How To Become A Zero-Waste Household

Becoming a zero-waste household is a process of changing old habits and actively trying to reduce your carbon footprint on the world. If you don't know where to start, here are some beginner's tips on how to form greener habits:

Reduce What you Buy

Buy only the food you will need. Don't be tempted by bargain offerings of more-for-less as invariably you will find that you can't eat everything and then too much goes to waste. Preparing a weekly menu will also reduce shopping time - ideal in these Covid-19 times when we are all trying to stay virus-free. 

Reuse

Find ways to reuse your excess food - freeze, preserve, pickle or add the leftovers to a stew or smoothie. Certain items are ideal for making your own household cleaning or beauty products. Some household waste can also be composted. If possible, also reuse the packaging.

Stop Using Disposables

Reusable items should replace disposables, i.e. single-use items, like plastic bags, bottles and straws, paper towels, disposable coffee cups, plates and cutlery, cling wrap and sandwich bags. Rather find a reusable alternative for each. Keep a reusable grocery bag instead of always buying plastic bags and prepare your own meals, rather than ordering takeaways, to reduce polystyrene and plastic take-away containers.

Create Your Own Compost Heap or Bin

Don't discard your waste, create your own compost heap or bin. Some items useful for composting are egg shells and egg boxes, newspapers, teabags, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable scraps. Your garden will welcome this great fertiliser.

Follow this link to find out the do's and don'ts of creating your own compost heap:

http://ow.ly/zc0J30r9MAO

DIY Cleaning and Beauty Products

Make your own cleaning and beauty products. They are easy and inexpensive to make and will help reduce your carbon footprint. A combination of lemon juice, white vinegar and baking soda makes a great household cleaner as white vinegar diluted with water cleans many surfaces.

Here are some ideas for making your own cleaning and beauty products:

http://ow.ly/I7aE30r9MBv and http://ow.ly/qH8K30r9MBZ.

Recycle

Avoid buying products in plastic containers. Rather choose products in metal, cardboard or glass containers as these can be recycled or, if possible, turn them into something useful for the house, garage or garden. Only recycle an item as a last resort and dispose of it properly at your nearest recycling depot.

Living a cleaner lifestyle is not always easy. Getting used to these new habits will be hard and will take time. But, its long-term effects will make it all worthwhile. It will mean dedicating your lifestyle to practising environmental sustainability. With the tips provided, you should be ready for this!

 

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