Zero Waste Summer Survival

It’s been almost 6 months since I began my Zero Waste journey. Have I created waste in those 6 months? Yes. Have I created marginally less waste though? Absolutely. I always try and tell people, it’s not about being perfect, its about being responsible and making more informed decisions about your waste. That being said, summer has started and I have already run into new issues I didn’t have to face in the winter.

The Sun

I don’t know about you, but if I don’t wear sunscreen, I look like a tomato at the end of a sunny day. Sunscreen is so important for your skin and I’m a person that will go through multiple SPF 70 bottles in one summer. I found one store online that offered zero waste sunscreen in a small 2oz tin. It was $20 and would have only lasted me a couple days. So I did some research and came up with an alternative. Homemade sunscreen! There’s only a couple ingredients needed to make sunscreen. Treason there are so many listed on the backs of tubes are because those sunscreens need to have preservatives to increase their shelf life. The main ingredient that makes sunscreen effective is zinc oxide. Zinc oxide works by scattering particles over the outermost layer of your skin, which reflects the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. A one pound bag of zinc oxide can be purchased off amazon in paper packaging for under $15. In addition, cooking oils have natural levels of SPF. The base of my sunscreen was coconut oil for moisture, and avocado oil for added SPF. I also melted together raw beeswax, shea butter, and vitamin E oil to give my skin more nourishment when I’m spending my days out in the sun. I combined all the oils together, then added the zinc oxide. the more zinc oxide, the higher the SPF. Because there are no preservatives the shelf life is only about 6 months compared to several years. But if you only make what you need it costs less, and works better for your skin. 

Summer Activities

When its hot out all I want to do is eat ice cream. A lot of ice cream places give you paper cups lines with wax, or plastic dishes and plastic spoons. Here’s the easy answer; Get it in a cone! Then the whole treat is edible. If you cant avoid the waste (because you’re getting a strawberry cheesecake blizzard from DQ) then ask for no spoon and make sure you always have a small cutlery set on you in a bag or purse. It’s smart to carry a Zero Waste Survival Kit in your car at all times in case you run into theses situations. when you’re finished with the paper cup, rinse and recycle it if its plastic, or save it in a paper box and use it later in the summer as a fire starter!

There are a ton of ways to enjoy the summer without creating waste. Getting outside requires no waste. You can go anywhere you want as long as you’re prepared! If you go to a bar or have a drink on the patio of a Resturant remember to ask for no straw or napkin. Bring your own! Bring your reusable water bottle everywhere and stay hydrated!




The best thing that I’ve found about living a zero waste lifestyle is it switches your attention from ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ to relationships. Enjoy your time with friends and family while helping the environment around you. It’s easy to do and it feels great too.

Zero Waste Survival Kit

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