The issue that I am tackling this semester is the excess of waste created through food waste, the fashion industry, and the use of plastic in packaging. The majority of ways to help solve this problem are changes people can make in their own personal choices on a day-to-day basis. There are also other opportunities to reduce waste on a community level. In this post I will explore these options and list which ones I choose to take during this month of action.
Actions:
Food Waste
- Composting-This can be one is a variety of methods, including indoor/outdoor composting and composting services.
- Buy local-Food that doesn’t travel far is inherently better for the environment and reduces waste, and this method of action helps to support local famers.
- Dumpster diving- A plethora of food is thrown away every day from grocery stores, restaurants, and bakeries, and by looking in the right places, you can find a delicious (and safe) treat!
Textile Waste (Fashion)
- Investing quality- By investing in quality items you are able to keep them longer, lessoning the amount of items that need to be manufactured. While it may seem like a lot of money in the beginning, it will definitely pay off as long as you take care of your clothes!
- No fast fashion- This is a good rule to live by as most fast fashion stores (such as H&M, Forever 21, and Target) use unethical methods of sorting their textiles and their labor. At the end of the day, their clothes are not as durable as they may seem!
- Thrift, Thrift, Thrift!!! – People donate the nicest stuff!! If you are willing to invest some time and effort into searching the racks, you can really make a wardrobe that is unique and sustainable!
- Recycle- Always donate your old clothes, and if they are too worn to donate, recycling them at a local textile recycling plant is always an option, there are drop off centers in many locations.
Plastic Waste
- Buy in bulk- By buying your groceries in bulk, you are able to reduce the amount of packaging used. But be careful to only buy what you need as to not waste food.
- Reuse- This is a big one. By using reusable everyday items you are able to keep so much waste out of landfills. Some examples: stainless steel water bottle/mug, bamboo cutlery for travel, menstrual cup, reusable produce/grocery bags, as well as reusable items to replace paper/cardboard items
- Visibility- Plastic waste isn’t always something that is visible, and an action to address this root cause is to use different language/labeling when talking about waste.
My Month of Action:
Food Waste
- Composting- I am going to use the composting service “The Compost Exchange” since I live in an apartment complex that has a serious raccoon problem.
Textile Waste
- Thrifting- I have been purchasing most of my clothes for thrift stores for many years now, but as of this month I am going to see if I can go a whole year buying all of my wardrobe items secondhand. (Not including intimates/running shoes)
Plastic Waste
- Buy in bulk- I’m beginning my bulk journey with small things like oats and rice, and hopefully one day I will be buying everything in bulk that I can!
- Reuse- I am trying to use everything mentioned above!
- Visibility- I am labeling the trashcans in my house and my parents house with a “Landfill” and I am going to try and say “throw it in the landfill” instead of “throw it away” to make the issue of waste more visible.
I think that the most difficult thing about going zero waste is that it has the ability to affect several areas of day-to-day life. I think that I will face many challenges in trying to reduce my waste, as a busy college student it can be hard to reduce food and plastic waste. Over the course of the next month I will try my best to reduce my personal waste as well as educate others on America’s waste problem and what they can do to help solve it.
In this month of action I hope to learn a lot about my own personal consumption and how I can change some of my personal decisions to reflect my ethical views. I hope that I can make waste more visible in our society, and help to educate others on the consequences of large amounts of waste.
References
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-home
http://www.thecompostexchange.com/
