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People Are Sharing Their Best ‘Zero Waste’ Tips And Tricks, Here Are 30 Of The Most Helpful Ones (New Pics)
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to us citizens of the world. Many are trying to adopt more planet-friendly habits in their daily life and make a positive change.
Online communities like r/ZeroWaste on Reddit have emerged as valuable platforms for sharing ideas, experiences, and resources. Over 1.1 million members discuss everything from eco-friendly household products to sustainable fashion choices and green travel options. r/ZeroWaste was created on February 20th, 2013 and it has loads of information, so let’s dive into it.
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#1
Wow! This Makes Me So Happy. Great Work And Great To Be Reminded That There Are People Who Care!
The term “Zero Waste” is self-explanatory, though many proponents agree that it is nearly impossible. There are just some things we cannot control, like the making of products we use in our daily lives. This said, many zero wasters agree on a more general purpose: to get as close to zero as possible.
Although everyone can participate in the zero waste lifestyle, location matters greatly. Depending on where you live, you may be of a different distance to your local farmer’s market or even have the ability to own your garden.
RELATED:
#2
Instead Of Polluting The Planet With Confetti, Hole Punch Leaves Instead!
#3
That’s So Cool And Ingenious!
Jo Blokees 2 years ago
Many places in Asia you get each item wrapped in plastic, than in a bag and another. I am looking at you Indonesia, China
The motivation behind zero waste is to help prevent planetary crises, save the environment, and generally improve people’s and animals’ well-being. Finding your sources or even joining the r/ZeroWaste community can be a solid start.
#4
This Mini Thrift/Exchange Corner By The Dumpsters Where Neighbours Place Their Still-Usable Unwanted Items
#5
Develey Mustard Jars, Made To Become Drinking Glasses After The Removal Of The Lid And The Label, Have Filled Many A Shelf In Many A Home
#6
"He's Usually Full By The End Of The Day" Really Puts Into Perspective How Much Plastic Waste Is Washed Ashore
Weim Central 2 years ago
Love this! Just a wee curious how it gets emptied. Truck shaped like a shark?
There are five main principles for zero waste, as Bea Johnson, writer and activist, distinguishes in her book, Zero Waste Home:
•Refuse what you don’t need. Simply do not purchase unnecessary things and/or use stuff like plastic straws.
•Reduce what you do use. Have generally less waste.
•Reuse whatever you can. Practice thrift shopping or re-making your stuff. This also includes saying no to disposable things and yes to reusable ones.
•Recycle what you can’t refuse or reduce. If there is no way you can avoid something, choose to recycle. Just keep in mind that not all material can be recycled and thus ends up disposed of in landfills.
•Rot what‘s left over. Befriend composting as a way of giving nutrients and fiber back to the earth.
#7
Friendly Post-Halloween Reminder: If You Can't/Don't Have A Compost Bin Or Don't Want To Eat Your Leftover Pumpkins, Check Your Local Town Pages For Farmers Iso Your Jack-O-Lanterns! Most Are More Than Happy To Get Their Animals Some Tasty Treats! This Is The Fourth Post I've Seen Just This Morning
Firstname Lastname 2 years ago (edited)
Went to a pumpkin farm that had pigs and they'd give all the damaged pumpkins to them so that they didn't go to waste. Everyone was so happy, especially the piggies!
#8
We Literally Waste Trillions Of Food Every Year
Clearly sunny 2 years ago
Yeah but there are d**k heads that like to sue companies and ruin it for everyone tho!
#9
Thanks, I Love Plastic Bag Bans
You’ve already seen many tips and tricks for sustainable cooking from Reddit, but here are more. Though eating and cooking are very individual, there are a few general guidelines on how to make it more environmentally friendly and healthy.
•Plan your meals. Buy the things that you will eat throughout the day or week, so the remaining food does not get thrown away.
•Think twice when eating out. Takeaway food usually comes in plastic containers, if the portion is too big, food gets wasted.
•Repurpose what you can. Use the leftovers to create a new recipe and make a smoothie from overlooked fruits and veggies.
•Shop with zero waste in mind. Bring your bag, avoid things with plastic packaging, and pay attention to expiration dates.
•Store food for maximum life. Keep your fridge and shelfs clean, so the bacteria do not build up and cause food to rot quicker.
•Preserve your foods. Make food last longer with pickling, freezing, canning, etc.
#10
Apologies For The Quality, Got A Kick Out Of This!
rullyman 2 years ago
I heard that they're banned in a lot of American neighbourhoods because of the HMO telling you what you can do even if you own garden! Although it's similar in other places too- here in London our apartment block says that "to maintain standards, residents are forbidden to dry laundry on their balcony". We use a clothes horse indoors.
#12
You Could Even Do This For A Homeless Male... Love This
Brenda 2 years ago
Can be done with any kind of bag. We used to make them up from all the free/cheap products that I used to get by couponing. By the time the holidays came around, we usually had between 15 and 20 full.bags which we donated to a local shelter. We also made up as many small kits as possible, using whatever we still had, also donated. Wish I could still do that
From the perspective of industry, some companies aim to remove the concept of waste entirely by transforming rubbish. For example, Arthur Huang with his company Miniwiz is creating new building blocks from waste. In 2010, they made an earthquake and fire-resistant exhibition building in Taipei, that was constructed of bricks made from 1.5 million plastic bottles.
In his own words, “From packaging to fast fashion to car batteries, we have to actively transform all this material that’s been collecting for the past 40 or 50 years – it’s not going away, so somebody has to deal with it.”
#13
McDonald's France Start To Remove Single Use Packaging, To Replace Them With Washable Ones
#14
Bought This Handmade Basket From An Old Man At The Farmers Market, Made From Old Strapping Bands And Electrical Cords
#15
Rosemary Christmas Tree So We Can Plant It Once The Holidays Pass
It is International Day of Zero Waste on the 30th of March. This has been proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. On their website, they explain that this day “promotes sustainable consumption and production patterns, supports the societal shift towards circularity and raise awareness about how zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
#16
At Least We Are Trying… Right?
Zophra 2 years ago
This! While I am not saying the average consumer shouldn't be trying to help the environment, I feel like the most serious help would be if the corporations and industries changed their practices. For example, I can only recycle plastic #1 and #2. Why are there so many #5? (On a separate not: Why are the plastic numbers so difficult to find/see?) Why am I not using disposable straws but the fishing industry is responsible for half the plastic in the ocean... it goes on and on.
#17
When I Came Home For Xmas My Mom Was Making Fire-Starters Out Of Dryer Lint & Old Candles She’d Melted Down
#18
I Thrifted Almost Everything For My New Home Office. The Desk, Chair, Rug, Futon, And Dresser Were All Secondhand!
Join one of the communities, like r/ZeroWaste on Reddit or the zero waste movement initiated by Zero Waste International Alliance. “Working towards a world without waste through public education and practical application of Zero Waste principles, ZWIA’s mission is to drive systemic change using environmental and social justice principles”.
#19
This Amazing Zero Waste Store Just Opened In My City
#20
This Seafood Place Called Nordsee Puts Their Ketchup In A Waffle Cone
cerinamroth 2 years ago
A lot of foods at fairs are also served like this in Germany (where Nordsee is based) - fried mushrooms, corn on the cob, chips/fries.
#21
You Can Refill Six Different Types Of Cleaning Liquids With This Refill Station
#22
Coffee Stop With My Parents
#23
I Feel Like A Magician, Turning Old Sweaters, Scarves And Hats Into New Bags. The Yarn Of Old Things Is Great For Creating Something New. And This Process Is Almost Infinite
#24
Got A Hole In The Back Of One Of My Favorite T-Shirts And My Friend Offered To Add A Stitching Of A Flower To Fix It. I Love The Shirt Even More Now!
#25
You Know What They Say, "You Are What You Don't Properly Dispose Of" Comic By War And Peas
#26
It Took A Few Years, But I Realize We Have Become Jar People
#27
I Always Hated Taking The Plastic Film Off Before Putting In The Recyclables. We Are Moving In The Right Direction!
#28
* Side-Eyes Cupboard Full Of Jars I'll Use "One Day" *
Biljana Malesevic 2 years ago
Jars, bottles, cute bottles with droppers from face serums, decorative boxes from cookies... I am a hoarder who thinks "maybe I can use this one day".
#29
Instead Of Throwing Away Broken Little Crayons My Toddler Burns Through I Melted Them Down In A Silicone Mold I Found 2nd Hand
#30
La Fermiere Yogurt Comes In Reusable Jars. This One Is Made Of Clay
#31
This Is Huge, A Single Water Filter Dispenser Saves 600k+ Bottles Going Into Landfill. We Need These Everywhere
ShellsBells 2 years ago
Most airports have them. Not the coldest, but definitely better than paying $6 for a bottled water!
#32
I’ve Decided To Try And Combat The Neighborhood Trash. This Was My First Outing. 25 Minutes Of Collecting And Less Than A 1 Minute Walk From Our House
cerinamroth 2 years ago
We do this every year as a family on the anniversary of our getting German citizenship. A little thank-you to the country that we all now call home!
#33
A Con Without A Lie
#34
Responsibly Festive
#36
You Can’t Save The Rainforest If You’re Depressed
#37
Yogurt Pot (Originally From Casualuk)
#38
The Hotel I'm At Uses Edible Pots For You To Fill With Honey/Jam/Spreads Instead Of Thousands Of Individual Sachets
kitteh floof lover 2 years ago
i just got back from switzerland, and our hotel did this too, genius!
#39
McDonald's Has New Reusable Containers For Dine In Orders Now
#40
Keeping Solid Toiletries Dry
Nancy Doughty 2 years ago
Like this! Could also put soap under the bands to keep it out of the dirt (if camping) and keep the jar for what's left of soap.
#41
My Electric Kettle Broke So I'm Using It As A Water Pitcher In My Fridge
Daycare Attendant Sun 2 years ago
Yep. Our old Aldi Ceramic Kettle died, so when I got a new glass one, the old ceramic one is used to water plants around the house.
#42
I Finally Worked On A Set That Refused To Waste Plastic Water Bottles. This Stage Apparently Has Been Reusing These Same Metal Water Bottles During Each Production For Years Now
#43
Can’t Stop Eating These Potato Peel Chips
#44
Cardboard, Hemp, Bamboo Etc. Are All Materials That Need To Replace Plastics And Other Harmful Materials To The Environment
cerinamroth 2 years ago
I must say, I haven't seen plastic rings on cans for years now... But that's in Europe. Perhaps they are still widespread elsewhere...
#45
I Made Our Christmas Tree Out Of Books This Year
#46
Reality Is Quiet Mind Bending Sometimes
#47
Handle On Our Bread Knife At Work Broke Off. I Carved A New One From Driftwood
#48
Instead Of Carving Pumpkins, What About Carving Bell Peppers And Eating Them Stuffed Afterwards? It’s Been Our Family Tradition For Years
#49
My Friend Helped Me Turn A Useless Tea Towel Into A Zippered Bag For Bulk Buying!
#50
With A Hot Glue Gun, You Can Replace The Rope On Cat Scratching Posts
Elita One 2 years ago (edited)
Better yet, make your own scratching post out of scrap wood pieces, a log, fabric scraps and some rope. So many scratching posts are just made from cardboard, don't last, fall apart and are ridiculously expensive. Made this years ago, the rope can be pulled off when it's all scratched up, it'll last for years. 20201122_1...cc4381.jpg 
#51
Cool Idea. Hopefully They Continue To Make Refills
#52
I Repurpose Sheets And T-Shirts That Aren’t Used Any More Into Rugs And Baskets And More. I Crochet Them But They Can Be Knitted, Woven Or Sewn To Create Something New And Beautiful For Your Home
#53
Junk Drawer Organized Using Old Boxes And Lids!
#54
Decided To Regift Some Stuffed Animals Instead Of Buying Stuff For Halloween This Year
#55
If Your Cabinet Looks Like This—you’re Part Of The Problem😬
#56
Some Of The Higher End Things I Found Dumpster Diving Last Night To Show How Wasteful Companies Are. Nothing Is Wrong With Any Of These, All Sealed
#57
Overpopulation Or Overconsumption?
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
I still think there are twice as many humans on the planet as there should be.
Adam Jeff 2 years ago
This is a false choice: both overconsumption and overpopulation are the problem. If you're an environmental journalist and you don't mention population then IMHO you're not doing your job very well.
Adam Jeff 2 years ago
Some people feel that it's somehow racist or xenophobic to talk about overpopulation, because the fastest population growth is occurring in developing countries. But I disagree: overpopulation worries me precisely because I want people in those countries to prosper, and I hope that one day soon they will be able to enjoy, if not the profligate overconsumption of the top 10%, then at least the comfortable lives of the top half. If you believe in doing something about wealth inequality, then you should also be worrying about overpopulation, because otherwise this is a ticking timebomb.
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#58
4 Years Of Growing Pineapples, Here Is #2
#59
Made My Own Chapstick To Refill Old Tubes
Rachel Grig 2 years ago
Amazing! I make my own lip balm as well using beeswax, coconut oil and cacao butter. Smells amazing and works SO much better than the store-bought kind.
#60
An Alternative To The Plastic Jugs
#61
Someone Threw Out A Perfectly Good Reid Bicycle That Just Needed Some Tlc! 2 Hours Of Work Later And Boom - Free Bike!
#62
A Coworker Friend Lets Me Write "Fun Facts" On His Whiteboard. Every Now And Then I Try To Radicalize The Office Lol
#63
Saved Myself $120 By Re-Upholstering My Work Chair For $5 With Final Clearance Fabric And Leftover Thread
#64
Wish They Just Sold The Floss Roll. The Container Is Easy To Open Too
#65
Saved Most Of The Plastic Bag Packaging I Used In 2022 And Ended Up With 10lbs Of Recyclable Plastic
Jennifer Clark 2 years ago
I save mine and take it to Meijer or Walmart where they recycle it.
#66
It’s The Small Things (Using The Paper From Chewy And Amazon Deliveries To Wrap Gifts)
Lene 2 years ago
I did this! Got some paper in the packaging of a book case we bought. I saved the paper and for Christmas I get my kids to draw on the paper and I use it to wrap presents. Grandparents love it because it makes the gifts from us extra personal. Also, I have free wrapping paper. And if you don't want it you just toss it in the paper bin. Regular wrapping paper can't be recycled as easily.
#68
My Leftover Candle Is Finally Done!
#69
Our Apartment Building Has A Communal Laundry Drying Room
#70
Glad That Big Companies Are Taking Notice And Coming Out With Products Like This
#71
Found A Zero Waste Way To Heat My Home! I Have An Epa Certified Wood Stove. I Found A Local Wood Shop That Has Been Sending All Of Their End Cuts Of Good Hardwood To The Dump. Now The Wood Stays Out Of The Dump, And I Have A Free Source Of Heat!
#72
The Different Stages Of Processing Loofahs For Use
#73
Stay Out Of Jail
River Daski 2 years ago
ohhh i remember this, though this post is lacking a lot of context. this is that horrible dude getting caught because he'd posted pictures of himself with a local pizza chain's boxes
#74
I Am Happy To See One Of Our Largest Supermarket Retailer Doing This To Reduce Waste
#75
Got My First Darning Loom Today And Patched Up A Hole In My Pocket From My Wallet. It’s Not Perfect But It’s A Tool I’m Glad To Have
#76
Made The Switch To Flour Sack Towels Instead Of Paper Towels, And The Universe Rewarded Me With A Perfect Fit
Agnes Jekyll 2 years ago
I bought bamboo paper towels, and you can wash and reuse them and when they are entirely shredded, they go in the compost. I love it.
#78
I Hope This Is True
Clearly sunny 2 years ago
Keep hopeful as we still need countries like China to start helping.
#79
My Latest Idea For Glass Spice Jars
#80
Bed Bath And Beyond Dumpster Dive From The Other Day
Alison Hell 2 years ago (edited)
I was buying a calendar and noticed one was ripped. As I was using it for gardening, the rip didnt bother me. I asked a store associate if they would give me a discount on that one, he said no, they cant sell that and took it off the shelf. They could have made some money and not be wasteful, yet this Staples in Canada chose to be wasteful, whether they recycled or trashed it, it could have gone to a good home.
#81
My Business Diverted 558,600 Pounds Of Food Scraps In 2022
#82
Saw This In Target
Elizabeth James 2 years ago
Really wish this photo had been taken zoomed in more, coz I don’t wanna say what I thought it said, after concentrated, at first glance 😳
#83
Saw This Today
#84
War Time Advice Is Still Great Today
#85
Today I Repaired A Curb-Found Drying Rack. Goodbye Landfill :)
#86
This Is How I Feel With So Many Things, Not Just Tomato Paste
#88
This Tweet Came Up On My Timeline. I Actually Think This Is Thoughtful? Tons Of Uses For Them
#89
The Bathroom Shrine Is Complete
#90
After 9 Months Buried In A Plant Pot My Compostable Coffee Capsule Looks Unchanged
MonsterMum 2 years ago
I have put a number of 'compostable' items in my compostor. I now have lovely compost with totally intact 'compostable' items in it.
#91
I Never Feel Like I’m Doing Enough To Be Eco-Friendly 🫠
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Jennifer Smith 2 years ago
I sometimes feel guilty about all the plastic I use in my medical supplies.
Amelia Jade 2 years ago
I work in the medical field. Trust me, your use of plastic is a drop compared to the waste produced in a clinic on any given day. The first time I realized how much waste we produced in a day, I was stunned. And most of it is not recycled. However much you're thinking I'm talking about, it's 100x more. It's absolutely incredible how much medical waste there is. And no one cares
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oktopus 2 years ago
Suitcases are an item which probably get thrown away when they could be repaired. I'm just packing my suitcase for an upcoming trip and feeling quite satisfied as I've had it for many years, and though different bits have broken or fallen off, I've always been able to repair it, which is vastly preferable to buying a new one both from financial and environmental points of view. Youtube has some handy explainers for this kind of thing.
Will Cable 2 years ago
There is a retail outlet not far from me, one of those village/mall types and while having a meal there we went to put our rubbish away...while it had 'recycle bins for various items, including liquids there was no container for cans. they said they go in the general waste bin. Also hate the trend that some drinks come with paper straws that are in plastic packaging!!!
Jerusalem Cat Syndrome 2 years ago
This list was very well done! Straight and to the point, without personal agendas or absurd "who would ever do that?" suggestions. Good job!
Jennifer Smith 2 years ago
I sometimes feel guilty about all the plastic I use in my medical supplies.
Amelia Jade 2 years ago
I work in the medical field. Trust me, your use of plastic is a drop compared to the waste produced in a clinic on any given day. The first time I realized how much waste we produced in a day, I was stunned. And most of it is not recycled. However much you're thinking I'm talking about, it's 100x more. It's absolutely incredible how much medical waste there is. And no one cares
Load More Replies... oktopus 2 years ago
Suitcases are an item which probably get thrown away when they could be repaired. I'm just packing my suitcase for an upcoming trip and feeling quite satisfied as I've had it for many years, and though different bits have broken or fallen off, I've always been able to repair it, which is vastly preferable to buying a new one both from financial and environmental points of view. Youtube has some handy explainers for this kind of thing.
Will Cable 2 years ago
There is a retail outlet not far from me, one of those village/mall types and while having a meal there we went to put our rubbish away...while it had 'recycle bins for various items, including liquids there was no container for cans. they said they go in the general waste bin. Also hate the trend that some drinks come with paper straws that are in plastic packaging!!!
Jerusalem Cat Syndrome 2 years ago
This list was very well done! Straight and to the point, without personal agendas or absurd "who would ever do that?" suggestions. Good job!
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