With the rising popularity of the waste-free movement, social media and school clubs have stressed the perks of keeping a low waste footprint. However, while going completely waste-free may seem like a bit of a stretch with the ready convenience of packaged items, here are some affordable waste-free options if you plan to invest in this lifestyle in the future.

The Nada Shop

Located in Encinitas, the Nada Shop allows consumers to browse sustainable products without abruptly altering their current lifestyle. According to their online webstore, the Nada Shop offers self-care products, which includes clays, oils, soaps and skin care options. However, because of their package-free philosophy, the Nada Shop recommends that you bring your own jars or containers to fill up on the selection of their products. There are also available containers which are set up for purchase in the shop as well. 

Thrifting

Shopping second-handedly not only reduces textile waste, but it can also serve as a great, affordable outlet to shop for unique items. Carlsbad is located near many quality thrift stores, including the DAV and Goodwill in Oceanside and Valley Thrift store in Escondido. Unlike shopping for clothes from the internet or at the mall, thrift stores are furnished with multiple repurposed items open to creativity, extending to household appliances, books, shoes and jewelry.

Keep a conscious mindset

The arguably most hardest part of keeping the waste-free lifestyle would be navigating the world of packed-based consumerism for package-free products. For example, many department stores utilize plastic packaging on their products, whether it range from groceries or household items. Although this can limit the amount of plastic-free options, try shopping at affordable local shops with your own reusable bag for groceries. Another scenario would be to politely refuse plastic cutlery or beverage containers at restaurants.

Online options

With the motto “on a mission to make the world less trashy,” the Package-free Shop is a convenient webstore which allows shoppers to go waste-free without driving all over the place. The shop not only categorizes their goods into Living, On the Go, Health & Beauty and Bulk Bar sections, but it also offers a zero waste kit category to make the process of choosing products a little easier for the consumer.

Overall

The first thing to keep in mind while considering the waste-free movement is to recognize that it shouldn’t be a stressful, tedious process. Criticism for waste-free has been vocalized throughout the internet for its demanding toll people’s lives, which shouldn’t be the case. If you happen to buy plastic, the waste-free concept shouldn’t become a burdening agenda. The real ideal behind this lifestyle should simply inspire others to reduce their waste footprint if they wish.