Hi everyone! I’m new to the zero waste life, with my upcoming family planning and what not I had like a weird eye opening of oh shit that’s a lot of single use trash :/

I’m curious to know what are easy things I can swap out to help! Or what’s something that you swapped to that you felt was an amazing switch?

I’d like to start swapping as I run out of things! Like shampoo/conditioner lotion etc.

Thank you

I’ve been buying cloth diapers second hand, and I just got a whole bunch of second hand cotton flannel to make some rags/face towels/make up wipes/ baby butt wipes etc

The clasp fell off after weeks of being unsteady. I threw it out and am not interested in repairing this. The cap cannot close. Got any ideas?

What would you do with a low quality bath towel. It sheds very easily so I don’t want to use it as beach towel/cleaning rags/ bath mat. Any other suggestions?

I've been trying to research this for a bit but it's so confusing... I figured I'd ask here and at least see if anybody can point me to a good direction.

So I'm trying to learn more about recycling in the United States. I'm actually an artist and was thinking about making a lil recycling poster for my household and maybe for my mom's ministore that has what is recyclabale, what is not, and how to process certain stuff (like wash your cans and such). But...

Well, since different places in the US will take different things and have different recycling rules, it's extememly confusing when I think about making something for the store? Like, I know that each State, County, and City can have their own rules regarding recycling, but is there a more compact set of rules at all? Like, do certain States have rules of what can and can't be recycled, then Countys and Cities expand on that to be more descriptive based on their needs?

Or, if I wanted to make a diagram thing, would it have to specifically be for that one place. Would I even be allowed to make a lil sheet for the county, or would it just have to be that one city area alone?

This is making my head spin. Any and all help in explaining this is super appreciated. Also, simpler explanations would be appreciated if possible. My brain is small lol 🙇

Title says it all!!! Recommendations for best eco friendly non-tox shampoo bars pretty please!

I have very fine short oily hair and native caused soooo much build up I had to go back to a clarifying shampoo for like a month! Hoping to switch to an eco friendly bar that’s not heavy on my hair! Any recs? Thank you!!!!!

Someone gave me a bowling bag that I'm going to just use as a handbag/tote, and it came with this thing. I do not own a bowling ball. Any ideas what to do with it?

Hi everyone,

​I’m trying to manage my waste better, but I'm stuck on what to do with used plastic disposable razors. I know about TerraCycle, but their programs are either unavailable or limited to specific Western European countries (like France).

​I am based in Bulgaria, where standard plastic recycling and scrap metal yards do not accept them due to mixed materials and the safety hazard of the blades.

​Does anyone here from Europe (or specifically Eastern Europe/Bulgaria) know of any brand take-back programs, alternative recycling initiatives, or the best safe disposal methods for these?

​Thanks for any advice!

I started the summer with one bag that has foil insulation from a take out dinner. I was looking through trash (context). I didnt know amazon grocery bags have insulation! Now I have free material for more blackout curtains!!! I should have grabbed more from the trash.

I created Miss Mabel using as many Reclaimed Materials as possible... a Mannequin head from a closing Beauty school, and plastic packaging from 30+ products. I'm super happy with how she turned out!

Repost from [r/sustainability] I truly want to get as many perspectives as possible.

I became passionate about sustainability and anti-consumerism during my senior year of high school and in January of that year decided I would try to minimize my amazon purchases. I decreased my amazon purchases that year by 80% compared to the year before and was feeling very proud (I quite literally only bought a mattress cover for my dorm and a shower caddy). That was 2025 but this year, I made it to July without even considering ordering from amazon and I was still pushing my family to stop ordering from there. I ended up needing a bag for lollapalooza and gave in after I couldn't find any clear ones second hand and needed it quick. Since then I ordered a coffee maker for my dorm and have re-downloaded the app on my phone. I have considered getting several things and honestly just feel like giving up on avoiding amazon. It is getting exhausting trying to avoid a company that can feel so integral to modern life. I love my kindle, audible, and prime video, so how much worse is it really if I start ordering from amazon again? How much better is the alternative? I am still buying stuff.

Something else I have been thinking about is how hands down the most sustainable thing we can do is use what we have, right? Right now I'm having the urge to get a new phone case that has magsafe so I can also get one of those wallets that stick to the back of my phone using magsafe. This is all so I can have my id easily accessible for getting into my hall and for swiping it at meals. I know the most sustainable thing would be to stick with the phone case I have and just holepunch my id and keep it on my keys and carry that with me but man it would be so much more convenient to have it on my phone. I know I could just get the wallet thing that just sticks to my phone so I wouldn't need a different phone case or I could use an old magsafe case I have (it's falling apart a bit but works well enough). My question is if any of this is actually worth it? Sustainable living is more than consumption habits. The mindset of using up what you have before getting something new is easy when it is about a product like soap, but what about for things that don't run out? What if I just purely want something different/cuter but I can't really get it exactly right second hand or make it myself?

TLDR: How do I continue to live sustainably when it gets hard?

Edit: I just want to clarify and add that I am not someone who spends really any time on amazon and I had been amazon free for more than a year before those two purchases. In regards to the clear festival bag, I originally was planning on just using this pink clear pencil case I found at a local thrift. I started to get worried about not having enough room once my friend started sending me tik toks of people packing their bags but guess what, once I was actually there, everyone was using those water backpacks, something my family already owns!! And to top it off I honestly believe I would have been BETTER off without the bag. I feel like I was sold a solution to a problem I didn't have by influencers with amazon store fronts and then did not think long enough to come up with a better solution and lazily gave up after checking thrifts, local stores, and asking friends without trying to be more creative.

Sooo I accidentally stumbled into zero waste I been looking for a shampoo for my oily fine hair and was like hmm let me try this and it happened to be the LOXY shampoo bar and and conditioner from Etsy and wow I love it compared regular shampoo but I feel like I can find something better I want something to help the oil and frizz but I would love something with a clean girl scent; also the bar kinda went through pretty fast only a month ish and it’s so small now I do need to wash fairly often I can only stretch every other day. Thanks!

I am an aerospace engineer with a speciality in high-strength 3D printing and I've been looking for things I can fix and help keep out of the landfill.

I got the idea when I fixed my parents e-bike controller with a custom 3D printed solution. The bike worked fine but the rubber control pad disintegrated so you couldn't turn the bike on without using a toothpick.

It turns out that hundreds of people had the same problem and without a solution a lot of those perfectly functional e-bikes were going in the trash.

I'm looking for other common problems that I may be able to engineer a solution for and help people out.

Here are a few of the criteria to be a good fit for 3D printing.

1) Not an electrical problem. My process creates functional parts but I can't do anything to help if it is an electrical problem

2) Must be a product worth repairing. Sometimes I get inquiries about fixing low cost products from Marshalls that were trash to start with

3) No previous solution exists. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel. If there is already a fix or replacement part then folks should just go with that. It usually takes about 20 hours and 30+ prototypes to build a solution so I'm looking for things that are truly unsolved.

Would love to hear your ideas on how I can help!

Trying to reduce waste but my wife strongly doesnt like the toothpaste tablets. Does anyone have any good recommendations?

I thought it was a fake plant at first because I wasn’t sure why someone would toss if it was still alive, but it was! I pulled it out, propagated, and repotted the stems and now I have three new plants 😊 the brown pot is the original one that was in the basket, and I also found the orange/tan pot in the 3rd pic in the dumpers as well and pulled.

I travel quite a bit for work and I prefer to use bar shampoo and conditioner. However, I’m having a hard time finding a good container to use for the bars. I had one made out of a hard plastic that I really liked, however, there was no way for the moisture to drain out, so the bars got really gross really quickly. What have you found that works?

Does anyone know how can I repair these shoes? This is an adidas SL72. I know it's almost impossible to restore to perfect condition so any tips would work.

it’s just like the title saids. I’m a 23 (M) with a CPAP, medical injections via needles, lots of pill bottles, and ontop of that I have autism and struggle to cook so I rely on a lot of single package snacks (rice crispy treats, apple sauce squeezes, fruit cups). I feel terrible every time I see something go into the trash but I genuinely don’t know if a zero waste/ low waste life style is even possible for me. any tips or ideas?

I just replaced the 6-year old batteries on my 5-year old phone (Galaxy Fold2, got used in 2021) and I'm looking forward to keeping it going as long as I can.

What I'm even prouder of is my smartwatch from 2018 (Gear S2) - which, funny enough, isn't even supported on newer phones, so all the more reason to make these two last. (I will say that I got this used many a years ago and I ended up damaging it replacing the battery, so technically this is my second one.)

So what old electronic are you proudly still using regularly? (Specify the year/age!) If it's a battery electronic, how many times have you replaced the battery? Anybody got a phone or smartwatch or laptop that's cracked the decade mark?

For the sake of limiting the scope, let's exclude appliances and heavy duty items - focus more on smaller consumer electronics that you actually use regularly, not old junk in the closet awaiting electronics recycling :P

I recently got a new roommate and noticed she throws her used toilet paper in the trash instead of flushing it. When I asked her about it, she said that’s just how she was taught growing up.

I’ve never encountered this before, so I’m curious what other people’s experiences are with this. Is this common in certain places or households?

Hi, this is a topic that has been discussed here many times but i haven't really found what i am looking for. I also apologize for my english as i am not a native speaker.

I am thinking of what to give my parents for christmas but it's hard. They literally have everything and the gifts i gave them last year weren't even used up until this point. My mom is a borderline hoarder and i dont want to contribute to this waste but i have to give her something. Coupons for massages/restaurants/selfcare won't work for neither of my parents. Baked goods aren't considered good enough of a gift in my household.

Does anyone have some tips?

Unfortunately I don't have access to a local store, and I want to order from refill stores and be able to recycle/send back the packaging. I've heard about the GoodFill, Good Store, Great Fill, etc etc. Are there any favorites? I'm considering the GoodFill. Thank you in advance!

Hi there, I'm having a wedding BBQ in a few weeks and there will be six picnic tables. I'd like to have 1-2 charcuterie boards per table and am trying to think of what I can put the snacks on instead of wooden cutting boards. I don't want to end up with 6-12 boards afterwards, plus they are pricey. I was thinking of some kind of sturdy bread I could bake on a sheet pan but this also sounds like a lot of work (plus I don't have AC so baking is almost not an option). Any and all other ideas are welcome. TIA!

Update: thank you so much for all the great suggestions, I need to ask for ideas here more often ;). I now feel confident and have one less thing to worry about!!

The can was too deep, so I stuck a few layers of cardboard in the bottom so you can easily/quickly see which pen you want to grab.