Why a low-waste life?

I am one-third of the way into a 30 day zero waste challenge today, and I'm just now realizing that there are actual reasons Megean the Zero Waste Nerd calls it a challenge. The process of becoming a bamboo girl in a plastic world is no cake-walk; unless of course, all the cakes were scratch-made from sugar and flour purchased in bulk jars and stored in a hippie's pantry. Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the challenge of transitioning into a more sustainable lifestyle. It is increasingly evident to me that the basic principles of low-waste living encourage gratefulness and simplicity while provoking thoughtfulness and compassion, all of which make my wildflower heart flutter. Plus, I'm having a lot of fun creating polaroid Instagram stories to track and share my low-waste beginnings - although I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm more so driving people crazy than inspiring them.

After these 30 days are up, I'm not sure how much further I'll dive into the pool of low-waste living. I do know, however, that learning to live with less waste & more sustainable, long-lasting items is definitely sparking the joy of simplicity within me. We live in a culture that is driven by careless consumerism which contributes to the stinging belief that we can never "keep up" and will never have, do or be enough. Then, in our relentless efforts to dress in the latest fashion and carry the newest smartphone, we silently approve of child labor, widespread poverty, and our own privilege. No matter how quickly we get our hands on the newest trends, it seems that by the end of the day someone on Instagram is already telling us about something even newer and better that will make us trendier and happier. This cycle is exhausting, and we all live some aspect of it every day.

My reason for sharing my journey toward a more sustainable life is not to convince those of you looking in on my life that I am perfect or of higher moral standing than anyone else. Instead, my hope is that you will look beyond what I am doing and see the reasons why. I want less plastic and packaging in my life because I want less plastic in our God-breathed oceans. When I stand at the edge of the sand and stare longingly into the blue waters, I feel nothing but the overwhelming peace and power of God; I would be devasted to know that my overuse of plastics caused future generations to lose out on such a beautiful metaphor. I want less fast fashion in my wardrobe because I want less exploitation and more education for children worldwide. Five dollars toward The Global Fund for Children makes a better impact on the world than a ten dollar t-shirt that proves I'm trendy for two weeks, and I think it's safe to say that Jesus would have chosen the well-being of children over fashion any day. I want to live with less because for me it means less to clean up, less to spend money on, and less to stress about. In turn, this leads to me having more time to spend in the Word and with others. The list could go on here, but I think I have made my point evident.

I am an advocate for social change and social justice because of Jesus & a love for humanity. I highly doubt that Jesus is calling all of us to live a low-waste life out loud, but I do believe that Jesus gave the responsibilities of caring for the earth and the lowly to the church. Living more sustainably, consuming more consciously, and placing the well-being of all people on my list of top priorities are ways I live out the cause of Christ. There are many ways to change the world, and I would love for you to tell me how your life & practices have been changing lately in the comments below! We are all in this craziness together, and I would love to be alongside you for the journey (whether it's a low-waste journey or not)! May all we do be done in the name of love.