Weekly diary #63: are flowers a zero waste gift?

Hi there! Welcome into my weekly diary in which I want to show you how I try to live an eco-positive life! Great new on the trash-subject this week! I picked a bag full of trash myself and the European Parliament approved a proposal to ban single use plastic! Wanna read along? Here’s weekly diary #63.

Thursday

I went back home from Harderwijk, because I had some things to do today. I had another laser appointment at the hospital. It went well, and I’m planning to write a blogpost about it once the whole process is finished! After that, I went to grandma to celebrate her birthday. I got her flowers and a gift card. Not exactly zero waste. I wanted the flowers loose, but the woman at the flower shop said that wasn’t allowed otherwise they’d think I’d stolen the flowers, so she packed them in paper. And yes, I go to the flower shop for flowers, not our local supermarket. I think it’s important to support local entreprenours and artisans, it’s pure and they really know they craft. But, my boyfriend mentioned yesterday: Why not buy a plant? Since flowers are actually grown to die in a few days and plants can last years. And that got me thinking. Are flowers zero waste? And are plants a better option? Sometimes I just feel like gift giving, even though I’m not that materialistic. So, giving nothing is not always an option. Flowers are not a good option I think, now. My boyfriend was right, flowers are specially grown for a few days and then die. That land can be used differently, for food for instance. And I think I once read something about fair trade flowers, which means that ‘normal’ flowers aren’t a fair trade. I think I won’t buy flowers anymore. I’m going for plants. A small one, then, of course. And even then, if grandma doesn’t like the plant any longer, she can still transfer it to her garden, another room, or just compost it. It’s not the exact thing I want (composting), but the plant will last longer than the flowers, that’s for sure. Hmm, still a tough choice. Maybe food is the better option here. I just don’t know yet.

Friday

Someone got sick at work, so I decided to help out on my free Friday. I can use the extra hours. I walked a long walk with Darco (our cute Frenchie), and meanwhile I picked up trash. That’s really a good way to multitask (even though I’m usually not a fan of multitasking). You have to walk anyway, so why not bring a bag and pick up the trash you see along the way. If you walk the dog three times a day, this’ll really add up! Hello eco-positive, cleaning up more trash than creating it! I also went grocery shopping with mom and picked some vegan things which were of course not zero waste. A sin really, but when I choose myself where I’ll do my groceries (when I move out), then it’ll be zero waste. For now, sometimes vegan is enough. On market days, when I get some money from mom, I do zero waste groceries myself (which you’ve probably read in more weekly diaries). I’m addicted to Grey’s Anatomy again also, a new season came out, yay!

Saturday

I am free! And so, that means I’m going to work out on a Saturday. Woah, that barely ever happens. At the moment I work out 4-5 times a week, and that frequency really works for me. I headed over to Vindiets in Enschede, because I promised the owner to give her some of my business cards so she could give them to interested people! She really loved the concept of Loose (package free groceries) and she is even considering becoming a customer herself! Vindiets is my favorite secondhand store where I’ll usually bring the clothes I don’t wear anymore too. It is also sustainable so we really compliment each other. I am so happy she decided to do this for me! Also, I still had a gift card lying around in my room so me and mom went to have lunch in the city centre. I had a delicious vegan salad at ETN. At night, I had a surprise party of my niece (she came back from Norway). There was only wine and beer at the party and since I don’t like beer I went with the wine. I know it isn’t vegan but for drinks I sometimes make an exception when there’s no other thing around. It does not happen a lot, most of the time I just drink with our group of friends and we buy the drinks ourselves. Let’s state that I’m following a 99% plant-based diet.

Sunday

I slept quite a bit because work started late, at 11 am. I worked the whole day. Further, it was quite a lazy day. I spent some time blogging and watching tv. Boring for this diary, but very relaxing and good for me.

Monday

I decided to not set an alarm, but I ended up sleeping way too long. So, I went to the gym at 12 am. I attended a boot camp class this time, but I have to say, it was just too hard for me. The exercises are draining, which is good. But most of the time I can’t keep up. And honestly, I have never seen anyone keep up with the full class of boot camp, most of the times I’m alone. That says enough I guess. At night, I planned on going to the Blood Bank to give plasma. I try to do it every 6 weeks. Plasma is used for making medicines and treating severe burn injuries. So, hello again positive impact! But, I did a little test beforehand because I had a cold and wasn’t sure I was allowed to come. And I was right, I wasn’t allowed and I cancelled the appointment. It is a bummer, really. I enjoy giving plasma, it gives me a good feeling, helping others. Oh! That makes me remember a great thing by the way. A few weeks ago, in class I talked about it to some people, and then one person made an appointment right away to donate herself! Hello, even more positive impact! And there you see, your individual work changes a lot, even though you might not even know. Anyway, I rescheduled the appointment and hope the cold will pass soon. At night, of course, I couldn’t sleep, because I had slept so long the morning. Real smart move, Romee.

Tuesday

Even though in Enschede it is the holiday period, I have to go to school, since I go to school in Nijmegen. I gotta say, I still enjoy the travelling, because the trail goes through mostly nature. I mostly see forests and cows (we have so many milk cows in Holland, oh my, all that because we think we need milk from a cow, even though we don’t, I’m the living proof, it causes a lot of climate change, not that a don’t like cows, I just don’t like the fact they’re bred just for us). Also, I am currently reading a really good book, so that makes time fly by. I am once again addicted of the game Hay Day, so I play that too. It is such a simple game haha, but I just love it. I really want that for the future myself, a small house with a lot of ground surrounding it, with some rescued animals and big garden to grow my own food. I’ll flush my toilet with rain water and have solar panels for the energy. Of course I want a job too haha! But how that’ll turn out I don’t know yet. I first want to finish my bachelor and then my master. I hope I’ll make it into the master’s program eventually, the admission criteria for a pre-master are quite high I think.

Wednesday

Amazing news came my way today, everyone’s way! The European Parliament has voted in favor of a ban on single use items! Wooooo, very good news. Of course, we’re not there yet. There are other people who still have to vote, like the European Council and more. But, still, this is very good news! I am so pleased. You read more about the proposal here. At night I ate vegan pancakes with dad. Vegan pancakes are delicious and easy!

What do you think? Are flowers zero waste? And do you pick trash yourself? And what about the ban on single use plastic?

Yours sincerely,
Romee

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