Zero Waste Life And One Year Without a New Outfit

ZERO WASTE LIFE AS A FASHION TREND

Zero waste life seems to be the newest fashion trend in the last few years. Honestly, I often feel annoyed when I see so many advertisements to try to make people buy „zero waste“, „eco“, „bio“ products.

We all should understand that zero waste life is not about to have the most trendy keep cup, steel or bamboo straw in your handbag. It is not about buying drinks in plastic bottles daily. And later to feel good that I put that bottle into a bin with the right colour.

This lifestyle aims to PRODUCE as little waste as possible. Recycling should be the last chain string.

What everything I have changed in my life and what is still waiting for me?

A YEAR WITHOUT A NEW OUTFIT

Yep, I indeed survived one year without a new outfit. Can you imagine that you would not buy new clothes, shoes, handbags for a year? To be clear, I do not count my work uniform which I had to buy for my new job. But despite that, I purchased a new piece of clothes after a year in Australia. In the spirit of slow fashion from a local designer. I desired so long time to own a slow fashion piece. So I was so exciting that day that I bought two. I just could not help myself. Two weeks ago, my boyfriend bought shorts and swimsuit. But only because he lost weight. Otherwise, I would not get him for shopping.

ZERO WASTE LIFE WITH THE LAB

Why was I so happy when I found an apartment with a balcony? Because it is full of herbs. I call this little place The Lab. I grow all herbs which survive here because I love that feeling to cut fresh herbs through cooking. And I think that it would be useless to describe how much money I saved thanks to this 🙂

However, not all herbs like my place so time to time I have to buy some in a supermarket but always fresh with no packaging. In case I am not able to find any with no packaging I instead not buy any, and I cook without herbs. I have bought just soil for my Lab. With everything else I follow „REUSE“. I use containers from yogurt, few pots were found on the street and in other cases I used paper bags from my shopping in bulk shops. When paper bags end their journey, they will finish in my worm compost as a lunch, no waste.

Btw I do not sympathise with coffee takeaway cups. That one on the Picture I was given accidentally so at least I used it as a pot for a succulent.

I actually grow basil, purple basil, coriander, parsley, chives, mint, thyme, rosemary, chilli, strawberries and a few succulents.

TO THE LAST CRUMB

Do you know a situation that your fridge is full of food but despite that, you buy more and more stuff, and you end with a bin overloaded with dishes you forgot to eat it? I had this problem too, and I did not like it at all, and I was not able to stop this circus. Then I realised minimalism can also work in this area. Since a year ago my fridge is usually half full and I try to prepare an eating plan for every next week and buy just what I actually need.

A SIZE DOES NOT MATTER

What about fruit and veggie? I like to buy it at my favourite Bondi Farmers Market from local farmers (in Bratislava it was market on Žilinská street).

If I do not have another choice I would like shopping in the Harris Farm Market. I see they sell good quality products. On the other hand, I like „imperfect picks“. Have you ever known that fruit and veggie we buy in supermarkets have to fit senseless norms like a shape, a size, a colour? If no, farmers have to throw everything to waste because supermarkets will not buy products outside their standards. For example, in Australia, it is 40 % of bananas production!
I have no more words here. It is horrible. Small but essential plus – you can buy imperfect fruit and veggie in Harris. They have started to sell also flawed crop to reduce waste. Good idea, what do you think? And the fact that size does not really matter is explained in a cute, funny way in this video from Australia 🙂

CONSCIOUS SHOPPING

Almost everything else I purchase in a bulk whole food store. Products are more expensive here, but I found items where I am willing to spend more money because thanks to that I will not create any waste. I make a compromise when I need to buy something that is really expensive here – once a month I buy that product in a bulk wholefood shop and in another time I will buy it in a supermarket. I hope very strongly that zero waste purchases will become cheaper sooner or later.

Thanks to shopping planning I am more successful with no food waste. I know exactly what I have in a fridge, so I do not forget to eat it. A few weeks ago, I found a portion I did not have time to ate it, so I threw into my compost. Yes, I am not perfect, but I am happy I could throw it into compost, and my worms had lunch better than to classic bin.

This is how my freezer looked like a few years ago. My snowman felt very uncomfortable in such a small space 😀 I collected new and new food I did not eat and it all end back in my parents’ freezer. As you can see I am not vegetarian, nor vegan. I tried both, but I did not succeed. But at least I do not eat meat so often and I choose more responsible where I buy it. I will add a post about this topic soon.

MY WORM FARM

Do you know days when you are lazy or tired, and you cannot wait to move from lunch straight into a bed to take a nap? It was my boyfriend and my plan at one lovely Sunday noon. But before we fell asleep, I scrolled Facebook and found a post about free worm farm close to the place we live. I did not even finish a sentence, and my boyfriend started to dress up. Since that Sunday our family is 4000 worms bigger 😀

I already have a spider also! Our worm farm has occupied Red Back Spider. Welcome to Australia 🙂 This spider is poisonous, but it should not kill you. But still, I do not like spiders, so I started to wear gloves every time when it is time to feed our babies 😀 I read an article that to get rid of this spider the bathroom one should help. So I caught one and placed it inside my worm farm. Yes, you understand it right, I was hunting spiders 😀 And now I have two of them, so probably it does not work.
In time, my worm farm was small, once a week I took remaining kitchen scraps into a big compost bin in a community garden close to my place. Nowadays I have plenty of worms and they are able to eat everything.

WITHOUT EXCLUSIONS

Zero waste life can seem complicated and annoying or scary from the beginning but trust me you can get used to it. Some changes need more patience than others. I also have days when a fridge is full of kitchen scraps containers waiting for a removing into a compost bin. I also order food delivery although I know it will arrive in a plastic takeaway container, I always try to use everything as much as I can before I put it in an appropriate bin. It’s like having a sweet taste. You know very well that a chocolate cake is not very healthy, but sometimes you can’t help yourselves. So even when you eat it at least, you will have an extra walk.

STEP BY STEP TOWARDS ZERO WASTE LIFE

Zero waste life is not here to make you uncomfortable or to judge others who did not realise yet that we should do more for our environment. What is more important to have a couple of perfect zero-waste people or many those with little faults? If you are the one who already realised it, be proud of yourself and keep continuing. There is always someone who will notice your madness and join you. If this wave has not yet passed you, we may have put the beetle into your head 😉

Enough was wisdom, have a beautiful day!

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