With the climate crisis that we have been witnessing lately, most of us feel the urge to do something about it and make our contribution to mitigate the consequences of human activity. Today’s post is an introduction for those who are interested in lowering their footprint but that have no idea where to start.
The key to live a zero waste lifestyle and therefore helping the planet, the animals and humans all over the world, is to follow the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Reduce means stop buying unnecessary stuff. That way we cut the amount of waste we generate. Reuse refers to finding more than one use to the stuff we have so we don’t have to throw it away. For example, reusing plastic bottles we might have or plastic bags. Finally, recycling means to deposit each material in the container it belongs in order to be remade and used again to make new products.
In Chill, it’s vegan, we take very seriously our impact on the planet and therefore we make decisions accordingly. Zero waste for us means using glass jars in 80% of our products, steering clear of unnecessary plastic packaging, encouraging our customers to give back the mason jars so we can reuse them, using minimalistic product design and labeling, delivering our products on our electric bike, and meticulously planning our batches to avoid food waste.
If you would like to start living more aligned with your values and make a positive impact for the planet and also for yourself, here are five easy swaps you can start with.
1. Get a reusable bottle
This might seem very obvious, but it has a huge impact. If you don’t own a reusable bottle, purchase one. Besides saving lots of money, you will also reduce the amount of plastic bottles that end up in our oceans. Carry it always with you, refill it wherever you can, and avoid buying plastic bottles.
In addition to a reusable bottle you should also consider switching to reusable straws and a takeaway coffee cup. Most coffee shops will actually give you small discount if you have your own cup with you instead of asking for a plastic cup.
2. Get a tote bag
As the previous point, instead of purchasing a plastic bag every time you buy something, always carry a tote bag with you. They fit everywhere and with that small decision you are avoiding to purchase single use plastic bags. If you don’t own one or need more, have a look at our tote bags here, where 15% of every tote bag we sell will be donated to Norun Haugen – for dyrene.
3. Carry your food on food containers
When carrying food with you, use food containers and avoid disposable bags and plastic wrapping. If you prefer cloth wraps for sandwiches, fruit or leftovers, you can purchase them in stores like Røtter, online, or for those who dare, you can follow this step-by-step tutorial to do it yourself.
4. Buy dry soap
When you run out of soap, instead of buying soap in plastic bottles, purchase dry soap. This is plastic free, generates zero waste, and they last very long. There are several natural brands to choose from, alternatively you can check out your local markets where you can support small businesses that make these.
5. Donate, sell and buy second hand clothes
The textile industry is one of the most pollutants releasing industries in the world. Surveys show that nearly 5% of all landfill space is consumed by textile waste. Besides, 20% of all freshwater pollution is made by textile treatment and dyeing.
To do your bit, instead of consuming fast fashion, join the slow fashion movement. When you want to get rid of your clothes, sell, donate to Fretex or exchange them with someone else. When you want to buy new clothes, have a look at apps like Tise, Finn.no or stores like Uff Vintage, Fretex or similar to buy second-hand clothes.
Lastly, try joining a zero waste community. There are several zero waste groups on Facebook and other social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest where you can ask for specific tips, share your experience and inspire and get inspired by other like-minded people.
Let us know through Social Media if you already do one of these actions to reduce your footprint on the planet and if you are willing to try to incorporate some of the ones we mentioned. We would love to hear from you!