Finding balance between minimalism and living a zero-waste lifestyle

 

As a minimalist, I carry most of my worldly possessions in an Osprey 40L backpack. I own 5 t-shirts and 3 pairs of trousers. Whilst I don’t like clutter, and I try to avoid wasteful purchases, I am sometimes gripped by the undeniable pull of consumerism.  At the same time, I am aspiring to be as zero-waste as possible. Naturally, I’m trying to lower my plastic consumption by using alternatives to plastic. I won’t leave my house without a stainless steel water bottle and my reusable bamboo straw. I’ve ditched the disposable razor in exchange for an eco-friendly bamboo safety razor

But, you can see what I’m doing. By making the switch to earth-friendly products, I’m...consuming.  I’m shopping for reusable straws and fancy stainless steel bottles with pictures of avocados on the side of them.  So the questions are simple; are these two philosophies inherently opposed? Is there a balance between being a minimalist and being sustainable? Am I still a minimalist if I own a £40 triple-walled stainless steel consumer bottle? Since when did finding the balance between minimalism and living a zero-waste lifestyle become so complex?

Man walking on train tracks

How to be a Sustainable Minimalist

The reality is that the definition of minimalism varies from person to person, and the “zero-waste life” is a process: a journey. 

Despite this, it is still tempting to self-loathe every time we buy a bottle of water on a hot day. Ditto when we sip a cocktail through a single-use plastic straw in a bar. But whilst we shouldn’t be ashamed of our waste; we should be conscious of it. 

I am still on my journey of learning how to be a sustainable minimalist. I am still actively on the lookout for products that fit into the intersection of my minimalism and sustainability ‘Venn diagram.’

Eco-friendly products for sustainable living

Along the way, I have had some great recommendations too - from other sustainable shoppers. Here are three of my favourite eco-friendly products for sustainable living from responsible brands:

  • Shampoo bars from Pure Chimp. They’re small, natural and totally eco-friendly. Plus, to my surprise, they work just as well as liquid shampoo. Perfect!

  • Reusable, scrunch-up bags from Baggu. These bags fit in the side netting of any backpack. They are stylish, easy to use and hard to forget. The perfect combination for sustainable yet minimalist shoppers. 

  • A reusable, stainless steel water bottle - the profits of which finance removing plastic from our oceans! That’s my kind of earth-friendly. 

These are just a few of the great products that keep my backpack light and my conscious clean.

Let’s talk zero-waste 

But as I said before: the zero-waste lifestyle is a journey. So share your ideas below, and tell me what fits into your ‘Venn diagram.’ Are you struggling with finding a balance between minimalism and living a zero-waste lifestyle? 

Let us know and perhaps another member of the Jungle Straws community has the perfect zero-waste yet minimalist swap! 

We’d also love to hear of any sustainable products that you’d like to see a business such as us launch. 

 
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