Advocating Mindfulness for A Low-Waste Lifestyle

Disclaimer: this is not a zero-waste or zero-plastic post.

The weather has been erratic lately. Everywhere I went, I hear people talking about how spring weather used to be lovely. I guess climate change is here, and climate change is global.

Who can we blame but ourselves and our blatant over-consumption? We use plastic as if it breaks down in a month and we throw things out like there aren’t consequences, but there are!

Everything is connected on this earth. We clear great swaths of land for crops and livestock production only to throw out 40% of our food. The things that end up in landfills stay there for a long time, leaching harmful chemicals into the ground. We mine oil to make plastic things that we throw out with a single use, not caring that they do not decompose. They simply hang around for centuries, breaking down into ever smaller particles that get into everything – birds, turtles, fish, water, us… Now the marine ecosystem is off balance, planktons are dying and did we know that phytoplanktons produce 50% of our oxygen?

Wait, who am I to judge? I still use grocery bags, I still buy things wrapped in plastic. And I shop online for things that come in plastic packaging.

Many people told me that the changes have to start from the top, that efforts made at the bottom wouldn’t make much of a difference. I don’t think so. (Though from my actions you’d think I agree with them. I’m not the best example.) I think the companies making products would only think about changing the way they do things when enough people pressure the companies, or when enough people join a movement. After all, why would they fix something if they don’t think it’s broken?

Over-consumption

Besides, it’s not just the way companies do things that are a problem. The way we’re consuming is a big issue too. We’re consuming resources and creating waste at an alarming rate. That is why plastic pollution and waste are becoming such huge problems.

I know full well that I am part of the problem. At the same time, there are some things I’m doing right. As I work towards self-acceptance, I need to be more encouraging toward myself, right?

Thanks to my crazy need to minimize possession and simplify my life, I realized there is a way to reduce our individual carbon footprint that’s relatively painless and very beneficial to our mental well-being.

A Helpful Mindset

Mindfulness!

For those of us living in developed societies, most of us already have too many things. These things end up causing us stress by taking up our time, space and attention. If we don’t pay attention to our consumption habits, these habits end up consuming us and our planet.

All we need to do to overcome that is to become mindful about the way we own, consume and discard things.

Choose what you already have over something new. If you need to get something new, choose quality or secondhand products – think quality over quantity. Choose reusable over disposable. Be mindful about purchases. Mend your shoes and clothes and things if they can be mended. Wear your things out. We don’t need a new phone every year. Donate the things you don’t use. Politely decline occasions where people overdo gift-giving or gift experience instead. And so on and so forth.

The less we buy, the less resources we consume, the less packaging required, the less we throw out.

It Does Not Stop Here

These are all changes we can make immediately without affecting our lives. They wouldn’t solve the pollution problem, but it’s a great first step for us to transition into a low-waste lifestyle. These practices would surely spill into other aspects of your life. When you’re mindful, you start to see how each action affects your environment. Before too long, you’ll find yourself making more lifestyle switches that further reduces your stress and carbon footprint.

This is not a cure-all, but habits are hard to change. I think it’s easier to convince people to become mindful of their consumption than to make huge changes like not buying things that are wrapped in plastic. After all, people are more likely to be overwhelmed by the amount of things at home than to be overwhelmed by trash buried in landfills, even though they’re essentially the same events. Earth is our home, and landfills are our hoard.

That said, I love my zero-waste heroes and respect them totally. I follow them on instagram so I’m constantly reminded to be mindful about my actions. I particularly enjoy @going.zero.waste, @vintage_is_eco and @happyzerotrash. Check them out!