I haven't been zero waste for long. I've only been actively participating for the past two months, but when I first started it was overwhelming. Even now I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I go to the grocery store. I try to stay away from plastic, but there's so much wrapped in it and I feel defeated.
However, that's not the whole point of zero waste I've come to realize slowly. Yes, I want to not use plastic, but that's almost close to impossible in today's world. The point for me and many others is to reduce your footprint on the earth. It's about trying as much as you can to avoid it.
Here's some simple but effective ways to feel less overwhelmed if you're just starting out:
When you go to the store, ALWAYS TAKE YOUR REUSABLE BAGS. I found a 100% cotton tote at Marshalls that has six pockets for my food and I love it. Don't stop there, buy some reusable produce bags as well. This alone is such a huge investment. Statistics say the average person will have saved 170 plastic bags or more by doing this in just a year!
Buy a reusable water bottle! This can save 167 water bottles from ending up in the landfill!
Glass floss container and silk floss: This can be worth 7 containers of plastic floss that won't end up in the landfill
1 bamboo toothbrush: Up to 4 plastic toothbrushes! Careful how you buy them, a lot of stuff is greenwashed and is still wrapped in plastic even though its an "eco-friendly toothbrush".
1 metal straw saves 500+ plastic straws!
Reusable towels: up to 7,300 paper towels!
Just these small changes alone will make such a difference in our world. Remember, even if it feels small it's a huge step for us all to reduce the waste.
