The Zero Waste Relapse, it’s Bound to Happen

The zero waste journey can certainly be tough. Little changes and new habits are often quite easy, but add them all up and it can be a lot work. Over time the zero waste relapse is bound to happen. Don’t be too hard on yourself, you are still moving the needle in the right direction. You are likely doing much better than at the start of your journey. I find it can be easy to get fixated on shortcomings, instead we should be celebrating all our small victories over the years.

Here is the problem: we live in a complicated world and life is busy. Between my wife and I both working, having two kids with lots going on, side projects like this blog and trying to maintain an active lifestyle- not to mention trying to live sustainably, it sure doesn’t leave much time at the end of the day. Maybe you are working long days or dealing with a life milestone like moving; the reality is you will not always be able to avoid waste.

If I am making meals from scratch most of the time, but once in a while our family needs to get take-out to survive, I shouldn’t feel like I am not doing enough. The climate crisis, oceans full of plastic, enormous amounts of waste aren’t just because of you or I, it’s a larger systemic problem.

I find it hard to make changes for the better if I am feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Often times, this type of feeling can leads someone to throw in the towel and give up.

Don’t give up! Remember, a zero waste relapse is bound to happen. It’s just a speed bump on a long road.

Tips to move past a zero waste relapse

Drop the environmental guilt

I try not to worry about being perfect, I try to concentrate on the wins along the way. It’s about accepting and letting go of the times where things just don’t work out. Maybe you have avoided plastic water bottles thousands of times and one ends up in your hands. Try to remember the thousand wins and not feel guilty for the one failure. Don’t let perfect get in the way of good.

Don’t be to hard on yourself

It’s as simple as doing the best you can, with what you have and where you are.

Don’t compare yourself to others

Go at your own pace, figure out what works for you. I believe we all live differently. Our location, our free time, our income and our accessibility all play a part in our decisions. Comparing yourself to others can hold you back, we all have our own context.

Enjoy the ride

Don’t take it too seriously, enjoy the challenge. I can tell you from experience that I had many a laughs using cloth diapers when my girls were babies. I bet you can imagine the stories, but I will spare you the gory details. The kids will be happy I didn’t too.

Don’t force it on others

Lead by example and don’t waste your energy on trying to convince someone who is a lost cause. Helpful tips can be alright, but it should be obvious if someone just isn’t ready.

In the end

I can’t save the world on my own, but my choices can help. I realize that hiccups will happen and that some things are beyond my control. A zero waste relapse is just a pothole on a long journey. Keep going, you’re doing great!

I am choosing to lead by example and do my best. I’ll celebrate the wins and move past the setbacks. In the end, I’m choosing progress over perfection.

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Thanks for reading,

Pat