Top ten easy ways to move towards zero waste

Going completely zero waste is a hard goal to achieve; so hard that it can be easy to quit before you even get started. However it is important to recognize even small steps you take can a big impact on your life and the planet. Also if many people all take on these small improvements it can add up to a huge impact. So remember you don’t have to be zero waste straight away but here are some tips to help you move towards that goal and help improve our environment that we all share! Even if you only add one of these steps every month and encourage your family friends to join in that will be making a massive impact for the Earth :).

10. Use a metal, silicone or bamboo straw

We all know plastic straws are a horrible issue particularly affecting our marine life. They have caused many deaths when they haven’t been deposed of properly, running into our water ways. Even when disposed properly they take so long to break down so they really aren’t sustainable.

Many cafes and restaurants have started used paper straws; which is a great improvement but still they still generates tons of waste. The best solution is to purchase reusable straws, whether made of metal, silicone or bamboo. You can carry your own around to use whenever you visit a cafe or restaurant and require a straw. These establishments could also supply reusable straws for those customers consuming their drinks in the store.

9. Set up electronic statements and letters

This tip is super simple and everybody should be doing it where possible. Paper mail requires the use of paper as well as carbon emissions for the delivery process. Request all your banks, government agencies and other companies to send you electronic statements instead of paper mail. This will not only reduce the amount of paper and carbon emissions used but allow you to get your statements faster and have a digital copy ready whenever you need it.

If a company doesn’t offer electronic statements; it is a good idea to reach out to them to see if they can offer electronic statements in future. Maybe even use social media to bring light to fact they aren’t offering electronic statements. Other customers who normally wouldn’t speak up might be influence to support it. This can have a large impact as a lot of customers might convert to electronic communication; greatly reducing paper usage and delivery costs.

8. Keep cup – reusable coffee cup

Greatly popularized in recent years, keep cups are a fantastic way for coffee drinkers to reduce their impact on the environment. If you commonly get takeaway coffee, purchase a keep cup to reduce the amount of single use cups you are responsible for. Plus they also look great and can also keep your coffee warmer for longer than a single use cup. Another benefit is that sometimes coffee shops will offer a discount for reusable cup users, it is win-win for both sides of the transaction. And the environment loves it as well!

7. Zero waste shopping

Zero waste shopping is extremely difficult to achieve with current supermarket setups. Without access to radical, new supermarkets like Nada, it is next to impossible to achieve zero waste shopping. But there are some ways to make your shopping cleaner. You can bring reusable bags to package your groceries instead of using single use plastic bags offered by the supermarket. You can also stop using individual plastic bags for your produce. They will be fine without having a plastic bag around them. Additionally reduce your shopping for processed foods. Not only are these unhealthier, they generally have so much plastic packaging resulting in a lot of waste.

Attending farmers’ markets is also a fantastic way to reduce waste; most items have no packaging and if you bring your bags there is not wasteful plastic bags in use. This is also supporting your local food producers; who are likely producing high quality food compared to that in big supermarkets.

6. Carry a handkerchief

Tissues are convenient to carry around however they aren’t very environmentally friendly. This is where handkerchiefs are perfect. Carry around a handkerchief or two and you will be ready for anything that requires a tissue. From blowing your nose to wiping up spills, handkerchiefs can do everything a tissue can do then be washed and do it all again. If you are sick you may need to carry a few around so you can keep blowing/wiping your nose. There are some novel ways to fold handkerchiefs to maximize the area you can use to wipe/blow, have a look at the GIF below. They are also very cheap and will pay for themselves within a year, allowing you to get another coffee or get closer to that next holiday!

5. Compost

Food waste is a massive problem itself but one simple way to improve the impact of it is to compost your food waste. Of course reducing your food waste in the first place is where you should first look there is always going to be some waste from the skins and seeds of fruits and vegetables. Composting is fantastic way to turn that waste into something beneficial. You can set up a compost bin in your yard and then use the compost to fertilize your garden.

If you live in an apartment or can’t manage a compost bin some local governments run composting programs where you just collect your food waste at home then drop it off at a local community garden. Otherwise you can use websites like ShareWaste or local environmental groups to find someone willing to take your food waste.This is a great way to reduce waste and give something back to your community at the same time.

4. Refuse receipts or opt in for emailed receipts

Buying anything these days generally results in receiving a receipt along with the product or service. If possible refuse these receipts if you don’t need them which should be most of them. Many self serve checkouts allow you to refuse a receipt which is an easy way to reduce some waste in the world. However, it seems most point of sale machine automatically print receipts which is shame. It would be beneficial if the default was to not print a receipt and allow the consumer to choose whether they need one. Another great alternative which some retailers are using is emailing a digital receipt. This is a great way to reduce paper and get a digital copy which won’t fade or get lost as easily.

3. Use a reusable bottle

Giving up single use plastic bottles and using a reusable bottle is an awesome way to reduce your waste impact on the environment. Many city water supplies are safe and healthy for you to fill up your water bottle. If your cities water isn’t safe, get a filter system so you don’t need to rely of buying bottled water. Reusable bottles are cheap enough that they will pay for themselves in no time, especially in countries where bottled water is expensive. Additionally if you get an insulated bottle, it will keep your water cold or warm for many hours!

2. Recycle as much as possible

Obviously it best to reduce and reuse items as much as possible but it is better to recycle products rather than them going to landfill. Separating your waste into general, food and recycling is important to get the mos tout of recycling. Check your local governments website for all the materials you can recycle. Many plastics can be recycled these days, and governments offer electronics and battery recycling as well which can be dangerous if just left in land fill.

1. Donate items where possible

One of the best and simplest ways to reduce waste is to donate items instead of throwing them out. So many items that are still working or just require minor fixing are thrown out every year. Instead of throwing out these items donate them to a charity or put them up for free on your local classifieds website like craigslist. This gives products some extra life, keeps them out of landfill and gives someone else some use from that product. You can also be on the other side of this transaction and use donate or free things instead of buying a new product.

So there’s 10 simple tips to help reduce your waste in the world and move towards zero waste. Let us know if these tips were helpful or even better share your own tips in the comments below! We would love to hear them. Another thing you can do is to spread these ideas and tips to your friends and family. Share this article or introducing them to the tips in person. Lead by example and start reducing your waste today!