Trash — we all have it and the amount we are sending into landfills and oceans is getting worse.
Everyone has heard of the viral hashtag “Save The Turtles ” and it took the internet by storm after a video of a sea turtle had a plastic straw stuck in its nose. The hashtag created the trend of carrying around reusable steel or bamboo straws in order to save… you guessed it… the turtles.
After the viral hashtag, a movement known as “Zero Waste” began to move into mainstream media. Influencers began posting the “must haves” to the zero waste lifestyle — steel containers, glass mason jars, bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo cutlery, etc.
But is it the “tools” that make someone able to live a zero waste lifestyle?
In one sentence, zero waste is a movement that aims to eliminate non-degradable and non-recyclable trash. Therefore, the “tools” aren’t necessary to start living a more low waste lifestyle. I believe that any conscious effort to eliminate waste is noteworthy and contributes to the movement.
any conscious effort to eliminate waste is noteworthy and contributes to the movement.
– Aaliyah Alexander
Recycling, up-cycling, and reusing whatever and whenever you can is a step toward leading a more sustainable lifestyle. There are obvious easy and cheap habits you can start today to begin living more low waste such as carrying a reusable water bottle to places, using your own tote bag at grocery stores, using your own straw at restaurants and carrying your own steel cup when you plan to grab coffee.
Of course, if you are in a position to swap out current, outdated items for more sustainable ones then go for but use what you have if the items are in good condition. If you find yourself needing an item that you don’t already own, then do a little research and buy a more sustainable product from a company that supports ethical practices.
For more on sustainability, I’ve linked below some of my favorite videos involving this topic!
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