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Waste Free - Blog Posts
My Favorite Zero-Waste Swaps
Metal/Steel/Glass Straws!!!- As everyone knows, straws impact the environment in a very negative way, so why not make the change? Plus, they’re fairly cheap!
Cloth Produce Bags- Why take one plastic bag just to wrap up a few veggies or fruits? Cloth Produce Bags are a one time investment, and are way more convenient than grabbing the plastic bag!
Re-Usable Grocery Bags- These are not the cheapest things in the world, but you can get a pack of three off of Amazon.com for around $30, and again, it’s a one time investment, and one that is way more convenient than making the people at check-out put everything in multiple plastic bags.
Reusable “Ziplock” Bags- Perfect for freezing fruit in the freezer, putting certain things in the fridge, taking snacks to school, and for storing your other perishable items! Another plus to these- They’re cheap as hell most of the time!
Metal or Steel Water Bottles- Pretty much everyone has these in their cabinets. There is no reason for all the plastic bottle that are being thrown away everyday, when the Reusable Water Bottles will keep your drink cold/hot for hours at a time, where as plastic will keep your drink cold for a good 1-2 hours? Cut down on all the plastic making it’s way out into the landfills!
BUYING THINGS IN BULK!!!- This has to be a favorite within the zero-waste community! When you buy things, such as almond butter, pasta sauce, or anything in a glass jar..keep the jar!! You can bring your jars to most health foods stores or most any grocery stores in general and you can buy your items in bulk! None of all that extra waste! Just what you plan on using!
Bento Boxes/ Non-Plastic Lunch Box- These are a one time investment also! There is absolutely no reason that you should be eating out of PLASTIC containers that you will eventually throw away, these are so much more easier to clean than plastic is, and it is much better for the environment.
Portable Silver Ware!- There is not a lot to say about this one. Ditch the plastic forks and spoons, instead, take these!
Hope you enjoyed my Zero-Waste Master Post :) I personally love all of these items, they have made such a difference with my life and how conscious I am of how I consume.
While I wholeheartedly support the movement to reduce plastic pollution, let’s not stop at straws. Fishing nets account for an estimated 46% of ocean plastic waste, so if you’re looking for a way to reduce your personal impact, boycotting commercial fishing and not eating seafood would be a great starting point.
Ways to start becoming zero waste
1. Don’t go out and buy new products. Even though you think going out and buying a bunch of containers or food bags is a good idea. Its not. You have all this already. Start by going through what you have and how you can use it in multiple ways. Use old containers that have no lids to store things in your cupboard or fridge. Use canvas bags you have received from clothing stores for your shopping bags. You can use a lot of what you already have, you just forgot about them.
2. Always carry a water bottle. This will stop you from buying unnecessary drinks while you’re out and producing more waste. Plus if you have a large enough bottle you can get stores to put their drinks into your bottle instead of using their own takeaway cups.
3. When you start to see your house becoming more zero waste, when you go for your next shop start by making one room in the house zero waste at a time. Maybe work on this per month. Here is a guide i found on pinterest that i think is a great idea.
13.01.2017 I’m so proud of my little celery! She’s about a month old and grew from a stump leftover from cooking :) Let’s name her Cassia.
low waste tips: student edition
choosing a low waste lifestyle can seem an impossible extra thing to juggle when you already have friends, assignments, exams etc. to manage. hopefully this post will inspire you to make some eco-friendly swaps and show you how easy it can be to live more mindfully
1. food shop with friends. food waste is one of the biggest ways we can create waste. shopping and cooking with friends is not only really fun but almost always works out cheaper and you’ll use up all your ingredients rather than having food left over. save leftovers for lunch the next day!
2. go digital. if you have the option to type your notes and submit essays electornically then do so! you’ll save loads of paper. however, some people with learning difficulties find it easier to read with hard copies rather than on a laptop, and that is fine. just make sure you print double sided and recycle those print-outs after
3. ditch the car. travelling to and from uni via train is much better than using a car, if you can’t avoid the car then offer to car share. while at uni try and cycle, walk or use public transport as much as possible rather than driving (or ubering) short journeys. you’ll save money and the planet
4. second hand shopping/clothes swaps. there’s lots of pressure in student environments to wear the coolest clothes and to wear different things all the time. choose second hand rather than fast fashion.
5. sell your old clothes. selling your unused clothes on ebay or depop is a great way to earn a little extra cash. don’t let your old clothes be part of the 98% that are burned or go to landfill
6. borrow. there are always one-off events that you need a fancy dress/suit for. try and borrow or rent those items instead of buying something you’ll only wear once.
7. choose your stationery wisely. do you really need 5 notebooks? could you use a wooden pencil instead of a plastic pen? can you find recycled paper? little choices added together make a big difference
8. choose your drinks. drinking culture is everywhere at university and what you drink and how much is a personal choice. try and opt for drinks that come in aluminium cans (beer or cider) or glass bottles (spirits or wine). mixers are hard to find without plastic
9. refuse the straw. when you’re out this is a simple way to save the environment. just say no
10. find the university’s eco societies. surrounding yourself with and learning from environmentally-minded people is a great way to make low waste living easy. they will also be able to give you university-specific advice (e.g. where to find plastic-free veg and which cafes give you a discount for bringing your own cup)
and all the usual low/zero waste bits still apply to students too:
have a look at this post for ideas for zero/low waste swaps
low waste living is great for a student budget too! have a look at this post to find out more
for all of you guys getting anxious about the environment and pollution
y’all deserve to hear the good news too, and yes i fact checked these.
7 miles of habitat for bees will be planted in london
the biggest coal plant in north america has been converted to solar panels
roads in edinburgh will close once a month to help pollution
maine has banned styrofoam
new york city and los angeles have both made “green new deals”
The london marathon replaced 200,000 single use water bottles with seaweed water pods
the bees in notre dame survived the fire, and the roof could possibly built in a more eco-friendly way.
the population of flightless kakapos (a cool bird) is rising
the carbon emissions in the uk are the lowest they’ve been since 1998
Another large bee habitat (.5 mil acres) has been created
there is a robot that delivers young coral to help repopulate the great barrier reef
portugal plans to stop using plastic on fruit, vegetables, and bread by 2020
106 new species of bees have been discovered in australia since 2010
a group of Sikhs plan to plant 1,000,000 trees as a gift to the earth
disney has made a mickey-shaped solar farm
Morgan freeman turned a 124 acre ranch in mississippi to a bee habitat
China plans on making a “forest city” to help clean up their air
An increasing amount of countries and states are beginning to ban single use plastics.
A couple replanted a whole forest in brazil (2.7 mil trees) in 20 years, and the animals have come back to live there
The hole in the ozone layer is repairing itself more each year
China plans on spending 360 billion dollars to improve renewable energy and has scrapped plans for coal powered plants that were going to be built.
A national park has been built in the amazon (3.3 mil acres in peru) to preserve the rainforest
Ireland and the uk have declared a climate emergency
The guy who played aquaman (jason momoa) has spent 31,000 dollars to help clean up plastic
South korea is now recycling 95% of food waste
There is a cleanup campaign being planned for mt. everest
Puerto rico wants to use all renewable energy by 2050 and is setting official goals for that
Some schools have special water bottle fill-up stations that encourage you to use refill and reuse plastic bottles rather than throwing them out after one use, these are becoming more common.
9 endangered species are thought to make a comeback this year
20 countries in africa are planning to make a “green wall” of trees and plants that will span the width of africa to stop desertification
recently, a lot of volunteers and organizations are planting a ton of trees.
Awareness about the environment and climate change is growing super fast right now among people and countries, which will only help us
Most pollution is caused by like 100 companies, but a few of those (like pepsi) are trying to cut down on that.
if this stuff keeps happening things will get even better, and the only thing stopping us really are those big companies who don’t want to pay the money to switch to more eco-friendly energy sources. i know the media tends to cause fear and stress about this stuff for a lot of people, but there really is hope.
easy things we can do:
Recycle
Plant gardens in your yard for bees if you can
Participate in community volunteer things that plant trees and gardens
Theres this search engine called ecosia that plants a tree for every 45 searches you make, it has almost 2 mil users.
Pick up trash if you see it when you’re at the beach or in nature
If you have a fair amount of money, consider donating some to trustworthy environmental organizations
Start using a reusable water bottle (like those ones at target) rather than relying on single use plastic ones.
Cut the plastic rings on plastic milk bottles. You know, the little spiky plastic ring near the cap. Birds get those things stuck around their neck and die, so cut them so that they can’t get stuck on a neck.
If you can afford it, get some of those reusable grocery bags and sue those. most grocery stores have them, and it saves a lot of waste.
Journey to zero waste #23 🌱💚
A good day!! Got coffee with my bud and did a little thriftin!
-the most convenient zero waste swap is a mason jar! Mason jars are perfect for storing things, used for take out, bulk shopping, and my favorite iced coffee
-did a little thrifting! It can be super tempting at times to but from fast fashion stores but a little thrifting and you can find just what you’re looking for and so much cheaper! I wanted woven sandals and if I had bought the ones I wanted they would have been $120 but I got these for $2.99!!!
-also working a lot harder to buy things from thrift stores I’ve either really been wanting if am most definitely going to wear! Just because it’s from a thrift store doesn’t mean you need to buy it!
“we’re ruining the planet” i’m sorry who is this we i don’t recall myself running a billion dollar oil business
Journey to zero waste #22 🌱💚
-homegrown blueberries!! They tasted so good and we were so excited to pick them (hence my little sisters thumbs up). Our garden is coming along too with peppers, cabbage, beets, and just about every other vegetable we could plant. Growing our own produce makes me so happy it’s so gratifying
-low waste farmers market meal 🌻 made this meal as low waste as possible using pretty much everything from the farmers market except some vegan cheese which I will make myself once I finish up what we have!
If every working-class person in the world decided this afternoon to install solar panels on their roofs and started biking instead of driving, the ice caps would still melt and the human race would still die off. It simply isn’t possible to end climate change while working within a system that sends all your products overseas in massive supertankers wrapped in unrecycled plastic that will be thrown in a landfill the moment it hits land - and practices like that aren’t going to go away because of your purchasing habits.
Nor are we gonna hit some magical point where using clean energy and reducing waste are suddenly the cheapest or most profitable option and so all the world’s big companies fall over each other to switch over. That has never been the case and never will be - the “free market” isn’t going to save us.
The fact of the matter is, this system needs to be torn down if our species is to survive. We don’t have time to delay the revolution anymore. Capitalism is extinction.
Homemade vegan pesto pizza don’t mind if I do 😍😍😍
Simple guide on how to create less waste
2025 corporate pride month: exxonmobil posts this pic and says oil is pro LGBT
Free ways to be more environmentally friendly/zero waste
Email companies about their packaging and role in sustainability. You can easily do any company you like to buy from - even encourage less packaging waste to organic environmentally friendly ones because sometimes it’s hard to get those products without plastic.
Pick up trash and properly recycle it if you can
Learn and spread that information. Online, in person, make a cheap zine or pretty picture to post online to get more attention. And don’t spread false info, you should check multiple sources especially since big companies may like to shit talk about options that oppose them.
Eat less. Eat less meat. Eat less packaged products. Eat out less. Eat less dairy and cheese.
Eat more in terms of what you already have so you don’t have food waste. Meal planning can help with this. And be sure to look up actual expiration times on foods you buy in order to keep track and because the sell by/use by date is more for actual stores vs you eating it. Just, you know, have common sense and make sure it’s not chunky, smelly or slimey.
Dumpster Diving. Some people live solely off the food they find in dumpsters. Just do your research, check local laws, and bring gloves.
Start a garden with your food scraps.
Compost. You already have the banana peels, grass clippings, etc. Might as well try to compost it then add whatever compostable packaging you get after.
Buy less, that’s a given. First rule of zw is to use what you have. And focus on your needs vs feelings, “cheap deals” or aesthetic.
Recycle. That’s not free if you have to pay the trash company fees to be apart of their recycling program like I do. But there probably are recycling bins locally. It depends on your household number, location to the recycling bins, transportation but the easiest option would be to just collect it over a period of time if you have space at home then take it all to be recycled. Grocery stores like Walmart also have plastic bag recycling bins because grocery bags tend not be accepted at certain recycling programs. Here’s a good guide on recycling plastic.
Re-use. You really don’t need those aesthetically pleasing mason jars or fancy jars off Amazon. Use glass jars you already buy. Jam jars, pickles jar, sauce jars, spice jars, heck even wine bottles. You can even find or reuse the plastic bottle tops and put on the glass jars for instant shaker or squirt bottle. Plastic ones too. I put little craft stuff in my soy sauce containers. You can still reuse water bottles for a while before recycling it. Also try to re-use things your family or friends don’t use anymore.
Repurpose/upcycle/DIY. There are already a million different ideas out there on how to find new uses just about everything you already have. And sometimes DIY is better than buying. You can make underwear from t-shirts. Mesh curtains can become produce bags. Beewax wraps - and even vegan versions of this - seem to be cheaper and easy to make. You can un-knot old knit/crochet products and make something new with the yarn.
Use fossil fuels differently- which you’ve already been told. Cold water saves on energy used to heat it up. Wash clothing less. Turn down the house temperature a little bit. Turn off light and electronics. Car pool, ride a bike, use public transportation, make one trip a month to that one bulk store two hours away vs multiple in a shorter time span.
Free Stuff/Trading. Use Freecycle, find a local group for free stuff on fb, organize a clothing swap, look on the side of the road because people throw out perfectly good household stuff like chairs and appliances.
Choose slow shipping and less packaging. Two day shipping means trucks aren’t packed to full capacity which means more trucks driving back and forth thus more emissions. Vox did a good video about it here. If you shop at Amazon you know you can have your package wait and get all your items in one box. But you can do more! Shelbizlee did a great video about reducing Amazon packaging.
Consider, think and research. There are endless things to think about and consider your options. Easy stuff like buying secondhand instead of new, choosing a glass or cardboard option vs plastic in your grocery store, checking for local options. But there’s also having to consider if it’s more zero waste and sustainable to diy or purchase from an ethical company. And you might even want to reduce your recycling more since plastic can only be recycled a number of times so then you have to reconsider IF and how you can re-design your zw routines even more. These are things that are different for everyone but don’t get overwhelmed by seeing lots of problems and not being able to solve every one in your lifestyle. Doing the best you can is the goal.
Happy Earth Day!! Tick off your progress of your zero-waste journey! How many do you do already and how many will you be able to do by the end of the year?
Going zero waste is something that everyone adapts to differently according to what they have available, so do what you can, be aware and spread the word!
I wanted to add a link to every product, and I also need to add some other things but if you want to help me out that’d be great!
today is earth day! in honor of Mother Earth let’s guillotine every ceo that’s willfully contributing to climate change despite having billions of dollars that could be used to stop it!
It feels very rewarding to go to the bulk store with a bunch of mason jars and fill them up! I’m saving money and waste just by doing this simple thing. Food in mason jars looks way better than a bunch of boxes and bags in my shelf anyways.
Instagram: vibing.vegan
FYI
to help make a difference in climate change and to not contribute to human and animal suffering as much as possible i:
- am vegan in all aspects - do not have a car - walk and bike as much as possible - use public transportation when i can not - use reusable bags - use reusable water bottles - use reusable utensils - use reusable containers - refuse plastic at all opportunities - buy recycled/fair trade clothing as i can - try my hardest to be zero waste - throw away NO food - recycle everything i can - switched to having all of my energy come from renewable sources - appreciate all water i use - pick up trash - buy local produce when i can - forgo produce that uses many resources - donate money to vegan and environmental causes - live a minimalistic life - get furniture and appliances second hand if possible - sell and donate things i no longer use
does that make me better than you? of course it doesn’t. but i probably am doing better than you. what the fuck are you doing for the planet? do more.
denise, a university classmate of mine just opened a package- and waste-free grocery store in braunschweig. it`s such a beautiful shop with an amazing product range and a lovely little café, too. if you like to shop organic, regional, fair trade and waste free, or like to treat yourself and your loved ones with delicatessen and spa essentials, this is the place for you.
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WUNDERBAR UNVERPACKT, Fallersleber Straße 36 D- 38100 Braunschweig