If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you’ll surely have noticed that the climate isn’t doing so well. Glaciers are melting, marine animals are choking on plastic and at the time of writing, the Amazon forest is on fire. It’s now gotten to the point where it is literally raining plastic, after scientists recently found microplastics in French rain. It was this that motivated me to take responsibility for my own waste and contribution to this climate crisis. But, like most broke students, I was worried about the financial impact of such a lifestyle change and whether I would be able to afford it.
However, once I sat down and thought about it, I was easily able to identify ways in which I could spend and waste less at the same time. The most important thing in my opinion is to sit down and evaluate where the majority of your waste stemsfrom. Once this issue is identified, it is easier to try to combat the problem rather than blindly trying to reduce waste in areas of your life that maybe don’t need that attention.
Therefore, whether it is you trying to follow a more minimalistic lifestyle, or you want to take responsibility for your own consumption, this is an easy guide on how you can reduce your waste.
no. 1 Use what you already have
First is to always try to use something until the end of its lifespan. A fundamental philosophy that my frugal mother has instilled in me is once you’ve bought something, use it all up. To do otherwise would offend her penny-pinching ways. If you have items/food you no longer want/need, donate them to your local charity shop or a homeless shelter. There is no reason why you need to hold onto products that only clutter up your space.
Not yet having quite grasped how to shop/cook for one, in first year I often found myself having to throw out food as it had gone mouldy before I could get to it. My best advice for this is to use your freezer. Items such as bread or veggies will last you much longer frozen. Another option is when fruit or veg has gone limp (but isn’t rotten), chuck it in a blender to make a nice smoothie. That way you’re saving food from waste and bulking up a meal.
If you have green fingers, you can grow your own fruit and veg from scraps of food. I grew up with a mum who grew her own mint, rosemary, basil and coriander alongside aloe vera. If you can get your own garden going, you can not only provide organically sourced food but also save loads on your weekly shop. Obviously, decent garden space for students is pretty unheard of, but even a shelf dedicated to herbs can be really useful. Composting is another way to reduce your food waste because, frustratingly, Exeter’s council doesn’t provide food bins. Admittedly, a compost bin takes a lot of effort and requires a fairly permanent structure (not so great for students), so check out how to compost in a student house. This is really important because although most food waste is biodegradable, when put into landfills, organic decomposition cannot occur due to a lack of oxygen, causing a release of methane instead which is horrific for the atmosphere.
no. 2 DIY/upcycle what you can
This tip links with the idea of using what you already have; revitalising a used product to fit a new purpose. Upcycling not only a great way to reduce waste but also saves money. Upcycling’s great because it also gets your creativity going. I’ve seen examples where people have turned chairs into a rustic shelf-hanger combo. But on a more realistic level there are easy uses for everyday items that you can employ. I often use empty jars as food containers for flour, sugar or tea leaves. I also like to use cleaned aluminium cans as a stationary cup, piggy bank or even plant pots.
Another area of your life that greatly benefits from upcycling is your wardrobe. There are so many pieces in my wardrobe that I no longer wear but it seems a shame to get rid of, so I revamp it in a new style. This can also apply when looking for a new outfit, as you can buy some cheap pieces from thrift stores or charity shops with the intention of making it nicer at home. A personal favourite of mine is taking a baggy print t-shirt, cropping it and adding an elastic. There are thousands of videos online on ways you can vamp up piece to make it stylish. One of the best YouTube channels in my opinion is Nava Rose’swhere she takes you through some really intricate upcycling routines or easy DIYs.
Some of the DIYs I have started implementing have helped me save loads of money. One microfibre towel has helped me replace cotton pads (handsewn by moi), provided wash cloths, paper napkins and towels. Rags can be used for dusters, jay cloths and floor cloths. Similarly, rather than having a million different bottles of cleaning products (I’m looking at you mum), I make my own all-purpose cleaner and all-natural bleach. You can also make your own natural toners, lip balm and natural face masks, all eradicating the need for unnecessary packaging as you can refill your own containers (see my natural beauty and skincare piecefor easy recipes).
no. 3 Stop buying
Common sense dictates less consumption = less waste. If you have less things, there are fewer possibilities of waste being produced in some shape or form. Therefore, if you assess an area of your life that devours the most money and time, it will likely be the area of the highest waste. For me it was a tie between food packaging and clothing. Fast fashion was an obvious place to start due the industry being incredibly wasteful with brands opting to burn unsold clothing rather than donating it as to do so would ‘taint the brand name’. The whole concept of fast fashion also relies on waste, as its fundamental premise is to continuously change styles so that consumers have to peddle more money into their pockets.
Inspired by Venetia Falconer, I have pledged not to buy any first-hand clothing for at least six months. My alternative is to buy only second hand clothingfrom charity shops, vintage stores or markets or to just upcycle my own wardrobe. After the six months I will try to only support sustainable and ethically sourced brands. Since starting this habit, I have noticed that my style has become more independent and flourished, as I am no longer listening to the bombardment and advertising of fast fashion brands. I have also naturally reduced my spending and my new found frugality means that I am more likely to question whether I really need that cute top.
no. 4 Use reusables
Single use products lead to inevitable waste, the clue’s in the name. In the recent years some reusable products have become mainstream; water bottles, coffee cups, straws and shopping bags are now a given for most people. Whilst this is great, there is still more ways you can reduce your waste in your everyday life. Good alternatives include cleaning pads instead of a dish brush, bees wax wraps instead of clingwrap, silicone baking mat and silicone cupcake liners instead of parchment paper.
Other alternatives include naked shampoo/conditioner/bodywash bars instead of bottles. Naturally, these greener options are often more expensive in the short term. However, they will last much longer and save you money in the meantime. For example, a shampoo bar lasts roughly 80 washes, which is three times as long as a 200ml bottle does and so you save money by paying a little more upfront. Similarly, women might find that using menstrual cups beneficial as one for £15 can last up to 10 years, rather than spending roughly the equivalent every month on pads or tampons. However, I get that menstrual cups aren’t for everyone and so even switching to the biodegradable tampons can be a viable, albeit not necessarily cheaper, option. A final cheaper swap in the bathroom is choosing to use a metal razor for a tenner rather than disposable ones. These are usually more expensive but are better quality and only need replacement heads every month or so.
no. 5 Be prepared
This, in my opinion, is the most important and fundamental. Planning ahead and time management are the key issues that can either make or break your attempt to reduce your waste. Trying to live a zero waste life means being sceptical of ‘recyclable’ items because so many become contaminated, don’t meet the recycling plant’s standards or are simply sold to another country for their landfill. Plastic is by far the worst offender as in 2018, only 9% of all viable plastic was recycled, the rest being incinerated or put into landfills. This is worsened by the fact that plastic can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, meaning it will outlive all of us by centuries. Therefore, you cannot afford to choose the easier, less time-consuming options as those nearly always come with the baggage of unnecessary packaging and water consumption. Same thing applies for when you are making your own DIYs. Reducing your waste requires time and effort and sometimes it is just easier to buy it at the shop. That’s why planning and setting time aside for things like this is really important in keeping your waste to a minimum, making a huge batch of something only takes 10 minutes but can last you for half the year.
Planning your meals for the upcoming week can hugely reduce your waste and budget because you will only buy what you know you will need, you are less likely to fall for impulse purchases and as you’re not buying excess, less will be wasted. This idea is furthered by the thought that you should always look at your cupboards before going shopping, there is no point in buying something you forgot you already had and overlooking another item you desperately need. Therefore, shopping trips should be planned amongst your schedule so that you have a list. Produce bags are great ways in removing the need for the single-use plastic bags for free fruit and veg.
Another way to save money and waste is to always try to pack your lunch. Then you won’t be spending ridiculous amounts on campus’ Pret and its excessive plastic packaging. However, as a student who lives 40mins away from campus, it is not an option to just ‘pop home’ for lunch. So, if I’ve forgotten to pack lunch, I’m not eating it. In these scenarios, reusable cutlery is useful always to have in your bag because you can then enjoy a cheap lunch without the single-use options.
Disclaimer: I do not profit from nor have been asked to put up any of these links; I am not affiliated with any of these companies. I just wanted to make it easier for people to access the products or tips mentioned :)