How can we continue our zero waste journey in lockdown?
We hope all of you are coping okay in lockdown. It's surprising how much of an emotional rollercoaster simply staying home can take you on. Because with managing working from home, online learning, looking after kids, lost work, and the constant uncertainty of what will happen next, it's not so 'simple' after all.
While lockdowns are necessary to protect ourselves and our community, they do take their toll in many ways, particularly financially. This might make your zero waste journey seem less like an achievable goal, and more like a distant dream. The more interested in zero waste living you become, the more ads you start to see for zero waste products and businesses. And while many new products are great alternatives for disposables, most of these things don't come cheap, and it can leave you feeling like you're not doing enough if you don't have every popular zero waste product in your cupboard.
But just because you don't yet have a shiny new safety razor or a gorgeous set of pastel silicone baking mats, doesn't disqualify you from making significant, positive and impactful changes in your life. Oftentimes, the biggest difference you can make is with what you don't buy.
You've probably heard reports of spikes in online shopping during lockdown, as a way to distract us from the news, bring a bit of excitement into our lives, and give us something to look forward to (like that Christmas-like feeling when the delivery driver knocks on the door). Advertisers are definitely preying on that vulnerable part of us during such a stressful time. To combat this, we've got a lockdown project that doesn't cost a thing, and might even fill that courier van-shaped hole in your heart.
Wearing your whole wardrobe in lockdown
Let me guess, you're reading this at your makeshift desk or on the couch, you're wearing trackies and an old jumper, and your woolly socks have got a few holes. While there's absolutely no shame in dressing comfy, and the motivation to actually get dressed in lockdown is probably at an all-time low, this lockdown project does involve a tiny bit of effort in the morning.
Rather than reaching for your laptop when you feel like freshening up your wardrobe, our suggestion during lockdown is to explore what you've already got, and fall in love with your clothes again. It goes like this:
1. Dress like you're going out. Every morning, pick out a full outfit from the back of your wardrobe. Find those pieces that you don't wear often and see how you can match them up with other clothes. Try some crazy outfits that clash - it's the perfect time to try something different within the safety of your home.
2. Check yourself out in the mirror throughout the day. Do you feel great? Would you wear it again?
3. Take photos of your new favourite outfit combinations, so you'll remember that you loved it when it's time to venture back outside. Bring the rarely-worn clothes to the front of your cupboard.
4. Found a few things you wouldn't wear again? Send photos of them around to your friends to see if they're interested, make a few dollars by selling them on a platform like Depop, or donate to your local op shop.
5. An extra step for the crafty ones among us is to slightly alter a few pieces. Cropping a shirt, patching some jeans, or adding some elastic around the waist of a dress might be enough to make you fall in love with that piece again, and get many more wears out of it.
By spending some time trying what you've already got, you might find some gems that you'd forgotten about, you'll save money by not buying something new online, and you'll have some fun playing dress-ups. Let us know if you have a go at this lockdown project, and how it goes for you!
Learn from your living room
If you're lacking the motivation to take on a new zero waste project, you won't be the only one. Isolating at home isn't overly conducive to getting involved and taking action within the community. Perhaps you could use this time as an opportunity to take a deeper dive into waste, and educate yourself on the problems as well as the solutions. Have you watched the funny yet informative War on Waste series with Craig Reucassel? Or the hard-hitting Story of Plastic, which gives a whole system view of plastics.
Once you've got the big picture from those documentaries, have a look at our recordings from last year's Zero Waste Festival to find inspiration and answers for what you can personally do about waste.
Click above to view the Plastic Free Living discussion from last year's festival.
Tip of the month!
Have you got clothes that are so worn out that you can't donate them, but you don't want to throw them out? Old or odd socks and clothes cut up into rags make awesome cloths for cleaning.
Use clothing/linen rags like you would paper towel or cleaning wipes, along with home made disinfectant (or the disposable stuff you've still got in the cupboard).
Chuck them in the wash once they're dirty and use them again and again!
For more intense cleaning situations, like cleaning dirty boots or scrubbing something off the kitchen floor, just put your hand inside an old sock and get to work! These can be washed and reused again until they're completely ready for the bin.
Canberra kids taking action
On October 15, a nation-wide student climate strike will once again be taking place in towns and cities across Australia, demanding the Australian Government stop all new coal and gas projects, transition to 100% renewable energy, and fund a just transition for all fossil fuel workers and their families.
Students in Canberra are in the process of organising a COVID-safe (most likely online) strike event, and they are inviting all Canberrans, no matter what age or background. Show your support for a safe future for young Canberrans by sharing their event online, and joining in the activities on October 15 (once confirmed).
Zero Waste Festival postponed to 2022
In case you missed our last newsletter, we're including this reminder that the Zero Waste Festival, initially planned for 11 September this year, has been postponed to 30 April 2022 due to COVID-19. The festival will be held at Kambri, ANU, and feature a diverse lineup of speakers from community, industry and government. See our festival program on our website.
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In solidarity for the planet,
Zero Waste Revolution