Going zero waste can seem like a scary task, starting out can be daunting but the very first step is gaining awareness, not only about the global trash problem but also the one right in your house. Slowly phase out wasteful and toxic problems you already own. Much as I mentioned on my Zero Waste Swaps: Bathroom post, reducing is the most important step and consuming sustainable products is still consuming. Don't simply throw away all your things and buy sustainable ones to replace them, you’ve still put your plastic into the environment and it hasn’t been used to it’s full potential, given that it’s already been produced, which means you're still polluting.
Start by making simple swaps, I've made a few posts on this (Food Storing, Bathroom & Everyday Living) but the simple things to start with are the ones you use the most, edit your belongings, make sure you really know and understand what you genuinely need and want. Replace your plastic bottles for a reusable one, personally I bought an Urban Bottle by 24Bottles but, as great as it is, I'd recommend going with the Clima Bottle which keeps both warm drinks warm for 12 hours and cold drinks cold for 24 hours, and I especially love their new Portici Clima Bottle. If you like to drink tea or coffee on the go, get yourself an insulated thermos or cup, I particularly love Keep Cup and their Brew Cork cups, crafted from blown tempered glass and cork. Say no to plastic straws, and if you must really use one make sure to get a reusable one, nowadays you have great options such as bamboo, glass or stainless steel straws, they all have their own qualities and benefits, so it's really a personal choice. Lastly, ditch the plastic bags, get a few tote bags to go shopping or make some yourself with some fabric scraps, and while you're at it, get your hands on a few reusable produce bags as well, Pegada Verde has plenty of options if you're not really into sewing.
Become resourceful with your food, learn how to make simple, quick and wholesome meals from unprocessed and unpackaged foods, buy in bulk and biological food when you can. Compost when you can, separate your food waste and compost it, which you can do in your garden or even in your kitchen, there are now plenty of small countertop compost bins you can keep in your kitchen, such as the Joseph and Joseph Stack 4 which features a replaceable odour filter in the lid that works with the fresh air to help trap any smells that do occur. If you're unsure about having a compost bin at home and don't have a garden to keep it outside, there are plenty of communal compost bins to use, there's also this amazing app that lets you find people who can compost your food scraps, Share Waste helps "people who have green scraps and would like to compost them (...) find a neighbour with a composting bin, worm farm or chooks willing to accept their waste", all you need to do is sign up on their app and register as a "donor" and then find the nearest host to receive your scraps.
Recycle properly, buy better & repair. Recycling is good, but reducing is still the best option, reduce the amount of recycling by reducing the amount you consume. This goes for many matters, and if you buy better quality items, you'll need to replace them less, which means you will consume less. If something is broken, repair it whenever possible and only replace it when you must do so.
Remember, you won't go zero waste overnight, it all takes time, we all start the same way, with the same plastic containers laying around our kitchens and bathrooms, it takes time to do something like this, and even more time to do it perfectly, be patient, go at your own rhythm, look for your own solutions, make your own things, you'll get there eventually.
Educate yourself. It's important to keep up with new solutions to our problems, it's important to volunteer to help out however you can, whether that is cleaning the beach for an hour, picking out some trash at your local park on your afternoon walk, or simply sharing the message and zero waste ideal however you can. Keep growing, keep learning, keep educating those around you and connect with a zero waste community to do all this with someone by your side, which always makes things easier.
