The Zero Waste subreddit is filled with great ideas and inspiration for people looking to do their part to save the planet. And while the phrase “zero waste” can seem daunting to a lot of people, as most of us are used to creating trash every single day, it does not need to be taken literally. The goal would be no waste at all, but the world we live in is just not set up that way. Every reduction in waste counts, and it takes time to adapt to a minimal waste lifestyle. 

As the Zero Waste subreddit explains in their description, “Being ‘zero waste’ means that we adopt steps towards reducing personal waste and minimizing our environmental impact. Our community places a major focus on the 5 R's: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. We practice this by reducing consumption, choosing reusable goods, recycling, composting, and helping each other improve. We also recognize excess CO₂, other GHG emissions, and general resource usage as waste.” 

We reached out to rocket scientist, author, and zero waste advocate Dr. Anita Vandyke to gain some insight from an expert about going zero waste. First, we wanted to hear how Anita initially became interested in reducing her waste. "My zero waste lifestyle started when I was 26 years old and was going through a 'quarter-life' crisis," Anita shared. "I had climbed up the corporate ladder and was a successful Engineering Manager, however despite the monetary success I was not truly happy. I was stagnating in my personal growth and I realised I needed to align to my core values. I turned towards minimalism and zero waste living from people such as The Minimalists and Bea Johnson from Zero Waste Home."

We also asked Anita what benefits she has seen from living a zero waste lifestyle. "I started my Instagram account as just a visual diary of the changes I was making to transition towards a zero waste life," she told Bored Panda. "I was struck by the damage that plastic pollution was having in our oceans and I felt overwhelmed with scary climate change statistics. The easiest place was to start with my home, by starting small, I finally felt in control of these seemingly ‘out-of-control’ issues."

Anita also shared her top three tips for getting started in reducing your consumption. "Replace your disposables with reusables - items such as paper napkins, plastic grocery bags, disposable coffee cups can be replaced with cloth napkins, reusable cloth grocery bags and Keep Cups (reusable coffee cups)."

"Make secondhand your first choice - whenever you need to buy something, try to see if you can buy it secondhand first," Anita suggested. "Look at designer consignment stores, try eBay, get a tailor to alter your clothes - make a good effort to try to buy secondhand before buying new."

Lastly, Anita says to, "Head outside! - head outdoors and enjoy doing activities such as hiking, swimming or simply just sitting still and being with nature. By enjoying the the outdoors and seeing how amazing Mother Nature is, I have come to appreciate that every step (no matter how small) is important in helping our planet."

Finally, Anita shared, "I think the biggest challenge is the same challenge that everyone faces in business – how do we balance profits with people and planet. It’s hard to balance the financial realities with our moral obligations. We need to educate people so we can leave a better planet for future generations. There is no planet B."

If you'd like more words of wisdom from Anita, want to check out her blog, or are interested in purchasing her book, be sure to visit her website right here.

As with any lifestyle change, going zero waste can take a bit of time and energy and feel overwhelming at first. Like learning a new language or starting a workout routine for the first time, there will be a learning curve. It is hard to break habits, and it will take time to figure out the best way to grocery shop, commute to work, begin composting and buy new (or new to you) clothes and furniture when something needs to be replaced. But desperate times call for desperate measures. The planet is warming at alarming rates, and we cannot keep up these levels of mindless consumption. Changes must be made.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American creates about 4.4 pounds of trash a day, or over 1,600 pounds of garbage per year. With most of this waste ending up in landfills, the environment starts to see devastating effects. These landfills that are becoming larger and larger produce greenhouse gasses, particularly carbon dioxide, that dangerously accelerate global warming. In fact, the EPA estimates that 14% of all methane caused by humans is coming from landfills. If there are lifestyle changes we can make to limit the harmful impacts of landfills, why wouldn’t we make them?  

We have already seen various devastating impacts of the excessive consumption humans participate in, including climate change and increased natural disasters, but one of the most upsetting is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This patch is a collection of litter that has found its way into the ocean and gathered together in the North Pacific Ocean. It contains a few areas of spinning debris that are all connected by the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, which acts like a highway that moves trash from one patch to another.

It is difficult to estimate the size of the patch, but a 2018 report guessed that it had reached about 1.6 million kilometers squared. To put those numbers into perspective, that is about the size of Iran, or twice the size of Texas, The World Counts explains on their website. The patch has accumulated a frightening amount of waste, mainly consisting of fishing nets, plastic bottles and caps and plastic bags. Even more concerning, due to our rapid pollution, the world’s oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish by 2050. If these harrowing facts do not make you understand why a person would want to be zero waste, I’m not sure what will.       

If you still aren’t sold on why we should all be working hard to reduce our environmental impact, I’ll outline some of the potential benefits for you. Even if you don’t care about the planet, you probably do care about saving money right? Well, in making an effort to go zero waste, you are likely to cut down on your spending as well. If you only buy products when you need them and you make a point to shop exclusively second hand, you will probably find some great deals. Ignore the capitalist brainwashing that “retail therapy” is the way to solve your problems and that you need to purchase the newest, shiniest thing to keep up with the trends. As many zero waste experts will tell you, we need a lot less than big companies would like for us to believe. And the less you buy, the less you will desire. That’s extra money left in your pocket. 

The less we buy, the less clutter we have as well. Becoming zero waste or minimalist will make it easier to value the things that you do hold onto or purchase because they will become more special. You can shrink your wardrobe into essential basics, making it a lot easier to decide what to wear in the morning, and moving becomes less of a daunting task when you don’t have many things taking up space in your home. It can also help you build a community around you if you make an effort to borrow items you need from friends and neighbors rather than purchasing a new kitchen tool every time you try a new recipe. How often does a cheese grater really get used? Your neighbor might have one sitting in their cupboard that would be thrilled to have a night out, and you can return it the next day with a slice of that lasagna you were making. 

Going zero waste is likely to make you healthier as well. It’s hard to purchase processed foods without getting some plastic or cardboard with them, so you will have to start cooking from scratch more often. Using fresh ingredients means you know exactly what is going into your food, so along with the minimal waste, you also eliminate many chemicals, preservatives and artificial flavors that end up in pre-made foods. And when it comes to commuting to work, most zero-wasters don’t want to drive a car that’s unnecessarily polluting the planet. If you live within walking or biking distance of your job, you can use one of those zero-impact methods to get to the office and add some built-in exercise to your day. Even if those are not options for you, taking a bus or train usually includes a bit of a walk and definitely pollutes the environment less than driving a car with no other passengers.

So you’re ready to make some lifestyle changes, but you just are not sure where to start. Have no fear, there are plenty of resources online that can provide you with tips and tricks to become zero waste (or as close as possible for you) without having to make the same mistakes as others before you. According to Kathryn Kellogg, the woman behind the Going Zero Waste blog, step one is gaining an awareness for how much waste you create. Start to notice all of the single-use items you throw away without even realizing, and begin making mental notes of how you can replace them or eliminate them completely. Step two is working to phase them out. Don’t jump the gun and start buying a bunch of new multi-use products right away, just work through what you already have until you run out, and then see where to go from there.  

Next, Kathryn recommends making simple swaps. If you can purchase a reusable alternative to single-use items, check the second-hand market first or do a little research online to see if you have an alternative option available already. “Don’t buy something immediately. Take some time and think about it so you make the best purchase possible,” Kathryn notes. Step four is patience. Fight the urge to start purging immediately, and don’t try to cut out waste cold turkey. Sustainable changes take time, and there is no point in wasting things you already have to replace them. That sort of defeats the purpose...

Kathryn’s next tip is to find better solutions. Once you have adapted to reducing waste as much as you can, take a look at what you’re still throwing out. Can it be composted? Is there a way that any non-recyclables you’re purchasing can be replaced with recyclable alternatives? Kathryn provides the example of how she began making her own tortillas to minimize waste, but the process was just too labor-intensive. So she started thinking outside the box and learned that she could purchase 20 tortillas for $2 from a local tortilleria that will allow her to bring and fill up her own bag. She found an affordable and smart solution that was much easier than taking on the burden of making her own tortillas all the time.  

We hope this list is inspiring you to start making small changes to reduce your impact on the planet. Whether you had never heard of zero waste living until today or you haven't purchased any single use plastic in months, it's always great to have a reminder of why the planet needs our help. Keep upvoting the pics that inspire you to show a little more love to Mother Earth, and then let us know in the comments what your favorite eco-friendly tip is. And if you want to check out Bored Panda's last article on the Zero Waste subreddit, you can find it right here.