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New year, new beginning!

10 December 2018

As of late "zero waste" movement or the way of life without waste is being mentioned more and more, but what is it in reality and how to implement it in your daily life? Elektrum Energy Efficiency Centre explains.

The essence of the environmentally friendly zero waste lies in the most effective use of resources, in other words - living so as to produce as little household waste as possible. Ideally - not to produce it at all.

The roots of this movement can be traced back to the 60s of the last century in Oakland, California, USA. Here, the chemist Paul Palmer founded Zero Waste Systems Inc. whose mission - to recycle waste and reuse it, not throw it away - spoke to many in the world. The activities of zero waste began in 2012, however, they have gained wider recognition during recent years in particular.

It is not easy to have a lifestyle without waste nowadays, though, when practically every food product is packed in plastic and the discounted supermarket goods quickly find their way in shopping trolleys without us even considering how useful they might be. Nevertheless, by adhering to the cornerstones of zero waste - abstain, reduce, reuse, separate, repair, modify and compost - anyone can introduce an environmentally friendlier way of life in one's household albeit in small steps.

We recommend changing the habits gradually, step by step giving up unnecessary things, for example, plastic water bottles, and reinforcing this habit. Then reducing the amount of produced waste, e.g. by abstaining from buying a lot of and different household chemical products in plastic bottles. And thus, become friendlier towards the environment and one's own wallet.

Simple things to begin the new year with

  • Time and again we happen to drop into a coffee shop or stop by a petrol station to get some morning coffee. Instead of reaching for a paper coffee cup choose your own thermo mug - this way you will reduce not only the environmental contamination but also the costs. At present several places like Circle K and Index Cafe offer you discounts when buying coffee using your own mug.
  • An easily achievable and cost-saving habit is to utilize a multi-use water bottle daily, which you can fill up at work, in a café or anywhere else.
  • Take a packed lunch to work and afterwards use the same lunch container when shopping for groceries. Although it may seem that buying food using your own container is only possible in a marketplace, it is not entirely so. By realizing that society starts caring about the environment more and more supermarkets also are starting implementing such practices, so - do not be shy to ask the salesperson to sell produce by weight using your container.
  • With the holidays approaching try to give an amazing experience or time spent together as a gift, not unnecessary things that will be collecting dust on a shelf later.
  • When going shopping choose using your own durable textile shopping bag and reduce the consumption of plastic bags. According to the statistics each resident of Latvia consumes 190 plastic bags a year, excluding the small free bags we put fruits, vegetables and other weighed products in.
  • Next time avoid using a plastic straw or choose to use an environmentally friendlier alternative like a reed or a multi-use metal straw.
  • Take the rubbish out only when the container is full to avoid squandering away the storage capacity of the bin liner.
  • Reduce the resources you use at home reconsidering the need for leaving the electric appliances plugged in the grid; similarly, re-evaluate your water consumption habits. By merely changing the energy usage habits it is possible to reduce the bill by 10 - 15% thus helping both your wallet and the environment.
  • It is not rare to encounter electric devices in one's home that see the use only once a year, which is why the next time you are buying any new appliance you should think through if it is truly necessary. Perhaps there is a possibility to borrow this appliance from neighbours or friends - you will save resources and keep in touch with your companions.
  • Sort your rubbish! There is no need to go to the extreme at once - the life without waste, as it is not easy, and with time you may lose passion. But one has to start small to go big. For that reason, whenever you happen to have an empty plastic bottle, do not throw it in a regular rubbish bin, but in the bin designated for recycling plastic.
  • Make your own cleaning products hence reducing the consumption of plastic packaging. A simple recipe for a quick-prepare cleaning product - baking soda paste: one glass of water is mixed with three glasses of baking soda forming a homogeneous paste. You can clean the top of the cooking stove, the oven, the cooker hood, as well as tile seams and other surfaces.
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