16 Zero-Waste Tips — Your Weird Vegan Friend

When you chose to become a vegan, it's often to make a difference for the environment. We know that cutting meat and dairy makes a big difference for our planet! If we want to push even more our environmental effort, we can also integrate these small gestures into our daily lives. Perhaps you’re already doing many of these things at home and even other unlisted ones; don’t hesitate to comment to tell me what are YOUR zero waste gestures.

And don’t forget: reduce, reuse and recycle (and to apply them in order is better)!

1- Bags for shopping

We bring our reusable bags to the grocery store, but we shouldn’t forget to bring them also during shopping at the pharmacy or the mall! Foldable bags are the most practical. Slip one permanently into your handbag and you're ready to go!

2- Bags for fruits and vegetables

We do the groceries and we feel good because we pack our shopping in our reusable bags. Arrived at home, we unpack the groceries, then tear each small plastic bags to place our fruits and vegetables in the fridge drawers. And every week, we repeat the same thing and we end up consuming, each one of us, hundreds of these small plastic bags each year.

So try these reusable produce bags that can be found easily in grocery stores, like Avril or online.

3- Bamboo toothbrush

It goes without saying that the industry of plastic pollutes a lot... and so your plastic toothbrush! Bamboo toothbrushes are more environmentally friendly.

4- Soap and shampoo bars

Use soap and shampoo bars instead of bottled ones as they’ll take thousands of years to degrade in the environment. Also, there’s no need to recall that the production of plastic is very polluting.

5- Take-out meals

Remember to bring your reusable dishes when you go for take-out. If you have it delivered to your house, at least specify not to give disposable utensils and napkins. Ah yes, and the cardboard coffee cups that we throw away every morning at his desk, it's over! We bring our reusable mug, that's the least we can do.

Source : http://www.prevel.ca/en/blog/lola-rosa-new-vegetarian-experience-old-montreal

6- Recycle fabrics and give to charity

We clean our closets and give to Renaissance or other chariity clothes and objects that we haven’t used for a year (you can set another time limit, such as 6 months). For clothes with holes or that have been too worn, we take them to a tissue recycling center. Same thing for your old socks or underwear, it's over to throw them in the trash! H&M collects fabrics for recycling. In exchange, you get discount coupons for the store.

Source : https://about.hm.com/en/sustainability/get-involved/recycle-your-clothes.html

7- Avoid individual formats

Milk, yogurt, applesauce, juices ... we buy bigger sizes and, for lunches, we transfer them in reusable containers and goblets.

Source : https://veroniquecloutier.com/famille/5-trucs-pour-des-boites-a-lunch-plus-ecolos

8- Tea in bulk

Each tea bag pollutes a little bit more the environment. Use instead an infuser cup and buy your tea in bulk, for example at David's tea. Don’t be fooled by biodegradable filters, it’s always better not to produce these filters at all and simply use an infuser that you rinse after each use.

9- Makeup remover

No more cleansing wipes and single-use makeup removal pads: facecloths and reusable makeup removal pads such as Öko's are used instead.

My advice on reusable cleansing pads:

Dark color (gray or black)
Minky (synthetic) almost doesn’t stain
Wash quickly with a bar of soap directly after use
Wash in the washing machine in a mesh laundry bag once a week
Thin fabric: otherwise it absorbs all the makeup remover and you have to put a lot more
If you want them to come back like new: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqP6XA0h6DM

I was also told about the Makeup Eraser which seems to work very well and doesn’t require makeup remover

10- Zero-Waste periods

Ladies, for tampons and sanitary napkins, we opt instead for a menstrual cup (eg : Diva Cup) or washable menstrual pads, like the ones from Mme l’Ovary. I have it myself and I wasn’t sure at first, but I really like it! Not gross at all! Regarding the menstrual cup, I find it much more comfortable than tampons. Also, I’m done with the fear that the little rope will come out of the swimsuit ...

11- Bring back your pill bottles at the pharmacy

When you pick up your prescription at the pharmacy, ask for it to be put in the pill bottles that you brought back with you. If you just bring back the bottles, without reusing them for you, the pharmacist will have no choice but to throw them in the trash (or recycling if you are lucky).

12- Redure your pet’s ecological footprint

By following these zero-waste advices in the following article: https://www.yourweirdveganfriend.com/blog/pet-ecological-footprint

13 - No more paper lists

No more shopping lists on a notepad. Rather, we have an erasable board for our to-do and our meal schedule. And before you shopping, take a picture with your cellphone.