Breaking Up With Packaging

We're told from a very young age never to judge a book by its cover. And yet, the society we live in has programmed us to do just that. Marketing compels us to spend seven dollars on toilet paper instead of two. It tells us the nine dollar tin of tea is better than the four dollar box because it's prettier on the outside. In those precious few seconds that inevitably lead to spending double or more on Product X, too few of us consider the important characteristics about the product on the inside of the flashy packaging. So, as part of my lifestyle overhaul, I'm ending my relationship with what is on the outside and, indeed, packaging altogether. Avoiding the marketing trap, purging my house ever so slowly of bright and flashy advertising gambits, will help me on the path to making healthier choices as well. It means giving up the last few processed products that sneak into my kitchen every once in a while, and creating less waste overall.

I started small. This is my spice cupboard halfway through the process of converting from colorful packaging to refillable glass jars. When I start running low, I can refill at the market. And those ugly plastic shake containers are gone for good. It doesn't feel like much of a change, but it will take small and patient steps to rid myself of a lifetime of bad habits.

What did you do to change your life today?