Becoming a Low Waster

Back in Summer of the 2018 I had an awakening - call it an epiphany - after seeing a video that would travel the world into what it woud be called as the Zero Waste. For some people, seeing a turtle suffering because of a plastic straw stuch in its nostrils would mean nothing. Maybe some would react to open bird's bellies full of plactic items taken as food.

I have been recycling since I remember, and from the I started Art and Conservation School I got used to reuse items for other purposes as a clever way to save money, or just out of non-existence of specific items for the matter. I was used to reused jars at home as a way to store food or leftovers. I grew up seeing my grandmother using soap bars in the bathroom and "towel gloves" instead of body sponges. But I did not pay much more attention to the matter until that 2018 I realised that the problem was getting serious. It is really comfy to live in ignorance, right?

Well, the fact of me opening my eyes to the problem made me look closer to my waste plastic bin. Here in Ireland you pay for the recycling services a certain amount twice a year and they pick it up every other week so you can imagine the waste - and the smell if not clean properly - generated in the bins, always bigger than the food waste.

Focus, María, that you are wandering too much, how did you start the process after looking at your waste?

1. Reduced the single use plastics (plastic bags, banned the straws and the water bottles. I never really had coffee to go but I kept it in mind to be reduced)

2. Researched on-line and I made a list of the items that I could get instead of my plastic ones, not going crazy to get all of them but just once the current ones were about to be discarded. And I used what I had before investing my money. Let's be clear, some of the items are expensive but can last forever if well taken care of.

- Aluminium water bottle (Hot/Cold Beverage)

- Metal Tea Infuser

- Candles in glass jars to reuse

- Cloths intead of paper towels

- Wooden picks for laundry

- My first Conditioner Bar

- etc

3. Buy Local and in bulk to avoid package

I used to buy everything in the same supermarket. It was easy and handy, and I would get deals with lots of fruit and vegs that I had to rush to eat. Also, meat and fish would come packaged and with not more flavour.

But I wouldn't realise that until I tried the organic products in my local market every Saturday and Thursday.

Months after, a bulk shop openned in my area, with lots of eco-friendly goods to buy. I could not be more happy, even if the price was a bit higher but I would get exactly what I needed. No package involved.

4. DIY Recipes.

I am an artist and a conservator so I have pretty much learnt to make almost every product from scratch, combining elements to make the perfect cleaner, adhesive or pigment. This part of the journey was a real discovery and real fun to make.

Out of need, my sister and I started once a week to make after reasearch some of the recipes that would use the same main ingrediens:

- Deodorant

- Micelar Water or Make-up Remover

- Beeswas wraps

- Soap (one attempt)

- etc

5. Crafts/DIY/Reuse for daily use ittems.

I remember the items my granny used to have in the house and I could not get anymore in shops so I made it myself:

- Bread cloth bag out of a cotton cloth

- Grocery bag out a cotton dress

- etc

6. 2nd hand shops to ban Fast Fashion

Thrifting for cheap used things became a game when I went down town. I am luchy to have at least 4 charity shops that take any item not wanted and sell them for a tiny price. Even the options on-line would be more appealing than going to fast-fashion shops.

7. Minimalism

It came to a point that I realized I had too much stuff I would take from friends leaving the country. And not all of them were used. So once or twice a month in my cleaning routine I would start a decluttering habit that it would make get happier with the things I really wanted in my life.

8. Do not try to change all at once, enjoy the process of every new discovery and do what it is in your hands and according to your savings.

© María M. Mayorga