A Beginners Guide To Reducing Waste

I love and appreciate Mother Earth, and I really want our future generations to get to witness the beauty of this Earth that we have today - the beautiful beaches and oceans, the rainforests, the mountains, the magical epic sunrises and sunsets, the parks, the flowers, the trees, the amazing animals, the waterfalls, the lakes, the National Parks, and sacred ancestral sites.
Unfortunately, with the state of the planet and at the rate we are going, this sadly may not be the case unless we all start making some key changes..And now.

Take a look at how you are living and the products you are using each day. Try a few of the suggestions below to tread a little more lightly on this Earth and live a little more consciously.

Our personal intention here at Love Your Health is to live a zero-waste life so that we can protect this beautiful Earth as much as possible. Perfection is not the goal, action is. And, if we can all make these small shifts in doing our best, then we can make a massive difference.

“Change begins when we take responsibility for our actions”

Zero-Waste Essentials

When I first started my ‘eco reducing waste’ journey, there were some essentials that I had to purchase, however I saw them more as an investment that were not only going to help the planet, but would save me more money in the long run. Here are a list of my top items that you may need to adopt a zero waste lifestyle. I didn’t go out and purchase all of these items at once, but gradually over time. Start small, pick 2-3 items from the list below. Then, every month you can purchase 1-2 more, and so forth. Over time, you will have a collection of waste-free goodies!

• Glass jars for bulk food shopping or storing food
• Reusable cutlery set
• Bamboo, glass, or steel straws
• Reusable coffee cup
• Reusable shopping bags
• Shopping basket
• Cotton or mesh bags for produce
• Reusable water bottle
• Plastic free lunch boxes (try steel or Pyrex glass)
• Foldable reusable chopsticks
• Compostable snack bags
• Re-useable food/ sandwich wraps (I use beeswax wraps)

Waste Reducing Warrior Tips

Here are a few of my tips to becoming a waste reducing warrior:

• Never buy bottled water, instead invest in a reusable water bottle 

• Switch from a plastic disposable razor to a metal safety razor

• Swap sponges for composable scrubs or brushes

• Swap tea bags for loose leaf tea

• If you go out for coffee, take your own reusable cup like this one

• Use a biodegradable toothbrush and hair brush

• Instead of tampons and menstrual pads, use a menstrual cup like this one. And, if you are going to use tampons or pads make sure they are 100% organic (cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops)

• Grow your own food (even if it’s just a few herbs in a pot, or in a small veggie garden). It’s my dream one day to have a huge veggie and herb garden with loads of fresh trees too, like my good friend Zenaya over at Abundantia Sustainable Living who empowers others to grow organic food and live a more intentional and sustainable life

• Make your own cleaning products using essential oils

• For your bin - instead of using bin bags, put newspaper in your bin and pop your rubbish and food waste in there, or buy biodegradble bags

• Say ‘no’ to plastic straws. Use washable bamboo, glass or stainless steel straws

• Always run a full dishwasher and don’t turn it on with just 3-5 things. It’s better for the environment.

• If you need to buy something online, email them and tell the company or person that you are purchasing from that you want your purchase to come with zero plastic (most companies and small businesses will do this)

• Shop at bulk food stores like Source Bulk Foods or Scoop, shop at your local farmers markets, and take your own jars and bags to fill up. I love taking a visit to my local bulk foods store.. I’m like a kid in a candy store!

• Unplug electronics when they are not in use

• Try switching from paper tissues to handkerchiefs (remember the day when your Grandparents would use these!?)

• Vote with your dollar for a sustainable future

• Use glass Pyrex containers or stainless steel containers to store your food

• Use bar soap instead of liquid soap, it tends to come with less packaging

• If you are a Mama, try using a more natural and sustainable baby bottle and switch from diapers to cloth nappies or fully renewable biodegradable organic nappies.

• Try silk floss or a Waterpik device instead of normal floss

Do you have anything to add to this list? Feel free to comment your own eco-warrior tips below, and thank you for making a difference by simply caring.