How to reduce your waste every day

The term "zero waste" can be intimidating. It seems impossible to live your life without throwing anything away. But what it's really about is just reducing the amount of waste you produce.

Voting with your dollar: when you buy something, you are telling the producers “I want more”. There’s a difference between throwing away your plastic shampoo bottle and then going out to buy a new ‘zero waste’ shampoo bar, and finishing what you already have before you recycle the bottle and find a zero waste bar.

Here are some swaps for everyday products when the time comes to invest in replacements. We’ve researched and linked some of the best quality items and price deals (many from Amazon), but if these items are available at a local business it’s best to check there first to avoid shipping waste. If you do end up ordering from online, try to be conscious about packaging and shipping (opt for minimal packaging by waiting to buying multiple together instead of individually ordering them).

Toiletries

• Plastic toothbrush → Bamboo toothbrush (& keep the plastic one for a cleaning tool!)

• Body wash and gel hand soap → Hand Soap bar

• Cotton makeup pads → Washable makeup pads

• Tampons / pads → Diva cup / Thinx Underwear (or certain types of birth control allow you to skip your period altogether)

• Plastic Q-tips → Compostable or reusable Q-tips

• Deodorant → Deodorant bar or Refillable deodorant

• Plastic loofah → Biodegradable loofah/sponge

• Floss → refillable, plastic-free floss

• Disposable razors →Dollar shave club / Blade changing razor

Groceries/Food

• Plastic & paper straws →Metal / glass straws

• Plastic / cellophane wrap → Reusable beeswax wraps & silicone covers

• Ziplock bags → Reusable pouches & tupperware

• Plastic produce/grocery bags → Mesh produce bags & reusable shopping bags

• Paper napkins → Cloth napkins

Household products

• Paper towels → Old rags

• Cleaning solution → Make a 1:1 ratio solution of water + apple cider vinegar or use natural solutions

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A lot of companies will accept empty containers when you need a refill:

• Lush

• Glass bottles. If you drink dairy milk, there are several local, small-scale dairy farms sell milk in glass bottles that can be traded in. For many of these companies, you pay a small deposit fee along with the milk that you will receive back once you return the bottle.

• Package free shops

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The bottom line: Evaluate the necessity of the products you use and how often you are using them. Use up the products that you have, and then swap out the necessary items for a sustainable replacement.