There are many aspects of our relationship to objects and consumerism that I believe are problematic; like the illusion that something external, like physical possessions, will bring lasting happiness.

Images represent ideas, and on Instagram, where images can be posted with little accountability, it means that big concepts like “#zerowaste” get represented by whoever makes images.

We’re sold the message that when we get the right stuff, job, clothes, relationship, we'll be happy. If this were true and stuff held intrinsic happiness, we wouldn't need to keep buying, and producing. Because once you got the thing you’d have happiness forever, you wouldn't need more.

Did you know that in most stores every piece of clothing comes shipped to the store in a plastic bag? Each bag gets removed by staff and goes into the garbage, all before the item hits the sales floor. These bags are not usually recyclable.

When you scroll through Instagram and look at pictures of things in jars you may get the feeling that you're making less waste, but you’re actually just on your phone… The reality is that we can't consume our way out of a situation that is a result of over consumption.

I started refilling coffee in reusable jars not because of Zero Waste, but because I needed a solution for my clutter problem…Keeping stuff you don’t need or want, because you’re worried about what will happen to it, doesn’t solve wastefulness…