Zero Waste: Is It Enough?

Decades of studies from scientific giants such as NASA, the IPCC and the EDF, as well as concurring opinions from nearly all publishing climate scientists, have made it clear that the scientific consensus on climate change is that it is real and worsening due to human influence. 

As these reports continue to be published, speeches from activists like Greta Thunberg, promises from 2020 democratic presidential hopefuls on climate policies and climate strikes across the globe have not only thrown the topic of global warming into the center state of politics, but have also urged individual consumers and the corporations they support to adopt sustainable practices. 

Most registered voters (73%) in America think that global warming is happening and that corporations and industry should do more to address it. Despite quotes from Donald Trump questioning climate change as his administration rolls back environmental rules, the individual focus to become greener grows every day. A poll by Gallup found that less than half of Americans (46%) are satisfied with efforts to preserve the environment.

As for the personal lives of voters, many are turning to the “Cinderella of sustainable consumption”: zero waste.

Zero waste as a movement is a set of principles focused on waste prevention and reduction. The goal for those who incorporate zero waste practices into their lives is to reuse or recycle products so that no trash is sent to landfills, incinerators or the ocean. Although the term was originally used for companies adopting environmentally friendly practices, it is now used as a lifestyle term for individuals who reduce their waste as much as possible.

Youtube, Twitter and Instagram have become hubs for zero waste influencers to share their tips on living low-waste. Instagram alone has over three million posts marked with the hashtag zero waste, and Youtube gives rise to new zero waste vloggers every day.

However, practicing zero waste might not be enough. 71% of all global emissions can be traced back to just 100 companies, and the world’s largest companies face $1 trillion in climate change risks. In the face of environmental destruction by corporate entities, individual choices might not have a lasting impact.

Sheli Orme, a zero waste lifestyle vlogger known as Shelbizlee on Youtube, shared her thoughts on this matter in an interview late September.

“I think that there’s a lot of people who do live zero-waste that get caught up in their individual efforts and they might not consider the grander scheme of things,” Orme said. “And that really concerns me because at the rate we’re going, all the things we were producing, it’s impossible to sustain it all on the earth that we have.”

Orme believes zero waste must be paired with political activism to truly make an impact.

“The depth of what we’re doing to our planet is insane,” she said. “There were many practices, such as raising cattle, that I didn’t know were bad for the environment. That one actually led me to become vegan.”

Others who practice zero waste agree with Orme, including Dr. Cynthia Laborde.

“Whatever you can do is better than nothing,” Laborde said. “I think what makes a difference at the end of the day is if what you do inspires others. Look at Greta Thunberg, for example. She started a worldwide climate protest, and she did that by inspiring the people around her. We need to hold companies who pollute the planet accountable, but in the meantime we need to do what we can.”

Laborde said that despite the push for zero waste, it’s impossible to do it without fail.

“It’s impossible to do zero waste 100% though. I eat mostly vegetarian meals, I have a mostly plant based diet, but I’ll occasionally consume meat and dairy. But if I eat meat I’ll buy it from the farmers’ market or a responsibly sourced brand. People think everything has to be done 100%, but it’s really about doing what you can, and when you see people not reducing their waste, it’s sort of depressing.”