Here’s the how:

As it turns out, living waste-free actually goes hand-in-hand with being super-fine, fit and fierce. That’s right — you can getchyo sexy on and take care of our sweet, beleaguered Mama Earth in one fell swoop.

Not totally convinced? Let’s break it down.

The old adage, “We are what we eat” can be broadened; we aren’t just what we eat — we’re what we purchase.

Yes, fine, at the base of it all we’re just souls wrapped in gangly, gorgeous human shells — but we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t claim to be our clothes, our cars, our products, furniture, bikes, pets, pantries, fridges, gear…everything.

Right? Right. So with that in mind, we now have a choice.

Ask yourself—

“Would I rather be a chemical-laden, abusive (to people and planet), packaged piece of yuck, or an aware, eco-chic, made-with-love piece of yay?”

For me at least, the choice is clear.

We must live so that we leave a better world for our children than the one we inherited. And the zero-waste movement aims to do just that.

Here are three tips to spark your sans-waste spirit:

1. Bulk up, baby!

The bulk isle is your new best friend (second only to the Farmer’s Market — buying fresh and local is the key to your sexy, sans-waste success).

You’ll save money, de-clutter your kitchen and keep trim by avoiding over-processed, packaged goods (err, bads!).

Repeat after me, bulk is beautiful. Bulk. Is. Beautiful.

*Pro tip: Bring your own reusable bags when buying! Or Ball jars — just don’t forget to weigh them first (those babies can be heavy!)

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2. Just say NO!…to plastic.

All plastic that has ever been created — yes, all plastic — is still in existence today in one form or another. That reason alone should be scary enough to convince anyone to avoid it at all cost.

*pro tip: Don’t want your veggies going kaput in a matter of minutes? Check out these green bags — they’ll change your life (plus, you can bring ‘em to the grocery store).

Don’t forget, we are what we purchase! Here’s a great video to animate this:

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3. D.I.Y.

Rather than buying the granola bar whose pretty packaging will end up in (at best) a landfill, or (at worst) the belly of an [insert endangered animal here], make ya own! You’ll save money, and won’t be subject to curious “natural” ingredients. Don’t forget we have a choice!

For our first D.I.Y. challenge, we took Lauren’s advice and made our own toothpaste, our teeth and planet thank us! Here’s the video:

*pro tip: You don’t have to do it all your-sexy-self. Community collaboration is key to creating a brighter future.

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Take-aways:

Living zero waste does more than keep our over-flowing landfills from becoming mountains…

It means keeping our family farmers in business, our wallets heavy and our waste-lines healthy and happy.

Also, it doesn’t have to be a cold-turkey lifestyle change. For many of us, it will mean taking babysteps. Check out Be Zero or Trash is for Tossers and Recycling is Sexy for more advice.

The more conscious we become of our actions, the easier it becomes to make the right decisions — for ourselves, for our families, and for our planet.

How will you participate?

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Visit Recycling is Sexy and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more great info.

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Relephant:

13 Ways to Care for the Planet & Ourselves.

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Author: Emma Ruffin

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Provided by Author