Zero Waste – a room by room guide

So, what is “zero waste”?

For us at EarthSavvy HQ, "zero waste" means sending as little waste to landfill as possible. Our family of three used to send a standard-sized rubbish bag to landfill once a fortnight. It now takes us a couple of years to fill a wheelie bin. Yes, we recycle, but recycling is not a magic bullet – it’s a hugely energy-intensive and polluting process where some products (we’re looking at you, plastic) are down-graded into lower quality products and will eventually end up in landfill. So, recycling is not the best option.

But, never fear...the 6 R’s are here to save the day!

In order, they are:

Here’s a room-by-room rundown of the changes we’ve made so far on our journey to zero waste.

KITCHEN

Food…

Pantry goods from the bulk store using EarthSavvy reusable bulk food bags and jars/containers

Fruit & veges from the fruit & vege shop using EarthSavvy reusable produce bags & BYO tofu container. For anything that isn't available package-free, we ask for not-yet-packaged produce from the packing room (our wee troop enjoys a plant-based diet, however, if you do eat meat, bringing your own container to your local butcher is totally doable)

Bread from the local bakery in BYO bag

Takeaways using BYO containers

Alfresco dining using BYO containers, picnic set and EarthSavvy travel (folding) cutlery set

Restaurant food: request “no straw or disposable items, please” and have a container at the ready for any leftovers

Home cookin’…

These are some of the pantry staples we make at our place:

Food waste…

Compost! So easy, free (after initial compost bin purchase) and great for your garden. For those in Aucklandtown, check out the free composting workshops run by The Compost Collective [bokashi and worm farms are a great option for apartment-dwellers]. Food scraps collections are also available in some areas - check with your local council.

Cleaning…

Compostable bamboo dish brush

EarthSavvy cotton cleaning cloths

Homemade spray cleaner

Ecostore bulk refill dishwashing liquid (available at various bulk stores)

Ecostore dishwasher tablets

BATHROOM

Compostable Go Bamboo toothbrushes

Solid Oral Care toothpaste or homemade toothpaste (2 T coconut oil, 1 T baking soda + a few drops spearmint oil)

Solid bar soap

Ethique shampoo bars

Cloth toilet wipes (being used part-time…not fully committed!)…we have a simple, clean system – used wipes are popped into a lidded bin next to the loo and then thrown in the wash. No smell…no waste…easy as.