It is only when something is lost, that we start to realize that we need to take certain measures to enforce change. Unfortunately, it’s usually too late. The same applies to waste. In Cape Town alone, 6,000 tons of waste is produced daily, which translates to between 1.7kg and 2kg per household. But, once this waste is collected and out of site, most of us don’t bother to know where it goes and the impact it has on our environment.
If you haven’t heard of living a zero-waste lifestyle, it’s simply about changing your lifestyle through reduced impact on the environment. Here are a few ways you can remove harmful chemicals from our home and reduce our waste.
Five ways to start living a waste free lifestyle
1. Reduce
A zero waste lifestyle is as much about mindset as it is practical actions. In fact, when you transition to a zero waste lifestyle, you have to first change your mindset. The most important word in this lifestyle change is reduce. When you start to reduce your wants, you will automatically see a dramatic drop in the amount of trash you are creating.
2. Reuse
Try not to just reuse something once or twice, instead think reuse forever! The kitchen is filled with disposable items that are responsible for a whole lot of waste. Try these alternatives instead:
Earth friendly sponges
Replace paper towels with reusable rags
Non-Disposable or biodegradable dinnerware
Always bring your own shopping bags
Pack to-go meals with reusable sandwich bags
3. Recycle
Once you’ve exhausted your options with reduce and reuse, recycle. Yes, recycling doesn’t end up in your garbage can. But, it’s important to try to minimize this, since recycling is a resource intensive process.
4. Repair
Rather than throwing everything in the garbage, just repair them! You can get your shoes resoled, sew up a rip in your clothes, patch your bike tubes, and bring your electronics into a repair shop.
5. Refuse
You don’t have to say yes to everything. If you don’t need something, it’s OK to say no. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you need it. So, please turn down the freebies you don’t actually need.
I wish I could share more. But, a plain girl was so inspired by Zero Waste Guru – Bea Johnson’s concept of living more simply and wasting less, that she would love to share this concept with you. Hosted by Life Retreat Studio and presented by Ronel Bester, we are thrilled to introduce you to a topic that should become very close to our hearts:
Learning ways to start living a more “waste free” life
– Integrate simple concepts into the home
– Teach your kids & loved ones these fun (and important) tips to reduce waste
– Boost creativity as we work together to “clean up our act”
The idea is not to recycle more, but LESS. And that is possible by following Bea’s motto of “Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot”
Are you ready to join in?
Book now: https://blog.blog.liferetreat.co.za/register-now/
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