Why Did I Start Blogging About Zero Waste?
When I retired in December 2017 and decided to start Blogging I didn’t have any clear idea about what I would Blog about. I knew I’d Blog about family as they are very important to me and I love sharing all of our adventures. But apart from that I decided I would just start writing about the things I care about.
I decided on the Blog name of “Thoroughly Modern Grandma” as I’ve always been pretty tech savvy and I thought it was the perfect name that blends “old fashioned values with modern technology”. And, in fact the name fits pretty well with my Zero Waste Blogs as well as my family / lifestyle Blogs and sums me up.
When I started blogging it was mainly blogs about family and travel. But then I started writing a few blogs about the problems with plastic pollution and the small changes we could all make towards helping to solve it.
And, that’s when Rachelle Strauss asked if I would like to be an Ambassador Blogger for this year’s Zero Waste Week. Rachelle had read a couple of my Blogs and was looking for more Ambassadors to support the campaign. I didn’t hesitate, and happily took on the role as an Ambassador for Zero Waste Week 2018 and that’s when I really started my Zero Waste Journey and my weekly Zero Waste Blogs became a regular feature.
Zero Waste 5 Rs
The Zero Waste ethos is a great way to start thinking about ways to reduce waste with the 5 Rs being at it’s core.
The single jar of rubbish in a year has become a symbol of the Zero Waste Ethos although very few people will actually achieve that. But, everyone can do their bit to reduce waste and if you follow the 5Rs you’ll be on the right track.
Refuse – Learn to say no! Say no to food wrapped in plastic, say no to that plastic straw.
Reduce – Think before you buy. If you switch to homemade natural cleaning products you only need some White Distilled Vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda to cover most jobs link
Reuse – If things break, repair them or have them repaired. Upcycle items you would otherwise throw away, paint that old chair and give it a new lease of life. Buy second hand.
Recycle – If you’ve managed to Refuse, Reduce and Reuse then you shouldn’t have a lot left but make sure you separate out your remaining rubbish and put the recycleable rubbish in the recycling bin.
Rot – Compost your food waste and use it to fertilise your plants and many grow a few veggies or salad leaves of your own.
3 of my favourite Zero Waste Blogs I wrote in 2018
My Zero Waste Blogs have covered everything from “How to Make Simple Swaps” to “Buy Me Once”
Here are 3 of my favourites from 2018.
What is Zero Waste?
The simple answer: The aim is to send nothing to a landfill. Refuse what you don’t want, reduce what you need, reuse as much as you can, send as little as possible to be recycled, and compost whatever you can’t.
The less simple answer: It’s really about redefining the system. We currently live in a linear economy where we take resources from the earth and then dump them in a giant hole in the ground. The goal of zero waste is to move to a circular economy where we write rubbish out of existence. The circular economy mimics nature in that there is no rubbish in nature.
Instead of discarding resources, we should be aiming to create a system where all resources can be resumed fully back into the system.
Zero Waste sounds like something that’s unachievable and in it’s truest sense it probably is; but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t all try.
The goal should be Zero Waste and every little thing we do to help achieve that is a step in the right direction. You can do as much or as little towards the Zero Waste Goal that works for you. It doesn’t have to be a radical change in your lifestyle, but obviously the more you change the more it will help to make a difference.
Zero Waste Haircare - All You need to know about shampoo bars
So, you’ve decided to start your Zero Waste journey and one of the first things you decide you are going to swap is your shampoo. Easy you think, I can stop buying plastic bottles full of shampoo and switch to a lovely shampoo bar for my Zero Waste Haircare routine.
But, so many people make this switch and after only one or two washes they decide shampoo bars aren’t for them. When you first start using a shampoo bar your hair may feel oily, waxy or even sticky. And, that’s not something you want.
But don’t despair this is just usually a short transition period whilst your hair is getting used to the new shampoo bar and the build-up of residue from your old shampoo products is being washed away.
Read More ……….
5 Favourite Natural Homemade Cleaning Recipes You Need
Making your own Natural Homemade Cleaning Recipes is a great way to start reducing plastic waste in your home. I’m not a zealous environmentalist but I do like to do my bit for the Planet where I can as I believe every little help. It may be reducing the amount of single use plastic, recycling as much as possible, aiming for zero waste or using homemade cleaning products.
The goal should be zero waste and reducing the amount of rubbish that we send to the dump so my new mantra is:
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot.
When I was little I spent a lot of time with my Nan and I always remember her using things like vinegar and scrunched up newspaper to clean the windows and bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice to clean things.
I do still use some shop bought cleaning products, but I do try to buy environmentally friendly ones where possible. However, I also still use a lot of the things my Nan used as they actually work really well; and quite often better than the shop bought equivalents.
Read More ………
These are 3 of my favourite Blogs but I’ve enjoyed writing them all.
If you’ve enjoyed reading these there are lots more in my Zero Waste section of my Blog that you can check out.
And, I’d love to hear your suggstions for any other topics you’d like me to write about in 2019.
