How to get a zero-waste household in 30 days

Aiming for a zero-waste lifestyle will not only help save the planet, it could save you a surprising amount of cash. Here’s how to do it.

Aiming for a zero-waste lifestyle will not only help save the planet, it could save you a surprising amount of cash. And if you need inspiration for how to do it, Anita Vandyke is it.

She hasn’t bought new clothing in more than five years and audits her kitchen before going grocery shopping – habits Anita believes have saved her thousands of dollars.

“The term ‘zero waste’ can feel overwhelming to a busy parent,” says Vandyke, author of A Zero Waste Family in Thirty Days. “It’s all about the small changes that have a cumulative effect. It can be as easy as taking your own reusable bags to do grocery shopping, or taking your own water bottle out instead of buying water.”

Vandyke says the two areas that can have the biggest impact in the home are the kitchen and your wardrobe.

IN THE KITCHEN

Vandyke puts a box on the top of the fridge that says “Please eat me first”, where she places the most highly perishable foods. The act of reducing your family’s food waste alone, she says, can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Vandyke says having a rubbish command centre to separate recycling, soft plastics and landfill – along with compost – is a good start.

And always audit the food you already have before going to the supermarket to buy more.

Make sure you prioritise perishable food.

IN THE BEDROOM

Vandyke says it’s helpful to “shop your own wardrobe” in order to discover items you may have forgotten you had, or think of ways to rejig your clothes in simple ways: matching them differently, using a belt or changing a hemline. But she says the best way to save money (and landfill) is by embracing the second-hand economy.

“COVID has given us what I call a ‘stop and reflect’ moment,” Vandyke says. “And it’s made us realise what is most precious in our lives and, for me, that’s healthy living, spending quality time together and the ability to head out and be in nature.

“And that is all absolutely free.”

Anita Vandyke says the term ‘zero waste’ can feel overwhelming.

TOP 5 TIPS FOR ZERO WASTE

1. Create a command station: Vandyke says to use a pin board or whiteboard to work as a central message board that organises your home life and “ensures everyone is engaged in the zero-waste lifestyle”.

2. Make do with what you have: This means “using what you already have, repairing, upcycling and mending items, and only buying something if you really need it”, Vandyke says.

3. Glass jar storage: Put all your pantry items in glass jars. It helps to be able to see everything when you’re preparing a shopping list.

4. Create a “tech bed”: Let all gadgets have a rest while your family rests.

5. Give, get, grow: Label three jars and ask children to allocate a portion of their pocket money to give to others, a portion to spend wisely and a portion to save. This helps them to learn financial responsibility.

A Zero Waste Family In Thirty Days is out through Penguin on December 1, RRP $19.99

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Originally published as How to get a zero-waste household in 30 days