Yay, it’s here again! Zero Waste Week begins on Monday. Some of you might know that this isn’t my first time as an ambassador for this and I hope not my last. The strong focus on keeping waste away from the landfills, and our oceans, is one I firmly believe in.
Last year the focus was on plastics. I set my own challenges in addition to the official ones and, despite Squiggle struggling, managed to embrace it to a significant degree. This was an experience that I very much got into with every intention of developing further, and of course carrying on, to its fullest degree.
I once stipulated that although zero waste is an ideal, some might not find it realistic. But it is not about achieving perfection. The term ‘zero waste’ is more of a journey than a destination for most and every small action made towards the idea of zero waste is a step in the right direction. It is a mindset rather than an actual goal to reach.
Truth be told though; I’d like to be further along my journey than I am. The thing is, Squiggle is struggling again and we’re in a fairly intense period right now. This means that shopping options are limited and certain products are a must for her wellbeing. It is less than ideal, but it is a struggle that those familiar with autism (especially PDA), or indeed any type of disability or additional needs, can perhaps relate to. Carers or people with a wide variety of conditions probably share in this struggle; the extra challenges and complications that arise.
Both Squiggle and I are very environmentally conscious and both want to do what we can. I have no guilt about doing what I need to by her but I am a little disappointed personally that I have not been able to give as much of myself to keeping up with my own zero waste ideals as I would like. It makes me hesitant to give advice or speak out about zero waste, because I wouldn’t want to seem like a hypocrite. At the same time though, even if I am not able to commit as fully to this mindset as I would like at the moment, I would be if I could. And I would like to believe that my advice can still help others. So I hope this is something that people understand.
To be clear, I am still zero waste minded; this is a path I’ll be taking for the rest of my life. I haven’t become needlessly wasteful; I just haven’t made all of the progress I would like, and am not able to put every change into effect that I would like to, as of yet anyway. This is not for lack of wanting, nor is it an excuse, it is simply down to my responsibilities as parent and carer. Whilst I cannot give all of myself to living a zero waste lifestyle, nor say that I always practice every action that I preach (I do believe in it though); what I can do is offer tips and some inspiration, and help guide you through your personal zero waste journey.
You can start by signing up to Zero Waste Week with me!