Zero Waste Living

Find waste reduction tips below that you can incorporate around your home!

Compost your food scraps

Place a compost bin in your kitchen to collect food scraps as you cook and clean the countertop. Papers that have been soiled by food or liquid also go in there and will get composted and diverted from the landfill! To cut down on odor, use a smaller container so it gets taken out every day or store it in the freezer until taken out.

Beeswax wraps

Introducing reusable beeswax wraps, so you never have to use plastic cellophane, aluminum foil, or sealable plastic snack bags again! The wraps can cover plates, storage containers, or even wrap directly around an avocado! They self-seal by the heat from your hand, can be washed, reused, and composted once it no longer seals or sticks.

Reusable snack pouches

Packing a lunch on the go? Hiking and need a lightweight container for your trail mix? These handy pouches take up little space, are easy to carry, and are washable and reusable! Replacing disposable plastic zipper bags, these reusable snack pouches can be made out of silicone or fabric and reused many times.

Clean with cloth towels

Paper towels are unnecessary when there are alternatives to help cut out waste in your life. In the U.S., 13 billion pounds of paper towels are used each year, so switch to reusable cloth rags for cleaning and make a BIG difference. You can also repurpose old t-shirts, socks, and other cloth items to be used as cleaning cloths or mop pads!

Cleaners with concentrated tablet refills

Instead of purchasing bottles of liquid cleaner (and paying for water in those bottles), try concentrated cleaning tablets – simply add the tablets and water to your reusable bottle. These different concentrated tablet products can make foaming hand soap, laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, and glass cleaner. Look for products that don’t contain toxic ingredients or learn how to make your own non-toxic cleaners at home.

DIY non-toxic cleaners

Zero out packaging waste from cleaners in disposable bottles. Using low-cost natural ingredients, you can mix your own, save money, reduce toxics, and store them in reusable spray bottles or jars!

• All-purpose cleaner recipe
  

  1 tbsp. white vinegar + ½ tsp. borax + ½ tsp. baking soda + ½ tbsp. castile soap + 2 cups hot water
  
  Add the first four ingredients to spray bottle, then slowly add the hot water and shake until the dry ingredients are dissolved

• Scrubbing powder recipe

  ½ cup baking soda + ½ cup salt + ½ cup borax powder 

  Lightly wet surface with water or undiluted white vinegar (for really bad messes). Sprinkle powder on and let sit 5 minutes. Scrub with a sturdy brush until clean. Rinse with water or vinegar (for really bad messes)

Find waste reduction tips below that you can incorporate when you shop!

Reusable shopping bags

Make the switch to reusable shopping bags instead of disposable ones. In the US, we use around 100 billion disposable bags each year. Your acts do make a difference! Don’t just use them at the grocery store: take them to anywhere you shop like the hardware store, department store, coffee shop, or restaurants. Having a hard time remembering to bring them with you? Here’s a tip: keep a few in your car, work bag or in a stash next to the front door.

Buy from bulk bins

Waste generated from food packaging accounts for an alarming percentage of what goes to the landfill – according to the EPA, it is more than 23% in the U.S. Purchasing grains, coffee beans, pasta, and legumes from bulk bins and bringing your own reusable containers is one simple action that makes a BIG difference.

Purchase items with less packaging

Look for produce items that are sold without packaging like apples with no plastic bag, mushrooms that don’t have a clamshell, and oranges that don’t have a plastic net. Also, bring a reusable produce bag instead of putting them in disposable bags. While shopping, look for other types of products that use less packaging as well.

Purchase bulk-sized products

Decreasing the purchase of single serving items like coffee pods, six pack of yogurts, and assortment packed chip bags can add up to big waste savings over time. For example, choose the family size chip bag with reusable snack pouches instead of those assortment packs of single serving chip bags.

Find waste reduction tips below that you can incorporate at work!

Reusable travel mug

Make the switch from using disposable coffee and tea cups to reusable travel mugs. In the U.S., it’s estimated that we use 50 billion disposable coffee cups each year. Your acts do make a difference! Having a hard time remembering to bring a reusable mug with you? Here’s a tip: keep one in your car, on your desk, or in your work bag.

Buy in bulk breakroom supplies

Purchasing bulk coffee and condiment supplies in the breakroom makes a big difference. Choose paper coffee filters and bulk coffee grounds over coffee pods. Choose refillable jars of sugar, creamer, salt, and pepper instead of single serving size packets.

Reusable foodware in the breakroom

Replacing disposable single-use items like plates, cups, mugs, utensils, and stir sticks, with reusable ones reduces a lot of waste! More than 561 billion plastic disposable utensils are used each year in the U.S. Take a look in your breakroom and see how you can make a difference. Waste reduction could lead to smaller waste containers and a lower monthly bill.

Waste stations

Properly colored and labeled waste stations including Compost, Recycle, and Landfill containers are foundational to Zero Waste practices in your business. Make sure to have City approved signage to ensure your team is sorting properly. GreenWaste of Palo Alto offers free technical assistance to help your business succeed.

Find waste reduction tips below that you can incorporate in the garden!

Apply compost in your garden

Applying compost to your soil can improve water retention, soil structure, provide vital plant nutrients, and more. If you choose compost that is made from yard trimmings and food scraps, you are going one step further to put the carbon that was diverted from the landfill back into the ground! Palo Alto residents can pick up FREE garden-ready compost at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden.

Make your own compost

Have you ever considered making your own compost from yard trimmings and food scraps? You can reduce even more carbon emissions from transportation of these items by starting a backyard compost bin. We offer free classes to teach you, so sign up today!

Use clay pots

Clay pots better insulate the soil, which means less watering. Using non-plastic items in your garden such as clay pots or metal landscape edging means they can last longer, but also reduce the usage of petroleum-based products. Broken clay pots can be repurposed as landscape art or crushed into small pieces and placed in the bottom layer of soil to improve drainage.

Apply mulch in your landscape

The application of mulch can improve water retention and help prevent soil erosion. Mulch is produced from recycled wood materials like fallen or harvested trees, but they can also be made from recycled clean wood from construction projects! Consider using a recycled construction mulch like this to help close the loop.