Zero-waste man Bashny.Net

My name is Lauren, I am 23, I live in new York, and from me there is not an ounce of garbage. I'm not kidding. I absolutely do not throw in the trash, I'm nothing goes to the landfill. No-th-th.

I know what you think. Yes, this girl must be a hippie. Or is lying. Or it does not exist. But none of the above. I exist.

Of course, I haven't always lived so-called life "zero waste" – "zero waste".

But I gradually began to come to this three years ago when I was studying ecology and environment at the University of new York, protested against oil companies, and was President of the club, which every week were arranged in the environmental debate. I considered myself super eco-friendly. Everyone else is talking about me as "the girl about sustainable development".

And this, of course, meant that I was doing all what we can for planet earth, isn't it?

No.

In my group there was one student who always brought in pairs in a plastic bag, which was full of plastic packaging food, plastic water bottle, plastic forks, spoon, and the obligatory bag of chips. Day after day I watched her throwing mountains of it all in the trash. That makes me so angry! I despised her, I laughed at her, but I never, in fact, did not say a word to her and did nothing. I just sat there angry.

One day I was particularly upset after one couple came home to prepare dinner and to forget about everything. I opened the fridge and froze in horror. I suddenly realized that literally every product in my refrigerator was wrapped in plastic.

For the first time in my life I felt unable to look at ourselves and say, "Well, you're a hypocrite!" But I'm a "green" girl, not "plastic" girl! So what have I been doing all this time? It was then that I decided to get rid of all the plastic in my life.

To get rid of the plastic meant that I need to learn how to pack the products yourself.

This included everything from toothpaste to cleaning products. I had no idea how to do all this, and a lot of time spent on the Internet. One day I came across the blog "Zero Waste Home". It was the story of a certain B. Johnson, wife and mother of two children, about his life without waste in California.

By this time the plastic in my life already. And I thought, "If a family of four can live without waste, I (then) 21-year-old single girl from new York, you can too!

I was able to move from the concept of "no plastic" to the concept of "no waste"?

First of all, I stopped buying everything that is sold in the package. I brought my own bags, bottles and jars to fill them right in the supermarket. I stopped buying new clothes and only went to thrifts. I did all products for personal care and cleaning products. I got rid of all unnecessary things by selling them, giving or donating. For example, I had six identical kitchen spatulas, ten pairs of jeans, which I wore to school, and about a trillion and whistles that had any value for me.

But most importantly, I started planning potentially "junk" situation. Learned to say "no" when they give me a plastic straw at the bar, packs in the store, and checks too.

Of course, this all happened in one day.

The whole process took me about a year and demanded a lot of effort! The hardest part was to look closely at itself, the graduate of faculty of ecology and environment, new star of sustainable development, and to realize that I do not live in accordance with their values.

I realized that while I was busy with all sorts of other things, I didn't implement his philosophy. As soon as I received it, I allowed myself to change, and from that moment my life was getting better and better every day. Here are just a few highlights of how my life has improved when it disappeared garbage.





1. I save money

Now I make a shopping list before going to the store, and that means I know what I need, and I don't grab from the shelves of expensive items just under the influence of momentum. I buy everything in bulk, so I'm not paying extra money for packaging. I don't buy new clothes at regular stores and find everything I need in three times cheaper in a second-hand.

2. I better eat

Since I buy only unpackaged foods, only unhealthy choice I have is extremely limited. Instead, I eat a lot of organic fruit and vegetables, buy a variety of grains and legumes, eat mainly seasonal, local food because farm shops often offer absolutely stunning unpackaged food.





3. I became happier

Before I started life without the garbage, I often ran to the supermarket before closing, cause I went to the market and bought nothing really. I often ordered meals at home, because in the fridge there was nothing. All the time go to the pharmacy for a new scrub or cream. And I constantly cleaned because the house had a bunch of things.

Right now, my typical week involves one trip to the store to buy all the right products. I buy not only food, but also for all the house cleaning and various items of care because all I use now, I made from simple everyday ingredients. It is not only easier, it still means no stress and no chemicals. Just healthy choices.

I did not expect that the decision to refuse any debris will lead to the fact that my quality of life is so improved. I thought it just means nothing to throw out. But what at first was just a decision to change his life, eventually became a blog, Trash is for Tossers ("Garbage for Imbeciles"), and this in turn became the reason of meeting with amazing people from around the world who think the same as me.

Today all this has led to the fact that I quit my wonderful job of Manager for sustainable development in the new York city Department of environmental protection. I established my own zero-waste company, The Simply Co., which I do myself and sell all what I have learned over the last two years.

I started to live so that something someone to prove. I started to live, because life without garbage is the best way I know to live in accordance with everything I believe.

Article translated by Anastasia Laukkanen.

Source: greenhunter.ru/blog?id=4347