Living on a remote island, you would think that sustainable living comes naturally. And it should. That’s the beauty of a simple island life, right? However, these days so much waste is generated for the ease of convenience. For example, fast food culture has become the norm here, and so even at a Sunday to’ona’i (family feast gathering), you’ll commonly see styrofoam takeaway plates. These are single use items that do not decompose, cannot be recycled, and have a life span of a few hours. Then it’s off to the dump where it will sit forever – along with the plastic spoons and forks and straws that are also used for convenience – and seep harmful chemicals into the soil.

PS- Did you know that American Samoa’s landfill is unlined?

There are a lot of reasons to consider going zero waste. For me, it’s because I have always been interested in all matters of going green, recycling, and sustainable living, but putting it into practice daily is the challenge.

Which is why I put together this Zero Waste Kit for Beginners. It’s something I take around with me as much as possible to prevent waste.

Baby steps.

Being 100% Zero Waste is very very very difficult. Just doing groceries creates waste. Local cherry tomatoes are sold in a ziplock bag. There are times when I forget and I’m already in line at Koko Bean and the lady is scooping my BBQ chicken into a styrofoam plate. Or when I order an Arnie Palmer and forget to say “no straw please” until the glass is sitting in front of me with a plastic straw. Then I think of the turtles. Teardrop.

But that’s why this ZW kit is so great!

It’s easy. It’s convenient. It makes sense. And it’s something I can do NOW to make a small but meaningful impact. And I hope you try it out too! The best part is you can make it your own. Carry a cute tote bag around. Sew your own drawstring bag (I dyed my own fabric using turmeric!). Pick your favorite utensils. Drink out of your most loved mug. And you’ll make the world a better place.