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Top Tips For Living a Zero Waste Lifestyle

Reuse and recycle

By Narichica HandyPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-orange-fruits-in-white-net-3737624/

A zero waste lifestyle is a way of living that strives to reduce an individual's environmental impact and produce no material waste. This can be accomplished by following the five Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle. The goal is to only acquire items that can either be reused or recycled indefinitely. Practices like composting and sustainable shopping also fall under zero waste living, as does consuming more locally-sourced food and opting for sustainable transportation methods instead of cars.

Here are my top tips for living or transitioning into a zero waste lifestyle:

Living a zero waste lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular as people become more aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprints. But what exactly does it mean to live zero waste? In this blog post, we'll discuss ten tips for living a zero-waste lifestyle and how you can reduce your environmental impact.

Choose Reusable Products: Invest in reusable products such as water bottles, lunch boxes, shopping bags and coffee mugs. This will help reduce plastic pollution and eliminate the need for single-use items like straws and disposable cups.

Shop Local & Second Hand

By Scott Warman on Unsplash

Shop at local stores or second-hand shops for clothing, furniture, and other household items. This will help support local businesses while also reducing emissions from transportation that would otherwise be necessary if you were to buy from a store far away from your home.

Eat Whole Foods

By Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Choose fresh, whole foods over processed, packaged food whenever possible (especially when it comes to meat products). Eating organic produce and avoiding pre-packaged foods helps minimize packaging waste generated by mass production processes used by many large food companies.

Bring Your Own Containers

By Tina Witherspoon on Unsplash

When buying bulk items like grains or spices, bring your own containers instead of taking them home in single-use plastic bags or containers provided by the store. Many stores now have bulk bins where you can fill up small containers with just enough of an item that you need – perfect for avoiding unnecessary packaging!

Say No To Plastic Straws And Cutlery

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Whenever you’re out for dinner or grabbing a drink on the go, politely decline straws and plastic cutlery provided by restaurants – they often contain various chemicals that can leach into your drink or food if heated up in a microwave. Instead, invest in stainless steel straws or wooden cutlery that can easily be carried around with you wherever you go!

Reduce Food Waste

By Ella Olsson on Unsplash

Make sure to plan meals ahead of time so that you don’t end up throwing away food that goes bad before being eaten – this helps save money and resources otherwise wasted on food production processes gone unused due to excess consumption habits!

Compost Organic Waste

By Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Composting is one of the best ways to turn organic matter into nutrient-rich soil while reducing landfill waste at the same time! Start composting at home or join a local community composting program – whatever works best for you!

Be Mindful Of What You Buy

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Whenever possible, shop consciously – read labels carefully and research what chemicals are found in common household items like cleaning products or beauty products before purchasing them to make sure they’re eco-friendly alternatives!

Repair Instead Of Replace

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If something breaks around the house, try to repair it first rather than replacing it – repurposing old objects is not only cost-effective but also helps conserve resources better than simply tossing them into the trash!

Donate Unused Items

By Sarah Brown on Unsplash

Before getting rid of any unused items around your home (clothing included), consider donating them instead so someone else may enjoy using them for years down the line!

Living a zero waste lifestyle isn't easy - but with these simple tips listed above, anyone can do their part in preserving our planet's resources better than ever before!

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