It can be overwhelming to get started in a low waste and non toxic way of living, so how do you begin?
Let us introduce you to the trash audit.
A trash audit, or also known as a waste audit, is the process of looking through what you throw away in your trash over a period of time. This means you are literally auditing your trash can ... woah.
You may be thinking that this is kind of gross, but the reality is it can help you identify where you can reduce waste, recycle, compost, or refill. This is the first place I always suggest people to start when wanting to live more sustainably.
The easiest trash can to start with is the one in your bathroom. You'll probably find that most of the things you find (cotton swabs, makeup wipes, shampoo bottles) can be refilled, composted or replaced with a reusable option.
Now, let's break it down to some easy changes you are likely to find in your trash. For example, you may recognize some parts of your trash here:
- Plastic based cotton swabs --> Compostable cotton swabs
- Paper towels --> Reusable Deluxe Paper(less) Towels
- Dryer sheets --> Wool Dryer Balls
- Plastic + aluminum based deodorant --> Plastic Free All Natural Deodorant
- Anything in a plastic container --> Our Bulk Refill Options
Going one room at a time and looking through your trash will help tailor your sustainability journey to the products you actually already use. And although this may happen, if you ever start to feel overwhelmed, we are always here to help you!