the one with 5 zero waste swaps

Though going "zero waste" means incorporating clothe diapers when we have kids, there's quite a few easy swaps you can make that will actually save you a lot of money.

This whole sustainable living thing, aside from saving money and applying better stewardship of the environment, it's also kind of game to me. I feel like it's a challenge and forces me to be creative/think on my toes.

1. Reusable coffee mug + water bottle

Maybe this has just been me (more so before living in Germany), where that Starbucks cup in hand with its green straw just makes you so happy. It feels like the cherry on top of your day.

This is why I strongly recommend investing in a water bottle, tumbler or mason jar (if you're into iced beverages), + coffee mug that are going to strike that same feeling in you. This will help you be more motivated to bring your own cup.

In addition to decreasing your waste the next time you make a coffee run, most coffee shops will also give you a discount on your beverage.

I have an exorbitant amount of to-go coffee mugs, including my newest one from Isaac that he had engraved. It says, "You're a quarter of century old and just keep getting prettier." He surprised me with this early birthday present after work one day this week, and "he killed it" (his words) for sure.

2. Glass straws

I drink coffee out of straw every day to help keep my teeth white, so this investment made a lot of sense for me.

And I say "investment," but you can purchase a set of 10 straws off of Amazon for less than $9. Many of these straw sets come with little bags so you can keep them in your purse, and easily use them when you go out to eat or to your favorite coffee shop. I keep some in my purse and some in our utensil drawer. I definitely recommend using glass for your coffee. Being a bit of a coffee snob, I feel the metal straws affect the taste of coffee.

Glass straws:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HCBJ4CW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

3. Reusable produce + grocery bags

I think one of the first things that blew my mind when I started researching zero waste, was the face that 2 million single-use bags are distributed every minute. A plastic bag has an average working life of 15 minutes, and doesn't biodegrade.

I think that reusable grocery bags have pretty well caught on in the past few years. Personally, living on the 4th floor, I depend on them to get the most out of my trips up the stairs on grocery day.

However, produce bags. What a waste! We use these little plastic bags to transport our fruits + veggies to our house, and then we throw them away? Buying produce bags has been one of my favorite investments so far. Even Isaac enjoys finding different things we can buy package free and put into our bags. I spent $25 on a set of 7 washable bags off of Amazon.

Washable produce bags:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FB6T1LB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4. Shop second hand + quit fast fashion brands

Quitting fast fashion is a big part of sustainable living.

- Second to oil, the clothing and textile industry is the largest polluter in the world.

- Nearly 20% of global waste water is produced by the fashion industry.

- Cotton farming is responsible for 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides.

- The US is the largest importer of garments in the world; nearly 40% of apparel products sold in the US are imported from China.

- Up to 95% of the textiles that are land filled each year could be recycled.

- 20,000 liters is the amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of cotton; equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans.

This is why shopping second hand is the most sustainable option. It's also really fun to go "on the hunt" for some great pieces, and I've already found some high-value items that I paid next to nothing for.

5. Diva Cup

Alright, if you're sick of me singing the praises about my menstrual cup, I'm not sorry.

I didn't start using the Diva Cup because of zero waste. I started using it because my mother introduced me to it as a more natural alternative to tampons. Did you know that there are many harmful chemicals found in tampons? And we put them into one of the most absorbent parts of our bodies?

I loved the Diva Cup before zero waste was in my life, for the fact that it saves a ton of money. It paid for itself in 2 months. I also loved it because it works so much better than tampons (if you want more details about why, message me). Now I love it because it reduces so much of my waste. Tampons, pads and panty liners along with their packaging and individual wrapping generate more than 400,000,000lbs of waste per year!

Diva cup:

https://www.amazon.com/DivaCup-Model-1-Menstrual-Cup/dp/B000FAG6X0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+diva+cup&qid=1564138407&s=gateway&sr=8-3

There are definitely more swaps that we have already made, and more we plan to make in the future.

Let me know if you try any of these, and I'll be sure to share more zero-waste swaps soon.

"We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."