To be sustainable is to utilize a means that both works in the present, while protecting the future. Sustainability, or "zero-waste", while being thrown around as "hip" words right now, are actually crucial to the survival of the planet as well as everything that lives on it, including us. Not only does it ensure a safe and healthy environment for our future, but allows us to live a harmonious life with the planet that gives us EVERYTHING we have ever needed and known.

There are many reasons why we should ALL care about this. Chances are if you are reading this, you are fortunate enough to live with the ability to even make the decision to limit your waste, as am I. There are plenty of people in the world who don't have the means necessary to lessen their waste, as well as access to information on the matter. This privelege comes with a responsibility to do our part in making sure we are giving back to that from which we take. Additionally, money matters. I mean this in two different ways: 1. You actually save money by making sustainable choices! You're either using what you already have or purchasing something you can reuse over and over, therefore saving on items you have to constantly restock (water bottles, garbage bags, paper towels, etc). People who have switched to a zero-waste lifestyle save thousands of dollars per year (compared to those that live standard-waste lives). And 2. By spending your money on brands that focus on sustainability, you are supporting a better cause. If enough people made more conscious spending decisions like this, ultimately big brands/brands who don't care about their environmental impact will see that this is what customers want and change to suit the demands of the consumer. Finally, we have one Earth, and limited time to save it. You're looking to eat more plant-based, so you're already taking steps in the right direction! Sustainability is about balance, symbiosis, and respect for the planet that we call home. You wouldn't do anything to harm your house, your posessions, or your family, would you? Why should our planet be any different?

This could look different for everyone. A sustainable kitchen can mean using what you already have, using as much of the produce as you can and composting the rest, replacing single use products with reusable ones, and last but not least; LESS PLASTIC. Most people, myself included, don't even realize how much waste they create on a daily basis. From paper towels, to plastic bags, to cleaning sprays and more, it all adds up. And when you look at the amount humans (especially Americans) throw away all together, it's overwhelming. But if we start making more sustainable choices in our day to day lives, change will inevitably follow. As your personal chef, maintaining a sustainable kitchen will go as follows: when purchasing the produce I need to prepare your meals, I will shop from local markets, choosing fresh, in-season items whenever possible. When gathering remaining ingredients from the supermarket, I will choose items that contain the least amount of plastic as possible as well as containers that can be recycled. This includes: produce that is not individually wrapped or precut in plastic containers, tin cans instead of plastic bags, glass jars, opting for bulk grains/nuts/seeds/etc. instead of ones prepackaged in plastic, and much more. I will bring these items back in reusable grocery bags. After preparing the parts of the produce that I plan on using for your meal, I will either find another use for the scraps (e.g., vegetable stock, soup, all-purpose cleaner) or compost what is unusable. After emptying any tins, boxes, or glass, I will recycle it properly or in some cases reuse for storage. During the cooking process, I will use rags instead of paper towels whenever possible and store all leftover food in containers that are already available, or in newly purchased glass or tin. The availability of these options will vary from place to place, but even just a few sustainable swaps is better than none. These same steps will be applied to cooking demonstrations as well as coaching recommendations! And of course, your meals will be delicious all the same.

Of course it will! If everyone who ever strayed from the mainstream way of thinking thought like this then we would have never seen any change in our history! The average American produces 4.51 lbs. of trash per day**. That translates to roughly 1,600 lbs. per year. Now imagine the difference your whole household can make if you all switched to a zero-waste lifestyle. Can you picture it? Good. Now, imagine the difference that everyone who had the ability to make this decision could make. In the United States, we could all save 267.8 million tons of trash per year**. 267 MILLION TONS. So yes, your kitchen alone will make a difference. But you aren't alone, you are a piece to a larger puzzle which is only getting bigger and greener every day. Want to see how many Earths we would need if everyone had the same habits as you? Check out your personal Ecological Footprint and view more facts on waste at: https://www.footprintcalculator.org/

It's totally fine. The fact that you're even taking the steps to do better by the planet in the first place is amazing. You're bound to make mistakes, especially in the beginning, and all you can do is forgive yourself and learn from it for the future! Nobody is perfect, and the term "zero-waste" still includes the production of some waste; it's inevitable. But as long as you try your best, you will be making all the difference. 100 people making small changes is better than 1 person doing it perfectly; we're all in this together.

Because your planet (and your children and their children too!) are counting on it. Sure, all new things take some getting used to at first. I know it sure did for me. We get used to the way things are and rarely ever need to change it, especially something as seemingly trivial as the broccoli we buy. But this IS something that needs to change and I promise it will not be as hard or as daunting as it may seem at first. Beginning with small steps and changes is helpful if it feels overwhelming, and eventually these actions will become second nature. And of course, I am here to help you through your transition!