The Next Step Of My #Ecobabe Journey: Zero Waste!

Hello everyone,

I hope you've had a lovely weekend!

I spent most of it binge watching zero waste lifestyle videos on YouTube.

If you've not heard of zero waste the name says it all really, it's about eliminating plastics, composting, reusing and recycling so that you drastically cut down on waste and in turn, help the environment.

Image take from Gittemary one of my new fave eco-bloggers :)

The main trend I've seen when people have been living a zero waste lifestyle is just how happy, focused and inspired they feel.
If you cut the crap from your life you're not worrying about all the clutter amassing around you, or feeling guilty about putting out wheelie bins full of landfill each week. Plus instead of spending money on materialistic things they buy smart, out of a sustainable material that at the end of its life can be recycled or composted. This means that they are spending any disposable income on experiences such as travelling and make real memories instead of going to the Trafford Centre every weekend.

I first read Bea Johnson's book about 4 years ago when I was living in Lancaster and had my own space. I think some of the messages in that book have stayed with me since then and I have always tried to buy more ethically. Bea is an amazing person and I really recommend watching her Google Authors video below if you feel like you want to adopt some of the elements of the lifestyle. It is a little long but she has great anecdotes and imagery to prove that it's much easier than it sounds.

Another leader in the field has to be Lauren Singer from Trash Is For Tossers, she is an inspiration for a younger audience. I get it that zero waste and composting sounds terribly granola and how can something eco-friendly ever be 'cool' and on trend.
Lauren has a fab blog which includes DIY beauty recipes, she has even started her own eco-cleaning product range.

With so many fantastic indie eco-start ups all over the world, I think green living is getting a huge boost in mainstream media. Which HELLO is what we all need, the news isn't telling us about environmental issues and what we can do to help. It's brainwashing us with the Kardashians and terrorist attacks.
I have utmost respect for celebrities who are bringing climate change to people's attention (love you Leo DiCaprio & Ian Somerhalder)
<3 p="">My biggest issue right now is that I'm living on my parents driveway. I'm trying to get rid of life's unnecessary possessions and live a simpler life in my caravan but I have to go into the house to use the kitchen & bathroom. I can only describe the house to looking like something of the secret life of hoarders. My mum and step-dad combined households last summer after they got married and both of them have accumulated a hell of a lot of stuff. Which is really quite stressful. I would never describe myself as a clean freak and a bit of clutter wouldn't usually bother me but nothing is ever simple in that house! I think I'm just longing for my own space again now.

Anyway, I'm not going to be one of those people who puts off changing til so-and-so has fallen into place, so I'm going to start small and replace things that I own with no waste products.
I bought a compost bin for mum for mother's day (it's what she wanted!) so at least I can start with that. We have a big recycling site down the road so hats off, as a family we're embracing all things recyclable.
Out here in the Lake District we don't have a huge variety of bulk shops locally. There is greengrocers in the next town that offers some bulk items so I need to investigate that further. Plus where I work they have a local market on a Tuesday which I need to support!

So I guess this post is kinda a brain dump to mark the beginning of my no waste transition. I do hope you all find it as interesting as I do.

Do you consciously do anything to reduce the amount of waste you create? Would you ever aspire to a zero waste lifestyle?

Thank you so much for reading:)

Rachelle xxx