How to Go Zero Waste Without Spending a Dime

What if I could tell you that you can go zero waste without spending any money? Trust me, you can.

The zero waste movement is gaining more and more momentum every day (yay!) as people are waking up to the environmental implications of the waste they produce.

However, as more people gain interest in zero waste…corporations and businesses see a new opportunity to make profit. Ahh, the sweet smell of capitalism.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Your kitchen pantry doesn’t have to look aesthetic or beautiful. You don’t need a “zero waste starter kit” or expensive plastic free swaps to go zero waste.

You can go zero waste by using what you already have around your house and without spending a dime!

Here’s how.

Use glass jars.

When you’ve cut back on your plastic use around the house, you’ll have an influx of glass jars. Soak the labels off of your peanut butter and honey jars and save those jars for other uses. Some zero waste ways to use jars:

• freeze in jars (shatter-proof guide here)
• doggy box at restaurants
• pantry storage
• water bottle
• food/drink storage for packing lunch (soup, salad, coffee)

Use old t-shirts as paper towels.

Although “unpaper towels” certainly add a classy element to your zero waste kitchen, we personally…have a rag drawer in our kitchen. Old t-shirts are washed and then cut into rags which get tossed into this drawer. We nixed paper towels from our kitchen without spending any money on a replacement.

Take regular silverware to eat takeout.

Yes, I’ll admit…I had my eye on one of those cute little travel kits for awhile. You know the ones. They fold up and have a bamboo fork, knife, straw and straw cleaner in them.

Until I can make my own little travel pouch (yes, I’m going to figure out my sewing machine one of these days), I’ve been taking a metal fork, knife and straw with me straight out of my kitchen drawer. I spend most days relatively close to home anyways, so I don’t need a lightweight tableware option.

Skip the beeswax wraps (or make your own!)

This is another one that I was initially tempted to buy! However, then I realized that I don’t need a replacement for saran wrap around my kitchen. I don’t even use cling wrap! I never have, so why was I almost suckered into a replacement for it? I typically stick leftovers in a bowl, throw a plate on top, and call it a day.

I might try making them on my own eventually–a friend recently told me that she does and she made it sound like a piece of cake! When frugality meets zero waste, that’s when I’m all in.

If you use saran wrap all the time to keep your veggies fresh, then by all means go ahead and buy it. If it’s actually preventing plastic from entering your kitchen, buy those beeswax wraps! For me, it just hasn’t been a necessity.

Keep using your plastic Tupperware.

Seriously, don’t just start throwing the plastic away that you’re still getting use out of just because you’re going plastic free! Throwing away plastic that still has life left in it is counterproductive to the zero waste movement.

I try to only use my plastic Tupperware for storing dry goods around the kitchen, or chopped veggies that I won’t heat back up in the plastic. I’ll definitely replace it with glass storage containers when the time comes, but not until the end of its lifespan.

If you’re really determined to get that plastic out of your kitchen, pass it along to someone who can use it or donate it to a thrift store. You can even upcycle it for a new purpose in your house!

Use the cups you already have.

Yes, take your to-go coffee cup with you to the coffee shop. But don’t you already have a travel mug you can use? Do you really need a new one just to go zero waste?

Same for a water bottle. If you’re like my family, we have at least 3 reusable plastic bottles in the top of our cupboard. When it comes to replace them, we won’t choose plastic again. But for now, they work just fine.

The most sustainable thing you can do is use what’s already in your home!

If you’re familiar with The 5 R’s of Zero Waste, you know that the first rule of zero waste living is to refuse. Not buy new, but refuse.

Going zero waste does not need to break the bank! Going out and buying bamboo cutlery, a ZW starter kit, a new water bottle, a new travel mug, produce bags, and beeswax wraps all at once will be expensive!

You may get financially overwhelmed, try to do too much too soon and maybe even suffer from eco-burnout (a phrase I recently heard coined on a sustainable living podcast). You might feel like zero waste isn’t for you, it costs too much, and just isn’t worth it.

I understand, trust me. Old consumerism habits die hard. But save that money for when you actually need a sustainable replacement. Research plastic-free alternatives for your lifestyle and decide what you’ll actually use.

For now, use what you already have, check the thrift stores before you buy new, and switch to a sustainable lifestyle incrementally. Strive for progress, not perfection.