How to go zero waste at home during self-isolation
We’re always thinking of new ways to be more zero waste. During these uncertain times surrounding the current Coronavirus pandemic, we’ve been channeling more thought into how we can continue living our eco-friendly lifestyle whist COVID-19 plays havoc on our daily routine. Here are 7 zero-waste tips from the Jungle team during self-isolation, to help you keep on top of your environmentally-friendly habits whilst you’re stuck at home. So without further ado.
1. Zero-waste, zero-scraps
During self-isolation, be mindful not to let any food go to waste. If your veggies are looking a little limp or you’ve found a rogue apple at the back of the fridge, don’t bin them! Chuck them in the blender and make yourself a smoothie bowl or batch of soup. (From one of our coconut bowls of course!) Now is the time to unleash your creativity in the kitchen, so use the time to connect with your inner Masterchef and use up the contents of your pantry.
2. Sharpen your recycling game
Refuge and recycling collections may be affected by Covid-19 and become less frequent during these months, so you might need to take control of your recycling. Consult all packaging so that you know exactly what is and what isn’t recyclable. Rinse all recyclables thoroughly: this will avoid contamination which can result in recyclables being thrown into landfill. If you live close to a recycling point, you could drop off your own recyclables - as long as you practice your social distancing!
3. Make your takeaway green
This is a tricky one. Of course, we all want to support our local independent restaurants and cafes by ordering the occasional takeaway, but getting food on the go is one of the easiest ways to rack up your carbon footprint. When ordering over the phone, you can request that kitchens don’t supply you with cutlery or plastic straws - use your own reusable bamboo straw. If ordering via an app you can add this in the comments section. Decline the offer of sauces which typically come in plastic pots rather than eco packaging. You probably have condiments in your cupboards, anyway!
4. Spring clean your closet
If clothes are bursting out of your wardrobe and you’ve started making furniture out of your book collection, now could be the moment to have a clear out. Go through your clothes and other possessions and bundle up anything that you no longer use, need or wear. Once the charity shops reopen you’ll be able to safety drop off your donation, or you can organise a swap with friends.
5. Green clean your home
During a pandemic, most of us are feeling inclined to give our homes a deep clean to blitz any festering bugs. But many cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful for the environment, and any contaminants that seep out of waster water treatment facilities can impact on wildlife. That’s before we even get onto the effects of the plastic packaging which is not biodegradable. Use store bought, environmentally-friendly products eco packaging or use natural products from your pantry such as baking soda and lemon. Ask us in the comments if you’d like a Jungle Straws blog post on how to green clean your home!
6. Grow your own food
If you have access to the equipment needed (seeds, soil and pots!) - use your self-isolation to grow your own produce at home. Start with herbs or something simple such as lettuce, cabbage, celery or ginger, which can be grown from leftovers. Have you ever fancied growing strawberries from home? Check out this guide by Gardeners World. March and April are the perfect months to begin planting strawberries!
Be careful to follow advice relating to watering and contact with sunlight. Don’t despair if you’ve not had any luck with keeping plants alive in the past, this is time to hone your technique - before you know it you’ll be growing what you need for your favourite smoothie bowl! This is a great way to reduce single-use plastic at the supermarket, and adopt a more natural, organic lifestyle.
7. Be mindful of energy
If you’re working from home during the Coronavirus pandemic, or using your social distancing to binge watch all those Netflix documentaries you’ve been meaning to watch, you’ll find yourself chewing through power. Turning off your laptop when you’re not using it is the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint. Consider making the switch to renewable energy, which is more earth-friendly and can even save you some money in the process.
If you have any more tips on how to be zero-waste during self-isolation, please let us know in the comments.
Change breeds discontent, and during these uncertain times it may be all too easy to become despondent and feel a little anxious. All we can do is take it one day at a time, focus on the positives wherever possible and believe that we’ll get through this together! From everyone at Jungle Straws: stay safe, stay at home, and we wish you all the best.
This won’t last forever.