Pursuing a Zero Waste lifestyle can oftentimes be very overwhelming. I’m sure you all have many resolutions for 2021 that involve reducing your waste and lessening your environmental impact. With any resolution, it is best to slowly ease into it with a step by step guide. Follow along for a new low waste goal every month of 2021!
January
Purge, donate, and minimize your belongings.
Start with your closet! Go through your clothes/shoes and ask yourself if you still want or need them.
Move on to other items in your home like games, decorations, books, furniture, etc. Take a closer look at your “hall closet” or the equivalent.
After going through your things, make sure to donate them to thrift stores and shelters or give them to your friends. Try to get a sense of the items you have and how you can reuse them to reduce your waste.
Organizing your space and getting rid of things you do no longer need will not only encourage you to buy fewer new things, but will also help you start new habits. Learning to reduce our waste is challenging. But getting rid of our old and unwanted items is a great place to start.
It is also important to note that following the popularized zero waste aesthetic is oftentimes not the most sustainable approach. Keep in mind that using the items you have until they run out will get you closer to your goal!
February
Plastic-free swaps: The next step is to begin transitioning away from single-use products.
Start by bringing reusables with you when you go out. Whether it is bamboo utensils, a reusable coffee cup/water bottle, a tote bag, or your own container, this is where you can start avoiding wasteful situations before they find you.
Try to use what you have even if it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as you would like. If you can’t find them second-hand look into purchasing these things second hand or from sustainable and small businesses to reduce your impact.
When buying new items, opt for plastic-free versions like compostable phone cases, refillable pens and pencils, silicone bags, glass/metal containers and jars, wooden cooking utensils, wood/metal utensils and straws, etc.
Always remember it is more sustainable to use the plastic things you already have versus buying one that is brand new but made of sustainable/ sturdy materials!
March
Plastic-free food: focus on cutting down on purchasing food that comes in plastic.
Look around your community for shops that sell food items without plastic, or that allow you to shop in bulk with your own containers. (This is proving to be much more challenging during the pandemic but keep it in mind.) Find a local farmers market to shop for fresh and plastic-free produce, as well as other products from small businesses.
If you are having trouble finding these things in your area, there are online services that will ship your groceries to you in a low waste way, such as Thrive Market.
April
Beauty and self-care products:
First off, it is important to use up what you already have. It can be really tempting to go out and buy new things and start fresh with all low-waste products, but keep in mind that this will be a much slower process.
Start with things like toothpaste tablets, compostable bamboo toothbrushes, plastic free floss, shampoo bars, conditioner bars, bar soap, menstrual cups, metal safety razors, lotion sold in bulk, etc. These are pretty widely available and can be found in many stores and online shops. There are many versions of these things and you may prefer some over others. This is often the most challenging part of zero waste living -- finding things that work for you in a market that has only very recently been rising in popularity can be quite challenging. Trust the process and do your research.
Low waste makeup and skincare products are less widely available than other more common self-care products. However, many small businesses have begun to sell products that are refillable, recyclable, or compostable.
It can be challenging and expensive to overhaul your cosmetic routine, but even just making a few low waste swaps can have a positive impact. Remember, this is a long process that you can take your time with.
May
Cleaning supplies: Try replacing your traditional chemical cleaning products with “green” cleaning products.
Start with your all-purpose spray and liquid dish soap, and then move into your bathroom cleaning chemicals. Many large grocery and home stores are selling non-toxic products that you can purchase low waste refills for as well as packaging that is made of recycled, and compostable materials. You can even find recipes on Pinterest and Zero waste blogs to make your own cleaning products.
Seek out stores that allow you to refill containers for soap, cleaning spray, etc.
Look into a mop that doesn’t require single-use pads and cleaning solutions. Many brands are now selling washable cloth mats that can be reused many times.
June
Learn to compost: at-home composting seems like a huge inconvenience for many, but there are ways to simplify the process.
Many cities are starting to adopt an efficient and sustainable waste management system. This includes compost bins and recycling pick up services.
If your city does not offer these services the easiest way to prevent smell is to freeze your compost bin/bag. This is really great for people who don’t have a backyard or the space to compost. Many cities have composting programs where you can bring your frozen compost to a drop off location near you.
July
Thrift and shop second hand: buying used is the best way to close the consumer loop. This, not only supports sustainable waste reduction efforts but also reduces the demand for the production of new products.
Thrifting and secondhand shopping bring better quality items back into the market. When items such as clothing are donated, they tend to be well made and still in excellent shape. Buying durable items like this will lessen the demand for overproduction of clothing (fast fashion) and will leave us with great looking clothes for years to come.
August
DIY and upcycle: repurposing, repairing, and renovating are great ways to lessen your contribution to landfills.
Try a few projects this month where you repair a tear in your favorite jeans, repaint your dresser, or look through your family's old clothes.
Making something yourself is not only really rewarding but it also allows you to customize your space and save money. Just be mindful of the materials you are using and try to source out sustainable and low waste packaging.
September
Go paperless: going paperless is becoming easier and easier in today's world. We have tablets, electronic pens, and endless space for notes and PDFs.
Not only does moving everything to an online electronic format save space, it also saves trips to the printer, and allows you to take everything you have ever written, typed, or researched with you wherever you go.
Investing in a tablet can seem pricey, but it is becoming more and more useful as time goes on. Although most tech companies do not make sustainable or ethically made electronics, technology is advancing at such a rate that the modern world cannot live without it. Buying second hand, doing research on the brands you support, and responsibly recycling your old electronics are just a few ways that we can lighten our impact.
October
Laundry: take a closer look at your laundry routine and products. Try switching from your normal detergent to a plastic free alternative. This could be in the form of pods that come in a cardboard box, washing soda or powder detergent, or even refillable liquid detergent.
Look into replacing fabric softener and dryer sheets with “dryer balls”. Dryer balls are felt like shears that are often made out of wool, bamboo, or hemp fibers. They act as dryer sheets to reduce static and soften clothes in your dryer. These can be reused over and over again and will significantly reduce your laundry waste.
Try to avoid purchasing new clothes that are made out of materials that produce microplastics. This includes polyester and plastic-based textiles. Although we can’t see them, these microplastics are produced every time we wash our clothes, water supply.
Lastly, try to be energy- and water-efficient. Save your laundry until you have a full load or share a load with a friend/family member to ensure you are getting the most out of each wash cycle.
November
Shop small: as we approach the holiday season, try to purchase your gifts from small and sustainable businesses. Small businesses not only need our support, but they also tend to make high-quality items that are less likely to end up in landfills just a few years later.
Make deliberate purchases that will best fit the recipient and, if possible, provide a gift receipt so they can exchange the item if it isn’t their favorite.
December
Gift wrapping: once you have collected the presents you plan to give out during the holidays, make sure you wrap them in a sustainable way.
There are lots of cute things you can do such as reusing old wrapping paper, using recycled or compostable butcher paper, or using a box or bag that can then be reused.
Final thoughts:
Going zero waste is quite challenging even if you have a step by step guide to get you started. It is important to realize that living sustainably is not going to work out 100% of the time. Understanding that doing the best you can and constantly making improvements is going to begin the process of offsetting a world that has been wastefully consuming our planet's resources. It is going to take some time for Lawmakers in the general population to adopt a system where consumerism does not rely on the mass production of wasteful materials. Taking small steps over time will get us closer to the finish line.
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