Zero Waste: All or Nothing?
Lifestyle influencer, Bea Johnson, has made famous the idea of living a “zero waste” lifestyle. Years ago, she took the plunge by dedicating herself and her family to produce as little waste as possible. Namely, plastic products. “Zero waste” is a sub-category of the minimalism movement, where the most extreme subscribers to the lifestyle commit to only producing one glass jar full of garbage per year. Bea’s family has been doing this since 2008. As a caveat, this does not include anything that can be repurposed, composted, or recycled.

My personality is often drawn to extremes like this, some good and some not so good for me. I have rid my diet of certain foods for long periods of times, tried to only buy fair trade clothing, and restricted my budget like nobody’s business. I have also tried to join the zero waste movement. These all were originally intended to be for the good of the planet, other people, or myself. However, trying to make these changes all at once was not healthy, and may have done more harm than good.
I won’t touch on the other extremes I have tried out right now, but here’s what happened when I tried going zero waste all at once.
I purged my life of many things I already had. I traded my electric toothbrush for a bamboo one, and stopped using toothpaste for my own Pinterest concoction of baking soda and food grade peppermint essential oil. Not only did I try making my own toothpaste, but deoderant, makeup, and hair products. Some of them worked, but some of them REALLY didn't. Just ask my dentist. Unfortunately, I ended up wanting to bring some of these things (like my electric toothbrush) back into my life, and ended up having to repurchase them because I purged and donated things to suddenly.
I also purchased many other things. Reusable hot and cold cups, straws, cutlery, shopping bags, food storage, a safety razor, a compost bin, and more. All in the name of helping reduce my personal waste.
Many of the trades did not stick long-term, or weren’t sustainable for where my life is right now, but I still love trying to reduce my waste. Here’s a few swaps that did stick and why I love them. My apologies in advance if I get to personal.
Traditional feminine hygene products for a menstrual cup.
I used to spend at least $100 dollars on tampons and pads each year. My Diva Cup cost me a one time purchase of $35, can last up to 10 years if cared for correctly, can stay in for up to 12 hours, and will never lead to toxic shock. That is about $1000 and 10 years worth of tampons thrown away saved.

Plastic razors for a stainless steal safety razor.
According to a Minq article highlighting the pink tax, plastic razors could cost women $132 and mend $108 per year if they purchase one per month. Even the ones with a reusable base aren’t that much cheaper. My safety razor cost me about $40, came with at least 100 blades, gives me a much closer shave, and looks classy as heck. If I take care of it correctly, it could last FOREVER. But even if it does rust, the stainless steal material can easily be repurposed.

Buying packaged for buying in bulk with reusable cloth bags.
Bulk shopping will save you money, make you eat healthier, and look super cute when you transport your ingredients to glass storage jars at home. However, those pesky little tear off bags provided by grocery stores can add up quickly. Alternative cloth bags can easily be found around your house (I used bags that a few pairs of shoes came in), purchased, or even made DIY style. They don’t add any extra weight to your purchases and you never have to worry about a dreaded rip in your bag, spilling your contents all over the grocery isle. Not sure where to shop in bulk? Try Bea’s bulk locator app. However, not every store that sells bulk is listed, so keep a lookout at the grocery store you already shop at, or even local farmers markets.

Plastic cups, straws and cutlery for reusable metal or bamboo ones.
Not only is this trendy, but some coffee shops will even give you a discount for bringing your own mug. I have two: one for hot beverages, and one for cold. I also have metal straws to go along with the mugs, and portable bamboo cutlery. And no, this is not a niche trend. Starbucks themselves said they aim to stop handing out plastic drinking straws by 2020.



Plastic wrap for reusable Beeswrap.
Trade in your annoying plastic wrap that always sticks to itself when you don’t want it to for this Beeswrap that is easy to use, smells good, and will keep your food incredibly fresh. I use this stuff for everything from sandwiches to half-eaten fruits. Beeswrap is made from organic cotton fabric infused with natural beeswax. It is truly heavenly.

My final word when it comes to zero waste? If you want to go all in, great! Just DO NOT try to make these changes all at once. Don’t feel like going all in, or tried and failed like me? You can still make a difference by reducing your waste. Living sustainably is not all or nothing, it is about the consistant practice of long-term changes, however many they may be.