*Post may contain affiliate links.
Key Takeaways
- Zero waste living doesn’t have to be overwhelming or stressful.
- Zero waste is never actually zero.
- Zero waste started as an industrial concept, not a personal one.
- Products are designed to be used once and thrown away so you buy again.
It’s never easy to shift our current habits, especially habits that we’ve been doing for years and years.
And it’s almost impossible to avoid daily waste.
However, there are a lot of things we can start doing that will significantly cut down on our waste and reduce our carbon footprint. One thing we can do is learn more about zero waste living.
What is Zero Waste Living?
Zero waste living is the practice of reducing the amount of trash you send to the landfill by being more intentional about what you buy, use, and throw away. It’s a mindset shift away from the “take, make, toss” and moving toward habits that keep materials in use for as long as possible, things like choosing reusables over single-use, buying secondhand, composting food scraps, and saying no to unnecessary packaging.
But here’s the thing: zero waste living isn’t about being perfect or producing a literal jar of trash per year. It’s a lifestyle philosophy that looks different for everyone depending on your budget, location, and circumstances.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to “go zero waste,” you’re not alone. Honestly, you’ve been set up with unrealistic expectations. I was.
Before you buy another bamboo toothbrush or stress over your recycling, here’s what you actually need to know.
3 Things to Know About Zero Waste Living
- Zero waste is never actually zero. That viral “jar of trash for 5 years” photo? It’s misleading. Packaging is just the tip of the iceberg: carbon emissions, diet, and water usage all factor in too. Even with your best efforts, some trash will always end up in the trash can.
- You can’t out-effort a broken system. Zero waste started as an industrial concept, not a personal one. It was about designing products with no end-of-life waste. When trash happens, it’s a systemic failure, not a personal one.
- We live in a linear economy. Products are designed to be used once and thrown away, so you buy again. What we need is a circular economy—one that eliminates waste at the design level and stops pulling finite resources from the earth.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress within a system that wasn’t built to make this easy.
Pros to Going Zero Waste
Going zero waste has a ton of benefits, such as saving money, saving the earth’s resources, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some reasons why going zero waste is so important:
Reduce Landfill Trash
Did you know that as of 2018, Americans threw away about 5 pounds of trash per person? That’s about 292.4 million ton of waste! (source)
One small step: Repair or repurpose one piece of furniture. (Pinterest has great ideas for this!)
Reduce Food Waste
Food makes up the largest portion of landfill waste followed by plastic. Food in landfills generates harmful methane emissions.
One small step: Start meal planning to cut down on food waste.
Save Money
Once you get in the habit of saving jars and containers to reuse, you’ll save money in the long run. You won’t need to buy single-use containers.
One small step: Start saving jars from items you already buy (like pasta sauce).
Job Creation
Did you know that recycling and composting actually support local job growth? Unlike sending everything to a landfill or incinerator, these processes require real people doing real work right in your community. It’s one of those win-wins that doesn’t get talked about enough!
One small step: Next time you’re not sure whether something is recyclable, take two minutes to look up your local recycling guidelines. Keeping the right things in the bin helps keep those programs running strong.
Less Pollution
One of my favorite things about moving toward zero-waste living is knowing that less harmful stuff is making its way into the ground, the water, and the air around us. It’s not just good for us—it protects every living thing that shares this planet with us.
One small step: Swap one single-use item this week (think plastic wrap, paper towels, or zip-lock bags) for a reusable alternative and notice how little you miss it.
A Cooler Climate (Literally)
When we cut back on waste across the board (the food we toss, the clothes we donate instead of trash, the old electronics we recycle), we’re also cutting back on the energy and emissions it takes to make and dispose of those things. Little by little, those choices add up to real change.
One small step: Pick one category — food, clothing, or tech — and challenge yourself to waste less in just that one area this month. Start small and build from there.
Steps to Going Zero Waste
Step 1: Know your why.
Why are you going zero waste? What’s your motivation? Maybe it finally hit you how much waste we humans produce. Or maybe you realized how waste in general is impacting the world. Or maybe you’re just curious. And maybe you just want to save some money in the process.
Step 2: Be realistic.
What’s realistic for you and your current lifestyle? Don’t try to do it all at once. This be stressful, frustrating, and overwhelming, causing you to give up before you really get started. Start small.
Step 3: Start small by making simple swaps.
Take a look at what you have. Are there things you don’t use or don’t serve a purpose in your life anymore? Get rid of those items first.
I started with paper towels and then moved onto plastic food containers. Instead of running out and buying more, I swapped them with items I already had. For paper towels, I cut old towels into smaller sizes and used those. I used glass jars for storing leftovers. Simple swaps can make the biggest difference.
I also stopped buying plastic water bottles and bought reusable stainless steel water bottles.
For every disposable item, there is a reusable alternative. Start with one and go from there.
Step 4: Look for better solutions.
Once simple swaps have become part of your routine, take the next step. Pay attention to things you’re still throwing away or recycling and look for better solutions.
When I started trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle, I realized that I hated using old, cut-up towels instead of paper towels. I started looking for a better solution, and that’s when I found Swedish dishcloths. I love these, and I’ll never go back to paper towels again!
Step 5: Keep learning.
As you continue on your journey with zero waste, keep learning. There are so many things to consider, like fast fashion, the health impacts of a traditional American diet, how much food we waste, etc.
I’m constantly looking for better solutions. I’m always learning and growing and trying to figure out ways I can do better.
23 Easy Zero Waste Living Tips
1. Use refillable water bottles instead of disposable plastic bottles.
2. Use cloth shopping bags and produce bags instead of plastic bags.
3. Buy produce that isn’t in plastic containers.
4. Support your local farmers by shopping for food at the farmers’ market.
5. Don’t use single-use plastics, like utensils, straws, and wraps.
6. Use loose-leaf tea and a strainer instead of tea bags. (Most tea bags are loaded with microplastics.)
7. Buy clothes from thrift stores or consignment shops.
8. Buy from sustainable clothing brands.
9. Plan your meals to reduce food waste.
10. Compost your food scraps.
11. Use reusable beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap.
12. Upcycle old clothes into rags. (I like to use old t-shirts for this.)
13. Swap plastic-bottled shampoos and soaps with bars. (I even use our shampoo bar for shaving.)
14. Make your own cleaning products and store them in glass bottles.
15. Buy staples in bulk and store them in reusable containers, like mason jars.
16. Upcycle items you already have. Tin food cans make great planters!
17. Host a clothing swap to extend the life of clothes.
18. Buy secondhand or vintage furniture. You can always paint it!
19. Make your own beauty and skincare products.
20. Buy refurbished electronics.
21. Use lemon peels to make homemade cleaners.
22. Use onion skins to make vegetable broth.
23. Repair or upcycle broken furniture.
Final Thoughts
Zero waste living is a direction, not a destination.
You don’t have to rebuild your entire life overnight or stress over every piece of plastic that crosses your path. That’s not sustainable, and honestly, it’s not the point. The point is to start paying attention, make small shifts where you can, and keep going even when it’s imperfect.
Because it will be imperfect. That’s okay.
Every reusable bag you grab instead of a plastic one, every secondhand find, every meal you plan so nothing goes to waste, adds up. And the more you practice, the more natural it becomes.
The system we live in wasn’t designed with zero waste in mind. But you don’t need a perfect system to make a real difference. You just need a willingness to try, adjust, and keep learning.
So start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
That’s enough.
Small choices, big blessings.