The Mega Guide to Reducing Waste

Everyone has their own journey to reduce waste. It’s not about being perfect but about making small changes over time that ultimately leads to less stuff going out the door. For me, this looks like reducing landfill trash and recyclable plastics (since plastics tend to get downcycled). To do this, I first created a monster spreadsheet (that my husband laughed about but totally got on board with) that analyzed all our trash and recycled items. I organized these items by biodegradable/reusable/package free + aluminum + paper + glass + recyclable plastic + landfill. The ultimate goal for me is to move as many items from the landfill and recyclable plastic columns over to the other ones. For each item, I thought of the best possible alternative that reduced waste. Of course, there are also items that I am calling “luxury items” — items that we love that aren’t particularly zero waste (certain makeup, hair care products). And you know what? That’s okay! This is not about being perfect and depriving yourself. It’s just about doing the best you can. In the coming weeks and months, I’ll share more on composting, DIY-ing, and zero waste resources I’ve stumbled across. But for now… here it is. My monster list. I hope it gives you some ideas for alternatives to commonly used items. Or at least gets you thinking about your own trash production. I would love to hear your ideas on alternatives as well!

THE MONSTER ZERO WASTE LIST. (yes, it needed it’s own page.*)

*Note: I will keep this list updated as I learn more.