Meet Lauren Singer, a regular New Yorker with one key difference — a zero waste lifestyle … and she’s got a jar to prove it.
“Within the past four years all the trash that I’ve produced can fit within a 16 oz mason jar,” says Singer, whose blog Trash is for Tossers shines a light on how to live sustainably.
She says compared to the average American, who produces on average around 4.5 pounds (two kilos) of trash per day, she’s saved over 6,000 pounds (2,720 kilos) of it from going to landfill sites. “I do compost and recycle but only as a last resort — I try to avoid packaging at all costs,” says the 25-year-old.
Saying Goodbye to Plastic
It all started when she was studying Environmental Science at New York University, when she discovered her passion for sustainability was limited to the classroom. “One day I went home after class and opened my fridge to make dinner, and I realized that every single thing that I had in there was packaged in plastic.”
It was a light bulb moment for Singer, who quickly decided to make some changes — first by going plastic free, and then by committing to a zero waste lifestyle.
‘I’m Incredibly Lazy’
With plastic bags, bottles and cutlery becoming part of everyday life, it may feel like drastic changes have to be made in order to “go green,” but Singer believes anyone can do it.
“I am incredibly lazy — I would never live a zero waste lifestyle if it meant spending extra time doing things to live this lifestyle. Contrary to what people think or might assume it’s actually very easy.”
It’s about making small changes. For example, if you order a drink at a bar, just ask the bartender to not put a straw in your drink, Singer suggests. When you go shopping, take a cloth bag with you. And if you can’t find toothpaste that doesn’t come in a plastic tube, make your own.
“Everyone thinks it’s really hard to make your own toothpaste but I think it’s hard to go and buy my own,” says Singer.
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