Transitioning to Zero Waste - 5 Easy Steps

Hi lovelies,
Today I wanted to share with you all a topic that I feel very passionate towards - Zero Waste.
Zero waste means different things to different people. For me, it is a lifestyle that produces no physical trash (nothing goes to landfill).
Take a look in your fridge. I can almost guarantee that the majority of your food is packaged, and whilst it may seem daunting, there are many steps that you can take to significantly reduce the amount of waste you produce.

1. Switch out your single use plastics for reusables.
Switching out plastic wrap for reusable Tupperware, and plastic water bottles for stainless steel bottles significantly decreases the amount of waste that you send to landfill.

2. Be selective of what you actually need.
Be selective. Do I really need 2 different hand creams, 3 face moisterisers, and another 3 body lotions? The answer is no. Instead of having so many unnecessary products, that essentially, are almost the same, and create so much waste, almost none of which is recyclable, you could try to make your own lotion, that is perfect for all over your body.
I found this great recipe for body lotion by Lauren Singer, who runs the blog Trash is for Tossers, which is actually how I first found out about the zero waste movement.
Other products that I have made, or are planning to make include:
 - Soap
 - Shampoo Bars
 - Toothpaste
 - Deodorant

Head over here for some great natural, homemade beauty products.

3. Make the switch to Re-Usable Menstrual Products (RUMPs)
For all of us who get our periods, the hassle of buying a new box of tampons or pads can be annoying and expensive, not to mention filled with toxic chemicals.
The average women (or anyone who menstruates) gets their period 450 times, and use an average of 12,000 tampons or pads during their lifetime. I can't even begin to imagine how many mountains of trash that is.
A simple transition that I made to have a waste free period, was to switch from tampons to a menstrual cup, which work in a similar way to a tampon, as it is inserted into the vagina, but rather than absorbing blood, it collects it. Menstrual cups are super convenient as well, as they don't need to be changed for up to 12 hours (unless you have a heavy flow), and will last you up to 10 years (that's only four menstrual cups in your whole life!)

Ruby Cup Size M in Purple

If you are considering buying a menstrual cup, I highly recommend the Ruby Cup, not only because it is a great cup, but also because they have a wonderful policy where for every Ruby Cup purchased, they will donate a cup to a woman or girl in a developing country who would not otherwise have access to tampons, pads, or other alternative.
There are many other re-usable menstrual products, such as cloth pads, sea sponge tampons, re-usable cotton tampons, and many more. You can read more about the different types of RUMPs here.

4. Start composting
Composting is such an easy and effective method of reducing waste, and helps to give back to the environment, as it can eventually be used to fertilise your garden. Almost all food scraps can be composted, as well as cardboard, paper, and organic cotton.

For those of you who may not have the space
outside, it is still possible to compost indoors!

5. Buy Second Hand
Something that has become very apparent is that people tend to consume, consume, consume! Buy buying clothes, and long term items, such as pots, pans, and glassware from op shops, you are recycling clothes that have already been produced, This means less waste in manufacturing, and using more of what is already around us, of which there is plenty.

I hope to have inspired some of you to begin to become conscious about what you are putting into landfill, and perhaps even live a zero waste lifestyle!

Until next time,
Bella
xxx