Starting a zero waste practice takes a lot of commitment and hard work, which is why

most people start it and end up quitting without even reaching half way! There is also
the constant reminder that having completely “Zero Waste” is as impossible as it can
get. With that in mind, it’s important that we also remind ourselves that we can still
contribute a lot by cutting down our consumption and waste. In this way, we are able to
be one step closer to zero waste.

Day 1 of 5 #GED104GoesZeroWaste
“Handy Hanky!”
This first zero waste practice is all about using handkerchiefs as an alternative to
tissues. Instead of stocking up your cupboards with tissue boxes or plastic packets of
tissues, making use of handkerchiefs for your runny nose and other means would be a
better option.
More often than not, almost all of us at home experience common cold. Due to this,
there’s a continuous supply of tissues stacked up in our cupboards. Figuring out that the
time it takes for tissues and other paper waste to decompose varies, it is safe to say
that avoiding the use of it would be more beneficial. Braun (2010) was able to point out
that tissues impact our environment not just in terms of production, but the manner in
which they are disposed as well. Tissue is basically unrecyclable, thus, creating an
unnecessary amount of waste. Furthermore, disposing tissues is quite similar to almost
27,000 trees being flushed or dumped in landfills because around 10% of its total is said
to be from toilet paper.
You might be thinking that laundering and producing a hanky uses up just as much
resources as that of tissues, but take a look at it in the long run. For boxes and packets
of tissues, you have to constantly restock and throw your waste, whereas using hankies
would give way to less consumption and waste. All you have to do is deal with the
laundry! Brondell (2018), also made sure to point out that a single roll of tissue paper
requires 37 gallons of water and disposing them is like throwing away trees down the
drain.
Cutting down our use on tissue paper will not only lesson waste, but also the costs we
spend. As a product of science and technology developments, it is undeniable that
tissues are helpful, but like every other S&T, there are also downsides. We can avoid
this by cutting down our consumption and being mindful of our waste management.
Remember, it’s never too late to make a change and use hankies as alternatives!
Sources:
Braun, D. M. (2010, April 16). Toilet paper wipes out 27,000 trees a day. National
Geographic. https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2010/04/16/toilet-paper-wipes-out-
27000-trees-a-day/
Brondell. (2018, June 5). Why toilet paper is bad for the environment.
https://www.brondell.com/healthy-living-blog/why-toilet-paper-is-bad-for-the-
environment/

Day 2 of 5 #GED104GoesZeroWaste
“Gotta catch a Bottle!”

It is common for most of us to buy plastic water bottles when we’re outside. We usually
buy them when we forget to bring our own or think that it’s more convenient to buy one
than to bring our own container because we might lose it. Despite the convenience that
plastic bottles bring, there has been a very evident rise in plastic waste. In fact, there
were around 335 million metric tons of plastic production in 2016 and 368 million metric
tons in 2019 worldwide (Tiseo, 2021). What makes this a bad thing is because more
often than not, these plastic bottles are not recycled. Such plastics would most probably
end up in landfills, as litter, or as floating trash in the ocean. Even worse, it would take
at least 450 years for these plastic bottles to completely degrade (Parker, 2019). This
means that for every plastic bottle that lasts for hundreds of years, leakages of harmful
chemicals seep into our environment. In addition to this, the amount of plastic bottles
are starting to overflow landfills as well.
Being informed about this matter, one zero waste practice that we can do to lessen the
amount of discarded plastic bottles is to use a container of our own. In this way, we can
carry it around wherever we go and lessen our waste. It’s pretty handy and would save
us the constant need to buy convenience store water. Do remember that it’s the
overuse of plastic and the manner in which people manage them after usage that
makes it a big problem, which is why cutting down on water bottles would help us in the
long run.
Say no more to floating and littered bottles, catch your own now because it’s never too
late to change our practices!

Sources:
Parker, L. (2019, August 24). How the plastic bottle went from miracle container to
hated garbage. National Geographic.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-bottles
Tiseo, I. (2021, January 27). Global plastic production 1950-2019. Statista.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
Day 3 of 5 #GED104GoesZeroWaste
“Totally Eco!”

When going to grocery stores, we often have our groceries kept in plastic bags once
they’re checked out, but these days, paper bags are also an option. Despite the
appealing idea of using paper bags, there are still better options out there that can
actually lessen our waste. Take eco-bags for one!

Plastic bags have caused some of the biggest problems for the longest time. With
plastic bags rarely recycled and reused, they often end up in landfills or littered.
Furthermore, 80% of these plastic bags end up as ocean plastic pollution, which then
affects at least 267 different species, most of which causes eventual death (Center for
Biological Diversity, n.d.). On the other hand, paper bags adds waste as well and
generates air and water pollutants just as much or even more than plastic does (Lober,
2021).

This is where our zero waste practice makes itself known. This zero practice is all about
resorting to eco-friendly bags instead of paper or plastic ones. These bags are not just
stronger and more comfortable, but they are also reusable and takes up less space.

The best thing about it is making use of eco-friendly bags allow you to decrease
pollution and show your support and care for the environment. So, the next time you go
out there to do your grocery shopping, take your eco-bags with you!

References:
Center for Biological Diversity. (n.d.). The problem with plastic bags.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability
/plastic_bag_facts.html#:~:text=Plastic%20bags%20are%20used%20for,continue%20to
%20pollute%20the%20environment.

Lober, D. (2021, Februrary 10). The truth about paper bags. Reuse This Bag.
https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/the-truth-about-paper-bags#:~:text=Making
%20paper%20bags%20not%20only,it%20does%20a%20paper%20bag
Day 4 of 5 #GED104GoesZeroWaste
“Glass Possible”

The second to the last day of the zero waste practice is all about making use of glass
jars as containers. It may be for food, trinkets, powder, or any other thing that may fit a
jar. Glass jars aren’t single-use objects, so once you’ve emptied your spreads or coffee,
it’s about time to put them to other good use.

Worried about glass being bad for the environment?

You don’t have to! Glass is 100% recyclable and may be used multiple times, so we can
avoid too much waste. It practically has an unlimited life and may be recycled multiple
times to make new glass. In terms of how it differs from plastic and paper, glass never
loses its quality (Nature Hub, 2019). Also remember that it’s ideal to re-use glass jars
than to buy new ones. In this way, we would avoid a number of glass jars going to the
bin. Listed below are just some ways why we should use glass jar by Miles (n.d.):

1. They are not single-use

With all the things you may possibly do with glass jars, it’s time to make use of them!
Gradually try to avoid using single-use plastic products, but rather recycle the plastics
you have and avoid buying new ones. It’s never impossible to try out glass jars.

Sources:
Miles, L. (n.d.). A zero waste, plastic-free living guide to all things jars. Treading My
Own Path. https://treadingmyownpath.com/2019/01/17/zero-waste-jars/

Nature Hub. (2019, November 27). Is glass packaging actually sustainable?.

For the last day of the week long zero waste practice, we’ve now come to know that
most of our waste comes from plastics, whether we are referring to plastic bottles,
wrappers, bags, and the like. Through the week, we aimed to cut down on our plastic
waste and made sure that we’re not contributing to the additional use of such. Thus, we
looked for alternatives and better options.

In this zero waste practice, we will also be focusing on lessening our usage of plastic,
which is why we will be resorting to woven baskets and “bilao”. In order to keep certain
items and food at home organized, most of us resort to plastic organizers, plastic bags,
and basically any sort of material made of plastic. They are quite helpful and most are
made from recycled plastic, but one they break, not all of them are recycled. They are
usually just thrown or end up as litter. Although, there is actually a better way to avoid
doing so and that is through making use of woven materials!

Woven baskets do not just allow you to keep your items organized, but also help
keeping your home an eco-friendly place. If we keep doing so, it will benefit us in the
long run. So, the next time you think of organizing your stuff, consider using woven
baskets for a change! You might like it more than you think you would.