5 Easy Zero-Waste Swaps

Metal straws and bento lunch storage are the new normal, but in what other ways can we reduce our waste? I’ve been gradually changing things in my life over the past few years to reduce the amount of waste and I’d love to share those ideas with you!

Reusable Cotton Rounds

I made these out of old flannel pyjama bottoms and wrote a whole blog post tutorial here. You can purchase nice ones on Etsy or Amazon but I don’t mind if mine look a little bit loved (they get used everyday anyways!). Simply cut your material, sew it together and ta-da! The easiest DIY to switch to zero-waste. After using them with micellar water and cleansers, I let them dry and then toss them in the laundry at the end of each week! It’s super easy and practical and I love that I’m not worried about running out of disposable cotton rounds anymore.

Buying Soap at Bulk Stores

In Canada, Bulk Barn is a pretty widely-known store. What’s awesome is that you can bring in your own bags or containers and buy your food in bulk. Most recently, I discovered that they sell package-free soaps! Usually I don't purchase package free soaps online because... well the shipping process ends up wasting packaging - so I love that I can find these soaps in store.

Reusable bags

Tote bags and little mesh bags for produce at grocery stores are super easy ways to reduce your environmental footprint! Once again you can find these at so many online retailers, but you can also sew or decorate your own. A decorated tote bag can reflect a bit of your personality and is also zero-waste. I painted a zebra on this tote bag to add a bit of my personality into my outfits.

Rags for Cleaning

Since I enjoy painting, I wash a lot of brushes and I've switched from paper towel to old rags in order to dry off the bristles. I let the rag dry and can re-use it multiple times which saves me money (from not buying paper towel) and also helps the environment.

Reusable Water Bottle & Coffee Cup

This seems like a no-brainer but sometimes its hard to remember to bring your reusable cups with you when you go out. I switched to carrying a Stojo collapsible cup around a year ago and it’s been amazing! It folds down to around 2 inches and easily fits in my purse (and if you're Canadian like me, Indigo carries it - so easy shipping within Canada). Since it’s so compact, I always have it with me and it has saved me from so many single-use coffee cups!

I hope these eco ideas will help you to eliminate more single-use products while also maybe saving you a few bucks! If you have any unconventional ideas, please leave them in the comments below! Working towards zero-waste is a great goal and we can share our ways of lessening our environmental impact!