Go Zero Waste: student on a budget tips & tricks
Updated: Jun 27, 2021
"When you LOVE YOURSELF you surround yourself with people that motivate you and push you to be a better person. You also begin to give back without expecting anything in return, you begin to respect and be more compassionate to your own surroundings."
When I began to love myself, I noticed my habits changing. I wanted to surround myself with everything that made me feel good. Plants, healthy nutritious foods and tools that are environmentally friendly. Since the transformation turned out to be much easier than I though, I decided to share a couple of my personal favourite tips & tricks, which helped me to reduce both waste and the use of plastic whilst being a student on a tight budget.
1. FABRIC BAGS
Yes, I know you probably already own a couple of reusable bags which you take everywhere with you. But the most crucial part is that temptation to still put bananas or loose items into a smaller plastic bags is almost overwhelming. Why need so? They are absolutely not necessary.
I use small cotton produce bags to store smaller veggies like mushrooms, tomatoes or onions. Recently, I even discovered that I can easily use them for smaller grains like lentils, nuts and even dried fruit at a package free shop. Fabric bags are easy to use, are strong and highly functional. You can also store your pastries and bread in them! Bags when required can be washed and further be used again and again. And guess, what? They are completely safe to use to store your nutritious foods.
Where do I get them? Personally, I got mine made by my Mum. She is an amazing seamstress and an easy project like fabric bags were made in no time. I only had to get the cotton fabric from a scrap shop and some rope to create a drawstring closure. For as little as £5, I got made two large bags (for bread) and three medium ones, which I use for grains, or smaller veggies and fruit. You can also find them in stores like Steamer Trading Cook Shop, or Package Free Shop.
2. REUSABLE THERMAL BOTTLE
This one was probably the easiest, however it gets more tough when trying to avoid take-out cups at cafes. TIP: invest in a high-quality double-walled STAINLESS STEEL bottle that keeps both hot and cold drinks for as long as 24 hours. The bottle that I own - goes with me everywhere. I use it in summer to keep my water cool, and in winter to keep my hot drinks warm. I use a bristle brush to keep it clean after having a smoothie or Chai Latte.
How do I use it in cafes? Simply, when I order a drink I ask them if it is okay if I get it done in my reusable bottle and so far nobody seemed to mind it. Currently, most of cafes even offer a discount when using your own bottle, which is surely a win win. Oh, and also whenever a friend treats me to a take away coffee, before they order it, I simply squeeze in my bottle to make sure it is done in it instead. My bottle is by "BUILT New York" (£13).
3. GOOD OLD FASHIONED JARS
Do you remember when younger watching your grandma making marmalade or jam and storing them in see through glass jars? Yes! These jars are perfect for storing your grains, pasta or even DIY natural cleaning products.
It's my last year at University and my grandma still continue to surprise me with delicious home-made goods. Once, I finish them I get left with a stack of jars. So to put them into a use, I switched my plastic storage containers for glass jars. TIP: whenever you go shopping try to buy things stored in glass jars or bottles. This way you can store smaller items or liquids, such as oil or vinegar, in them.
Talking about glass, I also switched my plastic containers to a glass containers. These containers are amazing! They are leak proof and keeps food freshness for longer. These are especially an essential for those who like to prep food for the week ahead. #studentlife Mine are by Glasslock, which I found for quite affordable price at Tk Maxx. (@Downshiftology has made a beautiful video where she talks about them more.)
In this video she also mentions silicone bags, which are slightly more on pricier category. However, they are amazing - an extra secure seal closure for longer freshness, multi-functional purpose and they are super easy to clean. You can store, FREEZE and even BOIL your food in them. I personally use mine to store leftover pasta sauce, sandwiches or hard boiled eggs for meal prep.
4. WOODEN TOOLS
Since, it has been found that when plastic is under a HOT temperature it melts and releases small plastic particles into our food - I instantly switched all my kitchen utensils and anything that comes in contact with my food into a wooden ones. Some of them were harder to find than others, which is why I had to get them in stainless steel instead. Nevertheless, Wooden utensils are cheap, for as cheap as £1. They come in various sizes, textures and shapes, which makes them more personalised and unique in their own way. TIP: look for dye/wax free tools which are safe to use when cooking.
Where do I find them? Tk Maxx, Homesense, Steamer Trading Cook Shop or really any big supermarket. TIP: do not buy them in a bulk as you probably won't use half of them. Get the ones that you actually cook with the most.
5. SHOP LOCALLY
The last but not least, is shopping for your whole foods locally. Whenever there's a town market, buy your veggies and fruits there. I also get my honey and eggs there too. Another great shop, which I recently discovered, is a package free shop called The Refillery at a Draper's Yard, Chichester. Since, you no longer pay for the packaging the prices drop shockingly low and for a student that's a treasure.
They have a selection of organic grains, spices, nuts, beans, coffee, dried fruit, rice, pasta - you name it. Even Eco-friendly laundry detergents! I always bring my own glass containers and fabric bags whenever I shop there. However, if you forget yours - not to worry - they have a full box of spare containers for you to use whenever you need it.
And these were my top five personal favourite Zero Waste tips for a student on a budget. I hope you love them as much as I do. If you decide to try any of them, please send me a picture on Instagram @moreselfloveclub or use a hashtag #zerowasteonthebudget.
Stay Happy,
Giedre
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