Low waste tips for newbies
New low waste lifestyle? Firstly, YAY. We are so glad you've made a conscious decision to lower your waste. Secondly, we want you to know this journey is absolutely not about being perfect, but making small sustainable steps and building on this.
Below are a few tips to get you inspired. If you're already on board with a low waste life, follow along and let us know any hints and tips you can pass on.
1. Make small easy swaps first up
When you're first starting out on a low waste lifestyle, it's good to start with small easy swaps. Both for your own sanity and for your bank balance! Think about the things you do every day - do you get a coffee in a takeaway cup every morning? Then a reusable cup is a good one for you. If you buy bottled water then a reusable bottle is a great option. Don't buy reusable items that don't suit you - you'll never use them and frankly it's just a waste of your money and make you feel like you've failed on your waste free journey! Choose a few items to swap out and once you feel it's a habit, then choose another few items. Another good way is to focus on an area at a time e.g. the bathroom. You could swap out your plastic toothbrush for a Bamboo one, your plastic bottled shampoo for a bar etc. Once you've mastered one room you can move onto another - like the Kitchen!
2. Buy unpackaged fruits and veges
Avoid buying any produce that has been packaged - go for the loose stuff. No one needs a plastic wrapped tray of bananas - they have their own clever packaging called a peel that keeps them clean and safe. Bring your own plastic-free produce bags from home, you'll be surprised how many uses they have. You'll find Coles or Woolies will often only have packaged rocket or spinach leaves but stores like Harris Farm and Fruit and Veg shops will have these in bulk and you can choose how much you want.
If you don't have enough produce bags you can place produce loose in your cart or trolley.
If enough people stop buying the packaged fruit and veges eventually Coles and Woolies will get the hint and stop supplying them.
3. Shop at Bulk Food shops
Bulk food stores have come a long way and there's so much more you can stock up on. Take your own jars or containers and stock up on pasta, rice, quinoa, oats, flour, dried fruits, chocolates, protein balls, spices and more. You'll be surprised how many products you buy in bulk and save a tonne of unnecessary packaging.
Some stores will even have package free cleaning supplies and beauty products (we personally LOVE the shampoo and conditioner bars from Naked Foods). If you don't have enough jars or have left them at home, don't worry, there are paper bags to pop your things into to bring them home.
We hope you've found these starter tips useful, if you have any good low waste tips we'd love to hear from you!