A common critique I hear about the zero-waste movement is that it’s too expensive to get started. While I acknowledge that there are a lot of expensive elements related to zero-waste living, it’s also important to note that you don’t always have to buy the expensive option to be sustainable.
While there are a lot of really beautiful and sustainable products out there, there is a less glamorous side of zero-waste living that is equally important. Not surprisingly, the less glamorous side tends to be the one that is most cost-effective. The problem is that people often don’t think about it when they talk about sustainable living.
One of the biggest ways to make an impact on the Earth is simply changing your mindset when it comes to products. We often buy more than we need, don’t use everything that a product has, and simply throw the product away without thinking about it. Once you step back and begin to focus on how you impact the world, it quickly becomes evident just how much of a positive impact we all can make as individuals if we live more sustainably.
Below is a list of extremely cost-effective sustainable options that don’t require you to buy anything:
Use a Metal Fork, Knife (Preferably Butter Knife), and Spoon From Your Kitchen and Wrap it in a Reusable Napkin
A great sustainable “swap” you can use instead of plastic cutlery is using the silverware you have in your kitchen and wrapping it up in a reusable napkin you have. You can keep this in any bag you often have with you, so you can use them anytime you eat out. This option is really easy to set up and you already have all of the parts. Always having it in your bag is the best way to make sure that it is with you whenever you eat out and you don’t have to remember it.
Reuse Products You Already Have For Other Functions
A great mindset shift is taking products that we usually throw out and thinking about how we can give them a second function in our life. The sky is the limit for how you do this, so have fun and get creative!
For a personal example, my family has a nice water filter and we use some empty Ocean Spray bottles to use when we travel or just to store so we don’t always have to turn on the filter to have filtered water. This gives the bottles a second life and we try to use them until they can’t be used anymore.
Trade Clothes with Your Friends
This is a great way to spend time with your friends as you raid each other’s closets and figure out how you can combine each other’s styles. With the clothing industry causing a negative impact on the Earth, anything we can do to reduce the number of clothes we buy in a year is a great way to discourage fast fashion and excessive consumerism.
Buy Fewer Products
While it may seem self-explanatory, it’s important to remember that buying fewer products uses fewer materials and produces less waste. There are so many areas of our lives where we buy way more than we need and throw out more than we mean to. The biggest thing you can do about this is focus on what you throw out daily, think about how you could potentially reduce this amount, and be conscious of how much you are buying in the future.
Use Everything a Product Has Before Buying Another One
We often don’t realize how much product is still left in the bottles that we throw out when we feel like they are all used up. I encourage you all to cut open a squeeze bottle that you are positive has nothing left in it and see how much product is left on the sides. Getting every last drop out of our products before we throw them away not only saves us money, but it also requires fewer products to be made because what you are using will last for longer.
Make Confetti Out of Dried Leaves
This one is slightly random, but it brings up an important idea that not many people think about. Products should try to be returned to the Earth as much as possible. So when buying products, try to find things that are biodegradable or made from natural materials. Dried leaves will easily biodegrade, but something like glitter will not. It’s not to say you have to have everything in your life be made from biodegradable materials, but it is important to look for biodegradable options and try to use them whenever possible.
Eat Less Meat and Dairy Products When You Can
For those of you who don’t know, meat and dairy have the highest carbon footprint of all the food groups (by a lot), and therefore people can make a big impact if they simply eat less of them. However, the biggest argument against this is that people say that they can’t eat more sustainably because they love meat.
The way I like to look at it is this: you don’t have to give up meat, dairy, etc. completely to be sustainable, but you should try to avoid having it all-day-everyday.
What I mean by this is try having a vegetarian or vegan meal once a week. This simple act of changing one meal instead of your entire diet will make you more likely to continue it and allow you the chance to still eat the food you enjoy. Also, there are a lot of amazing vegetarian and vegan meals on the internet, so it is no longer that you have to settle for eating the more sustainable option.
As I mentioned previously, I like to think that the biggest way to make an impact is to change your mindset so that you think about the way you are impacting the Earth and do whatever you can to lessen that. Living sustainably will look different for everyone but there are things we can all do to change how we approach buying, using, and throwing away products.
