10 Accidentally Sustainable Hacks Latino Parents Have Been Doing for Decades
Like most people scrolling through TikTok, I often watch several videos for a specific and usually temporary trend. One of my favorite ones has been the underconsumption core trend, where people demonstrate how they practice sustainability, frugal spending, recycling, and more. After watching a handful of these, I realized that many of my family members (and Latino families in general) had been practicing underconsumption and sustainability for decades, albeit accidentally.
I decided to round up the best of these hacks, both from what I saw other families doing and what I learned from my own family that I still practice.
1. Reusing plastic and metal containers.
One of the most common sustainable hacks or practices in a Latino household is reusing plastic and metal containers. Whether reusing a metal cookie tin for sewing supplies or repurposing the Country Crock tub for leftover beans, rice, or salsa, this is a practical way to save money on storage containers and reduce plastic waste. The only downside is you’ll never know if the container’s contents match the label until you open it!
2. Washing plastic baggies.
My mom meticulously washed the plastic baggies we used for school lunches and snacks. As a child, I wondered why we needed to do that when she could buy a new pack. Now, I appreciate and can relate to her financial common sense and dedication to not buying more plastic than was needed. I particularly like washing these baggies to fill them with my weekly smoothie ingredients.
3. Repurposing grocery bags as trash bags.
If there’s one item Latinos never spend on it’s trash bags. Most Latino homes I know of, like my current one and the one I grew up in, had a large grocery bag stuffed with grocery bags from various stores. These can be used for the trash can in the kitchen or bathroom or as a bag to store cans and bottles that need to be recycled. Holding on to produce bags is another handy way to replace plastic baggies and reuse them at the grocery store.
4. Utilizing used limes as sink cleaners.
Limes are one of the most beloved Latin ingredients, and not just for cooking. Whenever my mom would squeeze a lime as she was cooking, she’d squeeze the last of the juice in the kitchen sink, sprinkle some baking soda on it, and then use the squeezed lime as a natural scrubber. This not only made the sink smell fresh, but it also easily got rid of gunk and small debris stuck around the drain. This is one of my favorite cleaning hacks of mom’s that I use in my home regularly.
5. Watering plants with water runoff.
I spent every summer of my childhood at my favorite aunt’s (tía’s) house in Mexico City, whose home was always immaculate and filled with lush plants. A common practice throughout Latin America is a bucket shower, which conserves the not-always-available hot water. This shower typically consists of filling an extra large bucket with warm water and then using a smaller container to fill with water from that bucket, using it to rinse yourself off. My tía saved any water she didn’t use in the shower to water all her plants, both indoors and outdoors. Fortunately, I don’t have to take bucket showers, but I still save some of my shower water for my plants as I wait for it to warm up, avoiding unnecessary water waste.
6. Saving wrapping paper.
No matter the holiday or occasion, my mom would open wrapped presents with such care and precision. I had no patience for this as a child, but as I got older, I knew that saving that wrapping paper was one of the most efficient and cost-effective things to do in terms of gifting. For years now, I have loved saving wrapping paper and tissue paper for gifts, and I’ve even used it to scrapbook!
7. Wrapping food with banana leaves.
Plastic wrap, parchment paper, and aluminum foil are all effective food wraps, but can certainly become wasteful. A completely natural alternative (that will also make you feel like you’re traveling through Middle Earth with lembas bread) is banana leaves. These are commonly used as food wraps throughout Mexico and Central America for tamales, rice, plantains, fish, and more. Best of all, you can steam fish and vegetables right inside this versatile packet.
8. Making DIY planters.
If you have several dozen houseplants, buying a new planter every time can get expensive. Since most of Latin America is tropical or subtropical, a love for houseplants is inherent. A DIY planter, however, can be made of a plastic bottle (or even an old shoe!) so you’ll never have to spend money on another planter again.
9. Air-drying laundry.
When I was growing up, my grandma’s patio was essentially an outdoor laundromat. She’d line dry sheets and towels and even formed her drying rack with a couple of metal chairs and brooms for drying clothes. While dryer machines are now more common in Latino households, both in the U.S. and Latin America, air-drying is generally preferred since it greatly cuts down on energy costs and helps preserve the quality of many fabrics.
10. Finding alternative ways to cool down or warm up.
My mom lives in the hottest part of our city, so visiting her house in the summer isn’t exactly enjoyable. Although she does have AC, she prefers cooling down in a more environmentally friendly way. She puts a wet rag in the freezer for a couple of hours and then places it on top of a stand-up fan to let the cool air breeze through. During cold winter nights, she rarely turns on the heater and instead opts for cuddling up with a cobija San Marcos that she’s had for more than 20 years.