38 Zero-Waste Swaps for a Greener Home
By now, you’ve probably heard about the eco-friendly benefits of living a zero-waste lifestyle — a conscious effort to reduce what you use, reuse what you can, and avoid sending waste to the landfill. And with about eight million metric tons of plastic waste making its way into the oceans each year, every step we take matters.
While it might seem like a lofty goal, starting out with small zero-waste swaps will help you create sustainable habits for years to come. If you’re wondering how to live a zero-waste lifestyle, start by incorporating the following zero-waste tips into your daily life at home. This guide goes room by room to offer you a list of ideas you can start implementing today.
Kitchen
Ditch the plastic bags. Use reusable bags for your groceries and lunch box.
Buy in bulk if you can and make food at home. Avoid packaging when possible, and make your own grocery staples such as bread, plant-based milk, and nut and seed butter.
Say no to utensils when ordering delivery. Write in the delivery notes that you don’t need any napkins or utensils. If you’re dining out, bring your own utensils from home or use compostable bamboo cutlery.
Make your coffee at home. Or when ordering at a coffee shop, bring your own mug from home.
Switch to loose leaf tea. If you prefer to use tea bags, look for biodegradable or compostable options.
Compost your food scraps. Make sure to look up what food can and can’t be composted, and check with your local waste management facility to see their rules about composting where you live.
Use mason jars for food storage. Consider using them in the place of tupperware and as a decorative way to display your dry staple goods. You can also reuse glass jars from other items you buy instead of buying new mason jars.
Check your kitchen regularly for expiring food. To remember about foods that are often hidden in the back, you might consider writing out the expiration dates in a list somewhere or using an app to help remind you. To help certain foods last longer, see if you can freeze them to extend their life.
Make stock from your scraps. Instead of throwing away your veggie scraps, make a delicious homemade vegetable stock you can use for other recipes! Store your veggie scraps in the freezer until you’re ready to make the stock.
Switch to a reusable water bottle. Glass or stainless steel are nice options. You can refill the bottles with tap water, use a water filter from the tap, or fill them up at refillable water stations. You can also store filtered or boiled water in clean canning jars for emergency storage (follow the instructions here).
Use reusable food wrap instead of plastic wrap. Look for reusable, compostable options such as beeswax food wrap, or simply cover your dish with a plate to create a seal.
Eat a more plant-based diet. To help reduce the waste produced by the meat and dairy industry, eat plant-based meals as much as you can. Even just having “Meatless Monday” every week can be beneficial.
Use a package-free dishwashing bar. If you prefer liquid soap, see if your local bulk goods section sells refillable dish soap.
Grow your own herbs. Even if you don’t have a garden or outdoor space, a nice sunny windowsill will do.
Make your meals at home. If you do get takeout, call ahead to see if they’ll let you bring your own clean containers.
Bathroom
Trade in your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush. The bamboo can be composted!
Switch to a reusable safety razor. Safety razors are made of stainless steel, are durable, and have cheaper blades to replace.
Consider switching to bar products in the shower. There are shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and body bars that come in no packaging or compostable packaging. Bonus if you make them or buy them locally made!
DIY your deodorant. The switch might seem strange at first, but it doesn’t hurt to try. If it works, it works!
Make your own cleaning products. Distilled white vinegar is a natural and effective cleaner, and there are several recipes online that use essential oils to mask the smell.
Use a menstrual cup. As an added bonus, it’s more cost-effective over time. If the cup doesn't work for you, consider reusable cloth menstrual pads or look for organic cotton tampons.
Use recycled toilet paper. Or take it a step further and invest in a bidet attachment.
Swap out single-use cotton pads for reusable ones. The reusable pads are often much larger and can be used for cleansing, removing makeup, removing nail polish, and applying beauty products.
Go old-school with a handkerchief. If you stick with single-use tissues, compost them instead of throwing them away.
Use a plastic-free hairbrush. Though it might be more expensive initially, these bamboo or wooden brushes are durable and biodegradable.
Use eco-friendly floss. Look for a brand that uses compostable floss in sustainable packaging.
Look into zero-waste cosmetics. Or go makeup-free if that works for you!
bedroom
Shop for second-hand furniture. Thrift what you can — you might find some gems! And older, well-made furniture might just be more durable.
Invest in an organic mattress. Choose a green mattress company that uses minimal or sustainable packaging in the delivery process, and has independent third-party certifications.
Have a clothing swap with friends. It’s a fun way to give the clothes you no longer wear a new life and to discover new outfits for yourself.
Repair what you can. Take your shoes to the cobbler, learn to repair your zippers, and sew up holes that can be fixed.
Air dry your clothes. Use a drying rack or hang your clothes to dry.
living room/office
Unsubscribe from junk mail. You might need to visit some websites directly to unsubscribe, but the extra steps are worth it. Check out these tips for unsubscribing yourself from unwanted mailing lists.
Switch to electronic billing. The switch to paperless is a quick and easy step to less paper waste.
Use your local library. For fellow bookworms that love the feel of holding a physical book, check out books and e-books for free from your local library. You can also rent movies and equipment from there as well!
Buy secondhand technology. It’s cheaper, too! Look into refurbished phones, laptops, TVs, and tablets.
Get fancy with a refillable pen. Use a refillable fountain pen and recycled paper if you need to write things down.
Use out-of-the-box gift wrapping. Instead of using regular gift wrapping paper, look into using mason jars, produce bags, tea towels, cloth napkins, newspaper, paper grocery bags, and scarves. Tie it all together with twine or fabric scraps.
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