Why You Don't Need a Zero Waste Kit to Start Your Plastic Free Journey

When I first started being more conscious of my plastic usage, I stumbled across all sorts of "zero waste" products ranging from metal tin boxes to farmers market bags to cute little light brown brushes and so much more. Sure, these items are great alternatives to their plastic counterparts and aesthetically look very pleasing but I'm here to tell you that you don't necessarily need these items to reduce your plastic usage. You don't need to spend $60+ on those Zero Waste kits. Odds are, you have everything you need at home or can find better alternatives while thrifting than you would spending it on a kit that isn't going to magically make your life become plastic-free.

Don't get me wrong - if you have the money to spend on zero waste products, by all means they are great switches that can last you a very long time. But for people just starting out their journeys, some of the marketing behind these zero waste kits make the consumer feel like this is their only way to go plastic-free. It's not. I was one of those that built up my shopping carts with all these zero waste products only to discover, I had a lot of products I already own at home that make great alternatives. For example, tupperware. Yes, tupperware is made of plastic but easily something that can be reused over and over again. Why waste a product that you already own because it's made of plastic just to trash it and buy a fancy metal tin lunch box? Another example are water bottles. There is a chance you received a plastic water bottle from that spring festival that one year and have the water bottle hidden in your closet somewhere. Why buy an alternative water bottle without using what you own first?

A lot of people don't realize how many products in their home can be repurposed to fit their zero waste needs, like old t-shirts can be turned into rags or washable makeup remover cloths or mason jars can be turned into reusable coffee cups as shown on blogger Anita Van Dyke's piece. If you've just decided to reduce your plastic usage, make sure to use the products you purchased first. Yes, those cleaning bottles might be in plastic but think of the waste you'll produce from just throwing them away and buying an alternative. If you're really not about keeping them, try to give them away. If you don't know someone who would want those products, give them away on Facebook Marketplace or NextDoor. Odds are someone in your community might want or need it. You can also find some great alternatives at your local thrift store, such as mason jars for storage, containers and more.

I am not 100% zero waste and can admit, nowhere near it but I do take into careful consideration the items I buy that are alternatives to my plastic product counterparts. I've been trying my best to only buy alternatives when I run out of the product, for example: Ziploc bags and coffee filters. I recently purchased Stasher bags as an alternative to Ziplocs only after I ran out. I also have a few plastic Ziplocs that i've been repurposing and cleaning to make their lifespan longer. For coffee filters, I purchased a Coffeesock for our Chemex which according to reviews, will last 1+ years. The pack comes with two filters and was only $13. Chemex filters can be pricey and wasteful so reusable filter will cost less in the long run with zero waste.

If you are looking to do a complete 180 to a zero waste lifestyle, just do your research and looking through your house for items that can be repurposed before shopping. If you don't have a product or are looking for an alternative, don't make the mistake I did by just shopping for zero waste kits on Amazon. Odds are, those kits will come in plastic... believe me. If you don't have items around your household that can be repurposed, do some Googling and see if you have a local zero waste shop near you. If not, here are a few great online shops with a variety of zero waste products you can purchased based on your wants/needs.

- Package Free Shop - https://packagefreeshop.com/

- Zero Waste Store - https://zerowastestore.com/

- Tiny Yellow Bungalow (for my fellow Georgians, Jessie's zero waste shop is based out of Athens, GA!) - https://www.tinyyellowbungalow.com/

- Life Without Plastic - https://lifewithoutplastic.com/store/

- Wild Minimalist - https://wildminimalist.com/

Photo by Anna Oliinyk on Unsplash