Zero Waste for Zero Dollars

Day to day, it’s easy to prioritize completing our tasks efficiently, over eco-friendly habits. At the grocery story, we often opt for a plastic bag rather than running back to our car to grab our reusable one. Instead of keeping silverware in the car when getting take-out, we just grab a handful of plastic forks and call it a day. These small habits are ones that when accumulate to cause a damage to our earth. Through small, conscious changes to our lifestyle, we can all reduce our waste without spending extra money! Three easy tricks to remember when trying to become a “no waste household” are to borrow, recycle, and compost.

Borrow

With our lives on pause, many of us are resorting to hobbies, adventures, and exploration to keep busy and social distance. These activities, like everything else in our lives, require items that may not necessarily be “common household items”. Because of this, before going on that camping trip, hike, or starting that new painting, ask your friends if they have the supplies you need. Borrowing will help ensure that you won’t purchase an item, use it once, and then throw it away, further adding waste to our earth. 

Reuse and Recycle

A saying, “reuse and recycle” rings true throughout our lives. Take a look around your room right now, what do you see? Maybe an old shirt you don’t wear, a newspaper you’ve already read, or a vase that’s outlived its glory days. All these items could be refurbished and used in different aspects of your life. That old shirt can become a cleaning cloth, saving you from buying endless rolls of paper towels. That old newspaper could be used as lining for your garbage bin, and that old vase can be used to help kickstart your gardening hobby. By getting creative before automatically throwing something out, you’ll find that many things you already own can have dual purpose. 

Compost

According to Forbes, the average American family wastes 250 pounds of food per year. This waste contributes to global warming and wasted water supply. Composting your food waste instead ensures that unwanted leftovers are properly disposed, helping reduce levels of methane emissions and avoided use of chemical fertilizers. 

By adjusting small parts of our lives and being conscious of our habits affect our planet, we can collectively contribute a waste-free lifestyle that promotes an eco-friendly future.