About
two years into my journey into sustainability I started law school. It was the
first time I was really on my own. Everyone I knew was back in Indiana, more
than 500 miles away. All of that outside influence from friends and family was
gone. There was no one encouraging me to go out to eat or go shopping. Instead,
I needed to focus on school. And very quickly I realized that this was my
opportunity to hone my skills at living without waste.
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| Coffee without plastic. Image source. |
After my lifestyle “audit” I had already committed to several small changes. I had replaced plastic bags with a reusable cotton bag. I had both a reusable water bottle. I shopped second hand for clothing and mended things that could be repaired. I traded in tampons for a menstrual cup. I stopped dying my hair and learned to accept that I am not a natural blonde. I recycled a good portion of the things that I brought into house. And I read food labels like they were the latest Stephen King novel.
I had made some serious headway but was
still filling up a three-gallon trash bag every week. Looking back, I really
focused on three things; eliminating excess packaging in any form, reducing
food waste and learning to do things myself.
To begin, I had to learn how to
shop without creating waste from unnecessary packaging. Currently the US andother developed countries are facing a potential crisis when it comes torecycling. There simply is no market for a lot of the plastics that are recyclable.
Meaning city or county recycling centers, like mine, are being very restrictive
in the types of plastics they will accept. I have also heard talk that glass
and mixed paper are becoming less desirable to recyclers in my area. Therefore,
reducing packaging is essential to lowering my impact.
I am lucky that in the small town
where I am going to school there is a tiny shop that offers bulk dry goods. A
nearby tap house does growler refills with options for Virginia made beers. There is also a weekly farmer’s market open year-round. (One caveat, it is on a weekday morning for a limited time. I am always in class at that time, so I have only managed to make it a few times in the last two years.) The first time I asked any of these places to fill my own container was a bit
nerve wracking. I honestly had no idea what I would have done had they said no.
But they never did.
I extended the excess packaging ban
to all aspects of my life. When going out to eat, I bring my own container for
leftovers. When shopping online, I ask the sellers to ship plastic free and if
they feel so inclined to ship with a reused box. I do a ton of research before buying anything online to ensure that the
packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable. Preparation is key to
eliminating single use plastics and excess packaging.
Next, I wanted to find a better way
of dealing with food waste. A good portion of what I was sending to land fill
was organic matter. This is a really big deal because the EPA estimates that14% of the methane the US releases into the atmosphere comes from organicmaterial not being able to break down in landfills. For organic matter to be able to break down it must have access to oxygen and
inside a trash bag there is none. Thus, all the food waste Americans send to
landfill everyday rots, releasing methane.
My solution, clearly, was to
compost. How to compost turned out to be a bit more of a challenge. My
university does compost on campus, but I would have to bring my scraps with me
to school. Not ideal. I could purchase a composting system that is apartment friendly, but that did not fit with my goal of buying less. Ultimately, I discovered that
the nature center across the road from my apartment practices open air
composting. They are kind enough to let me add my food scraps to their bins
which are only a five-minute walk from my front door.
Lastly, I focused on doing things
for myself. I learned how to cook at home using fresh produce. I alter or mend
my clothes so they will last longer. I follow simple do-it-yourself recipes for
cleaning products and some cosmetics. All of these are simple tasks that just
take a bit of time.
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| Image source. |
As of today, my waste output is a
grocery bag full every six to eight weeks for me and my boyfriend. The worst
offenders for us are produce stickers, caps, dryer lint and receipts. Clearly, I am not to the level of a mason jar for two years’ worth of trash.
Part of that I chalk up to my location. I do not have access to resources like
someone in New York or LA. Another thing to consider is that for many of these
social media influencers, the Zero Waste lifestyle is their full-time job. Sometimes
I find it necessary to compromise in order to get through a difficult week at
school.