In Pursuit of Zero Waste
When it comes to living a sustainable or zero-waste lifestyle there are many things that appear to get in the way on our mission. There are also many factors that will help us succeed on our journey. The team at Res.Awesome would like to take this opportunity to explore some barriers that hinder our progress and on the flipside, some motivators that fuel our momentum.
Sustainable development has been defined by the Brutland Commission as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. As our Res.Awesome readers already know, we have made this idea our main pursuit. We believe that there is so much preventable damage being done to our natural earth and we strive to empower our community in making healthy choices for our planet and our people.
Sustainable development means different things to different people. The factors affecting our interpretation of this term are often quite contextual. Our living conditions, level of income, values, morals, beliefs and access to resources all play a part in our own individual construction of meaning.
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”
While zero-waste is probably the standard of consumption we should all be aiming for, this lifestyle choice is faced with many barriers. There are day to day logistical challenges and even internal struggles wrapped up in personally held beliefs and values.
Barriers to entry into a Zero Waste lifestyle
Zero-waste influencers - We can often be intimidated by picture-perfect zero wasters on social media
Zero-waste misconceptions - The lifestyle often seems unattainable, time-consuming, expensive or means we must heavily rely on ongoing accessibility to sustainable retailers
Greenwashing - Terrachoice defines it as “The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.” This makes it hard for consumers to make informed choices in their pursuit of sustainability
The novelty of zero waste - There has been an influx of “zero-waste” products onto our markets. Unfortunately, a lack of regulation in this area means greenwashing tactics are that much more prevalent. This makes it very difficult for consumers to differentiate between the viability of products. Discernment is a key practice here.
Barriers to acclimatising
Difficulty with finding your feet in the movement. It is a long journey that doesn’t happen overnight!
Due to the time it takes to acclimatise to a zero-waste lifestyle there are many people who become overwhelmed with what products to purchase, how to make this lifestyle manageable and how to manage certain changes.
Managing trade-offs and other sacrifices such as additional lifestyle changes which encompass sustainable living practices e.g. veganism, vegetarianism, ethical & local purchasing, fair trade etc. Finding products that fit every one of these categories is a challenge - therefore there will be many tradeoffs for most people on this mission.
There are also barriers involved in the progression of one’s zero-waste journey. Once someone has found a zero-waste lifestyle that works for them, learning how to communicate their values and how to maintain their new routines and purchasing habits can often present a unique challenge; especially when faced with alternative points of view or different levels of understanding.
Barriers to progression
Commitment issues that naturally present themselves when it comes to maintaining so many lifestyle changes; this can be particularly difficult when people have to change their environments ie moving house or relocating to a new community. When changing environments participants may lose their momentum or passion for the movement. New friends, new network, new surroundings, change in routine… .. all of these factors play into the difficulties faced by zero-waste life stylers.
Communicating zero waste living to family and friends has shown to be disheartening and demotivating to participants. Navigating different communication styles when it comes to discussing your personal life choices can be stressful. Communication techniques often pose a constant challenge when discussing zero waste living to those that are foreign to the concept
Those who embark on the zero-waste journey quickly learn it is a pathway dappled with a lot of learning and often involves exploring new sustainability tools.
Facilitators
Although there are significant barriers in the way of pursuing a more sustainable lifestyle (especially a zero-waste lifestyle) there are also factors that can facilitate positive behaviour change and spur us on.
Accessibility proves to be the main facilitator of behaviour change or at the very least, behaviour maintenance. Having regular access to zero waste retailers and products is a key factor for zero-waste lifestyler’s . Farmers markets, bulk bins etc are all great resources to be utilised and somewhat depended upon.
Of course, privilege is a major factor too. Those strands of society who do not have access to disposable income are far less likely to be able to afford to shop at sustainable retailers. While sustainable items are often cheaper long-term, it often takes a bit of time and effort to set up new living patterns that many simply cannot afford. Higher socioeconomic strands of society often have more free time and far more money to play with; meaning a zero-waste lifestyle is easily attainable. Rubbing shoulders with people who have access to large gardens, homegrown produce or community hook-ups also makes things a lot easier. Less privileged people often don’t have the resources to peruse the aisles of fairtrade, organic, zero-waste themed stores - making this lifestyle choice largely out of reach.
Finding a community of like-minded people often helps hold ourselves accountable too. Not only that, learning a new way of life is always easier when you get to chat it out with people who have walked the path before you. Avoid potholes and find the best directions, shortcuts and time-savers.
Access to education and updated info around sustainable consumption is also a must. When aiming to participate in a circular economy, community infrastructure is vital in supporting sustainable behaviour. At the moment, there is relatively little community infrastructure to ensure our society is moving towards a circular waste economy. The team at Res.Awesome are doing our best to remedy this by proposing many different ideas to tackle our waste issue from all angles.
Ultimately, it is about doing whatever we can with whatever resources we have available to us - we must strive to keep a balanced lifestyle whilst ensuring our goals are attainable, manageable and good for our local community.
Keep up to date with all of our ideas for implementing a circular waste economy here in Ōtepoti by keeping an eye on our blogs and social media.
Watch this space x
Let’s keep Aotearoa green, clean and free of toxic waste, so please put your litter in the correct bin, and make sure its clean too!
<3
Researched + Written by Erin Cox
Edited by Fi Clements
