5 Myths About Zero-Waste Living, Debunked

I recently saw a Facebook album showing tips for a zero-waste or low-waste lifestyle. It had a lot of really good ideas, but there were also suggestions in there that didn’t quite sit well with some people.

For instance, the post suggested that to lessen your buying of hygiene products with wasteful packaging, you could make your own toothpaste and deodorant(!). I know a few friends who cringed at that. It’s not that do-it-yourself toothpaste is completely gross; it’s that some of us have non-negotiable hygiene requisites that just can’t be sensibly replaced by homemade stuff.

Ideas like these, while doable for some, are a turn-off for others. They’re misconceptions that prevent people from even considering any waste-reducing change in their lives.

Let’s take a realistic look at some common myths about zero-waste living. Hopefully, the truth behind these misconceptions will change a few minds. :)

Days Like This: scramble some eggs and listen to a song

There are Days Like This: You wake up and the weight of the day rushes on top of you like a flash-flood. The anxieties you've been pushing to the back of your mind, the rent, the bills, the love lost, the pains you thought you've left behind. Sometimes, it's not even that -- sometimes, it's just a heavy nothingness. You wake up and you can't get your body to move.

I've struggled with Days Like This for years, and while they still incapacitate me every now and then, I've learned two important things.

One, I can outlast them. They're just days. Sometimes, just hours. Over and over, I've found that if I hang on, if I let myself survive for just a little longer, I'll open my eyes after a while and the weight will have lifted. I just need to outlast it -- perhaps with a friend, with a book, or yes, with a song.

Two, I can scramble some eggs.

Let me explain the eggs.