If You Can’t Go Zero-Waste, Adopt A Low-Waste Lifestyle

It’s a new year, so let’s talk about resolutions we can’t realize. I’ve been following the zero-waste movement since 2015. That year, I tried to go zero waste. I’ve since moved on to pursuing a low-waste lifestyle instead, and here’s why.

The year was 2015. I used my own containers when I bought lunch at work, used my own jar when I bought drinks, brought grocery bags when I shopped. To stop using tissues, I used handkerchiefs and cut up old towels to use as napkins. I examined every aspect of my life and tried to make changes where I could.

I discovered that it wasn’t too difficult to go zero waste on parts of my life I have full control over.

Since 2015, I’ve pretty much gone cut my waste to a minimum when it came to personal hygiene. It turned out to be the easiest changes to make, after all, my bathroom routines were simple to begin with.

For the past 4 years, I’ve been using bamboo toothbrushes, homemade toothpaste, bar soaps for both my hair and body and oil that comes in glass bottles as a moisturizer. I don’t wear makeup, so it was really easy.

The same goes for period protection. The best thing I’ve ever done for my body is switching to the cup and cloth pad, then later period panties for my monthly cycles. It was life-changing. I love my Thinx.

That said, I still used toilet paper and generated little pieces of plastic here and there. My lip balm came in a plastic tube sealed with plastic. But I was happy with what I was doing. In fact, I was so enthusiastic I was posting about it on my Instagram account.

What I couldn’t do though, was be zero-waste when it comes to grocery. 

I wasn’t the one cooking at home, so I wasn’t the one buying groceries. It really frightened me to see every type of vegetable wrapped in plastic. Can you imagine how much plastic waste gets generated each day just from vegetables alone? It’s crazy! But it’s hard to influence where my sister chose to grocery shop, especially when shopping at the wet market is less convenient and sometimes costs more. I did try to get her to bring our own bags, but that was about it.

Not being able to live zero-waste all around discouraged me a great deal. I felt like I shouldn’t talk about it because I couldn’t do it, so I stopped talking about it even though I continued doing what I can. Eventually, my instagram posts about my green efforts died away.

In retrospect, I see the problem in that way of thinking. I got too fixated with the idea of a completely zero-waste lifestyle that I overlooked what a zero-waste lifestyle tries to achieve. 

Zero-waste isn’t just about not creating waste. It’s also about examining our relationships with our environment and being conscious and responsible in the way we consume resources.

My attempt at zero-waste living taught me a great deal. I became more conscious about how I use and discard things, and I saw the scale of the problems that came with our excessive consumption.

I’m glad that the zero-waste movement is picking up steam now, and more people are becoming aware of the plastic pollution and waste problem.

At the same time, a lot of us find it difficult to transition into a zero-waste lifestyle, especially if we live with family members who don’t practice the lifestyle. It can make our efforts feel like it’s going nowhere, but every effort means something!

After giving it much thought lately, I felt I shouldn’t have thought of my low-waste efforts as unworthy. In fact, it may even be the way to go. After all, it is way easier to practice a low-waste lifestyle that a zero-waste lifestyle, which means more people can do it.

Besides, the tendency of those with waste-reduction in mind is to refine their practice, as I’ve learned from experience. It’s less effective than a zero-waste lifestyle, but it’s more accessible, and it counts.

At this point, I worry that people would think I’m just full of excuses, I’m really just speaking from experience. 

I live with my family, so our lifestyles are intertwined. Since I’m not the head of the household, a lot of decisions aren’t up to me. I could try harder to talk them into going zero waste, but that’s just not me. I did nag at my sister incessantly if she used too many plastic bags though.

For example, I prefer using reusable bags when grocery shopping, but mom wants plastic bags for trash and recyclables. So I bag some items in reusable bags and the rest in plastic bags.

I prefer peanut butter in a glass jar, but Anth doesn’t like the oil separation because it’s a hassle to stir it. I know, he’s such a prince! So we went back to the brand he likes and recycle the plastic jars.

Living with people means compromise, there’s nothing wrong with that. It may mean that our zero-waste efforts wouldn’t take shape the way we want it to, but it doesn’t mean that our efforts don’t count.

If enough of us make an effort to reduce our waste or plastic use, the effect would still be substantial. 

I still try to live a low-waste lifestyle, and I enjoy it. Some days, I get ridden by guilt, but I focus on what I can do. I can keep my personal hygiene predominantly zero waste, shop with grocery bags for my own stuff, and choose products with sustainable packaging.

Obviously, I still generate too much waste and live in a household where grocery shopping means a lot of plastic waste, but I feel less negativity about the whole endeavor than before.

Being low-waste does affect the people around us. People notice my environmental-friendly efforts even though they’re not perfect. It makes them think about their own actions. It’s a win-win.

So I say, if you can’t go zero-waste, go low-waste. What do you think? Do you live a low-waste lifestyle? Let me know!