How can we reduce waste while eating out?
Anusuya Tamilrajan
Enironmental Enthusiast March 06
Remember the good old days before plastic took over our lives? Back in the ‘90s and before, people lived just fine without single-use everything! Milk came in glass bottles, groceries were wrapped in paper, and home-cooked meals ruled over takeout. Fast forward to today, and we’re drowning in plastic.
Let’s rewind and see how our past selves were accidentally zero waste pros—and how we can bring those habits back!
Shopping Without Plastic – People carried cloth bags and bought grains, pulses, and spices in bulk. Now? Everything’s wrapped in layers of plastic. Why can’t we switch back?
Bottled Water? Never Heard of It– People drank from clay pots, steel bottles, or whatever jug was lying around. We, on the other hand, spend money on plastic water bottles that we already have at home. What kind of scam is this?! Let’s bring back refillable bottles and stop paying for something that literally falls from the sky.
Simple, Sustainable Cleaning – Vinegar, baking soda, and good old lemon cleaned everything back in the day. Now, we have shelves full of chemical cleaners in plastic bottles. Time to go back to basics.
Home-Cooked Over Packaged – Instant noodles and frozen meals weren’t the norm. Before takeout became a way of life, people actually cooked their food. No plastic trays, no individually wrapped “single-serve” nonsense—just fresh meals with zero waste.
Repairs Were a Thing – Once upon a time, if something broke, you fixed it. Shoes? Sewn. Clothes? Stitched. Electronics? Opened up by that one uncle who “knows how to fix everything.” Now? We throw things out faster than anything. It’s time to bring back the repair culture and stop treating everything as disposable.
If we lived fine without plastic before, why can’t we now?
Have you ever compared your plastic-filled life now to how things were in the ‘90s and before? What’s one modern, wasteful habit that drives you crazy?
Pick ONE zero-waste habit from the past and bring it back today! Which one will you choose? Comment below!
