A big love of mine is working towards a zero-waste lifestyle - I have a long way to go in not producing trash, but I have still taken a handful of steps over the years that have significantly reduced my trash production. And on top of that, I have found a hobby I love! As a kid, taking out the recycling was one of my weekly chores, and I remember always being confused by everyone’s curbs in seeing 3 times the amount of trash as there was recycling. Little did I know, I’d grow up to find a hobby in recycling
Taking steps towards producing less trash can start today and doesn’t need to be everything at once or a break-the-bank investment. I sometimes just ask myself, “what did my favorite characters on the pioneer shows I watched use to clean and keep their home functioning? They didn’t have Walmart!” Here are few basic ideas I enjoy:
Cloth Napkins instead of paper napkins - easy to make or buy
Cloth towels (unpaper towels) instead of paper towels
DIY Cleaning products (see an easy recipe below)
Reusable grocery bags
Wool dryer balls
Read up on all that is recyclable. And then recycle!
Look for options at the store that include less packaging or recyclable packaging
Beeswax covers instead of plastic wrap & foil
Start composting! An estimated 80% of waste is organic matter.
Build up your collection of reusable food storage - water bottles, glass containers, stainless steel, etc
Repurpose an item! Look for another use for something you’re ready to throw away
Look for places to donate all old clothing, shoes, and fabric
Swap out plastic brushes for a natural wood brush
I like to make my own cleaning products for both health reasons and zero waste efforts. One of my very favorite simple household cleaner recipes is the following:
Fill a jar with any citrus peels (completely cleaned of the citrus fruit): oranges, lemons, limes, cuties, grapefruits, any of them!
Once you have a jar full, fill your jar with vinegar and let it sit for a couple weeks.
During that time, the peels naturally extract their oil and give the vinegar a lovely citrus smell.
Strain out the liquid into a spray bottle (preferably glass!)
For extra scent, add essential oils (then you do need to use a glass spray bottle as oils will eat away at the plastic)
I tend to make my mixture stretch my adding water to dilute it a bit.
I also use them for my toilet & bathroom cleaner by adding a splash of vodka to the bottle instead of diluting with water.
