This is part 2 of the post about advanced zero waste alternatives, which will be focused more on actions and longer-term commitments. These are more advanced zero waste tips if you want to go deeper towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
Part 1 here, in case you missed it.
Advanced zero waste tips that make your home more sustainable
Sustainable electricity: reduce and swap providers
Energy use can be addressed with some simple actions, but then some others are more complicated and expensive. A straightforward swap would be switching to an electricity provider that uses 100% renewable power (like solar or wind).
Other things that help save power in your home:
- reducing or eliminating air-conditioning (if you have it)
- LED-bulbs
- energy-efficient household appliances (repairing my still be better though, depending on what you have)
- double-pane windows (or a cheaper version: insulating your windows and doors)
- efficient heating
- improving insulation
- tank-less water heater
Saving water solutions
There is the obvious tip of not letting the water run when you aren’t actively using it and opening the tap more or less works too. There are also other ways of saving water, that will make it automatic.
The cheapest thing to do is to buy a set of silicone rings to insert in your tap. It physically limits the water flow, no matter what your general water pressure is. We installed it on taps where we don’t really need (or want to) change water pressure.
The next swap is a customizable shower head that can regulate the amount of water at any time.
Water-saving taps kitchen and bathroom taps are also really cool. They aerate the water as it’s flowing out, so it still feels quite luxurious. Chances are you are already using them if you live in a newer apartment.
Advanced zero waste tips for your wallet
Is there such a thing as a sustainable bank?
A couple of years ago, I didn’t really know exactly how banks work. Though the ins and outs are more complex, essentially they invest our money into the market. Most banks support and invest in the development of fossil fuels, plastic production, weapons… There are a couple that supports socially responsible companies, and they do not necessarily cost more than a classic bank.
Some are even some B-Corp Certified banks. Find the directories per country here.
You can apply the same principles to personal investments, insurance, savings, pension plans… Even if you can’t find an investment firm that is sustainable, you can ask them to adapt your portfolio.
Phone contracts
I’m still searching for a more sustainable mobile phone contract, that does a bit more than plant a tree when someone signs a contract with them. Most of the phone-related waste comes from production, so buying refurbished is a more environmental-friendly option.
Action-based advanced tips
Reducing waste with digital minimalism
Swap to Ecosia
You can swap your search engines like Google Chrome or Mozilla to Ecosia. You can donate the point you collect to a charity of your choice (the selection is huge).
Maintenance
Check your storage: delete old files you do not need. It takes space and energy to keep all of that. Especially if you’re still holding on to old movies, that you can now just stream.
Do regular maintenance on your PC and keep it dust-free.
Reduce the number of ads online and in your inbox
I unsubscribed from newsletters with pushy or overly promotional content. If I like the brand and want to re-buy, I will likely remember the name, but I do not want to see “YOU NEED THIS” in my email every day.
I also choose to have an ad block on my browsers and support blogs I read by purposefully buying via their affiliate links. There’s tons of work that goes into making high-quality content and the real authors should be paid (Google ads don’t really pay much on smaller blogs).
How you travel
Everything about how we do travel is ultimately unsustainable. I’m not strictly talking about flying (most aviation-related carbon footprint is caused by frequent business travel). Cruises and resort travel are the most unsustainable and polluting forms of travel. To read more about it, go to Mindful Feet’s library on responsible travel.
Engaging in a bit of zero waste activism
You can email companies you buy from(I a writing a couple of templates). It’s great to vote with your money, but it’s even better to tell the producers WHY. I sometimes email brands that are clearly greenwashing.
My logic is, that companies don’t really know why we stopped buying from them, or think they will get away with greenwashing until enough voices tell them no. I had some interesting conversations with companies this way too.
Buying online with less plastic
Asking for zero waste/plastic-free packaging when ordering online. Amazon has made a switch in my country, so I can in theory choose sustainable vs. non-sustainable packaging and they have added ship all my items in 1 package option. Even when this isn’t an option, I write a short sentence or two asking for no plastic in the “other comment” section when available.
Talking to people about waste
Have you heard of Climate Collage? It’s free workshop, explaining the issues of climate change, causes, and consequences in an interactive and understandable way.
They also train new instructors, if you want to participate this way. *The original workshop is free, though I have seen some people charging for it.
Related: How I got my partner to join in on the zero waste
Other ideas to get active are also:
- participating in workshops
- starting a community garden
- run (or join) local FB groups
- get your workplace or municipality involved (Zero Waste Europe is a great official resource)
- start a blog
- join or organize a clean up (!always with a brand audit)
Incorporating minimalism
Minimalism can go hand in hand with zero waste and sustainable living if this is your jam. Some people really enjoy having less stuff and they find it freeing. For some, it is too strict and can provoke insecurities, feelings of lack, and resentment. Find what you are comfortable with. In any case, I find philosophy of minimalism helpful with my mindset, though I feel no need for extremes.
Stop junk mail in the mailbox
You can put stickers on your physical mailbox asking for no junk mail/promo material. If that fails, you can maybe cancel it at your designated post office.
This concludes the advanced zero waste tips list for now. Have any others? Let me know in the comments below.
