If you are reading this article, it means you care about reducing your waste and minimizing your environmental footprint. Good for you! Joining the zero-waste movement is a giant leap in the right direction. If everyone does, it could save the world. And it’s so easy!
Everywhere you look, there is a zero-waste hack staring back. They are all the little choices we make daily, from bringing grocery bags when you go shopping to using reusable water bottles, swapping paper towels for reusable cloth rags, and buying in bulk.
Those are the obvious moves, but you are probably looking for some fresh ideas. So, here are some commonly overlooked zero-waste hacks. These tips can help you get even closer to your goal of wasting as little as possible.
Borrow or Rent, Don’t Buy
Sometimes, you come across items you need only once or twice a year. See if you can borrow or rent them instead of buying them. This way, you reduce clutter in your home and avoid contributing more packaging waste to the landfill.
Example items include:
- Power tools
- Party decorations
- Novelty shaped cake pans
- Books
- Sports equipment
- Electronics
- Specialty apparel (like Haloween costumes or party dresses and tuxedos)
There are websites (like Loanables) where you can rent miscellaneous items when you need them. Or borrow from friends and family, then return the favor when they need something.
Keep Track of Your Food
Do you know what you have in your fridge and cupboard? The first step to keeping track of your food stores is organization: keeping your fridge and cabinets systemized so you can see everything you have easily.
Keeping items in designated spots helps with this a lot. Also, making an “eat first” section front and center helps remind you what is closest to expiry and needs to be consumed before everything else. Online recipe generators (like Super Cook) are great for random items in the “eat first” section because you type in the ingredient(s) on hand, and it gives you suitable recipes.
Not only is spoiled food a waste of resources (for you and the process it took to get it to you), but it also takes up space at the landfill and releases a potent greenhouse gas (methane) as it decomposes. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 45% of all produce end up as food waste, with 95% of it ending up in landfill emitting planet-warming methane.
Slay Vampire Power
Vampire power, aka standby mode, is the energy that electronics draw while plugged but turned off or on sleep mode (standby). A Natural Resources Defense Council study found that these devices account for up to 25% of all energy usage.
Fortunately, this hack is super easy. All you have to do is unplug electronics when you are not using them. If you do not like the idea of having to plug and unplug everything all the time, buy some power strips with an on-off switch. That way, all you have to do is flip the switch to slay vampire power.
Furthermore, try to buy Energy Star certified products because it means the product meets the criteria for low power consumption.
Host Seasonal Clothing Swaps
A change in season may make you feel like you need a change in wardrobe for a fresh new start. But you do not have to go out and buy new clothes and throw away the old ones from last year. You can host a fun clothing swap instead! It is a beautiful way to bond with friends and maybe make some new ones too! Plus, everyone can get rid of their “yesterday’s outfits” for new ones. Someone else’s old is your new since you have never worn them before.
Swap gatherings also work great with other things like toys and books.
Buy High-Quality Things
High-quality things are well made and, therefore, last longer, keeping them out of the garbage. Cheap things usually malfunction sooner. It does not matter what it is – clothing, kitcheree, electronics, furniture, etc. – it will wear and tear faster if it is low quality.
While it costs more upfront, you will save money in the long run by not having to continuously re-purchase products reaching the end of their lifespan. You may have to do some research before buying, but it will be worth it in the end.
Save Warming Water
You surely already know not to leave the tap running when you brush your teeth. But what about the water that runs when you wait for the cold water to turn hot? Stick a bottle or pail under the tap and catch that for use later on in the garden, cleaning, or cooking.
Another thing you can do to save water is reuse cooking water, like the water used for cooking pasta or boiling veggies. You can let it cool and pour it on the compost (any starchy water) or in your garden (vegetable water). The nutrients in the water from the food will be good for your plants and soon-to-be fertile soil.
Erase “Single-Use” From Your Mind
Everything can be reused. All the things that are considered “single-use” can, in fact, be given a new purpose. For example, the plastic bag that store-bought bread comes in can be used as a garbage bag or a produce bag next time you go grocery shopping after you have finished all the bread.
Also, glass jars can be cleaned and used as leftover food containers. You can use oil to take the sticker label off easily if you wish.
Regrow Vegetable Scraps into New Vegetables
This hack takes re-thinking “single-use” to a whole new level. Carrots, green onions, potatoes, basil, and lettuce are just a few of the items that can regrow – from scraps to whole edible vegetables.
Other things like coffee grinds cannot regrow, but you can repurpose them. For example, coffee grinds mixed with coconut oil make a lovely natural scrub for the body.
In addition, if you cannot regrow the scraps, you can use them to make stock. For example, you can save onion peels every time you use onion in a jar in the freezer. Once you have a jarful, you can make stock for stews and soups or boil risotto or pasta.
Ditch Tea Bags for Tea Made with Fresh Herbs
All those tea bags add up, especially if you are an avid tea drinker. So, buy loose tea herbs instead. In addition to reducing the waste of a teabag, this hack can be fun since you can mix and match, inventing your own flavors.
There are reusable tea bags available, or you can simply throw the leaves and flowers into a pot filled with boiling water, then pour the liquid through a strainer into the cup to make sure no pieces are floating in your beverage.
Reusable Toiletries
For the ladies, swap the tampons and pads for a menstrual cup. Also, use reusable cotton pads, and makeup removal wipes instead of disposable ones.
For everyone, switch from disposable cotton swabs (Q Tips) to reusable ones.
Benefits of the Zero Waste Movement
The zero-waste movement has economic, societal, personal, and environmental benefits.
Economic benefits: Supporting sustainable companies helps the economy become eco-friendly and conveys the message that consumers want change. As more consumers back sustainable brands, more companies will make the transition, and our economy will be the kind that supports a healthy planet and hopeful future.
Societal benefits: Many zero-waste initiatives require community effort and human interaction. For example, clothes and book swaps and meal-sharing events are initiatives that bring people together, helping each person individually and the community as a whole.
Personal benefits: Perhaps the most significant personal gain is saving money. You buy fewer things, so you spend less money, meaning you have more money to spend on better things like going on vacation! In addition, you may save time by not having to shop for new items all the time, and you live healthier by replacing packaged foods with fresh homemade goods instead.
Environmental benefits: Consuming less means fewer resources are needed, meaning less ecosystem disruption due to resource extraction. Consuming less also means less pollution and carbon emissions from production and transportation.
In Conclusion
The zero-waste movement is a sustainable lifestyle with one goal: to eliminate waste from our lives to the point that we produce no trash or as little of it as possible. This does not mean you cannot buy anything anymore. Instead, it means you have to buy better and with purpose.
Alone it may seem like you are not causing any harm, but all of us together are causing unimaginable damage to the planet. Things must change. Our global society cannot continue living as it is now, endlessly consuming without consideration.
First, stop and think about your actual necessities and think about that every time you go shopping. Think, “do I really need that?” before purchasing something. Secondly, be mindful when picking out needed things. For instance, choose items with less packaging and that are locally sourced. From there, all the details of living zero-waste will start to fall into place.
Every time you toss something away into the garbage or the recycling bin, you will think about it, considering if you can give it a second life or if you ever needed it at all. Maybe there was a better choice that would not have left you with waste to discard at the end of use. Next time you go grocery shopping, you will pick accordingly. Living this way is the only way to leave this planet in a better condition tomorrow than it is today – for future generations.
