Samantha Carvalho

You might be asking, “Sam, what the heck is zero-waste? Why should I care?”

Zero-waste is essentially a lifestyle that focuses on reusing and thus, creates less trash in the world. It’s all about conscious living and only owning what you need. The zero-waste movement exists because our planet is being filled with waste that creates toxic chemicals when it’s thrown in the trash.

Let me give you an example. You own a toothbrush, right? (I hope?) Chances are that this toothbrush is made out of plastic. What do you do when you’re done with this toothbrush. You throw it in the trash. Did you know, that 1 single toothbrush takes 450 years to decompose? And it will never REALLY be gone, because plastic only breaks down into tinier micro plastics. Which then a fish will eat. And then you will eat that fish. And you will now be ingesting that same toothbrush. Gross, isn’t it?

Now, think of an alternative. You have a toothbrush. But, it’s made out of ethically sourced bamboo. It still does the same job of cleaning your teeth. But what do you do when you’re done with it? You throw it in your garden. As time goes on, this bamboo toothbrush will decompose and become part of the soil. It will help fertilize your plants and create no waste. No micro plastics will end up in the fish, or in your stomach. You will just have well fertilized plants!

That is just one high-level example of why the zero-waste movement exists. The point is to create a world where we don’t have to worry about climate change. Virtually everything will have a purpose and won’t harm us, or release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.

Sure, it is a lifestyle adjustment. But it’s not as difficult as I thought it would be. Transitioning into this lifestyle has opened my eyes to new possibilities and made me realize how much I was wasting. Although I’m still not perfect, I’m getting there. You cannot go zero-waste overnight.

I hope this post brought some new light and meaning to the word zero-waste for you. Let me know what you thought in the comments!

With love,

Sam