Zero Waste: what and why?

I'm currently at the beginning of  a journey.
I'm aiming towards a zero waste lifestyle.


What is a zero waste or low waste lifestyle?

A zero waste lifestyle is when you have no waste from your daily life - you buy or grow food and use products with no rubbish to go in the bin - not even recycling. Low waste is similar, except you still create some waste but keep the amount as low as possible. This is done by doing things like reusing waste you have created, or simply buying things without packaging or with packaging that can be composted. The aim is to stop our planet being filled with our rubbish which ends up in landfill, being burnt, or worse still in the ocean. There's only so much rubbish our planet can handle, and reducing the amount we produce should help the planet to last longer for future generations.

taken from gurly.blog.

Why am I going zero waste?

I've always been conscious of recycling and what impact I'm having on the planet, but I've become a lot more passionate about it and aware of it over the last few months. A big turning point for me was after watching a programme by a journalist called Stacey Dooley about the fashion industry's impact on the environment. I will be making a whole other post on this programme at a later date, but watching it really opened my eyes to just how much we are spoiling the earth we live in for our consumerist lifestyles. We're constantly being told we need to go out and buy the latest clothes, and that our old clothes are ugly and we need to just throw them out. We're told we need to buy the biggest and best presents for friends and family at Christmas and birthday's. We need to buy lots of processed food and fruit and veg that has been grown using chemicals and packaged in unnecessary plastic that can't be recycled, and the wonky 'unsuitable' ones are thrown out.

Ultimately these things are harming the planet, creating an uncertain future for us and future generations.

The fashion industry is polluting the earth and using up the water we have. The food industry is creating silly amounts of unnecessary waste. Something needs to change, and until we stop buying into everything we are being told by shops about needing more than we actually do, nothing is going to change.


My aim is to do whatever I can to cut back on the waste I am producing. I'm still in the process of figuring out how to do this. This is a journey. It's not something that will magically happen over night. It happens by making small changes, one at a time, until I reach my goal.


So far I've changed:

- The shampoo I use (I'm still using up an old bottle of shampoo, but I have a shampoo bar from lush which is amazing!)

- The toothbrushes and toothpaste I use (I'm using toothbrushes that can be composted when you're finished with them, and toothpaste tablets)

- The soap I use (I've been getting soap from lush too as it have no packaging and is made with kind ingredients)

- The razor I use (A lovely friend of mine got me an environmentally friendly razor for Christmas)

- The way I shop (I no longer buy new clothes unless I know they have been made in a sustainable way. I mostly shop in charity/thrift shops, and online at places like Depop and Vinted. I also try to be conscious of other products and the packaging they are in, how long they will last, and if they can be recycled. I also never buy plastic bags and take my own wherever I go. If I ever get caught out and don't have a bag, I will only buy one that can be reused that is ideally not plastic)

- The products I use for my 'time of the month' (I have bought a moon cup and washable towels. This is something that is taking a bit of time to make the switch, but I'm getting there!)

Because I'm still living at home with my parents, there are some things that I can't really change now, like the food in the house and the packaging it comes in. I would also love to get makeup that is all zero waste, but as I said, this is a journey, and I won't be able to change everything over night. There are lots of products to test,and not all of them work for everyone.



This is a journey that I will be sharing on my blog as time goes on. I will share the things I struggle with, the things I find easy, and any tips I find help. I'd also love to hear any tips you have, or any products you have found - let me know in the comments, or contact me through my Instagram (@beautifully.made97) or Facebook (Beautifully made and unfinished)