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Over two years ago, Sharayah and I had watched a 30-Day no waste challenge produced by BuzzFeed, which encouraged us to see if we could produce less waste and perhaps go waste-free altogether. This was an endeavor that we were both - and still are - excited about.
When we started, we were already utilizing our cities recycling and composting services, but we weren’t conscious of the amount of waste that we were throwing away, and I believe that is the same for most people. 📷
Truth is, the world could use a shit ton of less waste in it and could use a lot more love than what we are giving it.
At this point, we had decided that we no longer wanted to play an active role in contributing to the landfills. Therefore, we decided to track the amount of waste that we were producing as a starting point and set our first goal to produce less waste going forward. From there, we started to look at different areas to determine where we could cut down on waste or what could be replaced with a reusable or compostable alternative.
While we’re not entirely waste-free yet, here are a few things that we’ve done over the past 2+ years to drastically cut down our waste.
#1: Recycle and Compost
First and far most, the easiest thing we did was utilize our cities composting and recycling services to the fullest extent. While we were already using them, we (Okay… Sharayah) dug further to see if there were items that we weren’t recycling or composting but could be or vice versa. Note that it is important to rinse/clean all plastics, metals, or other non-paper materials to increase the likelihood that they will be successfully recycled once collected.
Note: Since moving to a new city, we’ve realized that there are some differences in what is and is not recyclable between our previous and current city. Please get yourself acquainted with your local recycling and composting program. Many cities, Sudbury and Hamilton included, have apps available to help you determine what items are/aren’t recyclable or compostable. By being active in your recycling habits you can reduce your impact and consume less tax dollars.
#2: Switch to Reusable or Compostable Items.
One of the biggest things that we've done was looking at our everyday household products and replacing them with reusable or compostable options if available.
Examples include:
Swapping out our toothbrushes for compostable bamboo or grain-based ones
Using a reusable to-go coffee cup and water bottle - this only works if you actively use these items. If you are less prone to carrying them with you, have your coffee in shop with a good ol’ ceramic mug.
Purchasing alternative straws for those who are able enough to lose the flexibility and ease associated with plastic ones.
Using soap nuts or powdered laundry detergent (boxed) over bottled liquid detergent.
Using reusable pads and liners that can be washed, as well as a menstrual cup.
#3: Look for Products Not Packaged in Slow Degrading Plastic
This is one thing that we have gradually done over time, and we don’t always stick to it if the budget is tight. But when we do, we purchase products that are either packaged in cardboard, paper, glass, or tin, as they are more readily recyclable than plastic. In the case of glass, cardboard, and to some degree tin, if it is not recycled it does not form harmful materials when broken down in nature.
Such products include pasta packaged in cardboard, sauces or oils bottled in a glass or buying loose individual lemons, avocado, limes, etc., rather than bagged; and buying soap, shampoo, and conditioner in bar form can also cut consumption of plastics drastically.
Bonus Perk: Hidden Money Savings
From making the switch to reusable menstrual products, we no longer have to fork over money on pads, tampons, or liners. I’ve been using a menstrual cup since 2012 (7 years) and have probably saved about $500 over the years just from making this simple switch. Don’t forget: we’re a two women household and those savings are just for one person; imagine the savings for the two of us throughout our lifetime!
Moreover, we’ve noticed areas that we've been saving on our grocery bill, especially with dry foods. We are fortunate to live in a city where we can buy in bulk from stores such as Bulk Barn, who has a waste-free program that encourages consumers to bring in their reusable containers and jars, rather than using plastic bags. Needless to say, Bulk Barn has easily become a go-to during every weekly shopping adventure! We’ve noticed significant savings when it comes to dried spices (we LOVE our spices), sugar, flours, grains such as oats, beans, and legumes as compared to buying at our local grocery stores. Mind you, there are some things are significantly more expensive than the grocery store, such as rice, that we will continue to buy from the grocery store until we have more room in our budget. 📷
In Summary
Aside from the three main points listed above, here is a general break-down of how we've been reducing our waste
Food Related:
Buy dry foods in bulk using clean reusable containers, such as:
Spices
Some nuts/seeds
Coffee/tea
Some nut/seed butter
Flours
Sugars
Legumes
Grains
Use or make produce bags for your fruits and veggies to use when at the grocery store
If you have old ratty materials (old shirts, pants, etc) fabricate them into some bags!
If you do happen to use plastic ones, reuse them!
We bring our reusable bags to the checkout
We aim to purchase fresh produce and dry foods that are not packaged in plastic
When we’re craving something sweet we bring out own container to our local bakeshop to get treats to go
All businesses that we’ve purchased from have always been excited and encouraging about us bringing our container
We use reusable water bottles and take-out coffee mugs
Don’t forget, you usually save a bit when getting your coffee in a to-go cup!
We purchased reusable muffin liners from Ikea which are pretty dang amazing!
We purchased reusable stainless steel straws
We use reusable food wraps instead of saran (plastic) wrap
We buy the funny looking produce, as usually it is left behind and often wasted at stores
We save our veggie scraps and freeze them to make vegetable broth in the future
Mainly in the winter because that is soup season!
Personal Care:
We use shampoo and conditioner bars as well as bar soap for our humans
Our shower has legit become waste-free - it’s amazing and was an easy switch! :D
If you are in Northern Ontario, I highly recommend Old Soul Soap Company and Oh My Goodness Soaps
Otherwise, there are large companies like Lush who are currently 40% waste-free and offers a slew of shampoo bars, conditioner bars, soaps, bath bombs and more!
We use bath bombs, Epsom salts, bubble bath bars to relax and unwind
We’ve replaced our toothbrushes with compostable bamboo ones
Such an easy switch! You know you’re gonna have to replace your toothbrush as some point!
We’ve also switched up our toilet paper and purchase plastic-free toilet paper!
We have a subscription with Who Gives a Crap! Not only is their name hilarious, but their packaging is informative and beautiful. Oh, and entirely recyclable.
Did I also mention that we did the math and it’s the same cost of buying toilet paper such as Cashmere? It's an easy and cost-effective way to reduce your waste!
Bye-bye disposable pads, tampons, and liners! Hello menstrual cups and reusable alternatives
Note that there are other products available on the market such as period underwear
While, albeit, not perfect, we purchase liquid foundation in a glass bottle that we can wash out and recycle (yes the wand will need to go in the trash).
We’re still going through older cosmetics in plastic packaging and intend to look for waste-free alternatives as they need to be replaced.
We recently purchased mascara from Lush, as the bottle is apart of their charity pot program where you can return the bottle and they will properly dispose of it: a far better solution than tossing the bottle in the trash.
Other Things We’ve Done or Are doing
We use boxed dish powder rather than dishwasher tabs that come in a plastic bag or liquid dish detergent bottled in plastic
We alternate between home-made laundry detergent, powder laundry detergent, and soap nuts
We use dryer balls instead of laundry sheets
We meal plan using reusable containers and make our own snacks every Sunday
We have all our financial statements emailed to us or accessible online
We use reusable (and then compostable) paper towels (Swedish towels)
Convert worn-out clothing to usable rags and bags
We amped up our shopping at thrift stores for new clothes, shoes, and other goods
We use reusable kleenex… you know, cloths? Yeah, those can be washed.
We donate old clothing and household items to local charities
Since our initial endeavour to go waste-free we are certainly well on our way! We’ve made significant reductions in our trash and only put out a bag every 3 - 4 months! Everything else is either recycled or composted!
As mentioned, this has been a gradual transition for us over the past 2+ years and has been something that we’ve afforded overtime. We understand that not everyone’s financial situation is similar to ours, nor may you have the same available resources or stores. The goal of this article is to share ways that we have reduced our waste significantly and to also provide some ways that you maybe feel inspired to cut back on waste where it is feasible for you.
Going waste-free is not a perfect game, there are a lot of factors at play including: the impact of transport of items from distant locations, trying to buy ethically grown and made products, finding ways to reuse the items you currently own to ensure their true value is reached, etc. Hell, many people live in locations where reducing waste is not at all feasible; their water only comes in bottles and their food in plastics. But many of us are fortunate enough to have access to clean water from taps and to a variety of foods, and those of us who can should do something about the trash we toss to the curb.
Afterall, “...there is no such thing as away. When you throw something away it has to go somewhere”.
We know that industries are killing the planet fast and are heavily to blame for the world we live in today, but as consumers, we do have the power to force industries to adapt to changing times and attitudes! 📷
If you have any suggestions on how to produce less waste not listed in this article, please feel free to leave a comment below to share how you’ve been able to reduce waste in your life!
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