Most people turn to a ‘zero waste’ lifestyle because of their passion for the environment but US blogger Kathryn Kellog actually joined the movement following a breast cancer scare four years ago.
In the past two years alone, she’s collected only enough trash to fill a 16-ounce mason jar.
Since adopting her very commendable and conscious lifestyle, Kathryn has authored the book 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste which serves as a guide to those who also aim to practice a more environmentally-friendly, minimal way of a living.
Part of Kellog’s commitment to living more sustainably is limiting the amount of trash she produces.
“We don’t live in a perfect zero waste world … It’s really not about being perfect,” she said. “It’s just about taking these overarching principles and trying to apply them into your life to be more sustainable by using fewer resources.”
According to her an article shared by Refinery29, Kathryn said ‘One of my biggest struggles in going zero-waste was reconciling my love for fashion with a more sustainable way of living. I used to have a bit of a shopping problem. My closet was stuffed to the brim. Once, my college roommate asked me to count how many dresses I owned — the number sat above 200. The way I was consuming clothing was utterly unsustainable. And on a macro scale, the industry itself is unsustainable (according to the EPA, in 2017, 11.2 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills; a lot of this waste is driven by fast fashion and micro trends).’
Of course, the internet trolls will always follow, since the launch of Going Zero Waste in March 2015, she’s been criticized on social media and in private messages for driving and flying, for not installing a grey-water system, and, no joke, for using toilet paper (she does have a bidet, by the way). She’s been chastised by vegans for eating eggs, and one visiting relative walked around Kellogg’s house pointing out anything made of plastic.
Despite the backlash, Kathryn continues to promote her way of living and also regularly shares tips and even replies to questions on her social media, all to inspire those who do in fact have an interest in adopting a similar lifestyle.
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