Though the zero waste project has been afloat in my mind, I have continued to delay it due to the impossibility of the project. But I guess, doing something is better than doing nothing, so I have decided to pursue this project;
Here are some baby steps for those who (like me) wants to start with their own zero waste lifestyle project!
1.) Dispose.
Clean up and Organize your house/ room and dispose old junk. Have the patience to research on how you can reuse your old unwanted things and how you can dispose them properly.
Before disposing, ask yourself these questions; "Can I reuse it somewhere else?", "Do I know someone who needs it and can make use of it?", "Should I have bought it in the first place?" and "What prompted me to buy it and for what purpose?". These questions will help you reflect on what things are important to you as well as your shopping habits.
Items that can be easily disposed and sold at any junk recycling shop should be segregated properly.
- Newspapers and other paper products.
- Plastic bottles i.e. water bottles, soda bottles.
- Broken plastic products.
- Tin Cans
- Glass bottles
- Old clothes, stuff toys and other furniture items can be donated to charity during Christmas. I've recently checked with Segunda Mana at Caritas Manila and they are still accepting donations.
- Bring to Caritas Manila at 2002 Jesus St., Pandacan, Manilla
- Request for Pick-up: Call 564-0205 or 703-0201 or text 0929-834-3857
- Check their website http://www.caritasmanila.org.ph/
- Batteries should not be thrown together with your trash. Batteries are hazardous and must be disposed properly. Currently, there aren't much recycling centers for household batteries. According to some websites, SM Malls has drop off bins where you can throw your old cellphones and batteries, although I am not very sure of how they dispose them. Also, for car batteries you can check up with ABS-CBN bantay batterya project.
- Light bulbs and Fluorescent Tubes. I still have to research on these. (to be updated)
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2.) Shop Wisely. Try to find alternatives. The next time you buy something, try to research for other alternatives. Do it in baby steps. Here are some examples.
Shop Wisely.
- Plan your shopping list. This way, you save time, money and energy! Every time you find yourself needing to buy something, jot it down on a list and plan your shopping day once a week.
- Think twice before buying anything. Try to ask yourself these questions: "Do I really need them?", "How long will I be able to use it?".
- Put a shopping bag inside your car/ your bag. This way, you can refuse plastic bags given to u, esp. when shopping at tiangges.
- use lemon peels as fragrance or as replacement for moth balls and repellants.
- You will also find baking soda and vinegar very handy in cleaning your sink and windows.
- Use refillable pens.
- Install a bidet and save on tissues.
- Put 1 or 2 shopping bags inside your car.
- No need to buy rugs "basahan", use worn out clothes instead.
To be continued...
