La Cubeta

Words and Photo by Carmen Vidal 

Not too long ago, a friend posted a photo of a shower with a bucket to collect water and captioned it, “Mexicano que se respeta pone cubeta en la regadera.”1 If you grew up in a similar household, you probably laughed because it’s so true! This little habit is just one of many that many of us grew up with. Without even realizing it, we learned zero-waste practices through the rules our moms laid down about saving water, electricity, and other resources. 

It’s funny how these simple things we’ve done for years are often overlooked in conversations about sustainability. There’s this idea that our communities are “behind” when it comes to environmental practices and that only European or “developed” nations are sophisticated enough to lead the charge to fight the climate crisis. They get so much praise for their fancy recycling programs or zero-waste efforts, but let’s be real: these nations have had centuries of privilege, built by exploiting resources from countries like ours. And a lot of the “new” things they’re doing now? They’re just rediscovering the things our ancestors have been doing all along. 

I want to take a moment to celebrate the small, everyday habits that many of us grew up with—not as a solution to the climate crisis (we all know governments and big corporations need to step up), but as a reminder that we already have the wisdom to live more sustainably. These little practices can inspire us to keep making better choices, even if they’re imperfect. 

Visiting my parents in Mexico, first thing I do after a long drive is take a shower, and I find this right under the showerhead, reminding me I can too do better 

La Cubeta:

As my friend pointed out, one simple habit is keeping a bucket in the shower to collect water, which can later be used to water plants or clean. My mom took this idea to the next level by reusing water from the washing machine to clean our patio. Since moving to the U.S., I’ve kind of fallen out of the habit, but every time I visit my family, I’m reminded that it’s something I can easily start doing again. 

Frijoles in the Ice Cream Container:

We've all been there—you open the freezer, see a container of ice cream, but when you open it you instead find frijoles. We laugh about it, but honestly, reusing containers is such a sustainable practice! These days, brands are creating reusable packaging to reduce waste, but our moms and abuelitas have been doing this forever. 

Buying in Bulk: 

Growing up, I remember buying in bulk was sometimes seen as “low class,” while packaged, branded goods were considered more prestigious. These days, bulk shopping is trendy, and now that it’s “cool,” bulk stores have become more expensive and less accessible to the communities that have always relied on them.

Mending Clothes: 

This is a lost art for many of us, myself included. But back in the day, our abuelitas knew how to mend clothes and give them a second, third or even fourth life. With fast fashion being one of the biggest polluters in the world, learning to repair our clothes is a habit worth bringing back. If you want to learn, I recommend following @socorro.society on instagram for some great tips. 

As you can see, zero-waste practices aren’t new to us. In fact, you’re probably already doing some of these without even realizing it. As zero-waste chef Anne-Marie Bonneau famously said, “We don't need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” I’ll be the first to admit I’m far from perfect in my sustainability journey, but I’m learning that every little step makes a difference. Together, we can all do a little better to show love for our Madre Tierra.