Waste is all around us. While it may seem harmless to use plastic bags or chunk Amazon boxes, those actions pile up. In 2017, U.S. landfills received 267.8 million tons of municipal solid waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That figure doesn’t even factor in the amount of recycling and composting done in 2017 — 67.2 million and 27 million tons, respectively. Working to reduce these numbers is where zero waste comes in.
The ‘Why’ Of It All
Behind everything you do, there is a reason. Meera Angus, a Dallas-based blogger who writes about zero-waste living, found her calling after visiting a landfill.
“I’ve always been environmentally conscious, but I saw that and I was like, ‘OK, I can at least do my part and try and educate others about making small changes,’” Meera says. “I think if all of us do at least a little bit, it will make some kind of a dent.”
Small Steps, Big Impact
Don’t think you have to fit all your trash into a mason jar to conform to zero-waste living. There are a variety of ways to easily reduce your waste — like composting, which allows your organic waste to naturally decompose, enhances water retention in soil and reduces chemical fertilizer reliance and overall methane emissions.
Mindfulness, especially with food, can also help raise your zero-waste mindset. Taking stock of what groceries you actually need every week can help reduce what you buy.
“Being really mindful of what I’m bringing into the house, what kind of packaging it’s in and really just getting what I need opposed to just mindlessly buying things — I think that’s the first step to overall getting into the lifestyle,” Meera says.
Bulk buying items like nuts, grains and flours, especially when you can bring in your own containers, is another way to eliminate unnecessary waste.
Zero Waste In The Time Of COVID-19
COVID-19 has affected anyone living with a zero-waste mindset — from new considerations like the safety of bringing your own bags to the store and buying takeout to support local businesses.
“We’ve been doing a lot of grocery pickup at Central Market. In the past, when you use grocery pickup, you could bring your own bags,” Meera says. “[That’s] not the case right now...so that was a big change. But health and safety, that’s the priority.”
While Meera is also enjoying more takeout, resulting in more styrofoam and non-recyclable materials in her home, she knows that these actions are OK in moderation, and she is just looking to balance out her waste consumption.
“It’s just a trade-off. It’s what you think is important at the moment,” she says. “I could just cook everything at home seven days a week and not deal with takeout containers. But for me, it is important to support small businesses and restaurants.”