I’ve always been mindful of the nature around me, the bountiful nature that’s been kind enough to bless us all with everything we need. Since the moment I realized how our actions are taking a toll on our mother nature, I made a few changes in my lifestyle to do my bit. Some of those are, reducing the usage of plastic bags, reducing the intake of meat, preferring the use of eco-friendly and cruelty-free beauty products, etc. I consider all these as baby steps towards the big picture. Zero waste living.
I perfectly know that it is such a big change. And of course, it can’t be achieved overnight. As the saying goes, great things take time.
But I wonder, what it takes to lead a zero-waste life?
Mostly, I think it is the same as raising a baby. You have to be careful of every item in your house that might hurt nature, you must plan your whole day around the same idea, and ultimately, the love you get back will make it all worth it.
It might be strenuous but the satisfaction of doing the right thing can never be replaced with anything else. The ones that go otherwise about nature are the ones who cut the branch they are sitting on. It can only hurt them.
Anyway, I want to share a few ways of cutting down the household waste we create daily. I did my research and I’m ready to share it with you.
Zero waste living
The first thing is,
Use metal or glass water bottles.
You can use these almost like forever. This surely is a little thing to do, right.
Cut down on plastic straws
This is a must. Every time you visit Starbucks or a coffee place, you take a straw and that itself can be so much waste per year. There are many eco-friendly alternatives for a cheap plastic straw, like metal, paper, or glass even. You can reuse it and hence save a bit of money as well. So next time you visit Starbucks, take your own metal straw along with you.
Australians use about 10 million straws every day, or 3.5 billion a year. Most are used just once – for around 15-30 minutes, after which they are thrown away!
Imagine how it could be worldwide.
No more tissues
Zero waste living is not just about quitting plastic usage but also about quitting what is unnecessary. Always, always prefer handkerchiefs over a piece of tissue. The old-school way.
Bamboo toothbrush
This is another lifestyle change I’ve made recently. I started using a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one. A tiny one yet a step indeed.
Have a reusable bag while visiting a store
This is something my mom does every time she goes for an errand. It is a really great habit. Do you even know how much money we spend on shopping bags per year? I read somewhere that an average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.
Regrow kitchen scraps
I’ve been looking into this these days. I’ve already asked for my dad’s help. So you might see me talk about it pretty soon.
No to plastic loofahs
Instead, go for a natural one. Bamboo loofah or something. I also started using one such loofah, that looks a bit like made from dried roots. Honestly, it is better than a plastic one. It exfoliates better.
Homemade products
Whether it might be shampoo or conditioner or a deodorant, there are literally hundreds of tutorials on the internet. So once a while make your products instead of spending money.
Sometime ago we even made a color palette from flowers. It was so much fun and so much vibrance. You can check that out here.
Voila!
How do you like these ideas?
Zero waste living is not just a lifestyle, it is a mindset. You can’t go zero waste overnight. You must start with little. It is a process. And these are the perfect little habits to include in your routine.
I hope you found some inspiration here.
Leave a comment down and let me know your thoughts.
I’ll see you soon again.
Chao!
Lots of LOVE,
Nikki.
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