How to Effectively Change Your Lifestyle: 30 Days Zero Waste Management Plan

Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle is not as hard as you might think. All it needs is a little focus and determination. Going zero waste is completely doable with only adopting small changes in your lifestyle. If you are thinking of adopting zero waste lifestyle but don’t know where to start, then this article is for you.  Here we have come up with a 30-day zero waste plan where you can adopt one step each day and voila! You have adopted zero wasting lifestyle.

1. Be Mindful In Shopping

The first step in adopting zero waste lifestyle is to be mindful of what you shop. Stick to items that you need. Avoid buying unnecessary stuff. When you buy less, you automatically produce less waste.

2. Use A Reusable Plastic Bottle

Say no to your disposable water bottle. Invest in a good reusable water bottle and develop a habit of carrying it with you. This small swap plays a big role in protecting the environment from pollution as plastic bottles are the main pollutants in landfills.

3. Take Your Grocery Bag

Disposable plastic bags are a huge cause of concern for environmentalists. These onetime use plastic bags take years to decompose. From today, start carrying your grocery bag with you.

4. Switch Your Shampoo Bottle With Shampoo Bars

Shampoo is an everyday use item. The plastic bottle is then thrown in the trash where it stays in landfills for years without decomposing. The solution is using shampoo bars. These organic bars are an excellent swap for your bottled shampoo.

5. Go For Bamboo Toothbrushes

For a zero waste lifestyle, make swap your plastic toothbrush with organic options. One of the best organic alternatives to plastic toothbrushes is bamboo toothbrushes. Bamboo toothbrushes are organic and can decompose easily.

6. Stop Using Plastic Straws

Plastic straws are major pollutants in our environment. Plastic straws which are made from polypropylene cannot be recycled. Say no to disposable straws for green living.

7. Zero Waste Cleaning

Cleaning materials made from toxic chemicals pose a huge threat to the environment. You can make your cleaning products at home using simple ingredients that are available in your kitchen. For example, mixing baking soda with vinegar becomes an excellent multipurpose cleaner to fulfill your everyday cleaning needs.

8. Zero Waste Beauty Products

When shopping for beauty products, go to stores that offer plastic-free packaging. Also, opt for organic products. Going zero provides amazing beauty products that are pocket friendly and non-toxic.
Another option is to create your beauty products using DIYs. DIYs are excellent because they save your money and reduce waste.

9. Shop Organic

To produce zero waste, switch your chemical-based products with organic options.

10. Avoid Food Wastage

Globally about one-third of food is wasted each year. Think how the food-insecure nations would feel about it. Food waste is a big cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing your food waste can solve the problem. To start, buy only as much food as you can easily consume in a month. Make use of leftover food before preparing a new meal.

11. Zero Waste Meal Preparation

One of the biggest causes of environmental pollution is plastic-packed food. Instead of buying a ready-made lunch, take some time and plan your meal. I know this idea seems a little complicated at once but the benefits will be worth your efforts. Plan your meal for the week. Planning will save you money and it will give you the health benefits of home-cooked organic food.

12. Zero-Waste Snacks

Choosing a vegan snack is not only good for your physical well-being but it is also good for the environment. Most of the snacks like chips, biscuits, and chocolates are served in single-use plastic packing. Additionally, they are loaded with unhealthy additives like preservatives, etc. So, ditch these snacks and prepare your snacks at home. The idea of preparing your snack seems to be pretty intimidating at first but once you get your hands on it, you will be addicted to them.

13. Zero-Waste Coffee

Next time you want to buy coffee, say no to disposable coffee mugs and carry your reusable bamboo coffee mug with you.

14. Compost Leftovers

Leftover food is a big cause of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.  You can use leftovers to make compost for your garden.

15. Make A Zero Waste Lunch

Instead of buying packaged food for lunch, prepare a zero-waste lunch for yourself. This can be easily done with a little meal planning. It is way easier and it will save you a lot of money plus you will have the health benefits of home-cooked lunch.

16. Reuse Leftovers

Reduce your leftover food by reusing it. Before preparing a meal, check your fridge for leftovers. If you have any, consume them first.

17. Recycle

Recycling materials is an excellent step to living a zero-waste lifestyle. However, recycling should be done the right way. Many materials like glass and aluminum have a 100% recycling rate. These materials should be recycled more.

18. Stop Junk Mail

Junk mail may look like a small thing but it has a huge environmental impact. Millions of trees are being cut to feed the junk mail machine. Play your part in protecting the environment by reducing junk mail.

19. Shop Local Stuff

Local products are usually cheap. Look for a good local store to buy organic items.

20. Save Natural Resources

Earth has limited resources so use them with caution for sustainable living.

21. Zero Waste Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a basic need of every household. For green living swap your chemical toothpaste with an organic option available in the market.

22. De-Clutter Your Space

Decluttering your space will bring order to your home. When we go towards a path of minimalism, we start asking ourselves questions like how can I consume so much? Get rid of stuff that you no longer use. However, you need to declutter your home while producing zero waste. This can be done when you donate your belongings to a needy one or by selling them at a secondhand store.

23. Switch To Reusable Items

Replace all disposable items with reusable ones. Many organic options of reusable material are available in the market. You can choose from glass, steel, or bamboo utensils to replace disposable materials.

24. Repair Stuff

Instead of throwing away your broken or damaged stuff and replacing it with a new one, try repairing it. This will reduce waste and provide you with good value for money.

25.Shop Secondhand

Shopping for secondhand items is an effective method to shop less. It takes a huge amount of resources to make new stuff so, consider shopping from a second-hand store or you can borrow stuff from your friends and family.

26. Zero Waste Laundry

A zero-waste laundry is completely doable. All you need to do is to switch your chemical detergent with a biodegradable one. Chemical detergents contain toxic materials which are bad for our health and marine life.

27. Pick Up Garbage

When you step out, you may encounter litter. From this day, pick up litter and put it in the recycle bin. I know many people will say why they pick someone else s’ litter. Consider the fact that earth is our home and everyone is in the same situation. Sure you dint drop the litter but it is polluting your neighborhood. Shouldn’t you take care of it?

28. Join A Zero-Waste Group

Joining a zero-waste group is a great idea if you want to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle. In this group,

29. Get Involved With The Local Authorities

This is an advanced step in living a zero-waste lifestyle. Collaborate with the local authorities to boost zero waste efforts.

30.Do A Trash Audit

A trash audit is important to know what you are throwing away and which items need to be reused or recycled. For a trash audit you need to first know your trash, then organize it. Now you can easily see what lifestyle changes you need for zero-waste living.

Conclusion

When we see the sorry state of our planet, choosing a zero-waste lifestyle seems like a compulsion. With a proper plan, you can easily achieve the goal of living a zero-waste lifestyle in 30 days.