Fun and Easy Zero Waste Projects
If you’re trying to reduce the amount of waste you produce you use, a little mindfulness and creativity can go a long way. We rounded up our favorite projects to help you re-use things you have around the house and reduce the amount of trash and recycling you send to the curb each week. These projects are fun, relaxing and will save you a few bucks as you do your part to save the earth.
Give glass jars new life
Save the jar from your pasta sauce, pickles and jelly instead of tossing it straight into the recycling bin. You can easily clean up this jar by soaking it in the sink, then using a scouring pad and a little dish soap to remove the label, then run it through the dishwasher. You can use your squeaky clean new jar to:
• Sip water or lemonade out of throughout the day. Simply pop the lid on the jar to take your drink to-go
• Store your bulk foods or cleaning supplies from our zero waste bar
• Make into candles or store wax melts
• Upcycle into a cute canister by attaching a knob and exhibit it proudly on your kitchen counter
Just say no to paper towels
Most of us use cotton pads to wash your face, paper towels to clean and wipe up spills and paper napkins to dab our faces between meals throughout the day. Replacing disposable paper products from your daily routine can make a huge impact in reducing your waste output each day. Here are a few ways to get started:
• Use a soft and fluffy makeup eraser instead of using one-use makeup remover wipes
• Make your old t-shirts and worn out beach towels into rags that you can use to wipe down your counter and clean your house. Just throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty.
• Invest in some decorative tea towels or reusable cloths that you can use as napkins or display to keep your kitchen looking cute while you stay tidy
Craft up some reusable food storage
As you head out to the office, gym or to run errands, many of us pack up snacks or pick up food in disposable containers, then wrap our leftovers in plastic wrap. You can try out these projects to help you pick up and store your food sustainably.
• You can make your own adorable reusable sandwich bags with just fabric scraps, a needle and thread and velcro. If you aren’t into sewing, you can cheat by using a little fabric glue.
• Make no-sew reusable food wraps to keep leftovers tasting fresh
• Pick up a few reusable shopping bags or sew your own. If you have dozens of plastic bags from past shopping trips at home, you can repurpose them into a reusable tote bag
Try no-packaging products
It can feel frustrating when you have a box to throw away every time you pick up essential goods such as soap, shampoo or cleaning supplies. With our zero-waste bar, you can scoop the goods you need into your favorite reusable container. If you see something you need that isn’t on the bar, let our staff know and we’ll see if we can bring it in to help you stick to your zero-waste lifestyle.
DIY your pantry staples
Some of our favorite snacks and pantry staples come wrapped in plastic bags or containers that can’t be easily recycled. You can whip many of these tasty bites up in your kitchen easily. Cooking these foods doesn’t just help eliminate waste–it’s also less expensive and tastier to be able to eat your food fresh from the oven. Here are a few foods that you can DIY:
• Upgrade snack time by making your own potato chips
• You don’t need a bread maker to make delicious sandwich bread
• Homemade tortillas make taco Tuesday tastier