Creating a Plan to Live Waste Free for Beginners
I remember the first time I learned about the environment and how our actions could damage it. You know the reuse, recycle, and reduce. That is what I remember from school, but to be honest it never set in until recently.
Watching the news, documentaries, and reading about our carbon footprint. It really can scare you into wanting
The more I read and understand how much the things in my life can cause harm to the planet it really makes me want to change. With wanting to change I know that it will not happen over-night. That is really important to remember when starting anything new.
Change does not happen over-night… Give it time.
Let me tell you that I am not living a zero waste life at this moment but I have incorporated small changes in our home.
Understand your WHY
With any goal you set this is the same thinking by understanding your WHY. Why do you want to live a waste free lifestyle. Break it down, and what influenced your decision for change.
Are you doing it for your health?
Have you learned more about the environmental changes?
Did you watch a documentary or show that made you question the things you consume?
Whatever the reason is always remember you Why. Keep it in the forefront of you mind as you go throughout the day.
Make the SWITCH
Start by switching up items when its time to replace certain things in your house. I know we started very small by replacing our plastic straws with metal straws. That was the first thing I did. Then we replaced our dryer sheets for dryer reusable dryer balls.
The point is every time you run out of something you think about making a switch to something more eco friendly.
Think about your WASTE
Think about how much waste you actually produce. When I thought about ways I could change, I first thought about how was I being wasteful. I knew that I had to much plastic in my life. With this I decided to change out all of our plastic lunch containers with glass containers. I have a long way to go with how much waste we have. I think my next step will be figuring out the best way we can compost our food. We eat a lot of veggies and fruits and I need to be better with disposing the scraps.
Make it Important
That’s right, make it an important part of your life. Think about your weekly plans and make it part of it. This is easier than you are probably thinking. It can be as simple as making coffee at home using a reusable cup or taking your lunch from home. Meal prepping is also a way to make it important. Meal that are planned out and if you stick to the plan it can mean less waste.
Also think about the products you use daily, such as cups, makeup, cleaning products, shampoo, and other things. Can these things be replaced or removed from your daily life.
Educate
Remember, I’m at the beginning stages of this living with less waste life. So, I take it day by day with learning and incorporating. Educating myself on how to get rid of things and what I replace it with.
Should I donate it? Should I just throw it out? Can this be recycled? How does this break down in the environment? Upcycle, recycle, reuse, repurpose? What can I do with the things I no longer want?
Educating myself on how to move forward in this new way of living is not that easy because there is so much information. I will also admit that it can be overwhelming, because you want to do all the things at one time. Baby steps.
Living waste free, takes time. Be patient!!
Do you want to start living a more waste free lifestyle?
Start slow, give yourself some grace.
Replace easy things. Like water bottles, cups, straws
Make coffee and meals at home.
Recycle and reuse as many products you can.
