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Learn how these 10 low waste products will help you to lower your waste, up to 70%!
By getting a few of these low waste products, you will be prepared for every situation, and you will be able to reduce most of your waste.
Additionally, I will give you a simple tip on how to DIY zero waste kit for your INDIVIDUAL needs!
Without further ado, let’s dive in! We will go through:
- 10 low waste products to lower 70% of your waste
- DIY zero waste kit
10 Low Waste Products To Lower 70% Of Your Waste:
It is very simple –
by switching your consumption patterns and getting a few reusable products, you will be able to lower most of your waste!
The best part is that almost all plastic products that pollute the most can be easily replaced with a better low waste products.
Now, we will go through the alternative low waste products that are eco-friendly and sustainable.
I also created a video on the subject, that you can watch here:
1: Reusable containers
Perhaps unsurprisingly, having a reusable container can do WONDERS with your amount of trash.
Nowadays, there are more and more places, where you can get in your reusable container things like:
- bread, seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits, veggies, and even cheese, and other animal products.
All you need to do is to find those places and start purchasing from there.
This will become even easier if you have a bulk store or/and farmers market around.
If you don’t have access to such places, don’t panic yet!
Just find whatever is accessible for you and choose items that are plastic free, in packaging that is not dangerous to your health or nature.
For example, you can pick things in glass jars, or aluminum packaging – both of which are 100% recyclable.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
1) Stainless steel reusable container
PROS: durable, BPA-free
CONS: possible leaks? (depending on the model)
2) Reusable container from glass
PROS: BPA-free, no health risks
CONS: Can be heavier, can be broken easier
3) Plastic reusable container
PROS: use it if you already have it at home, medium durability
CONS: May contain BPA; plastic smell and taste
4) Budget option: Reuse food jars/containers, that you bought from the shop
Tip: Check your local second-hand shops for some reusable containers, before purchasing new ones!
2: Reusable water bottles
A single item like this one can reduce your plastic waste, exponentially!
The truth is that a lot of people drink water in plastic bottles because they think the water its cleaner and better.
But the source of approximately 25% of bottled water is from the tap. A lot of companies just filter and purify the tap water, and then sell it in plastic bottles.
Instead of polluting the planet with plastic bottles, get a reusable water bottle.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
– Similar to the reusable containers, here you have to choose between:
1: Reusable Glass Bottle
2: Stainless Steel Water Bottle
3: A reusable plastic bottle (in case you already have one)
I would recommend the stainless steel because it’s durable, keeps the liquid cold for a very long time (or warm if you use it for coffee or tea!).
TIP:
If you crave for some beverage, try to find a product, that comes in a glass, and then reuse the bottle! Read below, for more about it!
Related post: What Is The Healthiest Water Bottle To Use?
3: Reusable bag
Worldwide, we use 5 trillion plastic bags per year.
A significant percentage of these plastic bags goes to our oceans, where is a danger for marine life, and just 1% is recycled.
And the solution is soo simple!
Just.use.your.own.reusable.bags.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
You can check amazing creators on Etsy, such as my grandma!
She creates from recycled jeans, amazing bags.
Check some of them below:
Etsy shop: Pretty Marry
Furthermore, you can choose some of the following options:
1: Jute bag
2: Recycled jeans bag
3: Cotton bag
4: Canvas bag
Pro tip:
Check some second-hand stores for some nice bags first 🙂
4: Bamboo/Stainless steel straw
Plastic straws can be a huge pain.
And I mean that literally. They often cause terrible things to a lot of species.
It also takes around 200 years to decompose, but that means that they will break down into smaller pieces.
The small plastic parts will NOT disappear – they will get tinier, and they stay for much longer than 200 years.
Straws are currently the 8th most found ocean trash in cleanups by quantity.
To avoid all of this pointless plastic straw pollution, you can make a personal commitment to say “no” to plastic straws.
In that way, you can spread the awareness between your friends and family, and motivate them to do the same!
Whenever ordering a drink, politely say something like “I’m having my bamboo straw, so please, don’t give me a plastic one!” or ask your drink to be without a straw.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
If you enjoy sipping your drinks with a straw, you can get yourself a reusable straw. The choices that you have are:
1: Bamboo straw
2: Glass straw
3: Stainless steel straw
5: Avoid beverage drinks in plastic bottles
Did you know that just Coca-Cola used three million tonnes of plastic packaging, in 2017?
A massive amount of it ended up on beaches, in the landfill, and the sea.
What about soda beverages in a glass bottle or aluminum can?
Glass can be less damaging to the environment because it can be recycled endlessly.
However, it is much heavier than plastic, which automatically increases the carbon footprint, as transportation is ”environmentally expensive”.
Aluminum cans are lightweight, which mean that they have a smaller transportation footprint.
Plus, cans are endlessly recyclable, too.
But they often contain bisphenol A, which is an industrial chemical, used in containers to store food and beverages.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
There’s isn’t a perfect choice. It depends on a lot of factors and the situation.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t drink any beverage drinks, ever again.
But be mindful when you’re choosing.
If you are worried about bisphenol A, go for the glass bottle, but try to choose a local company, if possible, to lessen the shipping footprint.
From the other side, if you want to get something from far away, probably it will be best if you get it in a can.
Whatever the container, the main advice is to recycle it.
6: Reusable utensils
It is best to take out with you a few low waste products, and reusable utensils are one of them!
You may go out and want to eat in a “fast food” place or some ice-cream. Frequently, such places are using single-use products and plastic utensils.
Carrying your reusable utensils has the potential to lower A LOT of waste.
The waste from the plastic utensils is enormous – just from the US is 40 billion, per year.
It gets worse when you take into consideration other countries such as India – they produce 129 billion of single-use utensils.
That’s a lot of trash that usually finds a way to our oceans and landfills, plus it is another dangerous item for a lot of species.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
1: Reusable utensils kit from BAMBOO
2: Reusable utensils from STAINLESS STEEL
3: Spork (spoon+fork) from STAINLESS STEEL
7: Say NO to styrofoam cups/plates
Styrofoam is an economical, easy to manufacture, waterproof and lightweight substance.
The problem with this material is that it may take between 500 and one million years to decompose naturally.
Unfortunately, US citizens, alone, throw away 25 trillion cups made from styrofoam, every year.
Styrofoam is responsible for an enormous portion of worldwide waste, plus it’s a material that kills our animals, poisons our environment and seriously hazards our health.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
2: Reusable coffee mugs (or a jar from home)!
You can choose between glass, aluminum, or recycled materials.
8: Biodegradable cigarette butts
Cigarette butts are toxic, for smokers, non-smokers, animals and for the planet.
The truth is that discarded cigarette butts are a non-biodegradable waste and tobacco facilities release 1,312,796 pounds of toxic chemicals, in one year.
To make matters worse, in the US, about 267 billion were smoked in 2015, which makes cigarettes the most littered item in the country.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce your cigarette waste.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
1: Karma Filter Tips – 100% organic, biodegradable, and chemical free, specially created roll-your-own cigarette filters. The handmade filter tips release live seeds into the ground when disposed of.
2: E-cigarettes – Honestly, that’s a very controversial topic, because there is limited information available.
Some e-cigarette brands that use cartridges state their products are ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green.’ However, there aren’t any reliable supporting studies.
Nevertheless, the positive side of the e-cigarette is the fact that the majority of them are reusable. That makes them more environmentally friendly than using single-use devices.
Furthermore, when you compare them to traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not create litter in the form of discarded cigarette butts.
So, if they are disposed of properly, they can be considered as a better alternative, at least for now.
9: Reusable takeaway containers
Takeaway food can be convenient… for the first 10 minutes.
Once you are done with the food, you are left with the plastic containers, that will be on the planet for a veeeery long period.
But let’s be honest, you probably won’t stop getting takeaway food.
And that’s okay! There are still ways to lower your waste.
LOW WASTE PRODUCTS:
As we already talked about, the solution here is quite simple – be prepared and have with you a reusable container, that you can use for your order.
When you want to get some takeaway food, use:
1: Reusable takeaway boxes
2: Reusable coffee mugs
10: Plastic-free personal care products
More than 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry – most of which are not recyclable.
In cosmetic shops you can find 95% of the products in plastic packaging.
Luckily, more and more online and physical brands and shops appears, that sell products in plastic-free packaging.
The point is to do your research and see what’s available to you!
The thing you need to do is:
- Find the essentials that you use on a daily basis
- Once you end the plastic bottled products you own, find and get some cool plastic-free and sustainable goods!
Plus, you can experiment and try to create your DIY beauty products.
There are plenty of simple DIY toothpaste recipes, face masks, deodorants, body creams and more.
LOW WASTE PRODUCT IDEAS:
1: Naked shampoo and conditioner bars from Lush
2: Toothpaste powder or toothpaste tablets
3: Stainless steel safety razor
4: Bamboo toothbrush
5: The menstrual cup, reusable pads
6: All sort of moisturizers, creams, soaps from individual sellers on Etsy
You can find the ultimate list with 142 zero waste swaps here.
DIY zero waste kit:
Now, let’s go through one essential tip that can help you to lower your waste.
Create your zero-waste ”kit”
This kit will be slightly different for everyone.
Some low waste products will be the same for most of us, such as a water bottle.
Other items will vary and it will depend on your individual needs.
For example, if you often eat out from fast food places, a reusable container and utensils would come in handy.
If you prefer to make your food, be sure to always carry some reusable bags with you.
Are you enjoying drinking in coffee shops? Get a reusable straw & reusable coffee mug.
The point is to have between 3-5 essentials, and ALWAYS carry them with you.
For example, my TO GO zero waste products are:
- Tote bag or a backpack (+ a few thin produce bags inside)
- Stainless steel water bottle
- Steel container (for food!)
- Sometimes a straw
Note: My zero waste kit varies, and it changes, depending on the reason I’m going out.
It may sound like a lot, or you may think it’s annoying to carry all these stuff.
But honestly, I fit everything in my tote bag (or my small backpack), and I’m good to go!
Once you get used to carrying all of your essentials, you will see how beneficial it is, and how much they will help you to lower your waste!
Lastly, you can find ALL of these low waste products from zero waste online stores!
You can find a list with 46 awesome zero waste online shops here.
Share in the comments what does your DIY ZERO WASTE KIT contain?
What are the items that you don’t go out without?
One major thing missing is when you go shopping for groceries. I have all of the above 3-4 stainless steel bottles, we all carry lunch from home in steel containers, I always have a cloth tote bag stashed away.. and I also have a wheat-based cutlery set. But the most waste creation in my house is through groceries bought from supermarkets/online. Although I ensure most of them are loose and can be picked (I avoid using the plastic bags), but so many come in plastic packaging.
Hey Jayal. Thanks for mentioning that! It might be quite hard to escape from plastics while you are at the grocery store. While it is true that not everyone is having a zero-waste alternative (unfortunately) there are often some options, which can be less wasteful. For example, do you have some farmers market nearby or bulk stores? There are even some small sections in regular supermarkets, offering dry goods in bulk! Or depending on where you live, you might find some good bulk options even online 🙂