Here’s the thing about going zero waste: You want to talk to people about it. I imagine this is true of any drastic lifestyle change, whether it’s veganism or giving birth to a child. But whenever you passionately ramble about anything, people in your life can get…well…annoyed.
That’s the great thing about blogs. They’re like the passive aggressive notes you leave on the refrigerator telling your roommate to stop eating your leftovers. You feel like you’re getting your point across, but you don’t have to directly deal with someone’s reaction to it…yet. Things may come around later.
So let’s get started: I am Zero Waste.
Or at least I’m trying. When I explain my lifestyle, it’s easiest to sum it up as “I try to fit a month’s worth of trash into a mason jar and nothing else.” Cue the raised eyebrows and the whaaaaaaat-that’s-crazys.
“But it doesn’t count toilet paper!” I always add, as if this statement makes any difference to the listeners who are too busy calculating how much trash they make every month in their heads. Little do they know that Zero Waste Gurus like Bea Johnson and Lauren Singer have gone years with only 1 jar of waste. A month is nothing. Nothing, I tell you!
How Awesome Am I?
If you feel intimidated, please note that I have yet to meet the 1 mason jar of trash per month rule. After months of preparation (we can get into those details later), I only just started tracking exactly how much waste I’m making. So far, it’s been 5 days and my mason jar is almost full.
That high horse will have to wait until the next 25 days go by without producing any more trash. Damn you, Jimmy Johns and your delicious sandwiches wrapped in wax paper that can’t be recycled…
This is all to say that if you’re ready to go zero waste–just start! You may not be able to join the 1 jar a month club right away, but every little bit of trash that you decrease is just another step towards a more balanced world. Cuz let’s face it: Plastic is the worst and it’s almost impossible to escape.
Almost.
I must say I’m very excited about this little blog. Hopefully it’ll help anyone who wants to go zero waste or learn more about it. I’m all about making newbies feel welcome in this awesome and weird community. Or maybe it will just help me explain my sudden change in behavior and habits to my friends and loved ones.
Thus, I begin my rushed and sloppy journey into blogging about zero waste.
Ta-da!