5 Things You Should Know Before Transitioning to Zero-waste

For the past few years, I’ve been slowly transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle, or in my case, a low-waste journey. One thing that they don’t tell you is how hard it is to transition from your regular lifestyle to a low-waste one.

I started my journey about four years ago. It all started with beeswax food wraps and bamboo toothbrushes. If you’re like me and you’re meticulous about changing your toothbrush every 3 months (which you really should btw, it’s dentist-recommended!), you know how wasteful it is to throw out your toothbrushes every few months. If you think about it, you throw out about 4 toothbrushes per year. That’s a heck ton if you count how many you have to throw out in your lifetime. This is the reason that I switched to bamboo toothbrushes. At that time, it wasn’t as popular as it is now, and they were mostly on the expensive side. It took me a bit of looking into the internet for places that sell bamboo toothbrushes. To add to the challenge, I had to find ones that were soft because I have sensitive gums. Moving on to the beeswax food wraps… I still have them and use them to this day! Now, manufacturers often say that food wraps typically last for only a year tops before you have to replace them. Honestly, mine have lasted for years. I admit that I don’t use them that often but, like all things, if you take care of them well, they’ll last you even longer.

Enough blabbering and let’s get into things you should know before transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle:

1. YOU CAN’T GO ZERO-WASTE OVERNIGHT

Now, this is the most important thing that I reaaaaaalllyyy want to make clear. YOU CAN’T SWITCH YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN JUST ONE DAY. It’s a process. It’s a tedious and frustrating process, and there are a few factors behind this: habit, products that you already own, and products that suit you.

a. HABIT

Humans are creatures of habit. This is common-sense. It’s hard enough to incorporate even a single new habit ---how much more if it’s your entire lifestyle! It’s just not sustainable to do it all in one go. I know you’re excited to go on this journey. But, trust me, you can’t keep up with it if you replace your routines, your eating habits, your products all at once. You will feel overwhelmed, and you will feel bad for not using your “new sustainable products” because you’re used to the ones you’ve been using for years.

b. PRODUCTS THAT YOU ALREADY OWN

So, it is called zero-waste or low-waste because we’re avoiding waste, right? So, don’t throw away those half-used bottles of shampoo and whatnot. It defeats the entire purpose of you trying to minimize your waste. Use that bottle up until every last drop. Then, you can go buy that shampoo bar you’ve always been so excited to try. Don’t create waste to avoid waste.

c. PRODUCTS THAT SUIT YOU

Okay, this is such a no-brainer, but often, people forget that certain products that work well for others may not work for you. And this is definitely a lesson that I had to go through with my own journey. Just like any other product, there will be a trial-and-error phase. This is why you need to do your own research and make sure you read those ingredients and reviews before buying. Don’t just buy products because it is all hyped up. Look it up and make sure it’s the right fit. Even then, it’s not a 100% guarantee that it will work for you. So, do your research and keep trying. And one helpful tip: some companies offer samples for you to try before jumping into a commitment with a full-sized product.

2. IT CAN BE HELLA EXPENSIVE

I have to admit that in the last 4 years, I haven’t been the best at trying to minimize waste. I have been through a few odd jobs in the past four years and my finances haven’t been the best. I have actually switched back to plastic toothbrushes at one point because I couldn’t afford to buy the bamboo ones and I have so much plastic toothbrushes from my dentist appointments. I honestly couldn’t justify buying a single toothbrush for almost $10. But anyways, weird story, but you get my point. Sustainable products can be really expensive and there’s a reason for that. Most of these products are handmade or sourced responsibly and are usually sold by small businesses. They aren’t mass-produced, so you know that manufacturers have really put much thought into that one product. You’re not only paying for the product. You’re paying the small business owner, their employees, their local source and the community.

So, if you’re tight on budget, start with one thing that you can commit to budget-wise. For me, it’s my laundry detergent. I use both Nellie’s Laundry Soda and Oxygen Brightener and it might be expensive upfront, but it has saved me so much money. I bought both in refill size sometime last year, and it has lasted me for almost a year.

3. SECOND-HAND IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

I know a lot of people aren’t exactly down with the idea of second-hand items but hear me out. Living a second-hand lifestyle is the epitome of a zero-waste lifestyle. You’re basically preventing more waste going into landfills. The problem with fashion, nowadays, is we’re always seeing trends and fads coming and going. That means more clothes are being produced and more clothes are going into landfills. I, personally, love to shop second-hand and rarely shop at malls and retail stores unless necessary. With second-hand shopping, you can find items for way less and maybe you can even score on great finds like brand-name handbags for cheap!

The concept of second-hand lifestyle doesn’t only stop there. If you’ve been gifted something that’s not on your wish list for Christmas and absolutely have no use for it, re-gift it! I have done this a few times before. If you know it has no use for you and it doesn’t spark joy and know someone that would love it, give it to them as a present!

Lastly, if you have completely good items or clothes in your house that you maybe can’t give as presents, or plan on throwing out…. STOP! Don’t throw those items away. Instead, donate them to your local shelter, or thrift store. Most thrift stores support charities. You get to clear your space while giving back to the community!

4. DON’T STOP AT REDUCE; REMEMBER TO REUSE AND RECYCLE

Zero-waste lifestyle isn’t only about reducing waste. Sure, we can switch out to no-packaging products or purchase products that are kinder to the environment; however, if we’re still keeping with the usual habit of just throwing things out, it’s really not as effective as you’re hoping for. Remember to reuse as much as you can –whether you stick to the second-hand lifestyle, or reuse and repurpose pasta sauce jars to store your homemade pickled onions— be creative with how you can reuse and repurpose whatever comes into your home, so you’re sure that you’re not contributing more to landfill waste.

Last but not the least, RECYCLE! In our city, we have bins for recyclable materials such as cardboard and plastic bags that the city collects. We also have bottle depots to sell our empty drink bottles to. These are amazing ways to encourage the community to recycle. However, if you don’t have these in your area, make sure you look up recycling facilities and initiatives, as I’m sure there will be small non-government organizations who do so. Don’t forget to sort your trash! Not all trash need to go to landfills.

5. BUY INTENTIONALLY & MINDFULLY

One of the best ways you can avoid waste all-together is by making sure you buy intentionally. This can be hard, especially if you’re an impulsive buyer like me. But if you’re truly dedicated in living a zero-waste lifestyle, you’ll find the motivation to stop yourself from buying every cool thing you see. Don’t buy anything you DON’T NEED. This doesn’t only help the environment, but also your budget!

I hope this post has helped you gain some insight on things you should know when going waste-free. It isn’t an easy journey and it will take some time, depending on how attached you are to material things. Living a zero-waste lifestyle does not only benefit the environment, but it will also teach you self-control, discipline and mindfulness. Being mindful and intentional with the products you buy and your lifestyle, you’ll become more connected to both your inner self and the environment. Remember, it’s okay if you have slip-ups or think that you’re far from living zero-waste. What’s matters is that you’re starting this journey. Every little thing helps, and if more people like you do it, it’ll have a huge impact on the environment.

Stay green,