Zero Waste Week! Top Tips for Reducing Your Waste
Going Completely zero waste can be difficult and unfortunately can sometimes be often more expensive, I would love to say I am completely zero waste but I’m not. I believe if there are enough of us doing it imperfectly then this will still make a huge difference, to the planet, to our mindsets and sometimes, even to our pockets. This week is zero waste week which is a great time to reflect about areas where we create the most waste and set goals on where we would like to improve. It’s a slow process and one that may never end but every change will make a difference. Here are some of my top tips for living a more sustainable and zero waste lifestyle.
Grow Your Own
This was one of my goals for this year and something I wanted to learn more about. Growing your own herbs and veg can be fun and beneficial for your home. I live in a small flat and only have a small front garden, therefore I cannot grow much but even growing something small will make a difference and help you reduce your waste as well as saving you money. In my home I currently grow Mint, Basil and Rosemary and Chilli’s. I also have some peppers which are growing from seeds and I’ve been re-growing spring onions. I don’t use these products often but it’s great to know I don’t need to buy them anymore and that I will always have a fresh supply.
Black + Blum Reusable Lunch Box
Invest in Reusables
Have you ever heard that the most sustainable product is the one you don’t throw away? This is so true and investing in reusable products will help you reduce your waste a lot. There are so many incredible reusable products on our site alone. Although these can sometimes be more expensive than a single use item, you get a higher quality product which is designed to last and be reused. They are cost saving in the long run if used repeatedly. My favourite reusable items are my Water bottle, Coffee Cup, Makeup pads, Mooncup and my Safety Razor. I have saved so much waste going to landfill by slowly switching to these products.
Make Your Own
This term can be used for so many things when being sustainable, I personally have been concentrating on this in the kitchen and making my own foods like biscuits, hummus, or wraps which would usually come in plastic packaging. But really, you can learn to make pretty much anything yourself and save some waste. Beauty and skincare is another great area as there are so many ingredients you might find in your cupboard which have a great benefit to your skin – for example: oats, coffee, sugar, salt and oils. I have enjoyed learning to make new things and reduce my waste at the same time.
Get a Compost Bin and a Water Butt
I am relatively new to composting and only started about 2 months ago, I turned my dad’s old beehive into a compost bin and I love it. Because I have a small front garden I don’t need much but it has been really handy with my grass clippings, weeds, food scraps, cardboard and paper. I love to see it all breakdown and see what happens to everything I put in there. Compost is great for your soil and plants as its full of nutrients. It’s an easy way to give something back to your plants without any cost and it helps you become more zero waste. To go one step further you could also invest in a water butt which collects rainwater from your drainpipes; you can use this to water your plants and save energy and water from your tap.
Find Refillable Products
Although I have a long time goal of being completely zero waste, I know I am not there yet, I have increased the amount of refillable products I use which has helped me on the sustainable journey. When I first thought about refills I thought purely about foods but the more I’ve looked, the more I’ve started to see this clever concept move into other areas like makeup and skincare. I cannot afford to buy all my food at the zero-waste shop but there are definitely some products which are price comparable and one of those I have found is Herbs & Spices. I save all my Georganics toothpaste jars and use them for my herbs, it’s just a small change but over the years I know I have saved a lot of plastic going to landfill whilst supporting my local stores. I have started using more refillable products with my makeup and skincare which is also cost affective, we have a great range of refillable products online.
Use What you Have
This is so important when becoming more sustainable, when you are wanting to switch to something which is eco friendly or zero waste always use up what you have first. You want to avoid creating more waste by throwing out something that still have life left. You also don’t need to buy a replacement product if the one you have is working perfectly fine.
These are just a few tips that I have been trying to live by since I started my journey to a plastic free and sustainable life. There are definitely times when I feel like I'm going backwards, like forgetting to take the water bottle or coffee cup with you. slip ups are bound to happen but its the effort and small changes we make which will make the biggest impact. When I started my journey I went through and made a list of all the products in each room I wanted to switch, I then started looking for alternatives and when my old one ran out, I had an alternative ready to use.
I would love to hear what your zero waste tips are or if there is something you are finding hard to switch from. Check out the range of great sustainable and zero waste alternatives on the site.
Stay Safe
Lucy x