We are living in the “move fast and break things” era: fast-food, fast-fashion, fast-communication. Sometimes it’s exciting, other times it’s a rat race. We’re constantly on a hurry and mostly, we “have no time”: that’s the most common excuse we tell ourselves when we throw, mostly unconsciously, reusable or recyclable things in general waste bins.
Have you ever thought about how much trash you produce in a day? If not, just think about the take-away coffee you sip on a paper cup while heading to the office. After eating lunch and drinking your soda, your disposable meal container and the aluminium can are most likely ending up in the garbage somewhere. Start counting all plastic bags you gather from supermarkets and the disposable bottles you chuck away after you’ve used up a shampoo or a dish soap. And the list goes on and on. All these small gestures might seem meaningless to you, but multiplied by 7 billions people, they do have fatal consequences on our planet. Naturaty advocates for mindset change to reduce our environmental impact. That’s why we’ve listed below 5 tips on how to start combating waste and adopting a 100% sustainable, zero waste lifestyle.
1. Get Informed
If you came across this post and you’re still reading it, maybe you’re enough of your trashy routine and want to switch to an eco-friendlier lifestyle. According to Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability organization, “on July 29, humanity has used nature’s resource budget for the entire year.” That day, also known as Earth Overshoot Day, “marks the date when humanity’s annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth’s ecosystems can renew in that year”. In 2019, it has been the earliest ever since the 1970s. This means we are using nature’s resources as if we had 1.7 Earths instead of just one (!), undermining our planet’s capacity for regenerating itself. If you consider yourself eco-conscious, knowing that may trigger you to start your low waste journey. Your small contribution actually helps humanity to reach, best-case scenario, one-planet compatibility.
2. Start from the Little Things
You may feel overwhelmed by this new, challenging lifestyle. Well, just take your time. If you’re expecting to master the zero waste living in a week, you clearly got it wrong. It might take a while, so don’t lose sight of why you started! Firstly, just have a look on what’s in your garbage: you’ll soon figure out how much trash you’re producing, so that you can take action to reduce your waste. Then start paying more attention to your purchasing choices. Buying lots of cheap stuff might seem a good deal, but sooner or later you’ll end up tossing it all. Instead, go for better quality and long-lasting items, which are probably more expensive but less wasteful. Simple actions like bringing your own mug to the café (avoiding dispoable cups) or refusing plastic straws with drinks are small achievements you can be proud of.
3. Switch from Disposable to Reusable – this is truly Zero Waste rule
Better than recycling are reducing and reusing: you’ll save money, time, energy and natural resources. A life-changing step to take when going zero waste is cutting down on disposable plastics and replace it with reusable ones. But before doing that, use up all single-use packaging you already have: throwing them away without even using them is a waste itself. Switch to stainless-steel or glass containers for packing lunches and invest in a reusable bottles instead of buying countless plastic bottles. Our choice is Laken Futura Thermo Bottle isothermal stainless steel bottle with a double wall will keep cold drinks ice cold for 24 hours and it’s BPA free! And when you run out of marmalade, pickles or sauces, reuse the empty glass jars for other food storage or for creating an original terrarium.
Look around and search for alternatives places to buy your food. In supermarkets, even if you’re careful, you’ll be forced to buy a lot of packaging. Start searching for bulk stores or farmers markets in your area and don’t forget to bring your own cloth bags to keep your groceries. For the best choose organic one! The point is trying to avoid plastic as far as possible, in order to reduce your environmental footprint.
4. Don’t let Others Judgements getting You Down
Try not to worry about the reaction of your family, friends or colleagues. At the beginning, they’ll probably raise an eyebrow over your ground-breaking lifestyle. People love to criticize what’s new, rather than trying to understand what drove you to change your lifestyle. Don’t be intimidated by others, since they’re going to be incredibly infected by your positive vibe! Trust me, your confidence and persistence in pursuing this ethical philosophy will shake consciences. Sooner than expected, you’ll be asked for advice on how to start a low-waste living.
5. Get Inspired by Zero Waste
Essential living doesn’t mean you can’t be trendy. Just a friendly reminder: it is possible to live a happy and stimulating life without depleting natural resources! Let yourself be inspired by the most eco-conscious influencers. First and foremost, the pioneer of the zero-waste living Bea Johnson, who lives trash-free with her family since 2012.
By the way, an easily, down-to-earth approach to that issue may be seeking inspiration from those close to you. That’s why a great low-waste trendsetter can’t be anyone but your grandma! This “throwaway culture” would have been unthinkable back in the day. Indeed, broken things were rarely replaced but fixed. It was unlikely to toss old clothes, but rather to patch ripped pants and sew a missing button. Learning from our grandmothers how to get back to basics, would make us realize how much we’re currently taking for granted. So, let’s dust off good old ways! A low-waste living is a good chance to boost your creative mind!
Nowadays consumerism – which is strictly connected to capitalism – is deeply rooted in our society: that’s why adopting a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight and is, instead, a valuable effort. We from Naturaty firmly believe that each of us can make a difference. Maybe we could just stop speeding up and start slowing-down, by making more ethical choices and acting responsibly towards our environment and the generations to come.
One of Naturaty’s values that we are proud of, is that 100% of our products are cruelty-free and vegan! So if you looking for items that will make your life even more zero-waste and sustainable check our Naturaty Zero Waste Starter Box and Naturaty Active Box. They are also perfect as a vegan gift for all of those people who prefer quality over quantity, since “less is more”!
