In a 900-square-foot apartment in Park Slope, Audrey Pickett appears to start her day like any other college student.

She wakes up, checks her phone and trudges to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. But the coffee grounds aren’t found in a paper and aluminum bag; they are kept in a reusable coffee decanter that she carries with her to the grocery store every time she needs a refill.

“Our coffee is from Whole Foods, which is a little more expensive, but you don’t have to buy the packaging every time,” Pickett said. “So we just bring our coffee container, and you get to grind it, so it’s fresher and tastes better.”

Pickett was not always hyper-aware of the waste she was producing, but after moving in with her aunt and uncle, her 11-year-old cousin began showing them videos about trash in the ocean and reusable straws.

“We were like ‘oh, let’s stop using plastic bags and using straws,’” Pickett said. “We started getting reusable things and started recycling things different.”

Pickett and her family are attempting to reduce their waste by living as package-free as possible, rather than purchasing products that come in plastic or paper packaging.

“It started out as us just switching out our toothbrushes, and then we switched out paper towels, and then toothpaste,” Pickett said. “It’s been a progressive thing of what the next thing we’re going to reduce is.”

There’s no trusty tube of toothpaste waiting to get rid of coffee breath, either. Pickett and her cousin make their own toothpaste and brush their teeth with bamboo toothbrushes that don’t contain any plastic.

“Harper and I make toothpaste out of charcoal, turmeric and peppermint essential oil,” Pickett said. “It’s cleansing, and the peppermint makes your breath smell good.”

Pickett usually packs her lunch in a glass container and brings it to school, so she doesn’t have to buy anything throughout the day.

“My aunt makes food on Sunday nights and we eat it periodically through the week,” Pickett said. “I’ll have salmon and green beans one day and chicken and green beans another day.”

She feels that purchasing food or drinks is unnecessary unless it’s an emergency.

Pickett’s vegetables and fruits in a reusable bag. || Photo by Rachel Freeman

“Going out to places, I’m like ‘Oh, I don’t want to get a coffee,’ because I don’t want to have the cup,” Pickett said. “I just think to myself that I know if I buy this I’m going to feel guilty about it later.”

Despite feeling guilty about purchasing certain things, Pickett assures that reducing waste actually brings more joy into her life. It’s given her a better understanding of what a good use of her money is.

“If you think about what you want to buy and weigh it out with the pros and cons of buying this thing, even though it’s as small as buying a $3 coffee,” she said, “it makes you think about what you really want, and what you really need, and what’s necessary for you.”

After her long day of school, she comes back home to her apartment off of 7th Avenue. She washes her food containers and walks her dog--bringing along compostable doggie bags. Any food she has left over is thrown in the compost bin.

When it’s time for an afternoon snack, Audrey opts for fruit. Trying to live package free has also encouraged her to live a more organic lifestyle.

“I’m really into plums right now,” Pickett said. “I’ve also been making this sorbet out of cantaloupe and bananas.”

While the rest of her day is fairly normal, there are small changes in her everyday environment that are unique. For instance, her family doesn’t own paper towels or paper napkins.

Portrait of Pickett. || Photo by Rachel Freeman

“We don’t use paper towels; we use microfiber cloths for cleaning,” said Pickett. “We also use fabric napkins. You can buy them on Etsy for next-to-nothing, and they’re just people’s scraps from clothing that they didn’t want. They’re really cute.”

Before bed, Audrey brushes her teeth again with charcoal and peppermint toothpaste.

Pickett knows that her efforts to create as little waste as possible aren’t going to change the world, but that’s not why she does it. For her, trying to live package-free is about taking a personal stand for no longer contributing to the waste build-up.

“The environment is similar to that saying about clothes,” Pickett said. “It’s all about quality over quantity.”

Living Package-Conscious: A Day in the Life