Zero Waste Progress and Tips

I'm looking into many ways to reduce waste.  I will list what I do on a regular basis in categories below.  As I make new, better habbits, I will add them to my list.  I'm sure you can find a few ideas here on how to reduce waste in your life!

Food and Kitchen

  • Use reusable grocery bags, not only at the grocery store, but any store.  Always have a couple in your car.  
  • Use reusable mesh produce sacks for your produce, or (what I usually do) don't bag your produce at all. 
  • Buy items such as: pasta, grains, flour, sugar, baking powder, dried fruit, spices, dry beans, nuts, and chocolate chips in bulk.  I love New Seasons and WinCo for these!
  • Bring your own sacks for bulk (make sure you weigh them first, so the cashier can properly zero the scale).  If you buy these bags, they will have their weight on an attached tag, if you make yours -- stamp the weight on there with permanent ink. 
  • Bring reusable containers and buy items like peanut butter and honey in bulk.
  • Buy milk in reusable glass bottles.
  • Store the dried goods you bought in the bulk section in glass jars at home.  Repurpose old mason jars and jars from peanut butter or pasta sauce.  
  • Use cloth napkins, cloth towells, and cloth rags (for clean up).  Avoid "paper" products (paper towells include a lot of plastic).  
  • Don't buy paper/styrofoam/plastic plates and silverware.  It's too tempting to use them when they are around. 
  • Use compostable brush/scrubber for doing dishes.
  • Use metal or glass containers to pack lunches.
  • Make your own yogurt and store in glass jars.  

Hygene and Bath


Baby and Kids
  • Use cloth diapers.
  • Use cloth wipes.
  • Make your own baby cereal and baby food.  It's so easy!
  • Accept hand me downs, buy used clothing at consignment shops, garage sales, and Goodwill.
  • Invest in a good waterbottle that they can take with them, to avoid using plastic or paper cups.
  • Purchase few good, long-lasting, classic toys.
Office and Home

  • Get rid of junk mail
  • Pay bills and recieve statements online
  • Use an electronic calendar, I especially like Google Calendar because anyone in your family can easily add to it or view it from any online location.  
  • Donate things that are cluttering your rooms
  • Use your local library or buy electronic books instead of purchasing old-fashioned books (this is really hard for me because I love books.)
  • Save blank return elvelopes that come with junk mail to use when you absolutely need to mail something via snail mail. 
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