As believers in Jesus, my husband and I believe that we are called to be good stewards of the Earth. When we look out with awe and wonder at all that God has created just for our pleasure – it is truly breathtaking. Every tree, every plant, every mountain or body of water, every creature – they were all designed to bring us joy. What a beautiful daily reminder of His love, kindness, and goodness toward us!
Taking care of the gift we’ve been given is both a privilege and a responsibility. If you are interested in living a low or zero-waste lifestyle, this guest post is for you!
While so much is outside of our control, there is much that we can change in our own lifestyles. Who knows, the changes you make may inspire others to make their own positive changes!
The ripple effect can create generations who seek to be good stewards of the Earth to preserve all that we’ve been given. Never underestimate the power of your example today.
Even if you change one life – that one life could go on to change hundreds, thousands, or even more!
This beautifully written guest post by Hazel Bennett is a sobering look at the effects of our wasteful mentality across the globe.
Thank you, Hazel, for reminding us to be better stewards of the Earth and for giving us simple to implement tips for how to live a zero-waste lifestyle.
Hazel Bennett is a freelance writer and blogger. She has a degree in communications and lives in Northeastern Ohio. Hazel loves writing about numerous topics and showcasing her expertise with words.
Hazel Bennett Contently
If you are interested in submitting a guest post here at Wholeness Haven, I’d love to hear from you! Please see the bottom of this post for more information.
Stewards of the Earth: How Adopting a Zero-Waste Lifestyle Can Help
If you’re anything like me, you love to spend time in nature. Few things can compare to taking in the beauty of God’s green earth as you hike through the wilderness or relax at the beach.
Unfortunately, pollution and greenhouse effects have taken their toll. However, there are still many things we can do to help keep our planet healthy and thriving.
Living a zero-waste lifestyle is an excellent way to cut down on the pollution in the soil, air, and oceans. Changing only a few of our daily habits can reduce our carbon footprints and minimize damage to the ecosystem.
If you’re ready to make some positive changes, read on for tips on how you and your family can make the shift toward a zero-waste home.
Where Does Trash Go?
Our garbage can end up in a few different places. The EPA found that the US generated 292.4 million tons of solid waste in 2018, and only 89 million tons of that trash went to recycling centers or composting.
That means over 200 million tons of refuse went into landfills that year alone.
While recycling rates increase annually, the vast majority of rubbish still sits in dumps. As waste decomposes at these sites, it creates harmful gasses and contaminants that pollute our soil and water.
Moreover, non-biodegradable materials like plastics may end up in oceans, lakes, and rivers, potentially destroying the habitats of sea life.
Does a Zero-Waste Lifestyle Make a Difference?
Embracing a zero-waste lifestyle is a great way to help the environment and honor your beliefs by being faithful stewards of the Earth.
Small changes, like switching to a reusable water bottle and shopping secondhand, can reduce pollution and improve ecosystem health for humans and animals.
Looking for a great reusable water bottle? We LOVE Super Sparrow bottles.
Ultimately, practicing a zero-waste lifestyle can result in fewer toxins going into our bodies and the planet.
On top of being environmentally friendly, zero-waste living can be beneficial to your home life. Investing in high-quality, reusable materials means you won’t need to replace items constantly, saving you money and time.
By adopting greener habits, you can even address common household problems like getting rid of fruit flies naturally.
How to Create a Zero-Waste Home
While making these changes may seem challenging, you don’t have to do it all at once. Try out some of the following techniques and consider opting for zero-waste products to begin your journey toward this eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.
Learning to become good stewards of the Earth is a process. Don’t beat yourself up if you think you’re not ‘doing enough.’ That only creates frustration. Just take it one day, one simple change at a time if you need to. That’s perfectly okay!
Our bad habits weren’t learned overnight. Un-learning them may not happen overnight, either!
- Cut Back on Single-Use Items: Though they may be convenient, bottled water, paper plates, and plastic forks end up in the garbage after one use. Something as simple as choosing metal straws, silicone food savers, and real silverware can drastically reduce your trash output.
- Opt for Reusable Shopping Bags: Rather than bringing plastic bags home with every purchase, try reusable shopping and produce bags to transport your groceries.
- Choose Fresh Foods Over Packaged: Fresh foods are cheaper than pre-packaged items and help keep extra wrappers and containers out of the bin. Skip the frozen, canned, and pre-cut produce in favor of whole fruits and veggies.
- Adopt a Zero-Waste Cleaning Routine: Store-bought disinfectant wipes, household cleaner bottles, and paper towels can fill up your trash cans after a day of housekeeping. Try swapping to chemical-free cleaning agents, and decrease waste with sustainable mops, brooms, brushes, and dishcloths.
- Try Composting: Separating food waste into compost bags or bins reduces waste, plus it’s a natural way to keep your home smelling good. Instead of leaving leftovers and scraps to decompose in a landfill, you can donate them to a nearby farm or use them to fertilize the plants in your garden.
Related Reading: Here are two plant-based, chemical free cleaners we have been using for many months and we absolutely LOVE them. I’ve not seen a cleaning job they couldn’t tackle yet!
What Does It Mean to Live Zero Waste?
While pollution and climate change may be huge problems in our world, we can all do our part to help. Trying out a low or zero-waste lifestyle is a great step toward a green lifestyle and a healthier environment.
Tiny changes like declining a paper receipt or bringing your own bags to the store can positively impact our homes and the Earth.
It is my genuine belief that the more we understand, the better we do. Being good stewards of the Earth doesn’t have to be overwhelming or an impossible task.
Yet the rewards, in our generation, and the generations to come depend on us doing the right thing!
What changes can you make today to improve your life, your Earth, and the lives of those around you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Let’s all decide that even small changes are worth making because over time, they add up to big impacts. What do you say? 🙂
Guest posting invitation
As many of you know, I have been absent from the online world for a couple of months now. I sure do miss y’all!
Just like for many of you, these recent months have left a trail of chaos, challenging situations, and troubling personal matters to navigate through in my life.
Just when I would think that the ‘storms of life’ had calmed down, a new one would blow through. In all of this, I put my trust in the Lord. He is our Redeemer, our Hope, and our Salvation.
So, what does this have to do with guest posting? In dealing with all that has happened, it has been difficult for me to have a regular posting schedule or spend much time online.
That’s why I welcome your guest posts now more than ever! If you are interested in writing about any of the topics here on Wholeness Haven, I’d love to hear from you! You are welcome to include a link back to your own blog or website, as well as a short author biography.
It would be my great pleasure to add your voice to this blog. Each of you matter to me and I love hearing from you!
Please contact me here and let me know your guest post idea! I look forward to your thoughts.
All My Love To You & Yours,
You have some wonderful tips here, Holly. We had a compost pile in Florida and really liked it. I haven’t been able to find space here in our home in New England to do it, but want to learn. As far as reusable shopping bags and a zero-waste cleaning routine, done! We are trying to do as much as possible to reduce our footprint here on Earth from our family. Love seeing this post from me and may be in your inbox soon about that guest post option when I start writing for publishing again. 🙂
Hi, Shell! You’re the best! I love how you and your family do care about the environment and seek to do things that help. It’s my belief that many people do nothing because they feel like, “well what is my little part going to do anyway?” Yet if all of our “small parts” add up – then we can see that real change begin to happen.
Compost piles are so interesting! My husband had one long before he met me and I was entirely unfamiliar coming from a family that didn’t recycle, etc. It’s a huge pile now (the compost) and we read up on how to make it hotter by fertilizing, watering and so on which makes it more efficient and burns up roots or other things you don’t want growing. There are quite a few different types of composts too which makes it all the more interesting!
Amen sis, I’m with you on the reusable shopping bags, essential oils and other chemical-free cleaning products. I love that we have this in common!
Looking forward to working with you, Shell. I love your voice and the way you engage your audience. You have a gift that is unmatched. Sending my love to you and much gratitude for you simply being who you are! 😘
Love this post! All so very true!
I’ve discovered, in all aspects of life, that the time I spend beating myself up for mistakes is just a distraction, and doesn’t help anything at all. Better to acknowledge the mistake, and then do better next time 😉
I can definitely use some of these tips!
Great to see a post, Holly! You have been missed, and the post tells me you are okay…. not necessarily fantastic, but okay 😉
Thinking of you and sending love and prayers across the ocean <3
Meg, you are the absolute best! I LOVE what you said here: “I’ve discovered, in all aspects of life, that the time I spend beating myself up for mistakes is just a distraction, and doesn’t help anything at all.” — Yes! How true that is! We do waste so much precious energy and time fretting over something we can’t change or undo anyhow! The only energy worth spending is the type where we grow, learn, and move forward. Getting stuck is never any fun! You could preach on that one, my friend! 😀
I have missed you too. THANK YOU for your kind words! Your understanding of my absence means the world to me. I value you, your thoughts, and your friendship. My genuine love and prayers are heading right back your way! 😘
Some times, for peace of mind, we just need a time out from everything – and some times it includes the people we love. And it isn’t about not loving them anymore… it’s just about needing to love ourselves.
You are always missed, and thought of….
but I definitely get that sometimes the time out is physical need… and that’s okay.
Sending much love and hugs your way <3
Lovely post. If we really think about where our trash goes, it is hard to be irresponsible with it. We must get out of this out-of-sight-out-of-mind situation. Love your simple tips. They can reallt help any home start minimizing waste.
It is always such a blessing to hear from you, thank you! I love everything you said. You’re 100% right — we must get rid of our stinking thinking that “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” means we aren’t actually doing something wrong. We have the power to make such a huge difference in our world with such little effort. Why in the world wouldn’t we, right?!?
I pray we all begin to think less selfishly and take our actions into consideration. Thank you for your words of encouragement and kindness. You are valued!
These are some great tips Holly. It’s so important that we be good stewards of what God has given us. Sending lots of love and hugs your way sweet friend.
Dearest Terri, as always, I love hearing from you. Amen, my friend — being good stewards of this precious gift God has given us is one of the ways we can show our love and appreciation for all He has done!
My love and hugs are headed your way as well. Thank you for being here, Terri. I appreciate you so very much! 😘
Thank you for sharing about this, ma’am. 🤗
We all have a part to play in keeping our environment clean and safe. 💕
Sweet sis, thank you for sharing your thoughts! You’re absolutely right — we all have a part to play, and when we join together in unity (for any purpose!), we become so much better, right?
My love, prayers, and heartfelt hugs are headed your way, my friend. Thank you for being here!
The ripple effect really is underestimated sometimes. “Even if you change one life – that one life could go on to change hundreds, thousands, or even more!” < That’s such a good way to look at it.
I’m glad to say I do many of the things you suggest here, and we have cut down on single use plastics quite dramatically just by reusing shopping bags and using reusable water bottles. Composting we’e done for a while, along with general food and waste recycling kerbside. Cleaning agents at home are the thing I’ve not really looked at. I feel guilty about it now! I think what’s put me off a little has been wanting products that I know are going to be effective, particularly during the pandemic. I want the scientific stuff to tell me it kills germs and bacteria and viruses, I want to know it’s hardcore. That’s something I’ll have to look into to see what changes we can make.
I love that you’ve not just given suggestions for how to live a more eco friendly lifestyle with less waste, but that you’ve hammered home why it’s so important. I think people really need to know that and appreciate both why it’s vital, and why their role is likewise so pivotal. Each action from each person matters. Great post lovely. xx
Dearest Caz, you’re the best. I never cease to be amazed by the thoughtfulness and care of your comments. I love how you always add to the conversation!
Isn’t it amazing when you think on it just how many lives we can change by simply changing even one life ourselves? I’ve heard it said so many times, we really do underestimate our reach because we are only thinking in terms of how many people WE can touch on our own. If we think about it though – when we read something that changes our lives, and then we take that information, pass it on and share with others – the original author has touched our life AND all the lives we have touched through those words. Then, we have touched all the lives that share our words. How powerful is that!
I really love how you and your family are doing so much to benefit the environment! Wow, look at y’all. You’ve really made a difference, far beyond what you realize! I definitely wouldn’t feel guilty about not having made the switch yet on your cleaning products. Believe me, I hear you on wanting something that is truly hard-core when it comes to killing germs and disinfecting. That was my biggest hesitation as well. I have found that even though the non-chemical cleaning may not be rated as highly for “disinfecting,” it still cleans in a way that helps and protects us, even without the harmful stuff. Tea tree oil for example is a powerful germ fighter.
Sending my love to you, Caz. I look forward to catching up on your posts. 😘
This is such a great post Holly. It’s amazing to think of all the rubbish that ends up in landfill. Something I’m definitely going to look into this year is DIY cleaning products for the home rather than purchasing the store bought alternatives. So strange that my daily podcast today (Pray as You Go) was about God renewing the face of the earth but that we also have to do our bit to keep his wonderful universe as he meant it to be and then I read your blog post.
Take care lovely Holly, with love and sparkles, God bless xxx
Isn’t it incredible Dawn? Another commenter mentioned the out of sight and out of mind concept. It’s so true! When we come face to face with just how much trash we are creating, it hits home how much we are destroying this beautiful planet created for us out of love.
I don’t know if you saw it or not but I had a post about our top 2 favorite chemical free cleaning supplies. You can find that post here: https://wholenesshaven.com/best-of-the-best-home-cleaning-products/ — We’ve been using them for well over a year now and absolutely love them. I’ve not seen anything they can’t tackle. Many of the DIY blends work beautifully as well. I hope you find the one that makes you happiest. Essential oils are brilliant for cleaning!
I love your podcast title, “Pray As You Go.” How beautiful! It made me smile to hear that the Lord was speaking to you about sharing on this topic and then you saw that He had me share it here as well. Great minds think alike, my friend! ♥
Sending my love to you as always. I’m grateful we met in this great big online world. You are so special. Keep shining your light, Dawn. You are amazing!
That is so true, we throw the trash away without a second thought of what happens to it once the bins have been collected. We sort a lot of the rubbish out for the various bins prior to collection here but that’s it. We forget to look further. I’m definitely up for trying the more natural products for household cleaning etc.
I’ve been listening to that podcast for years. Just ten minutes in the morning to start the day. When I was working in the city I used to listen on the train on the way in. It was a great start to the day. When I was caring for my parents it was random times I would listen but it always gave me a lift in myself.
It really was spooky that I had listened that morning and then read your post – some things are just meant to be. Just like our connection 🙂 Take care lovely Holly, God bless xxx
Loved this very informative and much needed post . I think this awareness need to be spread as much possible so that we can keep our planet green. Simple things like reusing waterbottle and avoiding plastic as much possible is a big step indeed. We have been doing our part as well .Take care my friend , miss your posts and hope to hear from you. Prayers and Hugs.
Nisha, I smile every time I hear from you. You and your friendship mean so much to me, thank you! You always leave such thoughtful comments that give us all something to think about. I love it!
You’re absolutely right — those simple changes like reusing water bottles or choosing glass over plastic when possible have large long-term effects. We can easily underestimate how much of a difference we make in this world, can’t we? That certainly applies to more than just this topic too!
Thank you for your love, my friend. I’ve missed you as well and I look forward to catching up! Sending my love, prayers, and hugs your way. Thank you for being you! ♥
These are such great tips! I think sometimes we just toss trash without ever thinking twice about what it’s doing to our environment.
I used to keep separate bins for recycling. One day I took my cans and plastics to the local recycling bin and when I tossed the cans inside I noticed that there was nothing separating all the bins! There was regular trash and wood pieces in there, too. I was so frustrated! Here I was doing my part and the government wasn’t even doing theirs!
Now I try not to buy plastic packaging whenever I can. But again it seems like everything is wrapped in plastic these days!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! And get some rest! Hugs!!
I completely agree with you Michelle! It is amazing how little thought we can give to such an important subject. When we see photos of landfills all across this globe spilling over into some of the most beautiful lands God created, it’s heartbreaking!
Oooh, I hear you about getting frustrated considering that you are doing what you can, only to find out the government isn’t. What gets me is how local facilities are in charge of what gets recycled, etc. For instance, some places allow glass, others don’t. Then as you said, some places don’t even separate what should be separated. I’m sorry that’s the case there!
You couldn’t be more right about the plastic as well. It does seem to be everywhere. I’m grateful they took some of the toxins out of the plastic but still, it’s having a catastrophic effect overall, especially to sea life.
I love you for doing what you can, my friend. You are so special and I’m grateful for you! Sending you my love in hopes that the rest of your week, and your weekend is peaceful, restful, and blessed! 💓
If we don’t take care of this Earth, she will give up on us.
Amen. Taking care of our Earth is non-negotiable. So much beauty to be cherished if only people will stop and see! Thank you for doing your part, Michele. Sending my love to you & yours! 💓
Something needed, and the way this post talks about it takes away the guilt. As my mother always says, little and often and we’ll get there. Small sustainable steps.
Thank you for sharing this post that has so many achievable steps within its words. 😊
Hi Hamish! It’s great to hear from you again! I always value your insights.
Little and often – I love that! It’s true. We underestimate just how much change we can accomplish with the tiniest of steps in the right direction. This is true for our walks with the Lord too!
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. God bless you!
Mothers always seem to have little sayings that provide those insights.
Peace be with you and your family as 2021 continues, and keep on keeping on being awesome.
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