Zero Waste Living Demands Privilege

Many of us transition to zero waste living by first swapping out disposables with reusables. And after that? We compost and garden. But after you have replaced that final single-use product—after you have tackled and conquered that final, self-sufficient task—what’s next?

A truly zero waste lifestyle may indeed be Instagram-worthy, but there’s an elephant in the room: such a lifestyle demands privilege; it’s exceptionally exclusive, too. And if sustainability fails to include people with distinct voices, diverse skin colors, and varying life experiences, sustainability on the global stage has little chance of succeeding.

On today’s show I speak with Elsbeth Callaghan, host of the  Practical(ly) Zero Waste podcast. Elsbeth believes it’s important to make low waste living as practical as possible, and doing so starts by first addressing issues of privilege and exclusivity.

 

Here’s a preview of today’s episode:

[7:40] Stephanie’s biggest issues with the term ‘zero waste’

[12:15] Why a lifestyle rooted in sustainability requires privilege (and what to do about it)

[18:00] How we can work to make environmentalism more inclusive, and why it all starts with community

 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

* Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson

* Olio

* Buy Nothing Project

 

* Sustainable Minimalism (the book!) is available for pre-order now!

* Want more episodes like this one? Check out #087: How to Cope with Eco-Anxiety in 4 Steps.

* Love the show? Help it grow by leaving a quick review! On the Apple Podcasts app, hit the Library tab, scroll allll the way to the bottom past all prior episodes, then click on the stars to leave a review. (Thank you!)

* Join our (free!) community here.

* Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.

* Get in touch with Stephanie by emailing her at [email protected].