Zero Waste: Zero Problems

Shopping and living zero waste has become a growing trend in the lives of many environmentalists. I've seen ads for countless amounts of new zero waste products, and have scrolled past many influencers sharing their zero waste hacks. By definition, living zero waste is the act of conserving all resources, and reducing your amount of waste and pollution. You can do this by cutting the amount of trash you produce. Going cold-turkey and completely cutting out all one use products is extremely difficult, so here's some easy alternatives that you can integrate into your everyday life.

No Cost Options:

Some ways to reduce your amount of trash, and also keeping your money in your wallet, is to refuse items that aren't necessary. Don't need a plastic grocery bag after shopping? Don't get one. Don't need a straw? Tell the waitress to keep it. There are tons of one use, plastic products that end up in landfills and pollute the Earth; 27 million tons, to be exact(EPA). Many of these products aren't even a necessity, they are just a little convenient. For example, when shopping at the grocery store, you have the option of picking up a bunch of apples wrapped in a plastic bag, or grabbing individual apples and putting them in your own bag. The pre-bunched apples take less time and thought to grab, but the individual apples are so much better for the environment. Plus, I find it kind of fun to pick out the perfect apples from the pile. It is true that pre-packaged produce is often a bit cheaper than the individuals, so this might not be the best cost effective option, but if you have the means and want to limit waste, this is a good option. If you do end up shopping for individual produce, bring your own reusable fruit bag instead of using the provided plastic ones.

Keeping on the topic of grocery stores, one of my favorite zero waste influencers, @hero_to_0 on TikTok, likes to bring reusable bags and shop in the bulk food section, where she can fill the bags with food and pay by the pound. These bulk, dry food dispensers aren't at every grocery store, so you'll have to do some research to find some. Megan Weldon, creator of zerowastenerd.com, has mapped out tons of locations where this is possible:

https://zerowastenerd.com/bulk-locations/.

Another low cost, zero waste hack is ditching paper plates and other one use kitchen ware. Spend the money on reusable plates and cutlery, and save yourself the cost, and grocery trip, of buying paper and plastic products. Reusable items are more expensive than one use products, but it's a one-and-done buy, rather than an item you'll have to restock on.

Grocery Swaps

Heading back to all of the zero waste ads I come across, there are so many products made by companies that care about the environment, and how much waste goes into their items. There are soap bars instead of bottles, reusable razors, reusable dish scrubbers, toothpaste tablets, biodegradable floss, reusable makeup removers, and a million options for reusable bags and containers. A quick online search will help you find friendly swaps for any household item. I've done a little digging at some of my local stores, and I've found reusable Ziploc bags and straws at Hobby Lobby, and tons of soap bar options at Natural Food Grocers. There's also some zero waste bath products at Market Street. Nowadays it is easy to find good options for the environmentalists out there; there's no need to go anywhere fancy. You can also find all of the above at Amazon.com.

Thrifting

Thrifting clothes and other goods isn't everyone's first choice, but it sure does help limit your consumption and waste. Goodwill says that thrifting causes less consumption, waste, and chemical pollution(2021 goodwill.org). Thrifting doesn't only concern clothes; I've seen many people thrift household decorations, furniture, and supplies for their hobbies. There are also tons of ways to thrift, so your local Salvation Army or Goodwill aren't the only places you can rely on. There are many online thrift sights like swap.com, thredup.com, and poshmark.com.

Writers at "Sustainable Jungle" tell us that there are 5 R's of living zero waste: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot(movers et al., 2022). You should refuse the waste that you do not need, reduce the amount of waste you create, reuse materials so waste isn't further created, recycle what you cannot refuse or reuse, and rot(compost) the remainder. As described in above paragraphs, you can refuse a plastic bag or straw, reduce waste by limiting plastic or one use products, reuse containers, bags, and much more, and recycle(thrift) clothing. You can also recycle one use plastics and cans, though it is important to know only a small percentage of material sent to recycling plants actually gets reused, so it is best to recycle it yourself. As far as rotting/ composting goes, this can only be done to food waste and paper. It is a great way to maintain a healthy garden and planet, though!

Zero waste living is becoming popular in environmentalist's households, and it is fairly easy to start, yourself. Again, going cold-turkey would most likely take lots of time and money, so easing into it is best. Simply start by digging a reusable bag out of the closet, or filling up a reusable bottle instead of grabbing a plastic one. This way of living has so many benefits to this planet, and also might help you save a bit of money if you are fond of reusing. I'd recommend giving some of these tips a try, and see how well it works in your day to day life.

The planet will thank you for your kindness.

Works Cited-

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). EPA. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/

movers, S., McCaw, D., Laura, & Ionut. (2022, April 17). Zero waste tips: 50 of the most impactful earth-happy habits. Sustainable Jungle. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.sustainablejungle.com/zero-waste/zero-waste-tips/

says:, S. F., says:, Z. W. N., Says:, J., says:, M. Y., says:, K. G., says:, L. F., Says:, L. M., says:, S., says:, U., says:, B. J., says:, A. R., says:, A., Hai Hai and Bee Bee says: Says:, L., says:, M. W., says:, A. H., Says:, E., says:, B. S., says:, M., … says:, H. M. (2020, November 17). Bulk locations. Zero Waste Nerd. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://zerowastenerd.com/bulk-locations/

Three reasons why thrifting is better for the environment. Goodwill Industries International. (2021, August 20). Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.goodwill.org/blog/shop/three-reasons-why-thrifting-is-better-for-the-environment/