Easy minimalist & zero waste ideas (that don’t cost a lot of money)

When people see "zero waste," they usually think about drastic lifestyle changes, but it's possible to reduce your waste without rearranging your whole life.

Why go zero waste? On top of the enormous environmental benefits, you can save money. Reusing products is cheaper than constantly buying disposables. Many cities near me are now charging by the trash bag or levying fees for garbage collection. And if they don't, it's bundled into your property taxes or rent. Why pay to throw out stuff you never needed in the first place?

Here are a few quick, easy, zero waste solutions you can implement right away.

Coffee

If you buy coffee on their way to work, consider bringing a reusable cup. Some stores now offer discounts for bringing your own cup, and you're avoiding sending all those disposables to landfills. Or, brew coffee in the morning and take it with you in a stainless steel container.

A post shared by Ellie Daforge (@elliedaforge) on Jan 14, 2018 at 12:43pm PST

If you have a machine that brews single cups, get a reusable filter cup (pictured above). I fill mine with ground coffee ($3 a can that lasts months vs. as much as 50 cents per disposable K-cup) and toss the grounds in my compost bin when I'm done. (Just don't put coffee grounds down the drain--they can clog pipes.)

Reusable water bottle & lunch container

When I was a kid, sandwiches always went in disposable bags. I still pack my lunch every day, and a few years ago I switched to a reusable plastic container for my sandwich. I haven't needed to buy sandwich bags since. I even bring a larger container to restaurants that give huge portions instead of asking for a disposable take-away container.

I have a reusable water bottle that unscrews in two parts, so I can wash it or add items like ice or fruit. If you can't buy a reusable bottle yet, a mason jar will work.

Bar soap or refills

Those little disposable soap pumps add up, both in cost and landfills. If you want to keep the pumps you have, buy large refill jugs (usually about the same price as one tiny pump, and last a lot longer). Or, switch to bar soap to reduce packaging.

“Unpaper” towels (and handkerchiefs!)

Instead of using paper towels, cut up old towels/shirts or use washcloths, and use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water to clean most surfaces.

Reusable bags

Many stores now charge for a disposable plastic or paper bag. Pick up a few cloth bags (often sold for $1 each, or given away free by some businesses--or check thrift stores) and put them by your door, or take them with you when you go out. There are some that fold up very small, so you can place them in a purse or backpack. Many reusable bags are also insulated, helping to keep food cold or hot when you're transporting it home. And if you don't want to buy a reusable bag just yet, you can use a cardboard box.

If you have disposable bags still lying around your home, you can bring them back to the store for recycling (look for a bin near where soda cans are collected).


I hope these tips were helpful. In a future blog post, I plan to outline more minimalist/zero waste tips for parties.

Related posts
Zero Waste Shops
Five Unusual Items You Can Recycle

Zero waste shops

Updated 2/6/18

During my declutter/minimalist journey, I started to rethink all of my purchases. Were my clothes sustainable? What about my personal care or cleaning supplies?

There aren't a lot of eco-friendly shops near me, so I started looking for really good online shops. The stores on this list have sustainable products and minimal or zero waste packaging. Many also have good shipping or return policies. I haven’t tried all of them yet (I really am trying to be a minimalist), but I will add more information as I go along. I listed them alphabetically.

I left off Etsy shops because many of the ones I follow are in “vacation” mode. However, Etsy is a great place to find handmade or vintage items (and support small businesses!).

Aquarian Bath 
http://www.aquarianbath.com
Personal care items, including soap and shampoo.

Lush
https://www.lushusa.com - in USA (has sites for other countries)
Lush sells cosmetics and is dedicated to reducing their packaging. I love their Charity Pot lotion.

Meow Meow Tweet
https://meowmeowtweet.com
They specialize in personal care items, from lip balm to deodorant.

Package Free Shop 
https://packagefreeshop.com 
Carries a wide variety of zero waste products. One caveat is that they don’t accept returns.

PAREdown
http://www.paredownhome.com/store
This shop has a lot of essentials, and cool items like art supplies. It’s more minimalist than zero waste (some items have packaging).

thredUP
https://www.thredup.com
This is my go-to source for secondhand clothing. They often run 15% off discounts, too.

Tiny Yellow Bungalow
https://www.tinyyellowbungalow.com
This shop has a little of everything, from biodegradable cotton swabs and toothbrushes to vintage items.

Wild Minimalist
https://wildminimalist.com
They carry a lot of essentials, including woven bags, beeswax wraps, and silk floss.

Zero Waste Home
https://zerowastehome.com/shop
Bea literally wrote the book on zero waste. Her shop features items that help you shop and clean, as well as sustainable office or travel supplies.