Choosing to embark on a zero-waste lifestyle is a commitment that most people should consider getting involved in. When you stop sending materials to landfills, you’ll create less pollution and you won’t miss it. It’s just about changing your mindset about things.
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Don’t Buy Things You Do Not Need
This seems so simple, but you’d be shocked at how much stuff you already have that you don’t even use. Each thing you own that is not being used has an environmental impact that already happened through manufacturing and then eventually, when it goes to a landfill. If you stop buying things you don’t need now, you can avoid adding more to the environment in the future.
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You Need Less Than You Think
The truth is, most of us need less than we think of everything. Most first-world countries waste about 30 percent of their food purchases, for example. If you collected all your waste for a year, it could probably feed another family.
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Don’t Buy Single-Use Packaging or Tools
Things like plastic straws, throw-away cups, plastic knives, and so forth are unnecessary. The same can be said for paper towels. You can use washable towels instead of single-use and cut down on so much trash, you won’t believe it until you start seeing it for yourself.
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Stop Eating Processed Food
Processed food not only comes in wasteful packaging, but it also comes with wasteful manufacturing practices. You can buy some bulk processed food like crackers and whatnot from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods but if you cannot get it without the packing, it’s not worth it. It’s not good for you anyway.
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Reuse Anything You Can Instead of Tossing It
If you do buy things that have wasteful packaging, find a way to repurpose and reuse it in a new way so that you don’t add to the landfill. If you have anything that will not compost, try to find further use for it instead of tossing it.
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Recycle Anytime You Can Do So Sustainably
If your local area offers a recycling program, make sure to ask about the things you send. Often, they take more than what is really recycled. For example, the colored plastic laundry detergent bottles will be accepted, but they are not actually going to be recycled. They’re going to be sent directly to the landfill. So now, not only is this product going to the landfill but you’ll also be using extra energy to get it there.
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Buy Locally
When you buy locally, you eliminate the environmental damage that transporting products causes to the environment.
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Ask Family and Friends to Avoid Wasteful Gifting
Send out a family newsletter via email about your new zero-waste policy. Ask that gifts are sustainable or ask them to skip physical gifts and gift you with their love and presence. Even if they don’t stick to it, you stick to it.
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Compost Your Waste
Even if you live in an apartment, you can compost your waste. Depending on where you live, there may even be an organization that allows you to drop off your compostable waste for them to compost in the community garden.
Living a zero-waste lifestyle will encourage you to start experiencing more, because you’ll find that you have more money than you did before you bought things without thinking about their environmental impact. Now you can really enjoy that hike and your time off because you’re not just taking care of stuff anymore; you’re taking care of yourself and your environment instead.
