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Zero Waste DIY Deodorant with 4 ingredients. Stored in reused containers.

Why zero waste isn’t always Instagram-pretty

Posted on March 18, 2019July 8, 2022

Today I’d like to clarify something. Search online for zero waste lifestyle and you see pictures of mostly reusables. Pretty reusables, a closet full of perfectly matching jars, an amazing looking reusable cup or a beautiful set of lunchboxes. I love those pictures, but today I want to tell you that this isn’t always reality. Here’s why zero waste isn’t always Instagram-pretty.

Instagram

Let’s be honest, Instagram and other media are always used to show off how good things are. Photo’s look good, feeds look good, everything mostly looks good. That’s not just zero waste, that’s all subjects social media. To me it makes sense, of course you would like to show the best version of you. The best version of your life. I do this too, everybody does this. But sometimes we tend to forget that. Instagram isn’t everything, and it surely doesn’t give a realistic view all the time.

Zero waste on social media

And so, that’s the case with zero waste too. Bloggers show their beautiful little trash jars, which can be intimidating. We show the beautiful pantries with, all matchy and perfect jars. We show mostly wins, usually because we have been in this proces for a long time. Therefore, we are prepared and we have come a long way. We have learned things already. So, this makes that it can all look awfully beautiful sometimes. Because, zero waste can be beautiful. If you have all the perfect-looking items (like a maison jar, a lunch box, utensils, cloth bags, napkins and I could go on), to me zero waste can seem like a high-standard lifestyle. Like you need to be rich to live zero waste. Like you need to buy all these things to even start reducing your trash.

Zero waste in real life

What I really want to emphasize here is that it does not have to be pretty. You can start today, you don’t need all these flashy items. Zero waste is about using what is already there, is stead of buying all these new things just for it to look pretty. And the reason I am telling you this is because I had that feeling in the beginning too.

I remember myself buying RVS straws because I figured I needed that in my new lifestyle. I did not think about whether I really needed it (I never used straws before that at my home), but I just thought I needed it since everybody who reduced their trash needed it. Same goes with lunch boxes. I have people asking me: ‘Why do you have a plastic lunchbox when you try to live a plasticfree life?’. It’s a logical question of course. But why would I throw away the box I already have and then buy a pretty stainless steel one. That is the complete opposite of zero waste, since you throw something in landfill which is still perfectly fine.

New stuff

Also, the production of new stuff causes a lot of pollution too. That’s why I bought a plastic secondhand bottle. Try to use what you have. Same goes for a pantry. Why throw all of the glasses you still have away so you can buy fancy new ones which look better, that’s missing the whole point. Need handkerchiefs? Cut them out of some old fabric you still have. And of course that is personal, since everybody has a different home and so different stuff. But that is what makes it so much fun too! Why all look the same way? So no, zero waste isn’t always Instagram worthy. I have a thrifted plastic bottle, an old lunch box and two thrifted plastic bins for my composting system, so what?

Is zero waste ugly?

So, zero waste isn’t always Instagram-pretty. But that does not mean it has to be ugly. Handmade handkerchiefs or cloth bags from old fabric can be beautiful. At thrift shops you can find these beautiful jars for this pantry you want when one of the current ones breaks. You can use your oldest bag you love but never use for buying zero waste produce at the farmers market. The point is: it does not have to be new. Zero waste is definitely not about buying new stuff. It’s about making use of what you have.

Did you think zero waste always has to be Instagram-pretty too?

Yours sincerely,
Romee 

9 thoughts on “Why zero waste isn’t always Instagram-pretty”

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  2. Linda - Zaailingen says:
    March 21, 2019 at 9:02 pm

    Amen! Ik hoorde laatst nog iemand zeggen dat ze haar Dopper weg wilde doen omdat die van plastic is en RVS beter zou zijn. Maar waarom zou je in hemelsnaam een goed functionerende waterfles vervangen? Ik heb ook allemaal lelijke plastic bakjes in huis, maar die werken nog uitstekend om kliekjes in te bewaren dus die gebruik ik mooi totdat ze uit elkaar vallen.

    Reply
    1. Romee Hoeksma says:
      March 23, 2019 at 11:22 am

      Ja, same here! Vind het beeld dat soms gecreëerd wordt echt jammer, maar goed, de meeste mensen snappen het zero waste concept wel hoop ik!

      Reply
  3. SJ says:
    April 11, 2019 at 2:52 pm

    Love this!

    Reply
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ABOUT ME

 

when a teen goes green

Hi! My name is Romee Hoeksma and I am on a journey to an eco-positive life. An eco-positive lifestyle is a lifestyle in which I have a more positive than negative impact on the beautiful planet earth. On this blog you can follow my journey to a life with only positive impact. At this blog you can find all sorts of things, from tips to recipes to personal experiences, but most of all fun (I hope!). I write about how I want to change the world, but don’t look at it as if I’m judging you. If anything, I like responses from my dear readers the most, so don’t hesitate to contact me or respond to any of my posts!

Yours sincerely,
Romee

Here’s what I posted most recently

  • Zero waste groceries at Pieter Pot
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Vandaag een artikel op mijn blog over Pieter Pot. Een webshop voor verpakkingsvrije boodschappen 🥜. Een geweldig concept die jou helpt je afval te verminderen én er ook nog eens heel goed uit ziet in je keuken #nospon. Je leest het nu via de link in mijn bio. Een greep uit de vegan maaltijden die ik at in mei 2023 🧆. Als ik zo terugkijk heb ik de italiaanse weer helemaal ontdekt, haha! Maar het hoogtepunt was wel echt de vegan, zero waste, kaassaus die ik maakte voor over de nachoschotel 🫘. Welke vegan ijs-, toetjes- of yoghurtproducten zijn het lekkerst? Ik zette het voor je op een rijtje in een artikel die vanaf vandaag te lezen is 🍧. Je vindt de link in mijn bio. Spoiler: deze van Hertog staat er zeker tussen! #plantaardig #vegan #blogger ✨ 4 tweedehands outfits die ik droeg in mei 2023 👗. Ik had op iets beter weer en iets koudere outfits gehoopt, maar goed, dat schuiven we dan maar naar juni! Ik ben poepdonor 💩. Ja, écht. Ik doe mee met een wetenschappelijk onderzoek waarbij mijn darmflora gebruikt wordt om mensen met een leveraandoening te genezen. Ik ben zo blij met de positieve impact die ik hiermee kan maken! En ik krijg er nog betaald voor ook. Meer weten? Lees het artikel dat ik erover schreef via de link in mijn bio. Binnenkort zal ik er ook een Youtube-video aan wijden. #donor #positieveimpact #nafldnashresearch Minimaliseren en ontspullen blijft een ongoing process 📦. Ik vind dat ik niet al te veel spullen heb, maar toch geef ik nog geregeld spullen weg aan de kringloopwinkel. In deze reel laat ik de laatste 5 items aan je zien. Plantaardiger eten hoeft niet moeilijk te zijn, je moet net even weten welke producten vegan zijn. Vandaag deel ik een makkelijke swap voor mayonaise 🍟. Het is weer mei! En dat betekent dat er weer een artikel met podcast-tips op mijn blog staat (de vijfde in de reeks inmiddels!). Vandaag lees je over 4 podcasts die ik aan bijna iedereen zou aanraden 🎧. 5 vegan maaltijden die ik at in april 2023 🥙. En ja, écht alles is vegan. Want elk gerecht is te veganizen.

Read my latest posts

  • Zero waste groceries at Pieter Pot
  • The best vegan ice-cream, desserts and yoghurt
  • I am a poop donor
  • Why I never light candles
  • 4 podcast tips from May 2023

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