In the past year, I’ve become pretty determined to reduce our household waste production in order to help create a more healthy planet. My wife has been on the zero waste train for a while now, but I guess it just took my stubborn self a bit longer to hop aboard and become as passionate as she is about it. 🙂
Today, we’re constantly looking for new ways to improve our #zerowaste game. For a while I was hesitant to go down this rabbit hole and I didn’t believe that small changes would even matter. But that’s not really a productive way of thinking of it. We always tend to think that we can’t make an impact; that our “small” actions cannot evoke change, but that’s just not true.
All it takes is everyone doing what they can to produce a lasting ripple effect. And in this day and age, there’s just no reason not to make some changes, no matter how small they may seem. We have already put so much stress on our beautiful planet, it’s the least we can do is try and alleviate some of it, because our current pace is unsustainable.
In fact, some reports say that in the U.S. we are responsible for producing ⅓ of the world’s solid waste. That’s a lot, folks. We can do better! See below for an interesting (and mildly disturbing) depiction of just how much waste we actually produce:
So hopefully you can see the benefit to taking action to reduce our solid waste. Today I want to share 5 relatively quick and easy things you can incorporate into your daily lives to start reducing your household waste right now. There are so many other great ideas out there and I could probably write an entire book about this topic, but my aim is to just present you with a few tips to get you started. 🙂
1. Reduce paper towel usage by buying a pack of cheap cloth towels to keep on the counter specifically for wiping up spills and messes. If you feel like you must, keep a roll of unbleached, recycled paper towels (we like these) in case you need to clean things up for sanitary purposes (like raw meat spillage) or random chores around the house that absolutely cannot be done with a cloth or dust rag. Another excellent option would be getting completely reusable fabric paper towels, or ones that you can use 100+ times before throwing out. See options below!
2. Begin using reusable bags for your grocery store and other shopping trips. This is a very easy win! You can also get reusable storage bags to replace your plastic baggies (like Ziploc sandwich or snack bags). These are great and actually I like them much more because they don’t rip or tear. If you do happen to have to get bags from a store (sometimes we forget our reusable bags – doh!), I recommend asking for paper bags and either reusing them, or recycling them when you’re done. We also carry around with us a compact, foldable bag wherever we go (like the ones shown below). Since it’s so compact, this saves us big time if we’re in a situation where we weren’t expecting to have to buy something, yet don’t have our larger reusable grocery bags on us.
3. At the grocery store, stop putting everything in plastic produce bags. This is actually one of my biggest pet peeves. It makes me sick whenever I see someone in the checkout lane with 15 sets of bagged produce (why do bananas need to be in a plastic bag??). This isn’t necessary, it’s simply social conditioning. Putting vegetables in plastic wrap does nothing to help increase cleanliness or even convenience – at the end of the shopping trip, every single thing is put into a bag for you anyways. So in my opinion, it’s really not necessary to have a bag inside of a bag just for transportation, and I promise the thin plastic bag isn’t doing anything to help protect your fruits and veggies. 🙂
For us, we put our vegetables that have peels straight in the cart or basket (apples, oranges, bananas, avocados, zucchini, etc), and we bought reusable produce bags for any “loose” produce that we don’t feel comfortable setting straight in the cart (such as loose mushrooms, carrots, or bulk dried fruits or nuts or whatnot). I bet we reduced our household waste by 40% just with this simple change!
4. Replace Saran/plastic wrap with sustainable wax wraps like Bee’s Wrap or Etee, or eco-friendly fabric plate and bowl covers.
Not only is this an easy way to reduce waste, but also…plastic wrap really isn’t even good for your health. I hope to do another post soon on non-toxic living, and in it I’d suggest plastic film be one of the first things to go. Why do we get so worked up about things like BPA and excited about glass Tupperware alternatives, only to turn around and put PLASTIC FILM on our foods and then MICROWAVE it or store for extended periods of time?? It’s shocking, really. Common sense can tell you that this type of material can not be good for your health, or your food. Fabric and wax-based alternatives are so much safer and healthier for both you and your family, and the planet. 🙂
5. Minimize dependence on packaged foods and on-the-go items like cups, bottles and straws. Oh man, I saved the best for last – this is a big one. But don’t fret! I’ll stay true to my word that hear are supposed to be easy ways to reduce waste. 🙂 I realize that eliminating packaged foods or paper goods altogether is aspirational; heck, we aren’t even there yet and still do buy certain foods in pre-made packaged form. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t start making slow changes; remember, the goal is always PROGRESS, not perfection. Below are some quick swaps to help you think about reducing packaged foods and on-the-go waste.
First of all, I love Trader Joe’s just as much as the next guy, and I think they do a lot to help make healthy food accessible to more people. However, their excessive use of packaging disturbs me. I encourage you to think twice before buying packaged fresh zucchini or the number of other pre-packaged food items and produce that they offer. Instead, try to implement some of the tips below to help reduce your dependence upon packaged foods.
First of all, I love Trader Joe’s just as much as the next guy, and I think they do a lot to help make healthy food accessible to more people. However, their - Shop bulk / “loose” foods whenever possible, including mushrooms, carrots, leafy greens (vs. bagged), and apples/oranges/potatoes (vs. pre-bagged). Many grocery stores like Whole Foods already offer this, and others are converting. Another great way to do this is by shopping at your local farmer’s market!
- If it’s an easy food swap, make your own. For instance, instead of grabbing a pre-packaged snack while out, consider making your own and bringing it with you in one of your handy-dandy reusable bags.
- Invest in a reusable water bottle (I suggest a glass or stainless steel water bottle) so that you can avoid buying a plastic water bottle while out on the run. Similarly, you could buy a ceramic coffee/tea mug to take with you. If you go to a coffee shop, many places will even offer you a discount for bringing your own mug! Just ask the barista to please use your cup if possible.
- For on-the-go zero waste accessories, I recommend buying a glass or stainless steel straw (I like these) that you can take with you in your bag or purse. That way, you can avoid using straws as much as possible when dining out or grabbing coffee/tea. You can also buy reusable utensils to avoid having to use plastic ones when dining out.
plastic water bottle while out on the run. Similarly, you could buy a ceramic coffee/tea mug to take with you. If you go to a coffee shop, many places will even offer you a discount for bringing your own mug! Just ask the barista to please use your cup if possible. Whew! Well there you have it – 5 ways to reduce your household waste. I hope you found some tips that might work from you, or discovered some new eco-friendly options.
Again, I truly believe that if we could all even implement one of these suggestions, the world would be a better place. That said, don’t get down on yourself if you’re out and use a straw, or have to buy a pre-packaged snack, or slip up and grab a paper towel out of habit. I still do all of those things on occasion! It’s simply about balance. I always ask myself, “How can I just improve my life by just 1%?” That makes it feel a lot more manageable than thinking you need to change everything over night. So choose something to start with and get ready to make our planet a safer, more healthy place for everyone. 🙂
Have you incorporated “zero waste” principles into your life? What do you like to do? What do you find challenging about it? Are there any tips you’d give to someone just starting out with reducing waste? Leave a note in the comments!