Is life without excessive waste production even possible? And what is it used for? Every day we throw away milk cartons, water bottles, soda bottles, yogurt bottles, meat and cheese packaging, disposable kitchen towels, cosmetic pads, tissues, and wet wipes. This all seems normal; we're used to this state of affairs. But if you think about it, why are individual broccoli or cucumbers wrapped in plastic film? Why is rice packed in at least four plastic bags in a carton, and is cooking rice in plastic even healthy? Or tea – wrapped in film, put in a carton, and then wrapped in film again. Is it possible to shop in such a way that the consumption of plastic that ends up in the trash immediately after being brought home is limited?

20 ways to live without waste

The increasingly popular zero-waste trend promotes living in harmony with nature and limiting the amount of household waste to a minimum. This is, of course, intended to prevent littering of the natural environment and has been born out of concern for the future of our planet, which is unfortunately becoming more and more littered by the day. Movements like zero waste and less waste also promote thoughtful, conscious, and responsible shopping that avoids food and clothing brands that significantly contribute to environmental destruction by clearing rainforests to replace them with cotton or oil palm plantations. So let's look at the basic and simplest methods for reducing daily waste production in our own homes that we can implement immediately:

• Repair instead of buying new – everything that can be repaired, fixed, sewn, glued or renovated is more ecological than throwing it in the trash and buying something new,
• Buy reusable items – replace anything disposable with reusable products, for example, instead of:
  • Paper towels – linen, cotton, canvas,
  • Disposable handkerchiefs – cotton, silk,
  • Cosmetic pads – reusable pads made of material such as cotton,
  • Plastic bags – linen, cotton, canvas bags and shopping bags,
  • Plastic straws – made of stainless steel,
• Do not buy coffee in a Styrofoam cup in the city – Styrofoam is also plastic, rather take the coffee from home, in your own thermos cup or thermos flask,
• Choose clothes wisely – when it comes to clothes, it is better to choose one good quality product that will serve us for several seasons than several poor quality items that will end up in the trash and landfill after the first wash.
• In grocery stores, choose loose products sold by weight rather than those wrapped in plastic, such as vegetables and fruits, nuts , bread, cheese, cold cuts – you can pack them in your own bags and containers,
• Instead of drinking water from plastic bottles, drink tap water, which is safe to drink in most cities in Poland. However, if you have concerns, you can filter tap water using simple and widely available filter jugs.
• Grow your own herbs like basil, thyme or oregano on the kitchen windowsill instead of buying them from the store in foil and a plastic wrap,
• Store food carefully so that it is not wasted, e.g., put loose products in jars, store vegetables and fruit in a dark and dry place,
• Instead of throwing away food, freeze it. It's best to buy the amount of food we can eat. However, if we have leftovers we don't want anymore, we can freeze them instead of throwing them away.
• Cosmetics in bars instead of liquids – liquids are packed in plastic packaging, so it is better to choose soap , shampoo or balm in bars, packed in a cardboard box.
• Drugstore cleaning products such as bathroom cleaning milk or toilet fluid can be successfully replaced with homemade cleaning products made from vinegar, baking soda and essential oil or lemon with water.
• Do not buy clothes made of polyester and acrylic – these are artificial materials that contain microplastics that get into the groundwater when washed, but rather choose clothes made of organic cotton, linen or hemp fibers,
• Plastic toothbrushes can be replaced by bamboo toothbrushes ,
• Disposable razor, reusable, with replaceable blades,
• buy in second-hand shops, then the clothes get a second life instead of lying in the trash,
• Clothes, give away unwanted gifts that are not damaged but we do not need them, instead of throwing them away, give them to friends or people in need,
• Do not make duplicate purchases, e.g. kitchen accessories – at home a grater or a knife is enough for peeling vegetables,
• If you have a baby at home, choose a pacifier made of natural rubber instead of silicone.
• Don't throw away gift bags – they can be reused and will last for several years if stored and cared for properly.
• Choose recycled products – e.g. notebooks, toilet paper ,
• If you have a pet at home, choose metal food bowls instead of plastic ones.

Of course, all of the above-mentioned waste reduction options aren't all the ideas for living a zero-waste lifestyle. Not all of them need to be implemented immediately, and not all of them work for everyone. The most important thing, however, is to be aware of your own needs and actions, and the impact these actions have on the environment.