Low Waste Living: 11 Less Waste Hacks To Simplify Sustainability

Many of us have become familiar with the five Rs of zero waste—refuse, reduce, reuse, recycled, and rot—and while the low waste approach recognizes another R (reality), we can still use the original five to help us produce less waste.

If it helps, you can think of it as a less waste lifestyle and by adopting one (or more) low waste living hacks you can dial down your impact in simple, digestible ways—without all the pressure of containing all your trash to a mason jar.

Ultimately, more people choosing a lower waste life is better than a few people living zero waste and everyone else being too overwhelmed to try.

If we think of it as a spectrum, zero waste is intended to be, well… zero. Low waste is up to interpretation, making it more attainable for those of us who don’t have the time or resources to learn how to sew our own clothes or stop at three different bulk shops every week.

Low waste living means that you make changes to your lifestyle where they are possible and sustainable for you to maintain personally, without placing yourself under the pressure of perfectionism.

The impossibility of zero waste can be remedied by the approachability of low waste. Not only is it more approachable, but it corrects for some of the failures brought on by the zero waste movement. Consider this:

• There’s a significant barrier to entry for zero waste. It relies on shops and services that are typically only accessible in more affluent, urban areas. It also requires participants to devote a lot of time, and often money, to making ultra sustainable swaps, and being aware of what swaps are needed in the first place.
• Reusable products often lead to more consumption. Selling zero waste goods has become a big business. People might be persuaded to buy a zero waste item when it wasn’t something they actually needed, making it, um… not zero waste?
• Low waste is more attainable, and less exclusionary. It’s no secret that the environmental movement has some inclusion issues. Low waste is more inclusive of everyone who wants to participate, to whatever degree they can or want.

This is the bread and butter of a low waste society.

There are many zero waste books that highlight the why and how of minimalism, but essentially it comes down to this: only consume what you really, really, really need. Instead of making impulse purchases, take a slower approach to your consumption. Wait a week, a month, or a year and if you still need something, find a way to source it sustainably.

You’ll end up with less stuff and your life will be richer for it.

In addition to aiming for low waste packaging, you can also up your recycling game. Because even though it’s the last priority solution of the 5 Rs, that doesn’t mean that recycling still doesn’t have a place in the world—especially a plastic-saturated one like ours.

This starts with realizing that you may be someone who practices wishcycling, or aspirational recycling – the mere hope that anything and everything can be recycled. Improper recycling means that even more resources are required to transport non-recyclables to landfills (read: much worse than just trashing it in the first place).

It’s hard to be perfect, but being familiar with the seven types of plastic is a good place to start becoming a pro-recycler.

The good news is that recycling contamination is increasingly being recognized as a big problem. The EPA, for example, has outlined how they plan to improve education and support in the U.S. as part of their National Recycling Strategy.

By reducing the amount of food waste that gets sent to the landfill (estimated by the EPA to be 21.6% of all solid waste), we’re not only reducing the load on ever-expanding landfills, but we’re also minimizing emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that’s 25x more potent than CO2.

Fortunately, compostinghas the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of food waste while creating a valuable resource for your garden—and it can be done regardless of where you live thanks to indoor compost bin innovation.

Start by learning about what you can compost, as well as what you can’t and get right to rotting!

Low waste swaps don’t have to be complex or costly. If you’re dipping your toes into a minimal waste life, consider these easy zero waste swaps:

• Reusable water bottles
• Reusable shopping bags
• Reusable coffee cups

Other items in your zero waste kit might include a bamboo toothbrush, reusable utensils, and food storage containers (many of which can come in the form of upcycled glass food jars).

We spent a lot of our lives in the kitchen, so it’s only natural that a lower waste lifestyle considers this, and you can do so in regards to both food and packaging.

With a little planning ahead and mindful shopping, you can ensure that everything you buy gets prepared and eaten without ending up in the trash. Bulk cooking a recipe and then freezing portions for later (the perfect intro into food preservation techniques), as well as eating some leftovers for lunch the next day, are some of the most effective ways of doing this.

Targeting packaging can start with those upcycled glass jars we just mentioned. But it can go much further by using a range of plastic-free food storage containers. You may also like to take a look at how often you’re relying on single servings and individually-wrapped snacks and opt to start buying those in compostable wrappers.

Better yet, stock snacks from bulk bins in your local grocery stores. (Hint: Many of these are actually the same favorites you can buy in bags and boxes, like Nature’s Path granola).

Low waste grocery shopping has become much easier in recent years with low waste and bulk stores popping up all around the globe, offering a range of beauty and body care products, food, kitchen and cleaning essentials. If they haven’t made it to your part of the world yet, zero waste online shops and online bulk stores can help you get the products you love without all the packaging.

If that’s still not an option, consider buying as large a package as possible, or opt for easily recyclable/reusable packaging (like glass and cardboard).

If you aren’t ready to try “no poo” or ditch deodorant, don’t worry; minimal waste living can still make use of some of your favorite beauty products.

First, choose options with packaging that can ideally be returned, composted, or at the very least recycled (plastic #1 and #2). As a good rule of thumb, bars are better than bottles.

Be aware that many Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) can’t accept most beauty product packaging as it’s small enough to get caught in machines or is made with mixed materials. A Real Simple article highlighted many of the beauty products that aren’t recyclable:

• Shampoo and conditioner caps
• Hair gel tubes and caps
• Triggers for hair spray cans
• Lipstick and lip gloss cases and tubes
• Mascara and eyeshadow tubes and cases
• Bronzer, foundation, powder, and eyeshadow packaging
• Eyeliner and lip liner pencils
• Body wash caps
• Lotion dispensers and caps
• Soap dispensers and tubes

Fortunately, many eco-friendly bathroom products can now be found in compostable or refillable packaging instead, making it easy to find things like low waste skincare, low waste toothpaste, low waste shampoo, and low waste deodorant.

Zero waste cleaning is much easier than you might think. In fact, most of your kitchen and bathroom dirt and grime can be tackled with a few simple ingredients: white vinegar, baking soda and citrus peels for scent. Just steep the peels in vinegar for a few weeks, dilute by half with water, then spray on surfaces. Baking soda can be sprinkled on the surface first if it’s extra grimey.

Old t-shirts make for excellent scrubbers, too, but if you don’t have any, invest in compostable scrubbies like those made of coconut coir or natural loofahs.

If you don’t want to go the DIY route, there are several eco-friendly cleaning products that make use of compostable packaging and refilling the norm, providing options for things like low waste dish soap, and low waste laundry detergent.

Low waste fashion entails taking a slow fashion approach to what’s in your wardrobe. It means, as consumers, we should shift away from the industry’s urges to consume, consume, consume, and instead make what we currently wear last longer.

Try sourcing as much as you can secondhand, prioritizing durability, and using appropriate laundry practices and repairs to keep clothes in circulation for longer.

When new duds are necessary, a mindful approach to fashion can also mean supporting brands who employ low waste practices. Like using deadstock or fabric waste, small-scale production, and circular programs for recycling old garments.

If you love experimenting and having new looks to try, consider a clothing rental service like Nuuly. That way, you can have an almost limitless closet at your disposal without actually consuming a thing.

Compared to many of these other areas, tech is tough to reconcile with your minimal waste lifestyle goals. Between planned obsolescence, the constant release of “new and improved” models, and the lack of tech recycling infrastructure, the technology and electronics industry is notoriously wasteful.

As the fastest growing solid waste stream in the U.S., it is more important than ever that we use electronic devices for their full lifespan and choose secondhand or refurbished options when they really need replacing.

When it comes to low waste products that satisfy the needs of our tech-driven world, a small but growing number of sustainable electronics brands have started using better quality materials that last longer.

Regardless, even the most sustainable devices arae bound to break or become outdated at some point, so it’s equally important that we know how to dispose of electronics correctly. If they’re working, thrift stores may take them, and if not,try a speciality mail-in recycling service. Many communities also have e-waste collection sites, but since they often contain heavy metals that are toxic to the environment and to people handling them, they need to be disposed of carefully. Check the legislation for your region before disposing of any electronic devices locally.

There’s no sweeping the issue of furniture waste under the rug. It’s a big problem, with Americans throwing away an average of 12 million tons of furniture every year, almost all of it ending up in landfills.

Less is more when it comes to a low waste home. This means showing some restraint when the interior designer in you wants to make constant changes. It also means repairing and updating old furniture instead of purchasing something new.

When you do need furniture or home decor pieces, secondhand options should be the first choice. If second hand isn’t an option, look to sustainable furniture brands that, in some cases, use upcycled materials or have recycling programs available.

Similarly, vintage home decor brands can provide maximum style with minimum impact.