560 square feet, 141 pieces of plastic, 1 month, 0 trips to the garbage disposal.
We did it. We kept every piece of our garbage in our small space for a month. Sure, it was an unconventional method to analyze our unconscious impact on the planet, but having garbage lying around our tiny condo felt incredibly important, even for two self-proclaimed neat freaks.
But why?
Living in a developed country like Canada, we often have the privilege of ignoring our plastic usage by simply tossing it in the garbage. The reality is, our waste disposal system 'magically' makes our garbage disappear in to what feels like a black hole. This makes it incredibly easy to ignore the repercussions of plastic use.
The negative impacts of our subconscious, wasteful behaviours are piling up. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills, 35,000 times the weight of the Empire State Building. This is due to the explosion of plastic usage which has increased ~620% since 1974, combined with the fact that nearly every piece of plastic created still exists on Earth.
It is vital to recognize our subconscious impact, but even more crucial to acknowledge that we as consumers have a choice. The choice to purchase the food that is not wrapped in plastic. The choice to bring your own re-usable produce and grocery bags to the store. The choice to buy items second hand, rather than brand new. Just as our collective unconscious actions have consequences, our collective, conscious choices have the power to change our society.
Taste of Zero Waste is committed to helping others to reduce their footprint as we continue to reduce ours. Collecting our garbage was just the beginning for us. We will continue this journey by sharing tips, zero waste recipes, and any other requested topics by all of you! To receive these updates directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to this blog on our main page. If you are looking for more inspiration, follow us Facebook and Instagram.
We are looking forward to sharing our knowledge, and continuing to learn from all of you.
If you have questions, or want to chat about how you can make an impact, always feel free to shoot us a message.
Until next time,
Ivanna & Dan
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