Zero Waste Can Only Go So Far
As plastic waste continues to consume our world, polluting oceans and harming animals, many are beginning to cut plastic out of their life. In December 2000, Warren Snow held the world’s first Zero Waste conference in Kataia, New Zealand. Since then the movement has slowly gained followers. While those in the waste industry may have recognized zero waste, it was a term that was unfamiliar to the general public. But that all changed in 2017 when Lauren Singer was interviewed by Vox on her zero waste journey. For someone that grew up during the twenty-first century, I feel that it was Lauren that made this a well-known movement. Up until then, I had heard little of this lifestyle. Since that interview, Zero Waste has gained popularity with the public becoming more conscious of waste. Some simple changes include using reusable bags and metal straws. But with everything being packaged in some form of plastic, it’s hard to transition to a fully zero waste lifestyle.
Much of It Is Out of Your Control
Let’s start with the basics: everything is packaged. From produce to furniture, and even plants, packaging is everywhere. So then how does zero waste work? This movement is about minimizing individual consumer waste. While this may seem easy — simply picking items that aren’t packaged — manufacturers have made it quite difficult. For example in a grocery…
