It’s the *most wonderful time* of the, um, f*cked up year. The joys of the holidays normally include rowdy caroling and mistletoe kissing. Unfortunately, 2020 promises none of that. On the plus side, the year has blessed us with the opportunity to cancel the worst this season has to offer: waste. Well, waste and Santa Con.

From bumps in rotten food to landfill-loading holiday trash, this time of year is simply wasteful AF. So if you’ve been meaning to take personal action to reduce your footprint or go plastic free, now’s a good time to make a big impact. As they say, waste not, want not. Or as my mom says, the trash keeps attracting feral raccoons. Whatever your motivation, here’s TUSHY’s 30-day guide to your greenest holiday season yet. Welcome to our 2020 Zero Waste Challenge.

Day 1: Connect With Your What and Your Why

We haven’t technically defined “zero waste” yet. The practice is defined in different ways by different communities, but here are the basics: using less, and using more consciously. Writer and activist Bea Johnson breaks it down like this: refuse what you don’t need, reduce what you use, reuse where you can, recycle what you can’t refuse or reduce, and compost the rest. Don’t worry, most Zero-Wasters know that going 100% waste-free isn’t a realistic goal. Start where you are, and trust that doing something is better than doing nothing. 

And why is this good? Well, by reducing waste, we’re helping the environment and the economy. About 8 million metric tons of plastic go into the ocean every year, equivalent to a dump-truck’s worth every minute. Landfills are big contributors to global warming, because uncomposted compostables produce a lot of methane gas. Of course there are limits to the impact of individual action, but the zero waste movement is making an impact. And if you don’t like the idea of a giant trash vortex in the Pacific, reducing your own waste is a good first step. 

Day 2: Collect Plastic

This seems counter intuitive, but hang with us. You’ll want to do a roll call on all of your plastic trash to help you understand where it’s coming from. If you set aside your plastic for a month, you’ll start to see patterns of where the plastic is coming from. Track your recyclable plastic, too! Unlike glass and metal, plastic degrades each time it’s recycled, so it’s eventually heading to a landfill. If you don’t want to give off a hoarder vibe (or you live in an NYC apartment), you can take photos instead of collecting. Either way, you’re basically spying on your own trash. Climbing in your dumpster? Optional.

Day 3: Buy Less

This one can be a little harder than it looks, but it’s honestly key. Overall, we’re aiming to streamline what you bring into your home. New stuff takes resources and energy to make, and products are not normally made with end-of-life in mind. So if you buy less food, for example, you’re less likely to have packaging to throw out and, later, rotten food to throw away. The same is true for clothes, toys, and pretty much everything else you’d bring into your home. 

Yes, you may need to buy a few new items to help support your more sustainable lifestyle. But marketing is very good at making you think you need to buy something new, when there may be another way to get what you need. Before you buy something new, ask yourself - can you stretch what you have longer? Can you buy it second hand or borrow it from a friend? Consider joining a Buy Nothing group in your local community. Another trick is waiting 30 days between getting the urge to buy and pulling the trigger. And when you get the urge to have the latest thing, remind yourself that nothing is more on-trend than being Zero Waste. Darling, you are The Culture.

Day 4: Bring Your Bottle

If bottles are good enough for babies, baby, they’re good enough for you! Today, and for the rest of the month, you’ll take your reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. Why? Well, Americans are tossing more than 50 million plastic bottles. Every day. That’s, as they say, an assload of trash. You can have your bottle in hand, in your bag or in your car, just make sure you bring it along. You know that classic leaving-the-house song “wallet, phone, keys”? Well, it’s getting a remix. Now it’s “wallet, water, phone, keys.” We have to say, this sounds like a bop!

Day 5: Secure Your Bag

What if you never used a disposable plastic bag again? We promise, it’s possible. They say “out of sight, out of mind” so make sure your reusable bags are in eyeline. Keep your bag in your car, purse or backpack. Add them to your key ring. The biggest part of the battle is getting your bags to the store. Saving the environment? It’s in the bag!

Day 6: Make “Meatloaf”

Whenever we had leftover veggies, my mom would throw everything into a meatloaf. Today is your day to do a clear-out-your-fridge meal. Don’t be afraid to go deep into your pantry for a food-waste-combatting kitchen concoction.

Day 7: Get Outside

When it comes to connecting with nature, nothing competes with… well, being in nature. Today, make sure to get quality time with Mother Earth. Whether you’re tree bathing, stargazing or doing a gentle hike, being with nature will chill you out and refresh you for the rest of the challenge. Don’t forget that there are real constraints this year due to Covid. Like, this is not the year to put yourself in a search-and-rescue situation. But a small adventure is Covid-realistic and a worthwhile endeavor.

Day 8: Spy On Your Trash Stash

You’ve been at this a week! Time to review your plastic hoard so far. What is creating the most bulk in your heap? Starbucks cups for your iced peppermint mochaccino? Is your produce still coming in clamshells? What’s one step you can take today to break up with plastic? Do that step. And keep on tracking your trash as we go on. We promise, you can get rid of everything at the end so you don’t go full Oscar The Grouch.

Day 9: Shop Your Farmer’s Market

Familiarize yourself with your local farmer’s market scene. Did you know that shopping local is better for your local economy? When you buy small, $68 of every $100 you spend stays in the community. When you spend with a national chain, that number is more like $43 of $100 with a big box store. Plus, the food doesn’t have to travel as far to get to you (lower carbon footprint!), and it comes without single-use packaging. Wins all around!

Day 10: Clean Your Hygiene Routine

From toothpaste tubes to deodorant, our hygiene routines are riddled with plastic. Don’t toss out items you’re still using, but today’s your day to find clean alternatives for when you next re-up. We see you, deodorant cream! And while you’re at it, opt for TUSHY’s bamboo toilet paper, which skips the bleach and plastic packaging of standard TP. Hooray!

Day 11: Rework Your Kitchen Traditions

The average American spends $200 on paper towels every year. That’s $10K on paper towels in a lifetime. Damn! We can do better. There are many clean and trash-free alternatives to standard single-use kitchen staples, like Saran Wrap and coffee filters. Educate yourself and make a plan for your transition to waste-free feeding!

Day 12: Green Your Gift List

This year especially, it feels nice to splurge on the people we love if we can. You can still spoil your near-and-dears while adopting a zero-waste lifestyle. Some gifts are very low footprint, like a certificate for a pro massage or your personal babysitting services. Experiences like museum outings and concerts (rip for now) can be waste-free. 

If you’re a stuff person more than an “acts-of-service” type, consider opting for green gifties. Package Free, a Brooklyn-based zero-waste shop offers gift guides for compostable and plastic-free fiends, and more. If you’re not local to Brooklyn, you can always shop in your community to cut down on shipping trash. We’ve gotta mention that TUSHY bidet attachments help reduce toilet paper use and make fab gifts, just sayin’.

Day 13: Be The Compost Hostess With The Mostess

Nothing says pandemic like a home project. If April didn’t get you composting, now’s the time! Whether you live in a space with a backyard or you’re in an apartment, the first step is collecting your food scraps. From there, you can either compost yourself or find a local solution. Many farmer’s markets or community gardens have compost receptacles, and folks at your local health food store can be good guides. Composting is very “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” except you’re both men! We love.

Day 14: RSVP “No” To Food Waste

Everyone loves to gobble gobble. But Americans toss out more food during the holidays than at any other time of year. On an average Thanksgiving, for example? We toss out 204 million pounds of turkey. That’s like 6 million birds. Some quick tips before your next feast: use fresh produce to avoid packaging trash; freeze leftovers before they spoil; and have guests bring their own tupperware to share the wealth. This all helps to avoid a great migration to the landfill. Winner winner chicken dinner!

Day 15: Know Your Overshoot Date

We’re halfway-through the challenge. Yay! Today is a good day to reconnect with your why. Living in a city, it’s easy to feel disconnected from how our actions affect Mother Earth. Very few of us are able to go full My Octopus Teacher mode and live immersed in nature for a year, but simply remembering that Earth is the source of pretty much everything we’re using is a start. There is no Planet B.

Towards that end: do you know about Earth Overshoot Day? Basically, we have a finite set of resources that can be replenished by Earth in a year. We basically use a year’s worth of resources by August, meaning we’re consuming like there are 1.5 earths to use. Today, you can check out your personal overshoot day. If it’s before August, you’re consuming more than the average Earthian. But that’s why you’re on this journey, and congrats on taking your first 15 steps.

Day 16: Eat Different

If you’re eating outside your home, you are going to need some new tactics to avoid trash. If you like hitting the vending machine, you may opt ot bring snacks with you in reusable silicone baggies. Do you use plastic utensils? Bring your own. It’s a lot harder to go waste-free at fast food restaurants, so skip McDonald’s so you don’t set yourself up for failure. 

Day 17: Ring In New Holiday Traditions

To cut down on waste, but not holiday cheer, infuse your traditions with a zero-waste flair. For decorations, see about shopping second hand. If you deck your halls with a Christmas tree, opt for a real one -- they help reduce CO2 when they’re being grown, while artificial ones are made from petroleum. If you’re sending cards, opt for eco-friendly ones. Fortunately, Santa’s sleigh is already powered by renewables: Christmas cheer and Rudolph’s red nose.

Day 18: Switch Up Your Starbucks

It’s eggnog latte season, which we can all agree is a beautiful thing. But, brace yourself for this next stat: 6 billion Starbucks cups make it to landfills annually. Today is your day to brew that coffee or tea at home. Meanwhile, make sure you have a reusable coffee mug for your next official Starbucks mug. As a bonus, you’ll get 10 cents off your brew!

Day 19: Go Zero Waste on Your Face

We love a beauty routine packed with lotions and potions, but all those little containers create a lot of trash. It’s time to green your beauty routine. Instead of make-up removing wipes, use reusable cotton rounds. Find a beauty brand that is package free. After all, nothing’s more beautiful than being at peace with your footprint. And Keanu Reeves. Wait, what were we talking about?

Day 20: Repair With Care 

If you’re torn between buying a new coat or repairing an old one, here’s your sign: repair the old one. Today is the day to show care to an item that needs it. This will help you stretch the use of the item to delay a purchase, and it will also increase the likelihood that someone else can enjoy the item when you’re finished with it. Whether today means a trip to a tailor or your local electronics repair shop, it’s a good idea to buddy up with people who can extend the life of your things. And it’s never a bad time to learn how to sew a button.

Day 21: Green Your Shower

Scrub-a-dub-dub! Get waste out your tub! The old way was filling up your shower with plastic bottles, plastic razors, and rubber duckies. Keep the rubber duckies, but it’s time to upgrade the rest. Def finish what you have already, but today is the day to invest in a safety razor and zero-plastic shampoo and conditioner, and waste-free soap bars. If you’re feeling fresh, you can post a bathtub pic on Insta of your new clean routine ;)

Day 22: Dump Your Junk Mail

Here’s the challenge for today: Spend 30 minutes unsubscribing from junk mail. 51 million metric tons of greenhouse gas is caused by junk mail each year, and almost half of that junk ends up in landfills unopened. Register for do-not-mail lists. If you need to call to cancel a catalogue subscription, today’s the day. And add a sign to your mailbox that says “no junk mail”, which operates as an official return-to-sender. This will leave you with more space in your mailbox for real mail.

Day 23: DIY Day! Re-use With Love

Today, we’re challenging you to take an item you’d normally trash and find a new use for it instead of recycling. Do you have old paper bags from the grocery store? You can paint them to become holiday gift bags. Empty tins from coffee or baby formula? You can decorate and repurpose them as holiday treat tins. And if you aren’t feeling the holiday vibe, you can always turn a glass jar into a reusable container for bulk pantry storage or bathroom use. You’re putting the “re-use” back into “reduce, reuse, recycle” and we’re here for it!

Day 24: Donate

You’ve been streamlining what you bring into your house. Now’s a time to look at letting go of what is no longer needed. If you’ve swapped a filter-free French Press for your traditional coffee pot, do not kick that pot to the curb. Find a way to give it an afterlife, by donating. As they say, giving is a gift!

Day 25: Clean Up Your Cleaning

We’re deep into our journey, and it’s time for a clean (read: green) clean (read: wash) of your home. Standard home cleaners like bleach and disinfecting wipes are waste-heavy and harsh on your home. You can use milder products like vinegar and baking soda for many household tasks, especially since they come with less waste attached. No need to toss out your plastic dirt tray, but if you’re in the market for new items here are a few winners.

Day 26: Make Something

We’ve lost a lot of the old skills, like sewing, knitting, woodworking and gardening. Our dependency on others for these skills puts us at a disadvantage, where we need industry to solve easy-to-fix problems for us. Today, connect with your hands and old skills. Whether you make homemade gnocchi or upcycle an item you bought on Facebook Marketplace, you’ll be able to enjoy the simple pleasures of doing something with your hands. And, you’ll build a new habit that doesn’t require a purchase next time. It’s a major power move.

Day 27: Now, Swap!

Take one thing in your routine (like dairy milk or buying new books) and swap it for something more sustainable (like plant-based milk or visiting the library). Honestly, this is a good challenge for any day of the month, and will be an ongoing practice as you continue this lifestyle. We love a good trade!

Day 28: Live Local

Most items in stores are made abroad. This is widely known for clothes, for example, but is just as true for everything from homegoods to electronics. It basically means that the items you’re buying had to travel a long way (and cause a bunch of carbon emissions) to make it into your hands and home. Buying locally made products helps bypass this practice. Getting connected to the resources in your community helps keep resources (like the money you spend) in your community. Support your local butcher and get your meat in glassware. Visit your local thrift store. Frequent mom and pop shops. Investing your time and purchases in your community helps make your home base more sustainable. We love!

Day 29: Join (or Launch) a Zero Waste Community

We’re simply more likely to adopt a lifestyle if we have support. Make sure you’re connected with other Zero-Waste folks as you continue this journey! There are meet-ups and Facebook groups and a Zero Waste subreddit. Wherever you are online, a community is already there to help you stay the course. 

Day 30: Celebrate! 

Congratulations! You’ve completed the beginning of your Zero Waste journey. You’ve learned about sustainability, reduced your carbon footprint and changed old habits. Hopefully, you’ve drastically cut down your waste, and introduced some new items and practices that will keep you in a low waste lifestyle. One person committing to less waste is good for all of us. And if you want to go whole hog on the celebrating thing, don’t hesitate to reward yourself with a green pooping process. TUSHY’s ready to help with our bidet attachments and bamboo TP. We love having your backside!