WHAT IS A ZERO WASTE MINDSET
People often ask me about what they can do to live more sustainable lives. Many of us try our best, which is noble considering that we live within imperfect and extractive systems that make living in complete alignment with our values a somewhat impossible feat.
“Should I buy this?”
“Can I recycle this?”
“Is this actually sustainable? Or is it just good marketing?”
“What else can I do?!”
I recently read a book: Stop Saving the Planet by Jenny Price that put into words how I feel about those types of questions. Price writes: ‘What can I do?’ is an important question – but only when it doesn’t prevent you from asking, ‘What needs to be done?”
We know true sustainability requires a culture shift. We know there’s so much work to be done. We know a better way is possible. The answer I’ve found that resonates most with me is to pursue building a waste-free world. It goes far beyond our individual consumer choices and it’s work that needs to be done if we’re serious about transforming the world to one where living sustainably is actually feasible for all.
I landed here after my own personal journey of (unsuccessfully) attempting to work towards zero waste in my everyday life. I realized zero waste living is impossible and the challenges I faced led me to define what I like to call a “zero waste mindset”.
The Zero Waste International Alliance defines zero waste as: “the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
However, zero waste isn’t a new trend nor is it a new concept. It isn’t something I nor any organization invented. From my perspective, zero waste goes beyond just a conversation about resources. We can employ a zero waste mindset to see how the waste we generate on a regular basis connects to the bigger challenges we face.
The concept of zero waste is not only about the way we produce and consume materials, but it's also in the way we treat each other and our relationships to all land and life. It’s about what we decide to value and what we don’t.
A zero waste mindset is a lens through which we can adjust the way we consume and produce through intentional and consistent action.
This approach is meant to inspire integral change in communities through the pursuit of zero waste. For me, zero waste isn’t the goal, it’s the vehicle to get us to the goal of a more sustainable, equitable, and just world.