When you take out the trash, do you sometimes wonder, whether all of it is really necessary? While there have been plenty of news reports about people living a zero-waste lifestyle, it might look like an unachievable objective. We put together some tips to get you started, and help you save money along the way.
According to the EPA, municipal solid waste comes to about one ton per person per year, only one third of which gets recycled or composted. Almost every item that ends up in your trash, cost you money to own in the first place and costs you again to dispose of. While making the change seems obvious, our trash is the result of our habits and habits are hard to change. Therefore, we try to get you started with small, manageable adjustments that you can introduce one at the time and build on further, according to your own preferences.
Create a baseline Whether you are in it to save money or to protect the environment, we recommend you make your results measurable and start by creating transparency on the quantity and composition of your trash. Instead of going through your trashbag one by one, you can start by separating different types of trash that can still create transparency but also lay the foundation to increase the share you recycle. Over time, you can then easily measure your progress in reducing what you throw away.
Water Bottle / Tumbler You probably do not even need to go out and buy one: most likely, you already have a couple reusable cups at the back of one of your cupboards. You could even give them a makeover to better fit your current style. If you do need to buy a new one, we suggest getting an insulated bottle that can keep your water cool or your hot drink hot for longer. There are also plenty of brands (for example Hydroflask) that come with lifetime warranty that you can easily track with our app. Did you know: many coffee shops will give you a discount if you bring your own mug. Or even better:, just make your coffee at home and bring it in your thermos with you to the office, or on an outing to save even more (and have your coffee exactly the way you like it).
(Portable) Bidet Who does not remember the early days of the pandemic, when toilet paper became a sought-after rarity? But preparing for the next pandemic is not the only reason to upgrade to a bidet: it is also better at its job than toilet paper and prevents blockages (read more here). And best of all, it does not require an entire renovation-project: you can easily install a basic attachment to your toilet yourself for under $100 or go with a squeezable bottle that you can take anywhere for even less. With Americans spending well over $200/year on toilet paper, it quickly pays for itself.
Use less product Dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, etc. often require significantly less product than what we think and they come in innumerable plastic bottles that are usually not recyclable. One tablespoon of dish soap can be enough to handwash all the dishes (fill the sink with water instead of washing them under running water to save both soap and water); you do not need a whole cap for a load of laundry, two tablespoons will do for large loads; and a bar of handsoap will last significantly longer than the liquid version, while using almost no packaging. One notable exception is Sunscreen: most of us should be applying significantly more - about one entire shot glass for one application.
Delay your next purchase Whether you just saw an ad for the next iPhone or apples on sale at your grocery store, postpone your purchase. Chances are, you already have other fruit at home that is about to go bad. As for the next iPhone: you can save a lot of money for every month you are willing to wait, read our blog post on how to pick the perfect phone for more information. Learn more about sustainable shopping practices in our other blog post here.
You are ready to pursue a 100% zero-waste lifestyle? Check out this website for more tips on how to get closer to zero-waste. Zero-waste should allow you to reduce your consumption and that does not start with buying lots of new supplies: make sure to use up what you already have and substitute zero-waste products in, as your previous ones run out.
Did you succeed at reducing your waste? Let us know, we’d love to hear your story!
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