Less Waste, More Style

Lately, I've been very much into the whole reducing-my-waste-and-negative-impact-on-the-environment thing. What is it called, exactly? Well, let's see. The popular term is "zero waste," but—let's be honest!—in this day and age, that has yet to be achievable. My sister likes to call it "less waste," but that doesn't really encompass everything I'm trying to achieve. Personally, I really like the term used by Sustainably Vegan and now am using it to describe my lifestyle goal: low impact. You might have noticed that from a recent blog post and various instagram stories I've been posting lately. 

Anyway, that has made me develop this new hobby of sorting waste. I mean, I used to do it naturally when I lived in Germany—because it was literally the law to sort our waste—but haven't really been continuing that here—because I thought my parents wouldn't support that. However, the past couple months, my sister and I have been sorting parts of our waste and giving them to Waste4change—a local recycling centre—which is what we were doing when we took these photos. Our parents are also very supportive: asking questions about what can and cannot be recycled, scouring around the house for more recyclables to give away and helping us arrange them nicely. We haven't sorted 100% of our waste yet, but we are trying our best to transition towards that—hoping to compost soon too! However, Waste4change is too far away for us, so we're still looking for a nearer recycling centre. Stay tuned!

Old hat + top + belt // hand-me-down pants + purse // thrifted loafers // photos by Akita

Speaking of less waste, by the way, one way of reducing the waste you generate is by reducing your consume amount. Especially on less essential parts—such as clothes. Personally, I have stopped buying clothes almost at all, since probably 2016. I have lived primarily on the clothing items that I do own and occasional hand-me-downs from family members or friends. For instance, this outfit. The pants are recent hand-me-downs from my grandmother. It is so, so beautiful and has been sitting idly by at home. Meanwhile, the purse is a hand-me-down from my late mother. It is original Braun Büffel, I believe, made out of real leather and has passed the test of time. Really roomy and convenient too. Alternatively, of course, you can buy secondhand/used items, like these gorgeous loafers of mine. Now, how does that reduce waste? Well, you keep the previous owner from sending their clothes to landfills—while getting a new item in the process. Isn't that just perfect? Well, that's just me. Do you have your own way of reducing waste? Do tell!