Moving to a zero waste home and how to do it

Zero waste is an attempt to reduce the amount of trash and recycling we make. The attempt being the keyword. Moving to a zero waste home, for now, means reducing. People do it by composting, using reusable products over single-use disposables, buying less packaged products, and rethinking every decision on what we buy and how we use it.

Moving to a zero waste home initial steps

Consider the next. What are your biggest sources of trash and recycling? Food scraps, takeout containers, toiletry bottles? If you start by reducing your trash in the areas where you make the most, you’ll see real changes each week and save some money! This new clutter-free path will help motivate you to keep reducing and give you an endorphin kick.

Moving to a zero waste home will take:

• Refusing what you do not need;
• Reducing what you do need (and simply cannot refuse);
• Reusing what you buy (and cannot refuse or reduce)
• Recycling the things you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse
• Composting the rest.

Refuse

1. Don’t buy duplicates. Three black dresses, 2 bread knives, charger plates, another mug, rug, picture frame upon picture frame. Think before you buy. You’ll see how much money your zero waste life saves you.
2. Fight wasteful moving supplies and excess paper by opting for sustainable replacements. NYC Green Line Movers are also fighters for the good cause and they tell us there is simply no need for an environmentally bad move.
3. Turn down free stuff from conferences, fairs, and parties. Every time you take one, you create a demand to make more.

Reduce

1. Clear your household by donating all the stuff you’ve hoarded over the years “just in case”. Decluttering your home also means a stress-free move. Give your duplicates to your local thrift shop. Your home will immediately thank you for the replenished energy, you’ll see.
2. Reduce your shopping trips and keep a shopping list. The less you bring home, the less waste you’ll have to deal with.

Reuse

1. Swap disposables for reusable handkerchiefs, refillable bottles, shopping totes, cloth napkins, reusable cloth bags etc. Just think of the pile of plastic bottles you’ve tossed over the years.
2. Avoid grocery shopping waste: Carry reusable totes, cloth bags, and jars (for wet items like cheese and deli foods) with you to the store.

Recycle

1. You should definitely be aware of your city’s recycling policies and location. But think of recycling as a last resort. Have you refused, reduced, or reused first? Question everything you think you need and life-cycle of your purchases.
2. Buy primarily in bulk or secondhand, but if you must buy new, choose glass, metal, or cardboard. Avoid plastic: Much of it gets shipped across the world for recycling and often ends up in the landfill (or worse yet, the ocean).

Rot

1. Investigate what compost system would work for your home. Find out what it will digest (dryer lint, hair, and nails are all compostable).
2. Turn your home kitchen trash can into one large compost station.

Moving to a zero waste home is a long journey and it starts with some small adjustments after the move. Future is within your reach, and climate change starts at home. Turn your life into a sustainable dream avoiding consumerism in just a few easy steps.