My Zero Waste Hot Takes
I have some spicy opinions about the zero waste movement, about zero wasters, and about climate change…
So, let’s talk about them! If you agree with me, amazing! If not, that’s cool, too. That’s why these are called opinions. So, please be kind in the comments to one another.
You can still use plastic and call yourself zero waste
I do it! And you wanna know how? The definition of zero waste does not mention perfection. You only have to divert 90% of your waste from the landfill to be considered zero waste. Yes, this definition is mostly for businesses, but we use it, too as individuals. So, recyclable plastic counts as part of that 90%. You can still throw away 10% of your household waste, all of which is plastic, and still be considered zero waste. Of course, reduction is best, but 100% reduction is impossible…
Plastic shouldn’t be demonized, it has its place
Because some plastic is necessary! I’m mostly talking about medical supplies. I rely on medication to survive. It comes in plastic. So therefore I should just quit zero waste entirely, right? No! I can still be zero waste while needing medication to live. Plus if anyone gets the flu, needs medical attention, etc. they will need medication, too.
But also plastic that protects our foods. I don’t know about you, but I can never find berries plastic-free. So, I should just give up eating fruit in order to “save the planet”? I hope you’re starting to hear how silly some of this sounds. No, please eat the foods you need to in order to have a healthy diet, whatever that means for YOU personally. I eat berries in plastic because I already struggle enough to get enough fruits in daily.
But this leads us to my next hot take…
Zero waste is very ableist and we need to change it
Many people rely on plastic to survive. Not just people like me and medication but also things like straws, pre-packaged food, and so forth. Some people with disabilities can only drink out of a straw. I understand straw bans for the general public, but these bans are ableist. Some people with disabilities or even with not enough time in the day cannot prepare homemade meals. Maybe they don’t have time or cannot physically hold a knife to cut a giant watermelon and need to buy it in plastic packaging pre-cut. That’s okay. Calling them bad enviromentalists due to a physical or mental NEED for plastic is ableist and dangerous. I have an old video on eco-ableism I encourage you check out but am happy to remake it if there’s interest.
You don’t have to be perfect in order to call yourself zero waste
This one is inspired by my many hate comments. From “ugly blue-haired liberal” to “how dare you call yourself an environmentalist when you have tattoos,” I get a range of comments about my imperfect zero waste lifestyle. Yes, I have blue hair, drive a car, get tattoos, and use an iPhone. Last I checked, neither the definition of zero waste nor the definition of environmentalism mentions perfection and giving up every single thing that brings you joy.
I literally DESPISE this all-or-nothing mindset. Like yeah, I dye my hair. You would like me to QUIT using my reusable water bottle and recycled toilet paper and walking instead of driving? It’s just a wild thing to say that if you’re not perfect you might as well not try at all. 1% is better than 0%. You don’t have to give 100%, in fact, that’s impossible.
Plus, if we all give up our hobbies and everything we love, we wouldn’t want to stick to this lifestyle. Yes, I could go back to my natural hair, but I love expressing myself in this way. Sure, I could give up getting more tattoos and eating my favorite snacks and crocheting all to save the planet, but why would I want to keep living sustainably with no joy in my life? We have to keep the joy. That’s why I partake in my hobbies in a more eco way including my hair and tattoos.
EVs are extremely nuanced and actually not that eco
I hate the stigma that I’m not an environmentalist unless I drive an EV or a hybrid. Yes, both of these reduce fuel usage. Yes, both of these options are better even on a fossil fuel grid. But, as with every topic, there is nuance here. How are EVs made? Are their batteries recycled? Does the creation of EVs exploit and harm people?
I dive into it fully in this video, but in short, EVs are not as eco as many people think right off the bat. Metals for the batteries like cobalt and coltan are extracted in the Congo where people are displaced from their homes, their water is polluted, and they have to work as young as 10 with no protective equipment or fair pay. That’s just one element. While there are strides to make the batteries recyclable, that is just not the norm yet.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to totally slander and discount EVs, but they’re simply not the savior of transportation like many want you to think.
All single-use is bad: metal, paper, glass, too
There, I said it! Single-use metal is bad even though I think that metal is the best material. Why? Because recycling rates are just so low which we will get into in a moment. We put so much hope in recycling that many of our items don’t actually get recycled (though this does not mean that we should stop recycling…full thoughts here). It takes SO much energy to make a new can or glass bottle just for you to dispose of it a few moments later. This is why it’s so important to reuse that packaging if you can at home or, better yet, avoid it as much as possible by shopping at refill stores. I know this is not possible for 100% of people, but when you have the chance, opt for refilling over products in ANY type of packaging because…
Recycling is just a bandage, it shouldn’t be a first thought
Like many naive beginner zero wasters, I was so obsessed with recycling for the first few years of my journey. I thought it was okay to just consume as much as I wanted as long as I recycled it. Yes, recycling is fine, but we have a long way to go in the US with our recycling rates. Our recycling is bad for two reasons:
We recycle poorly as consumers
The recycling industry is just that…an industry, a business. It’s expensive to recycle and recyclers don’t want to spend that much!
Now, please don’t stop recycling…you can learn more here. It’s important that we do it and we do it correctly. But, “reduce, reuse, recycle” is in that order for a reason: recycling should be our last thought before the landfill.
ALL environmentalists should be anti war
I’m not saying every environmentalist needs to become experts on war but I am saying that in your heart, you should be a pacifist as an environmentalist. And I’m saying this as a veteran. Why? War is probably the worst thing any country could do to civilians and to the planet. We all face the impacts of war due to climate change, air pollution, water pollution, and wasted money. We could have free healthcare in this country but our government would rather spend $900 Billion (that is correct with a B) on defense.
So, I do think that environmentalists should at least condemn war when it happens. Share infographics, share resources to help, things of that nature.
I’ve already made a full video on this topic defending my stance. You can argue with me over there ;)
Sometimes flying is better than driving
Woah, really?! Yes! Now, this is extremely nuanced so if you’re allergic to thinking in shades of gray, turn away now! I’m not saying that flying across country is better than driving a secondhand hybrid or EV. But I am saying that for folks like us who only own a gas-guzzling truck (we used to live in an RV), it’s probably better for us to take a direct flight instead of a drive.
Note that I did say “direct”. Most fuel usage comes from take-off and landings so direct flights are already much less bad for the planet than several smaller flights.
So, plug in your trip to a carbon calculator with your specific model of car. This isn’t always going to be the case for flying, but you may be surprised.
Bonus hot take: you can fly and still be an environmentalist. The problem with flying is people doing it excessively. If you fly once a year to see family or take a vacation, I literally don’t care. If you fly every week frivolously, that kinda irks me.
Your small actions truly MATTER
Lastly, my mantra: your small actions MATTER! I get so much flak for this online. Note that just because I say this does not mean I am excusing corporations, billionaires, and governments. They have a responsibility too. But, they want us to feel disenfranchised. They want us to feel powerless. They want us to do nothing.
So, let’s do something! Let’s prove them wrong! Sure, if I, just one person quit using all single-use plastic right this second, it wouldn’t put a dent in how much is produced globally. But, if even just 10% of the world quit plastic cold-turkey, it would totally disrupt the market. This goes for quitting eating animal products, turning off the lights, walking over driving, or whatever other small actions you do daily. They matter when multiplied!
Keep doing your small actions and encourage others to do the same.
What does this all come down to?
It all comes down to haters using their energy in the wrong direction. Please quit judging one another online and in person. Use that energy to be mad at the system and demand systemic change. Yes, I am upset that so many people rely on plastic…but why? Because of the systems we have in place that keep us too busy to prepare home-cooked meals and garden. Because plastic is so subsidized that it’s extremely cheap and so widely available.
I don’t think these should be hot takes. I think we need to approach environmentalism and zero waste with nuance. We need gray thinking. We need people trying just a little bit to be better for the planet. The famous saying goes something like “we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need everyone to do it imperfectly.” And that is just so well said. Literally who cares if there are 100 perfect zero wasters in the world. I would rather see all 8 billion people take just one small step today and maybe another small step tomorrow to be a bit greener. Strive for that 100% if you want to but remember that trying just 1% better today matters and is okay. You can use that zero waste or environmentalist label whenever it suits YOU. Neither imply perfection.
I hope you learned something from this and feel inspired to keep or start living low waste. We need everyone trying and advocating for change!
As always, truly, your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
