Cooper Delivered · Sustainable Living · Real Life
What I Stopped Buying When I Went Low-Waste (And What I Use Instead)
What I stopped buying when I went low waste was never about trying to become perfect overnight. It was about changing my environment, my habits, and the way I lived one step at a time.
For me, this shift was personal. Living with endometriosis and PCOS made me look more closely at what I was bringing into my home, putting on my body, and using every single day. I started thinking more seriously about low-tox living, low-waste swaps, and how my environment was affecting the way I felt.
Then came the bigger life shift — moving, travelling, and living more simply in a caravan. That change reset more than just my location. It reset my mind, my routines, and my standards for what I actually wanted in everyday life.
I did not throw everything out and replace it all at once. That is not sustainable, and honestly, that creates more waste. Instead, when something ran out, broke, or needed replacing, I started looking for a better alternative.
Low-waste living did not begin with perfection. It began with one better swap at a time.
What I stopped buying when I went low waste
Looking back at what I stopped buying when I went low waste, most of the changes started in the places I could control most easily. I did not begin with everything. I began with what I used often, what created obvious waste, and what felt like the clearest next step.
That is what made the transition actually work. Not pressure. Not guilt. Just practical changes repeated often enough to become part of everyday life.
Why I did not replace everything at once
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to live more sustainably is thinking they need to do a full lifestyle overhaul immediately. That sounds good in theory, but in practice it usually means spending more, creating more waste, and burning out fast.
My version of low-waste living was slower than that. If something was still usable, I used it. If something finished, then I looked for a lower-plastic, lower-tox, or longer-lasting alternative. That made the shift more realistic and far more sustainable over time.
If you are trying to work out how to begin, that is the biggest thing I would say: do not go all in overnight. Start with what runs out first.
Where I started: the bathroom
The bathroom was the easiest place to start because it was full of repeat-use items, single-use packaging, and things I touched every single day.
Shampoo bottles → shampoo bars
This was the first real swap for me, and it changed everything. It was better for my hair, better for my bathroom, and it reduced the constant cycle of buying plastic bottles.
Plastic deodorant → lower-waste deodorant
Once I made one bathroom swap, it became easier to notice the next one.
Bottled body products → soap bars
Less plastic, less clutter, and less need for constant repurchasing.
Plastic-heavy skincare → simpler options
Natural oils and lower-waste skincare made me look harder at ingredients, packaging, and what I genuinely needed.
If you are starting with haircare, you can explore more through the Hair Lab or read What Is a Shampoo Bar.
Low waste swaps that changed my routine
When I think about what I stopped buying when I went low waste, these are the swaps that stand out most:
- Bottled shampoo → shampoo bars
- Plastic-packaged deodorant → low-waste alternatives
- Liquid body wash → solid soap
- Plastic toothbrushes → bamboo toothbrushes
- Conventional period products → organic options
- Tea bags → loose tea in reusable cloth bags
- Plastic dish products → dish soap bars and a dish brush
- Store-bought vanilla essence in plastic → homemade vanilla in glass bottles
- Seasoning powders → homemade herb powders from homegrown herbs
- Conventional cleaning products → citrus peels in vinegar
None of these were dramatic on their own. Together, though, they changed how my home felt, how much waste I was producing, and how often I was reaching for things that did not align with how I wanted to live.
The homemade swaps that changed everything
One of the biggest shifts was realising I did not always need to buy the replacement product. Sometimes I could make it.
That mindset changed low-waste living from being a shopping exercise into a skills exercise.
Vanilla essence
Instead of buying sweeteners or flavourings in plastic, I started making my own vanilla using vodka and vanilla in glass bottles.
Herb powders
Growing herbs, drying them, and grinding them into seasoning powders made my pantry feel simpler, cleaner, and less dependent on packets.
Cleaning products
Citrus peel in vinegar was such an easy change. Practical, lower-waste, and made from what would otherwise have been thrown out.
These were not just product swaps. They were behaviour shifts.
The real shift was mindset, not shopping
The more I moved into low-waste living, the more I noticed something else: the biggest change was not what I bought. It was how I thought.
I stopped buying things just because they existed. I stopped looking at products as content. I stopped seeing “eco” as just a different kind of consumerism.
Instead, I started asking:
- Do I actually need this?
- Will I really use this in daily life?
- Can I make it, refill it, reuse it, or replace it with something simpler?
- Is there a lower-waste or lower-plastic option?
That is where low-waste living became real for me.
Why I do not believe in buying for content
This is something I feel strongly about. A lot of online content encourages people to buy things “just to try them”, “just to review them”, or “just to show them”. But if those things are not genuinely going to be used in real life, then all that is happening is more waste.
That waste does not disappear just because it was part of content creation. It still goes somewhere. It still fills up cupboards, sheds, bins, and landfill.
I think we need to be more honest about that. Buying things you do not need can give the economy a false message about what should keep being produced for us.
Real low-waste living is not about replacing one kind of excess with another. It is about reducing the excess in the first place.
The 52-week skill mindset
Part of this journey for me has been learning new skills — not once, but repeatedly, until they become part of life.
That is the difference between trying something and actually changing your lifestyle.
A new skill each week does not have to be huge. It might be:
- making something instead of buying it
- reusing something instead of throwing it out
- growing an ingredient instead of buying it packaged
- finding a lower-plastic replacement for something you use all the time
Over time, those small skills compound. They become routine. That is where real change happens.
You do not need to do everything
If you are reading this and feeling inspired but also overwhelmed, let me say this clearly: you do not need to change your whole life this week.
Start with one thing. Start with the thing you use most. Start with the easiest win. Start with your bathroom if that feels manageable, because that is where I started too.
The point is not to become the perfect low-waste person. The point is to move in a better direction, one practical change at a time.
The bigger picture behind what I stopped buying when I went low waste
What I stopped buying when I went low waste was never just about products. It was about awareness. It was about reducing the layers of unnecessary waste around me. It was about feeling more connected to what I was using, what I was consuming, and what I was bringing into my home and body.
Once I started, it got easier. Not because I became perfect, but because I became more intentional.
And that is really what low-waste living gave me: not perfection, but intention.
FAQ: Low-waste living and everyday swaps
How do I start a low-waste lifestyle?
Start with one item you already use every day and replace it when it runs out. Small consistent swaps are easier to keep than doing everything at once.
Do I need to throw everything out to go low waste?
No. Using what you already have first is often the more sustainable choice. Replace things gradually as they run out, break, or need upgrading.
What is the easiest place to start with low-waste swaps?
The bathroom is often the easiest place because it contains many repeat-use items like shampoo, soap, deodorant, and toothbrushes.
What are some easy low-waste swaps?
Shampoo bars, bamboo toothbrushes, dish soap bars, loose tea, reusable tea bags, and homemade cleaning products are all practical starting points.
Start with one swap
You do not need a whole new life to begin. You just need one better choice. Explore more through the Cooper Journal, or start with everyday haircare swaps inside the Hair Lab.