Curiously Green is an exclusive Earth 911 series showcasing the adventures of individuals attempting to go green. This month Nyree from Peterborough, England, starts her New Year’s Resolution of a zero-waste lifestyle.

My New Year’s Resolution 2008 is to reduce my impact on the planet by trying to live more simply and efficiently: January’s challenge is to cut down the amount of waste I send to landfill. I will take part in a zero-waste challenge for a whole 31 days—any waste I do create must be stored so it can be weighed at the end of the challenge.

The first week of my challenge gets off to a wobbly start with temptations galore in the January sales. I see hundreds of people streaming in and out of shops weighed down with plastic bags full of bargains. At least one in four items bought by the average woman will never be worn, but remain languishing in the back of the wardrobe—I can’t help but wonder how many of these cut-price purchases are destined for that fate.

With my trusty organic-cotton reusable bag in hand I browse the racks of clothes feeling smugly green. However this didn’t last long; in the end I left the shop empty-handed.

I was too chicken to ask the bored teenage shop assistant whether he could remove the plastic packaging from a pair of earrings I had my eye on. I’m going to have to be braver than this if I’m going to save the planet.

Even a quick stop off at a coffee shop for lunch was fraught with hurdles and unimpressed expressions as I asked the staff if I could have a mug rather than a disposable plastic cup, and if there were any sandwiches without plastic packaging. Eventually I left after drinking my coffee (in a mug) and headed home to make myself a sandwich.

The reaction of my friends and family to my zero-waste challenge has been mixed; some think I’m crazy and others are highly impressed with my green credentials. My grandma proved extremely useful with tips and advice on how to create as little waste as possible—she grew up during the hard times following World War II where a “waste not want not” attitude prevailed.

She has even lent me her bag on wheels to do my weekly supermarket shopping, avoiding the need for both plastic bags and a car to carry the groceries back.

I will soon go back to work and am looking forward to the challenges ahead! I always buy lunch from the same sandwich shop which uses copious amounts of packaging, so it looks like I am going to be looking for somewhere new to eat (or bring a packed-lunch).

Final Thoughts

• I think my toothpaste tube is about to run out; maybe I can split it open and make it last into February?!
• A friend has recommended the Moon Cup to me (www.mooncup.co.uk) for one inevitable situation I will come across this month. Is this beyond the call of duty?
• There is very little chocolate you can get your hands on with packaging that can be recycled, and I get grumpy if denied chocolate so I need to find some soon!

Until next week…

Nyree Ambarchian is the Marketing & Communications Officer for the Peterborough Environment City Trust in England.