We expect a lot from our homes nowadays. Not only do we want our properties to provide us with a stylish and comfortable living space but it is important that our homes help us to achieve our goals. Of course, they need to be a relaxing sanctuary that provides you with shelter and a place to relax and unwind. At the same time, you also want to make sure you are moving toward a more sustainable existence, and so you need to consider how your home can facilitate this.
Your journey to zero waste can seem overwhelming in the beginning. It is difficult to know where to start. However, a good place to start is with your home. Going through each room and making changes can result in a massive change overall. With that being said, below, we are going to talk you through the different changes you can make in each room to achieve your quest for a zero-waste home.
Kitchen
There is only one place to begin, and this is with the kitchen. There are a lot of changes you can make in this room. A good place to start is by replacing cling film and baking paper with reusable silicone wraps. This is the ethical and vegan-friendly alternative to cling film, ensuring waterways aren’t clogged with single-use, plastic cling film. Instead, these wraps can be pulled over any container, resulting in an airtight crisp seal. They’re made from food-grade silicone and are free from estrogen mimicking BPS and BPA.
You should also replace your plastic scrubbing brushes with compostable brushes. There are many different choices here, including coconut fibre pot brushes and natural fibre scrubbers.
Say goodbye to plastic shopping bags once and for all! Reusable totes are a must. Did you know that around 79 per cent of the plastic in landfills ends up as free-floating water waste, damaging our oceans? Ditching plastic bags can make a huge difference.
This extends to plastic produce bags as well. These can be replaced with organic cotton mesh bags. We’re also seeing a lot of fast-food outlets and businesses commit to ditching plastic straws. However, you’ve probably found that the paper straws just don’t cut it, right? They go soggy quick. Plus, they’re also not ideal for a zero-waste world. The better option is to purchase a reusable metal straw.
Another way to move to zero-waste in the kitchen is to stop buying paper towels. Instead, use reusable linen towels instead. These soft vintage style Japanese linen towels are a good choice, offering many different uses. From a picnic towel to dealing with messy children; it’s truly multi-purpose.
Finally, another great change to make is to ditch the single-use zip lock bags in favour of reusable silicone pouches. These pouches will keep your food fresh and you can use them again and again.
Bathroom
You can also make a number of different changes in the bathroom too. A good place to start is with your toothbrush. You can replace your standard plastic toothbrush with a bamboo version. Not only are bamboo toothbrushes better for the environment, but they look better too, right?
There are a number of other ways you can ditch the plastic in favour of a more eco-friendly material. For example, you can also replace plastic cotton buds with bamboo. Plastic dental floss can be replaced with silk dental floss as well.
There are plenty of other swaps you can make. For example, reusable stainless steel razors are much better than the plastic one-use razors. You can also get wooden toilet brushes too.
Bedroom
This is one of our favourite swaps! Swap artificial air fresheners for plants. Plants are great in any room of the home because they look amazing, smell great, and they boost the air quality as well. This makes the home a much more comfortable and relaxing place to be in.
Laundry room
There are also a number of different changes that you can make in your laundry room to move to zero waste. Tackling strains sooner rather than later is a good option. Stain remover bars should be used instead of conventional cleaners that come in plastic bottles.
Did you know that all you need is a bit of sun to dry and brighten your clothes? Give it a go! Plus, if possible, line dry your clothes or dry them on a drying rack.
When you do your next bit of clothes shopping, opt for natural fibres and good secondhand whenever you can.
You also don’t need to use dryer sheets. Instead, you can use wool dryer balls or even tennis balls. You can even add some essential oil to your wool dryer balls, as this will give a beautiful fresh scent to your clothes.
The final switch for the laundry room is to go for zero waste laundry paste. You can dissolve the paste in your own container.
Children’s rooms
There are a number of great changes you can make in your children’s rooms in order to switch to zero waste. You can use cloth nappies instead of disposable ones, as well as switching your plastic baby wipes for cotton wipes instead. Plus, using cloth gift wrapping instead of printed throw-away paper is a good option to consider.
On the Go
Last but not least, what about when you are on the go? There are a number of changes that you can make in terms of your work lunch or when you’re going on a weekend adventure. Bamboo travel cutlery is a great example. You should also invest in a steel drink water bottle. Take a jar with you as well for any food scrap or rubbish, as you can bring this home with you to compost. And, remember, don’t use those plastic straws! Get yourself a metal or bamboo straw instead.
As you can see, there are many different changes that can be made to move your home to zero waste. Try the suggestions that have been mentioned and you will notice a massive difference. A lot of people assume that making the move to zero waste is something that is going to compromise the appearance of their home or their style of living. But as you can see, this is clearly not the case. You will still be able to make your property look beautiful by adorning it with wall art placed in contemporary poster frames, as well as sculptures, ornaments, and anything else that you find beautiful. Moreover, you can be sure that there is not going to be any inconvenience to the way that you like to live your life.
So, when you consider all of the suggestions that we have mentioned above and just how easy they are to implement, there is no reason why you should not try to make the change to zero waste in your home. You do not need us to tell you about the importance of doing your bit for the planet in the current day and age, and by implementing the changes that have been suggested above, you will be doing exactly that. You will also be moving to a more sustainable style of living, which is something that we should all be trying to achieve. After all, non-renewable resources are not going to last forever.
