4 Steps to be More Zero Waste

Going zero waste is one of the most important and gratifying choices you can make for the world’s well-being on a personal level. Did you know that the typical home in the United States generates 4.4 pounds of garbage per day? This adds up to more than a ton of waste per home each year! Zero Waste is a concept based on a set of behaviors taken to minimize as much waste as possible.

Trying to figure out a few fast and simple methods to go toward zero waste and be a bit more environmentally conscious? You could try these simple zero waste solutions!

1. Begin Composting Your Food, Plants, and Paper Scraps

While food and other organic waste (such as paper goods and yard trimmings) are among the most common types of trash. However, they are also one of the easiest to prevent by practicing composting. Compost pails should be placed in both your kitchen and bathroom. We deal with a tremendous amount of waste every day, including anything from dryer lint to pizza boxes to used toilet paper to cotton balls. Cutting down on the trash you send to the landfill through composting and learning what you can compost and what is truly garbage is important.

Starting to compost not only reduces your waste stream, it also provides a great resource for your garden and can help you save money in the long run!

To learn more about composting, check out our more in-depth post on composting here.

2. Be Mindful of Your Spending Habits

Don’t purchase things that you don’t need. Think about this: Do you really need to have all the things you have? Being a thoughtful, conscious consumer has helped us reduce what we’re actually buying and has been an unexpected way for us to save money. Fewer products and smaller quantities mean less to store and, at the end of the day, less to get rid of or throw out as well.

Before making any purchases, find out how and where the goods were produced. Think about buying products that are made of wood, stainless steel, or glass, and avoid using plastic as much as possible. Every year, billions of plastic products are disposed of, filling up our land and our seas with waste.

Firstly, make a simple wish list for your loved ones to get ideas from. It’s not selfish – it actually helps them give you the gifts you’ll use! Secondly, if you do receive gifts that don’t align with a zero waste lifestyle, get the best possible use for them and don’t throw them away.

Before buying zero-waste replacements for toiletries, use up what you already have — many households already own months’ worth of toothpaste, shampoo, and soap that just needs finishing.

3. Write Up a Weekly Meal Plan and Grocery List

By planning your meals, you’ll not just save time and money, you’ll also be able to dramatically reduce the amount of food you end up throwing out! To avoid making expensive, wasteful purchases, first do a quick inventory in your fridge and pantry to check what you already have. Next, work on your meal plan, using up those items and prepare your shopping list accordingly! Shopping locally and in season is a great way to eat healthier, support local farmers and save money as well.

Switching from buying prepackaged and plastic-wrapped goods at the grocery store to buying in bulk is a great way to not only eat healthier and be more conscious of the food you’re eating, it’s such an easy way to reduce your plastic footprint as well. Check with your local bulk store, but you can typically bring your own refillable containers. Even shopping at warehouse stores like Costco can help you reduce your plastic footprint slightly as you’ll get more product per volume of plastic packaging.

4. Zero Waste Kits

With your zero-waste kit, you’ll be well on your way to achieving success both inside and outside of the house. Fill a big tote bag or a basket with your supplies so that you can grab them quickly on your way out.  Here are a few suggestions for your zero-waste toolbox:

• Shopping bags that can be reused

• Containers for buying at bulk bins in large quantities

• A water bottle made of stainless steel

• Straws that may be used again and again

• Cutlery made of bamboo

A few more swaps and habits worth adding to your zero-waste routine:

• One of the simplest and best sustainable habits to cultivate is simply learning to refuse freebies. Whether they be leaflets, promotional items or goody bags, don’t take them unless you’d be willing to pay for them if they weren’t free. This way, you aren’t just reducing your personal footprint and clutter in your home – you’re also reducing the demand for wasteful freebies and helping the world as a whole move towards zero waste.

• Skip the straw and utensils when ordering takeout or at the drive-through, then use your own reusable set when you get home.

• Bring a refillable mug to the coffee shop.

• Swapping paper towels for cloth dish rags or old towels is one of the easiest zero-cost changes — most households already own enough rags without buying anything new. Cloth napkins and rags are an easy swap for paper towels and napkins — wash them with your regular laundry load.

• Instead of using a dryer, when possible, hang your clothes on a drying rack to dry. Doing so not only saves on energy use, it can also prolong the life of your clothes.

• Replacing your light bulbs with LED lights is one of the easiest things you can do to make your home more sustainable. LEDs are more efficient than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs because they use less energy and produce less heat. Their expected lifetime is longer than CFLs and much longer than the older incandescent bulbs so not only are you saving energy and money by using LED bulbs, you’re also saving on the replacement cost of the bulbs.

• Only 9% of all plastic gets recycled and that which does can only go through the process once.

Why disposable cups aren’t as recyclable as they look

If the cup is made from Styrofoam, it’s pretty much impossible to recycle. Styrofoam, which is plastic #6, is probably one of the worst materials to have in your waste stream. It does not melt down like other plastics and cannot be mixed in with other recyclables. Paper cups seem easier to recycle because they are paper, but these cups also cannot be recycled. First, the paper cup is not truly paper. It has a thin lining of another material in order to make the paper liquid-proof.

5. Your Zero Waste Journey Doesn’t Need to be Perfect

With so many choices for reducing and eliminating waste, the zero waste journey can help lead you to be a more mindful consumer. Always keep in mind that achieving zero waste is a marathon, not a sprint. The methods outlined above will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed. Begin with a few simple zero waste swaps to build your confidence and enthusiasm for your new sustainable lifestyle – and enjoy saving some money along the way!

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