Sustainable living: 5 Easy Ways To Go Zero Waste Today
We all know that adopting a zero waste lifestyle is one of the best things we can do for the planet. Limiting personal waste in pursuit of sustainable living reduces carbon emissions, lessens ocean pollution, and keeps our air and water clean.
We understand that mass consumerism and budgets can make living a zero-waste lifestyle in 2022 difficult. We at Clean U Skincare are here to help you make it possible. So we have five suggestions that we believe will help you reduce your carbon footprint and start your zero waste journey today.
So what is zero waste?
Zero waste has become a buzzword synonymous with guilt-free, sustainable resources and clean living. A lifestyle choice opposing excessive consumerist culture, zero waste principles focus on reusing and repurposing. Consumers can limit the amount of rubbish sent to landfills by reducing the number of products thrown away. Therefore, zero waste is a more sustainable, environmentally friendly way of living, in which quality always triumphs over quantity.So how can you adopt this less is more way of life? Here are five easy changes we can recommend!
Compost your food and garden waste
Add discarded food and garden waste to a compost bin to break down in your home. After decomposing, you can use this nutrient-rich organic compost material to act as fertilizer for plants. Organic compost is an eco friendly way to dispose of food, which can also help to enhance your garden and greenery.
Purchase products with less packaging
Before your next purchase, consider its packaging. Is the amount of cardboard or plastic necessary? If not, you can always find a suitable alternative with less or zero waste online. There are countless options, retailers and outlets, both on and offline. Find what you want. You might even find your recycling bill reduced with fewer trips to the recycling centre!
Soap Bars require less energy to produce, package and last longer.
We at Clean U Skincare offer a plastic free packaging skin cleanser in the form of a soap bar. We feel it replaces your everyday shower gel pretty well. Check it out.
Once you start noticing how much packaging your everyday products contain, you may be surprised how many zero waste alternatives there are! Sustainable living is possible.
Most people don’t know that even your tea bags contain tiny microplastics. It’s true. But don’t worry, you can switch to a variety of flavoursome loose teas and use a tea strainer to remain zero waste and plastic free.
If you’ve never been to a zero waste store, simply find your nearest on Google. Nearly all zero waste, sustainable living and packaging free stores allow you to take your containers to fill with everything from pantry staples to household cleaning products - all without packaging!
Cut out single-use plastics
In our opinion, the number one way to reduce your waste is by cutting out single-use plastics. In an ultra-instantaneous world, businesses rely on plastic to transport things quickly. However, by consumers slowing down and cutting out single-use plastic, we can better serve the planet and take care of ourselves better too. We may even influence businesses too!
Single use plastic remains for centuries polluting our environment and harming the ecosystem
As plastic has become a widely accepted consumer solution to eating, drinking and living on the go, at Clean U we have got some tips to help your sustainable living journey no matter your lifestyle.
1. Instead of purchasing and eating a ready meal out of a plastic container in the staff room at work every day, prepare a meal the night before and transport it using a reusable lunch box. Do this with your snacks too! It may even be worthwhile prepping your meals for the week on a Sunday evening. Having the foresight to plan meals and snacks means you can dramatically reduce the throw-away packaging you use daily. Saving valuable time throughout a busy week, you may find enough money leftover to dine out once a month!
2. Stay hydrated throughout the day by always having a reusable water bottle with you. Whether out with friends, on a trip to the cinema or walking the dog, buying a water bottle from a drinks machine is not just bad for your purse, but several studies show that drinking out of plastic bottles may negatively impact your health.
3. When going shopping, whether it’s for daily essentials or anything else, try to always carry reusable bags with you. Reusable shopping bags save you money and cut out unnecessary plastic waste. There are endless options when it comes to reusable shopping bags. Pick from canvas, hemp, cotton or mesh. Zero waste is a bag away!
4. Purchase Repurposed Products
When you’re buying from a retailer, you can look at the materials and manufacturing that go into their products. Whenever possible, it’s best to prioritise businesses that use recycled and repurposed products. For example, a fashion brand that uses recycled plastic may be more environmentally friendly than those that continue to use new.
Our repurposed coconut bowls are made with repurposed coconut shells that are saved from being burned or thrown in the landfill
If it's broken, fix it!
As modern-day consumers, our first instinct is to throw away something that’s broken and buy a new one. However, often these items can be fixed with just a few stitches or even be transformed into something new! Mending an item rather than throwing it away can help you reduce waste, create something one of a kind, and save money in the process! If you’re not DIY savvy, don’t worry. A local tailor, seamstress or even online marketplace can help at a fraction of the price of buying new!