Embracing A Zero-Waste Lifestyle To Eliminate Trash

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

To eliminate trash from coming into our home I’ve learned how easy it is to make some items myself. From spice mixes to yogurt to homemade soaps, it’s surprisingly easy & reduces the amount of packaging trash entering our home.

(have I mentioned lately how much I hate plastic??!!)

Embracing zero waste, low waste, low trash life with repurposing, recycling, composting, make it yourself. #TexasHomesteader

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Sudden Awareness Of Landfill-Bound Trash

Several years ago when we lived in the big city, I became keenly aware of the amount of trash my household generated.

Sure, we put out maybe half the amount of trash as our suburban neighbors. But as I headed down the ally on my way to work one morning I noticed with sadness the mammoth trash cans lugged to the ally by every single household on our block.

Most houses even needed two trash cans. And even those were filled to capacity, spilling over to the cement below.

I thought to myself – this is just one street and only one of the
TWICE PER WEEK collections!
Wow, that’s a lot of trash.

They say a change begins with just one step, and that realization one morning long ago on my way to work so long ago was my catalyst.

So I got to wondering…

I wonder if I can make items myself that I used to buy? #TexasHomesteader

Eliminating Excessive Product Packaging

Suddenly I began to notice excess packaging, purposely done by clever marketing executives to make their product look bigger or more impressive to the consumer than they actually were.

I noticed the numerous items sold entombed in plastic clamshell packaging or shrink-wrapped in plastic for the convenience of the store clerks such as a plastic-wrapped 3-pack of bell peppers & such.

I prefer to grow my own peppers or buy them individually to eliminate plastic packaging. #TexasHomesteader

And even tiny single-item purchases like a loaf of bread or box of crackers were placed in a disposable plastic shopping bag all by itself to be carried out by the shopper.

Relatively larger items were often double bagged by rushed grocery store workers. Even items that actually had HANDLES made into the product itself like a jug of vinegar were individually double bagged!

Eliminating Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags

So I first decided to eliminate single-use disposable plastic shopping bags. Now this was way before the feel-good days of responsibly placing your purchases into a designer reusable bag.

I had several heavy cloth bags I’d received for free at business conventions. So I resolved to use them to reduce or even eliminate plastic grocery shopping bags from entering the waste stream from our home.

Reducing landfill-bound trash from entering our home. No single-use shopping bags are necessary. I always have my fabric bags with me. #TexasHomesteader

Remembering My Reusable Shopping Bags

For me it’s not hard to remember my cloth bags when I go shopping. I simply store them in my car. So even on an unscheduled stop, no plastic bags are needed when we shop.

And for smaller shopping trips I have my favorite *Handmade Shopping Basket. Isn’t she a beauty?

To reduce single-use plastic shopping bags I often shop with this hand-made shopping basket instead. #TexasHomesteader

I love to use this basket for smaller shopping trips because I can place my items directly into my hand-held basket as I stroll around the store. The top is wide open so shop owners aren’t concerned about potential dishonesty.

I simply bring the basket filled with my items to be purchased to the check-out register and unload them onto the counter. As my items are scanned, the clerk replaces them back into my basket.

It’s so much easier for them than wrestling with fabric bags. The basket stands on its own and has a wide open top.

No need for plastic shopping bags. It's surprisingly easy to eliminate large amounts of trash from entering your home. #TexasHomesteader

Plus I’ve gotten many compliments from cashiers about how clever an idea it is to use this basket for shopping, and how beautiful it is too…

Easy Steps To Reduce Landfill-Bound Trash

But how else can I reduce landfill trash that comes from my household? There are only two of us living in our home now.

Our household trash output typically requires us to empty our tiny waste basket (which is the size of a miniature bathroom wastebasket) about every two weeks.

To reduce single-use landfill bound plastic trash we line a small bathroom-sized waste basket with plastic bags we already have like a large family-sized cereal bag. #TexasHomesteader

But I know there’s still more I can do – it’s a challenge I make to myself.

I already use fabric bags or my handheld basket for 100% of my purchases. Plus I reject overly-packaged products and avoid disposable paper products in my kitchen.

I buy quality, and I reuse, recycle & turn food scraps into compost… What else can I do?

Easy Household Items To Make Yourself Zero Waste

So I began to look even at the small amount of packaging contained by the products that had already passed my keen packaging-police eye.

And I thought about that product itself, “I wonder if I can make that myself?”.

I wonder if I can make that myself? The answer is almost always YES! #TexasHomesteader

To my delight the answer was almost always YES!

Making Food Items Myself That I Used To Buy

I’m now more likely to make products I used to buy:

Homemade Cream Soups instead of opening a soup can for a recipe.

2-Minute Homemade Mayonnaise

Easy Creamy Salad Dressing in about 1 minute.

I can’t believe how easy it all is.

Homemade salad dressing made with lemon juice and unflavored yogurt. #TexasHomesteader

It’s easy to make homemade Salsa Seasoning Mix that I use for fresh salsa in less than 3 minutes. 

And my salsa uses fresh garden tomatoes and vegetables in a blender instead of buying salsa in jars.

Fresh salsa from the garden in minutes? Yes please! It's surprisingly easy to eliminate large amounts of trash from entering your home. I thought to myself "I wonder if I can MAKE that?" I found it's easy! #TexasHomesteader

Not only do these actions bring me much satisfaction, but the products are typically healthier, less processed, significantly cheaper and nearly always trash free!

I’ve learned to make Yogurt in reusable mason jars.

Homemade yogurt with granola and blueberries. #TexasHomesteader

Homemade Pasta Noodles

And all kinds of homemade Seasoning Mixes:

Taco Seasoning

Homemade Pinto Bean Seasoning

Even Breakfast Sausage Seasoning

Heck I even learned to make Homemade Soap and Personal Care Products too.

 

I’ve found that I derive an immense amount of pleasure and pride from providing these items for my family. And I’m amazed at how simple some of this stuff actually is! 

Homemade Is Not As Hard As They’d Have Us Believe

Have the marketing folks really convinced us that buying is the only way? I had certainly swallowed their story.

It's surprisingly easy to elimate large amounts of trash from entering your home. I thought to myself "I wonder if I can MAKE that?" I found it's easy! #TexasHomesteader

Making some of the things your family uses regularly is usually very quick and very easy to do. 

Challenge To Make It Yourself

I challenge you to give it a try. Start small and try to make something you typically buy. 

It can be as easy as a Taco Seasoning mix or no-cook Cake Frosting, or more complex like making your own cold-process Bars of Soap.

Homemade cold-process morning motivation mint soap bars. #TexasHomesteader

Just start small, gain confidence and then try more. Don’t worry, you’ll find it’s easy and so fulfilling! You may be very surprised at how easy it really is! Your wallet and the environment will both thank you…

~TxH~

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Tagged in  A complete list of all our zero-waste living articles. #TexasHomesteader    All our make-it-yourself posts. #TexasHomesteader       A list of all our self-sufficiency posts. #TexasHomesteader  

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4 thoughts on “Embracing A Zero-Waste Lifestyle To Eliminate Trash

  1. Texas Homesteader Post author

    Tammy – what a coincidence – we were having pulled-pork BBQ sandwiches the other day and I contemplated making hamburger buns for them. (I didn’t) Good to know they’re easy and turn out great. Thanks for commenting. ~TxH~

    Reply
  2. Tammy/Our Neck of the Woods

    I love your ideas! I am trying to make as much as I can instead of buying it at the store. If I get produce at the store, I don’t use the plastic bags to cut down on that waste. Last night I even made my own hamburger buns for our dinner! They were surprisingly easy and turned out really well. I would love to get to the point where I don’t have to go to the grocery store at all, but I know it will take a while to achieve that. We are working towards it every day!

    Reply
  3. Texas Homesteader Post author

    Karen – I feel your pain about the peppers – I’m out of our garden peppers as well and like you I hate buying them. I do most of my own stuff now that it’s just me & my husband (bread, applesauce, canned veggies, homemade meals & desserts, etc) but I didn’t always. When my kids were small & I was in a corporate 9-5 environment, much of what we needed was purchased. Even now I refuse to beat myself up if I don’t “feel” like making bread and we buy a loaf at the store – it’s all about balance. Each family is in a different stage & has their own dynamic that works for them. But I really have found that the longer I try to provide for my family myself, the easier & quicker it is. ~TxH~

    Reply
  4. KarenLynn@Lil' SuburbanHomestead

    I was raised by fairly conservative parents and they were fairly frugal but they were Buy, Buy, Buy….a garden for us was mostly tomatoes, and cucumbers and it was small and my Mom made freezer jam every year but the concept such as we do where we can applesauce, and jellies and make homemade bread etc… etc… I did not grow up with when I had that magic light bulb moment it was very exciting and then at times now it can be tiring because I am like I can’t buy the store bought stuff because the homemade stuff is so much better but I work full time and I’m tired….so becoming more efficient is a huge goal of mine. I am so sad too because I am all out of my own peppers this year…….I hate buying peppers when they are sooooo easy to grow! Thanks for sharing your story with us at “The Ole’ Saturday Homesteading Trading Post” blog hop this week!

    Reply

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