100 new, positive habits

LIVING A 'LESS WASTE' LIFE

In 2017, I decided to take steps towards a 'less waste life'.

I started with just one change. Every week or month I added one step on my list and we got to work.

2020: During these three years, my husband and me experimented with around 100 positive changes . 80% of our list below became new habits in our life.

"Before learning a new habit, you go through an awareness process."

We do not live a zero waste life. The changes we made are achievable within our living situation. We shop local, healthy and package free whenever possible.

When you start a 'less waste' life, you become more healthy, happy, creative and you save a lot of money!

Ellen, founder of Ekobie

"Choose one step and make your

own positive story!"

Ekobie is a sustainable coach for everyone who wants to make positive changes. Wether you are a working mom or a school, company, municipal. Contact us for more information.

sustainable solutions, less plastic

First things first:

1. Recycle: clean a few bottles @ invest in a few jars.

2. Reuse your (bread) bags, cotton bags or other shopping gear

3. Visit a packaging- free store

4. Reduce: buy less

5. Communicate with your family about your sustainable plans and ask your local stores (even supermarkets) if it is ok to bring your own packages

Food & Kitchen

6. No more plastic bags

Invest in cotton bags or use biodegradable bags

7. No more plastic bottles

Invest in a sustainable drinking bottle

8. No more plastic cups

Invest in a sustainable thermos for coffee or tea

9. No more tetrabriks

Use glass bottles for milk or juice

10. No more cans

Use glass bottles or make your own lemonade with water, herbs and fruit

11. No more single use plastics

Say no to: cutlery, plates, cups, straws...milk,

cookies, sauces in single use plastics
Step by step you can try alternatives like bamboo straws.

12. No more prepackaged meals

Buy seasonal and fresh

13. No more fresh vegetables and fruits in plastic

packaging

By local from bio farmers and packaging - free store

14. No more dry foods in plastics

Buy flour, coffee, quinoa, rise, muesli, pasta, cornflakes,

breakfast cereals in a packaging - free store or in

bio - degradable packaging

15. No more (foods in) fluids in plastics, such as oil, olives,...

Buy in a packaging - free store

16. No more yoghurt in plastic packaging

You can buy this in a glass or in a packaging - free store

17. No more cheese and meat in plastic packaging

By local from bio farmers and butchers

18. Reuse your bread bags or invest in a cotton bread bag

Make your own bread

19. No more butter in single use plastic

By in a sustainable packaging or from a farmer

20. No more candy, chips, cookies, chocolate

in plastic packaging

Start baking :-)

Buy in packaging - free store

21. No more plastic foil or aluminium foil
Use a sustainable lunchbox/bag

Use beeswax, buy in a packaging - free store

or make it yourself

22. No more 'regular' teabags (non- bio)

They are full of microplastics!

Buy some biological tea and bags or: make your own tea

with herbs of your garden

Tip: when you go out for a drink, you can prepare some

teabags and take them with you

23. Use alternatives to storage food in your refrigerator and

freezer

24. Be aware of your water consumption

25. No waste of food

26. Avoid electrical machines

Do really need a dish washer or microwave?

Skincare & body

"I regularly make my own natural skincare products. Because I have a sensitive skin and: I don't want chemicals or micro- or nanoplastics in my body! When you find some time, give it a try. It is easy to do, relaxing and healthy!

Every product in this list is available in most packaging - free stores or easy to make yourself. I added some ingrediënts."

27. Soap

Use a bar of natural soap or refill your recycle bottle in

a packaging - free store

28. Body scrub
Find the most sustainable package or

make it yourself with shea butter and bicarbonate.

You can also use just a little bit of bicarbonate and water

29. Body cream
Sheabutter, coconut butter

30. Body lotion

Some stores provide packaging free lotions, see links of stores below

31. Tonic
Rosewater

Tip: Dry your own rose petals from your garden

(without chemicals!) and put them in (almond) oil. After a while: strain all the liquid into a clean jar. You made your own calming and healing tonic.

32. Make- up remover

Rosewater and oil (50/50)

33. Fabric cotton pads

Easy to clean with oxen gall soap

34. Facial mask

Clay and water

35. Lip balm

Beeswax and oil

36. Shampoo

Use a shampoobar or refill your bottle in a packaging

- free store

37. Tooth brush, made of bamboo

38. Toothpaste

Or: toothpaste powder available in a packaging - free store

39. Deodorant

Use a product in cardboard packaging or a cream in a

sustainable jar.

40. Ear-sticks

Plastic ear-sticks are a big part of global litter and

microplastics

Use natural ear-sticks, made of bamboo of reusable

41. Sunscreen bar

Some stores provide package free sunscreen bars, see links below

42. Menstrual cup

43. Sanitary pads

44. Stainless steel razor

45. Razor cream instead of foam

46. Hair coloring

Not an easy one: a few brands have some natural and

packaging free henna coloring. See links below

47. Natural oil

Refill your recycle glass bottles in a packaging - free store

48. Medicinal balm

CBD, shea butter and natural oil

49. Band aids

Soms brands have non- plastics band- aids, I find it still a

little overpriced

50. Bring empty medicine packaging to your local pharmacy

51. Use recycled toiletpaper

In a packaging - free store you find also toiletpaper
wrapped in recycled paper

52. Use a bamboo hairbrush and comb

53. Be aware of your water consumption

Put an empty bucket in your bathroom to collect water
For example: until you have warm water

54. Tissues: use fabric or tissues in a cardboard box

55. Avoid a hairdryer

56. Sustainable clothing: second - hand, exchange, buy less

Do some research and examine the (origine of) fabrics

Household

"Grandmother's way"

"Our grandmothers knew how to do it: with a few, natural products they cleaned their house perfectly and it smelled like flowers!

So, why did we changed and starting to use unhealthy products, full of chemicals?

A few years ago I also started to make my own household products, inspired by a friend.

Let us honour our dearest grandma's and reinvent their positive habits. The same applies here: these natural tools are efficiënt, healthy and budget friendly.

Most products in this list are available in a packaging - free store or easily made yourself. I added some ingredients in the list below.

'Must haves' in your household package: bicarbonate, vinegar, citric acid, esssential oils."

57. All-purpose cleaner:

Vinegar, boiled water and essential oil

58. All-purpose cleaner soda

Bicarbonate and boiled, hot water

59. Deep cleaner

For example: cleaning floor drainsBicarbonate, Citric acid and boiled, hot water

60. Deep cleaner scrubcream

Available in some stores

61. Descaler

Citric acid and boiled water

(In a spray bottle in your kitchen and bathroom)

62. Detergent

Soap flakes Marseille

63. Wooden dish brush

64. Dishwasher:

(do you really really need a machine to wash your dishes?)
Detergent powder or tablets

Available in a packaging - free stores

65. Laundry detergent

Soap flakes and washing bicarbonate

66. Fabric softener

Vinegar

Other softeners also available in a packaging - free store

67. Window cleaner

Vinegar

Or also available in a packaging - free store

68. Toilet cleaner

Available in a packaging - free store

69. Vinegar toilet cleaner

Empty a bottle of vinegar and leave it for one night

70. Deep toilet cleaner

Bicarbonate, citric acid and boiled water

(Attention: this bubbles! Always a lot of fun :-))

71. Fragrance freshener toilet

Essence oil: citrus, lavender

72. Mops, cloths and sponges

Try to use without microplastics

Look for the most sustainable solution

73. Windowsubtractor

In some stores you can find subtractors made of recycled

plastics

74. Avoid electrical machines

Do you really need a dryer?

Living & Office

75. Minimize your possessions.
Sorting, storage and eliminate
Step by step

76. Avoid online shopping.

When needed and possible: By in bulk

77. Reuse and exchange toys

78. Alternative for fleece blanket (microplastics)

79. Keep a small stock of (non- plastic) boxes, giftwraps, ribbons and fabrics. You can reuse all these for future gifts.

80. Use tealights without aluminium cup

81. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner

Use a sweeping brush from time to time

82. Use paper- tape
Instead of plastic tape

83. Try to use less ballpoint pens and markers

84. Use cardboard folders instead of plastic

Garden

85. No pesticides! I never used pesticides but this is so important to share: Do some research and be aware of all the consequences of using this chemicals. It is a danger for our environment and our health.

There is a natural solution for everything!

86. Make your own insecticide

87. Make your own fertilizer

88. Grow your own food

89. Let your garden be a wild place of biodiversity

90. Avoid using a lawn mower

91. Use organic growbags instead of plastic jars to grow vegetables and flowers or reuse plastics jars

92. Use less water

Collect rainwater

On the road

"My "outdoor less waste solution" I bring a basic package with me such as: a drinking bottle, a reusable cup, some straws, bamboo cutlery... it depends on the situation and context.

Maybe this sounds extreme but for me it's an evidently step in my 'less waste' evolution."

93. Stores and brands often give away plastic toys, merchandise,

for publicity and image. Stop taking these home with you.

94. Music festivals, (Christmas/Easter) markets, parties, events:

'bring your plastic free package'

95. Going to the movies: (everything is in plastic here!)

'bring your plastic free package' with your own candy for

example, a reusable cup, drinking bottle,...

96. Take away food: bring your own sustainable packaging

97. Organise your plastic free, less waste party

98. Find alternatives voor balloons. Balloons are a big part of

the global litterpollution

99. You don't necessarily have to travel by plane to go on vacation

100. Drive as little as possible with a car

Water

Because it is a essential part of waste reduction I give this some extra attention: Water is probably one of the most precious resources and vital for everyone’s everyday life. Despite this obvious fact, people use large amounts of water: drinking, cooking and washing, but even more for producing things such as food (look at the water footprint of meat!), paper, cotton clothes, and almost every other physical product.

Inside our outside, be aware of your water footprint and try to use less water. Collect cold water when you wait for hot water, eat less meat, ...