工作壓力大、放工後就失控購物、然後掉進了充滿罪疚感的惡性巡環⋯,相信這是不少都市女性的心聲,然而過度消費除了是心態上的不健康,也對自然環境造成負擔。
今年27歲的北京女生余元,偶然在網路上看到一個美國家庭的「零浪費生活」視頻,讓她開始反思,並意識到不斷購物並不是她能夠長期維持的生活模式,於是果斷辭掉了外企公司的工作,與英國男友Joe一起展開了零浪費的人生。
三個月只累積了兩小罐垃圾
這是一個顛覆性的改變,她在三年來沒有買過衣服、沒有叫外賣、沒有用塑膠袋或者樽裝礦泉水,、在三個月的時間裡兩人只累積了兩小罐垃圾。另外她把廚餘造成堆肥,自己可以種少量的蔬菜,也可以贈送給住附近的爺爺奶奶,讓他們種些花花草草。
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THIS IS 3 MONTHS OF PERSONAL RUBBISH/WASTE/TRASH (whaetever you wanna call it) which I created completely on my own. Started this on 1st July for Plastic Free July (I'm Joe, one of THE BULK HOUSE co-founders) I do wonder about other bloggers whether their jars do really include ALL of their waste? In this jar there is waste from things like: – Ordering a burrito at a hotel and finding it comes in a plasticy paper wrap (folder it up and put it in this jar when I got home) – Ordering a pizza at a resaurant and although it comes on a chopping board, there is also a grease-proof paper under it (folder it up and put it in this jar when I got home). I went quite anal on this. As you can see there are also some things that you cannot get in bulk (or, at least not in China), for example: – Snickers bar – M&M's There are solutions to this, like finding other chocolate suppliers in the city, that sell in bulk, these are very rare. There are also some things that I am using up, like th Pukka tea (which you can see in blue). Then will use only our loose tea. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I create this little waste with absolutely no effort. My day isn't spent wondering how am I gonna eat? How am I gonna drink? This is from changing 1 habit at a time, every few weeks and now living almost completely zero waste is so easy. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Rot. It really isn't difficult. Just don't try to get to this overnight or even within 1 month. Do it slowly, but surely and we won't have ruined oceans, ridiculous amounts of landfills surrounding our cities and money being wasted on incinerators. 1 small jar, 1 person, 3 months. #jaroftrash #zerowastebeijing #zerowaste #thebulkhouse #zerowasteliving
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零浪費生活的挑戰
「要如何減少製造垃圾?」零浪費的生活聽起來像很簡單,但要實踐起來就需要很大的堅持。自備布袋到街市買菜少不了給人白眼,當要解決購物慾望的時候,她只能選擇到二手店尋寶。另外她用無添加的材料親手製作肥皂、保濕乳液等,連衛生巾也選擇了可水洗及循環再用的月事杯。
身外物清減了,換來的是舒服悏意的生活節奏。她和男朋友除了房租外,幾乎沒有什麼消費,想出遠門的話只要直接把櫃裏的東西都放進行李箱,不出1小時已經可以出門。
The Bulk House
不久前余元和男朋友在北京開了一間小舖,名為The Bulk House,售賣各種手工香皂、便當盒和布袋,鼓勵大家減少浪費。店舖裏所有物品都堅持不用包裝,徹底實踐零浪費的概念。
當大家得悉他們的故事,都受到啟發開始減少日常生活的垃圾。余元認為雖然一個人的力量很微小,但認真地做還是可以為別人帶來影響,凡是有益的事都可以走得很遠。
看到這對情侶的堅持和努力,不禁反思自己和周遭環境的關係,究竟平日在意的身外物是否能為自己帶來快樂,還是無形的負擔?每次整理衣櫃都會發現一些從來沒有穿過的衣服,不同的角落堆積了不少曾經以為將來能大派用場的東西,還有過了期的食品和化妝品。為買而買,沉重的工作壓力形影不離,每次看着信用卡月結單都覺得頭痛,這種生活是我們真正想要的嗎?
或許零浪費的生活對我們來說太極端,但大家絕對可以減少浪費開始做起,為地球也為自己盡一點力。
Photos via: thebulkhouse