The Journey to Zero Waste

by Jessica N. Moore

Photo Credit: Cestrian 

It’s no surprise there are copious amounts of waste and trash hauled off to the dump each year.  Not just garbage, but food waste is also making its way to the landfill.  While it may be easier to toss everything in your kitchen trash can, the way to curb the issue is to make an effort on reducing waste.  Earlier this year, I joined a Facebook group called Journey to Zero Waste, and I was shocked and surprised in many ways the effort members of the group take to reduce their waste, and also embarrassed by my contribution to the waste problem. 

Instead of being embarrassed, I would instead harvest this energy into making a change and of course, educating you here at Variety of Views to make small steps that can lead to a change in the waste problem we have in the United States.  I realize that my journey to zero waste will not happen overnight, but after weeks, months, and years efforts collected to finding ways to reduce what I put in the trash can, I, too, will make a difference.

There have been many efforts in reducing the use of single-use plastics within the last few years.  California, for instance, has stopped offering single-use plastic grocery bags and other states are following suit.  I’ve posted in previous articles about the effects of plastic on the environment, but this seems like a great place to start for zero waste.  Locally, the recycling plant does not take plastic bags and suggests we throw them in the trash instead. 

Single-use plastic comes in many different forms, and breaking it down looks daunting, but how can you cut back? 

I’ve recently splurged on reusable bags for my children’s school lunches.  I was baffled at the amount of plastic I was using with just one child to pack his school lunch, and sending two to school this year made me realize that this was a great stepping stone on the path to zero waste.  The bags I use now have a zip enclosure and are washable, by hand or in the washing machine, and are dried for the next use.   I was using 30 single-use plastic bags a week in school lunches.  They’ve been in school for three weeks, and with my investment in reusable sandwich bags, I’ve saved 90 plastic bags from going into the trash. 

So, I began looking at all the single-use items that I could do away with.  In the kitchen alone, I know I could make improvements.   My mother-in-law sent us home with reusable covers to use instead of foil or plastic wrap that has made a difference in how much I am throwing out.

But what I didn’t think about was the paper towels we could replace with dish towels, or the fact that I use two cotton rounds a day to wipe of a days make up before heading to bed.  My goal is to find replacements for these.

This goes back to a past article I’ve written, The Impact ofPlastic on the Environment to see how recycling can help with a zero waste lifestyle.  But we know that plastic itself is not the problem, it’s the lack of recycling and the single-use items that get thrown away every day.

There are struggles I do have though living where I do that put a hinder on my journey to zero waste; I’m not technically allowed to compost per HOA regulations.  But I’ve been brainstorming ways to get around that, but maybe offering it at a county level, since community gardens are nearby, or HOA wide where we could find a place in our neighborhood to encourage others around me to do the same.  With all the gardening done by contractors and those living in here alone, it would be beneficial for many and help us overall reduce our contribution to waste.

Have you seen the stats of garbage in the US alone?  Each day, we throw enough trash away to fillup over 63,000 trash trucks, and half of that could be recycled.  We are throwing away 165 billion dollars inwasted food in the process of farming to households each year.

Things that can be recycled but instead thrown in the trash, such as plastic can take up to 1,000 years to fully degrade within a landfill; glass takes 1 million years, and aluminum takes up to 500 years.  Our trash will outlive the average lifespan of a healthy adult leaving it for generations beyond our years.

The journey to zero waste is a long one, but it’s possible.  Look at your day to day products, and see what you can replace with reusable items.  Does that food waste go in the trash or can you compost it?  Are you able to buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste? 

Set goals, set baby steps.  If it’s something you want to do, then work for it.

Locally, I'm participating in a Plastic Free Challenge for the month of October.  Its simple and I hope to be part of the solution:

• Commit to reducing the use of sing-use plastics, such as bottles, bags, and straws
• Commit to reducing the consumption of other plastic products and packaging 
• Reusing or recycling the plastic that is used
• Educate others about reducing plastic waste

If you aren't local, you can still follow this plastic free challenge.  I'd love to hear how you plan to cut back and any successes you have for the month of October!