It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the world was a much better place a few decades ago. We still had clean water to drink, the animals were not endangered, we could breathe without worrying about dying of asphyxiation, the list goes on. It’s astonishing to think that ours is the first generation to experience the full impact of climate change. We are also the last generation that will be able to do something about it. The choice is ours. Do we want to do something to make the planet better? Do we want to be more sustainable? 

One of the necessary steps we need to take is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the landfills (and remains there for decades!)

I have been following a low impact lifestyle for a while now and here are my top ten ten tips to reduce the trash we generate. 

1. Look through your trash. No really. 

When we want to know where we are going wrong, we need to comb through our mistakes. The first thing to do when we are looking to reduce our waste is to go through our garbage and see what are the things we are throwing away and what is that one top thing that is contributing to too much waste. When we come to know what that is then find out we can find eco-friendly alternatives to that one product. For me, that one top thing was milk cartons and when I went vegan, that was completely eliminated from my trash can.

2. Always carry a reusable water bottle with you          

A million plastic bottles are made every minute which rounds to about 1.5 billion bottles per day. It is creating so much waste every single minute. The best thing you could possibly ever do is to completely stop drinking any drinks that come packaged in plastic and carry a reusable bottle with you at all times. 

3. Always carry a cloth tote bag with you 

We don’t know when we might have to go grocery shopping. We might suddenly remember that we need something or need to shop for something . So instead of taking plastic bags at the store, always carry your own reusable tote bag with you. 

4. Take your own to-go thermos

If you are a coffee or a tea person and love going to cafes for your drink everyday, carry your own thermos or to-go cup which is reusable with you. This makes a huge difference. Also, by the way, this looks so much more cute than the boring single use cups they give you!

5. No. Straws 

Quit using plastic or paper straws. Instead, invest in a few metal / bamboo / silicone / glass reusable straws. I just cannot stress this enough. YOU DO NOT NEED STRAWS !!!! But if you’re like me and have retainers / braces and you don't wanna hurt your teeth then go ahead and invest in some reusable straws and carry them everywhere.

6. Give minimalism a try 

Minimalism helps us to not just get a clutter-free space, but also a clutter-free mind. It makes you stress-free . It is an awesome tool to reduce your waste because when you don’t buy too many things, you don’t make too much waste.

7. Start your low waste journey in your bathroom

Our bathrooms hold so many products that we use on a daily basis. Let me tell you a secret …. YOU DO NOT NEED SO MANY PRODUCTS TO FEEL / LOOK GOOD. Stop using all the commercial drugstore products like shampoos, conditioners, body washes, body scrubs, face cleansers, face exfoliators, serums, toners, creams, lotions, perfumes, deodorants, the list just goes on! You don’t need them. Here are the seven things I have in my bathroom: 

1. Toothbrush 

2. Tongue scraper 

3. Toothpaste

4. Shampoo 

5. Homemade bath powder

6. Aloe gel

7. Almond oil 

Yeah! Those are the only things I have in my bathroom and the only things I use on my hair and body. 

8. Invest in an e-reader

If you read a lot of books like I do, try to invest in an e-reader so that you don’t create so much physical waste . 

9. Buy Less

Do not fall into the cycle of purchasing everything you want. There is a huge difference between want and need . Give yourself 24 hours to think before you buy ANYTHING !!

10. Don’t stress about it too much.

Yep. That is my last tip . Don’t stress about making no waste at all. Do not stress about it when you do something you shouldn’t have. Let it go. Practice mindfulness in every aspect of life and you will definitely become who you want to be .