People In This Community Are All About That 'Zero Waste' Lifestyle, Share Their 50 Helpful Tips And Tricks (New Pics)

Next, Kathryn recommends making simple swaps. If you can purchase a reusable alternative to single-use items, check the second-hand market first or do a little research online to see if you have an alternative option available already. “Don’t buy something immediately. Take some time and think about it so you make the best purchase possible,” Kathryn notes. Step four is patience. Fight the urge to start purging immediately, and don’t try to cut out waste cold turkey. Sustainable changes take time, and there is no point in wasting things you already have to replace them. That sort of defeats the purpose...

Kathryn’s next tip is to find better solutions. Once you have adapted to reducing waste as much as you can, take a look at what you’re still throwing out. Can it be composted? Is there a way that any non-recyclables you’re purchasing can be replaced with recyclable alternatives? Kathryn provides the example of how she began making her own tortillas to minimize waste, but the process was just too labor-intensive. So she started thinking outside the box and learned that she could purchase 20 tortillas for $2 from a local tortilleria that will allow her to bring and fill up her own bag. She found an affordable and smart solution that was much easier than taking on the burden of making her own tortillas all the time.  

We hope this list is inspiring you to start making small changes to reduce your impact on the planet. Whether you had never heard of zero waste living until today or you haven't purchased any single use plastic in months, it's always great to have a reminder of why the planet needs our help. Keep upvoting the pics that inspire you to show a little more love to Mother Earth, and then let us know in the comments what your favorite eco-friendly tip is. And if you want to check out Bored Panda's last article on the Zero Waste subreddit, you can find it right here.