Zero Waste Week - Five Easy Swaps

Zero waste week is just around the corner! First of all, a disclaimer, I am in no way an expert on sustainability and still buy the over-packaged greens at the supermarket, but I wanted to share 5 easy swaps in everyday life that have helped me lower my personal waste.

A bit of history behind the scene.

Zero waste week was born in 2008 in the UK from founder Rachel Strauss, who after the wake of floods happening years earlier, founded a worldwide charity organization to give new prospects and life to unwanted goods.

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Fast forward twelve years later, with the wake-up call from scientists and activists, the green movement has grown exponentially, but still, there’s so much work to do and even the small acts of everyday life can have a big repercussion in the long run.

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly”
Anne-Marie Bonneau

And since I read her words, I started believing that even the smallest change can help. Check her Instagram page Zero Waste Chef for more information, easy swaps and recipes.

So here’s five easy swaps to start out:

Reusable Water Bottle

This was one of my proudest investment so far, it might not sound like much, but let me tell you that until you think about it, you don’t realize how many bottles you go through and it was something that used to bug me as soon as I moved to London. So I decided to invest in a 500 ml steel bottle at first, which then was replaced by a 1L BPA free plastic bottle and just moved into an 800ml Klean Kanteen that I brought back from New York from the Package Free Shop.

Reusable Organic Cotton Bags

I found these handy bags as I started researching and let me tell you they are my go-to now! I take them around the farmers market or at the supermarkets. They’re great for fruits, veggies, everything. By now, most supermarkets accept them and don’t really complain. They can easily be stored and washed. They go a long way and are very versatile when traveling, I use them to store toiletries or snacks in my bag.

Reusable Straws

Another big elephant in the room that has been on everyone’s tongue since pictures of animals with plastic straws started flying on the web and let me tell you, even for these, choices are vast. You can have glass, silicone, steel or collapsable. You find them of whichever size and colour you wish and are compatible with most reusable cups. Another investment that goes a long way too.

Reusable Cutlery

Another easy swap is surely a portable set of cutlery. I got mine from Joseph and Joseph. I have been searching for bamboo ones and then decided to go for a set of steel ones that I can keep using during the years. They were a treat to me, to be honest, as you can just use a pair from home, but they come in handy and are small enough to fit in my backpack or any bag I take with me.

Reusable Coffee Cup

Last but not least, an easy swap for every coffee addicted out there. Being one of them myself, this was a no brainer when you go through far too many cups in a day like I do! If you live near your local coffee shop, bring your china cup from home, no one complaints – I have seen some very particular ones handed over during the years!

On the market, you’ll find the big, small, colored, with prints, collapsable, silicones, glass, or whatever you can think or want. The world is your oyster as you would say when it comes to choosing a cup by now!