Low waste starter kit

Here are some tips from us on how you can lower your waste and maybe one day become a zero waster. The tips will be updated, whenever we come across another helpful tip from elsewhere, so stay tuned, bookmark us and/or send us your tips so we can add them here!

Plastic

• Don’t throw away plastic bags from groceries, but reuse them as many times as possible. Simply put them in your shopping bag after you sort everything out at home
• Bring your own reusable produce and shopping bags for groceries, once you are done with all the plastic ones of course
• For freezer use silicone pouches or reusable plastic boxes instead of classic zip locks especially for raw meat. Glass containers are fine as well.
• Say no to plastic straws, cutlery and lunch boxes when ordering drinks, or food to go. Keep lunch boxes and reusable straws or cutlery in your purse/car/workplace
• Get a reusable mug for hot drinks, better yet get two and always keep one at your car/purse/workplace
• Say no to plastic water bottles and get reusable ones instead. You can install a water filter to get fresh drinking water from your faucet in the kitchen or get a filtration jar
• Start to shop at package-free shops and farmers markets (with your own bags and boxes) to avoid as much food packaging as possible
• For items that are not easy to find at package-free shops try to buy them in big bulks to lower the single item packaging
• Start to use bar soaps instead of liquid ones that are in plastic bottles, or shop at refill places/package free shops as well
• Avoid purchasing items in plastic #7 packaging (chips, etc) as these mixed plastics are almost impossible to recycle. You can use such packaging to wrap gifts though
• Make your own home-cleaners and use them in reusable spray bottles
• Recycle, recycle, recycle

Check out the story of your plastic bag journey to the oceans in:  The Majestic Plastic Bag – A Mockumentary here https://youtu.be/GLgh9h2ePYw

Paper

• Say no to promotional flyers by placing a sticker on your mailbox and subscribe to online versions of your favorite brands/shops.
• Subscribe to digital versions of your printed magazines and newspapers
• Start using cloth kitchen towels instead of paper
• Choose recycled or bamboo toilet paper
• Say no to paper single-use cups, they are not recyclable as they have a plastic layer
• Reuse your paper grocery bag at least 3 times to equal the impact of its production
• Upcycle newspaper, paper bags, etc as wrapping gift paper or to replace plastic waste bag in your trash bin.
• Empty toilet paper rolls can be used as seedling starters for your garden for example
• Recycle, recycle, recycle

Clothes

• Always ask yourself first “Do I really need this?”
• Shop with a purpose and not by the instant urge to get the latest trends
• Buy clothes from organic/natural materials and/or from recycled materials
• Give a try to second-hand stores
• Sort your closet and create your own capsule wardrobe so you are stylish and YOU, instead of looking like everyone else this season
• Fix your clothes instead of throwing them away. The alternations are usually cheaper than new clothes
• Buy quality, not quantity
• Give your old (in good condition) clothes new life by donating, or reselling them 
• Bring your clothes to recycle programs or stores that recycle clothes
• You can throw a swap party with friends to exchange clothes you don’t wear anymore
• Stay away from “sales traps”, just because it is on sale it doesn’t mean you need it
• Upcycle your old clothes into something new. Make pillow covers from an old wool sweater or a dog bed cover from your old jeans. Just google for DIY projects from the material you have on hand

Metals/aluminum

• The most important part when it comes to aluminum (most of the drinking cans) is to recycle as much as you can. Aluminum doesn’t lose its quality when recycled and can be recycled almost endlessly.
• Try to reuse aluminum foil more than once, you can wash it with some dish soap. 
• When throwing in the recycle bin, make a bowl out of the foil so it is easier to be picked up by magnet in recycling /sorting facilities. 
• Bring your old electronics to the designated collection places or see if you can order a pick-up, don’t just put it out on the street or to the common trash area.