My journey to a zero waste life
As part of our Bags Not series focusing on ways to give up single-use plastic bags, Emily Franklin outlines how even a former typical consumerist like her can do it.
Living zero-waste is a dauntingly high pedestal for the average consumer. It’s something most people would assume is too extreme or unachievable unless you are some are vegan, earth-loving, commune-dweller who uses leaves for toilet paper.
The problem with the term ‘zerowaste’ is it leaves no middle ground. Either you are, or you aren’t.
And if you aren’t – well, that’s OK because who has the time/energy/money to forsake all plastic? And surely dutifully recycling those milk bottles each week counts for something – right?
I had never given a thought to how much rubbish I threw out until one of my flatmates started trying to live zero waste, inspired by Bea Johnson of The Zero Waste Home. Living in a city with rubbish collection makes it easy to sweep the problem into a nice tidy red-lidded bin. We don’t even have to take our waste to the dump ourselves and see what the landfills even look like.
Once it became a topic of conversation in my flat I suddenly couldn’t escape how much plastic surrounded us. I began noticing on my shelf in the fridge and pantry almost everything came in plastic. Cucumbers and other vegetables individually wrapped; bags of prepackaged produce such as carrots; muesli bars and other single-serve snacks – all in plastic. All brought home in plastic bags and most of it not recyclable; while some supermarkets offer soft plastic recycling, reducing plastic is more important than recycling – it will end up in a landfill eventually.
I became disgusted with what I learned about the state of the oceans and aquatic life, and the effect all our waste was having on the environment. So I started small.
I stopped getting plastic bags at the supermarket. I became disciplined at taking my eco bags and if I forgot them I would use a box, carry it loose or buy another one. By making it non-negotiable it quickly became a habit to grab the bags before leaving the house. I made sure I always had some spares in my car.
Over the following months I weaned out most plastics from the supermarket. No more flimsy plastic bags to fill with fruit – I kept them loose in the basket or used a woven produce bag. I started avoiding vegetables wrapped in plastic, cut out packaged snacks and chose items in recyclable packaging like tins or jars over plastic.
I started shopping at Bin Inn for bulk dry goods and staples like flour, herbs, nuts, olive oil, vinegar, washing detergent, laundry liquid, cleaning products. They will weigh your container before you fill it so you only pay for what you take. The best part of Bin Inn is the grind-your-own peanut butter. It tastes delicious and costs about a third of the price you pay for the fancy brands of peanut butter and you can choose the consistency and add your own salt to suit your taste.
For those who think it sounds like a lot of effort and sacrifice – you’re right. It isn’t always easy and can sometimes feel like it’s a drop in the ocean when you see everyone else in the checkout queue leaving with dozens of plastic bags.
But I think slowly people are starting to change their habits and I hope eventually carrying plastic bags will be as uncool as buying cigarettes. Becoming aware of the massive global problem we’ve created, and how pervasive plastic has become to our own detriment is the first step. The next step is doing your bit, however small.
So my advice to people wanting to reduce single-use plastic bags in their home: Just stop getting them. Say no, bring your own and find alternatives. Start small and keep striving to do better.
There is a host of articles and tips on the internet on ways to reduce plastic. The most important step is deciding to care and not using excuses to cover up laziness. Guess what? You don’t need plastic bags for household waste. Put it all straight in the bin and wash it when it’s messy. Keep organics separate (kitchen waste can’t effectively break down in a landfill anyway).
While I haven’t reached the holy pinnacle of zero waste living, I’m a lot further along than I was a year ago, and I’m proud that I’ve influenced a few other people around me to improve too. While I wish there was more push from government to influence businesses to find alternatives to plastic packaging, I think changing our habits will have a more immediate effect.
And if I, a former typical consumerist millennial, can change, then so can you.