AN influencer says she can fit years’ worth of trash into a mason jar after living a “no-waste” lifestyle for a decade.
Lauren Singer began living her zero-waste lifestyle in 2012 in an effort to align her actions with her desire to care for the planet.
“I thought that caring was enough, but it turns out that my lifestyle was creating harm and contributing to the systems that I was actively talking about and fighting against,” she told Insider.
She immediately started her blog Trash for Tossers, where she details her transition into a zero-waste life.
Years later, she founded her shop, Package Free, where she sells sustainable products with minimal packaging that can be reused, refilled, composted, or recycled.
She went viral after posting a YouTube video revealing that she could fit four years of her trash into a single 16-ounce mason jar.
Singer starts her day with a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush that she made herself, along with homemade toothpaste consisting of coconut oil, baking soda, and essential oils.
As part of her morning routine, Singer drops off her compost at a local composting site before working out at an eco-friendly studio to do her Pilates.
For food, Singer shops at a farmer’s market or her local grocery store, something she does frequently to ensure she always has fresh produce.
Singer mostly buys fruits and vegetables, however, chicken is the only animal product she buys for her dog, Rose.
When she goes shopping, Singer prefers to shop at second-hand stores and does her laundry using homemade detergent.
Singer said that her day-to-day routine isn’t that much different from anyone else – except that she makes conscious choices about what she buys and prioritizes recycling and composting.
She says that anyone can do the same by considering where their trash comes from and making choices to reduce it.
“The average American makes four-and-a-half pounds of trash per day, so anything to get closer to zero is making a positive impact,” she said.
She shares recipes and tips for her routines on her Instagram TrashIsForTossers, where she has over 350,000 followers.
According to her blog, Trash is For Tossers is “a place for readers to be empowered with information and tools to reduce their waste and live in alignment with their environmental values.”
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