My Imperfect Journey Towards Zero Waste

I consider myself on the path to zero waste, but can I contain all my waste for the year in a mason jar? Heck, no! I’m working towards zero waste, but I’m not there yet. And that’s OK, because the changes I’ve made have at the very least decreased my family’s garbage and recycling outputs, and I think that counts for something.

That saying, “perfect is the enemy of good” definitely applies here. In attempting never to produce a scrap of garbage, people set themselves up for immediate failure and often abandon all efforts. It is incredibly difficult to lead a truly zero- or minimal-waste lifestyle. I think it’s better for more people to try to decrease their waste and make a few changes, so it’s totally OK if it isn’t the easiest mountain to climb.

It’s not always easy, especially for families, but I believe it is important to make significant changes to help foster sustainability. And of course it isn’t easy — if it were super easy, we would have done it already. My advice? Don’t stop before you start. And don’t give up. Here are some thoughts on my imperfect journey to zero waste.

Everyone's approach to the environment will be different. Read about how a father learned the kids are all right after his daughter went sandbagging here.

It’s Not Always Convenient

I don’t get to big box stores very often these days. In my opinion, they can be one of the worst offenders for excess packaging, and they are often designed with opportunities for buying non-essential items. I’m also more likely to support independent businesses over big chains.

I totally understand that these stores are convenient — all those items under one roof! And in bulk, to boot. So I’ll be upfront and say that no, my shopping routine is not always efficient. I go to the bulk distributor to buy toilet paper made from recycled content that is wrapped in paper and sold in a large cardboard box. I shop for food at the farmer’s market, local farms and the grocery store. I visit the bulk store with my glass jars for a variety of items.

I try to remember to bring my own container to the local coffee shop, where they’ll fill it with beans roasted on site for me to enjoy coffee made from home (although, as you are probably aware, many coffee shops aren’t accepting personal cups or containers, so there are setbacks and I take them in stride). It takes time, effort and coordination and sometimes I fail.

I Do What You Can

On weeks when things are running smoothly, I can often accommodate minimal waste practices with little difficulty. I like finding ways to decrease waste and enjoy being minimal about stuff. But whenever there is a disruption — sick kid, busy workweek, a migraine that levels me — I try not to beat myself up when I streamline the process. Sometimes I give in to do the shopping all at the grocery store, and use the sight of all that excess packaging to motivate me to do better next time. When the schools request food for classroom parties to arrive in pre-packaged quantities for allergy control, I understand and comply (sometimes offering packaging-free mandarin oranges as our contribution — yes, I can be “that” mom). I often counsel my kids to get used to going with the flow, and appreciating that sometimes we can’t control everything or live life exactly as we’d like, and then remind myself to take my own advice.

Slow it Down

Slow living and minimal waste go together like PB and J. Taking life at a more deliberate pace and moving away from “busy, busy, busy” opens up possibilities. Kids love baking homemade bread, frying up English muffins made from scratch, and helping create granola blends and then packaging it up in mason jars for the pantry, a bake sale or as a thoughtful gift. These activities turn the focus back on making, creating and spending time together with the added bonus of creating little to no waste. Making things yourself in big batches can also be less expensive, and it fosters togetherness. I find homesteading becomes more attainable and fun to do as a family when you slow down.

Saying Goodbye to (Some) Traditions

Change can be hard for people, especially if it threatens a beloved tradition. I know people love their photos of the family — even the extended family — in brand new pyjamas every Christmas morning. They look great on the IG feed for about an hour. But did everyone really need another set of sleepwear? What happened to last year’s?

Photo ops come at a price, whether it is matching PJs for a holiday or T-shirts for a bridal party. There’s also all those plastic props — are they really worth it? Does anyone really need another personalized coffee mug, water bottle or key chain. Not to mention conference swag, team shirts and baseball hats? Traditions and photos can continue in the absence of these props and costumes that aren’t necessary and merely tax our already over-burdened planet — I promise.

On the topic of traditions, there’s also the “shoe tree,” where people nail their old shoes to trees in the name of tradition.

The way I see it, those shoes could have gone to someone in need. They could have been recycled, or at least not placed in nature. With some of these actions I feel we need to remind ourselves that just because we’ve always done something, doesn’t mean that we should continue to do it. After all, people used to smoke, litter and drink and drive with abandon, and that didn’t work out too well.

Read one mother's approach to parenting at the intersection of climate change and consumer packaging here.

I Volunteer as Tribute

Some changes are much tougher than others. I have no problem taking my glass jars to be weighed before filling them at the bulk store. My partner hates the whole process with a passion, so I volunteer to take on this task because it really doesn’t bother me. In fact, I always have a nice chat with the person weighing my empty jars. On the other hand, try as I might, I can’t get used to using solid shampoo and conditioner bars. My fine hair rebels and goes limp; my spirits sink along with the volume of my locks. But my partner and son love the bars (in their favourite mint or charcoal varieties) and happily forego liquid shampoo. So I feel it is a bit of a trade — like in Friends when Joey offers to give up eating meat so that Phoebe can enjoy “his” share during her pregnancy.

I see value in performing actions that aren’t tough for us now while we commit to learn and adopt tougher (for us) behaviours. Baby steps. And all in the name of sharing the load.

Life is a journey. The path to a more minimalist, approaching-zero-waste lifestyle can be long, tough, inconvenient and with its share of setbacks. But I think it’s worth trying to make some changes, and to model this type of effort and behaviours for kids. They’ll learn from it, adopt similar sustainable manners and hopefully live lightly at home.