Zero-waste practices are something that I have been extremely interested in for the past year. With all of the media around us 24/7, it is hard to ignore the damage we are doing as humans by just living our everyday lives. Personally, I eat fairly healthy, love to get out doors with my dog, and genuinely care for the environment – then I began thinking, what kind of a negative impact am I making on the planet? From there, I realized that although I was making healthy choices, I wasn’t doing my best to get my eco footprint down, and my sustainability practices up.

When discussing environmental topics, it is important not to:

  • Come off so extreme that you offend others
  • Obsess over every small detail that you can’t control
  • Judge others by their life choices

Instead, try approaching zero-waste with a mind-set that allows for:

  • positive conversation with others to spread helpful information, tips, tricks, and resources
  • Do your best! Any change is a change, big or small, and can contribute to the global movement that is desired. Zero-waste is a bit of an unrealistic mantra… just do what you can!
  • Keep to yourself (for the most part). By spreading positivity and light on your own healthier life choices, it is inevitable that others will take note. Focus on remaining positive and gaining info/resources to share with others when they ask!

A few resources I found extremely helpful beginning my free inquiry journey are as follows:

  • Local zero-waste/less-waste shops: 
  • Zero-Waste Emporium, Bulk barn, bulk sections in grocery stores, and West Coast Refill are all great places to start for your everyday waste-free needs
  • https://www.zerowasteemporium.com/
  • https://www.westcoastrefill.com/
  • Social media influencers/personalities that create zero-waste lifestyle posts:
  • Kaitlyn Dickie (@kaitlyndickie on Instagram) is an amazing zero-waste advocate I follow for inspiration, tips, and information. She is extremely kind to others and to the planet, and is based out of Kelowna which connects to my BC roots
  • Companies that allow for teachers to make a less wasteful impact in the classroom!
  • One of the most interesting things I have came across so far was the efforts that Crayola (the most well known art suppliers I can think of) make towards recycling their old markers/products. This was an incredible first finding when looking into sustainability into the classroom and it gives me lots of hope for further research!
  • http://www.crayola.ca/about-us/green-initiatives/crayola-colorcycle.aspx

All in all I found this starting point to be quite rewarding. I plan to go to Zero-Waste Emporium in the next few weeks to note how the business works, and any pros and cons I can see from a consumer (who is interested in Zero-waste) perspective.