How Composting Shifted My Mindset on Waste
When I first started dating my wife, she introduced me to backyard composting and bokashi. The real shift happened the first time we harvested finished compost. Seeing how food waste could become something useful—something alive—made me want to do something with it. So I built a small garden. Watching what I used to consider trash bring tomatoes to life sparked a deeper interest. I started learning about soil, got into seed saving, and began noticing how many things in my daily life could be composted or recycled.
It was eye-opening in more ways than one. At the time, I was living full-time with her but still visited my family’s house weekly to take out the trash—and every time, it was the same: two or three overflowing 65-gallon bins. At our place? Just one grocery bag of trash a week. To be fair, there were five people at my family house compared to the two of us—but that was still a massive difference. Simply by separating food scraps, compostables, and recyclables more mindfully, our garbage nearly disappeared.
It didn’t happen overnight. It took six years of slow, imperfect progress. I still make compromises based on cost or quality. I still use some single-use items. But my mindset has shifted permanently.
It Wasn’t About Being Perfect — Just Aware
At first, I didn’t connect the dots. But the more I paid attention, the more patterns I started to notice. Like how my wife used reusable cotton rounds for her skincare instead of disposable ones. Or how she introduced me to crystal salt deodorant as a way to skip plastic tubes altogether.
I was curious, but honestly skeptical. I had never heard of a salt deodorant stick before—and as an electrician working long hours in the construction industry, I needed something that could last 8 to 12 hours on the job. So I started small. I tried hers on a weekend. Then for a regular workday. A few weeks later, I realized it actually worked. It kept the odor away, even during tough days on the job site.
Eventually, I made more swaps. Not all at once—but enough to see how the little changes added up. And surprisingly, they didn’t feel like sacrifices after a while.
Why It Stuck
A big part of what kept me going was seeing results. The garden actually grew. The compost we worked into the soil gave it life. I watched food scraps and paper waste turn into something that nourished new growth. It felt like proof that the effort was worth it.
At the same time, our trash bins were consistently about a grocery bag full—and that was motivating too. It made me feel more connected to the things I brought into our home, and more aware of what I was sending out of it. Every choice, from packaging to product, started to feel more intentional.
It wasn’t just about “being sustainable.” It was about seeing the impact of those changes in real life—in what we grew, what we saved, and what we no longer needed to throw away.
Start With One Shift
You don’t have to overhaul your life. Start by noticing. By separating your food scraps. By seeing where your waste actually goes. For me, it was one compost bin and one grocery bag of trash that made everything click.
Maybe it’s a cotton round. Maybe it’s a crystal salt deodorant.
Maybe it’s just paying attention.
That first step is the one that matters.
If you’re looking for simple, sustainable swaps, explore our collection at Paramount Select — it’s full of small choices that make a big impact.