Tips for Zero Waste Beginners
I’ve harped on zero waste swaps for beginners enough (check out those videos here). It’s about time I talk about some tips for zero waste beginners if you’re just starting today.
First, if you’re not new to zero waste living, you may still find some value in this post so stick around ;)
Second, if you’re someone who needs more guidance on your zero waste journey, look no further than my Zero Waste in a Year Guide! It offers daily tips for an entire year to get you well on your way to a low waste life. From swaps to books to read to other creators to follow, this guide will have you on your low waste journey in no time. By the end of the year, you will easily be able to live zero waste on your own. Learn more in this post and buy the guide here.
First, you don’t have to do it all at once
Remember: Sustainability also has to be sustainable for YOU. So don’t go zero waste overnight. No one can do that. In fact, if you attempt to do that, you may actually make some unsustainable choices. Instead, make it slow. Try one swap per week or per month. Focus on small habit changes that you can implement right now, at home, without having to buy anything.
This is honestly where my guide comes in! It can help you make these baby steps day by day instead of all at once. Focus on what you can do and worry about the trickier swaps and habits later.
A big note here: please do not throw out everything you own and start from scratch. That’s wasteful. Use up that toothpaste in plastic before buying the toothpaste tabs. Use up your bottle of shampoo before swapping to a shampoo bar. The most sustainable thing is the thing you already own! Get creative. Use old jars instead of buying new one. Cut up old fabric into reusable tissues. There are many ways to live zero waste without buying anything.
In fact, you NEVER have to do it ALL
No one can be or ever will be perfect. So, get that mindset out of your head now before you end up like I did in 2021: burnt out and on the verge of quitting zero waste altogether. I used to put the weight of the world on my shoulders. I thought I HAD to do it all to be a perfect zero waster. But that’s impossible. Perfection has no place in the movement, and it is the enemy of progress.
So, focus on that instead: progress. Remember how far you’ve come. Take photos, videos, or start a journal to reflect on where you started and where you will end up in a few weeks, months, and even years. Every little action you take matters for the good of the planet. You’re small actions make an impact, whether you do one zero waste swap or 100. Don’t discount the little things.
Your small actions DO matter
Please don’t let someone discount your actions. Every single thing we do matters. If the only way you can live zero waste right now is to turn off the lights and conserve water, that’s amazing. Those actions have positive benefits!
As I said, no one can be perfect, and no one can save the world on their own. But that does not mean that we shouldn’t try. Corporations and governments want us to feel powerless, though we are not. Don’t give them that satisfaction. Use your power: your actions, your money, your energy, your time, your voice.
There is not a one-size-fits-all way to be eco
You may see me living zero waste and think, “I can’t do that.” And that’s okay! I live a totally different zero waste life from Shelbizleee and Sustainably Vegan and Gittemary Johansen, but we all have one thing in common: we all live zero waste still.
You may find that you hate some popular zero waste swaps. That’s okay, too. You don’t have to like or use or even try every single zero waste swap on the planet. Find what works for YOU.
And…it’s not all or nothing
I way too often get comments like:
“I can’t give up my medication in plastic so I can’t be zero waste”
or “you use a phone, you can’t call yourself zero waste.”
Well, good news, you actually can call yourself zero waste if these things resonate with you. Zero waste is not about all or nothing. I like to put this in terms of percentages. You don’t have to be 0% zero waste or 100% zero waste. You can fall somewhere in the middle. Maybe you can only achieve 50% eco-ness, that’s amazing! Even 1% is better than 0%. I would rather see everyone trying to be just a fraction more eco than no one trying at all.
Once again, the movement does not demand perfection. If you need to buy fruit in plastic, so be it. If you need to drive a car, that’s okay. Don’t allow these wasteful things to get in your way of trying to be more eco in other areas. For example, I’m chronically ill. I rely on medications to function. I have learned to not care about that waste at all. In fact, my medications help me live MORE zero waste by allowing me to have the energy to bake sourdough and walk to the refill store. Find other areas in your life where you can make bigger changes instead of the areas in your life that are too difficult to change.
You don’t have to use labels
I also get frequent comments like “I do most of this but I would never call myself zero waste,” and that’s okay. Use the label or don’t, it’s up to you!
But, just know that everyone is welcome here. Whether you fit the zero waste stereotype or not, whether you drive a car or not, all are welcome.
You can learn more about the definition of zero waste in this video. If this label does not work for you, some other labels might be:
“Low waste”
“Eco”
“Sustainable”
or “Environmentalist”
Pick what works for you, even if that is no label!
Recycling is not the savior of the planet
I think we all have a recycling phase when we first go zero waste. I know I sure did! I thought the best thing I could do for the planet was recycle! I mean, it’s not going to the landfill after all. But, recycling in the US is very flawed. Does that mean we should stop recycling? No! Recycling is still important to partake in correctly. But, just know that this one single action is not going to save the planet, and it’s far from perfect.
Keep recycling, but move on to other eco habits as well. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is in that order for a reason!
It’s a journey
My zero waste life looks different every single year!
Early on, I focused heavily on making stuff from scratch. At this time, I lived in Japan and did not have access to an EV, composting, solar panels, or even a bulk store. But I still called myself zero waste.
Moving to Vegas, we gained access to a refill store, so I quit making so much from scratch. I also had to drive long distances for work but biked wherever I could. We started line drying clothes and composting. I considered this zero waste.
After that was our chapter in the RV. Back to no composting and in the middle of nowhere Minnesota, we once again did not have a bulk store. Our only car was a truck, and the closest grocery store was an hour away. I still called myself zero waste.
Now, in NorCal, I think I’m the most eco I’ve ever been. I have access to a refill store, almost exclusively walk everywhere, and make stuff from scratch once again. But, I sometimes have to drive to a big city (up to 4 hours away) for medical appointments and no longer line dry clothes.
Why do I say all of this? I considered myself zero waste in all of these phases. Some were more wasteful than others. Do what you can. If you have a child or start a new job or need a new car or whatever the big life change may be, don’t let that make you full-on quit zero waste. Make adjustments and move on. If you “fall back,” you don’t have to quit. Keep going in your own way!
Thank you so much for reading along. I appreciate your time and hope that you found this valuable. Leave your tips for beginner zero wasters down below so that we can all learn together!
Honestly, writing this was all good reminders for me, as well! We can all use these tips whether we’ve been zero waste for 5 minutes or 10 years.
Thanks again. As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
