A zero waste lifestyle: How to begin and why?
Thank you for being here! That means that you’re either already helping our beautiful planet by reducing your carbon footprint, or you’re interested in starting this amazing and rewarding journey.
Whatever the reason behind your presence here, I would like to shed some light on some basics of Zero Waste life. Are you ready? Here we go!
How to reduce your carbon footprint?
Are you overwhelmed by starting this Zero Waste journey? I know you may have a lot of doubts and questions, and maybe you don't know where to start. I felt the same way when I decided that I wanted to take this giant step into taking care of our planet. Zero waste is not complicated, but we need to really understand the purpose of things and how every action impacts deeply in our fragile environment.
Let me start by giving you some helpful tips that will make this change a lot easier.
Zero Waste living is a cyclical system in which we make some changes in our habits, material preferences, and resources in order to reduce our impact on the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) we produce. Let’s remember: we only have one Earth, one home. We need to try new things if we want to protect the only place capable of sustaining life. Separating our garbage and recycling it’s just not enough. We need to take action now.
Why Zero Waste?
So let’s start with your 'Why'? Why did you decide to start this new lifestyle? What is your motivation? Do you just want to avoid toxins and plastics? Or perhaps to save money?
It’s great that you pay more attention to how your lifestyle impacts our environment. But this decision implies more than just watching what you’re buying.
Zero Waste has five principles that will be like your guideline on this journey. So every time you find yourself in a situation where you wonder if it’s really a good idea to go Zero Waste, just take a deep breath and remember these.
1. Refuse
Just start by saying “No, thank you” or “No, I don’t need that” when you see a bunch of special offers in plastic or harmful-ingredients-products. Remember: don’t buy things for single-use. Minimize your waste, don't buy things for single-use, reduce your waste.
What things are considered single-use? Well, a lot of what we see in the supermarkets, including paper napkins, juice bottles, and others.
2. Reduce
To reduce does not mean depriving yourself of what makes you happy and comfortable. On the contrary! You need to work to stop buying things out of an impulse and focus on those things that make you happy and are environmentally friendly.
Here’s a list of the things that you can reduce:
Personal hygiene products. Yes, we all love to smell good, but that doesn’t mean you have to buy every body mist, perfume, or cologne that comes out. Or even shampoo, how many bottles have you used in the past year? Shocking, right? Have you thought of refilling? Yes! At ReImagine Shop, you can bring your container and refill it with great products like shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, and more. All of these are made with natural and safe ingredients for you and our planet.
Skincare products. Focus on what your skin needs. Start paying more attention to your skin routine, read the list of ingredients of your favorite products, and analyze the benefits. Do they come from fair trade? Are they friendly with the environment?
Cosmetics. You don't need the new boxy charm. Most of the time, we buy what we see on TikTok or Instagram, just because we want to try those apparently amazing products. Then, we take a look at our drawers and see them full of cosmetics that we don’t even use anymore. Hoarding? No, thank you! Buy the essential things. Keep your life and drawers organized: keep only what makes you happy!
Cleaning products. Oh, the smell of fresh sheets after a hard day of work… Satisfying, isn’t it? Do you know you can get this great feeling by doing just one thing? Refilling instead of buying. Just bring your container and we, at ReImagine Shop, will fill it with great, safe products and a lot of love!
Furniture. Your sofa looks old? Give it a second chance! You can watch a tutorial on YouTube on how to make your furniture look new again and save you some hundred dollars!
Food containers. It doesn’t take much to bring your own containers and utensils whenever you order or pick up some food. Do the right thing!
3. Reuse
Reuse all you can. Remember the example of the couch? It's kind of like the same thing, but involving all the things you have at home. Don’t throw things away at the first sign of malfunctioning, or aesthetic damage. Find new ways to give them a second chance, or you can always donate them to someone who needs them.
Start checking what you have at home. Just be creative!
4. Rot
Leftovers? Don't throw them away! There are delicious recipes based only on leftovers. You won’t be disappointed. Or you can always compost: paper, bamboo, vegetables, and food could bring a little love to the earth. So if you have some plants or grass, it is your turn to give back to the earth some nourishment.
5. Recycle
I’m pretty sure you know this one. Separating your trash can benefit your community and the environment.
What are the benefits of Recycling?
Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals
Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials
Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
Saves energy
Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources
Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States
Source: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics
So now you know! We’ll always be here if you have any questions or if you are ready to live a Zero-Waste lifestyle and refill your products.