Let’s get something out of the way…
I CREATE TRASH!

Good, now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, we can have a discussion about it. The EPA estimates that every day in the United States, each person throws away an average of 4.51 pounds per person per day. That’s the size of a small watermelon. Let’s put that into perspective; imagine filling your house with 365 watermelons. Just sit and think about that for a minute, 365 watermelons that literally don’t go anywhere. They don’t go away. Yes, they may not be filling your house, but then where are they? They don’t just go away, they sit out there somewhere and leak toxic fluids into the earth for our children, grandchildren, and great-grand children to figure out how to clean up for us.

But only few are able to shrink their footprint to zero, and you know what, that’s OK! We live in a society that thrives off of disposable consumerism. The more you buy, the more you get rid of, the more you need, and so the cycle continues. I make trash, we all do, and the level of trash doesn’t always show you a level of dedication. Sometimes, it’s a more wealthy and city-dwelling person who can commit and stay at literally zero trash in a year. Sometimes it’s a single parent of 4 with a busy schedule, soccer games, and a demanding job, who also strives to be zero-waste and can live in a way that they are able to accomplish that. But we also have thousands of people out there that don’t have the money or the means to live a fully “sustainable” or “zero-waste” life, and that is completely ok too. Everyone has different resources, income, and opportunity. Don’t compare your trash jar to another person’s trash can, and vice versa, if you fill a can of trash a week, but are trying your absolute hardest, just know that you are doing your best and that’s what matters the most on your journey to sustainable and intentional living.