I have stopped using straws, and find it frustrating when, at restaurants, a new straw comes with every glass on the table! I always request no straws. I never use disposable cups unless at an event where there is no other option and I don't have my aluminum cup. I avoid plastic bags, and carry canvas bags in my car at all times. 

Of course, it's not an exact science, and so many things are packaged and otherwise "forced" upon us, but I do the best I can, and have as few disposables as possible in my daily routine.

My partner uses bottled water daily, which is a necessity since the water supply on the Marine base where he works is contaminated. This is the one hurdle that I really want to solve, which hopefully will happen soon. My largest choice is canvas bags instead of paper or plastic shopping bags. We average one kitchen trash bag per week, and recycle and compost a lot. I tend to try to buy bulk instead of overly packaged foods, but one of my weaknesses is online shopping; online merchants use ridiculous amounts of packaging. All of my soft plastics are taken to grocery stores for recycling, and boxes are broken down and added to the recycle bin. 

Overall, I am likely doing more than the average suburban American household in how I treat waste, but I definitely have more that I can do. I'm currently focused on permaculture and growing my own vegetables and pollinator-friendly plants, and I'm growing all that I can from seed to cut down on plastic plant pots. Small thing, but it means a lot to me. 

I've grown up disregarding most of these sticker dates within reason. I hate wasting food. It is interesting that it suggests that smell and taste are not good indicators that a product is still safe to consume after the "best by" date. However with milk, I will always use the smell test.

I've been working in sustainability for years now so looking for Forest Stewardship Council Certified (FSC-Certified) is natural for me. But I understand this can be challenging for newbies - which is OK!

I've always tried to consume at least one meatless meal per day. My body isn't able to ingest a ton of protein as a baseline and I feel a better balance of energy as well as a cost reduction in my grocery lists. I often mix a can of chickpeas with some couscous, red pepper, red onion, corn, cilantro, lime juice and red pepper flakes and mix it in with lettuce for a salad or grab a piece of pita bread and make a simple pizza with some tomato past and mozzarella added in! Fast and delicious! Mix in some black and white beans to mix it up more!

So far it has been chilly morning walks to work this past week. The community path is finally thawed out and the birds were chirping this morning. My morning walks are a great warm-up for the gym and much enjoyed fresh air on the way to work. 

I generally try to eat fresh, rather than processed, foods, so paying attention to dates helps me ensure that I'm not eating contaminated/spoiled food. A long time ago I learned that eggs were good for a couple weeks beyond their expiry date; I was able to avoid throwing out eggs!

I had not heard the term, but it seems to be sustainable and a common-sense approach to preserving natural ecosystems. Moving to a more localized approach to pasturing, rather than the industrial-scale approach that has stripped resources, will be our best option for agricultural/environmental recovery.