Over Sukkot, I have to admit, I used both disposable plates and foil pans. Tishrei was the first time I had been in our local party goods store since Pesach. So while I was making strides in my spiritual life, my material life had a lot more garbage bags in it. But, my home and sukkah had a lot of guests, and my kids (aka the dishwashers) were able to enjoy the holidays. So it was all worth it.
Still, throwing out so much garbage (the stress! the self-judgement!) prompted me to invest in two nice 9-by-13 pans. When the next yom tov rolls around, I may still need to use foil pans, but fewer of them as I continue to focus on making purchases that will eliminate or reduce waste on an ongoing basis.
As you probably noticed, I’ve gotten off my posting schedule. First I was busy taking my daughter to camp and putting out the Fall issue of the Jewish Review of Books, and then I was busy with all the chagim and catching up on tasks that had built up when the main focus was on cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. And then, quite frankly, I fell into a small pit of inertia and hating everything I write and have been struggling to pry myself loose! (Tell me you can relate!)
I didn’t totally stop writing, but I have been directing my writing energy to other places for the past two and a half months. At the invitation of the editor of Young Israel of Greater Cleveland’s Clilei HaChodesh newsletter, I submitted my first d’var Torah, about Noach and rising waters, both from HaShem and man. It’s on the second page of this link, if you’d like to read it: https://yigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/1-Cheshvan-5782.pdf
I’ve also started posting quick low-waste tips and swaps on my Instagram account at @amynewsmith. Just because I wasn’t blogging doesn’t mean I wasn’t doing all my daily, weekly, and monthly low-wastey things!
Now that I’ve shaken the dust off my blogging brain, my plan is to get back to posting here twice a month, while continuing to post on Instagram as inspiration strikes. Of course, man plans, HaShem laughs, but I’ll do my best, which is all any of us can ever do.
Click here to see the full list of changes I’ve blogged about, and their impact.
Amazon bag ban carbon emissions celery Chanuka Chanukah Chanukka Chanukkah COVID disinfect donuts doughnuts elul energy food waste frum Hannukah Hanukka Hanukkah jewish lag b'omer landfill lashon hara laundry line dry low-waste mishloach manos mishloach manot orthodox passover pesach plastic purim recycle recycling reduce retail therapy reusable reuse shopping single-use teshuva washcloth water zero-waste
Header photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash.
The Bal Tashchit Balabusta 
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