For Kendra Georgesen, taking steps to reduce her environmental footprint provides a better understanding of what she actually needs.
In the summer of 2017, 20-year-old mason jars from Kendra Georgesen’s parents’ basement were the beginning of her zero waste supplies. Kendra, a Ball State University student, used them to hold her homemade laundry detergent. The linen bags from bed sheet packaging she already owned became her grocery sacks. This all contributes to her definition of zero waste—reducing what you can while refusing what you don’t need.
Kendra, who enjoys rock climbing and traveling, was already trying to minimize the amount of waste she consumed, but in July of 2018, she committed to the project. She decided to take a class on sustainability to learn more about what she can do to care for the planet.
Now she’s guided by what she calls “the five Rs”:
Refuse: saying no to a plastic straw or a styrofoam container.
Reduce: minimizing the amount of things used.
Reuse: saving things like a cardboard box and using it for gift wrapping.
Recycle: putting the correct object in the proper bin so it can be taken to the correct facility.
Rot: lessening the amount of things that will sit in a landfill.
She looked at what she had and what she could use it for. Around her apartment, she found boxes and bags that she could repurpose. Her friends and family helped, as well. When they noticed her saving glass jars, they began offering her theirs when they were done using them.
“Sometimes when people think of zero waste, they think of all of the matching glass jars in their cabinet,” Kendra says. “It’s beautiful, and it’s expensive. It doesn’t have to be that way. Just reuse.” For Kendra, the main idea of zero waste is to use what you have and don’t buy what you don’t need. In the last two weeks, she has developed enough waste to fill a bag that a loaf of bread comes in.
According to John Vann, an associate professor of marketing with a minor in sustainability at Ball State, zero waste is about more than minimizing material use. It’s also about reducing the waste of energy by taking measures to insulate your home or turning off electronic devices when they aren’t in use. Vann says some examples include making sure windows are closed while the heat is on or using less water.
When it comes to grocery shopping, Kendra doesn’t buy anything packaged in a box, bag, or paper. She usually shops at Fresh Thyme, where she can take her own containers to the bulk food section. She packs her reusable bags with fresh fruits, vegetables, and beans. Another bonus is that she knows every ingredient that goes into her food.
While she needs to spend more time planning for and preparing each meal than she would otherwise, grocery shopping is her favorite part of living zero waste.
“It slows you down,” she says. “We do a lot of things mindlessly.”
The first time Kendra had to be vocal about her zero waste living, she was eating at a restaurant and didn’t finish her meal. Tupperware was poking out from the top of her bag. She dreaded being judged for asking to use her own container. When the waitress came back to the table, Kendra took a deep breath and explained what she wanted to do. The server, instead of being annoyed, seemed impressed by Kendra’s choice. Now Kendra holds her head up as she asks to use her own coffee cup and denies a straw.
Living zero waste challenges the habits of consumerism. Kendra doesn’t go out shopping with her friends as much anymore, preferring to visit thrift stores when she absolutely needs something. She says buying items you don’t need, even if they are used, can contribute to waste.
She showed off a pair of leggings she had bought from Goodwill. They had a hole, but that didn’t stop her from making them useful. With a needle and thread, they became fully functional and comfortable. “That way I keep this pair in use and keep it out of the landfill,” she explains.
Taking efforts to reduce waste means Kendra always has to be prepared. She keeps a survival kit in her car that includes a coffee cup, plastic tupperware, a reusable bag, silverware, a straw, a water bottle, and a bandana. When going out with friends, she will bring extra coffee cups for them to use. Some of her friends have shown interest in joining Kendra’s zero waste lifestyle, so she is putting together more kits like hers to get them started.
For Kendra, buying fewer things and going out less does more than help protect the environment: It improves her own experiences. Because so much thought goes into deciding to buy something or go out to eat, each of those moments becomes more meaningful.
