As we’ve covered a lot already in our blogs so far, we’re sure that by now you’re keeping up with a zero waste lifestyle. But the sky's the limit when it comes to your desire to produce less waste! So, today we decided to give you a few fresh ideas—ones which are rarely found on zero waste blogs—on how you can upgrade your sustainability habits.
For many people who care about nature or want to save money, it is already normal practice to send parcels out in reused boxes. That said, there are still people who’ll recycle or throw away a well-preserved cardboard box as soon as they’ve removed its contents. But reuse should always come first! To inspire a parcel recipient, you can send a box out with a note showing where it has come from, and a call to send it onwards. This simple idea looks so cute that it makes it hard to toss out a “traveller” box.
Water that you’ve boiled eggs, pasta or vegetables in contains nutritious elements. So why let it simply go down the drain? Your garden or potted plants will grow and bloom with more power if you cool this solution down and water them with it.
You cannot just pass by a torn-off plant leaf once you go zero waste. Within a moment your hand is already reaching out to grab it and grow a new plant of it! Don’t hold yourself back when you see a torn propagation-worthy leaf on the floor of a plant shop, in public spaces or at a friend’s home (though don’t forget to ask for permission, to avoid any trouble!). You can easily root a leaf of African violet, episcia, peperomia, hoya, sedum and many other succulents, for example.
We’re all clear now that propagating plant leaves is easy peasy. But what about getting fresh food from kitchen scraps? Sounds like a brilliant zero waste practice! Here’s how to harvest a rich yield on your windowsill:
Nature sometimes creates wonderfully shaped fruit and vegetables. They taste as good as the ones we see in the ads—and have just as many vitamins and nutrients—but people often tend to reject them when they’re selecting which produce to take home. As a result, they spoil and get tossed out by the stores. Deliberately choose flawed or ugly pieces of produce to prevent this from happening! Plus, don’t pass by those lonely bananas that people tear off when they want a smaller bunch.
Despite how much we digitise our education systems and offices, taking notes by hand remains popular. A number of scientific research studies have proven that writing by hand helps our brain keep fit. And wherever there’s writing, there’ll be copybooks, notebooks and sheets of paper. Hence, there will always be waste paper that is still blank but in the wrong place (like at the end of the notebook for a completed course, for example). Neither toss nor recycle such paper—you can unite unused sheets to make a new special notebook. To make the cover, reuse cardboard.
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How many of these habits do you already have? Or perhaps you have another nice zero waste habit that we haven’t mentioned? Share it with the world on your social media!
Main photo image credit - freepik.com
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