Zero waste living aims to minimise the impact of modern life by reducing the amount of waste we produce. It’s said that the average Australian produces 540kg of waste per year so it can seem daunting to imagine not producing any waste of any kind.
Going zero waste is definitely not going to happen overnight but if there’s one thing we can do for the planet, it’s to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Especially in our own homes. There are some really easy steps you can take to move towards a zero-waste home, so we’ve put together a list of some easy and budget-friendly ideas below to get you started.
Remember, it’s not about being perfect. Small changes which we make collectively can make a big impact so pick a couple that is achievable for you and implement these in your home today.
EASY WAYS TO GO ZERO WASTE AT HOME:
- Separate your rubbish
The first step to zero waste is separating your rubbish properly. Without this, you might be sending waste to landfills which could actually be recycled or composted or contaminating your recycling so it has to be sent to landfills. Contaminated rubbish affects what will and won’t be sent to recycling.
An easy way to do this is to install four bins at home. One for landfill (e.g. non-recyclable plastics, household waste), one for recycling (e.g. paper, glass, cans, card), one for soft plastics (e.g. any plastic your can fold in your hand) and one for compost (e.g. food waste). Your number one goal at home is to use the landfill bin the least.
It’s always a good idea to give any glass jars, can or packaging a rinse and let dry on your dish rack overnight to remove any food which might contaminate your recycling.
Some councils will take away your soft plastic but, if not, there are soft plastic drop-off bins at both Coles and Woolworths.
- Recycle glass jars
Glass jars can be used for so many things around the house and that’s not just making your own jam. Save and wash all of your empties and use next time you head to the bulk food store, regrowing your food scraps, pickling food for long term storage, storing leftovers in the fridge or taking to work, new cocktail glasses and food storage. Plus, the right jars can make your kitchen shelves and pantry look beautifully coordinated and organised.
- Invest in reusable food and drinks containers
One the easiest ways to reduce your waste is by storing your food properly, so it’s important to invest in reusable food and drink containers. Glass jars can be great for storing your coffee, nuts, smoothies, dried foods and pulses, but it’s a great idea to also invest in some natural, reusable containers like Pyrex-style glass dishes, stainless steel bento boxes or silicone lids which you can use for meal prepping or saving your leftovers.
- Compost your food waste
A compost bin is a great addition to your kitchen or garden. There are some really good options out there for cheap and easy to implement composting options for your garden, and there are also clean, tabletop versions which you can keep in your kitchen available or community bins in your local area. Worm farms are ideal for those with limited space as they fit neatly on a balcony.
- Use food scraps to make your own cleaning products
Food can be used for really effective cleaning products. Ingredients like distilled white vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and sugar can be used to polish kitchen worktops, clean windows and remove stains whilst killing that pesky bacteria. Combine these with essential oils for a beautiful smelling home.
- Swap tea-bags for tea leaves
I don’t know about you but we average upwards of 5 cups of tea each per day, every day. That equates to almost 2,000 tea bags in our landfills per person in a year! Some teabags are made from, or sealed using plastic which not only sheds billions of particles of microplastic into each cup you drink but also end up in our landfills. To reduce this, swap your tea bags for tea leaves in a metal strainer instead. The tea leaves are often better quality too, so it’s really a win-win.
- Repair holes in clothes
It may sound obvious, but too often clothes are thrown away for having small holes, a broken zipper or a lost button even though these can be sown up very easily, without the need for any seamstress skills. Make an excuse to visit an older relative and ask them for tips if you’re really stuck, it’ll be a great bonding experience which you’ll find therapeutic.
- Ditch disposable for natural materials
There are some really great natural fibres on the market which provide brilliant and budget-friendly alternatives to disposable products like bamboo cotton pads, metal razors, natural loofah’s, plastic-free q-tips, natural tampons, cloth face wipes.
- Save food scraps for homemade stock and natural dyes
Food scraps can be used in a whole heap of ways like turning root veg stalks into homemade stock, apple cores and skins into apple cider vinegar, regrowing your roots, baking old bread into croutons and french toast, using banana skins for cleaning…I could go on…but one of our favourites is natural tie-dying.
Simply using your food scraps and water, turmeric can be used to create yellow tones; red onion for pink; red cabbage leaves for purple and avocado skins for dusty pinks and browns. Plus, it’s a great way to bring life back into that white t-shirt you split red wine on!
- Request for no junk mail to be put through your letterbox
Another easy one, add a small sign to your front door or letterbox requesting that companies do not post you junk mail. Chances are you’re probably not interested in selling your house right now or need another plastic tradie magnet for your fridge. But when you do, you’ll open a web browser not your letterbox to find the best options.
- Use cloth nappies instead of disposable
A staggering 3.75 million disposable nappies are used each day in Australia and New Zealand, and it takes about one cup of crude oil to make each nappy. This is a lot for landfills, with conventional disposable nappies estimated to take up to 150 years to break down. Making a switch to cloth nappies is the more environmentally-friendly option, and is easier than ever with the modern cloth nappies currently available. You might also like to consider a cloth nappy washing service, but bear in mind the energy and emissions associated with transportation.
- Swap to rechargeable batteries
Never again find yourself hunting around in that draw you dump everything from pens, foreign coins, remote controls, keys that you have no idea what they open, letters you’re saving for…what was it again, random cards and pairs of glasses, for batteries again and switch to rechargeable types. Keep your batteries in two small glass jars, write ‘Flat’ and ‘Charged’ on the lids. Invest in quality rechargeable batteries and a charger. Charge a group of batteries and store in the ‘Charged’ jar, put the rest in the ‘Flat’ jar and charge as needed. When the remote goes flat, you know where to go. Thank us later.
- Prep!
Making meals instead of buying takeout or ready meals is a great way to reduce waste and save on all of those disposable take-away containers. You’ll use all the food you purchased at the supermarket, cut down on packaging of food items, and reduce the carbon footprint of your food while you’re at it. Dehydrators are great too for healthy snacks to store in your cupboards. Keep it really easy, and save time, by cooking food in bulk and eating it throughout the week.
What do you think of these tips? Do you have any other steps to add?
Vesica
