I am sure you have already heard about zero waste. Zero waste is a set of principles that focus on waste prevention. It applies the 5-R method – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot.
In this article, I will give you 5 basic tips for a zero waste kitchen, that have worked for me and have saved me time, money and the overall organization of our home. In my opinion, the goal is not to be perfect, but to gradually change our habits in small steps that save our planet and pass these habits on to our children.
As a child, we already sorted the trash. I continued this habbit during my studies till my own hosehold and I was quite proud of the fact that we are doing it.
But in 2018, I read the book Zéro Déchet by Bea Johnson (in English, Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste). In it, she described her story, which completely enchanted me.
From the beginning, I tried to practice everything she described in the book - shopping without packaging materials, starting a minimalist life and getting rid of everything that was unnecessary and recycling and repairing old things. However, over time, I discovered that I could not follow all the principles in our daily life. Not yet.
Sometimes I also shop in the super market and sometimes I forget my reusable bag and buy packaged vegetables. But if I have time and the means, I try to do it in a better way. So I told myself that I will try to do little steps, more and more often till it starts to be a habit, then try to teach this habit to our son. After all, children repeat what they see around them and what their parents do :-) So here are 5 tips for zero waste kitchen which we try to apply as often as possible.
1. Plan your meals ahead and make a shopping list
On Sunday evening I take stock of what I have in the fridge and pantry and make a menu for the next week. It takes me around 20 minutes. I also create a shopping list accordingly and schedule which days I or my husband will go shopping. Therefore, we try not to buy at the last minute, hungry and stressed that we have to pick up the child from kindergarten soon. Planning your meals in advance has many advantages:
It saves you money. You can think in advance about exactly what to buy so you don't have to throw away things you don't use.
It saves you time. Not only in the store, where you don't have to wander between the shelves and look for what you actually need, but you also avoid returning to the store for forgotten items.
You can eat a variety of food and include new ingredients, avoiding eating the same thing every time.
Have fun! Sometimes, I change the ingredients depending on what I'm in the mood for that day or what seasonal fruits and vegetables I see. To diversify the menu, I also add special days and evenings such as ´Vegetarian day´ or ´Food delivery and Movie night´ so that we are not esxcessively organized and don't cook every day :-).
2. Take your own reusable bag and recyclable containers
When I go shopping, I try to take my own bag and paper bags for fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts, lentils and other things. I keep 1 shopping bag in every purse and backpack so I don't forget it at the last minute before leaving the house. But more and more often, stores are offering papers bags right in the fruit and vegetable section to avoid plastic bags. If I forget the paper bag and have to weigh things and apply a label, I put it directly on the vegetables so I don't have to take the plastic bag.
At farmer's markets or small shops, they also offer the option of reusing packaging materials, for example, for yogurts, milk and eggs.
3. Buy seasonal and local vegetables and fruits
Have you had the opportunity to taste fruits and vegetables directly from the garden or from a farmer? Doesn't it taste completely different than from the store? :-) Here you know that these ingredients come from the field and garden directly to you. But sometimes this solution is not offered for a variety of reasons. But if you have time, try to get to a farmer’s market!
Check if there is a farmer in your area who grows their own ingredients and would be very happy into pass them on like this. You can get the opportunity to ask the farmer directly about growing conditions or, for example, how to store products so that they stay fresh for as long as possible.
Try to make a little Sunday family trip to the nearest farmer's market. Sometimes you can even have lunch there and you will be surrounded by people who share the same values as you. It will definitely motivate you to do it more often!
4. Store your food well
I mainly use glass food containers in the kitchen. They are harmless compared to the plastic ones, and they also look nice!
I make nice labels for them, so they are also a decoration for me :-)
The fact that they are glass has other advantages. For example, you can immediately see which ingredients you are running out of and add them to the shopping list. Thanks to the glass containers and tight lids, moths and other pests will not get in here, which will save you a lot of time and, above all, grief.
If you go to a bagless store, you can take these containers with you and buy the amount of ingredients that will fit in the container
5. Use your own container
for eating and drinking
My colleagues at work are already making fun of me, how many glass boxes I brought for lunch today :-) It's true that the glass food container does look a bit odd, but it's worth the effort.
I know that glass doesn't mind temperature changes, so I can store it in the fridge and reheat it at lunch time. I also carry a drinking bottle with me and in the summer, I add different fruits to it to change the taste a bit and motivate me to drink more often. If I don't have a bottle of water with me, I'm able not to drink for a whole day, it's not easy for me :-) So I try to pack it with me every morning and always have it close at hand.
So what do you say, will you try any of these tips? :-) Or do you have your proven zero waste ideas? What was your difficulty with as a routine? Share them with me, I will be very happy if we inspire each other!
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