4 reasons why less haste = less waste

Last year, I did a few talks with Bettina from Plastic Free Hackney. Bettina has spent years addressing what her family buys, uses and throws away. She has assessed the waste in every room of the house, finding ways to ensure that everyday items such as tea, toys and toiletries are responsibly sourced and produce little to no waste. In 2019, Bettina threw out only 3 bin bags in 12 months. It’s an achievement that has taken a lot of work and a level of readjustment, but life is now streamlined and all the better for it.

We live in a culture where we can get a six-pack in 3 weeks, our clothes go out of date within 6 months and a new iPhone is launched once a year. We’re in a deep, dangerous rut of consumerism yet we’re told consumption is our only way out. Keeping up is hard on our wallet. And our self-esteem.

This consumerist approach can not be applied to embarking on a life with less waste. Bettina helped me to understand that taking it slow is what is important and that living with less waste is a journey, not a quick fix.

Slow down

Life in 2020 is fast, over-stimulating and stressful. Our phones and laptops bombard us with round-the-clock news, social media updates and must-have products. Time away from our phones and laptops is fundamental to slowing down and helping us to plan our time, consider our choices and do things which make us happy. 

Pick your battle

Reduce your plastic waste! Go vegan! Don’t buy new clothes! Stop flying! It’s hard to tackle all the world’s massive systemic issues all at once. Identify the area in which you feel you can have the biggest impact or that you care about most and run with it. Over time, you’ll find that it’ll be easier to make changes in other aspects of your life too.

Plan your purchases

Planning your meals for the week can make a supermarket shop much less wasteful. Knowing exactly what you’re going to eat can prevent the need to throw out a half-used packet of fresh herbs, an over-sized bag of spinach or a load of sprouting potatoes at the end of the week.

Use what you have

Buying less, saving money and being more resourceful with what you have is the best way to avoid waste. Use up all your toiletries before you buy more. It will trim down a cluttered bathroom cupboard and help you to figure out which product alternatives you want to use. In the kitchen, try and find ways to use all parts of the fruit or vegetable before binning it (Max La Manna has some truly excellent hacks to avoid food waste).