30 Easy Ways to Go Zero-Waste

 

What is a "Low-Impact Lifestyle"?

Making as many choices that can lessen your impact on the planet, using fewer resources, having a smaller carbon footprint, aiming to send very little to be stored in a landfill, aiming to use only what you really actually need.

I'm not going to get into why you should try to go #Zero-Waste. I think if you found this post then you already want to help the planet. To you, I offer these ideas to do what you can.

How do you achieve a Low-Impact lifestyle?

1. Use what you already have rather than buying new items if what you've got can still do the job.

2. Use products that have more than one purpose (soap for shaving) (multipurpose cleaner made from home ingredients)

3. Think about your purchases and only buy what you really need. I know this can be hard if you struggle with impulsivity so still be kind to yourself.

4. Buy quality products that will last you a long time and you won't need to replace them.

5. Keep in mind that every piece of plastic you buy will be here forever and in comparison to the amount of time you need it. It may be entirely unnecessary.

6. Be sure to properly clean glass, tins and the appropriate plastics to put them in recycling so they don't contaminate other materials that could have been used again.

7. Properly recycle all the glass, aluminium, paper, plastic and other materials so they can be used again.

70% of materials are usually thrown away when they still could be used. Recycling perfectly (which isn't going to happen but we can try) would eliminate the need to take more resources from the earth, eg metals not needing to be mined.

8. Hold on to empty things like jars and containers because they might be the right fit to hold things you might otherwise buy new for storage or organisation.

9. Make things at home rather than buying new packages of them, eg bathroom and beauty products and food.

10. Support the options of items you already buy that honestly come from recycled materials, so those companies are able to keep doing it.

11. Buy the version of things you already get regularly that come in compostable packaging, and compost it.

12. Compost food scraps rather than sending them to landfills where they can't decompose and will produce methane.

13. Plant or Supporting the planting of new trees because the more we have the better the planet can process our carbon emissions at a healthy rate.

14. Invest in items that that be used again and again as opposed to the version you throw away.

15. Decorate, dye, mend or alter what you have rather than buying new things.

16. Buy secondhand whenever possible, those items are already part of someone else's environmental impact so if you can give it a new life it doesn't add to your environmental impact and instead, you're saving the planet from those materials polluting it. plus it's always cheaper.

17. Save things that you may need in the future so you won't need to buy a new one when that time comes.

18. Pick up litter when you have the opportunity because every piece you collect could save an ocean creature from swallowing it, save a resource from not being recycled, or save our soil from pollution.

19. Turn off your lights and powered appliances when not in use.

20. Plan your trips out of the house ahead of time to optimize going to all your destinations in the most fuel-efficient way.

21. Walk or cycle rather than drive when you can.

22. Choose timeless style options lest you be tempted to replace them for the next trend.

23. Opt-out of promotional mailers being sent to you by companies that are using trees and delivery to tell you what you could know via email.

24. Read books that are borrowed, secondhand or ebooks when you can or rereading what you've already got.

25. Knit or do puzzles in that puzzle book you probably have rather than scrolling and playing games on your phone.

26. Don't contribute to the 60 Million unwanted gifts over the holidays. With your loved ones only gift what is desired by asking each other first.

27. Don't forget the things you have in storage least you buy the same thing again.

28. Try some cognitive behaviour therapy to replace retail therapy. When you have an urge to buy things ask yourself what you think having that product will really achieve.

29. Keep an eye out for new reusable inventions if they could replace something you often throw away, like spray cooking oil cans or soda bottles.

30. Stay inspired to keep up with a low impact lifestyle. It can be easy to forget about making the choices that are better for the environment when we are doing it on our own. Remind yourself of the many resources online of others sharing their low-waste journey.

Photo by Emmet from Pexels