Living a zero-waste lifestyle can be intimidating and expensive. And as college students, many of us might not have the resources or the funds available to us to practice this sort of lifestyle. The easiest area where you can reduce your waste is food. Here are some easy ways to practice zero-waste eating habits.
- Take Bags and Containers When You’re Grocery Shopping.
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The easiest way to reduce waste is by taking your bags when you’re grocery shopping. Plastic bags can take up to 100 years to decompose and most of you probably have reusable tote bags lying around the house and this is a great way to put them to use.
- Avoid Packaged Foods
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Try your best to buy unpackaged goods when your grocery shopping. For example, instead of buying a bag of apples or potatoes, buy the loose ones that don’t come in a bag. The price difference is typically not very significant and you’re less likely to waste food. Another you can make is buying meat/fish from the butcher at the grocery store rather than the freezer. Frozen items come with a lot of packaging that can easily be avoided.
- Meal Prep/Pack Lunch
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Meal prepping and packing lunch is a great alternative to eating out. It’s cheaper and you can avoid all the single-use waste with eating out. It might seem difficult but meal prepping can be made easy. Here are some easy meal prep recipes.
- Eat More Plant-Based Meals
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Eating more plant-based meals is another easy way to eat zero waste. Most vegetables/fruits are sold without packaging and you can easily avoid waste. It’s also much healthier and better for the environment.
- Carry A Water Bottle (And Utensils, Mugs And Tupperware) in Your Bag
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This might sound like a lot of things to carry around in your bag, but it doesn’t take up as much space as you think. Reusable utensils and straws are pretty small and shouldn’t take up a lot of space. And there’s plenty of options for lightweight water bottles, coffee mugs and collapsible Tupperware that you can easily fit in your bag. Many places on campus, like Starbucks for one, will fill up drinks in your reusable mug.
- Eat at The Dining Hall
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Understandably, cooking can be difficult for many college students, especially freshmen, most of whom don’t have kitchens. The easiest way for these students on meal plans to eat zero waste is by eating at the dining hall. The dining hall also has small but unlimited portion sizes so you can eat as much as you want without wasting food.
- Dining in Instead of Takeout
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Another simple way to eat zero waste is by dining in when going to restaurants rather than ordering take out. Take out food usually comes in styrofoam and other harmful plastic containers, you avoid a lot of waste by just dining in. Also if you take a small container with you (as mentioned above) you can put leftovers in that instead of asking for a single-use box.
Going completely zero waste can be very difficult, especially for college students. But small changes, such as the ones mentioned above, are a good way to start.