Talking Point: How far would you go to be zero waste?

Man walks past a poster, during a beach clean up drive on Earth Day, in Mumbai
A man walks by a World Earth Day poster in India
REUTERS
Cal Byrne22 April 2022

Have you tried to make more eco conscious choices on this Earth Day 2022? Our writer Rosie Fitzmaurice spent a week trying to achieve a zero waste existence, and had some surprisingly strong results, give or take a packaged sandwich or two. It’s a completely different way of thinking about the world, but one we all probably need to start adopting sooner rather than later if we are to make any difference in the fight against the climate crisis.

One of the best tips Rosie got was to adhere to the 70:30 rule, whereby “more than half of your day is plastic [or packaging] free”. Another was to attempt to change one household item per month to a more sustainable alternative, so as you don’t go mad trying to change your entire lifestyle in one quick hit.

Elsewhere, Google Doodle made their interactive feature for the day a climate based one, showing how the effects of global warming on the planet have affected various ecosystems around the world. The four environments chosen in today’s doodle are Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Sermersooq in Greenland, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and the Harz Forests in Germany.

The company is encouraging users to utilize its search engine today in particular, to learn more about climate change and how it’s affecting our planet.

How far would you be willing to go to achieve zero waste? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below for the chance to be featured on the ES website tomorrow.

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