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A Zero Waste Family author Anita Vandyke shares low waste tips

Headshot of Jessie Stoelwinder
Jessie StoelwinderThe West Australian
A Zero Waste Family author Anita Vandyke.
Camera IconA Zero Waste Family author Anita Vandyke. Credit: Joi Ong

Stuck for where to start when it comes to reducing waste?

Sustainability advocate Anita Vandyke has just the ticket.

The bestselling author of A Zero Waste Life recently released a 30-day guidebook for the whole household to get on the eco-friendly bandwagon, A Zero Waste Family.

The name has a double meaning, as it doesn’t just encourage readers to reduce their physical waste but also reminds us not to squander other precious resources.

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“I have a quote in the book that says ‘plastic is Mother Nature’s non-renewable resource and time is ours, so let’s not waste either one’,” Vandyke says.

“We spend so much of our lives striving for money, success, power, perfectionism — making our lives Instagram-worthy. But in reality, we are all time-poor. Let’s use it for things we really care about, which is family, friends, the planet rather than striving for superficial notions of success.”

Here, Vandyke shares her top five tips from A Zero Waste Family.

1. Create a zero waste kit

“The four things we most commonly find in beachside clean-ups are plastic bags, plastic water bottles, coffee cups and straws. Replace these with reusable options and you can transfer the kit between your handbag, backpack and car. That will reduce your waste around 70 per cent when you are out and about.”

2. Make a tech bed for gadgets

“It could be a basket or a drawer, and it allows all your devices to have a rest. On average, Australians spend three to six hours a day on their screens outside work. If we can take back our time, we are much more mindful and we can do the bigger things we have always wanted to do like cooking or exercising.”

3. Establish a trash command station

“Set up four bins clearly labelled with colourful pictures, showing what can be recycled, what are soft plastics that can be recycled at the front of major supermarkets, what can be composted and then what goes into landfill. That should be the smallest bin.”

4. Put an ‘eat me first’ box in the fridge

“It’s for family members to put in their half-eaten avocado, the lonely banana, the sad-looking cheese. Then everyone in the household knows to eat from that box first. You are saving food waste from entering landfill, and saving money too.”

5. Head outdoors

“The easiest way to explain something to children is to show them what they are fighting for — and how lucky are we to be blessed with clean water, clean air, clean soil. Engage them in a conversation about the environment or do an activity outdoors. Let them play freely so they can experience Mother Nature.”

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