While the term “zero waste” can sound scary and daunting, here are some ways you can start reducing waste in your life! Remember that no matter how small your actions are, each and every one of them counts. By working together, we can strive to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly planet.
Here’s some ideas on how to be environmentally friendly in your everyday life:
- Bring a Reusable bag. These are easy and convenient to use and you won’t have to worry about plastic bags ending up in the ocean.
- Buy in bulk. The Isla Vista Co-Op is a great place to go to buy anything you may need. To make it even better they allow you to bring your own mason jars so that you won’t have to use plastic.
- Trade, thrift, and repair. Shopping at thrift stores and trading clothes with friends not only minimizes your environmental impact but its also a great way to find some unique and fashionable items.
- Reusable utensils. Zero Waste Committee has tons of reusable utensils that are often given away at tabling events and other activities we put on! Once you have these you won’t ever have to use plastic utensils again.
- NO STRAWS. Straws take 200+ years to fully decompose and they are very bad for the environment. Buy reusable steel or glass straws to take with you on the go or just ditch the straw all together.
- Recycle. Make sure you always have a recycling bin at home and if you aren’t sure what can and can’t be recycled here is a list to help you out!
- Compost. If you want to start an at-home composting bin AS Recycling has a handy guide that you can find here. There is also multiple compost bins located around campus mapped here.
