There are many excuses we make for why we can’t adopt a zero waste lifestyle. We don’t have enough time, money, or space. But what if I told you that you could start adopting small changes today that would help reduce your waste output without having to make any significant changes to your lifestyle? Making small tweaks to your daily routine is a great way to ease into a zero waste lifestyle – and once you get used to it, you’ll find that making additional changes is much easier. Here are simple habits to help get you started!
Zero waste is probably the most overused word in the concept of sustainability. Living zero waste does not mean giving up on luxuries. Instead it means reducing the carbon footprints and creating a beautiful planet for the future generations and for us.
In your Kitchen-
- Set Up a compost bin- Kitchen scraps like vegetable peel, tea bags, egg shells, expired foods and bread still have great nutrients. You can create a compost bin in your outdoor backyard or give it to a municipal compost center.
- Mindful while shopping for the kitchen- You should carry a reusable grocery bag with yourself for shopping for fruits and vegetables. For grains, nuts and seeds carry steel or mason jars and refill the stuff in them. You can stock up on vegetables and fruits for a week and nuts, grains for a month or more. This will save up your frequent trips to the grocery store and save fuel.
- Replace paper towels with cloth towels- As compared to plastic, paper towels are biodegradable but the fossil fuels involved in it are not completely environment friendly. Thus, switch to reusable cloth towels and save the money as well.
- Eat sustainable food- Adopting sustainable food habits will not only be beneficial for our body but also protect the planet. Important aspect in food sustainability is cutting down on meat and switching to plant based vegetables. By following a sustainable diet, you can live a healthy ethical life.
- Buy green kitchenware- There is a habit of eating in disposables so that the cleaning part is omitted. But do you know there is a range of green kitchenware made from bamboo and more such eco friendly alternatives. You will have to clean it daily but it will be a sustainable option.
For your wardrobe-
- Say no to impulse buying- We all have a habit of seeing a clothing piece in the display and thinking I want to buy it and end up buying it and wearing it just for 2-3 times. The clothes we buy emits three percent of the total greenhouse gas. So, what should we actually do? Make a practical decision and shop smarter. Learn to say no to clothes we don’t require in our wardrobe. There is a beautiful concept of capsule wardrobe. You can read about it and implement that concept for shopping. This will save resources and money.
- Adopt Thrift Shopping- Ever heard about fast fashion? It means producing inexpensive clothes in a big and bulk quantity and creating a trend every month or every season. This persuades people to be in trend and make an impulse buying. Just imagine the tonnes of waste produced by the clothes. This is the reason we should change our shopping habits. You can make an amazing wardrobe by going thrift shopping. But remember do not go for thrift shopping if you don’t require anything otherwise all efforts will go to waste. Thrift shopping means buying second hand clothes. This is a sustainable and better option for fast fashion.
Final Thoughts-
While it may seem daunting at first, there are plenty of small changes you can make to your lifestyle in order to adopt a zero waste mindset. By making these simple swaps, you’ll be well on your way to living a more sustainable lifestyle and reducing your impact on the planet. What change will you make today?
You can read about zero waste lifestyle and more such topics on GoodGuilt. GoodGuilt is a blogging platform that promotes brands and products that believe in sustainability and wish to have a better place to live in.
