Nothing New Challenge

Hey lovelies, it’s been a while.

2021 has been one hell of a year. So much has happened if I had to summarise it I wouldn’t know where to start. (I guess most of it is here anyway, and if you’ve been following me you already know it all.)

One thing that I am not particularly proud of, is that I’ve been slacking with my Zero Waste lifestyle. I’ve been slacking A LOT. As I mentioned many times, refilling my own jars is the first practice that goes out the window when I’m stressed, and I don’t think I’ve ever been stressed as I’ve been in the past year.

Thankfully, I am finally in a place (more mentally than physically, but I’m working on that) where I can finally get back on track and resume my good old Zero Waste habits. I have been cooking and eating more plant-based foods, bought groceries at the farmers market and from small shops rather than supermarket chains, re-homed unwanted items to places where I knew they could be loved again, and in general I took time to refresh my memory on how to be as sustainable as I can in all aspects of my life.

Since I am an all-or-nothing kinda person, this year I decided to push this up a notch and challenge myself to not buy anything new for the whole of 2022.

When I say anything, I mean it: not just clothes (which is a no brainer), but also books, tools, materials, anything. If I want to build something, screws and nails will have to be second-hand. If I want to make art, all my supplies will have to come from an op shop, or be hand-me-downs. If I want to sew or knit or crochet, threads and needles and yarns can’t be purchased new. Tools can be borrowed, or I’ll have to use what I already have.

As much as I believe in supporting local businesses as well as sustainable and ethical companies, buying new still feeds into the demand for more goods. Producing anything still requires energy, water and resources, even when it’s from a sustainable business. That’s why I want to challenge myself to narrow my options and see how hard (or not?) it is to say no to everything that’s new.

I also want to reduce my consumption of goods and try to buy less things in general. When I first sat down to think about this, I realised I really don’t need anything. Sure, my sneakers are falling apart, but I have other shoes. Yeah, I would love to upgrade my wardrobe and replicate Jules’ outfits with as much mesh I can get my hands on, but is this really my style? Unless something breaks or get lost, I’m not planing on needing very much at all this year.

To reduce packaging, I also want to try and buy second-hand items in op shops rather than online, or buy online but from places where I can pick up.

I am super excited about his challenge. I am happy and grateful to be in a position where I can take the time to be more intentional about my purchases, be patient and get creative, and remember how resourceful I can be when I have to work with what I’ve got.

I will be posting monthly updates at the end of every month, so stay tuned if you want to know how I’m doing!