It’s been exactly one year since I read my first zero waste book, Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash by Shia Su, which was my first introduction to the world of bulk bins and muslin bags and stainless steel straws and bamboo cutlery. And my life has been forever changed.
Thanks, Shia! [I LOVE HER!]
This book made me believe that reducing my waste is totally achievable – not extreme or inconvenient, as it is commonly perceived – and gave BRILLIANT tips and hacks and photos to convince me that, YES, I can do it!
Since then, I’ve made a lot of changes to reduce my household’s waste.
Then, a few days ago, I picked up this new book: 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg, which is another super practical guide for reducing your waste.
This book is so fabulous that I read the entire thing in two days – which basically means a few hours.
As someone who is outspokenly “low waste,” this book was part slap on the back [“yeah, look at you go! No more paper towels in your home!”] and part slap on the wrist [“don’t call yourself zero waste when you still accept disposable straws at the drive-thru!”].
I’ve clearly got some more work to do.
Out of the 101 ways in the book, 20 are not applicable to me [I don’t use hairspray] or are impractical [I can’t walk, bike, or take public transportation because of where I live and the fact that I always have three toddlers in tow]. Out of the 81 that are left, I’ve already been doing 47! [Go me!] But that still leaves 34 ways to go zero waste that I have not gotten a handle on yet.
Yes, one of them is the straw issue…
So, since my clothing ban officially ends next month, I’m going to use the next twelve months to focus on these remaining 34 areas.
Here they are:
- Say “No” to straws
- Go to the farmers market
- Go to the butcher
- Specialty stores and restaurants
- Compostable dish scrubs*
- Swapping out toxic items
- Toothpaste*
- Toothbrush
- Toilet paper
- Tissues
- Razor*
- Lotion*
- Deodorant*
- All-Purpose cleaner*
- Deodorizing spray*
- Room deodorizer*
- Carpet deodorizer*
- Tub and toilet cleaner*
- Floor cleaners*
- Dishwasher detergent
- Air drying
- Shipping packaging
- Fountain pen*
- Recycled and double sided paper*
- Office-wide initiatives
- Take out
- Out to eat
- Zero waste travel kit
- Buying carbon offsets
- Zero waste vacations
- Zero waste pets
- Find community
- Work locally
- Get involved with local government
And now, I will leave you with my favorite quote from the book:
“In today’s world, one of the most radical things you can do is find contentment.” – Kathryn Kellogg, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste
Doesn’t sound related to zero waste, but that is at the heart of the zero waste movement – to stop the constant consumption and need for more that drives our linear economy. Finding contentment with what we have is the first step to counteracting our wastefulness.
Karis
No Makeup Mama 
I’d really like to know a bit more about the waste associated with Deodorant, Dishwasher Detergent, etc. I guess I don’t associate those items as wasteful or having excess plastic. Can you maybe give me a bit more background?? Thanks.
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The unfortunate thing about these products is that we use them very regularly and they typically aren’t in eco-friendly packaging or refillable, so the waste is the packaging. The benefit of making your own is that you can ideally get the ingredients package free and then not have any waste at all. Some people are also concerned about the toxicity of the ingredients and diy alternatives are natural and better for the environment. But we can only do what we can do…which is why I haven’t switched over to zero waste alternatives yet. For example, I buy Cascade dishwasher detergent because I haven’t had luck with any other detergent and I need clean dishes…but I buy it in recycleable packaging as a compromise. 🤷♀️ Does that answer your question? Sorry for the long response…
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Thank you for the detailed response. I hadn’t thought that far … We use dishwasher tablets but the tablets come in a plastic container (not sure if it’s recyclable). I have recently moved to a neighborhood which does recycling pick up … so I am starting to prioritize recycling whenever I can! 🙂
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So glad you have recycling pick up now! That is so much more convenient! And I’m sure the plastic container that the tablets come in is recyclable! 👍🏻
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