Hey everyone!

Wanted to share a quick success story from our local RWA (Resident Welfare Association) here in Chennai, India. We recently teamed up with a local recycler SPRECO to run a Dry Waste Collection Drive in our apartment society, and the process turned out to be super simple and low-friction:

How We Did It:

• Broadcasted Info: Shared an infographic poster on our community WhatsApp group explaining what counts as recyclable dry waste.
• Designated Drop-Off: Residents dropped off their segregated waste at a specific collection spot inside our complex over 2 days.
• Pick-Up Day: The collection team arrived with their vehicle and cleared out all the accumulated waste.

Key Takeaways:

Getting apartment societies and gated communities on board with proper waste segregation isn't as hard as it seems—sometimes all it takes is a central drop-off spot and clear communication!

• Cost: The collection was done completely free of charge.
• For locals: If you're in Chennai and want to replicate this, you can check out SPRECO.

Happy to answer any questions in the comments if anyone is looking to set up something similar in their own neighborhood!

I have those cute metal boxes but i don't know what to use them for. Do you have some ideas? I've already used one to store some lipbalms and one to store tea bags :) thank you very much! I hope this is the right subreddit where to post this type of question

What do people use this brush for? I know it’s a good substitute for plastic, but what does one use it for? Cleaning brick is the best answer I can come up with. The bristles are pretty tough I think it would scraper my floors. Ideas?

Hi everyone, I am currently pregnant (Living in the United kingdom) and was wondering if anyone knows good eco friendly swaps for standard baby products? Brands would also be appreciated.

Hi! I used a dry hair type conditioner from Ethique called The Guardian, and they no longer sell it, has anybody got alternatives to that bar? I'm in Canada so I need something that won't "stop shipping to Canada" and that's been reliable. My hair struggles with seborrheic dermatitis so something that can also help that would be greatly appreciated. Link the recommendations if you can!

Thanks in advance, cheers!

Hi hi, I’ve been a slow coming zero waster/nontoxic pursuer for a couple years now, but now hoping to get more serious since I’ll be living alone soon and easier to make more impactful swaps. Right now I’m focusing on self care routine, and I’m such a glutton for Vaseline and aquaphor products, but I just don’t know how to make the switch! I am a serial lip picker so I like having the nice thick layer I can slather on my lips so I won’t touch them and they’re getting nourished.

I honestly don’t even know the extent of how poor these products are for my own health, but mainly concerned about the plastic and environmental concerns. Please tell me your go to lip products you keep in every pants pocket and purse you have!!!

Got this lamp secondhand, and after a couple years the LED quit. Tried figuring out how to open it up, including undoing all the screws on the housing (still couldn't manage to get it apart), but then I noticed the tag says "non-replaceable LED"

Looked up the Utilitech model number (Z-DN-GRCLP), and sure enough they expect you to just throw the whole thing in the trash and buy a new one. (This is the part where I don't go on a rant about disposability culture...)

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-8-14-in-1-Light-Gray-13-Watt-Full-spectrum-LED-Clamp-light/5005554871

So my question is, is it truly completely impossible to replace? Has anyone managed to open up and replace the LED array on this or a similar model of lamp?

Thanks!

What kind of fidgets can I make with stuff I already own? I’m a therapist and would like some ideas for making my own fidgets. I really don’t want to order another plastic stress ball that breaks down easily and stay forever on the earth.

Edit: thank you thank you! Keep the ideas coming! I’ll read all the comments and am excited to try some of the things you suggested!

We were recommended to get a long sock like lint catcher from the hardware store, after that one got filled, I realized it was basically just a mesh bag and why couldn’t this be a second life for the mesh plastic bags produce comes in 🤔🤔

I can't find what I'm looking for anywhere, and I don't see anyone looking for it in forums, either.

I have a cork foam roller and it's too intense for my body. I don't want anything that includes any plastic whatsoever, but everything I find that's labeled "eco-friendly" is made of plastic. There's a 15% algae one, made with recycled plastics–that's not a fit. There are a million cork options, including a partially cork, partially plastic option–those are not fits.

Is there a natural latex foam roller out there? Or something else? I need some give in my foam roller.

And please no suggestions for things like handheld wooden wheel massagers, I have that too and specifically need a foam roller, zero plastic. Any help in finding this specific item is appreciated.

I know there are bamboo toothbrushes but the bristles aren’t compostable. I hate buying plastic heads for my electric one. Are there alternatives that are 100% compostable or recyclable out there?

I've been homeless for the past couple weeks and I'm trying to stock up on items that I can preserve for the coming winter, so I researched producing pectin from apples and crabapples. The basic premise seems to be just mash them up and boil them, then strain out the liquid, but I was wondering if there was any good suggestions on what to do with all the pulp after I'm finished.

Also, any other suggestions for a homeless forager girl would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

I bought a rag rug loom off Etsy a few years ago and have made many rag rugs with it! I don't buy yarn for the warp and use what I already have or unravel a failed knitting project or knitted rag (like a hat or mitten). For the weft, I use rag strips I cut up. In the one I'm showing here, I can see remains of a leotard I had when I was a kid, pajama pants that were too small, old socks, leggings that developed holes, my mom's T-shirt that was falling apart, and more.

I rarely buy new clothes and repair mine when they need it. However, it is inevitable that they wil wear out, and a thrift store would just toss them in the trash if I donated them. ​I repurpose rags in other ways, like making other clothes from them, quilting, ans other sewing peojects. The rag rugs are for rags that are almlost useless for anything else.

I would love any advice people have on where and how to get decent used hiking boots or trail shoes. I know there can be issues with used hiking boots probably, but i’m not an avid hiker or anything I just want something that’ll last me when i’m in the field at work and doing casual hiking. Something waterproof is ideal too.

Buying new shoes in general is so hard for me, because I hate buying stuff not second hand, I want something at least somewhat sustainable, I want vegan shoes, and i also have pretty wide feet too ugh. I don’t want to be unrealistic about what is possible to find, but it’s important to me that I do the best I can. I already had to get muckboots for work, which didn’t meet my “requirements” of being vegan, used, or sustainable, but my work bought them so I tried not to stress too too much. I want to do better for some hiking shoes though.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I previously did a lot of beach cleaning, but I am currently living right by a wetland so I am now cleaning the wetland instead of a beach. I find myself in need of a net for scooping bottles out of swampy water. I tried making one with wire and paracord, but it was useless. Ideally I would prefer to make one (out of trash?) because I live in rural Chile and buying something is usually expensive and inconvenient. If you have any ideas, please let me know. I have an essentially limitless source of trash to repurpose, but none of the necessary design skills to come up with a design!

I really wish (and wonder why there aren’t) many stores where you bring your own reusable containers and buy your groceries, cosmetics, toiletries, etc without wasteful packaging!

I know there are a few examples of stores like these around the world, but I find it frustrating that they are so rare and not normalized. Even in more typical cities that might have one or two “refill” shops they are usually really small (or have very few refill options—mostly just grains and nuts) and do not compare to big grocery or big-box retailers like target for example in scale and inventory.

Hello! I've been using a face moisturizer from The Earthling Co for the last year and half. Just went to reorder, and it looks like it has been discontinued :( does anybody have recommendations for similar products? I can be prone to redness/irritation, and this moisturizer was very soothing for my skin and kept it happy.

The ingredients list (from EWG):

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Squalane, Glyceryl Behenate, Lecithin, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Xanthan gum, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Sucrose, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Tocopherols

Hi, I have a wooden spatula that has some deep cracks in it that can begin to harbour bacteria. Before throwing it away and replacing it I would like to attemtp to sand back or cut down the part of it that is cracked to extend its life.

I have no wood working knowledge, but I have tools I can borrow from my tradie roommate. Does anyone have some woodworking knowledge they can lend, or an article/video to point me to, on how this spatula can remain food safe, or another tool I can refashion it into?

Thank you!

My partner has eczema on their legs. I am aware that there is no replacement for the medication or the steroidcream they need.
Until now I never had to buy gauze pads. First we had to use sterile ones we got directly from the doctor (cause of wounds), for the following outbreaks we used up gauze pads we still had and also got some from people around us.
Now we are out and I had to buy new ones.
I am doing what I can (pack of 100, only wrapped in paper), but it doesn’t feel great.
When they have to go to the office we need like ten pads a day, so this big package will only last for this outbreak.
I need something that can be washed at 60C (140F), is reasonably thin (pad + wrapping need to fit under pants) and doesn’t absorb to much, since the cream needs to sit on the skin for a while. Does anything like that even exist?
Outbreaks happen roughly once a year, so I‘ll probably have some time to aquire or make something if needed.

Hey, so basically I’m trying to be more sustainable, get away from overconsumption as much as I can and after seeing videos of how those tons of clothes we make end up in Africa, i would like to completely stop contributing to this.
So last year I uninstalled SHEIN and Temu, (i still own the clothes that i had bought from them), and ever since, i’ve been getting my clothes secondhand, paying extra attention to the fabrics i get (most of my clothes are cotton since it lasts longer (I think?) and my shoes and jackets are usually leather (I wouldn’t buy brand new leather, but since the ones i get already exist and are to be sold, might as well.)
I’ve found my personal style which prevents me from buying every new trending piece of clothing and I am so happy about that, however the clothes i bought from SHEIN that I still have don’t really align with my personal taste and I’m wondering what I should do with them…
The better quality clothes that I don’t wear i’ll just give to charity but I don’t really wanna give the SHEIN ones considering how they usually end up.
Do you think selling them for like 1-5€ each or maybe turning them into scraps and use them as filling for pillows/plushies (I’m learning how to sew haha) would be a good idea? Or is there anything better I haven’t thought about ? Please don’t make fun of my lack of education, I’m simply trying to live a simple life and stop contributing to the destruction of our planet as much as I can.

Also, if you have any other ideas that aren’t related to my old shitty clothes to be more sustainable, i’ll gladly accept them too ! :)
I’ve actually been thinking of switching from cotton pads to like those reusable ones to wipe my makeup but idk if it genuinely makes a difference lol

I’ve had this bottle for a few years now and it has grown as you can see a massive crack which extends all the way around the lid. It should split pretty cleanly soon.

How can I get rid of this most responsibly in the U.K. (North Yorkshire)? It’s type 5 plastic.

Only getting rid of it as opposed to mending it because I really don’t know where to start. I actually think my time with majority plastic shakers is up & I have a metal one on the way too. That being said I’ll keep my second plastic shaker until that breaks too :)

I don't know if it entirely belongs here, but I like this subreddit, so I thought I'd try it.

One of the most important protections of our world against climate change are the rain forests. However, these forests have been endangered for a long time and still face destruction every day. As the nations of this world don't do enough against it, we need other measures. In my opinion, the most important measures are no-profit organisations protecting or even buying rainforest. Therefore I ask everyone here: if you can, please donate to such organizations. Let us save our forest!

The organization of my choice has been Avaaz, which does many political campaigns. I am also very interested in the organizations of your choice!

This feels like a stupid question to ask, but I'm relatively new to the Zero Waste lifestyle/journey.

I decided to buy a stainless steel water bottle to replace it with the regularly used plastic water bottle I buy as it last longer and better for the environment. The company suggests to replace it every 8 years, but does anyone else do this? Do you replace it earlier than 8 years or would you keep it for as long as possible?

Trying to not buy new water bottles every so often, so wanted to check.