Why Choose a Plastic-Free, Zero-Waste Lifestyle?

Why Choose a Plastic-Free, Zero-Waste Lifestyle?

Plastic pollution has become a pervasive environmental crisis, impacting ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Each year, approximately 19 to 23 million metric tons of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers, and seas (1). This staggering amount of pollution has far-reaching consequences, making the shift towards a plastic-free, zero-waste lifestyle more crucial than ever.

Having only been discovered in 1907, it has created generations of waste that we cannot handle. Plastic is affecting our lives in many more ways than we can imagine. Here are the scary facts of plastic use: 

• Half of the plastic produced is single-use plastic, which means it’s used once and thrown away. 

• Humans create 400 million tons of plastic waste each year

• 32% of this plastic waste enters the ocean, affecting marine life, the environment, and more. (2)

As a synthetic, plastic is quick to produce but can take hundreds and sometimes even thousands of years to break down. But what’s worse, when plastic breaks down, it’s creating micro and nanoplastics, which are even more dangerous. 

Human Health and Microplastics

The impact of plastic pollution extends beyond the environment, posing significant risks to human health. Microplastics have been found to significantly damage human cells, leading to serious health effects such as cancers, lung disease, and birth defects. Additionally, toxic chemical additives in plastics can disrupt hormone activity, affecting reproduction, growth, and cognitive function.(3)

Plastic is everywhere we go — and as it breaks down, we find microplastics contaminating our land, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the soil we grow food in, and so much more. The long-term effects of microplastics are unknown as there isn’t extensive research on it yet, but the immediate effects are alarming, so we must take action. 

You may be thinking that you’re only one person, and that there’s no way you can make a difference… but you’re wrong. Going plastic-free does not mean you need to drop everything at once, in fact, making smaller changes to your lifestyle to eliminate plastic-use little by little can make a greater impact. So, why plastic-free?

Economic and Social Benefits of a Zero-Waste Lifestyle

Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle offers numerous economic and social advantages. Zero-waste programs that focus on reusing, repairing, recycling, and composting materials create more jobs than traditional waste disposal methods. For instance, recycling creates an average of nine times more jobs than trash disposal, while reuse initiatives can generate up to 30 times more employment opportunities (4). In addition to that, reducing, reusing, and recycling on your own can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and your overall carbon footprint.

Plus, going zero-waste and plastic-free is also typically healthier for you as these items use safer, non-toxic ingredients, and are usually also organic! Clever Carbon is a great site to reference when it comes to looking at the carbon footprint of everyday items. 

We use this quote a lot because it’s important to recognize that little steps can make a huge impact: 

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

 — Anne-Marie Bonneau

At Tare Market, we are dedicated to empowering individuals to embrace a plastic-free, zero-waste lifestyle. Our mission is to provide accessible and sustainable alternatives that reduce environmental impact and promote health and well-being. By offering a wide range of zero-waste products, we aim to make sustainable living attainable for everyone.

Small steps you can make on a daily basis include:

• Say No to Single Use Bags
  Let’s put those reusable bags to work! Whenever you have the opportunity to say no to single-use plastic, you should. This is an easy habit you can start by placing reusable bags at every exit to your home so that you remember to take them with you as you leave, as well as in your car or backpack so you always have it handy.
  

• Shop Bulk & Reuse Containers
  Buy once and refill forever! Reuse the containers you have instead of buying new packaging each time. Find a local refill shop (like Tare Market) to refill with. The beauty of shopping in bulk  is that you only need to buy what you need, and not an entire container.
  

• Make a Plastic-Free Swap
  Take a look at your everyday items and see where you can reduce your plastic-consumption or waste. For example, most shampoos are 80% water, why not switch to a shampoo bar, where you get more use out of it, it’s safer for your hair, and you don’t pay a premium for the plastic bottle?
  
  Single use plastic is present in our everyday lives, but we don’t have to keep buying it. Here at Tare Market, we carry a huge variety of fully vetted, plastic-free and packaging-free products that make great swaps for everyday items you depend on. Check out our shop here.
  

• Composting at Home
  One easy way to move into the zero waste lifestyle is to be more conscious of food waste. One third of food grown or produced ends up in the landfills, and this creates a problematic situation. Food waste in the landfill decomposes slower and releases methane, a greenhouse gas.
  
  Slow your food waste and curb what goes into your trash by planning meals more efficiently, buying only what you need, and composting food waste instead of throwing it away. Composting not only creates a nutrient-rich soil to fuel your garden, but also supports a circular economy. Most cities also have compost pick-up or drop-off services!
  
  Check out our Composting blogs here to get started:
  Composting 101
  How to Start Composting in the Twin Cities

• Conducting a Trash Audit
  A trash audit is a great opportunity to look at what kind of waste you are creating in your home. By looking at your trash item by item, you can see where you are creating the most waste and decide what changes you would like to make. We suggest that you attempt to eliminate the items in your trash can that make up the biggest percentage of waste to start, then choose the next item to eliminate after 1 month.
  
  If you are interested in conducting a trash audit, we have a free e-guide here: How To Conduct A Trash Audit
  
  

These are just some of the beginner steps you can take to become more conscious of your consumption habits & how to opt for a plastic-free, less wasteful option. Living zero-waste does not have to be all or nothing, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. At Tare Market, we’re committed to supporting your journey towards sustainability by providing you the tools and resources needed to make impactful changes that work for your lifestyle.