Free Zero Waste Ideas
We’ve all seen the images online of fancy zero waste products, expensive plastic free stores, and the like. These things give people the idea that going low waste is expensive, when truly you can’t buy your way to green. Today I’m sharing my top free zero waste ideas.
Reducing your consumption is the number one way to reduce your waste, period. Zero waste isn’t something you can buy or achieve, and it’s not something you need brand new supplies for. Really, it’s something you work toward, and at its core low waste is a low spend lifestyle.
Going low waste is definitely still a privilege, though, and I want to acknowledge that up front. Just because something doesn’t cost a lot of money doesn’t mean you’re privileged enough to even have the concern of low waste on your priority list. If you’re worried about your health, or your access to healthy foods, for example, you don’t need the additional burden of worrying about waste on your plate. But if you do have the privilege of putting zero waste on your priority list, I’m glad to be the person to bring some frugal low waste ideas your way.
Free Zero Waste Ideas:
Reuse
Reuse old fabric. Save old tshirts, bath towels, etc. that get beyond patching and repair. You can use old fabric for so many things including: rags, towels and napkins, and even produce bags or other small cloth items.
Reuse glass jars. You don’t need to purchase a brand new set of glass Mason jars to reduce plastic and waste. Just clean and reuse the glass jars your food products come in for kitchen storage. (It wouldn’t be a free zero waste ideas post without something about glass jars, would it?)
Take your own cutlery with you. You don’t need a specific to-go set of cutlery to save on using plastic silverware on the go. Just wrap up a pair of cutlery from your kitchen in a cloth napkin and you’re good to go!
Share & Trade
Propagate plants. Consider starting a houseplant for your friend as a gift, or make plant starts to trade with other people.
Ask for things you need. Before you go out and purchase something new, don’t be afraid to ask if someone you know already has that item gathering dust somewhere in your home. Is it really necessary that every single house on the block have a full set of home and garden tools, or could you borrow from a neighbor the one time a year you need to till your garden beds? Do you need to go out an buy a new juicer, or does your mom have one in the cupboard that she never uses anymore? Don’t be afraid to check Facebook or Buy Nothing Groups as well — often you’re helping someone declutter by taking unwanted items off their hands.
Organize a clothing swap. We talk about this loads on Pre-Loved Podcast. You can organize a clothing swap party with your closest friends, or partner with a group of people to advertise the event to a whole community. Everyone cleans out their closet and exchanges for new goodies without spending or waste.
No Food Waste
Eat what you buy, period. Food waste is such a bummer. Please, please, please eat the food you buy. There are lots of recipes online that will help you get creative with that weird one-off ingredient, and it will encourage you to try to cook new things!
Grow your own food from scraps. Spring onions, lettuce, celery, potatoes, and ginger, are just a couple of everyday foods that will reproduce from their own scraps. And the process is pretty simple — there are loads of videos online for this!
Grow your own herbs. Rather than buying dried herbs in a plastic container from the grocery store, you can grow your own herbs. Simply take the plant inside for winter it gets cold where you live. I regularly grow basil, thyme, several kinds of mint, and lemon balm for tea.
Make your own broth out of food scraps. Homemade stock and broth is so much better than the salty, unhealthy stuff you can get in plastic at the grocery store. Here’s the guide we’ve used for a super long time.
Start a compost bin. This can look a variety of ways depending on where you live, but here’s a great guide to reducing food waste whether that’s a backyard compost bin or a kitchen bin.
Use Less Energy
Bike wherever you can. This can depend on your area, but I’m fortunate to live in a bike friendly community so I bike or walk to work, to the grocery store, and even all my favorite shops. I save so much money on gas — last year I didn’t fill up on gas for July or August — and I reduce my impact.
Use less electricity and water. Especially if you live in a new home, a lot of energy companies will come do an energy audit on your property and help you come up with ways to use less water and electricity. Our audit even provided us a new eco-friendly timer thermostat, several gauges to control water pressure, and a set of new lightbulbs. In general, it’s a great idea to try to be cautious about electricity and water use.
Dry your laundry on a drying rack or a line outside. Dryers consume a lot of energy and can actually be pretty hard on your clothes. If you can, it’s more low waste to line dry your clothes.
Commit Your Time
Fix stuff that is broken. Pretty much anything can be learned on YouTube these days. Before you toss something that’s broken — which sends an old product to landfill and creates waste as you replace it — do a little research and see if you can fix it yourself for free. Bonus, this is a great way to learn a new skill!
Get involved in local government initiatives. Does your community have a government official working on low waste initiatives? Find out, and ask them if there are ways you can contribute your time to help. Maybe they need someone to help spread information about new services or ballot issues. Maybe they need volunteers for the annual Ecofest. Don’t have those things? Who says you can’t start them yourself?
That’s all for now…
Please remember that going low waste is a process and every little step counts! Even reading this post today is a step in the right direction — I hope you’re able to incorporate some of these free zero waste ideas.
For more on zero waste, try my Sustainability Resolutions or my 6 Month Progress Report — just like I said, it’s lots of little steps in the right direction.
Until next time — let’s chat on Instagram or Twitter, where I’m @brumeanddaisy. You can listen to my playlists here on the blog, or follow me on Spotify! Stay tuned in because I put them out monthly. Of course, please find me over on Goodreads. Let me know what I should read and review next.
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