{"id":19126,"date":"2024-11-05T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/?p=19126"},"modified":"2024-10-02T12:06:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T11:06:14","slug":"from-roots-to-riches-reframing-the-zero-waste-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/from-roots-to-riches-reframing-the-zero-waste-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"From Roots to Riches: Reframing the “Zero Waste” Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I would like us to go on adventure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please don\u2019t worry, you won\u2019t have to pack anything, just read the next paragraph and we will be transported to a place, so beautiful, so breathtaking, so unbelievable<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture this: a wall lined with uniform glass jars, a few light brown tote bags nestled in the corner, bamboo toothbrushes lying next to a jar of toothpaste tabs. Please don\u2019t forget the block of dish soap and the natural cleaning sponge in the room over, so chic! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you see those items, what do they tell you? To me, they are the curated hallmark of a \u2018Zero Waste\u2019 social media feed. Everything is arranged just-so, begging for likes, comments and shares. I\u2019m sure you know the type; sustainable goodness oozing from the screen, so aesthetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acquiring such manicured treasures may seem out of reach, especially considering the upfront cost, along with the likelihood that they will be purchased through a local small business. Away from the 4:5 ratio pictures, featuring the premium carrots from some city\u2019s premium farmers\u2019 markets, are individuals doing \u2018Zero Waste\u2019 imperfectly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what even is Zero-Waste?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to ESDO, the term \u2018Zero Waste\u2019 stems from Daniel Knapp\u2019s concept of \u2018Total Recycling\u2019 in the early 1980s. The goal of zero waste is to send no waste to \u2018landfill, incinerators or the ocean\u2019. The concept of \u2018Zero Waste\u2019 is huge, and may feel impossible, especially when some waste is necessary and even beneficial to the quality of many people\u2019s lives\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why must the \u201cZero Waste\u201d lifestyle have a certain aesthetic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Simply, it doesn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Zero Waste Movement\u2019, as it were, has been commodified into an easily consumable and sterile aesthetic. Whilst pictures of colourful lentils in jars are beautiful, it does a disservice to the communities that have been practicing \u2018Zero Waste\u2019 due to their personal circumstances, whether that be financial, cultural or otherwise, for generations. Of course, your social media worthy bamboo cutlery is the cat\u2019s pajamas and an overall sustainability \u2018win\u2019, the standard that has been set for everyone to do this is not. This may be a reason why many people dismiss environmentally conscious outlooks. The pressure to conform to a certain \u2018look\u2019 and the ability that not conforming has on social standing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-using the same discolored plastic lunchbox that has survived secondary school with you is as sustainable as purchasing, with the intent to reuse, a brand-new stainless-steel lunchbox. The plastic lunchbox is not broken and still carries your food, despite being \u2018ugly\u2019. On top of this, you may have saved some money too! Using what is already accessible to you is more sustainable than buying a new item \u2013 saving manufacturing and shipping costs that impact you and the business you\u2019re purchasing from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean you can\u2019t purchase anything new again. If online or in-person secondhand shops or no-buy groups on social media, are not accessible to you, there is nothing shameful in purchasing a new item. However, managing how many of the item you have is important. Purchasing a reusable water bottle, made from a good material is important to reduce the likelihood of having to purchase another, or multiple, for a long time \u2013 as well as ensuring the item has multiple functions, such as storing both hot and cold drinks, will also prevent you from having to purchase multiples of the same item. Let\u2019s make the new water bottle trend be a water bottle covered in stickers and marks from all the adventures you have been on together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t be \u201cZero-Waste\u201d because\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I dislike the term \u2018Zero Waste\u2019. It is hard to conform to, with black and white connotations and is largely unbelievable, manufactured and curated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoy the popularity the term has brought to slow-living and sustainability. I much prefer \u2018Low waste\u2019 or \u2018Reducing my waste\u2019. These terms may be a lot more accessible, as they accept that not everyone can truly create no waste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take your medication, have your surgeries \u2013 through necessity or choice and do not feel shame or worry over the impact this may have to the environment. The sustainability and \u2018low waste\u2019 movements are still for you. Several people minimising their waste in the areas they can is better than one person doing it immaculately. Prioritising your health is important to maintain your quality of life, happiness and education. Some companies have recycling schemes for medication blister packs, which may be accessible, but if they are not for you, that it is okay too! Make your old t-shirts into cleaning cloths, freeze your vegetable scraps to make into food stock. Small actions make change, and everyone should do what they can, without compromising their quality of life. \u2018Many low-waste\u2019 actions overlap with frugal ones, great for your wallet and the planet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From \u2018Roots to Riches’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Image description: a woman walking down a path cut between the centre of a forest<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining a \u201cLow Waste\u201d or even \u201cZero Waste\u201d lifestyle is a journey which should be rewarding, empowering and should help you grow. It should not feel like an exclusive club for only those who can contribute 100%. Although the gorgeous pictures on social media can be discouraging, or even inspiring, the best thig to do instead of buying a new jar, is to reuse the jar that came with your jam (after you finish the jam, of course).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeds of Wisdom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Social Media Content Creators<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to learn more about this topic, here are links some useful \u201cLow waste\u201d content creators, who creative videos on consumerism, the environmental impacts of industries and individuals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danish Youtuber, Gittemary Johansen:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@gittemary<\/a> (Accessed 04\/09\/2024).
American Youtuber, The Simple Environmentalist:<\/strong> https:\/\/youtube.com\/@thesimpleenvironmentalist?si=pEcO5Zc6bGvgz21h<\/a> (Accessed 04\/09\/2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literature<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re dipping your toes into environmentalism, I recommend reading \u2018The History of Bees\u2019,<\/em> by Maja Lunde. The book is a translated fictional work, following three individuals and their interactions with bees as an important part of the functions of society, in Earth\u2019s past, present and future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources, In Order of Use<\/h4>\n\n\n\n