The hardest part of zero waste was avoiding food waste. I realized how much waste we generate just by preparing our meals. I think having a zero waste day is a good way to generate a reflection, more then a practice for daily life. My decision with this experience is to find a better destination for my food waste, I will plan a way to start composting part of this waste at home as a solution.

It's a shared responsibility to keep our community clean and safe. Picking up litter not only helps keep our community clean and attractive but also fosters a sense of connection, pride and environmental awareness.

We've recently moved to a new area so there are plenty of areas to explore. We visited a local nature reserve that has a loch and woodland to explore.

The reserve is home to Swallows and breeding waders in spring and summer, migratory geese and Whooper Swans in autumn, and woodland birds all year round.

My son especially enjoyed bird spotting in the bird hides and watching as the bees worked their magic in the surrounding areas.

I learned some of the following benefits of regenerative agriculture:
1. Soil Health - Healthy soils are resilient to erosion, retain water better, and support higher crop yields

2. Carbon Sequestration - Regenerative agriculture has the potential to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere and store in the soil, helping to mitigate climate change by reducing GHG and enhancing carbon sinks

3. Biodiversity: by promoting diverse crop rotation, regenerative agriculture fosters biodiversity on farms. Healthy ecosystems support a variety of plant and animal species and pollinators with contributes to the overall ecosystem resilience

I can support healthy farming practices by -

1. Supporting local farmers
2. Choosing organic
3. Learning and advocating
4. Reducing food waste
5. Supporting research and innovation

I performed an energy audit of our home and learned that there are definitely some improvements that can be made! Our home has an Energy Report of "C" as it is an older property but the following improvements we are going to look into -
- replace all lighting with energy efficient bulbs (complete)
- additional insulation in the loft space
- sealing air leaks around doors / windows to prevent air escaping
- smart thermostat installation (complete)

Reflecting on the amount of plastic we consume can be eye opening, from packaging to products themselves. Realising the environmental impact, I'm committed to taking action to reduce our household plastic consumption.
We'll focus on minimizing single use plastics by opting for reusable alternatives like water bottles, shopping bags and containers. I'll also be more mindful of product packing, choosing items with minimal or recyclable packaging whenever possible.

I've been taking an opportunity this month to try new places on a daily walk, just to get outside and see new things. Definitely nice seeing some interesting plants/animals and feeling more removed from the city.

Reviewing my waste really shows a few things:
- buying in bulk can reduce waste
- reusable items can help a lot (using bags/bottles, storage containers for leftovers, etc).

I also found how much you can mentally remove yourself from the waste (such as a package being several servings, but still creating waste - you don't technically create the waste each day but if you don't think it through you'll still create the same amount of waste).