Zero waste living is one of the newest trends in the "environment friendly" world. It is like the new song everyone is obsessed with or the hip lifestyle everyone wants to have. Whenever people hear the word zero waste, they think all sorts of things like, "Oh my Gosh, that means you're totally using 100 percent of your stuff", or "you don't produce any waste!!!, how are you still alive?". Some may even conclude that such life is impossible especially in a world where everything is packaged or there are not just any eco-friendly alternatives. It is very easy to pledge to start living the zero-waste life but it is just as easy to fall out of it too.
During the zero-plastic challenge where I challenged myself to cut off all plastic for a week, I quickly found out that such lifestyle, as wonderful as it seemed, could be very hard (though not impossible) to live. My first challenge was water. All my sources of water were packaged in some sort of plastic or the other. There was the normal pure water satchet and the plastic bottle kind. I could have decided to boil some tap water but trusting school hostel's water could be another "Trial of Brother Jero" situation especially as my mates in neighbour hostels complained about their water. Though boiling could remove germs, most of us including myself would not take chances. And so, I ended up with the plastic water bottle. I poured it my stainless steel water bottle though, but the damaged had been done. I had already created plastic waste.
Another hurdle was eating out, most people these days just don't have enough time to eat before work or school and it's no one's fault. And when we get to eateries and cafeterias, the option of the takeaway packs, utensils or cups is just so convenient, cheap and we have to admit, sometimes it makes us feel cool. Unfortunately, these plastic items are still contributing to plastic pollution and whether we like it or not, that is definitely not something to feel cool about. Fortunately, this is something we can try to solve. How? By carrying our own food flasks, bowls and utensils. Yes, it might feel like a burden but then it is about the same weight as the plastic package we end up with after a day's worth of eating out (soooo....) and even better, you'll know you have not created any waste concerning that aspect. Even though, it may not feel like it, it is a lot cheaper too. Think of all the extra money that will be saved on purchasing food bowls. Also, if you have trouble, feel shy or ashamed to present a food bowl instead of purchasing a plastic one (I know I used to feel so too) just remember that you are helping the environment and saving yourself some money too. Plus, I think we can all agree that sometimes the plastic spoon or fork does not do justice to some foods the way the metal ones do.
The next major contributor to waste is nylon. When we talk about non-biodegradable waste, it is easy to go on and on while forgetting a subtle contributor that accompanies nearly every purchase we make. The ubiquitous nylon. In fact, the competition between nylon and plastic bottles is so stiff that for every plastic bottle you see around you, there is a possibility of sighting a nylon close by. Fortunately, nylon is one of the easier things to manage since it is packaging. Now I don't mean you have to turn down food wrapped in nylon like Gala and stuff but you definitely don't need to accept the packaging that comes with it. The solution. Simple. Your own reusable cloth bag or your pocket/bag. (but the cloth bag sounds fancier though). Nearly everyone of us have that cloth bag we received with that birthday present or at that party. Many social occasions are known for their cloth and paper bags too. Having a foldable (and reusable) cloth or paper bag in hand can be the difference between life and death for a animal in the ocean (and I'm not kidding). All you need to do is keep one in your purse or bag and whenever you make a purchase that may need nylon packaging, you can kindly say No thank you and put your item in your bag.
To continue listing plastic pollutants and their alternatives would be like writing a whole textbook which would eventually bore everyone (which I don't want to do) but it just goes to show the simple things we can do one at a time to reduce plastic waste in our environment.
So back to the question, Is Zero Waste really achievable? Well, I think that really depends on many factors like where you live, your access to alternatives and even your determination to pursue such a lifestyle. However, just because it's hard does not mean it's impossible. It's not easy to take such drastic changes especially when people don't really understand what you're doing but remember "Little drops of water make a mighty ocean" and it's our job to keep that ocean plastic -free.
Thank you for reading this probably boring article and till the end too. If you could endure that you probably can take on some no-plastic challenges. How about putting some reusable cloth bag or food bowl/utensil in your outing bag, Right now? It'll only take two minutes.
If you did so, well done and if you did not, (oh well) I'll try convincing you next time.
If you have questions, comments or contributions you can put them down below. Start a conversation.
Thanks for reading, Evergreen.
Stay Green and Stay Free.
Adebajo Kamikun.
07/06/2019.
