Low Waste Low Down ~ 35 Essentials for Beginners
Recently, 'zero waste' lifestyles have become more & more people's daily routine ~ eliminating nearly A L L rubbish in their lives & living a more minimalist way. This is wonderful but for me (& many other people), complete zero waste isn't currently achievable because of a number of reasons. Sometimes we feel forced to immediately, religiously abide by invisible rules but I think most of all - like veganism - zero waste takes time & adjustment from a throwaway society to a sustainable routine that probably differs starkly to that of your friends & family. Building knowledge, patience & commitment over months & years means practices become the norm & your new lifestyle is not pressured but ordinary routine! Constantly cutting out single-use stuff, rewiring the way you think about waste & investing effort into a less waste lifestyle I feel does the same amount of benefit to our wonderful earth as hardline zero wasters!
It's more crucial than ever to be thinking about rubbish & how we are critically damaging our environment. Recycling isn't enough anymore. It certainly finds its way into my routine but with only 9% of plastics actually being recycled & the process itself being a catalyst for environmental hazards, we need to address the problem at its root. So I've jotted down a few simple changes, thoughts & ideas for people (like me!) who are beginning to go even greener.
Perspective Essentials
1. Mindset & Mindfulness
The key to switching to a less waste lifestyle & sustaining it is finding your 'why?'. Think about how rubbish impacts you personally & what your individual reasons for this lifestyle are. Then do some research & find out more about waste around the world & how you can help! We can't be perfect. But you can train your brain to be conscious of waste surrounding you & to be mindful of how you can help clean & green up! In the first month or so, try to be aware & practices will become routine.
2. Tick Tock
Everything takes time. Look around you ~ what can you see that's single use? How can you make a sustainable swap? Make just a few simple changes at first ~ it can be as simple as taking a coup of tote bags out with you the next time you go shopping. Use up all your not-so-eco stuff like tin foil or shampoo or water bottles then switch for soy wax wrap or shampoo bars or a stainless steel bottle! It'll take months & months to cut out the main non-reusables so start with patience.
3. Confidence & Courage
Commit to change & have credence in your low waste lifestyle! I sometimes find it uncomfortable asking to use my resuables in shops but remind yourself of the waste you're saving. Some shops offer incentives for bring-your-own & if you're lucky, asking for food in your container might just bag you that little bit extra than in a flimsy polystyrene tray (I got extra falafel here!). Grin & be confident ~ more & more people are doing the same as I type.
4. Litter Bug
A simple change to your perspective & vision while walking down the street. Coca-Cola cans ~ chocolate wrappers ~ beer bottles ~ sandwich wedges ~ pizza boxes! Why not pick up a bit of litter & throw it in a nearby bin? Better still, whip out one of your tote bags, fill it with recyclable rubbish & recycle at home. It's wonderful to make your own lifestyle greener but it's also important to help others create a cleaner, happier & more sustainable environment! & always remember to wash your hands after...
5. Use Less, Share More
Sharing is caring! Sharing more & more only means less & less waste. After last night's meal, why not make a big one pot using leftover veggies & freeze portions for your family's or flatmates' weekday meals? Donate the tins & bags of food hiding at the back of your cupboards to your local homeless NGO. Or simply volunteer & share kindness!
6. Loving-kindness
"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, & the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases from being shared" ~ Gautama Buddha. Treat yourself with kindness. Accept dilemmas & judgement from others with compassion. Nobody can reach perfection & that isn't the aim. I feel often guilty for buying foods like spinach in plastic bags. But that's okay! Don't punish or dismiss yourself, be kind & remember the good you're doing. It's all about nourishment not punishment!
Travel Essentials
7. Bags & Totes & Bags & Totes
Produce shops are full of them ~ hand over an extra £2 or so instead of opting for plastic bags/paper sacks & it's with you forever. Vegan & eco based organisations are always giving cotton shoppers away as freebies so there's no need to pay lots. Whenever I go out I usually stuff a couple in a bigger tote just in case!
8. Stainless Steel Water Bottle
The eseential! A stainless steel bottle will keep your water cool for hours & contains 0 of the chemicals & toxins that even BPA-free plastic/aluminium bottles do. There are tonnes of wonderful designs to choose from ~ I got mine from SHO & it's fab! Try your hardest to cut out all other drinks that you find in single-use plastic bottles like Coca-Cola ~ it's estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. All because of us. In the UK alone, about 35 million bottles are used every single day. Why not choose fresh fruit juice or non-dairy milk in cardboard cartons over a plastic bottle of Tropicana or HDPE litre of cow's milk?
9. Bottle Bag & Flask
Once you've got your bottle, it's always handy to have a home for it! Instead of weighing a tote down, invest in a little cotton bottle bag to put over your shoulder when you're out. Mine was only a couple of £s & it's handmade! It's also useful to invest in a simple & light flask ~ if I have an early start I always make a flask of oaty coffee while getting ready to take on my travels. But if you don't want just plain filter coffee & fancy a treat, take your flask along to a coffee shop with you & hand it over at the counter for them to fill up! You may even get a few more drops of caffeine than in a paper cup & many coffee houses like Pret now offer a 50p discount for own-cup-coffee-drinkers!
10. Reusable Bamboo Cutlery
Bamboo is such a wonderful material! It's stain & heat resistant & so much more durable than wood ~ the olive oil finish is so smooth & natural compared to sharp plastic forks or rough wooden spoons. Think about how many times you've opted for single-use cutlery when eating street food ~ stirring tea ~ buttering bread ~ scoffing cake. Where do those knives & forks & spoons & stirrers end up? Next time you're out, why not slip this perfect little pouch into your bag?
11. Lunchboxes & Lunch Bags
The staple. No matter whether stainless steel or fabric, there are no nasty toxins, all recyclable! Opt for a steel or silicone lid. I must admit, I still use leftover plastic boxes for freezing food but with new research showing that BPA-free plastics contain just as hazardous BPS, I'm switching to steel.
12. Stainless Steel Sipper
I love drinking out of straws ~ especially when sipping a fruity cocktail! I'd always say no to straws at the bar (paper ones too) but then gulp & finish my drink in about 10 minutes. So chunky zero waste straws are perfect for me! You can get little holders but I just slip one into my cutlery fabric pocket or purse. Be careful though because they can be quite expensive online ~ I found a pack of 6 in rainbow colours from Asda for only £2.50 & the packaging was cardboard.
Home Essentials
13. Mason Jars & Kilner Jars
Oats ~ nuts ~ coffee ~ leftovers ~ jam ~ flour ~ moisturiser ~ raisins ~ candles ~ rings ~ rice ~ soup ~ quinoa ~ dog treats ~ pennies. Glass jars can be used for anything & everything! Except waste. I've seen a few people now sharing their yearly waste that fits into a jar but I feel that isn't realistic. & that's okay. You'll use plasters ~ rip labels off jars ~ need medication ~ use tissues ~ buy a plastic wrapped snack. & that's okay. By being careful & conscious you're doing enough.
14. Paperless Towels
51,000 trees are cut down every single day just to replace paper towels. These paperless towels are 100% organic bamboo meaning they're biodegradable, super absorbent & so strong ~ no tear or bobbling. Once a little grubby, just hand wash or throw in your washing machine along with light clothes on 40'C!
15. Simple Soy Wax Wrap
Not beeswax but soy wax! These little squares are really useful for food storage ~ I mainly use mine to wrap sandwiches or cover homemade falafel that's chilling in the fridge. I know that most soy beans are genetically modified which isn't great at all but truthfully, I use soy wrap as the other vegan oil alternative is around £12-£15 a square which I simply can't afford! It's super soft & easy to wipe clean or pop in a warm oven for 5 mins when the wrap cracks a little.
16. Better Bio Bathroom Bits
I used to go through endless amounts of plastic bottles just to wash my hair & myself! Now I've made a simple switch to handmade vegan soaps as well as Faith in Nature bars & roll-on deo. Admittedly, I'm still using shampoo & conditioner bottles but I hope to try vegan hair bars. My favourite less waste bathroom item is my fab Hydrophil bamboo toothbrush! I love bamboo & try to source as many bamboo substitutes as I can ~ it's an oxygen dream!
17. Around the Home
A simple change that you can begin whenever. I always like to choose sustainable materials & fabrics for homeware so for example, instead of opting for candles wrapped in plastic or in glass jars you'll throw away, why not choose a handmade candle & find your own candle plate in a charity shop? Or use an old baked beans can? I find little changes like these add more individuality & warmth to my home also ~ a mindful decision. I also love preparing & eating food with wooden utensils & crockery (bamboo especially!). There's something so naturally pleasing about pairing food with wood ~ no plastic ruining the wonderful taste of plants!
Lifestyle Essentials
18. Don't Be a Greedy Guts!
Share goodies. I buy lots of vintage items & love them all but sometimes only wear them occasionally or hoard clothes to admire every once in a while! So, if I know deep down I won't wear something as much as I should, I either pop it on eBay & Depop or pass it on to charity! Similarly, if I've been buying a bit too much off eBay, I spend 10 mins rummaging through my wardrobe finding bits I like but can replace with my new clothes! Then off it goes to a new home.
19. Carefully Conscious Clothing
Charities over corporations. Almost everything I wear is pre-loved... except some underwear. eBayed vintage ~ spending hours rummaging charity shops. Some of my favourite things. In a society suffocated by consumerism, it's so fulfilling to choose who you give your money to ~ whatever your donation.
20. Swot Up & Research Your 'Why'
Read up on the reasons behind a less waste lifestyle not for anyone else, but for yourself. The more you learn about & see the impacts of single-use wastage, the more you'll be motivated to make a change! This book is fab & gets you reducing waste as you read with the #2minutesolution! I find watching talks ~ listening to podcasts ~ leafing through news articles on The Guardian/NYT etc. so interesting & informative! I also love reading blogs ~ not specifically 'zero waste' for me as I find them too unrealistic but ones more based on ecology & sustainability. It's a matter of whatever & whenever really ~ simply educate yourself.
21. Ethical, Happy & Green Textiles
Swap ugly fabrics for sustainable stuffs! Polyester is made from PET (plastic bottles) & needs crude oil to be manufactured like nylon. Acrylic targets the nervous system as does PVC. Lycra engulfs raw materials (& gives me dermatitis!). All non-biodegradable. The list could go on. Why not swap for... tencel (made from eucalyptus trees that grow on organic farms & need very little water) ~ linen (the flax queen) ~ hemp (like my hat here) produces more fabric per acre than cotton ~ bamboo needs 0 fertilisers & relies on rain water alone (unlike cotton that requires 20,000l water per kilogram!).
22. Lettuce Eat Plants
If you can ~ with your mental & physical health permitting it ~ embrace a plantbased diet & join the vegan community! I'm planning on writing a post all about the benefits of veganism for not just health, wellbeing & positivity but also the impact munching on plants has for our earth & sustainability. I believe that there isn't enough awareness of the hazards the meat & dairy industry create for our environment & us ~ agriculture ALONE is responsible for emitting the same amount of greenhouse gases as ALL the world's transport (be it car, tram, bus, taxi, boat, train or plane emissions). Cut the animal products! It can be as simple as swapping beef for beans.
23. Walk on the Wild Side
While we're on the topic of transport, why not reduce that as well as waste? I walk a lot & when I can, I choose wandering over speed. It may mean getting out of bed earlier or tabling in an extra hour into your daily plans but it does an awful lot of good. The public transport I use the most is the tube or train & even though sharing transport instead of using cars/taxis is beneficial, I still love to walk if I can. For me, I hope to never drive but would choose an electric car over petrol/diesel. Even though they still cause indirect pollution & use up non-renewable energy, they're a step forward.
Humble Hints
24. Invest in Independence
Instead of automatically grabbing a meal deal with a sandwich wrapped in polythene or a salad in a plastic box with a single-use fork covered in plastic, a PET bottle & a foil crisp bag... go independent! Take time to choose a café & not only will the food be 100x fresher & tastier, but you'll be saving a lot of waste! It's nourishing for the mind, body & soul ~ practice mindful eating, have a moment to enjoy what you fuel your body with & be grateful for the wonderful independent cafés around us.
25. Scraps, Crumbs & Leftovers
Get creative with the waste you can see in front of you. Use up all the niggly bits that you're told to leave in any way possible! Here I've used the leafy heads of strawbs as a diffuser in boiling H20 ~ the heads are left a bit tasteless so I popped them into the compost. I still ended up throwing little bits away but at least I've got the most use possible & that's all that matters! Mushy bits ~ ends ~ crumbs ~ skin shavings ~ roots & everything in between. Once fresh herbs become sad & wilted... rinse, pat dry & pop onto a baking tray for a few minutes under a medium heat oven to crisp. Perfect dried herbs to use in a one pot! Sometimes I 'forget' about bananas on purpose to allow them to turn super mushy... just the right overripeness for fat-free nana loaf. Rice cakes tend to get stale quickly... crumble them up & mix with nut butter, nanas & flax for vegan rice crispie cakes.
26. Veggie Scraps Stock
This one is similar to 25, remember to save your plantbased goodies! I'm always chopping, peeling & slicing veggies & felt a bit guilty for just throwing not-so-yummy bits in the green bin. So now when I prep, I always put a little bowl next to me to collect scraps ready to fill a reusable freezer bag with. When I've got around or so 8 bags (or need to clear my freezer for extra room!), I mix up a veggie scraps stock to use in my next recipe. This is one of my all time favourite low waste tips as not only is it simple & does it create zero waste (the veggies reduce down completely!) but the stock is always surprising. One week the batch is spicy from chilli cuttings & the next it's fragrant from lemons & limes! I find this adds lots more character to my cooking too. I recently made a sticky pilaf with a batch of stock & the homely flavours of root veggies made the bowl even more comforting! The process takes time but there's something fulfilling about that...
27. Shopping Without Waste
Fresh veggies simply wrapped in their own natural self ~ the way they should be! When I'm home, I love walking to the fruit & veg stall with a few produce bags & they weigh my goodies for me ~ I choose enough for my recipe (no excess). I understand it's awkward to do this as it takes a chunk of your day & greengrocers are a dying breed but try when you can. It's cheaper too! It's so exciting seeing seasonal specials. Here I've also bought nuts in reusable paper bags!
28. Happy Eco Warrior Hounds
Think about your surroundings... don't forget the plastics in your little best friend's life! You can easily use up to 4 doggo bags a day (not counting the ones that drop out of your pocket...) & a roll of them can be gone within a few weeks! If you're trying to cut back on plastic & have a fur friend, think about the amount of plastic poo bags you throw away too. I've switched to the fab Earth Rated bags. Biodegradable & compostable, they're planet friendly & super strong! You can get different scented bags & little dispensers so you don't loose bags when reaching into your pocket for your keys. Woofers had a role to play in environmentalism too!
29. Gluing & Sticking
A more personal trick. I scribble my ramblings in my diary every night & stick down any tickets, receipts, labels, notes etc. then slot larger bits & bobs in the back page envelope. This saves throwing away & recycling... all the little things add up! It's a handy thing to do if you already keep a journal & also gives you more to look back on in the future ~ I often wonder how prices will have changed when I look back! My diary has a recycled binder & organic paper & I use a refillable glue stick & pen which I'll talk about in the next tip...
30. Jotting & StudyingI love stationery & nice pads or pens really motivate me to work! I realised while studying for my exams the sheer amount of highlighters & post-its I use. A History & Politics degree is all essay based so I was highlighting everything I read 24/7 (& I didn't use refillables) & jotting down thoughts on sticky pads! So now I've switched to recycled, wooden coloured pencils! I also write lots of lists & notes so use sustainable pads & HB pencils when not typing them on my phone. As for the pen, it's a fab Lamy refillable Rollerball & it writes so beautifully. So much better than going through packets of crappy ballpoint pens! The ink dries instantly & the design is so smooth ~ the refills aren't too expensive either!
31. Factor Out the Excess
Plan plan plan! Here is my quick scribblings for meal/snack/drink ideas during exam period. I often jot down what I'm craving before food shopping, look at all the foodies on the page & come up with some recipes. That way I'm only buying what I'll eat & no extra. Also be clever with your foods. Always eat brekkie & fuel up on proteins, carbs, lots of veggies & big bowls so you're not constantly snacking on little bars or bags wrapped in plastic.
32. The Power of Paperless
All the little things add up & it's sometimes difficult to limit waste when you're not at home. But small changes can help... like politely saying no to freebies or switching to paperless bills. Brands like Topshop now ask for your email at the till for e-receipts instead of single-use paper. Paperless banking is now the norm! But lots of shops still automatically hand you a receipts so instead of throwing it away, re-use & re-cycle! I sometimes use my phone to note down reminders but if I find I've hoarded some receipts or leaflets, I doodle all over them & write down my to-do-list of chores for the day!
33. Nature is the Answer
Our bodies can invite us to create a lot of single-use waste ~ especially in winter. Lemsip ~ Sudafed ~ Nurofen ~ Strepsils are all simple options when you're desperate to get rid of a cold but not only are they full of nasties, they come with paper info (that nobody reads), gloss boxes & plastic/foil packaging. Instead, opt for natural remedies. Lemon, apple cider vinegar & cinnamon tea ~ peppers/broccoli/sprouts for vitamin C ~ cutting out sugars & stodgy grains ~ quickly gulp a glass of water with 2 cloves of minced garlic. & to cut out monthly waste (& tax!!), invest in a menstrual cup instead of tampons & period pads!
34. Plan & Pack a Personal Picnic
If you've got a day out planned, a long journey or know you'll be away from the kitchen or desk... make a meal the night before! In 2017 Britain's sandwich industry was worth £8 billion & the triangular boxes are increasingly popular as we opt for convenient lunches. Instead of choosing a not-so-fresh sandwich, box up some leftovers or make a simple & healthy personal picnic. Here I simply stuffed my 3-tier tiffin with 1 baked mini sweet potato ~ red kidney bean & chickpea couscous ~ flatbread. Enough to share too. No need to pay lots for a stainless steel tiffin but supporting independent, ethical stores is important!
35. Consciously Gifting
Giving for birthdays ~ Christmas ~ weddings ~ simple momentos of appreciation I find so beneficial for our happiness & the spreading of it. But we need to make sure that happiness reaches everyone & everything. Here are a few ideas for ethical & sustainable gifting... classes for learning a new skill ~ no novelty gifts ~ days out making memories ~ music ~ the gift of charity (Choose Love) ~ art ~ a subscription (OddBox, ArtPass) ~ low-waste essentials ~ hand-knitted bobble hat ~ gig tickets ~ a massage ~ herbal tea ~ support independents at markets or online (Etsy) ~ organic & locally sourced foods ~ a retreat ~ plants ~ pre-loved or sustainable clothes (Depop, Lucy & Yak, eBay, The Hemp Shop) ~ give the gift of home-cooked food... get creative!
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