42 Zero Waste Tips For Beginners: Easy & Impactful (2025)

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Living more sustainably doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. It’s about making simple, realistic changes that cut down waste and feel good to do.

Whether you’re just starting or looking to level up your efforts, I prepared for you bullet point lists, full of doable zero waste tips — from super simple ones to more level-up tips. If you’re into zero waste, beginner or not, this list has something for you.

I’ve broken it down into 3 categories to keep it easy:

• Most powerful ones – Easy, low effort, and big impact.
• Easiest tips – No effort, no excuses.
• More effort tips – Not ‘hard’ ones but a bit more effort.

Let’s begin!

 Most powerful zero waste tips:

1. Carry a reusable water bottle – This can help you to avoid hundreds of plastic bottles per year — a must-have. Bring it when flying, too! Most airports now have refill stations. If you’re traveling to places with poor water quality, get a filter bottle like GRAYL or Brita. For more options, check my article on the best reusable water bottles.
2. Use a reusable shopping bag or backpack – One of the simplest ways to avoid plastic every day. Forgot your bag? Ask for a cardboard box at the store instead — they often have spares! And don’t forget to bring your reusable produce bags – ditch those flimsy plastic ones for good.
3. Buy in bulk using reusable containers – Support low-waste brands and refill shops & cut packaging while you’re at it.
4. Compost your food scraps – Keeps food out of landfills where it produces methane — even in cities, drop-off or pickup is often available. I have a guide with 5 composting methods and lots of details, suitable even for small apartments. Check it out if you’re curious.
5. Eat more plant-based meals – Reduces emissions, packaging, and food waste — the biggest change you can make for the planet.  Find more about some of the most exceptional environmental benefits of reducing meat here. 
6. Switch to a reusable razor – A safety razor lasts years and replaces hundreds of disposables. Find a list of the best safety razors for beginners, and how to use one here.
7. Use cloth towels instead of paper towels – Households go through thousands of paper napkins yearly — washable ones save tons of waste! An old T-shirt cut into small pieces works great, too.
8. Switch to a low-waste kitchen – Switch to compostable loofahs, bamboo dish brushes, plastic-free block soap, or refill bulk detergent, and get some soy wax wraps, silicone bags, and jars over plastic wrap. 
9. Try reusable menstrual products – Menstrual cups, cloth pads, or period underwear save tons of waste and money over time. 
10. Plastic-free oral care – Switch to plastic-free toothpaste tablets, bamboo toothbrush, and plastic-free dental floss. You can also DIY mineralizing zero waste tooth powder; it’s effective, and super affordable.  
11. Buy secondhand when possible – From clothes and books to electronics and furniture. It saves money, resources, and packaging. Btw, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream — buying refurbished electronics helps massively.
12. Avoid fast fashion – Fast fashion has devastating consequences for our planet. It’s wasteful, exploitative, and short-lived. Choose quality, used, or sustainable brands, like those ones.
13. Fix instead of tossing – Repairing small rips or gluing something saves money and avoids landfill.
14. Choose items with minimal or sustainable packaging – Nearly 40% of global plastic is packaging — most used once and tossed. Choosing glass, metal, or paper is also better since these are more recyclable and often easy to reuse (like glass jars – great for bulk goods, leftovers, sauces, etc.)
15. Switch to eco-friendly personal products – Sunscreen, deodorant, soap, makeup — nearly every product has a low-waste version. Here’s a list of ideas and 40 eco-friendly & plastic-free alternatives. 
16. Watch out for greenwashing – Misleading eco-labels are common — learn to read beyond the buzzwords and how to spot greenwashing here. 
17. Give experience gifts – Surprise loved ones with cooking classes, event tickets, or nature trips. Better memories, zero waste. Or DIY gifts like scrubs, lip balms, or deodorant. When gifting, wrap in fabric, scarves, or old newspapers (Furoshiki style!). Find my list of non-materialistic gift ideas here.

Easiest zero waste tips:

1. Bring your own to-go coffee cup or food containers – Easy and effective. Single-use coffee cups pile up, and most cafés will gladly fill your cup. Bring your containers for takeout, too! You can also use them at many grocery stores now, which allow refills on dry goods, snacks, and more.
2. Buy only what you need – Less consumption = less waste, energy, and demand for more, more, more.
3. Go paperless with e-bills & refuse receipts and freebies – Most receipts are coated in plastic or tossed immediately. Not always offered, but it cuts paper clutter and waste significantly when available. (find my tips on how to avoid receipts here)
4. Switch to soap bars – Shampoo and conditioner bars for your hair, facial bar cleansers, and body washes. No plastic, it lasts longer and is usually gentler on the skin.
5. Buy plastic-free sustainable toilet paper – Americans use 36 billion rolls a year — choose sustainable, plastic-free options and TP made of bamboo or recycled paper. 
6. Refuse airline earbuds, napkins, and plastic cups – Bring your own and skip the waste. And skip printing your ticket & use e-tickets for transit and flights.
7. Unplug devices when not in use – “Vampire energy” accounts for up to 10% of residential power use.
8. Use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper – Washable and reusable for baking.
9. Say no to samples and freebies – Often wrapped in plastic and rarely needed.
10. Buy digital books or use the library – Saves paper, ink, shipping, and clutter. Try Kindle or Audiobook, and if you really want to own certain ones, buy second-hand. I usually get used books at Awesome Books. 
11. Use Ecosia – This eco-friendly search engine plants trees with every search. It’s free and super easy to switch to. Learn more about how it works here. 
12. Use compostable dog poo bags – If you have a dog, switch to compostable bags like these, or repurpose newspaper.
13. Use rechargeable batteries – Single-use batteries are toxic and wasteful. Rechargeables save money and resources long-term.

More effort & time-consuming tips

1. Waste less food, save more – You can do lots here! Buy “ugly” produce and solo bananas to fight food waste, freeze food before it spoils, buy from local farmers markets to avoid packaging & support local food systems, collect veggie scraps for homemade broth, and learn how to store your fruits and veggies properly. Also, you can try fermenting or pickling. Those are great ways to cut down on food waste and reduce the need for packaged foods.
2. DIY snacks & ditch the packaging – Avoid individually wrapped snacks, and make your granola, trail mix, or energy bites. It’s healthier, cheaper, and avoids plastic. Buy ingredients in bulk, and pack them for outside in reusable containers.
3. Switch to LED light bulbs – Use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescents.
4. Use a drying rack or clothesline – Slower than a dryer, but drastically reduces energy use and extends the life of your clothes.
5. Declutter responsibly – sell or donate, don’t dump – Keep usable items in circulation and out of landfills. Donate things you no longer use (find 29 drop-off donating locations), or check my list with 23 places to sell used clothes. If you have clothing that is in very bad shape, check my article with 17 creative ideas and things to do with old clothes that you can’t donate.
6. Try DIYing things – There are many simple DIY things that you can try making at home – deodorant, toothpowder, mouthwash, dry shampoo, face masks, homemade cleaning spray, etc. They’re easy to make, work well, save money, and avoid dozens of single-use plastic containers per year. 
7. Air-dry your hair – Skip the blow dryer to save energy and reduce heat damage. It takes a little longer but is much gentler on your hair.
8. Ditch single-use decorations – Skip balloons, glitter, and plastic confetti. Go for fabric banners, reusable garlands, or nature-inspired decor instead. Here are 12 eco-friendly ideas for decorating.
9. Offset your flights – Air travel has a huge carbon footprint. If you fly, consider supporting vetted carbon offset projects (like planting trees) to help balance the impact.
10. Borrow or rent instead of buying – For things you only need occasionally (like tools, party supplies, or camping gear), skip the purchase. Saves money, storage space, and waste.
11. Stop using trash bags – Trash bags are a huge source of hidden plastic waste. Try going bagless, lining bins with newspaper, or using washable liners instead. Here are more ideas for zero waste alternatives to trash bags.
12. Get a bidet – Bidets reduce toilet paper use by up to 75% and feel way cleaner. Attachments like Tushy or a handheld bidet are affordable and easy to install.

Final words

Remember: going zero waste isn’t about being perfect – it’s about being intentional. Every small swap, reused jar, or skipped plastic bag adds up. Start with what feels easy, build habits that stick, and layer in more as you go.

Progress > perfection.

You don’t need to do everything at once. Whether you’re composting like a pro or just remembering your reusable water bottle for the first time — it counts. 

So pick one (or three) of these zero waste tips for beginners, and start where you are. You’ve got this!