An influencer with more than 95,000 YouTube subscribers has opened up about her "failed" zero-waste journey but highlights how the desire for perfection doesn't have to deter people from pursuing a sustainable lifestyle.
As they say, don't let perfection become the enemy of good.
How does a zero-waste lifestyle work?
Communities across the United States have defined their "zero waste" goals differently, as the Environmental Protection Agency detailed. Still, the principles remain the same: prevent waste through responsible consumption habits and reduce it by recycling, repurposing, and composting.
As part of her "failed" program, Kathryn Kellogg (@GoingZeroWaste) explains that she visited a zero-waste store to purchase items packaged in reusable glass containers. However, complicating matters was the fact that the commute required both public transportation and a lot of walking, adding up to three to four hours round trip.
"I couldn't make that trip a lot," Kathryn says. "It made it very, very difficult to do a really big stock-up of items because it was so far away, and I was carrying everything back on foot."
Ultimately, Kathryn says she stopped visiting the store and gave up on the concept of her "trash jar" — a mason jar that could hold all of the waste she created over two years.
"The trash jar isn't real, and it's kind of an illusion," Kathryn says. "... Is driving 30 minutes, sitting in traffic, producing smog — is that better than buying a plastic package? I'm not sure when we look at the big, grand scheme of things."
However, even though Kathryn billed her zero-waste journey as a failure, she is clearly making a meaningful impact by applying zero-waste principles, even if her idealized vision didn't go as planned, including because of a cross-country move from California to Maine.
Prior to her move, Kathryn says she advocated for policies to prevent illegal dumping of trash on the streets. Now that she is on the East Coast, she is focused on making choices that prevent future waste, including by rehabbing old furniture and shopping secondhand. She also intends to level up her pantry with zero-waste concepts like reusable containers.
"I really do feel like I am completely starting over," Kathryn shared. "I'm in a new place. I have lost all of my support systems when it comes to this. I just have a lot of work to do. … I have done it before, so I can do it again."
Why should I adopt zero-waste principles?
It is no secret that the U.S. is responsible for producing a lot of waste — more than 290 million tons in 2018, according to the EPA.
Instead of being recycled or repurposed, the majority of that waste ends up in landfills (releasing planet-warming gases like methane) or polluting our communities and recreational areas.
If the idea of sharing the beach with litter — and contributing to warming linked to more intense extreme weather — isn't reason enough to join the zero-waste movement, the monetary perks are too hard to ignore.
Practices like shopping secondhand, mending torn clothes, and reusing empty containers can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
Are there other ways to go zero-waste?
Anytime you take action to reduce waste, you are actively participating in the Zero Waste International Alliance's peer-reviewed definition of its principles.
That is, per the EPA, "The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health."
If you need to declutter your home, many businesses even have programs that reward you for sending in unwanted items, including Best Buy and Apple.
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