Reducing or completely eliminating waste is attainable
Over the years, environmental damage caused by humans has been accumulating without much thought of the consequences. More and more, this damage is surfacing and affecting life on Earth. An example of that damage is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is an accumulation of plastic debris weighing up to 250,000 tons in the North Pacific Ocean, according to Marcus Eriksen and colleagues at the University of Connecticut.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch interferes with wildlife ecosystems and will not disintegrate for thousands of years. This type of environmental damage is classified as accumulative harm because it is caused by pollution from many sources rather than just one. Since there is not one cause to blame, it is difficult to implement policies that would entirely prevent further damage. However, although the impacts of individual policies seem minute, they can still be very influential if they become popular. For example, if living a zero-waste lifestyle becomes a fashionable trend, global waste would be largely reduced.
If living a waste-free lifestyle is something that interests you, here are some steps that you can easily take to integrate more conscientious habits into your daily life. Remember that any step to being a greener individual is a step in the right direction!
Food
One of the easiest and most common ways to reduce waste is to bring reusable bags with you when shopping and to avoid plastic bags. Large bags for carrying groceries home are easy to get at grocery stores.
To completely avoid plastic, it’s best to focus on whole foods rather than pre-prepared, processed foods. This part might require more effort in the kitchen, since you’d be buying ingredients and avoiding shortcuts. When buying dry products, like rice, flour, and sugar, simply buy in bulk and fill up your own mason jars.
Things like bread and cookies come in lots of packaging, so baking at home can reduce plastic consumption while enjoying a delicious treat. Buying local fruits and vegetables that don’t require fossil fuel-driven transportation can also decrease accumulative pollution.
For storage of food, glass containers with mostly glass lids are the best option for long lasting products. Rather than packing lunches with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, beeswax food wrappers are becoming a popular sustainable option.
Hygiene
If you’re not into crafts, stores like Lush provide a variety of waste-free products, like shampoo bars, conditioner bars, tooth powder, and mouthwash tabs.
And if you’re not ready to go full Lush, simply switching to a biodegradable or wooden toothbrush will minimize your overall waste in your lifetime by a lot.
For lotions, one simple recipe can be used and adjusted as required. The two ingredients are beeswax and a carrier oil. The carrier oil can be any type of oil, preferably local. And the consistency of the recipe can be adjusted by changing the concentrations of the two ingredients. More beeswax makes a more solid product, like lip balm, while more oil makes a softer product, like body lotion. Other ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter can add nutrients to the lotion. Essential oils can be used to add aroma to the products.
Going out
Socializing might be the greatest challenge when it comes to avoiding waste since peers influence your choices. A few easy ways to avoid temptation is to go out prepared. Having a reusable water bottle is essential for staying hydrated. Water fountains can be found almost anywhere! Having a reusable mug is great too if you’re grabbing a coffee or tea on the go. Often coffee shops have ceramic mugs and glasses available. All it takes to avoid straws is to ask!
Other temptations when going out can include advertising. It’s impossible to avoid, and can leave you feeling like you need to buy something new. It’s important to think about what you already have and to consider whether you really need to accumulate more material possessions.
Featured photo courtesy of Neon Brand via CC0