Tradeoffs

Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle presents a variety of trade-offs. While the goal is to reduce waste, the process can sometimes seem counterintuitive, particularly when considering the carbon emissions from driving to various specialty stores and the energy consumption involved in manufacturing reusable items. I wanted to see how my personal zero waste journey would look, and if the pros would outweigh the cons.

Driving and Carbon Emissions: One of the primary concerns for those embracing a zero-waste lifestyle is the increased driving needed to visit multiple shops that offer bulk goods, refills, and sustainable products. This can lead to higher carbon emissions, seemingly contradicting the goal of reducing one's environmental footprint. However, there are ways to mitigate this impact such as planning and combining trips, using public transportation, biking, or carpooling with others. Other than the trips I took specifically for the sake of the project, I did not do excessive driving in my day-to-day life, and cooking at home rather than going to pick up food reduced the amount of driving I did overall, so this was not a challenge for me.

Energy Consumption in Manufacturing: The production of reusable items, such as stainless steel water bottles, cloth bags, and glass containers, does consume significant energy and resources. But the environmental impact of these items decreases substantially with repeated use. Like if I use a metal water bottle 50 times, the environmental cost offsets 50 single-use plastic water bottles. I get plenty of use out of my reusable water bottles and cloth bags, so I definitely think the tradeoff is worth it.

Reusable products also contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions over their lifetime compared to single-use items, the overall water consumption is lower when these items are used repeatedly, they reduce the need for continuous resource extraction, and as you may have picked up on, they decrease waste generation. Single-use plastics are also major contributors to environmental litter and marine pollution so reusable items help reduce the volume of waste that can end up in natural environments.

Inconvenience:

I think the biggest tradeoff that comes with this lifestyle change is losing the convenience of going through a drive-thru and ordering a coffee, or grabbing a soda can from your fridge, or DoorDashing Canes late at night, or ordering a dress on Amazon the day before a party. When I am out with my friends and we stop for fro yo, and I do not have it in me to ask the server if there is any way I can use my own bowl because I know the whole point of fro yo is that you pay depending on the weight of the cup of yogurt, and bringing in my own container would completely complicate that. When I am at senior dinner and we are given mini bunt cakes with paper waxed wrappers and plastic graduation caps and nothing has ever looked better.

We are living in a convenience culture. Disposable products like plastic bags, water bottles, and food packaging are designed for our convenience. They require no maintenance, are readily available, and can be discarded after use without a second thought. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Prime make it easier than ever to get whatever you might want delivered directly to your doorstep. When family and friends regularly use single-use items or order takeout, it can be hard to resist. And there is a level of embarrassment that comes with bringing reusable containers or metal straws to social gatherings, that can be difficult to overcome. A zero-waste lifestyle requires planning and preparation. Zero-waste products are harder to find and can be more expensive and less accessible. To truly succeed in a zero-waste lifestyle, you must shop at bulk stores, bring your own containers, and cook from scratch, which all require a lot more time, preparation, and effort than using single-use items might. It is important to recognize that no one is perfect. I am here to admit that I grabbed that soda can from my fridge, I ordered that Amazon dress, I joined my friends for fro-yo (and forced them to throw it out for me to help my conscious), and I ate that mini bunt cake and threw out the wrapper. Making an effort to reduce waste, even if it is not 100%, is better than doing nothing at all, and we can all continue striving for improvement.

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