the answer is yes. here are a few tips on how.

saving money and saving the planet can often feel like a contradiction, but being eco-friendly can also be budget-friendly, by applying some simple zero waste principles. living a truly zero waste life is more than a plastic-free diet, it is about wasting none of your resources, including money.

use what you have

the most eco-friendly solution is to use what you already have. this means:

• reusing items again and again

• upcyclng items to redesign products for a new purpose or giving them new life

• repairing items instead of throwing them away to the landfill, this allows you to embrace the 'make do and mend' attitude rather than the 'throw out and buy new' ethos that is sold to us by marketing campaigns

using up what you already have is the ultimate secret to saving money and saving the planet. it allows you to get creative with your resources and become your own zero waste engineer.

borrow before you buy

there are so many items in the home that we buy and then only use once. special occasion clothing, power tools, kitchen appliances have often only been used a handful of times before they sit in your cupboards collecting dust. more than just the capital cost of procuring these items, the ongoing costs of keeping these items include maintenance and also "space" costs. imagine if all these items were cleared, think of how much mental and physical space it would also clear. a simple way to prevent more 'stuff' in your home is to:

• borrow items from friends or family before you buy anything new

• calculate the cost per use of the item

• consider renting the item

• try joining subscription based services such as community centres that allow you to rent power tools or even consignment stores that allow you to borrow clothing for a special occasion

• try joining share services such as car or share services, this is especially useful for people who can live without a car

all these simple measures prevent clutter, saves money in the short and long term, and are better for the environment.

educate yourself about the circular economy

the circular economy is a consideration of where your product comes from and where it will end up, it allows you to understand the lifecyle of a product and therefore, educate yourself to make better choices. a good starting point is understanding who made your product and what was it made of? these are simple questions to ask yourself before buying anything new. the next step is then to imagine where it will end up when the product reaches the end of its lifecycle. will it end up in landfill - contributing to methane gas? could it end up in our waterways - contributing to plastic pollution? once you begin to understand that everything you buy is a vote of the kind of world you want to live in, it allows you to be a more conscious consumer. remember, every dollar you spend is a chance to support businesses that align with your values.

secondhand ain't second best

long gone are the days where secondhand items are shabby and unchic, with the rise of fast fashion and fast furniture, the clothing and homewares you find at op shops are only a couple of seasons old. embrace the secondhand economy and buy items that have already been created, this prevents the need for using up virgin resources. you can shop secondhand by:

• shopping at charity shops

• embracing secondhand markets

• using websites such as gumtree, eBay, poshmark

• looking at local sellers through facebook marketplace

there are so many options now for shopping secondhand, you can often find designer items at basement prices! it’s time to celebrate secondhand shopping and remove the taboo around buy used goods.

anita vandyke is a qualified rocket scientist and medical doctor (bachelor of engineering – aeronautical space and doctor of medicine) and, most importantly, mother to vivian. she was born in guangzhou, china, raised in australia, and currently splits her time between sydney and san francisco. her first book, a zero waste life: in thirty days, won gold at the nautilus book awards in 2019 and has been translated to seven languages. anita writes about motherhood, zero waste living and minimalism on instagram, at @rocket_science, or at anitavandyke.com.