How feasible is a truly zero-waste lifestyle in a regular apartment?

[Patrick.L]

I’m trying to figure out if it’s even possible to live a truly zero-waste lifestyle in a regular apartment without a yard for composting. I’ve cut out a lot of plastic and buy in bulk with my own containers, but I still end up with some non-recyclable packaging from medications and certain foods, and it really bothers me.

[William_H]

I’ve been tinkering with a zero-waste setup in a plain apartment kitchen. I tried bokashi for scraps. It smells a bit if it’s not tight, but sealed it’s manageable. The liquid gets diluted on houseplants, the solid goes in a small patch of soil at a community garden when I’m visiting. It did cut down the weekly trash a bit, but I still end up with non compostable bits that sneak through.

[Larry8]

I keep a tiny “unrecyclables” bin for the bits that truly won’t go in curbside, and I drop them at a local recycling drop-off that accepts the extra plastics and packaging. It’s not perfect, but it saves some from the landfill and makes me feel less guilty about meds wrappers and odd food packaging.

[Abigail.T]

Is the real bottleneck the system more than your apartment? I sometimes wonder if neighborhood programs or a small mutual aid group could share bulk buys or take back packaging, rather than each person fighting the same supply chain.

[Brandon96]

I drifted for a minute thinking about turning coffee grounds into mushrooms on the balcony, then remembered the mold and smell and shelved it. Still, the idea pointlessly lingered, and I keep dealing with packaging.