Tips to reduce trash in your life

First, reduce the amount of possible waste coming into your home.

Ask yourself four questions;

1. What is this product made of?

2. What is it packaged in?

3. What will the end life be of the product when it is no longer useful?

4. Do I need this product?

Empower your thought pattern with these four questions every time you buy an object.

Next

The household review

It's time to look in your cupboards

How much of it is processed food?

What is in plastic?

What is in there that next shop you could do without?

Do your own cupboard review using the four magic questions

1. What is this product made of?

2. What is it packaged in?

3. What will the end life be of the product when it is no longer useful?

4. Do I need this product?

From your household review use what you have learnt on your next shopping trip

Take your own containers, use shops in town that promote refilling, become an avid lable reader.

ORGANIC or low tox Hair Products

Ingredients to Be Careful With;

1. Sulfates (harsh cleansers)

Common ones:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

Why avoid:They strip natural oils aggressively. That can leave your scalp overcompensating (more oil) or irritated—especially if you’re washing often.

Look for instead: gentler cleansers like coco-glucoside or decyl glucoside.

2. Silicones (coating agents)

Common ones:

• Dimethicone

• Amodimethicone

• Cyclopentasiloxane

Why avoid:They coat the hair to make it feel smooth, but don’t actually nourish it. Over time they build up and require stronger shampoos to remove—kind of a cycle.

Exception:Some people like lightweight silicones occasionally for styling—but if you’re going natural, best to skip.

3. Parabens (preservatives)

• Methylparaben

• Propylparaben

Why avoid:There’s ongoing debate, but many people choose to avoid them due to potential hormone-disrupting concerns.

4. Synthetic Fragrance (“Fragrance” or “Parfum”)

Why avoid:This can be a cocktail of undisclosed chemicals and is a common irritant—especially if you’re sensitive.

Look for:Products scented with essential oils (and even then, lightly).

5. Drying Alcohols

• Alcohol denat.

• Isopropyl alcohol

Why avoid:They can dry out hair and scalp, especially in styling products.

Note:Not all alcohols are bad—fatty alcohols (like cetyl or cetearyl alcohol) are actually good.

6. PEGs & Ethoxylated Ingredients

• PEG-40, PEG-100, etc.

Why avoid:Highly processed and sometimes linked to contamination depending on manufacturing.

7. Mineral Oil & Petroleum

• Paraffinum liquidum

• Petrolatum

Why avoid:They sit on the hair rather than nourishing it—similar to silicones, but heavier.

Pantry Staples

• Grow your own veggie/herb patch, share with friends. If you don't have any room for a veggie garden you can grow some herbs in small pots or look for a community gardedn in your local area.

• Make what you can from real ingredients.

• Buy weekly from local farmers markets.

• Look for the organic section in your local supermarket, less chemicals is always a win and organic food stays fresher for longer in my opinion.

• Look for shops that provide refills.

• Take your own reusable fruit/veg bags.

• Buy in bulk and share with friends.

• Buy un-packaged goods as much as you can.

• If it is in packaging, think; can it be composted, re-used or recycled.

EATING OUT

• Rather than getting a take away, enjoy the cafe/restaurant experience and forgo the take away packaging.

• If you are taking away food, ask if you can use your own containers.

• Use a reusable water bottle. instead of a plastic disposable bottle, it taste better.

Junk unnecessarily coming into your home

• Say no to junk mail.

• Unless you need it for tax purposes, say no to a receipt.

• Set up automated payments for bills rather than receiving a paper bill.

• When shopping use a reusable bag.

• Look for products with no packaging.

Clothing

• Do you really need that new top??

• Get to know where your clothes are made and by who?

• Look at what fabric your clothes are made out of polyester = plastic and its snuck into so many clothes now.

• Nautural fibres will let your body breathe, are comfortable to wear and will biodegrade back into the earth at the end of their life cycle.

• Don't be sucked in by fast fashion, look for ethnically made items that will last the test of time.

• Check out the op shops, if you cant afford haute couture, its the next best thing, you will be amazed what you can find.

• If you prefer designer clothes check out https://www.vestiairecollective.com/ buy and sell second hand fashion.

• Repair your old clothes, up-cycle items, get creative.

Kitchen and cooking

• If you are blessed to have space to be able to grow your own food, make it your next weekend project. If you don't have the space, grow in pots or look for your nearset community garden.

• Get a veggie garden growing , small or large you would be surprised what you can grow.

• If you don't know where to start, check out Gardening Australia for some tips, you will soon be hooked.

• Get a compost bin, or two, one for the kitchen scraps, one for the garden.

• Use reusable cloths in your home.

Remember don't get stressed out, just do what you can.

Reduce the junk you can coming into your home. Means less junk heading to landfill, our oceans and rivers and that is a big win for nature.

Remember the four magic questions

1. What is this product made of?

2. What is it packaged in?

3. What will the end life be of the product when it is no longer useful?

4. Do I need this product?