Zero Waste Is Not the Only Solution - 4 Tips to Have a Bigger Impact

We're huge fans of the zero waste movement and we think that it's attracting important attention to the global garbage and plastic pollution crisis. But we know not everyone is able or wants to take on the zero waste lifestyle because it's a pretty big commitment.

There are lots of other things that non zero wasters can do have an impact, have their voices heard, and make positive changes.

We think that by going to the source and connecting with/emailing the companies who are creating unnecessary waste, we can have a bigger impact than just avoiding a specific product.

In addition, making sure that our communities are doing everything they can to run an effective waste management program where we live (recycling, composting, etc) will go a long way to reducing the amount of trash being sent to landfills.

Picking up trash and reducing our own waste are other things we can do to help local wildlife and to make a difference in our area.

Here are links to the resources we mentioned in the video:

Video – 12 Cheap and Easy Tips for Reducing Your Waste:

Greenpeace Petition for supermarkets to ditch plastic packaging:

Tadashi Kawamata Over Flow art installation at the MAAT in Lisbon:

A Plastic Ocean documentary (on Netflix and Amazon):

Bunz money-free trading app:

Thanks for watching!

Mat & Danielle

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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.

Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives

Filming Credits:
Mat of Exploring Alternatives

[WildWonderfulOffGrid]

This was such a gentle and simple/non judgemental way to encourage people new to no-waste living to get involved!

[bluenationyoohoo]

a reminder to everyone:


1) recycling is good....but still it takes resource/energy to recycle


2) reuse is better


3) but LESS use is even better.


4) zero waste is not usually realistic.


this is called the Hierarchy of Environmental Consumption

[reimiyasaka]

I work in multiple areas of the food industry, and she's 100% right: *Please* contact food providers to let them know you want more ecological/healthier products.
It gives us confidence that we'll have enough supportive customers to survive the cost increase, and it gives *us* ammo to talk to our suppliers and tell them we want better options.
Most people entering the food business right now are very conscientious, so it's safe to assume it makes us happy to see demand for better packaging.

[emilianomarquez]

I remember my grandmother having a two wheeled manual cart, she just went out with it and a couple of big knitted bags and got the groceries for her whole family. Zero waste isn't new. It's just us that have to remember.

[andycocktails]

My local council, Hobart - Tasmania, just voted to ban single use plastics! A first for Australia. Hopefully the start of a bigger change.

[natchosm]

I think it is also extremely important to inform people that it is better using what you already have! I am so annoyed about people buying those sporks when we all have perfectly good cutlery at home that can be wrapped in a napkin ready to use outside. People are buying those pretty aluminium containers when they have plastic ones already. What happens to those? They get thrown out. I am not saying everyone does this but i have heard and seen many people who do it. People buy jarred produce such as jam and chuck those containers and buy mason jars.

I guess my point is, reuse as much as you can instead of buying new aesthetic versions.

[velvetindigonight]

You've got to love France since 2016 it has been illegal for supermarkets to dump foods that have reached their 'sell by' date. The food has to go to charities etc., Amazing.

[MsTtttracy]

Great video! In Germany there is an app called replace plastic with which you can scan products and then the app writes a mail to the company that a packaging without plastic is required.

[cookingwithtrash]

As a dumpster diver, I see first-hand how much food ends up in the dumpster. We need more businesses donating food and more composting programs!

[dumbbunnie]

Some members of my family went to the beach for my nieces birthday and they split in two teams and competed with each other to see who cleared away the most trash! The winning team received tickets to the local movie theater! We had a blast! We removed six full and one partial lawn and leaf sized garbage bags! The pity is there was an entire row of recycling bins within easy walking distance of the beach!

[izzy]

I live in the north of sweden and i love what my city (and country) is doing. We have great recycling and even our busses drive with biogas made from waste. The city provides compostable bags made from corn and have a lot of recycling bins all over town.

[kathrynradley]

A lady in Scotland has started Paws on Plastic on FB - dog owners pledging to pick up 2 pieces of plastic every time we take our dogs out - it’s spreading 😊

[Ratsoftheswamp]

I'm disabled so living zero waste is pretty hard for me but I still try to do as much as I can. Plus I'm vegan so that helps the earth a lot.

[ms.mn]

Here in Oslo I prefer coffeeshops that reward customers that bring their own beverage containers 🙌

[araunapalm]

Second hand clothes is a form of recycling. I only buy new underwear and for health reasons.

[goldenpandax]

I use the Ecosia app on my phone when I have to search anything. Zero-waste isn’t the only solution but it is part of the solution, and that’s what counts! I want to start up a compost swap company/movement where you bring vegetable/fruit compostables to local participating farmers in containers(given by organization) in exchange for food. 1lb of compostable material for 3/4-1 lb worth of food.

[VarongTangkitphithakphon]

I did the no. 1 tip by myself last year. Unfortunately in Thailand, Big companies only have feedback page in their website only for decoration (some company, it doesn't working at all!). I didn't have any response back from those big companies when I sent feedback about their plastic packaging but there're only one local small company about natural shampoo that I just want to gave feedback to them advice to launch shampoo bar to reduce plastic waste (I do not want to change brand as they product is very good for my hair) and the owner responded back to me politely with valid reason that they can't do it right now due to development quality. I was very impress and still keep being their customer but to avoid creating many plastic bottle. I bought a big gallon for 2 year usage directly from them. It's a good customer experience and they got one loyal customer back nby just replying to the customer.

[MomIrregardless]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTITUDE!! i was recently told by my doctors that i have 'plastic poisoning' from all the micro and nano plastics i have inadvertently ingested in my lifetime. i am having terrible health problems now, at almost 70. i started this journey back to better health by trying to eliminate plastic from my life. OMG, so depressing!! i ended up in the rabbit hole of one warning after another on the internet! and i look around, and feel the barbie song coming on as i am SURROUNDED by plastic! (I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world, made of PLASTIC, it's FANTASTIC). i researched the safest things to use, and just ended up being warned against using anything, because it all has plastic, right down to my daily tea bags!! there's no escaping it. i was giving up, seriously, and came across this video. thank you again for your ideas, and your gentle, positive ways to JUST START, and work toward a good ending!! i take your suggestions to heart, so much so, i wish you would post them somewhere that i could print/post/hand out this wonderful information!! last note: the barter/trade items here in the US is under attack by the government, as are yard sale/garage sale and 'marketplace' sales to others. they want to ban these things, because the public generally does NOT pay taxes to the gov in these transactions. blame the gov for MOST of these garbage and plastic health issues!! big business, big pharma, and the government. good luck fighting those guys!

[reportergary]

I agree that a non-confrontational approach to companies that want to keep customers who might otherwise not purchase their products because of packaging can be far more effective than creating what can often be a non-productive adversarial relationship. You've offered some great tips here. Thank you.

[wt]

I've been trying to live low waste for a year. This video has a really different perspective besides the usual tips about how to reduce waste!!! Love it