Why I’m No Longer Zero-Waste
As consumers, we have so much power to change the world just by being careful in what we buy.
-Emma Watson
When I discovered documentaries about the zero-waste movement over a decade ago, I became obsessed. I was already vegan and a minimalist, so this was taking my love for the planet and animals to level 10! For those who may not know, being zero-waste essentially means that you are trying to live your life in a manner that produces the least amount of waste possible while aiming to consume and utilize the most sustainable products (i.e., not plastic) in efforts to tackle the serious issues our planet and climate are facing.
I loved that period of my life. It became fun trying to see how much plastic use I could reduce in my daily life and how little waste I could create. I shopped at zero-waste stores, wouldn’t buy things in packaging unless 100% necessary, such as medication, and would haul any plastics I did use to special recycling pickups in Vancouver and pay to have them properly recycled because the city wouldn’t accept many of them at the time. It consumed me. I thought about it every day and with every purchase. It was extremely rewarding. It felt good to be making a tangible difference, even though it was on the microscale.
The turning point came for me when I just couldn’t keep up with the lifestyle and started to feel guilty when I didn’t meet my own expectations. I may be a kickass organiser, but making nearly everything from scratch was not going to happen. Whenever I went to purchase something pre-made or in a package, I was sweating bullets. Then it began to snowball: my skin ran into major issues, and I needed to try all sorts of different products not available at the zero-waste stores; compostable toothbrushes began to irritate my teeth; COVID happened; and I had to start prioritizing the most affordable option vs. the zero-waste option, until I finally realized that it was time to take a step back and reassess my full-tilt commitment to the lifestyle and avoid total burnout.
These days, I choose to live as mindfully as possible, within my means, while still enjoying life. I truly admire people who have been able to sustain the movement in such committed ways. I’m sure I’ll give it another go at some point down the road because it’s such a fulfilling lifestyle, but for the time being, living as a vegan minimalist who strives to make the sustainable choice when possible provides a beautiful balance. And the more of us that make small, do-able changes instead of aiming for an idealized version of perfection, the better off we’ll be!
Creating Space Organizing provides decluttering, home organizing and move management services throughout the Lower Mainland and Greater Vancouver area.
