What I learned from trying to live ‘zero waste’ for a year

A YEAR ago I decided to try living without creating any waste – and I can’t believe how much it has changed my life.

Wasteless Pantry in WA promotes a zero waste life.

OPINION

A YEAR ago, I didn’t think I could give up the pleasure of buying my morning takeaway coffee or the convenience of accepting a plastic bag.

But after researching an article about people who were adopting a “zero waste” lifestyle, I decided to try it, and I can’t believe how much it has changed my life.

Zero waste living was largely popularised by US resident Bea Johnson, who started a blog on her efforts to reduce waste in her own home, and has since proved it’s possible for a family of four to generate as little as one small jar’s worth of rubbish in a year.

Yes, that’s right. Her rubbish fits into one tiny little jar.

I’ll be honest, I’m still creating a lot more rubbish than this and I’m not even close to living a zero waste lifestyle, but my household waste has decreased dramatically and is improving all the time.

The best thing is, you don’t have to sacrifice as much as you think to make a difference.

Here’s what I have learned.

IT’S ACTUALLY NOT THAT HARD

Firstly, you do not have to become some hippy freak to embrace zero waste.

Lauren Singer is one of the highest profile people embracing this lifestyle and she lives in New York City. She also manages to fly around the world while keeping her waste so low it fits in a mason jar.

While her level of commitment is hard to achieve, reducing waste can be as simple as putting a reusable cloth bag in your handbag.

Remembering to take bags with you does get easier, it just requires a change of habit. We’ve all got a green bag we bought with the best of intentions that never gets used. Get it out of the cupboard and put it next to the door so you remember to take it with you.

If you do forget it’s OK, there’s always next week.

There are also many websites devoted to selling zero waste products, for example you can avoid those fruit and vegetable bags at the supermarket by bringing your own lightweight bag, or just leave the produce loose in your trolley.

IT CAN BE CHEAPER

The next step is to stop buying products packaged in plastic.

You can do this by shopping at bulk food shops such as NakedFoods or The Source, which have stores popping up everywhere.

These stores allow you to bring your own containers and fill them up with flour, beans, pasta, chocolate, rice, cereal, muesli and many other products including tamari, noodles, tea, coffee, shampoo, dishwashing liquid, coconut oil and even sesame oil.

The budget-conscious might find prices quite high for some items (I recently spent $15 on organic chocolate coated almonds) but other items are more reasonably priced.

Overall, because you are only buying what you need, you are not paying for extra food that often expires before you use it and this is ultimately cheaper.

I’ve found my grocery bills are about $100 per week for two people, which is about the same, or less than before — even though I’m buying more organic products.

Local fruit and vege stores are also great sources of cheap and package free produce, and if you go to farmers’ markets and buy what’s in season, it can be even cheaper.

Living zero waste has also made me more conscious of using up everything I buy and this has also had its financial benefits. I have halved the items in my pantry simply by forcing myself to eat all the products I’ve purchased in the past, like the entire bag of lentils I originally bought for one recipe.

The came goes for the fridge — it’s never been so uncluttered.

Shopping zero waste also cuts the temptation to buy random snacks while you’re browsing supermarket shelves, and you naturally eat healthier because fruits and vegetables are the easiest thing to buy without packaging.

IT’S LESS STRESSFUL

When I first started the transition to zero waste, my partner was sceptical of how much effort we were making to go to little bulk shops or farmers’ markets for our weekly grocery shop.

But this all changed after about a month when we needed to do a large shop and thought it would be quicker to drive to our local shopping centre (which is what we did in the past).

Setting aside how long it took us to actually get a parking space, everyone just seemed on edge and in a rush. There was so many people in the supermarket it took ages to get what we needed.

That was the first time I fully appreciated that driving or walking that little bit further was actually saving us time, and buying food in little shops or markets where people actually care about the product, was so much more relaxing.

After that, my partner never gave me grief about going bulk food shopping again.

WE BUY A LOT OF UNNECESSARY PRODUCTS

Once you get really hard-core and start investigating how to avoid more challenging products like toilet cleaner etc, you start to realise how many things we buy that we don’t need.

In the past I would buy different sprays for the bathroom, kitchen, mirrors, windows and to clean the floors. Sometimes I would randomly buy a new cleaner just to test it out. I had a cupboard full of stuff I had half-used.

I decided not to buy any more cleaners until I had used the ones I already had and a year later I still haven’t managed to get through them.

Once they are finished I have been testing out natural products like vinegar to replace them.

You can replace your kitchen surface spray, bathroom surface spray, toilet cleaner and floor cleaner with white vinegar, some baking soda and Castile soap — these are available package free at bulk food shops, effective, non-toxic and cheaper.

IT MAKES YOU HEALTHIER

While shopping zero waste is not necessarily about not being plastic-free, many people have been motivated to adopt this lifestyle to rid themselves of potentially toxic and environmentally-damaging plastic.

You tend to eat less processed foods and are motivated to make things from scratch to avoid packaging.

If you make your own products such as cosmetics, moisturiser or toothpaste from natural ingredients, this can also reduce your expose to potentially toxic chemicals.

For years, I used sorbolene cream because I thought this non-fragranced product was better for my sensitive skin. Now I’ve discovered using simple olive oil, while leaving my skin a little greasy when first applied, works just as well and is not made from petroleum and other weird ingredients like “liquid hydrocarbons” (try figuring out what’s in this stuff).

I also make my own body butter, which smells like chocolate, and use an apple cider vinegar rinse in my hair instead of conditioner and it’s never looked better (according to my friends and family).

IT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

Even if you don’t cut back on every product, just avoiding food packaging and composting scraps can make a big difference.

A year ago, my partner and I would fill our 40 litre bin with rubbish at least one and a half times each week.

Nowadays our rubbish is about a third of what it was. We have a 25 litre bin that generally only gets filled once.

One of the biggest sources of waste was food scraps but I didn’t want to start my own compost or worm farm so I used the website ShareWaste to connect with someone who was happy to take scraps for theirs. Eventually I noticed there was community garden near where I lived so I asked if it was OK to contribute to their compost instead.

Now I store scraps in the fridge or freezer until I have a chance to drop them at the garden once a week.

YOU CAN RECYCLE A LOT

Even though recycling is not ideal — many items don’t get recycled even if they can be and products like plastic are generally downcycled — it’s better than adding to landfill.

You may be surprised that many companies are offering recycling services, for example, you can drop off your plastic bags in the REDcycle bin at Coles, or bring back used coffee pods to Nespresso.

You can also find places that take used batteries, mobiles or other e-waste

YOU ARE MORE CAPABLE THAN YOU THINK

Trying to live zero waste means you suddenly discover that you can make many things yourself.

Instead of buying canned beans for salads or soups, sometimes I buy dried ones package free, soak them overnight and cook them.

You can make your own pasta, bread, biscuits, stock cubes, tomato sauce, baked beans and mayonnaise.

Some people even make their deodorant, mascara, olive oil or toothpaste.

THE DOWNSIDE

Sometimes living zero waste can be embarrassing for you, and for others around you.

Whipping out your own container at the local butchers or deli, may get you a weird look. The interesting thing is, as time goes on, you’ll probably find that others around you embrace the changes as it genuinely does make life better.

The one downside is that no matter how hard you try there will be things that are not going to be available in zero waste form. Meat is difficult (the only butcher that’s allowed me to bring my own container is a random one in Chinatown) so I tend to buy larger quantities to get the most out of the plastic bag.

Other times you simply don’t have time to get what you need from a few different places.

You may have to go to a couple of bulk food stores like The Source to get everything you need.

Trying to live zero waste can make you feel guilty if you forget your bags and have to accept plastic, or really just want to buy a something like eyeshadow or a packet of Doritos.

The more you look into it, the more overwhelming it can become. Do you know for example, that pantyhose are made from non-biodegradable textiles?

Convenience does win sometimes but I’ve found the moments where I’ve managed to achieve a zero waste outcome make me have made me genuinely happy.

This is the major reason why I’ve keep shopping this way, it makes me feel good that I’m making a contribution towards a healthier environment and living by my principles.

When Bea Johnson, the woman largely credited with starting the zero waste movement floated the idea to her husband, he didn’t think changing the habits of one little household would make a difference.

But her book and blog have since inspired thousands of people around to adopt the zero waste lifestyle.

“I think I’ve been able to prove him wrong,” Ms Johnson says in a YouTube video.

The popularity of zero waste continues to grow and businesses are starting to notice and get in on the act, even offering things such as bulk beer or wine.

The Project is also leading a campaign for a nationwide ban of plastic bags.

Living a zero waste lifestyle can require research and a time commitment initially but it slowly becomes a habit that you don’t really think about.

No matter how big or small the effort is, it all counts.

TIPS FOR GOING ZERO WASTE:

• Find somewhere to drop your food scraps. You can use Share Waste to find people in your neighbourhood. Store scraps in the fridge or freezer so you can do this weekly

• Bring a refillable water bottle or coffee cup with you

• Find a cloth bag and pop it in your handbag/bag for unexpected purchases

• Get your toilet paper wrapped in paper, not plastic and order online in bulk

• Refill beer or wine bottles

• Buy second-hand clothes

• Avoid takeaway — go out to a restaurant or sit down and have a coffee in the cafe instead

• Check out YouTube channels like Trash is for Tossers and blogs like Zero Waste Home, The Rogue Ginger or for Treading My Own Path for inspiration

• Buy bar soap from places like Lush

• Don’t accept straws

• Ditch your plastic razor and get a stainless steel safety razor

• Replace glad wrap with beeswax wrap or just cover the item with a plate or put in a container

• Get bread from a baker in a paper bag or wrap your loaf in a clean tea towel

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