6 Zero-Waste Habits My Abuelita Taught Me

As the daughter of immigrant parents, I spent summers growing up in Mexico with my abuelita while my parents worked. From the impeccable Spanish grammar, to her hojarasca recipe, to the home and kitchen hacks she passed down to me, I feel truly blessed by the invaluable lessons I gained from Pita through the years. One of which I am proudest, and Mexican households are famous for, is being a cultural environmentalist. My abuelita tries to embody zero-waste habits, and teaches us to do the same. If you’re wanting to establish a morezero-waste life style, here are some simple, solid lessons from abuelita to lead a lower-waste way of living. Never forget your bolsa de mercado. Abuelita never leaves the house without her market bag. If you haven’t already established your rotation of reusable bags, you should do so. Keep some at home and stuff some into your car for those forgetful days. Say no to plastic bags when checking out, but when you inevitably do collect some, do what Pita does, and reuse them to line trash cans or for storage.