How to Live Zero-Waste

Plastic has become omni-present in our daily lives. We have grown so accustomed to it that it can be hard to imagine life without plastic. At the same time, we’re all aware of the enormous problem of plastic waste nowadays. Plastic often finds its way to the sea, where it creates great damage. In the Pacific Ocean, a garbage patch three times the size of France is floating, with tons of waste arriving every day. In 2050, there may well be more plastic than fish in the oceans (by weight). Here, plastic kills animals who mistake it for prey, breaks into smaller and smaller pieces and eventually pollutes our water, our soils and our food. We don’t fully understand what effects the chemicals contained in plastic have on the environment and on us humans. And it takes 450 to 1000 years for plastic to decompose! These are good reasons to live zero-waste: to avoid plastic and other waste as much as possible.

More and more people are joining the movement of zero-waste! Luckily, an increasing number of companies, communities, bars etc. are aware of the problem of plastic pollution. And there are more and more alternatives to all these every-day products that used to create so much waste… Here, you’ll learn how to reduce the amount of waste you create in four areas of life: the kitchen, the bathroom, the wardrobe and the living room.

1. The Kitchen

Let’s get started with your kitchen. Shopping in the supermarket can be quite depressing when you see all the plastic packaging that accompanies our food today. But, with a little preparation in advance, you can avoid most packaging while buying food.

Shopping destination

First of all, check if you can shop at the farmer’s market or in a zero-waste store instead of the supermarket. Shopping at these places makes it much easier to avoid waste. More and more zero-waste stores are opening up, where you can buy everything from flour and noodles to baking soda and nuts. All you have to do is bring your own jars, containers or paper bags and fill in the amount you need.

Fruits and vegetables

For fruits and vegetables, the best option are definitely farmer’s markets. They not only offer you mostly seasonal and local fresh produce but give you the opportunity to ditch plastic bags! Again, bring your containers and bags and take home your zero-waste fruit and veg! By the way, paper bags and glass aren’t the more sustainable option unless you reuse them multiple times.

But even if you can’t or don’t want to visit a farmer’s market, you can buy many fruits and vegetables without packaging in supermarkets. Simply take your own fancy cloth bags etc. instead of these old-fashioned plastic bags 😉.

Dairy

Milk and dairy products can be tricky, but it’s possible to avoid most plastic for these groceries as well. Some farmer’s shops and markets have milk vending machines or sell milk in returnable glass bottles. If you can spot such a place but it’s not exactly on your way, remember that you can even bulk-buy milk and freeze it! Unfortunately, cheese is mostly wrapped in plastic, even at farmer’s markets. But maybe you are lucky enough to spot a place that sells cheese without plastic packaging, for you to place it in your reusable container. And you can make your own yoghurt – both dairy and plant-based! If you want to save some energy in the process, you can let it ferment out in the sun all by itself on hot days.

Meat

The same is true for meat: it is difficult to find places that let you put your meat directly in your own container. But sometimes, even supermarkets have separate meat counters where you can ask the vendor to let you put it in your brought containers – at your own responsibility, of course.

Bread

Bread is very easy to buy zero-waste if you are prepared by bringing a cloth- or paper-bag with you. Most bakeries will let you take it in your own bag, without the need to waste new paper and plastic bags. I’ve mostly had good experiences by kindly asking for it. Besides, a delicious way to spare you of packaging is to bake your own bread!

Snacks & cans

What about snacks, canned goods, pickles etc.? Many snacks and preserved foods can be prepared at home or bought in zero-waste stores. Otherwise, make sure to separate all your glass, plastic and aluminium waste correctly! Aluminium can be recycled endlessly given that it’s correctly separated. And many (organic) farmer’s markets will sell you reusable deposit jars only.

As you can see, preparation is key to living zero-waste. I’ve made it a habit to always carry a cloth bag with me in case I spontaneously want to buy something. But even if I do happen to forget to bring my own reusable container with me – it’s not the end of the world! Remember that it’s about progress, not perfection. The occasional ice-cream or snack wrapped in plastic is, in my eyes, totally ok if disposed of correctly.

Regarding cling film, aluminium foil and parchment paper, there’s good news too! Cling film is absolutely unnecessary if you are ready to put your food in closable containers. They will keep your food equally fresh without creating any waste! The same is true for aluminium foil. There are even reusable and washable silicone covers for containers without a lid. Parchment paper can be substituted by reusable silicone sheets. Not all parchment papers are biodegradable, and bleached ones may contain toxic chemicals. At the very least, you can reuse your parchment papers as often as possible and use unbleached ones.

You can substitute dishwashing sponges by loofahs, natural sponges that clean equally well as synthetic sponges, but are 100% compostable!

Drinks

Drinks can come with a lot of waste if you’re used to buy bottled water, soft drinks etc. The first step towards eliminating waste for drinks is to switch to tap water if you haven’t already. If tap water is not safe to drink in your area, you can consider installing a water filter. The next step might be hard for some… cutting down on soft drinks! There are few alternatives to wasteful packaging for soft drinks and juices. And recycling is not the ultimate solution as it is energy-intensive and many materials cannot be recycled endlessly. In the end, you’ll have to decide yourself how often you want to buy bottled drinks. But drinking mostly tap-water and eating whole fruits is definitely the healthiest and cheapest option, too.

2. The Bathroom

When you walk through your bathroom, how much plastic do you see? If you are an average person, probably a lot. If I’m honest, I still haven’t completely eliminated plastic from my bathroom, but there is a surprising number of alternatives to packaged bathroom necessities! After all, plastic is a fairly new invention and wasn’t commonly used until the 1950ies. And people must have somehow lived without it before… But then the age of consumerism came along, with ads constantly making us feel like we need this cool brand and also that new product.

Hair & body care

 Let’s get started with hair and body care. Maybe you’ve already noticed the trend away from shampoo and co. towards soap. Soap is a century old invention that lasts long and comes with little to no packaging (especially if you make it yourself). There are endless options out there, so I encourage you to just try it out and find “your” soap that suits your hair and skin. I personally started using soap several years ago. In the beginning, I didn’t get along with it well and my hair would remain greasy. But after some time, I found the right soap and my hair grew accustomed to it. Now I only use soap for my hair! There are also special soaps with cleansing essential oils for the face and body. I’ll never go back to shampoo, showering gel & conditioner!

Our overuse of synthetic products and our polluted environment has also led to a second problem: our hair and skin dry out more easily and need even more products! So, in addition to washing products, we need this and that balm, spray, mousse, lotion… When you reduce your use of synthetic body products, you’ll probably notice that these troubles decrease, as well. Our hair and skin have a natural barrier that does a fine job as long as it’s not disrupted by aggressive chemicals and too much “hygiene”. For an extra moisturizing treat, you can use different oils mixed with essential oils for natural scent. That’s what all pre-modern civilizations did: from olive to coconut oil, from cocoa to shea butter…

Face & tooth care

Face care is a difficult topic because everyone’s skin is so unique. But there are so many zero-waste alternatives to all these products wrapped in plastic! Lavender steam baths for the face to treat impure skin, homemade moisturizing face masks etc. Explore!

Toothpaste, face and body scrubs not only come with a lot of packaging, but sometimes contain microplastic that ends up in streams, seas and oceans and accumulate in our food. Yet toothpaste can easily be made at home! The same is true for deodorants – you can even simply use sodium bicarbonate as deodorant. Just search for recipes online and try out what suits you.

Combs

For combs, toothbrushes etc., always try to prefer wooden ones as they are biodegradable. But remember, zero-waste is first and foremost about reducing waste! So, if you already have a plastic comb, it’s more sustainable to use it until the end of its life than to buy another “eco” product.

Feminine hygiene

And then we come to the topic of feminine hygiene… Unfortunately, an area of life that is loaded with plastic waste and toxic chemicals for many women. But it need not be so! Tampons and sanitary pads are outdated, the era of more natural and zero-waste menstrual health is on the rise. Bought or self-sewn (my favourite) washable cloth pads, period panties, menstrual cups – the choice is yours. You might need some time to find the method that suits you best, but once you’ve found it, you don’t want to look back, promised!

Cleaning products

Cleaning products for the bathroom itself often contain toxic chemicals for the environment and for us. So it seems reasonable to switch to zero-waste and homemade alternatives such as vinegar, citric acid and sodium bicarbonate based products. You can refill them endlessly in your own bottles and they are extremely cheap to make. Just one example is an orange peel vinegar cleaner. There are so many recipes and options out there that are worth trying!  

Care to wash your laundry in a zero-waste and non-toxic way? Look out for soap nuts, a very natural and affordable alternative to commercial products!

Toilet paper & nappies

Even toilet paper may become obsolete in your household if you give a bidet a try. This will save you money, trees, water and bleaching chemicals in the long run.

For those among you who have small children: there are great zero-waste alternatives to disposable diapers! Cloth diapers are washable and can be reused endlessly. They can even save you a lot of money. More and more parents are turning towards this sustainable option for their babies today.

3. The Wardrobe & Living Room

Clothes

Did you know that many of our clothes are made of plastic today? Any synthetic material is a type of plastic. With every washing, bits of microplastic get washed into our waterways. There, they have devastating effects on wildlife and ultimately on us humans as well.

One step to avoid plastic in your wardrobe is to preferably opt for natural materials such as cotton, wool, linen, hemp, silk etc. Especially outdoor clothing is often made of harmful plastic such as fleece and microfibres.

But again, the rule of thumb for living zero-waste is to first use whatever you have as long as you can before buying anything new. Therefore, a good way to reduce waste is to buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones. In my humble opinion, this is a much more sustainable, fun and creative way of buying clothes than buying fast fashion!

Furniture, technical appliances & decoration

The same applies to furniture, technical appliances etc.: people often throw away or sell items that are still in perfectly fine condition. You can find such furniture in second-hand shops, on Ebay, at garage sales or in bulk waste. When I moved into my first unfurnished apartment, I got all of my furniture second-hand, which by the way saved me a lot of money and looks really unique and creative!  

Household decoration can create a lot of waste as well, especially if it is exchanged after a short time. Plastic flowers and trending decorative items end up in the bin all too soon. The solution is to use existing decoration as long as possible, to prefer real plants over synthetic ones and to buy second-hand items. You’ll find vases, decorative pots, tablecloths etc. in all colours and shapes if you take the time to stroll through a flea market (which can be lots of fun, too!).

Walking towards zero-waste

Did I forget to mention anything? How are you trying to live zero-waste? What have been your latest fallbacks or achievements?

Remember: zero-waste is not about perfection. It is a process rather than a goal. Be kind to yourself if things are not working the way you wanted them. Allow yourself to make mistakes! Experiment, inquire, be creative and open-minded.

You will never want to turn back to your old habits once you find your own “rhythm” of living zero-waste!