Have you heard about going zero waste? It’s becoming a sort of trend in the eco-friendly community but in summary, it means to produce zero waste. Whether this is because you’re reusing items or they come with no packaging altogether, there are many ways to go zero waste. Zero waste means nothing goes in your bin, recycling, compost or food waste. Everything is used.
Creating zero waste, that’s a whole different ball game. It seems like such a daunting task but trust us when we say it’s easier than ever to live a zero-waste lifestyle. It’s about tackling certain areas of your lifestyle one at a time. If you’re interested in going zero waste, you may have already dabbled in the kitchen by switching up some of the food products you buy, but zero waste cleaning is just as important. Some may say it’s more difficult to go zero waste with your cleaning but we’re here to show you how easy it can be.
Zero waste cleaning is made incredibly easy by using products that you can refill. Regular cleaning products require you to buy the plastic bottle over and over again but zero waste means you just get the stuff you need inside the bottle - the cleaning solution.
The first step to using refill products is to invest in some glass trigger spray bottles. You can opt to use your old plastic cleaning bottles, but you will have to do a deep clean on them to ensure you’re not accidentally mixing any chemicals. It’s far safer to just get some new glass bottles; plus some cleaning bottles like bleach, have mechanisms that you aren’t able to remove and pop back.
When you’ve found your glass bottles, it’s time to take a look at your refills. It’s important to remember that you don’t need 20 different cleaners. An all-purpose cleaner is just that - it does everything. You might need to buy a couple of additional ones like dish soap, hand sanitiser and polish, but realistically you don’t need a cleaner for every surface.
Some zero waste cleaning refills will be in the form of tablets that you dilute, some will be liquids that come in pouches - although these aren’t necessarily zero waste. Liquid refills will need to come in packaging that completely dissolves in water for them to be classed as zero waste. Remember zero waste means everything is used, no matter how it transforms or what it turns into, for it to be zero waste everything must be used.
If you struggle to find refills that allow you to produce zero waste, you might be better off using natural cleaning products. The most common natural products for zero waste cleaning are lemons, baking soda, white vinegar and castile soap.
You’ll be glad to hear that most zero-waste shops are aware of peoples need for zero waste cleaning products too so they regularly stock these items. Just head on down to your local zero waste store and pick up the items in containers you already own. Remember zero waste means not throwing any of it away, so if you juice the lemon, be sure to keep the rind for other cleaning/air freshener creations.
Natural products allow you to create a zero-waste cleaning routine. Beyond that, simply clean less. The best product you can buy to help save the planet is buying nothing at all. The less you clean, the fewer cleaning products you’ll need. While staying hygienic is important, some people become a little excessive with their trigger spray bottle. So, use sparingly, invest wisely and enjoy your zero waste cleaning!
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