23-year-old Lauren Singer lives in the the populous city in the U.S., the country that produces the most trash in the world.
Singer graduated from New York University with a degree in environmental studies, and has lived a waste-free lifestyle in NYC for the past 2 years.
This lifestyle came about when Singer was inspired by a family in California and their story of a “Zero Waste Home.”
Lauren now has a blog of her own, Trash is for Tossers, and there she documents her zero waste life.
She makes her own toothpaste, deodorant, body lotion and even laundry detergent, and uses mason jars to store her food and cleaning products.
She even sells her products from her business The Simply Co.
One would think that to live a zero waste lifestyle, it would take a lot of time and energy, but Lauren says this lifestyle has given her more time, not less.
Rather than taking a trip to the store to purchase toothpaste, Singer says it takes her 30 seconds to make her own.
She still goes out to eat in restaurants, but only ones that align with her values. She can control her own waste, but can’t control restaurant waste, she said.
And after 2 years, this is all of Singer’s trash, fit into one 16-ounce mason jar.
Watch how Lauren lives a zero waste life here:
[Featured Image Credit: screenshot Youtube- Seeker Stories]