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Low-Impact Millennial Fits All Her Trash In A Mason Jar
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Dec 23, 2014
Modified Dec 23, 2014
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Dec 23, 2014
Modified Dec 23, 2014
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Composting and cutting down on one's non-biodegradable waste are noble efforts, and ones that will hopefully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help protect Earth from exploding in a ball of self-inflicted sun fire. But while some of us have trouble remembering to buy clear recycling bags for our Easy Mac boxes, one Area Millennial has managed to keep two years' worth of garbage in one Mason jar. Behold her tiny trash reliquary and feel shame for the four thousand bank receipts that have gathered at the bottom of all your bags.
The eco-conscious 23-year-old in question is Lauren Singer, whom Daily Intelligencer interviewed about her zero-waste lifestyle this week. Singer, an NYU grad, runs a blog dedicated to super-clean living, and has even launched her own “handmade, organic, vegan” laundry detergent company, The Simply Co.
Singer told Daily Intel that she's been (mostly) waste-free for the past two years, eschewing Seamless, making her own plastic-free toothpaste and deodorant, and even carrying around a reusable straw for her iced coffee. As for the minuscule amount of trash she has collected over the years: "It’s a bunch of different things, but predominantly packaging," she told the website. "There’s a hot-chocolate wrapper, two macaroni-and-cheese wrappers. There’s a Band-Aid in there. Let’s see, let me look. There are some tags from the inside of clothing, some plastic straws." That, if you're curious, is the exact amount of trash I left on my desk last night, so we pretty much live the same life.
Singer documents her zero-waste journey on the blog Trash Is For Tossers, where she lists resources for organic, plastic-free products, leaves tips for no-trash crafting, and posts photographs of the four produce stickers she's had to throw away since autumn. There are also some important tips on enhancing your zero waste sex life.
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climate change
composting
lauren singer
recycling
trash
Rebecca Fishbein
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