About

Zero Waste Nerd

Hi, I’m Megean, a Midwestern girl who calls Kansas City home, and over the last 3 years have set forth on a journey to become as Zero Waste as possible. What is Zero Waste? My husband and I will be reevaluating our lives so that we send almost no trash to the landfill, as well as, cut out nearly all plastic use. Sounds challenging, doesn’t it?

 

I feel that our lives have gotten so disposable. The throwaway culture has been ingrained into our everyday lives. The average American throws away 4.4 lbs. of garbage a day! We’ve learned to value things more than experiences and relationships. Well, I’ve had it! I deserve better, you deserve better, future generations deserve better!

 

I’ve started this blog to show my progress from day 1 and share with you my experiences and tricks! I expect that this transition will make me more connected to my food, strengthen my relationships with my friends and family, as well as improve my quality of life. We can live life without being wasteful and stop contributing to the overall problems that we’ve created ourselves. We’re drowning in our own trash and have let convenience become the most important need in our lives. Are you ready to be apart of the solution? Join me and follow my journey today!

But What is Zero Waste?

Zero waste living. A practice that’s been around for generations out of necessity and has recently made a resurgence amongst the environmentally concerned. Zero waste is simply defined as sending no waste to landfill. But is that possible? Due to our “cradle-to-grave” society absolute zero is not possible. However, zero waste isn’t necessarily about zero but about changing the way we see the world around us, how we consume, and how we think about waste. It’s about making better choices when you can and working to reduce your overall impact by reducing the amount of packaging and single-use plastics you bring into your life.

Many scrutinize the concept of zero waste since it is impossible to avoid impact while living in a modern aged society. That part is true. Even if we don’t directly create waste, we will indirectly create it. There’s just no way of getting around avoiding waste entirely. If you use any sort of transportation, go to the doctor, or eat anything that wasn’t grown from your own two hands, you will have indirectly created waste. But that’s not the point. The point isn’t measuring the amount of physical trash one produces into a tiny vessel. It’s about changing a mentality – a perspective. How do we make better choices, how do we tread a little lighter on this Earth?

The biggest change is reprograming ourselves on how we consume. Our wasteful tendencies are a direct correlation to consumption. But overall, zero waste living isn’t about consuming nothing, it’s about buying with purpose. Choosing the items we bring into our lives very carefully and ensure that each item has value. We always need to be environmentally aware of how our everyday actions impact our health, other people, and the planet.

There are several ways to minimize that impact. Ways like using reusable items rather than the disposable counterparts, composting and supporting local. Just by simply being more mindful of the waste we produce can collectively have a large positive impact on nearly every facet of our lives. And most importantly, do your best. It’s not about being perfect.

 

6 thoughts on “About”

  1. Hi, I am so glad I discovered this website. I want to go to Hand and Land as soon as possible. You might be interested in one of my blog posts at bethpartin.com, which is about the Xtreme Recycling Center in New Zealand. I visited them in September 2015, and I wish we had something like that in KC. There's also Eco-Cycle in Boulder (I used to volunteer for them), which has a Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials.

  2. Hand and Land is absolutely fantastic and is ran by the most inspiring women! I love the amount of research you've put into recycling in KC and in the other areas you've visited. That recycling center in New Zealand is amazing! We do need something like that in KC. If I ever have a recycling question, I'm coming to you! 😉

  3. Hi Megean,
    I'm moving to Kansas City in a month and am so excited to start my zero-waste journey with the help of your blog!!
    Best,
    Valeria

  5. I live in Houston TX. Many markets but slightly far to obtain vegetables fresh from any farm as the majority come from Mexico. Would love to locate vegetables grown here in the USA. Mainly due to regulations not enforced.

  6. Hi Pat! Are there any local farmer's markets near you that you could purchase your produce from? That might be a great place to check out. 🙂

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