5 zero waste items that improved my lifestyle

Every now and then I come across some “zero waste kit” post on Instagram. I’ve seen different versions of it and I always take a look at the different impressions in the comment area. Only to find out the same old story, there’s no “one solution fits all”. Mostly because we all have different needs.

So instead of suggesting you some zero waste or sustainable lifestyle kit, I am going to share with you the items I bought and really made a positive impact in my daily life.

Reusable Water Bottle

I know how easy it is to enter a store and get a bottle of water. It’s practical. It’s hygienic. Easy to find pretty much everywhere and at an affordable price.

I’ve been there myself. However, a reusable water bottle was actually one of the first items I’ve bought when I decided to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle.

Even though I’ve never been a heavy water bottle user, I’ve realised that if I stored in a room all the plastic water bottles I’ve used in a year… it would a lot!

Nowadays, there are many options available in the market and at a different price ranges. Plastic, glass, stainless steel… Just pick one that fits your lifestyle needs and your wallet. Yes, there are some really expensive models out there. But, according to my experience, you can do just fine with a cheaper one. Ahh and if you prefer one made of plastic, just make sure it’s BPA Free.

In my case, as I am not a fan of stainless steel and I am cutting down on plastics, I went for one made of glass. Yes, it’s beautiful. Yes, I enjoy the sensation when I take it to my lips. But it can break! In case you’re wondering, yes… it already happened to me. Only to buy a new one, in the exact same model. I’ve decided to work on my clumsiness instead.

Mesh Bags

One of the things that used to break my heart was seeing the amount of plastic bags in the recycle bin after shopping for groceries.

It was a huge waste and one I could easily stop. So I’ve taken the last year’s “plastic free week” as the perfect excuse to get some mesh bags.

My partner at that time was a little bit reluctant about it. Would our regular supermarket allow us to use these? How useful could these really be? Or was this just a fad?

It was a very small investment in comparison to the results. I use these every single week, they’re good as new and you can throw these in the washing machine when needed. Just try not to forget these at home when you go out for fruits and vegetables.

Refillable Coffee Capsules

I am a coffee lover for as long as I can remember. I like my coffee strong with that creamy layer on top. As so, the old Italian coffee maker didn’t make the cut. And using the Dolce Gusto machine wasn’t sustainable at all. As every week I needed to buy new disposable capsules.

The solution? To invest on stainless steel reusable capsules.

Yes, these were expensive (for my budget). But they were actually an investment. Let me explain: I’ve got these about a year and a half ago, they’ve costed over 20 euros, and I use both capsules every day - more than once a day. The best part? I can use whatever coffee blend I like. Also coffee grounds happen to be cheaper that capsules and you can make more coffee cups out of it. Total win!

Reusable cotton pads

This one wasn’t on the top of my mind when I’ve started my sustainable lifestyle journey. But when I started wearing makeup (because of work) on a daily basis, it became a necessity. 

I couldn’t bear the image of disposing cotton pads every single day, just seconds after wiping off my makeup. 

I have just 6 pads. One for each weekday and an extra one, for emergencies or when I have some family event during the weekend. More than enough, at least for me.

Mine are from Mind The Trash. And I love the fact that they’ve came up with a square design to avoid waste.

Reusable sandwich wrappers

How often do you take a sandwich or snacks to the office? How do you usually wrap these? Probably on cling film, right?!

Besides being a sustainable lifestyle enthusiast, I am also a healthy foodie. Which means I take my lunch and several snacks to work on a daily basis.

I’ve realised that taking a sandwich with me wasn’t the most sustainable thing, as the wrapper would inevitably turn into waste. Instead of quitting my morning snack, I looked up for my environmental friendly alternatives.

I really like (and recommend) the ones from Roll’eat. They’re light, versatile, have a lot of personality and you can clean these in the washing machine. 

Yes, I’ve tried the bees wax ones in the past. Probably because everyone was using these and they’ve seemed like the perfect fit. Well, not really. At least for me. I wasn’t a fan of the texture and the smell. They were really expensive and I’ve accidentally ruined one after cleaning it with warm water.