Zero Waste Life

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I have heard a lot about the zero waste lifestyle recently and I think it is amazing. The amount of trash that people produce is astronomical and it is harming our planet. If we can all start producing a little less it can help a lot. 

 There are a lot small things that I do to reduce my waste. I always carry my reusable water bottle and groceries bags with me, I never use single use coffee cups and I try to shop at the farmers market as much as I can. However, since moving to the UK I feel like I have taken a few steps back. For one, I live in the heart of Central London (near SOHO) and the only way we can dispose of our trash is by leaving it on the street (it is collected every morning). This method is easy but it does not allow for composting. When I lived in San Francisco I composted everything I could and my landfill trash was a lot smaller, now all organic waste has to go into the landfill bag. I also do not have a backyard since I am in the city so I can not do any home composting. I do recycle but we have to use special bags from the city. This is fine with me but I always wonder about other residents and if the trash collectors actually put in the recycling. Secondly, everything is much more packing here. They wrap as many things as they can in plastic. Buying simple things like I did back in the US equals a lot more plastic here. 

 To reduce my waste more I would like to start making my own products like Lauren mentioned in the video. The reason why I am interested in this is because I am not happy with a lot of my products and I wish they were much more natural. Since making my own products is good for me and the environment I think it is a logical step to take.  

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 6, 2018 at 12:58 PM

    Hi Caitlin,

    Have you heard of the minimalist? I saw some documentary and the minimalist lifestyle is amazing. I have cut off lot of stuff from my life too. I downgraded my room to a simple one bed, one table, one chair setting.

    Its unfortunate that UK doesn't have good home composting system. But I am glad you are doing as much as you can. At home here, we also recycle, compost and also reuse containers as much as we can. I like your pledge of not using reusable cups. I have cut down on my plastic water bottle usage.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 6, 2018 at 10:03 PM

    Hi Caitlin,

    It is amazing that San Francisco is so ahead of the game in composting. When I learned that this happened, I was like why does Sacramento not have this?? It is possible to do it on our own, but like you said there are some barriers if you do not have your own yard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jordan DemosNovember 13, 2018 at 10:09 AM

    Caitlin,

    DIY products is a great way to make in impact on improving the environment. We must go further than just reusing shopping bags and water bottles. The video we watched really inspired me to do my part, and I believe it has inspired others as well.

    ReplyDelete

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