Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...Italy Style

When I was growing up, my mother always held onto Cool Whip containers so she could put leftovers in them. I hated this. I'm not sure why...part was because I felt tricked every time I saw the plastic container in the fridge, thinking we had Cool Whip to enjoy.

I vowed that one day, when I was older, I'd buy new containers for my leftovers.

Fast forward to today.

My mother-in-law is the Calabrian queen of reusing containers. Pasta jars are carefully washed and stored in the cantina so that in September, when we make a massive amount of tomato sauce, we have containers to put it in.

Glass bean jars...jelly jars...containers for sauces...everything gets lovingly washed and stored on a shelf. Even plastic to-go containers find a second (and third) life being shuttled back and forth between our houses, always filled with yummy food. I collect six eggs every few weeks from their fresh store of eggs and put them in a store-bought container that's on its last leg.

My father-in-law hoards everything. Bottles for the wine we make...screws...odd pieces that came with furniture that really have no other use. He says if he's got space, why should he throw anything away?

And there's me. I've turned into my mother, it seems. I get excited when I buy something in a neat jar. Because I'm constantly drying herbs or making salves and oils, I need to have different-sized containers on hand.

So Mom, laugh away.

Not Trendy But Necessity

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I feel like a lot of the eco-friendly movement in the U.S. is nothing more than a trend. I'm not saying people don't care about the environment, but if you look at the fact that people buy solutions to be more eco-friendly rather than make do with what they have...it feels a little trendy and counterintuitive.

In Italy, in Calabria, especially in the small mountain communities like where we live, reusing things has always been a part of the culture, out of necessity.

When there's not money (or desire) to buy an organic, ethically-raised vegan motorcycle cover, Mamma uses Fra's old Mickey Mouse sheet to cover his Vespa.

Rather than gift us new 400-count Egyptian cotton sheets lovingly made by blind nuns, Mamma asks the seamstress to make us sheets from the fabric she received for her wedding day. It's 80 years old or older, and still holds up better than anything new.

When there are extra pieces of wood left over from a project, they get turned into something else or burned for fuel.

I admire this ethos. It makes me realize how capitalistic and wasteful we are in America. I've completely changed how I buy things. I tend to ask myself, "do I really need this? Do I already have something I can use?" As a result, I'm spending (and wasting) less.

Here's an example. Our new windows swing open, and when it's windy, they bang shut. I started browsing Temu (my one consumer weakness) for a door/window stopper, and even put one in my cart.

But then I moved a pillow in front of the window and...problem solved. For free.

Reusing to a Fault

This is more of a pet peeve of mine than an actual problem. Sometimes I scratch my head at how Mamma uses things until they utterly fall apart. She's got an apron that has more holes than material, and despite my mother giving her a practically new apron, she insists on wearing it. It makes me laugh.

Still, being here and watching how resourceful my new Italian family is makes me feel good. Without doing so because it's trending on Instagram, they are reducing waste and getting more mileage out of what they have.