Zero-Waste Baby Steps
Zero-Waste Baby Steps:
Interviews with Julie Winpisinger + Laura Durenberger.
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Interviews are always best in audio. Listen here!
Julie Winpisinger always thought zero-waste living was attractively unattainable.
A mission trip to Nicaragua changed all that.
Everything about the trip – the simplicity, the poverty – contrasted sharply with such wastefulness inherent to life back home; the experience catapulted Julie toward low-waste living soon after.
She’s a fan of The Office + calls the East Coast home.
Laura Durenberger, a Minnesota native, signed her family up for a zero-waste challenge on a whim.
The decision was so whimsical, Laura had forgotten to inform her husband.
Laura’s application was accepted; her husband jumped on the zero-waste train soon after. In just 9 months, Laura’s family reduced their trash by over 30 pounds per week.
Laura discusses zero-waste living on her blog, The Mindful Mom Blographer.
Snag the freebies!
Figure out what you’re throwing away with The Zero-Waste Audit.
(Note: This free printable first appeared on themindfulmomblographer.com; Laura has graciously offered to the Sustainable Minimalists audience.)
The Zero-Waste Wishlist is a free PDF (with clickable links!) that highlight ten of the most innovative zero-waste swaps so that you’re ready with an eco-friendly replacement when opportunity knocks.
Get both here.
What exactly is zero-waste living?
– It’s a lifestyle in which the goal is to send as little trash to the landfill as possible.
– It’s achievable by creatively recycling, repurposing, composting + reusing items at every turn.
– It’s forgiving in that every effort – when done consciously – is a step forward. There’s an awful lot of gray area in the zero-waste movement; that’s because the lifestyle doesn’t vilify setbacks. Instead, it embraces them.
– It’s a journey in which little successes add up to collectively become a singular lifestyle change.
3 unintended benefits to zero-waste living:
– 1. It’s cheaper.
– 2. It actually reduces anxiety because you (+ only you!) control what you throw away.
– 3. It promotes healthy eating habits.
Take zero-waste baby steps:
– Start slow and go slow. It’s the key to staying on track.
– Actually look at your trash. Conduct an effective yet simple trash audit.
– Swap out conventional items for biodegradable or reusable options, one by one.
– Start with tissues. Remove the tissue boxes and replace with handkerchiefs or rags.
Interested? Go at zero-waste right.
(P.S. These freebies are FREE.)
More tips from the guests:
– Meal plan at the start every week. Prep those meals, too.
– Make your own Zero-Waste Wishlist (or snag this week’s free one!) so that you aren’t caught unprepared in the future.
– Create an Eat-Me Box in your refrigerator to reduce food waste.
– Be gentle with yourself. There will be times when you do better; there will be times when you do worse.
Remember that zero-waste living is a marathon, not a sprint.
Notable quotes from the episode:
“The term ‘zero-waste’ sounds really daunting, especially for normal people (who) have busy lives … but if you take it slow it’s really not that overwhelming.”
“(When it comes to zero-waste living), everything seems so natural and not that much more effort in any way now. It’s hard to remember what life looked like before.”
“Zero-waste sounds so overwhelming at first but it isn’t … we’ve reduced our waste by 25 to 30 pounds per week.”
“Do the best that you can in the season of life you’re in. That’s all you can do.”
“Starting + going slow was the key to keeping us on board.”
“You may have setbacks … you just have to be kind + gentle with yourself and know you’ll get back on track + be on your way.”
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