Green Living Through the Eyes of Gen Z

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Imagine sitting down for a heartwarming chat with a vibrant, eco-conscious teenager who's as passionate about the planet as she is about her latest school project. That's exactly what unfolded in our latest episode of Zero Waste Imperfectly, where I, Sheila, along with my teenage daughter Kayla, peel back the layers of what a zero waste lifestyle means to the younger generation. Kayla, with her youthful wisdom, dives into the significance of reducing waste and shares how her school is contributing to sustainable practices. Her perspective is a breath of fresh air in a conversation often dominated by adults, proving that the passion for change is ageless.

During this family affair, we discuss the practical changes our household has made and those we're still striving to achieve. From swapping to reusable containers in place of personal care products, to the simpler switch of carrying a metal water bottle, Kayla's actions speak volumes to her commitment. She even shares anecdotes of influencing her friends to make more eco-friendly choices, demonstrating the ripple effect one person's actions can have. As we navigate through the successes and the less-than-perfect attempts at going zero waste, such as our trial with reusable feminine hygiene products, you'll find yourself nodding along and perhaps even inspired to make a change. Don't miss this intimate episode that bridges generational gaps and lights the way for future eco-warriors.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, lovely listeners, and welcome to Zero
Waste Imperfectly, the show thattalks about all things zero
waste with kids.
I'm your host, sheila.
I am the owner of LifeEssentials Refillery and the
mother of three beautiful girls,and today I have one of my
three daughters here with me tointerview her and ask her some
questions about sustainabilityand zero waste.
So this is Kayla, and Kayla sayhi, hi, all right.

(00:22):
So first thing I'm going to askis how old are you?
15.
Okay, and what do you knowabout zero waste lifestyle?
What do you think of it?
How would you describe it tosomebody?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Eco-friendly and safe for the planet.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Okay, all right.
And why do you think it'simportant to reduce waste?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
We already throw so much trash away onto the planet.
It's not going to get anybetter unless we do something to
change that.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
That definitely makes sense.
So in your school do you seeevidence of anything about
sustainability or zero wastepractices?

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Some.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Like what?
What's an example?

Speaker 2 (01:10):
We have recycling bins next to every trash can
that's it.
And we do all of our workonline instead of wasting paper.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
That's good.
That's a huge step forward.
What are some of the thingsyou're doing in your life to
reduce waste?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
I use reusable containers for all of my makeup
products and personal hygieneproducts.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
And what do you carry with you everywhere you go?

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Metal water bottle.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
And has that been a big?
Was that a big change goingfrom plastic to a metal water
bottle, a stainless bottle?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Not really.
It became much easier otherthan plastic bottles everywhere.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
That makes sense.
And is there something youabsolutely love about having a
metal water bottle, an insulatedwater bottle?
Does it stay colder?

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Okay.
So how do you feel and you haveto answer these questions
honestly so how do you feelabout the amount of waste your
household generates?
Do you think we can do better?

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Definitely.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
What is one of the areas that you think we should
do better in?

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Less plastic to go with our foods and Amazon
packages.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
That is true, definitely, and let's see what
are some of the creativesolutions that people could do
to reduce waste.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Switch to metal water bottles and, instead of
printing things off of online,just doing it on their iPad or
computer.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
So in your school do you still see a lot of kids with
plastic water bottles?

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Not really Everyone switched to metal earlier this
year, I think, when they figuredout that it was better to bring
a metal water bottle topractice instead of plastic,
which they can easily forget.
That makes sense.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
So what are some small steps that you could take
right now in your personal lifeto reduce waste?

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Testing out other brands that have reusable
containers.
For what For?

Speaker 1 (03:40):
things like lotion, makeup, okay, so do you find
that's easily accessible, thosekinds of things, if you look in
the right places?
Yes, okay, that makes sense,and let's see how can you
encourage your friends to dobetter about reducing waste.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Tell them about how much easier it is to have
reusable things around you Allright.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Do you think they'd listen?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yes, I've already influenced one person who
switched to a metal water bottle.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yay, all right.
Do you think social media is agreat tool to spread awareness
about living a less wastelifestyle?

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Definitely.
Some people don't even know itexists until they search it up
online.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
And do you think kids your age are open to that idea,
or do you think they're moreresistant to change and want to
stick with the way things havealways been?

Speaker 2 (04:30):
I think people, when told the truth about how
reusable containers work, can bewilling to switch.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
All right, is there something you have tried or your
family has tried that you said,uh-uh, this is not for me, or?

Speaker 2 (04:45):
your family has tried that.
You said uh-uh, this is not forme.
We're useful pads Like femininehygiene?

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yes, all right, so you draw the line there.
Yes, so what has been yourfavorite zero-waste tip or hack
that you've learned so far?

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Making lotion at home without all dyes and scented
things and putting it into areusable glass jar.
That's awesome.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
And you use that every day, right, I do and how
do you feel about your personalprogress towards living a
zero-waste lifestyle?

Speaker 2 (05:19):
I have a lot more reusable containers like
deodorant, lotion, some makeup,which is better than before.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, you've changed a lot.
Huh, you've made a lot ofchanges, and what more would you
like to learn about or do toreduce your waist footprint?

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Maybe eventually switching some more makeup
products that are healthier formy skin.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
Okay, but you're already pretty good at looking
at EWG right.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, I'm looking at most makeup products, but some
things like my foundation, Ihaven't switched yet.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Okay, all right.
So to all the teenagers thatmight be out there listening, do
you have one piece of advicethat you can give them about
living a less race lifestyle?

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Do more research about your products.
You never notice how manyscented things and chemicals are
in there that make nodifference at all.
That are harming yourself.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
That's good advice.
Well, thanks for being here.
I know it wasn't easy.
Well, thanks for tuning in.
You can find us on allplatforms, at Life Essentials
Refillery, and we would love tohear how your kids have embraced
, or completely not embraced,the zero waste lifestyle.
So send us a comment and we'dlove to hear from you.