Looking back I've always felt guilty about shopping unnecessarily and throwing things in the trash.
It’s part of the reason why I often shop thrift/vintage and why I live in a small studio apartment even though Ivan and I can likely afford more.
But even though I’ve long been passionate about the environment, I never really DID much to help out.
The book Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson changed that.
If you’re interested in environmentalism and living a more purposeful life, this is the perfect book for you.
When I first picked up Zero Waste Home I’d never heard of the Zero Waste movement.
Since reading the book I’ve applied some of the principals I learned about reducing waste and packaging every single day, which I’ve shared below. If you're curious, you can also watch this YouTube video.
The book is organized into different sections that help you “green” your home and your life by applying the five “r’s.”
REFUSE what you do not need
REDUCE what you do need
REPURPOSE your waste
RECYLE all that you can
ROT (Compost)
REFUSE is my favorite of the five R’s.
When you really think consciously about whether or not you need an item, nine times out of ten the answer is no.
Things you can REFUSE include:
Products as gifts (rather than experiences)
Trinkets at conferences
Unnecessary household gadgets, décor and clothing
Some toiletries (nail polish, make-up that isn’t part of your core routine, perfume, shaving cream)
Coffee to-go when you can avoid it or don’t have a glass mug
Plastic water bottles, cups, fast food straws, napkins, condiments, utensils and lids. I do this by bringing a water bottle, silver wear, and a linen napkin with me while traveling
Soda
To-go boxes
Plastic bags & most plastic packaging
Paper towels – we use real towels and napkins instead
Unnecessary electronics -- i.e. not having the latest gadgets
Owning a car if you live in the city/biking or walking when possible
Things you can REDUCE include:
New clothing & household items -- by shopping vintage/thrift whenever possible. We once got a $400 Vitamix for $20!
Water by taking shorter showers and washing your hair less frequently
Electricity by turning off lights and appliances, as well as avoiding the heating and air when possible
The number of items on your grocery list that are wrapped packaging (more on that later)
Meat & cheese consumption
Going out to eat and the amount of food you order
Snacks, candy and filler foods
Online shopping (how guilty do we all feel about the ridiculous amounts of packaging that come with online purchases?)
Alcohol
Paper – opt for no receipt, go paperless, use E-tickets and buy a Kindle
Unnecessary medicines
Things you can REPURPOSE include:
Old T-shirts as towels
Scrap paper
Anything that can be placed in a compost bin
Glass jars
Shipping boxes, gift paper and holiday items
Aside from following the five R’s as closely as possible, there are a few more ways I’ve tried to reduce waste in my life.
First, by buying in bulk - like the images you see in this blog!
We’re lucky enough to live next to Rainbow Grocery – my absolute favorite grocery store in SF – but bulk stores can be found all over and will only pop up more with increased demand.
At a bulk store you’ll find products in big bins and jars that can be portioned out and weighed in a glass jar or Tupperware that you bring from home.
Soap bars come without the packaging; shampoo can be filled from giant pumps; milk comes in a glass jug that can be returned and refilled; products like baking supplies, beans, rice, nuts, olives, butters, teas, pasta, honey, syrup, oils and more can than be poured directly into your glassware so that you don’t take more than what you need and do not use packaging.
It’s fantastic, fun, and will completely change the way you eat.
In addition, things like toilet paper, toothpaste, mouthwash, and non-perishables should be purchased in the largest size you can store since this will reduce the number of times you have to purchase in packaging.
Which brings me to my next point…
Cooking from scratch
Cooking from scratch seems daunting at first, but the more you do it the easier it becomes -- and scratch cooking is a SUREFIRE way to reduce packaging.
I was amazed by how easy it is to make things like pizza/quiche dough, salad dressings, jams, condiments, baked goods, candles, and beauty products, such as dry shampoo, from scratch.
And it saves you a TON of money.
For example, in DIY dry shampoo there are only three ingredients (Arrowhead Powder, Cocoa Powder, and Essential Oils) that total just a few dollars allowing you to make an entire shampoo for under $3.
Eating a primarily plant-based diet
At this point we all know that eating meat, especially red meat, such as beef, is one of the worst things we can do for our environment.
In full transparency, I still eat meat and used to have a HORRIBLE diet filled with meat and fast-food – but now I am eating it less than 2-3 times a week and often go several days without.
Reducing the amount of meat (and even dairy or grains!) you eat to instead eat more plant-based meals is one of the main ways you can embrace Zero Waste.
Some of our favorite plant-based meals include:
Soups
Salads
Vegetarian burgers, pizza, burritos
Vegetable crumble
Vegetarian Lasagna, pasta or risotto
Vegetarian curries and noodle dishes
Vegetable cous cous
No-meat sandwiches (PB&J with banana, goat cheese with tomatoes and cucumbers, Portobello French dips)
Not only is it often much easier and faster to cook plant-based meals, it’s also significantly cheaper.
We can now buy groceries for two weeks with just $108-$120!
Eating seasonal, local and organic produce
Another good way to reduce waste is to eat seasonal foods that can be found locally.
With all of the options that are available each season, it just makes no sense to eat a bunch of foods that need to be shipped from far away.
I also love how eating seasonal challenges you to cook new things, try new foods, and switch up your diet.
My absolute favorite website to explore what’s in season is Eat the Seasons.
Foods in-season now include:
Broccoli, broccolini, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, celery root, collards, fennel, kale, leeks, mache, potatoes (maincrop), rutabaga, salsify, sunchoke, turnips
Grapefruit, kiwi fruit, oranges, tamarillo, tangerines, ugli fruit
Quail, rabbit, venison
Clams, crab, mussels, oysters, scallops
BONUS: Eating out at nice restaurants!
As long as you don’t over-order, nice restaurants purchase in bulk, cook the seasons, and serve the food on glassware, so they fit perfectly in the Zero Waste Lifestyle. They also wash the dishes in bulk, which is typically much more efficient.
It's my favorite part of the movement =)
ADMITTEDLY – I’m not all that great at the Zero Waste Lifestyle.
There are PLENTY of things I do all the time that are wasteful -- especially flying as much as I do.
This year, though, it’s one of my top priorities to get better and to share tips with some of my friends who might be interested in applying a few of the principals!
If you are interested in learning more about Zero Waste I highly suggest checking out the book! -- & please let me know what you think.