Zero Waste on a budget

In conclusion, I want to support you. I understand that on the scale of a single house, such savings do not seem to be particularly economical. But what if this was not just one house, but a district? A whole city? The result becomes far more noticeable.

Salome, Linda

When we first started to read about Zero Waste, we got the impression it would be very expensive. There were so many new sustainable products to buy, such as a steel water bottle, a bamboo toothbrush, etc. It seemed that not only did a multitude of new products have to be bought, but as they were made from higher-quality materials, they also seemed much more expensive. Even worse, it seemed that we suddenly would have to buy products where we were just getting things for free before, such as organic cotton nets to substitute for the free veggie and fruit plastic bags in the supermarket. However, it soon clicked in our minds that exactly the opposite was true. We were approaching a lifestyle that was no longer product-centred. Which was not simply a new kind of hype where you had to buy the newest product to be part of it, where you had to replace your plastic bottle with a glass or steel one. In this article, we want to share 10 life hacks that blew our minds. They are simple and yet impactful, you do not have to spend more money and with some of them, you will even save time. It is super easy and effortless to apply them in your home to not only Zero Waste your life, but also make it more sustainable and enjoyable.

Foodshop with friends

This life hack involves not only with whom you do your grocery shopping, but also how you can avoid unnecessary cost and trash. Buying in bulk is much cheaper, and reduces the amount of packaging material and hence trash. If you live, like we do, in a very small apartment, buying in bulk might be difficult as the necessary storage space is not available. That’s where your friends come into play. You can buy in bulk and divide the goods between you and your friends. This way, you avoid unnecessary trash and solve the storage problem. Additionally, this concept allows for taking turns in doing the grocery shopping, and hence saves everyone time. The “foodshop with friends” life hack can be expanded into “cooking with friends” to save even more time and diversify your diet. The idea is that you and your friends not only take turns shopping, but also in cooking for each other. This way, everyone in the group gets fresh, tasty and healthy meals, but does not have to cook every day.

Separating waste

To be honest, we totally underestimated the negative effects of not separating organic waste from other trash. We simply and naively thought “well, organic waste is biodegradable; consequently, I can put it anywhere, it will just be a waste of its potential as fertilizer”. But no! Organic waste mixed with other trash actually dirties materials that can then no longer be recycled. Even mixing organics with plastic that cannot be recycled has negative impact, as the organic waste turns liquid with time, leeches harmful substances from the plastic and washes them into the groundwater. Hence separating your trash, and especially separating organic and non-organic waste, is extremely easy and impactful. Especially if you live in a country where you have a separate bin for organic waste, you can effortlessly make a change with this life hack.

Paper bin liners

possibilities to substitute a plastic bin liner, for example, by simply lining the bin with newspaper. Using old newspapers means repurposing something already in existence, and no new plastic is consumed. If you don’t receive free community newspapers, you can ask friends and family, neighbours, workplaces or cafés. As the newspaper doesn’t have handles, you can simply take your room’s trash bin to the house/communal bin and empty it out. By the way, in our opinion the newspaper in the bin looks much nicer than plastic!

Reusables

Obviously, using reusable items such as water bottles, food containers, coffee cups, etc. is not a new hack. However, we once again want to emphasize not only its importance but also the benefits you experience. A lot of coffee places now give you discounts on beverages if you present your own reusable cup. Starbucks, for example, offers a 0.30€ discount, and McCafé 0.10€. If you buy one coffee per day at Starbucks, you’ll save 110€ simply by bringing your own cup! Super life hack: if you make your coffee at home and take it with you in your cup, you will save even more. Consequently, you protect the environment and save money. This is important because even paper cups cannot be recycled if they contain coffee and often are coated with plastic. With the app “Refill”, you can find places close to you where you can refill your bottle with water for free.

Magic fridge move

If you live a life following Zero Waste principles, you will consume more consciously, and hence consume less. As a result, your fridge might not be packed anymore. This seems good at first sight as it increases order in your life; however, it’s not energy efficient. Cold things keep each other cold, just as penguins keep each other warm when they stand close to each other. To have this effect in your fridge, you can simply put glass jars filled with water in it. This way, when you open the fridge, less cold temperature exits, as the objects inside store the coldness better than simply air. This doesn’t have to destroy your newly achieved order, as you can simply line up the empty jars at the back behind the objects. Additionally, it increases energy efficiency if you move your fridge 1 - 2 cm away from the wall. If you use these life hacks,

you also don’t have to cool down your fridge as much, and can increase the temperature inside by 1 - 2 degrees.

Sustainable laundry

Doing your laundry on a regular basis is necessary. We definitely won’t try stop you from that. However, there is an easy way to make your washing more sustainable: try to only run a load of laundry when the machine is completely full, and use cold water rather than hot to save on energy. And while you’re at it, avoid the dryer by using a clothesline or drying rack instead. This has the awesome side-effect that you barely have to iron your clothes, and it makes your clothes last longer.

Running taps

An easy way to save water and money is to simply turn off the tap when you don’t need it, for example, while brushing your teeth! Additionally, running toilets and leaks contribute to thousands of gallons of water waste each year. So how do you fix them? You can research the issue and find a DIY solution, or call your plumber. The upfront expense will eventually pay for itself, and the rest of us will thank you for not wasting water. Believe us, you will appreciate the wonderful silence that suddenly appears in your house.

Go digital

Go digital when you can, and maybe suggest the same to your co-workers, lecturers, etc. Maybe you could suggest a waste-free alternative in the form of digital downloads to go along with your lectures. You can use the same strategy for receipts and train or aeroplane tickets that you can save in your digital wallet on your phone, where they are also protected from being lost. This life hack does not only save trees from being cut down, but also saves the time spent on printing and emptying the bin every day.