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Zero waste, i.e. the trend of living without producing waste, will also work if you want to improve your budget more than the environment and the future of the planet. Because living in zero waste will not only help the planet - it is also a great way to save quite a lot of money.
The literal translation ofzero wastemeans " no garbage ", but sometimes these words also translate as " no wasting". The zero waste idea is a response to the rubbish that floods us, which will be stored in landfills for the next several hundred years.
The zero waste lifestyle is about producing as little waste as possible during everyday activities. Contrary to appearances, it is not easy to live according to this idea - after all, it is enough to go shopping to find out that in many stores even individual vegetables are put in plastic packaging and usually it is impossible to buy something by weight without using plastic disposable containers. or handbags.
However, the rapidly growing group of supporters of the zero waste idea proves that life without waste is possible - and you can quickly get used to it, especially when we apply some clearly defined rules every day, and in addition we realize that Thanks to zero waste, a large sum is left in your wallet every month.
Zero waste: rules
The rules of living in the spirit of the zero waste idea really boil down to strict compliance with the so-called five rules - or in a broader version seven - R, which is:
- Refuse - refuse . Do not let too much unnecessary plastic and other waste appear in your home - do not accept advertising leaflets, do not use disposable packaging, do not agree to packaging purchases in the store in plastic disposables. When buying essential household items, try to choose those that are biodegradable (e.g. wooden, not plastic toothbrushes).
- Reduce - limit.Try to lead a relatively minimalist life - don't buy what you don't need, but only what is really necessary.
- Reuse - reuse.Reuse what you can - even items that seem to be able to"to throw away", with a little creativity it can be used again. An example can be, for example, an old pot, which, when painted, can serve as a decorative flower casing, or a glass olive bottle, which, after properly steaming, can be used as a bottle for homemade liqueurs.
- Recycle - segregate, remake, recycle.Sort garbage (paper can be recycled up to six times), and at home use what you don't need for what you might need - for example, from old trousers, curtains or unnecessary bedding, you can sew durable, reusable shopping bags.
- Rot - compost.Organic waste (e.g. peelings, leftover bread) can be easily transformed into home-made fertilizer for potted flowers, whether grown on a windowsill or in a herb garden. You can also put wooden toothbrushes into such a composter.
As the zero waste idea developed, two more rules were added to the 5R rules, namely:
- Repair - repair, instead of buying new ones.Damaged shoes to the shoemaker, clothes to the seamstress, broken household appliances repair at the service.
- Remember - rememberall the rules mentioned above and that your lifestyle has a tremendous impact on the environment.
Zero Waste without secrets - you will learn everything from the program Drogowskazy, hosted by Michał Poklękowski on Eski Rock. Hear how to fight waste, why you should buy used clothes or set up in the basement … a composter with earthworms. Can there be less waste without losing the comfort of our lives? The questions are answered by Sylwia Sikorska and Anna Komar, co-founders of the Polish Zero Waste Association. Listen:
Zero waste: how to use it every day?
The zero waste philosophy can also work when you want to repair your budget. By following the rules listed above, you can save quite a lot. A person who consciously chooses a zero waste life usually does not succumb to temptations, buys what is necessary and tries to use what he already has sparingly. It also focuses on the quality of products, which translates into a much longer period of use.
Below are some tips that will help you reduce waste and save money at the same time.
- Change bottled water to tap.Plastic mineral water bottles decompose in the landfill for several hundred years, and in addition, research has shown that bottled water can be contaminated with microplastics that have penetrated into the landfill. liquid directly from the package. An alternative is water fromtap that you can drink without fear. However, if you are concerned that where you live, its quality leaves much to be desired, you can always go to your local water station and find out if tap water is safe to drink even when it is not boiled. The game is worth the candle - drinking tap water. and not the one from the bottles, you can save PLN 50-100 every month.
- Go shopping with your own bag.A shopping bag is a small one-off expense - but if you buy it every day, you lose several dozen zlotys from your wallet every month. It is much cheaper - and more environmentally friendly - to use reusable fabric bags.
- Don't throw your food away.It's obvious that you should freeze or preserve soups or meat that you won't eat. But on the Internet you will also find a lot of ways to process seemingly unhelpful leftovers - for example, the leftover greens after adding a little onion and garlic can be used to cook a home-made stock (which will successfully replace a bouillon cube) and freeze in ice containers. In turn, the cooked soup vegetables can be grated on a grater, add an egg, onion, a little s alt and pepper to it, roll in breadcrumbs and fry delicious cutlets.
- Instead of throwing something into the trash, check if it cannot be sold.On the Internet you will find a lot of amateurs for books, old records, clothes, vintage furniture, you can also find amateurs many other everyday items - you just need to look for them (both on classifieds websites and on social media groups). But you can also sell things that seemingly have no value - bottles or beverage cans. Of course, you can put them in a glass or metal container, but you can also collect more and bring them to the purchase.
- Buy magazines in electronic version . Many of them cost less than in a kiosk and you can return to them many times.
- Buy coffee to go into your own cup . More and more cafes offer such a possibility, and in many of them it is then cheaper (sometimes even by half) than the one in a plastic cup.
- Buy your medications and food wisely.As various statistics show, they consume the largest part of the household budget. Therefore, before going shopping, write down what you want to buy and check if you have something at home - thanks to this, you will not buy anything that is unnecessary (and maybe it will expire before you have time to use the excess). A similar rule applies to medications: before visiting a doctor, check what medications you have, because they may contain the same active ingredient as the doctorwill rewrite.