#zerowastefail

[sustainablesabs]

Good news: my new @swedishstockings arrived in the mail yesterday! Bad news: they were sent in #plastic and #nonrecyclable packaging, even though I sent them a message specifically asking them not to. Here was their response: "Thank you for your email! Unfortunately the stockings are already packed in the usual package. We're working on making or packaging more sustainable! Hopefully we will get there soon!" Considering they promote themselves as an #ecofriendly and #ethicalfashionbrand, does it make sense to send their products in so much packaging? Would love to see more companies send packages using #recyclable and #plasticfree methods! • • • #zerowaste #zerowastefail #trashfree #nowaste #notrash #noplastic #reduce #reuse #recycle #repurpose #sustainable #sustainablefashion #ethical #ethicalfashion #stockings #swedishstockings #recycledfashion #gogreen #yayforearth #consciousconsumer

[nearlyzerowaste]

Why I want to try living a zero waste lifestyle and my previous failure

I have always been intrested in chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences and as soon as I started studying chemistry at uni, I found out more and more about plastic and all its negative side effects. 

As a diver I learned about plastic waste way before that but in the last two years I found out more and more about waste and other problems associated with plastic.

About a year ago I found out about the zero waste movement and I was fascinated by it. I came across Lauren Singe, Bea Johnson and other zero wasters in ted talks and blogs.

I decided to start zero waste there and then...and that was a mistake. At first it went ok and the only waste I made that wasn’t recycable or reuseable were fruit and vegetable stickers. 

Because I lived in a small village in the swiss countryside I did not have a lot of possibilities to bulk shop and so I lived of vegetables and rice and I soon became bored and sick of these two things.

Soon I stopped my attempt at zero waste but not without being more thoughtful about my purchases and integrating a few zero waste swaps into my routine.

Forward to February this year, I moved to Zurich and I started zero waste all over again. This time slower and more aware of my needs and my happiness.

The blog is here to help me stay focused and motivated, to record my progress and to share my failures and my achievments.

[sustainablesabs]

It's finally moving day. I've packed up all of my things and am getting the last bits together now. One of them is this: a pesky pile of produce stickers. This represents 11 months of eating for my boyfriend and I - between the harsh Boston winter and our schedules, we didn't always have time to make it to the farmer's markets. With more experience piling up each year, I am always getting better at living sustainably - and if anyone has any tips for living sustainably in Brooklyn, please let me know below 😌 • • • • #zerowaste #zerowastefail #trashfree #plasticfree #wastefree #nowaste #notrash #noplastic #brooklyn #eco #ecofriendly #sustainable #sustainablehome #reduce #reuse #recycle #repurpose #gogreen #produce #stickers

[wastelesswanderess]

Sometimes I choose plastic over glass 😮 I know - it sounds like a massive #zerowastefail but here is my logic: Glass is HEAVY so when things (especially small things) are packaged in glass then half the transport cost of that item is actually just shipping the glass bottle. Sometimes I can get a bigger value in plastic than I can get in glass - like with this soy sauce - so I'm using about the same weight of packaging but for 4 times as much product. I also look at what type of plastic the packaging is. This plastic bottle is PET - type 1 plastic - which is the easiest one to recycle to a similar quality product. Types 3/4/5 etc are only downcycled into less good products, which have a lower value and fewer uses. Basically - if the number in the recycling triangle is 1 or 2 it's better. ♻️ So there you go - that's why I buy plastic sometimes when there is a glass option! Do you do this too? #zerowastelife #livingzerowaste #livingwithless #bulkbuying #soysauce #asianfood #packaging #lowwasteliving #lowwaste #ecofriendly (at Dublin, Ireland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CADqW3pnr9g/?igshid=19jd9bpecn99c

[xynner13]

#ZEROWASTEFAIL cos I was so hungry I forgot to remind them. But take a moment and look at these beautiful coolers from @fishncosg I have not been there for almost 5 years but this looks amazing. -- Normally when this happens, I'll just use the straw because they'll just throw it away when you tell them to remove it. It'll be even more wasteful. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4q5eANnprP/?igshid=i4vvt313r6ee

[hadaikum]

so our oven at home decided it will only work at 220C for now... my kitchen scrap plans deteriorated quickly... #cooking #zerowastefail #icanstillcompost https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5VO9XnEav/?igshid=yazpqwp1qe5s

[wastelesswanderess]

I eat a LOT of tofu, and in NZ is almost impossible to find it #packagefree. I talked to my tofu guy at the market the other day and he explained that is because they pasteurise the tofu after it's packaged so it needs to be in a sealed bag to stay fresh. Unfortunately, that means plastic for me, but I buy the biggest batch I can do is less plastic per gram of tofu and make peace with it. The plastic is all recycled in soft plastic recycling as well. It's important to acknowledge that nobody is perfect and that we are all on a journey. I'm always looking for alternatives, but in the meantime I'm not going to beat myself up over the things I can't find ways to avoid. Every step you take is better than never taking that step. #zerowastefail #zerowasteirl #journeytozerowaste #livingzerowaste #zerowasteliving #zerowastelife #lifehappens #bemorekind #bekindtoyourself #itsoktonotbeperfect #zerowaste #zerowastegoals #trashisfortossers #ecoboost #sustainability #tofu #foodwaste #plantbased #vegetarian #tasty #tofurecipes #yum #cooking #plasticfreeliving (at Wellington, New Zealand) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bniwz5MBi1N/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jchvv4mt1e80

[wastelesswanderess]

Gifts are such a delicate topic in the ethical world. It's something that was purchased because of you, but which you sometimes had no control over. One of my colleagues bought me this delicious eclair, which was so thoughtful and sweet... But it came in 3 seperate pieces of paper. If I'd bought myself a n eclair id have taken my own container. Of course, it was absolutely divine. How do you handle gifts? #yummy #eclair #frenchbakery #tasty #zerowastefail #packagefree #zerowastejourney #journeytozerowaste #sustainableliving #sustainability #packaging (at French Cancan Wellington New Zealand)