For over a year now, I have been working to change my consumer choices and move closer to a low-waste lifestyle. If you're new to the movement, there are some great bloggers and some good resources here and here out there to help you learn more. The growing global plastic pollution crisis has brought to light a the need for low waste, zero waste, and plastic free alternatives to the products we consume on a regular basis. Many companies have gotten on the bandwagon already. Kroger (the largest grocery store chain in the US) plans to phase out plastic shopping bags by 2025. Google is setting their sights on becoming zero waste at all of their data processing centers, which means that "when waste leaves [their] data centers, none of it goes to a landfill". Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Danone, Mars Petcare, Mondelēz International and others just announced plans to develop closed closed loop consumer supply chains for a lot of products you know and love. Some may argue that these are PR stunts and aren’t reflective of a company’s desire to reduce their pollution footprint because it’s motivated by trying to generate buzz amongst their target markets. However, I would argue that these are still powerful examples that will still generate positive change in our perception of waste as consumers. Consumer habits are changing and companies that rely heavily on consumer perception of their brand are waking up to this movement. I was thinking back about some of the first changes I made when I began this lifestyle change. The first intentional low waste product I bought was a set of cotton nursing pads that I use as reusable cotton rounds. Although it's more than one year later and I am still far from being zero waste. This time has been an eye opening learning opportunity for me while I've worked to reduce the trash I consume. I wanted to share some of the most important takeaways from this year. 1. The term #Zerowaste is Misleading#Zerowaste may be the buzzword, but the movement isn't about fitting all your trash in a mason jar. Although that is an admirable goal, getting to that point can be a very long process. When the average American creates 4.40 lbs of trash per day (that's 132 per month, 1,606 per year), I think that any change is better than giving up because you don't think you can immediately fit all your trash in a jar. The biggest take away I’ve learned from this movement is that it is primarily about educating yourself on this environmental impact of your consumer choices. The next time you're planning to go shopping for food, clothes, or take out, ask yourself, "How can I reduce the amount of single use plastic I consume with this choice?" Whether your answer is bringing reusable bags, buying clothes second hand or from fabrics that don't contain plastic, or bringing your own container to a restaurant. Use this question to help guide your consumption choices as you start your zero waste journey. 2. There isn’t a lot of education on correct recycling practices Most people don’t realize what happens to your recyclables after you stick them in the single stream bin. Local recycling programs aren’t wishing wells for plastics and other household items. Anything that goes in the recycling bin needs to be free of food waste. That means no pizza boxes, plastic to go containers need to be cleaned out and dry. Thin flexible papers like paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissues, and tissue paper are all non-recyclable. For more info on why paper towels and other paper products can't be recycled, check out this article. For more info on recycling contamination check out this video. 3. Because you end up making a lot more stuff, everything takes longerWhether it’s making toothpaste, laundry powder, or meals that don’t involve packaged ingredients, most zero waste options require more preparation. I think this can be a barrier for a lot of people from joining the low waste movement. If you have kids or work late, it’s exhausting to have to come home and cook a low waste meal when what I really want is a frozen pizza that can be ready in 20 minutes. While meal planning and prepping ingredients ahead of time are helpful, realistically this is still a part of zero-waste living that I struggle with. 4. Shopping takes more planning When I go grocery shopping I take a lot of things with me. I bring glass containers for the bulk section, produce bags, and grocery bags on every major grocery trip. That means I have to plan what I'm buying so that I have enough jars and produce bags and I have to plan when I'm going. If I want to go shopping on my way home from work, that means I need to have my jars and bags packed before I leave for the office. There have been many times where I have forgotten a tiny jar for a spice I needed on my list or forgotten to check if my coffee jar was low when making my shopping list. Yes, this creates more work, but in my eyes the extra time is worth getting closer to the low waste lifestyle I want to lead. 5. People have mixed reactions when they see your zero waste choicesSome aren’t the best reactions, I’ll admit. I’m fairly certain my family thinks I’m a dirty hippie whenever I start talking about zero waste. I’ve gotten eye rolls at checkout for asking if produce bags count towards the store’s reusable bag reward policy. But I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from friends and strangers alike too. I’ve gotten compliments from strangers when I’m checking out at the grocery store with my jars and produce bags and I’ve gotten thanked for bringing my own canvas bag to Walgreen’s when I’m on a quick run for batteries. There’s good and bad but you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel less about the ways you’re trying to help the planet. 6. The Visibility of your zerowaste choices does matterOne of the things I notice when I grocery shop now is the ridiculous amount of produce bags people use. It boggles my mind that people find it necessary to waste a produce bag on a head of garlic or one apple. Or when people specifically ask for plastic bags instead of paper at checkout. Frustrations like those make me question if the reusable grocery and produce bags I bring to the store make a difference. Then I remind myself of all the plastic bags I have diverted from the landfill. I’ve run out of my plastic AND paper bag stash before. And haven’t brought home a single produce bag in the past year. One of the beautiful things about the visibility of zero waste is that your individual decisions create a ripple effect. I like to imagine that when people see me with my produce bags, or my glass jars in the bulk section, or my reusable coffee cup it makes them think twice about their trash decisions. My hope is that it inspires them to re-examine the waste they create and make a change in their consumer choices.
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AuthorEmma Neale: (young) adult, cat mom, and aspiring for adventure. Archives
February 2019
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