Zero Waste relaxed & easy - This is how the sustainable lifestyle becomes fun

Zero Waste relaxed & easy - This is how the sustainable lifestyle becomes fun 

When people talk about a zero-waste lifestyle, many people think of a lot of deprivation and sacrifices. But that doesn't have to be the case, on the contrary: zero waste can actually be a lot of fun! 

Zero waste can sometimes seem a bit daunting, so first of all the rule of thumb is: no pressure. Zero waste is a catchy phrase that is well known. However, it would be more correct to speak of a less waste lifestyle. Because striving for a life without any waste is a rather unrealistic goal in our current society and only leads to frustration.

Many people think that this feeling is generally part of such a lifestyle. Some people seem to associate it with restrictions and a complicated everyday life. In reality, however, a less waste lifestyle means a drastic increase in freedom and ease.
Because reflective consumer behavior makes us much more sensitive. Unfortunately, it is true that some everyday items are still very difficult to get hold of unpackaged. When searching, we often notice whether we really need something and rethink our priorities. This automatically makes our own lives freer and more carefree. Breaking away from consumption and possessions is very liberating and after a short time you react much less to advertising. A very pleasant side effect of an otherwise rather unpleasant aspect.

Many zero wasters describe how striving for a low-waste lifestyle feels a bit like escaping from the otherwise all-consuming consumer society. Changing your own consumption habits may mean a bit of an adjustment at the beginning. But after a short time, the liberating and relieving nature of such a lifestyle becomes apparent.

At the same time, a less waste lifestyle promotes your own creativity and encourages you to think differently. Of course, some areas of life require some change. But here it is above all a question of perspective: Because instead of rejecting these changes, you can also approach them with joy and inventiveness. What is not available as a packaging-free alternative or is too expensive in the plastic-free version can often be made very easily yourself. Numerous cosmetic products, such as soap, shampoo or body lotion, but also household products such as dishwashing liquid or cleaning products can be made yourself with just a few ingredients.

It can be really fun to go on a journey of discovery and think about which everyday products you could make yourself. This also saves money and suddenly you have a lot of fun at home when you scrub the sink with your own DIY cleaning product.

A little tip: Just ask your grandparents for their secret recipes. We can still learn a lot from their tips and tricks, which mostly come from a time before a completely consumerist society.

Zero waste is also a real asset with children. A low-waste, environmentally conscious lifestyle can ground children wonderfully and give them a healthy relationship with nature and their environment in a playful way. Raising children is of course always political, but especially here: If you give children a consumption-reflective lifestyle from the outset, you are raising conscious people who will naturally act sustainably in the future and pass on this way of thinking. It is a wonderful feeling to see how the little ones have our climate in mind from the start and enjoy looking after their environment.

A less waste lifestyle isn't all that different from the everyday life of the average parent: once you've found your trusted packaging-free baby shampoo and gotten used to cloth diapers, everyday life quickly runs smoothly. In the end, it's usually not much more getting used to than a new child requires anyway.

But the best thing about a life with reduced waste: it just feels really good! Brewing a sustainably produced coffee in a steel filter in the morning, slipping into underwear made of sustainable cotton, brushing your teeth thoroughly with a bamboo toothbrush and solid mint toothpaste and taking the delicious pre-cooked food in your lunchbox to work - it's just a damn good feeling to start the day without plastic and waste! A life with reduced consumption is a relief and can bring a lot of joy.