Lauren Singer is an Environmental Studies graduate from NYU. She proudly presents a 16 oz. mason jar — that contains all the trash she has produced over the past three years.
Singer is a strong believer in a zero-waste lifestyle, but importantly, she is also a practitioner.
To her, zero waste means not making any trash,
One day, Singer realized that every single thing in her fridge was packed in plastic. To make things worse, she realized that she’s surrounded by plastic products and packaging.
According to a talk she gave at TEDx Talks, her life changed when she stumbled upon a blog called The Zero Waste Home, which was run by Bea Johnson, a wife and a mother of two from California.
Apart from not using any plastic, Lauren Singer was empowered and inspired by the idea of not making any trash.
She started by not buying packaged food. She would bring her own jars and bags to store and buy package-free items, but also buy fresh fruits and vegetables from a farmer’s market.
Then she started learning how to make products she needs, products like toothpaste, body lotion, or deodorant.
Instead of buying new clothing and putting new waste into the waste cycle, she buys second hand and buys only the items she really needs.
Over the years she realized she is eating healthier, she is able to save more money, but most importantly, she’s finally found a way to live in alignment with her values.
Watch Lauren Singer’s full talk on TEDx Talks below:
