Sustainable Living: City to Sea
Do What Works for You — Zero Waste Experiences with Hanna Cole
Coming from the islands, generally there is a common respect for protecting the land we live on. Most of us here in Hawai’i know how to live better to a certain degree as far as being eco conscious. So when I moved to the mainland in a city I saw a bit of a loss of that nature connection. I worked in a coffee shop and saw firsthand the on-the-go hustle with single use mentality. I first came across “zero waste” while I was living in the city but felt like people were just too busy to care about changing their habits. Once I got more into trying out zero waste for myself, I was amazed at the places I found. Certain grocery stores with all the bulk options you could dream of, self weigh stations, local honey and maple syrup on tap! It made it so easy to get 90% of all my weekly goods completely plastic free and it felt really cool. It was super easy to compost because there was a local pick up just like a normal trash pick up. I was able to find all of the trendy zero waste tools like bamboo utensils and produce bags. Once I moved back to Maui I was thinking it was going to be just as easy to keep the momentum but it was different than expected.
On Maui, certain things are on the right track; we have no plastic grocery bags, mot places offer paper straws, no Styrofoam. However, a lot of things felt really behind. I got denied from a local supermarket to use my own containers for the bulk section. I was surprised to find out certain things I had been able to really lower my impact on were becoming more difficult being in a different place. It made me look at zero waste with a bigger perspective. Not all of us can do this equally for so many different reasons from where we live to what we do to what we know-Educating yourself on environmental issues is such a plus. I took a step back and lost the need to do zero waste perfectly and just doing what I can. Just because you forgot your own cup one time and you get the plastic one doesn’t mean it takes away the value of the many other things that you have done positively. Also, you don’t really need a lot of the sustainable tools that you think you need. Why buy a kit of bamboo utensils when you can just pack up some from home? So, although all of these sustainable gadgets were more accessible in the city, it made me try to be a bit more resourceful and not just buy into more unnecessary product consumption.
I have found a certain intimidating and overwhelming vibe when it comes to zero waste. I have found the best way to inspire is to just do what works for you and the easy swaps that become your habits will be noticed by others. It’s easy to start to judge others once you start to get into it but I always remember all of the things that inspired me were never people complaining about how people were doing it wrong but rather the ones shining light on how there were imperfectly trying their best. Zero waste will look different in so many people lives just as individuals and where you live and any small step is a ripple effect in a movement towards more care for how we impact this planet. When I saw how people would bring their own cup to work for coffee or say they made their own almond milk because I did, it really shows how we can lift each other up by sharing ideas and it doesn’t matter where you are.
Words: Hanna Cole (@hanna_ccole)