Simple Ways to Begin a Zero-Waste Lifestyle

Practicing a zero-waste lifestyle aims to reduce as much trash as possible from your household. This involves abandoning the use of plastics and changing the ways of shopping which can be intimidating. It is critical to take small steps in the beginning to allow yourself to adjust into the process and gradually improve.

1. Compost. The easiest way to greatly reduce your household trash which has a big impact in living a zero-waste lifestyle is by composting. This includes fruits and vegetables peel, papers, cardboard boxes, tissues, egg shells, leaves, and many others. Having a compost pit is beneficial for gardening which is helpful for the next tip.
2. Grow your own food. One of the goals in zero-waste is buying less as shopping involves taking trash inside the house. Packaging from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices are big part of our daily waste. Planting foods does not only minimize the amount of garbage you send to landfill but also cuts down your grocery expenses.
3. Switch from disposable to reusable. Be aware of the things that you throw away. This will help you find sustainable alternatives. Such as: (1) Replacing tissue papers with cloth towels. (2) Using washable baby diapers instead of disposable diapers. (3) Bringing a reusable bottle for your drink instead of buying a beverage in a disposable bottle. Like coffee? Bring a travel kettle. Or ask the barista of your favorite coffee shop to put the drink in your bottle. This way, you don’t have to deal with the disposable cup.
4. Pay attention to materials. Avoid plastics as much as possible as they do not decompose. All plastics that have been produced and throw away are still lingering in the environment in some form. For instance, microplastics which can find their way in soil, water, or in a fish’s stomach. Better alternatives are wood, stainless steel, or glass. Wood can be composted at the end of its life while stainless steel and glass are long-lasting.
5. Bring your own. Most households get huge amount of their trash from grocery shopping. Single-use plastic bags, bottles, packaging, and wrappers are abundant in these stores. A good way to cut down these wastes is bringing your own bags and containers. Use cloth bags to put in dry goods such as: fruits, vegetables, spices, and breads. Then jars for wet produce such as meat and fish. Don’t limit this idea in grocery shopping. You can do the same when buying clothes, books, and shoes.
6. Join support groups. This journey is fun and challenging. Joining communities with the same interest will keep you motivated and learn more tips on how to minimize waste. It’s also helpful to follow zero-waste influencers like Bea Jhonson and Megean Weldon for daily inspirations.

Living a zero-waste lifestyle cannot happen overnight. The key to achieve this most sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle is by taking small steps to adjust and improve gradually. People who have been practicing a zero-waste lifestyle for years managed to reduced their waste into a jar of trash a year. Imagine if all of us did the same. It would greatly benefit the environment and mitigate climate change.