#trash jar

[zerofuckingwaste]

The Trash Jar is fucking bullshit.

I'm not the first to say it and I sure as fucking hell won't be the last. It's great to aspire to perfection, to the idea of fitting your trash for a year in the confines of a single jar, but:

That can come at the expense of the bigger picture, such as driving a long distance to get to a bulk foods store instead of walking to the local supermarket right around the corner and getting the best options there, thereby creating greater carbon emissions than you otherwise would have.

This can lead to questionable additions to your recycling and compost bins, knowing that items will end up in a landfill eventually, but taint a load of recyclables and compost on their way there.

This can alienate family and friends who might find the idea of a zero waste lifestyle too intimidating from such a daunting ask.

The individuals are not the ones creating the most trash. Do you think Amazon fits all their waste in a single jar, or even cares to try? Of course not!

Putting all your focus into this stupid fucking jar diverts your attention from efforts than can have a much greater impact! Lobbying for eco conscious efforts in your local area, petitioning for plastic bans and environmentally friendly fishing practices, establishing a buy nothing group, or perhaps a compost pile, in your neighborhood, these and other efforts are all things that can really make a big difference- if you're not distracted by a fucking mason jar instead.

Remember, zero waste doesn't mean that you have to create absolutely no trash- it means bettering the environment by causing less unnecessary waste on both an individual and societal effort. And that means little steps, one thing at a time.

Not a fucking jar.

[smallzerowaste]

When I was creating this blog I was thinking about reducing plastic use and paying more attention to what I buy. I have declared to share here my progress and tips, so I named the blog Small Zero Waste - small, because for now I’m learning how to reduce waste.

But I think there is no one on Earth who is truly ‘zero waste’, because there is a waste that we don’t see normally. Also I find some people doing zero waste strange, I mean, I appreciate them but some of them seem to be too self-assured? I don’t know. Anyway, I’m thankful for them sharing their stories and proving that living with minimal waste is possible. Despite this, in my point of view, things like trash jars are far-fetched. But mayble I’ll give it a try one day.

Recently, I saw someone claiming that zero wasters are foolish, because they buy expensive things (like safety razors or other accessories) and persuade other people to use it too. I don’t think it’s something bad, most of the things are reusable and long-lasting so it’s a save of money and reduce of waste. Furthermore it’s almost always plastic-free. What can be wrong about that?

The most important thing about reducing waste is saving our environment and it’s not about being perfect in zero waste, because all of our choises matter! Demand creates its own supply so every time you buy something wrapped in plastic packaging you give the producer a sign that you like it.

Reducing waste isn’t just about trash, think about reducing waste of water or electricity - repair the leaky pipes and switch off unnecessary electrical devices, it will pay off ;)

[sustainablesabs]

The Trash Jar Myth, and Why You Are NOT a Zero Waste Failure

After reading some really great posts on the recent drama surrounding Package Free Shop/Lauren Singer from Ethical Unicorn and Zero Waste Habesha, I wanted to further expand on the idea of zero waste and the trash jar myth.

When I first went zero waste, Lauren Singer and Bea Johnson were my sources of inspiration, and their perfect tiny trash jars were what I aspired to. Compared to the 4.4 pounds of trash every American produced every day, making less than in a few years seemed impossible. At first, I questioned how they could really be producing no trash - after all, wouldn’t that conditioner that Lauren pumped into her own container from a large plastic jug eventually get trashed?

As hard as I’ve tried the last two and a half years, I could never get all of my personal trash into one of those 16oz mason jars. The one time I did try I failed horribly after a month because I bought a new, plastic-wrapped mattress for my apartment. Between that, plastic-lined coconut oil jars, plastic clothing tags, store receipts, stickers, and every other piece of trash I had no intention of using, I had absolutely NO idea how anyone could fit years worth of trash into such small jars. Because here’s the reality: we live in a linear economy, with trash as an end result. While we as individuals may choose to live with a circular mindset, companies and corporations don’t, which is why we have to raise our voices when companies are doing something wrong.

So yes, I do believe that a perfectly curated trash jar is a myth. Why? Because it perpetuates the idea that anyone who does not have the access or the ability to live perfectly zero waste is a failure. Remember the mattress situation I mentioned a couple paragraphs up? I was ashamed for wanting a brand new mattress; in New York of all places! The land of bedbugs!

Everyone in this movement is doing their best with what they are given, and no one should ever feel like they’re not trying hard enough because their trash doesn’t fit in that goddamn jar. It’s also important to remember that social media can be deceptive; people don’t always show their slip ups, but after last week’s events I hope we can continue to talk about it and be transparent with one another.

With that being said, let me know in the comments some of the trash you’ve made today, this week or this month. Here’s mine: after visiting a new restaurant that (to my chagrin) serves on all-disposable everything, I had to trash some small plastic containers, paper plates, and some paper napkins.

Xoxo, Sabs