When I first moved out for college and started living in a shared house at Selangor to pursue my studies, I knew I had to plan and be frugal with my budgeting. As I scoured the internet for tips and tricks, I came across the concept of Zero-Waste Living (ZWL) whereby one would have a lifestyle in which the waste that we generate daily is turned to almost zero, by means of composting, recycling, refusing single-use containers and other waste-reducing measures. Looking at it, I found the lifestyle to be one that really saves money, and that was how I got my start in zero-waste living.
Disclaimer, although the name is zero-waste, what I am practicing is more of a minimal waste living, but I’m sure it would be helpful as a starting point.
So let’s look at the things I did to be frugal and help save the planet.
1. Groceries
For produce, we are lucky where in Malaysia, most supermarkets have two sections.
- The whole foods sections where you can get a plastic bag, fill it up with the amount of produce you require and go to a counter to have it priced by weight.
- The other section is pre-packaged produce wrapped in plastic as well.
Oftentimes, the pre-packaged ones are much more expensive than the ones sold by weight. So what I did was substitute the plastic bag with a net jute bag and buy produce by weight.
But some of you may think, what about the weight of the net bag? Won’t it affect the price?
Firstly, a net bag is often quite light and won’t affect the overall weight of the produce. Secondly, if you are still worried or are using some other heavier materials, you can get the cashier to weigh the produce first without the bag and then proceed to bag it up yourself. This second method also has the advantage of minimising the amount of bags needed as once the price is printed, you can put the produce into one bag rather than having multiple smaller bags.
2. Hygiene
Hygiene is probably the part where I managed to save the most, thanks to soap bars. The price of soap bars are unimaginably cheap when compared to liquid soap. It also lasts longer and uses less plastic. Just look at the packaging. The bars are wrapped in either paper boxes or wrappers with a thin layer of plastic coating, while the big bottles use far more plastic.
A soap bar costs cheaper than the liquid bottle version of the same brand.
Usually a bar of soap would last me around 2-3 months depending on its weight, which is around the same as a bottle of liquid soap making it much more economical.
There are also shampoo and conditioner bars for your hair needs. If you are looking for shampoo or conditioner bars, make sure it is a syndet (synthetic detergent) bar and has ingredients like sodium cocoyl isothionate or sodium sulfates. This allows the hair to be washed properly.
There are also a few ways to maximise usage of your soap bars. For example, avoid storing it in a damp place like your shower but instead let it dry out after each use. You can also put the bars in net bags to maximise any bar scraps to the fullest. The bags can also double as an exfoliating mitt and a sudser. There’s also no need to buy net bags specifically for soaps. Reusing those organza bags from wedding door gifts works just as well too.
And if you’re a travel bug, having solid bar soaps is also way easier than liquid soaps. It’s easier to get through security, there’s no 100ml liquid limit or the risk of ruining your clothes through spillage.
3. Menstrual Needs
For females, menstrual needs is a routine occurrence in their daily life. With most estimated to be using around 22 items for menstrual needs (pads, tampons, cups) per cycle and a total of around 11,000 in their lifetime. That is a lot of disposables thrown away and a lot of money being spent too. Furthermore, some may also choose to use liners daily for absorbing everyday discharge or for personal freshness.
As such, I chose to use reusable pads and panty liners. You can easily find them online, stocking both local and international brands. The ones that I bought are a set of 7 reusable panty liners + a wet bag for RM17 and a set of 5 reusable maxi pads + a wet bag for RM19. Assuming one spends around RM20 per cycle, just using a set of reusables for one to two cycles is enough to offset the cost.
And so far both sets have lasted me well into its 6th year now, so the price has been worth it. It’s also easy to clean and travel with, and I’ve even brought it out to trips overseas like Thailand, Indonesia, and the UK.
4. Reusable containers
Malaysia undeniably has a lot of good food. However portion sizes can vary and you may end up with leftovers that you can’t finish. Using your own reusables can help you efficiently pack those leftovers and bring it home. Furthermore, shops and restaurants are increasingly charging extra for the use of disposable packaging, which are extra cents that could quickly add up, especially for small eaters.
Moreover, as a food-centric society, workplaces/communities/classes will often host potlucks and more often than not, there’ll be extra food by the end of the event. Having that extra container can help you in taking those food (with permission of course) and preventing food waste. It can also double as a bowl when there’s no other dinnerware available. Or just to reduce the use of disposable plastic wares often used in these types of events.
And to save space, you can get the expandable silicone ones just like the picture below. Mine is a set of expandable silicone food container and an expandable silicone cup. I’ve used them as a bowl for instant noodles during a backpacking trip in London or when I made some instant Vico in Dubai Airport while waiting for a layover as buying a hot drink was too expensive.
Silicone reusables before and after expansion
Using the reusables during a short backpacking trip in London
There are also other options for reusable containers too like tiered tiffins which now come in not just plain metal casing but also in many fun and contemporary designs.
5. Reusable shopping bags
Retail stores are also now charging extra for bags. Again, same with the case of containers, having your own is more sustainable and cost-effective. You can reuse any old tote bag lying around or most stores will have a reusable one. As for me, I prefer having some that are foldable and portable, which can be inserted into any bag. There have been many cases where you’ll find yourself suddenly needing an extra bag when you don’t have any.
6. Drinks
And most importantly, my final tip in saving money and saving the world is to have your own water bottle. Preferably the thermos kind which can hold hot or cold temperature liquids for a long period of time. Thankfully, there are many water dispensers available in Malaysia. Even in shops and restaurants, these dispensers with hot and cold water are often available for free, especially in most student campuses where these dispensers are almost everywhere. You can not only save on spending money for drinks or water, but you can also enjoy it in your favourite temperature. Additionally, it also encourages me to drink water more frequently as any urge I have to buy sugary or caffeinated drinks will be curbed by looking at my water bottle and thinking, “but I already have water here, it would be such a waste to buy drinks and not drink this freely available water”.
Embracing a zero-waste, or in this case minimal-waste lifestyle as a student has been a powerful rethinking exercise in terms of savings and sustainability.
It’s been a lesson on resourcefulness, creativity and financial wisdom. I’ve been able to discover sustainable alternatives that not only lightens my environmental and carbon footprint, but also lightens my budget. As reiterated, zero-waste living is not about perfection but about taking small steps in the right direction of sustainability one minimal-waste day at a time. So let’s all do our best to save both the Earth and our wallets from the impending doom of consumerism.
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Pengsan Houn
Azeezah Azizee is a student of Geography at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. She is actively involved in various student organisations and extracurriculars like the Geographical Society of Universiti Malaya and Reserve Officer Training Unit. Her volunteering spirit is often channeled through work with various NGOs in the form of natural disaster relief domestically and overseas, free education services for underprivileged groups and participating in student advocacy events. Azeezah also loves to travel, having been to various places in and outside Malaysia through mobility programs held by the university.
Follow Azeezah on IG: @hayikazhazeeza
Pengsan Houn
Azeezah Azizee is a student of Geography at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. She is actively involved in various student organisations and extracurriculars like the Geographical Society of Universiti Malaya and Reserve Officer Training Unit. Her volunteering spirit is often channeled through work with various NGOs in the form of natural disaster relief domestically and overseas, free education services for underprivileged groups and participating in student advocacy events. Azeezah also loves to travel, having been to various places in and outside Malaysia through mobility programs held by the university.
Follow Azeezah on IG: @hayikazhazeeza
