Zero waste body care swaps

Adopt a zero waste body care routine and say good riddance to bathroom rubbish!

A standard bathroom can contain cupboards full of toxic and disposable products from plastic toothbrushes to disposable sanitary products. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approximately two billion disposable razors enter landfill every year. Additionally, it is estimated women use between 10,000 to 12,000 disposable sanitary products in their lifetime. Adopting a zero waste body care routine is an easy way to reduce your waste. It is as simple as swapping the disposable items you normally use for environmentally friendly reusable options.

10 zero waste body care swaps:

1. Disposable razor > reusable safety razor
2. Disposable pads and tampons > menstrual cups and reusable cotton pads
3. Plastic loofah > sea sponge
4. Synthetic body brush > natural sisal body brush
5. Deodorant in a can > deodorant in a glass jar
6. Plastic toothbrush > bamboo toothbrush
7. Body wash in a plastic bottle > a bar of soap
8. Packaged organic skin care products > DIY skincare using natural ingredients
9. Plastic hairbrush/comb > wooden or bamboo hairbrush/comb
10. Packaged Shampoo and conditioner > shampoo bar and apple cider vinegar rinse 

Products can be purchased in our four Brisbane stores and online here.

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How to create waste free school lunches

Waste free lunches are designed to eliminate the use of unnecessary packaging by using reusable products that are environmentally friendly. This means no excess waste is produced in the making or consumption of school lunches.

Creating waste free lunches is an easy way to help ensure your child is consuming food that is nutritious and less toxic by reducing packaged and processed foods and introducing fresh whole foods. Initiatives such as ‘wrapper Free Wednesday’ encourage parents to create waste free lunches to support a healthier environment by decreasing the amount of waste produced by school lunches. Below are five easy ways to pack a waste free school lunch.

 Sandwich wraps

Sandwiches are one of the easiest meals to make for school lunches but they are commonly packaged in plastic wrapping or contained in a plastic sealable bag. To reduce this single use waste, use a reusable sandwich wrap instead. They come in a range of bright colours and prints, and will keep your child’s lunch fresh all day. When they return home simply place in the dishwasher or washing machine to be reused again.

Reusable food pouches

Plastic sealable bags are a hazard for the environment. Not only do they use valuable resources to produce, they also harm the environment in the production, transport and disposal of the products. Reusable food pouches are the perfect waste-free solution. They have a similar design to disposable sealable bags but are more durable and designed to be reused multiple times. They are produced using non-toxic materials providing a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative for your child’s lunch box. You can store various foods in the pouches including yoghurt, small berries, nuts, juice and more. Make sure your child brings them home as they can be washed and reused.

Bento lunch boxes 

Bento style lunch boxes originally created in Japan during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) are increasing in popularity due to their waste-free design. The design provides multiple compartments that allow you to store a variety of foods without extra packaging. From fruit and vegetables to crackers and sandwiches, these environmentally friendly lunch boxes can improve the nutritional value of your child’s lunch by reducing the use of pre-packaged products.

Water bottles

Plastic water bottles are a major environmental issue. They extract valuable natural resources to produce and pollute our earth with litter that takes hundreds of years to break down. Provide your child with a reusable water bottle instead of a disposable one. The plastic made for disposable water bottles contains several toxic chemicals. When the bottle is heated to certain temperatures, the plastic begins to break down leaching harmful chemicals into the water. Reusable stainless steel water bottles or BPA-free plastic bottles are healthier alternatives for your child and the environment.

Cutlery

Plastic cutlery commonly made from polystyrene is extremely harmful for the environment as it is hard to recycle, therefore majority of the waste ends up in landfill. Instead of providing your child with single use plastic cutlery, give them their own set of reusable cutlery to use. Cutlery made from bamboo, stainless steel, BPA-free plastic or wood are perfect for school lunch boxes and will help to reduce your contribution to landfill.

Related: Pledge single use plastic free in July; Your war on waste; The environmental impact of plastic straws
 

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Your war on waste

Did you watch ABC’s War On Waste series and feel inspired to make small positive changes to reduce your environmental footprint? Here are some quick and easy ways you can reduce your waste inspired by the topics highlighted in the War On Waste series.

Your war on waste starts here:

1. Reusable coffee cup

Reduce your disposable coffee cup waste by using a reusable coffee cup. We use approximately one billion disposable coffee cups each year, making this single use item one of the largest contributors to waste along with plastic bottles and bags. People forget that it’s not just about the waste at the end, but the precious non-renewable resources that go into making those takeaway items in the first place. Simple changes such as using a reusable coffee cup can reduce a significant amount of waste and pollution, and of course save precious resources.

2. #Banthebag

Australians are the second highest waste producers in the world, producing on average 690 kilograms of waste per person each year. Plastic bags are one of Australia’s largest environmental hazards with over 3.92 billion plastic bags used and disposed each year. Using reusable shopping and produce bags instead of plastic disposable ones will greatly reduce your contribution to landfill. Take part in influencing change to #banthebag - more details here.

3. Start a zero-waste kit

A zero-waste kit makes it easy for you to eat and drink waste-free while out-and-about. You can make up your own kit depending on the items you use most, but generally a zero-waste kits includes a reusable water bottle, cup, container, straw, cutlery and napkin. Take your zero-waste kit everywhere you go and you will never have to use single use disposable items again.

4. Reduce wardrobe waste

Wear what you have in the wardrobe and don’t give in to buying a new item of clothing just because it’s in fashion. Instead, visit your local op-shop or swap clothes with a friend. If you do need to buy brand new, buy ethically made clothing from environmentally friendly materials.

5. Reduce household waste

Australia’s dependence on landfill as a waste management system is greatly affecting the environment with waste increasing at a compound growth rate of 7.8 per cent per annum. When buying food, reduce your food miles as much as possible by purchasing direct from your local farmer. Where possible, avoid purchasing pre-packaged food and opt for buying in bulk from a local wholesaler. Reduce your use of single use plastics by using non-toxic containers to store your purchases. The recycling service offered by most local councils is a great environmentally friendly initiative that makes it easy for every household to reduce their contribution to landfill. Keep a separate bin in your kitchen for recyclables and regularly sort out your general waste from your recycling. When a valuable household item breaks, don’t discard it – fix it. Society has become accustom to throwing away items that can easily be repaired. The next time something breaks, don’t throw it away, head to your local hardware store instead. Reduce, recycle and repair!

6. Compost

Composting your food scraps not only provides you with nutrient rich fertiliser for your garden, it also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by landfill. Plant matter requires air to decompose properly, therefore when placed in landfill among other chemically produced waste, it doesn’t decay cleanly. The dense layers trap the waste and generate an anaerobic environment which causes the plant matter to produce methane gas as it decays, harming the ozone layer with potent greenhouse gases. Instead of discarding food scraps in the general waste bin opt for a compost bin. The design of compost bins has evolved making it easy for everyone to compost their scraps. From small Bokashi Bins for units to large bins for houses, the new designs prevent smells leaching out and flies getting in making it more desirable to use a compost bin.


Start implementing these small changes into your daily routine and you will discover just how easy it is to reduce your waste.


Related: The environmental impact of plastic straws; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups; Top environmental documentaries to watch

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Zero waste toxin free washing

The laundry is one area in the home that can contain many chemical produced cleaning products. From washing powder to stain remover, most commercial cleaning products used to wash clothes and household linens are usually laden with toxic chemicals including fragrance, surfactants, stabilizers, bleach, dioxane, brighteners and phosphates.

When chemical laundry detergents are used, toxins are released into the air, washed down the drain and absorbed into the fabric of the garments you wear each day. This not only impacts your health but degrades the quality of our oceans and threatens marine biodiversity. To significantly reduce your daily exposure to chemicals and reduce your impact on the environment, simply swap to a natural laundry detergent.

Soapberries are a natural, chemical free and zero waste alternative to conventional laundry detergent. Commonly referred to as ‘soap nuts’, Soapberries are the fruit produced by the Sapindus Mukorossi tree. The shell has high levels of ‘saponin’ which reduces the surface tension of the water to remove dirt and leaves fabrics soft and clean. They are hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and odourless, making them perfect for people prone to skin sensitivities and allergies.

Soapberries can also be used as a multi-purpose liquid soap. Simply boil a few berries for fifteen minutes. The soapy water can then be used to wash hands, surfaces, hair and dishes.

The most exciting eco-friendly aspect of soapberries, is the berries can be composted or placed in the garden to decompose once you are finished using them. They are completely zero-waste.

Make a small change for your health and the environment and change the way you wash your clothes.


Related: What toxic chemicals are in your toothpaste?; Looming health hazards of synthetic chemical repellents; Why is BPA the only concern?

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The state of Australia’s waste

As Australia’s population increases, our war on waste escalates as we battle with a nation that is highly driven by materialism, convenience and cost, opposed to environment, ethics and health. Our nations wasteful actions are moving us towards a dangerous future and if we don’t begin to make changes, we will carry the cost of waste forever, leading to major health, living and environmental issues.

Australia’s population is currently sitting at 24.4 million. We now produce approximately 50 million tonnes of waste annually, which equates to over 2 tonnes of waste per person. During the period of 1996 to 2015, Australia’s population increased by 28% and waste generation increased by 170%, growing at a compound growth rate of 7.8% per year.

Australia’s household consumption continues to rise with the economy. The average household bin contains approximately 60% green waste which is made up of 40% food waste and 20% garden waste. Since 2005, recycling has risen at a faster rate with Australian’s now recycling approximately 58% of all the waste we generate and the rest being disposed in landfill. However, recycling isn’t the main solution to our dramatically increasing waste issue; significantly reducing our daily waste is. 

This dramatic increase in waste generation should be viewed as a window to the future of our planet’s wellbeing. To reduce our waste, we need to start monitoring the things we discard and start asking ourselves - “is there is a waste free solution that can prevent me from producing this waste again?”

You can dramatically reduce kitchen waste by composing food scraps, buying only what you need, buying from wholefood bulk suppliers and markets, using reusable shopping bags, and putting your food in containers instead of using plastic food wrap. When out and about, pack a zero-waste kit so you don't need to rely on single use products.

We can all make a difference by being mindful of the waste we generate and making simple changes to reduce it.

Reference:

MRA Consulting - State of Waste 2016 - current and future Australian trends

Related: The environmental impact of plastic straws; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups; Top environmental documentaries to watch

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