Sustainability isn’t just about buying eco-friendly products. In fact, it’s not about buying at all! Read on for free zero waste swaps that won’t take a dime out of your pocket.
Right now, around the world, approximately one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute. Imagine selling a giant pile of bottles, half the size of the Eiffel Tower, every day! (Bioplastics News). For many of us, sustainable living sounds like a grand old plan until we start to evaluate cost effectiveness. It just feels so unattainable! I am passionate about sustainability, but I am also passionate about not spending lots of money.
Being in my twenties, I understand that money is tight for many of us (and not just for those in their twenties!). I want to introduce you to a few changes I’ve made toward a more sustainable lifestyle. These eight zero waste swaps haven’t cost a dime – that’s right, totally FREE. Now, I recognize that “free” is appealing, but discipline to make these changes can be more difficult. My hope is that maybe just a few of these ideas might stick with you. Even one small, permanent change in each of our lives can make a difference.
Free Zero Waste Swaps On-The-Go
It’s no wonder that one-use plastics continue to grow in popularity when I look at how Americans operate. We’re an on-the-go society. While I think we could benefit from slowing down, it’s a good start to look at how relying on convenience is creating environmental waste. These free zero waste swaps are lifestyle changes for those of us that inhale our food in the car while jamming to our favorite playlist (you know who you are…).
1. Reusable Coffee Cup for the Road
Not a new one for most of us, but it can be a difficult one to plan for or remember. How many days do we plan to stop for coffee versus making a spontaneous trip? For me, if I’m honest, it’s often more spontaneous.
It seems like when people don’t know what to get you as a gift, they go with a mug (usually with some random quote they think you’ll find funny, or an animal they thought you liked. Then you feel like you can’t get rid of it or your friendship will be over, because, heaven forbid, they come over for coffee and your FRIENDSHIP MUG ISN’T THERE…it’s a downhill spiral).
Moral of the story, we’re all mug collectors. Most of us have more than one mug or travel cup. It’s definitely worth stashing one in your car for these spontaneous cravings of a good ol’ cup of Joe.
End Coffee Cup Convenience
While I would love to see companies make one-use coffee cups less available, I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. Additionally, I recognize that due to COVID-19, most coffee shops are currently not taking reusable coffee cups. Safety of people comes first, so in the meantime, I would recommend:
- Purchasing your favorite coffee brand to make at home
- Supporting coffee shops that utilize compostable materials
As a Twin Cities’ dweller, my local favorite is Dogwood Coffee – check it out if you live here or are in town for a visit!
2. Ditch Plastic Water Bottles
Perhaps this one has been a bit “over-preached,” but it still seems that we haven’t made a dent in our plastic water bottle problem (as we see from the Eiffel Tower illustration above). It’s not just about the waste, the problem is also that plastic is just not biodegradable. According to scientific studies, the average water bottle takes approximately 450 years to decompose, and even then, it doesn’t fully decompose!
Maybe that’s not enough to permanently switch you over to a reusable water bottle but hear me out on this part. Studies show that microplastics are most prevalent in bottled water. This means that if you’re a bottled water drinker, you are most likely ingesting some plastic. This sustainable switch is not just about the health of our planet, it’s also about your health.
I think this is one of the easiest changes on the list. Again, it’s just building the habit of continually carrying a water bottle with you!
3. Choose Reusable Bags
Grocery shopping is a necessary part of life. And for many of us, it’s a last-minute adventure that happens when the cupboard is bare. If you don’t plan ahead, grocery shopping is an on-the-go activity.
Ever been in the following situation? The cashier asks you “paper or plastic?” at checkout. You freeze, wondering which has better environmental impact. An inner battle begins. How about saving yourself this hassle and emotional turmoil by bringing reusable bags to the store?
Repurposing Bags
This could involve some cost if you choose to purchase reusable bags at a store, but it doesn’t have to. I’ve received reusable bags for free from many places (as many of us have), but I also have extra tote bags just sitting around that would love to house a sweet bar of chocolate and some wine (the grocery essentials…).
Personally, I don’t miss the clutter of all the extra grocery bags taking up space under my kitchen sink. Less environmental waste truly means less house mess. This is also one of the easiest swaps on the list. It takes very little mental energy, and I like bagging my own groceries. Inevitably, there is bound to be that one grocery bagger who puts the bananas on the bottom.
Free Zero Waste Swaps for Work & Play
Since embracing an eco-friendlier lifestyle, I’ve been working on my “planning ahead” skills. One of my biggest downfalls is relying on my workplace and other businesses to provide one-use items that I could easily bring myself. So, let’s jump into some examples of what it looks like to be prepared both for the workday and any fun activities that might happen after work!
4. BYO Silverware
My office always has a stash of plastic silverware, and I have been so guilty in the past of relying on that stash for my lunches. If I were to use a plastic fork every workday for a month, I would go through roughly twenty forks a month. That’s two hundred and forty plastic forks a year! And we’re not even counting the spoons for my daily oatmeal or yogurt, my friends!
According to National Geographic, 91% of plastic is not recycled, which would mean that my hypothetical two hundred and forty forks are probably just sitting in a landfill somewhere. Additionally, mass production of plastic didn’t even start until roughly sixty years ago, yet we have managed to accumulate roughly 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste!
Reverse the Trend
If it only took sixty years to get this point, maybe we can reverse the trend and see remarkable decreases in plastic consumption in the next sixty years. Perhaps it starts with bringing your own silverware to work. Or, you can be trendy and purchase a separate work-set of silverware. I’ll be honest, I’m still doing the free option of bringing a fork from home.
For my fellow Twin Cities dwellers (and also available online), the Tare Market is a wonderful package-free, sustainable shop. They have some lovely travel utensil options worth checking out.
5. BYO Takeout Containers
Let’s stay in the world of “bring your own” and take it a step further. Unless you’re visiting a super fancy French restaurant with doll-sized portions, leftovers are quite common. Although a good handful of restaurants are beginning to provide compostable takeout containers, many still rely on the old standbys of plastic and polystyrene foam (known colloquially as Styrofoam, which is actually a trademarked name). Polystyrene is the name for an entire family of plastics, so in essence, we are talking about plastic foam when referencing Styrofoam.
The Horrors of Styrofoam
Now let me tell you. What nails on a chalkboard do for some, the feel of polystyrene foam does for me. The shivers start at the bottom of my spine and work their way up until I am full-on cringing. It’s the SQUEAKING, and the weird way it soaks up the scent of tacos.
Back to the science. The real problem with polystyrene foam lies in the environmental impact, which is similar to that of plastic (refer back to Part One for more information on the environmental impact of plastic). What makes plastic foam worse is the way it disassembles when discarded, creating dangers for wildlife. In addition, polystyrene foam breaks down fairly easily chemically. This leads the way for the possibility of styrene ending up in your greasy tacos.
Most of us are not looking for a chemical fix with our spicy food fix, so might I recommend bringing your own takeout containers. I have found that leaving a few extra containers in your car is an effective solution. Since, eating out can be spontaneous, it’s best to be prepared for late night taco cravings.
Free Zero Waste Swaps for the Home
It’s a lot of work to keep a home running and clean, so it might seem like I’m going too far in asking you to think about an eco-friendly home too. Not to worry. How about some free zero waste swaps that are also easily achievable for the busiest of people!
6. Swap Paper Towels for Rags
It would seem that my mother was a pioneer woman before it was cool to be environmentally conscious since it was normal to use rags instead of paper towels when I was growing up. However, it’s been a much bigger adjustment for my husband, so I recognize the learning curve.
Let’s think about this for a minute, though. Paper Towel companies market their brand based upon the strength of a non-reusable, flimsy piece of paper. Sure, it’s convenient, but they can’t compete with the strength and the re-usability of a rag.
We all have old towels, washcloths, and t-shirts lying about. I like to keep old washcloths or scraps of t-shirts in a napkin holder – super convenient and easy to grab. We also keep a laundry bin of dirty towels and rags separate from the rest of our laundry. This makes it easy to throw in a load any time we start to run low.
So, in reality, convenience isn’t really an issue either. Watch out Brawny Paper Towel Guy – my old rag has much bigger muscles!
7. Recycling of Old/Unwanted Clothing
Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I get an itch for a late-night clothing binge. You start to notice the old ratty t-shirts (future rags anyone?), the circle scarf that is so 2010, and the shirt you got for Christmas that you purposefully “lost” in your closet. Listen, fast fashion is a big topic and not what I’m trying to cover in this post. For now, let’s just focus on how important it is to get rid of your old clothing in a sustainable manner.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 11.2 million tons of waste textiles were discarded in landfills in 2017 (up from 1.7 million in 1960). The easiest method is throwing everything into a trash bag, dropping it off at your local donation site, and driving away without a look in your rear-view mirror. Unfortunately, as the Council for Textile Recycling points out, only 10-20% of donated clothing ends up being sold secondhand.
The Solution
My advice when looking to donate, check what organization you are donating to and what their practices are. There are many good ones out there, but it will take some extra work on your part. A bit more of a time-consuming solution is to sell your unwanted items. I personally use Poshmark. It has a market for both men and women. While it’s not an instantaneous way to get your old clothing out of your home, it does allow you to make some money off of your clothes. I keep a box under my bed with clothing I want to sell. It takes some patience, but in the long run, I know my clothes will be used, and I get a little cash out of the deal! I’ve also heard many successful stories about clothes-swaps with friends, though I have not personally participated.
8. I’m a Rep for Meal Prep
Food waste really hurts my heart and motivates me to live sustainably with more gratitude and generosity. In America, there are forty million Americans living with food insecurity. Contrast this with the twenty-seven million tons of food that Americans waste at home every year. TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION! That’s one hundred and forty-three billion dollars that we spend and then throw out. That’s a financial and social justice issue right there.
The environmental repercussion is this: food waste in dumps creates methane, which is twenty-five times more dangerous than carbon dioxide. Basically, if there were no food waste in dumps, it would be comparable to getting rid of twenty percent of cars on the road right now. There is much that can be done agriculturally and on a larger scale; however, as an individual, here’s what I find most helpful in preventing food waste.
The Formula
My formula is: meal plan, grocery list, grocery shop, meal prep. It can take a bit of time (especially at the beginning to learn to meal prep), but it gets easier. I find the best practice in meal planning is to learn how to use your ingredients in a versatile manner. You can’t buy a whole head of broccoli for one recipe. That’s when we find rotting broccoli two weeks later in our refrigerators, and no one wants that. Let me give an example with broccoli:
- Roasted potatoes and broccoli with a steak
- Vegetable stir-fry
- Have a little leftover? Throw it in an omelet (Do you also have leftover potatoes? Sounds like hash browns on the side to me!)
It just takes some creativity and a little time. Use your time in a waiting room to meal prep on your phone before scrolling through social media. Chop up your veggies all at once while catching up on your Netflix show. You’ll thank yourself, and so will the environment. And this is just one sustainable example. There are so many other ideas like donating to food pantries, having friends over for dinner, splitting larger items with family or friends, utilizing your freezer, etc. Interested in more meal prep information? Check out this blog post!
Free Zero Waste Swaps Show Love to the Planet
At the end of the day, there is a difference between individual responsibility and individually taking on full responsibility. We all have individual responsibility to take care of this earth. However, no one person can bear the burden of fixing the environment by living sustainably. Take a baby step today. Maybe it’s bringing a fork to work. Thirsty? Grab a reusable cup or water bottle.
There will always be more we can do, so there is no shame in starting small. In fact, free changes can make a bigger contribution toward a more sustainable lifestyle than we might think. Any other free, sustainable swaps on your mind? Let’s be a community that pools our knowledge and shares, so give me a holler in the comments if you have ideas. Much love to you, my friends! For, we are all connected in sharing this earth.
Be Well. With Love.
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