20 Feasible Zero Waste Checklist Ideas for A Greener Home

The world cannot deny that we are in a plastic waste crisis with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), prevalence of microplastics in soil and water and the harm to marine mammals by discarded plastic from municipal waste.

Thus, the idea is to reduce waste as much as possible in the transition to a sustainable lifestyle. While it may not be feasible for some to go fully zero waste, there are several small changes you can make in your day-to-day life to make a significant difference in waste for a much sustainable and greener home.

Here are some feasible zero waste checklist ideas to get you started.

1. Switch to a safety razor — You will prevent discarded plastic razors from going to landfills and ending up in soil and the ocean.

2. Brush with bamboo — Bamboo is a fast-growing plant with anti-microbial properties and is ideal for oral care. Certain cultures still practice oral care with natural wood or “chewing stick” with fewer instances of oral diseases. Bamboo toothbrushes are compostable, unlike plastic, but check whether bristles are compostable. Nylon-4 bristles biodegrade under certain conditions but Nylon-6 bristles are non-biodegradable. Know before you buy. Bamboo brushes are unique with no-frills and minimal processing.

3. Ditch packaged soap — Check local stores for a locally-made, package-free bar soap. Sustainable brands like LUSH, sell package-free soaps, shampoo bars and bath bombs for a green cosmetic conversion.

4. Install a bidet attachment — This is a device that easily attaches to your toilet and sprays your butt clean once you finish. They eliminate the need for toilet paper, which as is known, accounts for 15% of deforestation. Let’s not even start on the 17bn toilet paper tubes discarded annually. I put mine in for recycling since it is cardboard but who knows what others do? Green home and green tush? Interesting. Bidet attachments are surprisingly cheap on the path to zero waste and I love the ones from Tushy.

5. Bleed sustainably — The average woman uses 11,000 tampons in her lifetime – yikes! – with dioxides, fragrance & pesticides as part of the material. While there are natural tampons available, not every woman feels comfortable using them as they tend to not expand like conventional tampons do and applicators are usually hard to eject. You know how frustrating this is with slippery fingers. Enough said. The manufacture of tampons and pads contributes to deforestation as wood fibre is converted to soft pulp and even natural tampons utilize organic cotton, which is said to be worse for the environment than conventional cotton. To have zero waste periods, try THINX or switch to a menstrual cup.

6. Choose cloth diapering — Diapers have the same waste disposal issues as tampons and pads where 20bn diapers are added to landfills annually. Cloth diapers can be laundered and last longer but if you’re squeamish about washing them, choose bamboo diapers.

7. Freeze food — Freezing extends shelf life of produce and is great for things about to go bad. Soft fruit can be frozen for use in healthy smoothies bowls.

8. Meal plan — Every item of food will have a use and nothing will be wasted.

9. Make your own stock — I haven’t bought veggie stock in years! Recipe here.

10. Regrow produce stubs — Consider this a buy-one-get-one deal for your lettuce.

11. Swap paper towels for rags — Stop spending money on disposable paper products & cut up old cotton material for use as kitchen & bathroom cleaners.

12. Order food “for here” — It will cut down on unnecessary plastic to-go packaging.

13. Bring a to-go box — If you think there will be leftovers, it is good to always be prepared to combat food waste.

14. Shop second-hand — An estimated 10.46 million tons of clothes go to landfills every year with the excess we donate to charities. Practice your vintage store finds and hunt for clothes swap meets in your city to embrace zero waste.

15. Eat a plant-based diet — Most animal products aren’t at all sustainable. Read some facts here.

16. Bring your own grocery bags — Some cities have banned flimsy plastic bags to eliminate plastic waste and some European stores charge on request for a bag.

17. Shop the bulk section — Bring reusable bags for rice, beans, nuts, seeds, and coffee. Bulk buying of grains, veg & fruit eliminates plastic waste and puts you on your path to zero waste and sustainable living.

18. Swap souvenirs for snapshots — A picture is worth so much more than 1,000 words.

19. Avoid printing documents — Keep secure digital records of important documents in multiple spots in the cloud.

20. Brown-bag your lunch — It will keep you from eating out, save you money and you can compost the bag!

If you want to put some of these tips into action, download these zero-waste e-checklists below:

Zero-waste Checklist for a Greener Home

Zero-waste Checklist for When You’re Out and About

For more zero waste checklists, check out Self Lender for downloadable checklists and money saving resources.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to comment on what part of the zero waste checklist you currently practice. Pin and enjoy!

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