Zero Waste Week 2018
We’re half way through this year’s Zero Waste Week which runs from the 3rd to 7th September. Until a couple of month’s ago I hadn’t even heard of Zero Waste Week. And, to think it is in it’s 11th year!
Rachelle Strauss has promoted the zero-waste message for over ten years and after reading one of my Blogs on “How to Reduce Plastic” Rachelle asked if I would like to be an Ambassador Blogger for this year’s Zero Waste Week.
I didn’t hesitate, and I’m pleased to say I’m now one of this year’s Ambassador’s and I’m loving to help spread the message.
Why Should We Care About Waste and What Happens to It?
As Rachelle says, “There’s no such place as ‘AWAY”
What happens when you throw something away? Away isn’t some magical place; it’s landfill, an incinerator, the bottom of the ocean, litter or the stomach of an animal. It’s always somewhere else…
Be part of the solution and join millions of people around the world by reducing waste through reuse, recycling and repurposing material for a longer life.
What is Zero Waste Week?
Zero Waste Week is a grassroots campaign raising awareness of the environmental impact of waste and empowering participants to reduce waste.
Launched in 2008, the campaign is conducted almost exclusively online via this website, e-newsletters and social media.
Whilst Zero Waste Week formally runs for one week in September, regular newsletters and fresh blog content is sent out throughout the year. The friendly online community share practical experiences and suggestions about waste avoidance via social media to keep the discussion and learning process going. You can join the active Facebook Group called Zero waste Heroes
Zero Waste Week 2018 Theme
This year’s focus is on reducing plastic waste, which is hugely relevant and topical!
Participants are encouraged to take a waste audit to see what plastic they are wasting and then each day there will be a specific theme.
The daily themes look at what plastics we use and ways we can start to reduce them. This includes plastic in the Kitchen, Bathroom and Household cleaning.
What I'm doing to support zero waste week in my ambassador role
Weeks Leading up to Zero Waste Week
In the weeks leading up to Zero Waste Week I ran a week of Zero Waste Essential Giveaways on Instagram to help spread the message and sign up for the Zero Waste Challenge.
I also ran a Zero Waste Stall at our Village Fete on the 1st September. It was great fun sourcing the items for the stall and I found lots of small independent suppliers who were more than willing to support Zero Waste Week.
The Fete Day was very successful, and I enjoyed talking to people about Zero Waste Week and how they could make easy swaps to help reduce single use plastics. I even discovered that a couple of people in our village were already making their own Beeswax Wraps.
Day 1 Zero Waste Week - 3rd September
Day 1 was all about discussing the difference between ‘necessary’ and unnecessary plastics. Because let’s face it we’d be lost without some plastic in our lives. And, it was also about encouraging people to consider their big ‘why’.
If you are going to make a change in your lives, then you have to have a reason to do it. There are lots of reasons why you may want to reduce the amount of waste in your lives, it could be to save money, preserve resources, protect animals or because you feel it’s the right thing to do.
My Day 1 Insta post was an image of the single jar of rubbish collected in a year which has become the symbol of the Zero Waste Movement. Although, as I pointed out I don’t think I’ll actually ever achieve that but that doesn’t mean I won’t try and reduce the amount of waste we generate as much as possible.
day 2 zero waste week - 4th september
The topic for Day 2 of Zero Waste Week was looking at the amount of plastic that you use in your bathroom.
Did you know that the average man uses five personal care products a day, the average woman uses 12?
Even back in 2008 the cosmetics industry created 120.8 million units of packaging and 23,000 tonnes of toothbrushes & two billion disposable razors end up in US landfill annually.
I did a “Show and Tell” on Instagram of the contents of my Bathroom. And, although I’m certainly not Zero Waste in the Bathroom yet we have made quite a few swaps and we’re planning on doing more once we’ve used up the products we currently have.
day 3 zero waste week - 5th september
Day 3’s topic is how to reduce plastic waste in the Kitchen and food packaging. This was one of the first things we tackled when we started trying to reduce our waste and I’m a total convert to Beeswax wraps, I love them.
I have a few reusable produce bags that I take shopping with me and where possible I now buy my fruit and vegetables without any plastic, although it’s not always easy but supermarkets are slowly taking note and providing more unwrapped produce. I’ve also started making my own homemade cleaning products.
Once you start thinking about how to reduce waste in the Kitchen it’s fairly easy and if you need any tips you can pop over and read my Blog on Zero Waste Alternatives to Cling Film
If you’re reading this during Zero Waste Week then pop over to my Instagram account Thoroughly Modern Grandma if you’d like to take part in my Giveaway for a set of Beeswax Wraps, 2 Reusable Produce bags and a stainless-steel Elephant Box
What a great week – we have been steadily reducing our waste in our home. It’s something I am very passionate about!
Well done for getting behind this! There is a lot more we can all do on this front and we could all take a leaf out of your book!
Wow, what a great post! I never knew a zero waste week existed! I love the idea of using wooden tooth brushes. I’ve just bought a wooden hair comb and love it, its so much more better quality than plastic. I shall be seeking out more things to change.
This is such a cool event! I’d love to work toward reducing my waste and participating in Zero Waste Week would be a great way to start!
Thats so cool youre an ambassador for this! I am trying my hardest to do better with actual waste.
My son has taken a great interest in improving the environment. We have done small things around the house but will continue to work on it. Thanks for sharing
This is so inspiring, keep up the good work! We are also trying our best to at least minimize our waste and hopefully go zero waste as time goes on!
Wow such a great cause you are doing. And thanks for sharing also, as I never heard of that.
I love your zero waste post. We try to live like this all the time.
Wow! What a great initiative! Congratulations on becoming the brand ambassador of the Zero Waste Week! I like the idea of reducing waste as I feel that’s the right thing to do and the least we can do for our environment. I love those wooden toothbrushes. They’re quite innovative.
This is such a great topic to advocate! Having seen all the #zerowaste post, It has really made me think how I can reduce my plastic consumption and even today I opened Em’s nursery bad and they had put her dirty clothes in a little plastic bag. So first steps I’m gonna provide a little wash type drawstring bag for them!
This is such a great cause to be an ambassador for. I’ve started using up products in 5he bathroom so I can reduce our plastic waste from there. And I’m going to look into these reuseable plastic-free produce bags.
We have made so many changes over the past couple of months with this, I have found it so nice to produce less waste and it also saves me money. I have been focusing mostly on cleaning and cleaning products, next up it’s beauty type products. So thanks for the ideas for that
Off to go and check out Zero Waste Week to see how we can get involved in the UK – everything helps to try and drive change x
Great way to bring awareness, I know in my household we do have a lot of waste.
I’ve never heard of zero waste week either but I do know that repurposesing things is a great way to reduce waste.
I never knew a zero waste week existed! It’s so cool that you are supporting this cause.
Thats a great article. Today I and my husband bought a composter so we can use our organic waste in our garden and yards. We can definitely recycle everything.
This is a brilliant initiative. I unfortunately can’t claim to be perfect on this count but I am actively trying to reduce the amount of waste we accumulate – this post has a lot of great tips I’ll be taking on board!
I love this initiative to raise awareness about waste. We are away off zero but it’s given me some changes I can make especially around plastic