A while back we brought you the first instalment of Eco Friendly Friends - a series of interviews with other bloggers/Instagrammers in the space - with Jen from Nearo Waste. This time around, I chatted to the lovely Jessica from Sustain In The Membrane about her zero waste journey so far.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Jessica and I am a Speech Language Pathologist. I work with adults who have speech, voice, swallowing, and cognitive deficits due to stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s. I grew up in New Jersey and now live in the beautiful green mountain state - Vermont. My interests include dogs... and I suppose hiking, skiing, crafting, baking, and reading ;)
When did you first start becoming interested in the #zerowaste lifestyle? Was there something specific that sparked your interest?
I think I may be unique that my first ever zero waste swap was actually a menstrual cup! I have a very busy job and (sadly) bathroom breaks are few and sometimes never at my job. During my period that just won’t fly. So I started to look into solutions. Then I came across the ingredients in tampons and my eyes almost came out of my head. I then looked into 100% cotton, which was expensive and I am admittedly cheap. Then I saw the menstrual cup and thought, well, I may as well give it a try. I fell in love with it. I thought “if this can save me time, money, and keep me healthy, what other swaps can I find?” And that's what started my zero waste/minimalist journey.
Are there any products you miss from before you started reducing your waste? If so, have you found a replacement yet?
This may sound silly, but clementines! I can’t find it without the darn netting... and honestly regular oranges don’t taste as good to me. I know some grocery stores accept them back but I haven’t tried yet. Maybe one day! Other than that, I have found an alternative for almost everything else or gave it up without sacrificing my quality of life. I recently started making my own tortillas/chips which has been easy and fun!
What's the biggest lesson you've learned on your journey so far?
That I can’t beat myself up. There are many times when I first started that I would allow myself to become angry or feel so guilty for things that were really out of my control or were a small oversight (like forgetting to ask for no straw). I had to come to terms with the fact that I would never be perfect and truly zero waste, but as long as I was trying, I should feel good about that. I don’t think changing your lifestyle is worth it if it is going to be so frustrating that your quality of life is impacted. If I resent having to go out of my way to do things that aren’t giving me pleasure and happiness, I will never sustain that lifestyle. So to sum that up, I think allowing myself to make mistakes and be ok with it was a big lesson learned for myself.
If you could give one tip to all the #zerowaste newbies out there, what would it be?
Everyones zero waste life looks different! I wanted to throw out everything and get the bamboo/steel products that you see on everyone’s Instagrams. But really, I had all the things I needed. I didn’t need to buy a bamboo toilet bowl cleaner, the one I have works fine. I’ll replace it with a sustainable option when the time comes! No need to make waste in the effort to be zero waste. But I also remember trying a shampoo bar and not liking it, so I tried Plaine Products instead (which I love). So just because you see a zero waste person with all their beautiful soaps and bags doesn’t mean you can’t be zero waste without those products. Use what you have, and love what you use or it will never sustain in your life.
A huuuuuge thanks to Jessica for her thought provoking insights. You can find her on Instagram at @sustain.in.the.membrane. 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!
0 comments:
Post a Comment