The Journey to a Low / Zero Waste Lifestyle

Look around your house.

Every single product that you buy at the store is either reused (least likely or possible), recycled (possible but not the best option as it takes a lot of energy to recycle things), or dumped as landfill waste. The latter being the most popular, as it is the cheapest and easiest option. We live in a “toss it” culture, which is convenient for us if we don’t think about all of the energy it took to make the item, package and ship it. Right now, our waste system is an open loop that is unbalanced and unhealthy for the environment in many ways.

During my time as an environmental scientist, I worked closely with landfill companies. We monitored their groundwater to ensure that the materials in the landfill were not leaching into and contaminating the groundwater and surrounding water bodies. When groundwater gets polluted from organic and inorganic toxins, it becomes incredibly hard and inefficient to clean it, because the water has to be treated before it can be used commercially and residentially. 98% of earth’s available fresh water is groundwater (ngwa.org).

When I worked on these sites, I saw firsthand the true problem at hand. Mountains of trash, mostly single-use items, being buried under dirt to slowly (or never) decompose. I saw birds, including the dead bodies of dozens of bald eagles and hawks, slowly rotting due to bellies full of plastic. How is this the solution? How have we gotten so cavalier with our waste?

In order to change our perception of waste, we have to think about the life cycle of each product, not just from the time we buy it at the store to when we inevitably toss it.

We have to change this by learning from nature. Everything in nature has a purpose, and the cycle of energy is a closed loop – meaning no form of energy is unused, it all goes back into the earth to be reused eventually. By supporting businesses that sell reusable and compostable products, we are working in harmony with nature and are contributing to a healthy, sustainable planet.

Lately, I’ve been seeing so many social media topics around the idea of going zero waste. This is when every product or packaging you consume is either reused (by you), recycled properly or composted. It is ideal to shop at bulk food stores where you can bring your own jars / cloth bags and tare your items. This eliminates the need for packaging at all — the whole “reduce” idea.

While zero waste is ideal, it is not immediately attainable, given the way the current consumer-driven system is set up. Almost everything that is not produce (and sometimes even produce 🙄) is mainly packaged in glass, cardboard or plastic. Most plastic cannot easily be recycled due to the various types of plastic (the “number”), in addition to the fact that it must be cleaned prior to recycling. In order to create true change, we must open more bulk food stores in our communities.

I encourage you to THINK. Think about how heavily we tax the environment when we constantly consume products that are made from energy harvested from the earth. We are taking this energy in harmful ways, ways that fuel low wage and high output jobs and creates a product that is used for .001% of its entire life span.

We need to focus on greatly reducing our waste – I’m bringing it back to the beginning because it still rings true.

Reduce as much as possible by cutting back on the amount of single-use items you consume. When you are purchasing an item at the store, turn off autopilot for a moment and tap into your intuition. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this item necessary for my survival? If not, does this item bring me true joy or contribute to my growth on a soul level?

2. Can this item be reused multiple times?

3. Does the purchase of this item support an ethical / sustainable company?

Reuse by purchasing items you can use over and over again. (See below for a comprehensive list of single-use household items that can be replaced with reusable ones).

And LASTLY should be recycling. But again, it’s not the ideal go-to. A way that you can recycle directly and on your own is by composting!

Below is a list of ways I am trying to reduce my personal waste. I hope this helps you on your journey to a low/zero waste lifestyle!

BEAUTY / HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS:

Makeup remover – This is a great low budget solution to effectively remove eye make up. The oil also gives an added beauty boost by moisturizing around your eyes and encourages your lashes to grow longer and stronger. Simply take organic cotton cloths cut into circles, and place them in a small mason jar. When you are ready to use one, coat it in organic coconut or Sweet almond oil and gently apply around eye area. When done – wash and reuse!

Deodorant – 2.5 tbsp of unrefined coconut oil, 2.5 tbsp of unrefined shea butter, ¼ cup of arrowroot starch / flour, 1.5 tbsp of baking soda, 12 -15 drops of essential oil (EO) of your choosing. Simply melt together ingredients on low heat and pour into a 3oz mason jar and let it solidify at room temperature before use.

Lip Balm – this is an easy one! I use a small amber glass container with coconut oil, shea butter and a few drops of vanilla essential oil. If you don’t like the idea of touching the lip balm in order to apply, you can also purchase a glass tube with a roller ball and put liquid coconut oil in it!

Shampoo & Conditioner- I was so happy to see that shampoo bars are officially trending! There are so many great brands, but Viori Beauty (uses longsheng rice) is my personal choice.

Lip scrub – small mason jar, fine-grained organic brown sugar, sweet almond oil (or other organic oil of your choosing), essential oil of your choosing, I like to use a few drops of peppermint and vanilla.

Body scrub – Once a month, I take used coffee grounds out of the French press and combine with coconut oil. I melt the oil and mix, then apply to my entire body in the shower. It leaves your skin feeling (and smelling) straight up luxurious.

Eyelash/ brow growth serum – Clean out an old mascara tube using Castile soap and hot water, and put in organic castor oil and a few drops of pure aloe Vera. I apply this to my lashes and brows nightly, it keeps them growing long and strong and prevents breakage caused by mascara!

Toothpaste – Mix together baking soda, liquid coconut oil, a few caps of activated charcoal and a few drops of peppermint EO. For a non-DIY choice, there are plenty of companies that sell glass containers with toothpaste tablets! Bite is my brand of choice.

Cotton rounds – organic, washable bamboo pads

Toilet paper- buy recycled! Bamboo TP is also good because it is more sustainable than paper from deciduous trees.

Exfoliators — Instead of the typical plastic, germ and mildew-laden, constantly damp loofah, I like to use a scrubber made of actual loofah (yes, it is from a plant so it’s biodegradable!). Alternatively, they make silicone scrubbers that stay much cleaner than the traditional loofah, yet it works just as well. One silicone scrubber should last years! The one I use can be found here. For face and body scrubs, I always make sure they have natural exfoliators and not micro-plastic beads

Razor- buy a safety razor, sugar wax or buy a laser hair removal gun

*Random eco tip- Don’t flush contacts down your sink!*

Femme Hygiene – use a reusable, silicone menstrual cup (I use the brand Organicup) and/or THINX underwear to replace sanitary pads / tampons

Condoms – there are a few new brands out who make biodegradable ones! (Top brands are HANX and LOLA). Personally I don’t use them, I have a copper IUD which is also a great, eco-friendly option!

PETS:

litter – use sawdust / mulch with baking soda to reduce smell and compost the poo (don’t flush) in a separate pile to use only on ornamentals

Food – wholesale pet stores have dry food you can buy in bulk, you can also make your own wet food. Feeding pets a real, whole food diet is always better than dried food with fillers and no moisture or nutrients. Talk to your vet about switching your pet to a whole food diet!

KITCHEN / HOUSEHOLD:

Light bulbs – use halogen (lasts longer) and recycle properly. Home Depot takes most CFLs

Batteries – buy rechargeable ones (such an easy fix!). I get mine here.

Lighter – buy a rechargeable electric lighter or use matches

Household multipurpose cleaner – I have an amber glass spray bottle that I fill with distilled white vinegar and rubbing alcohol (half and half), along with a few drops of lemon and orange EO. This is a PERFECT and super easy multitasking cleaner that I use for kitchen, windows, mirrors, bathroom, floors – literally everywhere. The alcohol kills germs and makes it quick drying so it doesn’t leave streaks!

Paper towels – microfiber cloths that can be washed, or buy rolls from recycled paper and compost both the used towel and the empty roll.

Trash bags – this one is difficult and a bit ironic, since the whole idea is to eventually not NEED more plastic bags to put your plastic in…but I try to buy biodegradable bags. They aren’t as strong, but you can at least Rest In Peace knowing they will decompose in the landfill.

*Random eco tip: compact your trash! If you are still creating trash (it’s fine, you’re human), make sure to push it down so you’re getting more trash into one trash bag.*

Tupperware – reusable glass / metal containers instead of BPA-laden ziplock bags or plastic Tupperware. You can also buy reusable silicone ziplock bags, like the one pictured below:

Single-use plastic bags (aka the ultimate kryptonite for the eco-lovers): Reusable bags! Almost every grocery store sells them now, and most are still accepting them during COVID. Just have to remember to keep a stack in your car and grab them beforehand!

Sponges – buy biodegradable ones or use a 100% bamboo scrub brush for dishes

Laundry – DIY laundry detergent / dryer sheets! You may have to experiment with this a bit since everyone has different laundry preferences, but there is a ton of info on the internet with recipes and directions.

Filtered Water – DIY charcoal water filter ( https://www.waterfilteradvisor.com/how-to-make-charcoal-sand-water-purifier-at-home-science-project-diy/ ) or install a reverse osmosis water filter in your kitchen!

Tissues – Take an old t-shirt and cut into squares, store in a jar (personally I just use toilet paper).

Foil / Plastic cling wrap – Beeswax or stretchy silicone container covers

CLOTHING:

Try to buy second hand, support the salvation army by donating old clothes, and only buy from sustainable companies that support workers rights.

ON THE GO:

⁃ use a reusable water bottle / coffee cup

⁃ If you bring lunch, make sure it is in a reusable glass or metal container and a tote bag. I ALWAYS have my reusable bamboo cutlery set on hand, complete with metal straws!

⁃ Restaurants: bring your own reusable containers instead of plastic / styrofoam To-Go boxes – I know this is a lot but you can always keep them in your car and grab them at the end of your meal.

-REFUSE THE STRAW!! When you order a drink, just politely say, “no straw please.” It’s that easy! This takes a while to get into the habit, and it was hard for me at first to say no to strangers who are just doing their job… but you have to keep the end goal in mind!

ONLINE:

⁃ avoid online shopping as that requires a lot of packaging and shipping (*cough, Amazon, cough*)

⁃ if you can buy the same product in the store, buy it in the store! It will save energy on transportation

Some parting words of wisdom I have for you would be to not be hard on yourself. You’re in a system that makes it easy to live a high waste life and breaking that cycle is difficult! Any and every step toward low/zero waste is still a step in the right direction. Also, If you really want to commit to a low waste lifestyle, you have to ditch judgements from others and being inconvenienced at times. We don’t need a few people doing it perfectly – we need a lot of people doing it imperfectly. Just keep the end goal in mind – a cleaner, happier and healthier earth for all!