First Steps to Zero Waste

While starting my journey to living zero waste, there have been a few things that I have found really easy to change, that cut down waste massively. I've decided to compile a list of a few things that I have changed, that you too can do if you are aiming towards a zero or low waste life, or just if you want to do your bit to help the planet. I'm going to share my favourite products and tips that should help you at the start of your journey.

1) Get reusable everything. I'm talking bags, straws, coffee cups, and anything else you can possibly think of or find. Cut out single use plastics and products. Although some of these can be recycled, it still takes energy to produce them and uses up other unnecessary resources, and so not using them at all is best. I have a good collection of reusable straws now, and I make sure I have a couple in my bag wherever I go just in case. I also carry shopping bags with me so I never have to buy a single use plastic bag. Our fridge has a collection of reusable travel coffee cups on top of it which I try my best to use whenever I go out for coffee. Most big chain coffee shops will give you either a discount or reward if you take a travel cup with you which is even more of a reason to do this! I also use washable makeup wipes which are amazing, and I'm currently testing out using washable sanitary towels and a Moon-cup - I'll keep you posted on how they work out!

2) Buy beauty/wash products with no packaging. I've found that lush has been amazing for this. They have shampoo bars and soaps that have no packaging at all, and if you choose to use packaging, it is made out of recycled material and so can be recycled. They also have no packaging options for pretty much all of their products which is great. It's not necessarily the cheapest option, but I find the products mostly last longer than normal packaged ones, and I personally don't mind spending a little extra if it will help the environment in the long run. The products I currently use are the shampoo bars, soap, toothpaste tablets, deodorant and body conditioner.  

3) Stop buying new clothes! The fashion industry has a HUGE impact on the environment - it's the second biggest pollutant in the world, and buying cheap new clothes that only last a month or go out of fashion after a couple of weeks is only making things worse. Buy second hand whenever you can - sites like vinted and depop are great (I have a few items I'm selling on these sites! check out my Instagram to find these), and charity shops are great if you rummage through all the clothes they have. Of course this gets slightly tricky when it comes to underwear and socks. I still haven't quite cracked this one, but I think researching into where the products you are buying come from and how they are made helps you to find the ones with the least environmental impact. 

4) Switch to a compostable toothbrush. You can get these for around 60p off amazon, and they're no different to a normal toothbrush, except they don't harm the environment. 

5) Buy lose fruit and veg, and take your own produce bags to put them in. A thin sheet of plastic really doesn't do anything to protect the food, so just buy them without! This also means you can buy the exact amount you need so nothing is wasted. 

6) Stop buying things you don't need, and ask people to buy you specific items for your birthday or for Christmas to avoid gifts that will go to waste. If you are ever given something you know you won't use, give it to a friend or donate it to charity - better to help someone else out than see something go to waste. It's also so easy to go to a shop for one thing and come out with ten - I struggle with this a lot! It's something to keep persevering at! 

7) Try to reuse the waste you do create wherever possible. I love turning jars into candles, or using them to store things in. You can also use plastic food trays to put paint in or to grow seeds to avoid having to buy something especially. Turn old socks into sock monkeys or other animals, fill old bottles with rice to make skittles for a little game of bowling, cut the front off a birthday card and reuse it for someone else, used old toilet roll tubes to make Christmas crackers. Be creative with your waste - you can do more with it than you think!

As I always say, going zero waste is a journey. You won't be able to achieve all your goals over night, but these are a few things you can aim to start with. Something I find helpful is to be looking for and testing out a new product before I get to the end of the one I currently have. For example, I was testing out shampoo's while I still had an old bottle of shampoo so that if it didn't work out it wouldn't matter. Things can also be a bit more pricey than 'normal' products, but they more often than not will last a lot longer, and are of a higher quality. And personally, I think it's completely worth spending the extra money if it helps the planet in the long run!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips and tricks for going zero waste, or any products you love!