Less Waste - Blog Posts

When people say that major corporations and industries are responsible for global warming and that we can do very little to make a difference, I totally agree with/understand/ respect that.

But like, that’s not where it ends?

We need to realise that our money and the choices we make in everyday life have massive effects on how industries are run.

Using paper straws wont do shit in the grand scheme of things, but when you go to your local shop and look at the straws on offer, what do you now see?

Less plastic and more paper, because they know that’s what we want and what we will buy.

In the long run, stuff like that does make a difference.

It’s the same with veganism, we see more vegan food/places because demand has been created. Money will be made here, less land is used, no animals die, less waste and less pollution.

And it’s not out of the kindness of some CEOs heart, it because they want you to buy THEIR tofu and not someone else’s.

If we have this “it won’t make a difference” attitude then nothing will ever change.

We have power over companies and we should use it.

So use that paper straw, get the reusable bag, eat less meat, do whatever you want to do to have a positive impact in the world and don’t ever feel like you’re not making a difference because you are

Gentle rain 🌱

Free ways to be more environmentally friendly/zero waste

Email companies about their packaging and role in sustainability. You can easily do any company you like to buy from - even encourage less packaging waste to organic environmentally friendly ones because sometimes it’s hard to get those products without plastic.

Pick up trash and properly recycle it if you can

Learn and spread that information. Online, in person, make a cheap zine or pretty picture to post online to get more attention. And don’t spread false info, you should check multiple sources especially since big companies may like to shit talk about options that oppose them.

Eat less. Eat less meat. Eat less packaged products. Eat out less. Eat less dairy and cheese.

Eat more in terms of what you already have so you don’t have food waste. Meal planning can help with this. And be sure to look up actual expiration times on foods you buy in order to keep track and because the sell by/use by date is more for actual stores vs you eating it. Just, you know, have common sense and make sure it’s not chunky, smelly or slimey.

Dumpster Diving. Some people live solely off the food they find in dumpsters. Just do your research, check local laws, and bring gloves.

Start a garden with your food scraps. 

Compost. You already have the banana peels, grass clippings, etc. Might as well try to compost it then add whatever compostable packaging you get after.

Buy less, that’s a given. First rule of zw is to use what you have. And focus on your needs vs feelings, “cheap deals” or aesthetic.

Recycle. That’s not free if you have to pay the trash company fees to be apart of their recycling program like I do. But there probably are recycling bins locally. It depends on your household number, location to the recycling bins, transportation but the easiest option would be to just collect it over a period of time if you have space at home then take it all to be recycled. Grocery stores like Walmart also have plastic bag recycling bins because grocery bags tend not be accepted at certain recycling programs. Here’s a good guide on recycling plastic.

Re-use. You really don’t need those aesthetically pleasing mason jars or fancy jars off Amazon. Use glass jars you already buy. Jam jars, pickles jar, sauce jars, spice jars, heck even wine bottles. You can even find or reuse the plastic bottle tops and put on the glass jars for instant shaker or squirt bottle. Plastic ones too. I put little craft stuff in my soy sauce containers. You can still reuse water bottles for a while before recycling it. Also try to re-use things your family or friends don’t use anymore.

Repurpose/upcycle/DIY. There are already a million different ideas out there on how to find new uses just about everything you already have. And sometimes DIY is better than buying. You can make underwear from t-shirts. Mesh curtains can become produce bags. Beewax wraps - and even vegan versions of this - seem to be cheaper and easy to make. You can un-knot old knit/crochet products and make something new with the yarn.

Use fossil fuels differently- which you’ve already been told. Cold water saves on energy used to heat it up. Wash clothing less. Turn down the house temperature a little bit. Turn off light and electronics. Car pool, ride a bike, use public transportation, make one trip a month to that one bulk store two hours away vs multiple in a shorter time span.

Free Stuff/Trading. Use Freecycle, find a local group for free stuff on fb, organize a clothing swap, look on the side of the road because people throw out perfectly good household stuff like chairs and appliances.

Choose slow shipping and less packaging. Two day shipping means trucks aren’t packed to full capacity which means more trucks driving back and forth thus more emissions. Vox did a good video about it here. If you shop at Amazon you know you can have your package wait and get all your items in one box. But you can do more! Shelbizlee did a great video about reducing Amazon packaging.

Consider, think and research. There are endless things to think about and consider your options. Easy stuff like buying secondhand instead of new, choosing a glass or cardboard option vs plastic in your grocery store, checking for local options. But there’s also having to consider if it’s more zero waste and sustainable to diy or purchase from an ethical company. And you might even want to reduce your recycling more since plastic can only be recycled a number of times so then you have to reconsider IF and how you can re-design your zw routines even more. These are things that are different for everyone but don’t get overwhelmed by seeing lots of problems and not being able to solve every one in your lifestyle. Doing the best you can is the goal.

Why did I decide to use bamboo toothbrushes?

I’m reducing the use of plastic at home

Bamboo handles are naturally antimicrobial and biodegradable

They are as effective as plastic and electric toothbrushes

They are organic while having good quality and design

Plastic toothbrushes are really difficult to recycle

All plastic toothbrushes you ever used are still out there!

solving Climate Change is like a high school Group Project except with 7 billion people