Welcome to everything you need to know about Zero Waste Week.
The annual campaign and challenge is something we’re passionate about here at pebble magazine as it brings together a lot of the issues we love talking about.
So without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about Zero Waste Week.
If you have any questions or comments, add them to the comment boxes below and we’ll do our best to help you out!
What is Zero Waste Week?
Zero Waste Week is a national awareness campaign that provides a focus for anyone who wants ideas for going zero waste, wants help getting started on their zero waste journey and for zero waste brands to shout about their credentials.
Zero Waste Week was started by Rachelle Strauss in 2008 as an antidote to the overconsumption she saw 52 weeks a year.
When is Zero Waste Week 2021?
The date for Zero Waste Week in 2021 is 6 – 12 September.
Over this week, the Zero Waste Week Campaign will challenge ordinary people like you and me to reduce your waste over a week, helped by daily emails from the Zero Waste Week team.
Zero Waste Week is an international campaign, with over 80 countries getting involved over the last few years.
What does zero waste mean?
In reality zero waste, or producing little to no rubbish from your daily life, is almost impossible to achieve.
The term ‘zero waste’ has come to define a more minimal mindset where you are focused on reusing and reducing everything you can, moving away from single use plastic.
There are only a handful of people who can keep their year’s trash in a jar so don’t feel that’s what success looks like.
The journey to zero waste is more important.
For many, zero waste is more like ‘low waste’ and encompasses some or all of these elements:
- Shopping at refill and zero waste stores
- Swapping to plastic free toiletries and eco-friendly cleaning options
- Buying less in supermarkets
- Using reusable bags, bottles, cups, cutlery and so on when out and about
- Avoiding all single use plastic
- Mending and making rather than buying new
How to get involved in Zero Waste Week
Whether you’re living alone or overseeing a family of five, each of us, now has a responsibility to reduce our waste and our impact on the planet if we want a hope in hell of softening the climate emergency crash landing we’re heading for.
One person does have the power to change the world (Hi, Greta Thunberg) and none of us live in a vacuum.
Talk about your zero waste adventures – and misadventures (like the reusable coffee cup that burnt my fingers or the reusable make up pad that got stuck in my washing machine filter) and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to have a go.
Zero Waste Week’s site has some brilliant downloadable resources and they also send out a daily email during Zero Waste Week, full of ideas and easy tips on how to go zero waste. (Sign up to their newsletter here.)
Also watch out for the social media storm of tips and advice using #zerowasteweek during September.
You’re guaranteed to find some new plastic free brands and pick up some trash free tips by checking out this hashtag.
Download one of our free ebooks to help you get started:
Zero Waste Beginner’s Guide: 21 Easy Ways To Change At Home
pebble’s Sustainable Home Guide: Download It For Free
Sustainable Skincare: Everything You Need To Know In One Handy Free Ebook
Zero Waste Week resources
While not everyone can be 100% zero waste – in fact it’s almost impossible to achieve every day if you’re out working, picking up kids, doing the shopping and so on.
But trying to go zero waste is a great mindset to adopt, where you look at everything you produce and see if not just as rubbish but as a resource that can be reused, recycled or best of all avoided totally.
Here at pebble we have SO many resources and ideas to help get you start practicing zero waste
- 50 brands that will help you go zero waste
- Ditch the disposables: 9 ways to create a plastic free bathroom
- Plastic Free Shopping: 102 Of The UK’s Best Zero Waste Stores
- 7 Essentials For Your Out And About Zero Waste Kit
- Plastic free skincare: Gorgeous brands who nail zero waste and reusable packaging
- Simplify your skincare routine by making your own oil cleanser – here’s how
5 budget friendly Zero Waste Week ideas to get you started.
- Start a bin audit and work out what you buy most of and what packaging you throw away each week. That way you can look to avoid it or find a plastic free or zero waste swap.
- Buy in bulk. Order in via one of these awesome zero waste online stores or stock up at your nearest zero waste shop. Buying in bulk reduces packaging and trips to the store. Result.
- Try making your own skincare products. Find out how this blogger fared making her own shampoo or check out this facial cleansing oil recipe anyone can make at home.
- Use a food sharing app like Olio to reduce your food waste.
- Get your planning on. Plan your week’s evening meals around bulk cooking and no waste recipes that help you use up leftovers. Get creative – chefs like Tom Hunt and bloggers like Plant and Plate focus on veggie, no waste meals that help sustain you and the planet. Bookmark Tom Hunt’s delicious pumpkin doughnut recipe here for Halloween now.
This September, let’s all make it about going zero waste, because we’re all learning together. So let’s help each other rather than competing for the most minimalist Instagram post.
Tell us what you’re going to do for Zero Waste Week in the comments below or tag us in any social posts with @pebblemagazine.
