75 Ways to Create a Low-Waste Home

If you’ve spent any time with the media over the past few years, you’ve probably heard the term zero-waste. If you’re new to it, it’s essentially a growing movement to reduce the amount one consumes and consequently throws away. The term can be a misleading one, to say the least, inciting images of a household that literally produces no waste, or at least so little that it can fit five years’ worth of trash in a pint-size jar.

The truth is, waste is hard to avoid in our linear economy, where products are created to be produced, used, and thrown away. With zero-waste, the goal is to create a circular economy where products are designed to be reused in a closed-loop system that eliminates waste. Until our economy changes, the onus of reducing waste is mostly on the individual and, while that may sound daunting, I’d argue that it’s also empowering and energizing if it gives you the opportunity to create a life that aligns with your hopes and values.

So what can you do? A good place to start is with the notion that living sustainably needs to be sustainable for you. That means you get to decide what changes you’ll make according to what feels doable and practical for you. Beyond that, I recommend thinking through the 5Rs of zero-waste - a set of principles that remind us to live circularly in our own lives by refusing what we don’t need, reducing what we consume (and toss), reusing items instead of disposing them, repairing our possessions rather than buying new ones, recycling what we can, and rotting (or composting) the rest.

Once you put those principles into practice, there’s really no telling where they’ll lead you. For some, zero-waste becomes about eliminating landfill-bound trash; for others it opens them up to the importance of connecting with their local communities and food systems. Some people become passionate about growing their own food, simplifying their possessions, eating a plant-based diet, or DIYing nontoxic cleaning supplies and bath and body products. For me, it became about all of those things, while also helping me feel more connected to the natural world and my ancestors. If you think about it, avoiding waste is hardly a new concept – indigenous people and our grandparents have practiced resourcefulness for centuries. When I think about It that way, it makes me excited to bring back some of the old ways that have been forgotten.

Regardless of where your journey leads you, there are a jillion places to begin. Below are 75 ways I’ve reduced waste in my home, including in the kitchen, the bathroom, with my cleaning routine and in my backyard. I didn’t make these changes overnight. Instead I started with the “low-hanging fruit” and moved onto the next challenge when I felt I had the energy and resources to do it. If you need some encouragement, you may appreciate that making these changes also leads to creating a simpler, more natural, and healthier home. In other words, it’s worth the effort because, as it turns out, the same things that create a healthy planet also create a healthy home. Hope you enjoy!

Kitchen

Replace disposable paper towels with cloth rags or “unpaper towels.”
Swap disposable napkins for cloth napkins.
Use cotton or hemp rags instead of microfiber cloths, which contain microplastics.
Swap out plastic scrub brushes and synthetic sponges for wooden, compostable scrub brushes, biodegradable sponges, loofah pads, or Swedish towels.
Use a water filtration system in lieu of buying single-use plastic water bottles.
Invest in reusable stainless or glass water bottles, coffee mugs, and take-out containers.
Swap out single-use sandwich bags for reusable silicone bags (i.e. Stasher bags)
Use a French press, Chemex, or percolator to make coffee, instead of using a single-use machine.
Use bar soap (Castile or Savon de Marseilles) in lieu of plastic-packaged liquid dish soap.
Pack lunch in a reusable lunch bag rather than a paper or plastic bag.
Replace plastic wrap and tin foil with reusable beeswax wraps or cloth container covers.
Refuse to use plastic straws and either drink directly from a glass or cup or replace them with reusable glass, stainless, or bamboo straws.
Avoid Teflon or non-stick cookware and invest in stainless or cast iron pots and pans.
Create a zero-waste kit for when you’re traveling or on-the-go. Include a a cloth tote bag, a water bottle, a coffee cup, cloth napkins, a reusable straw, reusable cutlery, and a glass or stainless storage container.
Shop with reusable cloth bags for produce, bulk bins, and groceries.
Buy dried goods, such as grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, legumes, and snacks from bulk bins and use your own cloth bags.
Instead of buying tea bags, which contain BPA, buy loose leaf tea in bulk and use your own cloth bags.
Instead of buying bread in plastic bags, purchase loaves from the baker and use your own cloth bag. If you don’t have a bread bag, a pillow case works just fine.
To prevent food waste, create a meal plan and use it to make a shopping list.
Eat leftovers, repurpose ingredients, and find creative ways to use food scraps.
Learn to store produce to prevent spoilage and prolong its shelf-life.
Shop seasonally and locally, when possible.
Shop at the farmers’ market or join a local CSA.
Learn to preserve food by freezing, canning, and/or dehydrating.
Use wooden utensils and cutting boards instead of plastic ones.
Hand wash dishes instead of using the dishwasher.
When you do use a dishwasher, consider making your own dishwasher detergent (there are oodles of recipes online).
Use wooden matches instead of plastic lighters.

Bath and Body

When it’s time to buy new toothbrushes, consider buying bamboo instead of plastic.
Instead of buying disposable plastic razors, invest in a reusable stainless safety razor.
Buy recycled toilet paper wrapped in paper instead of plastic. To save money, buy it in bulk from companies like Who Gives a Crap (online) or Sustainable Earth (from Staples).
Buy shampoo bars instead of plastic-packaged shampoo.
Swap out plastic-packaged conditioner for a homemade apple cider vinegar rinse.
If you prefer commercial shampoo and conditioner, consider supporting zero-waste brands that accept and reuse returned packaging (i.e. Plaine Products).
Wash hands and body with bar soap instead of liquid soap in plastic pump bottles.
Avoid antibacterial soap – bar soap and water work just fine!
Try making your own toothpaste and mouth wash using simple ingredients. If you prefer to buy toothpaste, consider buying it in recyclable packaging from companies like David’s toothpaste (in a metal tube) or Uncle Harry’s (in a glass jar).
Make your own makeup remover by combining equal parts grapeseed oil and witch hazel.
Swap single-use facial rounds for reusable cloth pads. If you knit, make them yourself.
Try making your own deodorant using simple ingredients.
Buy Qtips with wooden, rather than plastic, applicators. Replace disposable feminine products with reusable ones. Instead of tampons, consider a menstrual cup; in lieu of pads, try cloth pads.
Instead of plastic dental floss, use a waterpik or buy silk floss packaged in glass (i.e. Dental Lace).
Ditch commercial perfume and make your own aromatherapy body blends using high-quality and sustainably-produced essential oils.
Use handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues.
Purchase recyclable silicone travel bottles instead of plastic ones.
Instead of a plastic travel soap boxes, use a tin can.
Instead of buying plastic-packaged lotions, try making your own body butters, creams, and salve.
Use wooden combs and brushes instead of plastic ones.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

Natural cleaning

Make your own cleaning products using simple ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar, salt, washing soda, and essential oils.
Clean with rags and old T-shirts instead of paper towels or microfiber.
Invest in sustainably made cleaning tools, made from natural materials and fibers.
Try an old-fashioned cotton rope mop with a wooden handle and try to find one with a removeable head that can be washed and reused.
Use a clothesline to dry clothes outdoors and/or a collapsible wooden clothing rack to dry clothes indoors.
If using a dryer, use wool dryer balls to cut down on drying time and eliminate the need for toxic dryer sheets.
Instead of using fabric softener, add white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Make your own all-purpose cleaning concentrate by infusing citrus peels in vinegar for 4 weeks. Dilute the concentrate to 1 part vinegar: 1 part water and use on anything and everything except stone surfaces.
Use tea tree, eucalyptus, or lemon essential oils to add antibacterial properties to your all-purpose vinegar cleaner.
Mop your floors with castile soap, water, and essential oils instead of using commercial cleaners.
Make your own soft scrub by combining ¾ cup baking soda, ¼ cup castile soap, 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide, 5 drops of lemon essential oil (optional).
Use vodka instead of bleach to disinfect.
Try making your own laundry detergent from baking soda, washing soda, and castile soap.
Clean windows with vinegar and newspapers (to prevent streaks – it works, I promise!)
If you need a mop bucket, try finding one made of galvanized steel or enamel instead of plastic.
Instead of burning candles to make your home smell good, open windows to promote cross ventilation, or make a natural air freshener by combining 2 tbsp vodka, 6 tbsp filtered water, and 40 drops of essential oils. Add to a squirt bottle and spritz throughout your home.

Backyard

Plant a garden. If you have limited space, plant vegetables and herbs in a container garden.
Use organic growing practices and avoid synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.
Install a compost bin and/or a worm bin. If you don’t have room, see if your town has a composting program. Otherwise, community gardens will usually accept your compost during the growing season.
Feed the birds in the winter when they’re most vulnerable.
Make your own non-toxic bug repellent using essential oils and witch hazel.
Plant native plant species that support local wildlife, including birds, bees, and butterflies.
Learn to dry, preserve, and store herbs. Use them for making teas, tinctures, salves, and other herbal remedies.
Get to know your weeds – many of them can be used for medicinal and culinary purposes (i.e. dandelion and plantain).
Install a rain barrel.
Raise chickens and/or keep bees.