How To Become A Minimalist And Go Zero-Waste








I’ve always wanted to be a Minimalist, as many of us would want to be, I mean who wouldn’t like to do something good, not only for himself but also for the environment. However, I kept carrying the idea without taking action on it until I stumbled upon this inspiring TED talk delivered by Bea Johnson the author of Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste.

Now to set minimalism as a goal is too vague. However, setting the goal of zero-waste home helped me become more minimalist.

It even helped me to buy less because I was dreading the garbage I’ll have left from the package. I ended up feeling much better with each item I didn’t buy because I don’t need most of them in the first place and eventually, I found better alternatives.

Start using baking soda:


- As a shampoo: mixed with water alone or with your shampoo.
- As a deodorant: to neutralize your body odor.
- As a mouthwash: in a half glass of water.
- As a handwash dishes: with your regular detergent
- As a cleaner: to the oven, microwave, floors, furniture, shower curtains, laundry with your regular detergent.
- As a deodorant: for your refrigerator, trash can, drains, dishwasher, lunch boxes, closets, cars, shoes…


To live zero-waste lifestyle, try the following tips:

- Prepare some jars, containers for milk and juice and some cloth for the bread which can be a simple pillowcase.

- Buying without package: see what’s available in the supermarket without packaging, go to bulk stores and buy, when possible, second-hand clothes.

- Stop accepting freebies, business cards if you already have the contacts or you know you won’t need it. Stop accepting plastic bags when you have your own reusable bag.


Kitchen

 
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1- Swap paper towels for reusable rags.

2- Shop vegetables and eggs from farmer’s market and take with you the egg’s carton and your basket or a reusable bag.

3- Reuse the single-printed papers to write down your shopping list.

4- Reuse vegetables and fruits cleaning water to water your plants.

5- Use baking soda and white vinegar to clean the kitchen (oven, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher…).

6- For the food that can be frozen, cook much of it and save it in the freezer for later.

7- When buying food, don’t buy more of it just because it’s on promotion. Only buy what you really need and in the quantity that you really need. Write a list before you go shopping and stick to it.

8- Grow your own herbs. If you have a little garden, make it useful and plant in some vegetables you eat constantly. Even if you don’t have a garden, you still can grow them in pots.

Bathroom

 
Photo by Steven Ungermann on Unsplash

1- Use baking soda as a deodorant

2- Refill your bottles with bulk shampoo.

3- Buy package-free solid soap.

4- Swap your regular plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

5- Start using safety razors instead of plastic ones.

6- Start including natural remedies in your skincare routine.

Check out these natural remedies:

Closet

 
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1- The rule is: Anything you didn’t wear for a year and a half you’re not going to wear it ever, so donate it.

2- Keep your closet minimal.

3- Shop as few times as you can per year to avoid compulsive buys.

4- Buy second-hand clothes.

5- Bring a reusable bag for your purchases.

6- Use the worn-out clothes as rags.

7- Learn few sewing tricks. Repair your clothes or make something useful out of it instead of throwing it.


Cleaning

 
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1- Start using natural cleaning alternatives such as baking soda, white vinegar, Castile soap, borax… here are 25 DIY Green Cleaning Recipes For the Whole House!

2- Buy dishwasher and laundry detergent in bulk.

3- Open the windows instead of using an air freshener and let houseplants absorb toxins.

4- Do the laundry as few times as you can.

General tips

 
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1- If you have a habit of coffee, make it at home. If you want to drink it at work, make it at home and take it with you in a flask.

2- Sign up for free customer rewards program, but don’t buy just to collect points. Let it be a long-term investment.

3- Turn off the TV. It not only consumes energy, but your time too. Instead of spending time in front of TV, do something you love.

4- Use the nearby park to jog and do your exercises, instead of going to the gym. It not only saves you money, but also having some fresh air can reduce your stress considerably.

5- Cut down your expenses. Remove luxuries from your budget. Buy what you can from thrift and buy exactly what you need.

6- Consume less. When it comes to saving electricity and water, it might not seem that consuming less of them will pay off or make any difference at least on the short term. But it actually makes a difference, it’s a way to train yourself to live as a minimalist.

7- Use cheaper transportation. Walk when  you can and use carpool. When using your car to shop, start with the furthest destination for maximum fuel efficiency.

8- Always have shopping baskets and bags in your car. You can buy them or make them. Here’s away to make your own grocery bag.



What would you like to add to the list? Share your insights by joining the conversation in the comment section below.

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4 commentaires

  1. I tought that all of these articles about how to start zerowaste life are bullshits but this one is amazing, I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Information is very informative also you get same from this site, this is the great resource to get such type of information.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. I plan to do much more on this in the coming months! Great ideas!

    ReplyDelete