3 Easy Steps To Reduce Plastic Pollution
If you're like us, you have a sincere desire to make your home completely plastic-free, but it's not practical to go zero-waste overnight!
Please don't beat yourself up if you can't get rid of all your plastics at once!
For example, those oversized plastic totes in your garage are practical for protecting food and gear from water, insect, and rodent damage. If you have them already, just keep them and don't feel bad about it. In fact, save them for as long as you possibly can!
Our goal is to get people thinking about their options when replacing household items.
Reducing plastic waste starts with asking a question like, "Is there a more eco-friendly option than a plastic tote, and if so, is it affordable and practical? Could I use a cardboard box to store this instead of a plastic tote?"
It's these types of questions that will fuel our buy decisions, and in turn, the economy and change needed for mass adoption of ZW products.
Our goal is to help you reduce waste without drastic changes to your lifestyle. The easier it is to transition to ZW products, the more people will adopt these Earth-saving products, the less toxic plastic junk they will be in our homes and the landfill.
In short, you don't have to convert to a plastic-free home at once, so let's talk about how to make your transition manageable and stress-free in 3 easy steps.
The First 3 Steps to Zero Waste
First - What to do with the plastics you already have?
Don't toss them! It's more logical to make your plastic products last as long as possible before tossing and replacing them with ZW items. And many plastic items can be donated, such as lunch boxes and plastic food storage containers.
EXAMPLE - Wash used plastic food bags in hot soapy water. Rinse and air dry. You can reuse all plastic food bags unless they had raw meat in them or are stained (spaghetti sauce, etc.). Our 89-year-old grandma used the same sandwich bags for at least 5 years!
Second - Make a list of the plastics you use most often.
Seriously, you need to put your list in writing if you want to be organized about this. Here's a sample list to start with.
Kitchen -
- Sandwich and food storage bags
- Dishware and utensils
- Trash bags
- Wraps and food covers
- Lunchboxes
- Plastic food containers
- Single-use grocery bags
Bathroom -
- Plastic containers for hair care
- Body and hand soap
- Lotions
- Makeup products
- Toothbrushes & floss
- Toothpaste
- Mouthwash
- Disposable razors
- Feminine hygiene products
Cleaning -
- Plastic jugs of cleaning products
- Containers for laundry soap and stain removers etc
- Dish and hand soap bottles
- Scrubbing brushes
- Sponges
- Paper towels
Third - Choose two or three plastic items from your list every few weeks and replace them with ZW products.
When using your new ZW products, introduce a few more ZW items every few weeks, and then continue to choose ZW products every time you buy something new.
You may want to start with one particular room in the house, like the kitchen or the bathroom. Whatever is practical and convenient for you and your situation.
Using these 3 simple steps is a great way to ease into a lifestyle and home with less plastic, less waste, and fewer toxins.
Remember, converting to ZW is a process. It doesn't happen overnight!
The goal is to replace as many single/limited use plastics as possible with ZW items so the world is a better place for us and our children!
Check out our website for affordable ZW products to get some great ideas!
