I first started my transition to a more zero waste lifestyle over a year ago.

And I’m still in the transition phase, with zero hard feelings against myself.

No, I’m not perfect. No, I’m not 100% zero waste. But that’s OK. I’m working to educate myself, and to be aware. We go for so long without giving a second thought to our trash.

I have overall become a more conscious consumer. I put A LOT of thought into what I purchase. I have a wish list for items I want to buy (clothes, electronics, etc.)

But I wanted to share my biggest changes with you today.

I used DIY t-shirt tote bags instead of plastic grocery bags. They’re easy to make. You just cut off the sleeves and collar of the shirt, then cut 3”-4” vertical slits up the bottom of the shirt to tie together creating the bottom of the bag. Here’s a tutorial.

I take my recycling seriously. We used to just use an old small (like tiny) trash can under our sink for our recycling, but I needed more space. I asked for one of those old green recycling tubs as a wedding gift. Recycling really impacted how much I was throwing away.

But the biggest thing I’ve taken out of my trash — food scraps. [Go watch my “How I Compost” video]. I collect my scraps in a bowl in the freezer, when that gets full it goes into an old kitty litter tub in the hall closet, and when that gets full it goes to my parents house to be put in their compost pile.

I have found ways to reuse all sorts of things. Bread ties are now cord and headphone holders. I made my own wrapping paper this year. I got compostable items for our wedding. Things like that.

I’ve switched a lot of household products from coming in plastic containers to cardboard, such as dish and laundry detergent.

It also influenced what I asked for our wedding. Instead of asking for items made out of plastic I asked for things that were made from ceramics, metal, wood and glass. And I planned my wedding trying to create as little waste as possible.

I’ve also started unsubscribing from physical junk mail, which is such a pain in the butt. I wish there was just an “unsubscribe” button on the back of the magazine or catalog. Instead you have to dig into their FAQ’s on their site or find an email address to write to asking them to stop.

I find that seeking a more zero waste lifestyle nicely coexists with minimalism and veganism. And I like this little world I’ve created and am able to share with you. My take away from the last year, and what I wanted to share with you is that you can start the switch to creating less waste. Don't let thinking you won't be perfect at it stop you.

What have been your biggest zero waste swaps, or realizations?