Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate or other affiliate program participant, I earn from qualifying purchases. Mabon House only features products that I believe in and use myself. Thank you!

Sustainability and Low Waste (AKA Zero Waste) are definitely having a moment right now, and for good reason. Climate change and impacts of our consumer driven economy have never been more apparent. But going green and purchasing environmentally friendly products can feel overwhelming and expensive. And thanks to savvy marketing and the influencer culture, there is even more pressure to buy all the pretty things labeled zero waste, such as bamboo cutlery or glass storage containers with matching wood tops.

But is this really necessary? When did our pantries go from utility and function to curated and matchy-match?

Download the free Practical Sustainability Printables

So, in the spirit of keeping it real, here are 10 ways that I practice sustainability and low waste living in my everyday life.

I skip single use items like paper plates, plasticware, and plastic bags. For years our family would use paper plates and paper napkins for any kind of gathering, such as birthday parties or summer barbeques. Since it was only a few times a year, I never thought much about it. Today, if I am hosting a gathering at my home I use my regular dishes and flatware, or break out my nicer china (which is either gifted or purchased from a thrift store). Even if it’s a BBQ or other informal outdoor gathering, I still skip buying paper plates and plastic knives and forks.

Fun fact: Maine (where I live) actually passed a new law that bans single use shopping bags, so now EVERYONE needs to bring their own reusable bags to any store.
I Phased Out Plastic Food Wrap and Containers. I’ve come to realize that not every item I put in the refrigerator needs to be wrapped in airtight plastic - despite what food wrap advertising tells us. As an alternative I use wax cloth wraps like these ones. I have used the same waxed cloths for a couple of years now, and they have held up like new.
Another alternative to plastic food storage is simply putting plate on top of a bowl as a cover. Or I just don’t don’t cover the food at all. This in particular has helped me avoid food spoilage, since leftovers aren’t hidden away in tidy containers that eventually end up forgotten at the back of the fridge. Instead, they are front and center and hard to miss.
I LOVE Composting. Despite the fact that I am a terrible gardener, I love to compost. I compost organic material like vegetable and fruit peelings, certain papers and cardboard, eggshells, leaves and grass clippings and even dryer lint! My kids recently bought me a new composting bin for Mother’s Day, which I am so excited about! I have composted for years, but always in an open air pile at the edge of the yard. My new bin will make it easier to compost in the winter and won’t attract pests, the way my open air pile did. If you don’t have a yard to compost, you can try making your own out of a rubbermaid bin.
I use Low Waste Laundry Options. I feel like out of all my household activities, laundry has been the hardest to make more sustainable. Raising teenagers who played sports meant a lot of smelly laundry over the years, which required copious amounts of hot water and detergent. Since my laundry size is now a lot smaller, I’ve stopped using liquid detergent and have been trying out detergent sheets, which come in compostable packaging. These sheets are about $15 for a load of 64, so slightly more than traditional detergent. While I am not entirely convinced they would work well for all levels of odor and stains, they do well enough for light loads. I also use a clothesline in the warmer months, rather than my dryer. And lastly I’ve stopped washing my clothes so much. For outer clothing like jeans, sweaters, even tops, I do a sniff test and if the item passes and has no noticeable stains, I just hang it back up or leave it outside overnight to air.
I Drink Tap Water. I realize that not all tap water is created equal. I am fortunate to live in an area with an abundant source of fresh groundwater, so I don’t need bottled water or a filtration system. When I’m feeling fancy I will add some fresh strawberries or cucumbers to a jar of water and let it steep in the fridge for a couple of hours. This is a free, refreshing drink perfect for summer weather. If your tap water isn’t great, you could try using a Brita filter system. While not exactly low waste, they are ab affordable and friendlier alternative to single use bottled water.
I Cook Less Food. I’ve raised four kids and am used to cooking for a crowd. It has taken some practice, but I have finally mastered cooking for 1 or 2 people at a time. This has been a game changer for my food waste and my grocery bill. I don’t like leftovers at all. But I would dutifully wrap leftovers in plastic (see above), stick them in the fridge, wait the obligatory 4-5 days and then toss them into the garbage. Even if I put leftovers in the freezer, I never ate them. It just served to extend the waiting period to toss the food out. After doing this dance for the past few years, I’ve recently decided to start making exactly enough food for one meal, or two at most. This goes against a lot of conventional diet prep and money-saving advice, where batching food prep and buying in bulk is the way to go. But I have found that planning for smaller meals means I buy way less food, have better quality meals and rarely toss anything.
I Practice Periodic No Spend Months. If you aren’t familiar with a No-Spend Challenge, it’s a way to save some money AND rethink your spending habits. It’s also a great way to rethink consumerism in general. There is nothing more sustainable than not buying something you don’t need.
I Limit Online Purchases. I live in a rural area and there aren’t a lot of shopping options for many items I regularly buy. For example, most of the items I have linked to in this article are items I can’t purchase in my local town. I would have to drive at least an hour to find them in larger box stores, and even then it is always hit or miss. So, for me it makes sense to use online services like Amazon for those types of purchases. But rather than buying pell-mell from Amazon or other online retailers whenever I need something, I do my best to limit orders to every few months. When I think of something I need to order online, I add it to a standing list and order all in one go.
I Avoid Fast Fashion. I’ve written about this many times on Mabon House. Fast fashion is one of the worst industries for workers and the environment. And unlike gardening, I am very good at buying clothes. To the point that I needed to pare down my closet and reign in my shopping habit. Now when I decide it’s time to spruce up my wardrobe, I opt to purchase secondhand from local consignment stores or online through ThredUp and I *try* to limit myself to 2-3 orders a year.
I Buy With Intention. This sounds so simple, but for me, it really took a lot of practice to be intentional about how I spend my money. For many years I had a default mode of turning to retail therapy for enjoyment or solace. I wasn’t buying expensive things, but I was buying often. I might just run to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for a recipe I had just found on Pinterest. Or I would peruse Wal-Mart on my lunch break (sad, I know) and pick up whatever caught my fancy. I was always on the lookout for excuses to spend money on new things.

Today I am able to pause and think about why I want to go to the store, or place that online order, or buy the new thing. Often it has nothing to do with necessity and everything to do with pushing away stress, anxiety, boredom or even fear. Rather than have a knee jerk reaction with my wallet, I allow myself to sit with the feelings for a few minutes and most often they pass and I go on about my day, completely forgetting about what I wanted to buy.

So that’s what low waste living and practical sustainability look like in my life. What about you? How do you practice sustainability and low waste living?

Featured