How to Begin Your Zero Waste Journey

I know, I know, you’ve read the title and now you may be wondering what ‘zero waste’ is all about. What does this phrase actually mean? It is an environmental strategy with which each individual can contribute to a cleaner environment. The main idea of ​​the movement is to use only those products which do not create waste – or rather, create waste that can be reused, and thus contribute to the cyclical movement of materials and consequently a smaller amount of waste.

Did you know that the average person ingests about 50,000 plastic particles each year? No, we’re not talking about people from the famous TV show My Strange Addictions, but about me, you, all of us. We consume these particles through countless meals – yogurt in plastic cups, a sandwich wrapped in a saran wrap, fruit stored in a plastic bag… Microparticles pave their way into our food each day. However, they are found not only in our food, but also in water (especially the one sold in plastic bottles). However, we are not the only ones at risk – our waste, especially plastic, pollutes the habitat of countless species of animals and plants.

For this reason, more and more individuals are opting for an environmentally friendly lifestyle – while the average person produces about 680 kg of rubbish in a year, those who avoid unnecessary waste produce only about 200-500 grams of it. Here’s a visual for you: 700 kg is the average weight of a wild Asian water buffalo, while 500 grams of trash can be stored in a mason jar.

Where to Start?

It is important to realize that changing your habits will be difficult at the start. We’re talking about a huge number of small changes, which at first glance seem quite trivial, but may soon turn out to be hard to get used to. Even though you may think you’re not actually creating excess waste in your daily life, you’ll soon realize you’re wrong. Disposable plastic bags, coffee-to-go cups, pastry bags… These are just three types of waste that each of us throws away several times a week.

It’s impossible to achieve a zero waste lifestyle in a single day – it can take several months before you actually consciously avoid creating unnecessary waste. Even if you don’t end up reaching your zero waste goal by the end of your experiment, that’s not the most important thing – with the slightest change, you definitely contribute to a healthier and cleaner environment. Plus, you never know – maybe the small changes in your life will also inspire someone else to do the same.

To help you get started, I’ve prepared some tips on how to implement changes into different parts of your life.

The Five R’s to Follow

1. REFUSE what you don’t need.
2. REDUCE unnecessary waste.
3. REUSE what you can.
4. RECYCLE what you cannot reject, reduce or reuse.
5. ROT what is left (compost the biological waste).

With these tips in mind, it’s much easier to keep track of whether you’re actually following the rules of a waste-free life. Let’s now move on to some concrete examples.

Replace Plastic Products With Eco Alternatives

You won’t believe how much plastic waste we actually throw away every day! Plastic shopping bags, unnecessary straws, bottles, plastic cups in offices… Why not replace these products with sustainable ones? Use cotton bags instead of plastic ones, and a bamboo toothbrush instead of non-degradable plastic ones that are not usually recycled. Instead of buying a bottle of water every time you visit the store, invest in a reusable bottle. Not only will you contribute to a cleaner environment with these changes – your wallet will be grateful to you too!

Change Your Bathroom Habits

As far as your bathroom is concerned, you can make a huge difference – use uncolored toilet paper, as this is the only way you can be 100% sure that it will be recycled. Instead of wasteful deodorant and expensive toothpastes, you can use body-friendly baking soda, and replace liquid soap with a bar soap, which is often sold without wasteful packaging as well. As for period products, it is good to invest into a menstrual cup, as it replaces a 10-year supply of pads and tampons! You can also avoid buying bathroom cleaners and replace them with vinegar, cleaning alcohol, and baking soda – by doing this, you’ll avoid using unnatural chemicals as well!

Transform Your Closet

If you are seriously deciding on a lifestyle with as little junk and waste as possible, it is important to make changes to your closet as well. We know that it is often difficult to give up old pieces of clothing – especially those to which we attach sentimental value. It’s even harder to avoid clothing sales, which tempt us into buying new articles of clothing every month. To finally get rid of that ugly patterned shirt that has been rolling around the closet for years, ask yourself the following questions:

1. When was the last time I wore this piece of clothing? If you answer with anywhere from six or more months ago, then it’s time to get rid of the item. Don’t throw it in the bin – donate it to a charity that will make sure that your pair of pants finds a new home.

2. Can I wear this piece with more than five outfits? The most useful pieces of clothing are those that can be combined with the rest of the wardrobe in several different ways – this is especially true for scarves, hats, gloves, and other fashion accessories.

3. Does this piece of clothing still fit me? We often forget about a pair of pants or a dress – but in the end it turns out that we might have put on or lost some weight during that time. Away it goes! But if you’re really set on keeping a specific piece of clothing, feel free to have it tailored.

Hopefully, I was able to inspire you to join the zero waste movement – you can start your journey today! Even if you start with extremely small changes, these can lead to something bigger in the years to come. Why not? We only have one planet – it’s time to start taking care of it.