Contributed by Brianda Hickey
For the month of November I will be viviendo a zero waste life and gracing your computer screens with my witty humor each week.
Living zero waste comes with a lot of perks: people think you are super cool, you feel like a superhero saving the world and you discover new resources! I am a huge advocate for knowing your resources. Even with all the incredible self-esteem perks living zero waste brings, it is still a pain in my bum. To be completely honest. I have to constantly remember to carry around a reusable bag, pair of utensils, cup, straw and turn down Starbucks bagels! For me, the Starbucks bagels might be the worst part. They are $1.50 of buttery goodness that wrapped in a plastic bag and given to me with a plastic knife with a butter wrapped in foil.
Not very zero waste friendly.
A question that I kept asking myself this week was: “Is it okay to accept free food if I am trying to be zero waste?” Going to NYU, you run into free food left and right. Unfortunately, none of the free food is zero waste conscious.
So what do I do? Say no to free food? Or inadvertently support waste?
I wish I could tell you I was an incredible eco-superhero and just said no. In reality I am a poor and hungry college student who appreciated not spending money on food. I recycled what I could, but added most of the packaging to my landfill pile.
To those out there that can have the self-control to turn down free pizza, I applaud you.
Another issue I have run into is composting. In the truest practice of a zero waste lifestyle, I would compost all food scraps, send nothing to the landfill and recycle very little. However, I am living in 2nd Street, a hall that does not have a freezer within the dorm. How was I meant to keep my food scraps in a cold location so I could take them to the Union Square compost area at the end of each week? I thought of just using the fridge part of my mini fridge, but there was barely enough room in there for both my roommate and I to keep our food let alone a tub with food scraps. Then, a fellow EcoRep suggested using the freezer in the kitchen area of the 2nd street basement. Unfortunately, when I checked with my RHAD I was informed that the freezer was reserved for Hall Council use only. I am sorry to disappoint whoever is reading this blog even further, but due to my living situation I am unable to compost during my zero waste month.
At the end of my first week vivideno the zero waste life, I find myself being far more conscious of what contribution I make to landfills as well as how much packaging I use on the daily. Why does every Starbucks bagel have to come with 5 pounds of plastic?!?!?!
About Brianda Hickey
I am majoring in Applied Psychology within Steinhardt and want to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. My love for sustainability did not sprout from a single awakening but the slow acquisition of knowledge. As an EcoRep, I get to pursue my sustainable passions and take action, even if it is in my small way.