In July and August of 2021, CVSan residents joined the Waste to Zero in 60 Days Challenge and shared what they are doing to get to zero waste! Posting on social media, we received a lot of great tips on: zero wasters to follow, composting at home, reducing wasted food, buying in bulk, repair and reuse, and more. See some of those helpful tips below:
Waste to Zero in 60 Days Challenge
Find a Zero Waster to Follow
Lawrence M. said: “I was inspired by Bea Johnson who like all of us, started from the beginning. That’s right, just start somewhere and grow your lifestyle of zero waste, step by step. Focus on one thing to zero waste and then move on to another thing to zero waste. I was inspired to go to the farmers market, plus bring my own bags. One amazing statement is zero waste does not mean more recycling, just less of not recycling.” “Now my family is eating more healthy and saving money by avoiding all the packaging from the grocery store. I’m even starting to ferment some vegetables in glass jars for the probiotic benefits and gut health!”
What zero wasters inspire you! CVSan follows @ZeroWasteHome, @ZeroWasteChef, @WastelandRebel, @GoingZeroWaste, @ZeroWasteGuy and more.
How Do You Compost?
Grazyna F. said: “I organized a communal organics bin program for my townhome community. One conveniently located green bin serves the five families that signed up to use it. Each participating family is assigned “bin duty” on a rotational basis. Besides diverting organic waste from landfill, this program saves space in the garages and each family only has to take the bin to the curb 2-3 months per year instead of year-round.” CVSan has tips on food scrap recycling and tips on composting at home. 
Perform an Audit at Home
Pam E. said “Now that people are feeling more comfortable with outdoor shopping and social interaction, a garage sale is a good way to find new homes for household items you no longer need. Think about asking neighbors to hold a sale the same day and post a notice on your neighborhood web site. For those items that don’t sell, consider giving to one of the local donation centers.”
Do an audit of what you have in the garage, in your garbage or stored in the fridge. StopFoodWaste has a great 10-minute fridge reality check guide.
Reduce Wasted Food
Grazyna F. said: “See what you’ve got in the fridge, then use those things up by cooking in creative ways, without using recipes. Going by a recipe usually means a trip to the store for that ONE item that is missing. There are exceptions, but I usually improvise and use what I have first.”
CVSan has tips on food waste reduction.
Go Unwrapped and Reduce Packaging
Yvonne W. said “I definitely try to buy in bulk. I take snacks in bulk and pack them in reusable containers for the kids to bring to school. I also buy liquid soap and hand sanitizer refills in larger bottles and refill our smaller bottles at home.”
Our friend the Zero Waste Chef has tons of great ideas on things we can all do to reduce waste by buying in bulk.
Repair Your Broken Stuff
Lawrence M. said “I had an experience where there was a recall of a laptop computer due to an anti-glare coating on the screen, and we needed to replace the glass screen. That would have been tens of thousands of glass screens thrown away. Unfortunately or fortunately, I missed the deadline to return my laptop and was unable to replace the glass screen for no charge. That’s when I decided to randomly google the question, “How to remove anti-glare coating on a computer screen?” I was surprised by the simple home remedies people posted on YouTube to show you how to accomplish this task. So, if the manuals are not helpful, do a random google of how to fix or repair something. It is surprising to see how even some unique and uncommon items can be fixed or repaired. Give it a try!
CVSan has hosted repair workshops.
Use Reusables and Bring Them With You
Lawrence M. said “Once a week, I pack or repack a small container with fork, knife, spoon, and cloth towels to use when purchasing fast food or bringing my own lunch. I also include reusable shopping bags and an empty glass or steel bottle when I need water for extended trips, hikes, or working out. I sometime bring my foldable bike in the trunk if I need to make multiple stops which are nearby to avoid using the car more than needed.”
Bring your own bag is back!
Upcycling Materials into New Things
Grace B. said “I own too many plants and not enough places to put them, so I’ve been using old t-shirts to make macrame pot holders!”
There are many ways to take old things and make them into something new. Check out home ideas to upcycle from HGTV, classroom crafts, and even an idea for how to make recycled-shirt potholders.
Advocacy and Activism for a Better Planet
Learn tips for being a zero waste activist from goingzerowaste.com. CVSan likes to track legislation that Californians Against Waste and California Product Stewardship Council support. We also support extended producer responsibility (EPR) with Take Back Programs in California and send letters of support for legislation.
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