The 31-year-old graphic designer has stored all her waste collected over the past 18 months in a jar.

That's what you do when you have a plastic-free and zero-waste life. In case you've categorised Ms Rhoads as a rampant greenie, she is not a vegan or a vegetarian. Nor does she hug a tree for a living or live in a treehouse.

"I'm not some hippy living out in the bush," Ms Rhoads told Fairfax Media. "I live in a normal house in the suburbs."

So, what's in the jar? Items that she can't recycle: plastic straws, receipts, scratchies, foil pill sachets, empty make-up containers, plastic packing tape, fruit produce stickers and plastic tags from clothes.

If you think you are doing the planet a favour by cramming your rubbish into an 80 litre or 120 litre wheelie bin, you need to reassess your throwaway lifestyle.

"Our grandparents and great-grandparents didn't have the throwaway culture that we've got," she said. "They would reuse things as much as possible."

Ms Rhoads became anti-plastic in 2013, when taking part in Plastic Free July. Going without packaging and bags convinced her to reassess her priorities and press the accelerator by going zero waste.

While some people use jars to store lollies or spare buttons, Ms Rhoads, a redhead who blogs as The Rogue Ginger, uses her jars as an expression of her lifestyle.

She has a healthier diet by eating more fruit and vegetables, she is less materialistic and practises "mindful consumption" about what she buys.

Australians generate 48 million tonnes of waste each year, according to Clean Up Australia. That amounts to 2.1 tonnes per person.

Here are 10 tips from Ms Rhoads on living a plastic-free and zero waste life.

Ten ways to save the planet

1. Don't buy food with packaging
2. Practise mindful consumption
3. Use a compost bin
4. Grow your own vegetables and herbs
5. Use a refillable water bottle
6. Don't use a plastic straw: only use a stainless steel one
7. Use food scraps to make vegetable broth
8. Carry reusable cutlery
9. Make your own make up, such as mascara, using organic soap, activated charcoal, purified water and almond oil
10. Use cloth sanitary pads that are washable or a Mooncup - a silicone cup

Ms Rhoads is mindful of the "life cycle" when she shops. "I really think a lot harder about what I purchase and where it comes from. Before I wouldn't think about it and really didn't care or give it much thought. I recycled and thought that was enough to save the planet."

While "Paleo Pete", Pete Evans created a viral sensation with his appetite for activated almonds, Ms Rhoads advocates activated charcoal to make her own mascara.

Even Ms Rhoads' boyfriend, Leon Hadj, has adopted her lifestyle but still disposes of his rubbish in the bin. They don't leave home without a water bottle, shopping bag, reusable cutlery or a container for storing food.

While some people carry a Swiss Army Knife, ardent greenies whip out a bamboo "spork" - a cross between a spoon and fork - when offered plastic cutlery.

Ms Rhoads' devotion to the cause is evident by the changes she has made to personal hygiene. She saves $290 over two years by using cloth sanitary pads that are washed in the washing machine. And a silicon Mooncup is more comfortable than a tampon and holds more liquid.

For derriere matters, she uses Planet Ark toilet paper.

Even if you want to cut down on waste but still require a massive collection of jars, you can happily exist with less.

Miss Rhoads said: "You can live a lovely life with things that aren't packaged."