Speaker 1: really care at all about what kind of water is 11 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: in the bottle. I am one hundred percent okay with 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: tap water. So after I finish whatever water was a 13 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: richly in my plastic water bottle, I refill it with 14 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: tap water. I might do this a dozen times or more, 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: just making sure to rinse the bottle in between uses. Theoretically, 16 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: it might be more sustainable to use a refillable water bottle, 17 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: but I've noticed that lots of people seem to buy 18 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: whatever water bottle is hip in the moment. I am 19 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: pretty sure that a new Stanley every month does not 20 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: come out ahead of what I've been doing. It turns 21 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: out that plastic water bottles don't actually need to be 22 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: as disposable as you think. Same with many items. Perhaps 23 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: it is a cliche that someone is so cheap that 24 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: they reuse their aluminum foil, But if you only wrap 25 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:51,559 Speaker 1: something dry and not all that messy, why not same 26 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: with ziplock bags. It's one thing if you put a 27 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: messy peanut butter sandwich in there, but if you had 28 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: pretzels at lunch today, you could use the same baggie 29 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: for your pretzels for lunch tomorrow and the next day too. 30 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: In our house, if we only use a corner of 31 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: a paper towel, we will rip off the rest and 32 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: leave it by the paper towel roll. If some one 33 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: only needs a small bit for the next job, they 34 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: can grab that. We wound up buying lots of canvas 35 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: grocery bags because our county has a law against free 36 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: plastic bags. But whether yours does or not, it turns 37 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: out that plastic grocery bags can be used a lot 38 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: of times too. If you happen to get some with 39 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: your next grocery order, just unload your groceries and stick 40 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: the plastic bags back in the trunk. You can use 41 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: them for your next visit. And if you print things, well, 42 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: I am guessing you sometimes need scratch paper for grocery 43 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: lists or on the fly to do lists or notes 44 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: to tape to your door for delivery. People keep a 45 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: pile of pages with print on one side and use 46 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: the other side for whatever you need. In any case, 47 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: if you're about to throw something out, or even just 48 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: chuck it in the recycling bin, you might pause and 49 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: think if it can get a second tour of duty. 50 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: Sometimes the answer is no. I have cleaned up some 51 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: fairly gross messes with paper towels, But if you have 52 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: just used a paper towel to cover something in the microwave, 53 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: it might not be all that dirty. It's perfectly fine 54 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: to use to mop up some spilled water on the counter, 55 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: and you will have been just a little bit less 56 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: wasteful in the process. In the meantime, this is Laura. 57 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's making the most of our time. 58 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 59 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 60 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia 61 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,239 Speaker 1: for more podcasts from iHeartMedia, Please visit the iHeartRadio app, 62 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.