What is Zero Waste & How Do You Start Living a Zero Waste Life?
Zero waste is a lifestyle movement that involves reducing how much you consume and throw away. In a nutshell, you don’t send any waste to landfill. You reduce what you need, reuse things as much as you can, and recycle and compost the rest.
In a world where almost everything comes wrapped in plastic or has a single use, this sounds impossible, right? Well it’s actually easier to get started than you think to get on the zero waste and sustainable living train. We’ve rounded up some top tips for starting a zero waste lifestyle and why it’s so important.
Why should you live a zero waste lifestyle?
We live in a disposable society where we throw so much away and often don’t think twice about it. But throwing things out without any thought has a lot of long term detrimental effects.
Plastic is a particularly bad culprit – almost everything either comes wrapped in it, tagged with it, or packaged with it. Why? Because it’s convenient and affordable. The problem is that our landfills are fuller than ever, our oceans are littered and we end up with tonnes of waste that take thousands of years to break down. How are we ever meant to create a sustainable future for the next generation if we don’t start making changes now?
A zero waste lifestyle can change all of this; the less waste you produce, the greener our planet gets. So, how do you start?
Going zero waste
Although it may seem a little overwhelming to go zero waste cold turkey, there are some simple things you can start doing right now. Remember, each little change you make is still important, because it all adds up.
Reduce
A major part of living a zero waste lifestyle is reducing what you have/use in your day-to-day life. For example:
- Start with a decluttering checklist for your home. In the words of Marie Kondo, if it doesn’t spark joy, throw it out. Use and donate what you can, and then throw away the rest. Start your zero waste lifestyle with a clean slate. If you’re looking for a complete overhaul, hire a skip!
- Learn to say no to unnecessary waste, such as plastic straws, business cards or plastic bags.
- Buy in bulk and buy packaging free as well!
- Learn to create your own products! There are dozens of recipes for cleansers, soaps, moisturisers and more.
Reuse
Reuse, reuse, reuse! There are so many options we could talk about, but here are just a few:
- Reuse water bottles, get yourself a reusable coffee cup and opt for reusable straws.
- Take your own shopping bags and produce bags to the supermarket.
- Stop buying paper towels or tissues, and opt for tea towels and handkerchiefs!
- Ditch cling wrap to wrap leftover food, and switch to reusable food wraps.
Recycle
You’ll inevitably have to throw some things away, but you can still do it in a sustainable way. Waste and recycling actually go hand in hand. Plus, a lot of local councils have really upped their game when it comes to recycling services.
- Have old clothes, electronics or furniture? Donate them to second hand stores.
- Create a compost in your garden. You’d be surprised at the number of things you can compost.
- Ditch the plastic toothbrush and switch to a bamboo one – they can be composted!
We care about the planet
Living a zero waste lifestyle can be challenging, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Do the best you can and start small, because all of those small actions add up!
Hiring a skip can help you start your zero waste lifestyle on the right foot. If you have any questions, especially about waste types and general waste management, get in touch with Just Skips today and we’ll help you out.
