10 things you’ve always wanted to ask about living zero waste
Do you ever feel like cheating?
Imagine giving up all the conveniences in your life to reduce the amount of garbage that you consume. Have a chocolate craving? Sorry, that bar is wrapped in plastic. Hungry and forgot to bring a reusable container? Single use items not allowed.
It sounds hard, but there’s a growing movement of people — concerned about the increasing amount of plastic and other items that overload our landfills and enter our oceans, — who are adopting a zero waste lifestyle. They’re cool, they’re hip, and they keep their waste in a mason jar.
Hannah Chung has been living zero waste for about a year now and discusses how she manages little waste in a big city.
- Why did you decide to go zero waste and what or who inspired you
Having moved to Hong Kong over three years ago, I was quite shocked to see the amount of wastage and lack of infrastructure and education towards recycling, compared to my hometown of London. I wanted to see a change, so inspired by the zero waste movement in the US and Europe, I decided to give myself a year-long challenge to spread the word on reducing waste in Hong Kong.
2. How disruptive was it to your everyday life — what were the biggest things you had to change?
I spent the first few months of the challenge having to adjust to a new lifestyle. I shop mainly at wet markets on the weekend [a market that sells fresh meat and produce], choose package free food, and cook and prepare myself meals for the rest of the week. As for everyday items such as toothpaste and shower gel, I tried looking at businesses that sold package-free items, such as Lush, or made them myself. For feminine care products, I now use menstrual cups and reusable period pants — all products I found through research on living a waste-free life. Although hard to adapt at first, I’m now more aware of the purchases I make, and if I can’t justify a purchase, I’ll try to make my own versions of the things I need.
3. What’s been the most challenging or surprising thing about living zero waste? Do you feel left out of social situations, have had to battle temptations etc?
I can’t say I’m the most fun at parties! I bring my metal tin and flask wherever I go in case there are occasions where disposables are around. I get asked a lot of questions, but that’s exactly why I’m living a zero waste life — to bring to light our current problems of waste, the amount of damage it’s doing to our ecosystem and influencing communities to demand more from the companies they buy from.
4. What are some things that have been hard to find or make that’s zero waste?
I’m experimenting with my own garbage enzymes right now, and it’ll be ready in three months before I know if it’s an effective cleaner. I tend to experiment when I have time to find package-free alternatives, but washing up liquid is a hard one to replace. So far, I am using washing liquid made from recycled cooking oil from a restaurant.
5. Do you ever feel like “cheating” for the sake of convenience or cost? Like buying a wrapped chocolate bar from a convenience store because it’ll be easier that way?
Yes, the temptation is definitely there! But actually that bar of chocolate would have done me no good anyway. I would like to go into a convenience store and buy a tub of ice cream, but the tubs aren’t recyclable. The plan is to go extreme and try to reach zero waste for a year, and then review to see what’s realistic within a busy modern life.
6. You live in Hong Kong where waste is a major issue — landfill space is set to fill up in a matter of years. How do you manage to find enough resources available to live your lifestyle, especially when everything is so obsessively wrapped?
The online community has been very welcoming. There are a lot of people sharing their experiences and showing how things can be done differently, so I mainly get my ideas by researching what’s been done in other countries and try to adapt it here.
7. What’s your tactic for influencing people about why they should refuse plastic?
The idea is not to make people feel guilty about the current systems that are out of their control and put in place by government and controlled by corporations. Rather, show how a making a few small changes and being conscious consumers is a step towards changing an entire culture.
By spreading the word and educating people on the consequences of the plastic in our oceans right now, we can collectively demand large corporations to make the sustainable changes needed to alleviate the problem.
8. When you hear stats such as how 12 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year, do you feel like one person living zero waste really makes a difference?
I am one person in a city of 7.3 million. What I do in my lifetime will not make a dent in the amount of plastic that is entering our oceans every day. But we are strong in numbers, and by spreading the word and educating people on the consequences of the plastic in our oceans right now, we can collectively demand large corporations to make the sustainable changes needed to alleviate the problem.
9. What do you never leave home without?
Water flask, metal tin, fork, spoon, handkerchief, tote bag, phone and keys!
10. What are your tips for anyone thinking about going zero waste?
It’s not about being perfect. Rather than trying to achieve zero, look into how a small change can not only reduce waste, but can save you money too. For example, I used to take a plastic bottle of water with me wherever I went — that life-giving substance, which is a basic human right, that we have now grown accustomed to buying in plastic bottles! This is intended as a single use item and there’s no guarantee that it’ll be recycled. Any change you make will make a difference and influence a culture striving towards sustainability.
Follow Hannah Chung’s zero-waste adventures on Instagram.
Shuk-Wah Chung is a Writer and Content Editor for the Communications Hub at Greenpeace East Asia. Follow her on Twitter here.
