Zero Waste your Life - How less waste can enrich you

She gives practical tips on how to avoid waste and shows how to live more sustainably in small steps.

Sandra, in your job you deal with the resource transition and how we can implement a circular economy. Let's be honest ... do you live a completely zero-waste lifestyle?

No, I don't, and unfortunately it is still very difficult for end consumers to fulfil this requirement at the moment. Zero waste and resource-conserving consumption are one of the biggest challenges of our time. I try to avoid as much waste as possible in my private life. During my studies, for example, when I had an unpackaged shop right on my doorstep, I was able to put the principle into practice particularly well. Back then, the yellow bag was only full every four months and I only had to empty my residual waste bin once or twice a year. Unfortunately, I no longer have an unpackaged shop in my neighbourhood, which has set me back a little.

What's the best way to start with zero waste?

I recommend starting with small steps and continuously adapting everyday processes. Avoiding waste starts right at home. It therefore makes sense to go through all the rooms in your home and check for ways to reduce waste. In the bathroom, for example, I switched from shampoo bottles to solid soaps. These soaps are also often packaged in paper, which is easy to recycle. There are also many sustainable alternatives to disposable hygiene products, such as stainless steel razors, washable cotton pads, menstrual cups, menstrual underwear or cloth sanitary towels. These products help to minimise disposable waste. You can go a long way with a few small tricks. It is important to understand how powerful your own habits are and to remember this when making purchasing decisions.

How do you feel about clothes? Do you buy second-hand or just less in general?

I favour second-hand clothing, repair services and less consumption. If a jumper has a hole in it, I sew it myself or take it to a seamstress or tailor. In Berlin, for example, there are many repair services that can be found via the A-Gain Guide. That way I can use my clothes for longer. I'm also a big fan of clothes swap parties. For example, I'm currently wearing a pair of trousers from a colleague and a top from a friend that they've sorted out. As you can see, you can also turn it into a cool social event. Incidentally, someone once told me that second-hand is ‘pre-loved’ clothing for them. For me, new terms like this also create a value for supposedly old things and prove that ‘old’ doesn't have to mean ‘rubbish’.

And food? Do you go to the weekly market every day?

It would be nice, but unfortunately I don't have the time (laughs). Instead, I'm a member of a community-supported agriculture organisation to reduce food waste. This enables me to get unpackaged, regional and seasonal fruit and vegetables every week. I also help out on the farm in Brandenburg several times a year and therefore know exactly where my fruit and vegetables come from. This not only saves me packaging waste, but also supports the regional farm. This example shows once again that zero waste can be more than just waste avoidance: In this case, it also creates social encounters, promotes conscious and healthy eating and physical activity in agriculture.

How do you manage zero waste on the go? Do you have any tips?

It's a good habit to always have a Tupperware/reusable box, a glass straw or a refillable cup with you. The cloth bag with the things hangs on my front door and I can easily take it with me. This means I can avoid single-use waste when I'm out and about by asking restaurants to put my food in my Tupperware. Thanks to the new obligation to offer reusable containers, restaurants have also been obliged to offer reusable containers for out-of-home consumption since 2023. However, the best thing to do is to stay seated in the restaurant and consciously take your time with your meal. This not only reduces waste, but also stress.

Does less waste also lead to less stress?

Yes, it inevitably does. In our consumption-orientated to-go society, we are all somehow always on the go. Actively rethinking this makes me more mindful and sensitive as I go through the world. Planning fixed break times in my diary, for example, was a game changer for me. Since then, I've been eating consciously and without haste. This helps me to reduce consumption and appreciate the moment of eating more.

Sandra, how do you stick to the zero waste lifestyle?

It's a process of freeing yourself from what you're used to and what you've learnt. It's not easy, as we have unfortunately normalised waste in our society. In addition to our individual decisions, the main responsibility for the success of society as a whole naturally lies with politics and business. However, for all those who want to change their behaviour now and no longer just want to wait and watch: It helps to praise yourself for small advances - whether it's the reusable cup for coffee, the omitted straw, the menstrual cup instead of the tampon, the curd soap or the chips to go without a plastic fork. Every measure, no matter how small, helps you in your personal process and ideally also inspires people around you to adopt more conscious consumer behaviour.

Thank you very much for the interview!

Personal details: Sandra Tomašević is a sustainability professional. She works as a project manager for the non-profit organisation ProjectTogether, which focuses on socio-ecological issues and promotes the circular economy through its mission ‘Circular Futures’. The initiative brings together various stakeholders to support social change in areas such as regenerative agriculture, migration and administrative transformation.

Useful links to websites that support the zero waste lifestyle:

● Used goods department stores' NochMall: www.nochmall.de - Here you can not only hand in old items, but also learn how to repair items in repair cafés.

● Unpackaged shops: Original Unverpackt - Find unpackaged products in Berlin.

● Collection service for old clothes: Recyclehero - Have old clothes collected directly from your doorstep.

● Repair map: A-Gain Guide - Find repair services in your neighbourhood.

● Reusable reporter: Reusable map - Where to find reusable containers for to-go consumption.

● Once without please: Packaging-free shopping options - Discover packaging-free shopping options.

● Litterpicker: Litterpicker - A civil society initiative that collects rubbish every week

● House of Materialisation: House of Materialisation provides information on the circular economy and sustainable use of materials

● Solidarity agriculture: In the solidarity agriculture model, consumers and farmers share responsibility for the production and distribution of food.

Interested parties can find more information and inspiration for a more sustainable life in the greener living theme world from 17 to 26 January 2025 at the Grüne Woche.