ECO FRIENDLY FRIENDS #1

The sustainability community is booming right now, and there are so many bloggers & Instagrammers who I love to follow, so I thought it would be a great idea to do a quick little interview each month with someone who's kickin' goals in all the right places. First up is Jennifer from @nearowaste. Read on to read more about 'near zero waste' as well as her fave eco-friendly swaps for a low waste life.

To start off with, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Hi Ethical Millennial folks! I'm a 30-something web developer living in the suburbs of Philadelphia with my boyfriend Chris and my almost-2-year-old son, Beans. 

The lovely Jennifer from @nearowaste.

I've got nearly too many side projects at any given time. Currently I'm blogging at honeyrule.com, a blog about minimalism, mindfulness, and crunch (including nearo waste, or near zero waste). I also love digital bullet journaling, hand lettering, freelance web work, reading, (thinking about) working out, and using second-hand possessions and natural products whenever possible. 

How did #nearowaste come about? What sets it apart from the classic #zerowaste movement?

The term nearo waste came to me one day, after Chris and I started focusing on our zero waste efforts by tracking our trash for two weeks. The zero waste movement is awesome, because it inspires folks to reduce their waste and make better choices for the environment. However, a lot of times people can get wrapped up in creating absolutely ZERO waste, which is near impossible. Following "perfect" instagrammers and youtubers is inspiring, but it can be discouraging if you start to compare your low-waste efforts to these social media celebrities.

I wanted to create a zero waste idea that would be more approachable and more realistic. Nearo waste means "near zero waste". It's all about making eco-friendly choices without completely changing your lifestyle or making your life more difficult. For example, I'm not able to go to a farm and get organic whole milk refilled in a glass bottle. Nor am I able to go to my neighbor and get cage-free organic eggs directly from a chicken. Some waste is inevitable. So nearo waste is all about being  zero waste in the real world.

Turns out #nearowaste already existed on Instagram and probably elsewhere. So while I didn't exactly coin the term, I want to make it a more widespread idea and movement.

What’s been the biggest challenge on your journey so far?

The biggest challenge on my journey is easily the fast food and dining out situation. I always carry my own cloth napkins and reusable water bottle, and I recently started using washable camping utensils instead of using plastic utensils at restaurants.

But really, whenever you get takeout or order from a non sit-down restaurant, you create waste. I like my Wawa hoagies (submarine sandwiches) too much. And I'm not going to bring my own container and ask busy Wawa employees to please put my sandwich in this weird glass Pyrex dish, please. Same with other similar restaurants. You win some, you lose some; but making strides to bring my own utensils and refuse the straw is still making an impact.

Are there any holy grail brands, products or recipes you’ve found that have become central to your daily efforts to reduce waste?

Marleys Monsters got me started on a no-tissue no-paper towels kick. We swapped out our tissues and towels for cloth wipes a while ago, and I even had some more made from Beans' old swaddling blankets (more on that here).

The other thing that has me jazzed is sugar waxing! Not only is sugar waxing green, natural, and nearo waste, it's also a LOT cheaper than getting a salon wax.

If you could give one tip to all the #zerowaste newbies out there, what would it be? 

Start slow. Don't expect to change your ways overnight. Remember every little bit counts, and every thing you do has an impact on those around you.

A big thanks to Jennifer for being our very first interviewee for #ecofriendlyfriends! You can find her on Instagram at @nearowaste and @jenny.pancakes, on Twitter, and at HoneyRule.com. She's also available for freelance web work. If you'd like to be a part of this segment, please get in touch via the Ethical Millennial Instagram or leave a comment with your contact details below and we can set up an interview!