Zero Waste Workshop

Living zero waste is a trend that a lot of people have shown interest in, especially in nowadays times regarding the climate crisis. It is a way of living where all the items you use are made and used in such a way that is eco-friendly for the environment. That means less plastic use, less buying of single-use items, less money spending and using items that are made of natural, compostable products. It also involves a lot of recycling and re-using of items that have already fulfilled their initial purpose, for example, using an old toothbrush to clean the glass of your fish tank. Living zero waste is not hard and, besides it being good for the environment, is money and time saving. 

Living zero waste doesn’t happen in a day, it’s a process. With this work shop, we wanted people to take a moment and think about living more zero waste and its possibilities and how they could apply it in their daily life. With a few simple recipes we made people connect with living more zero waste. On request, everyone brought an old T-shirt that could be used and a glass jar.

The work shop started off with a big mind map about living zero waste. People engaged in a big discussion where they expressed their first thoughts about zero waste and the difficulties they experienced.

In the practical park of the work shop, the group was split up in three. There were three stations where people could either make dish soap, disinfectant wipes or they could create something useful of their own thrash. All the stations were adjusted to each other; you could use previously made dish soap in the disinfectant wipes and eventually you could decorate your own glass jar. In between the switch of stations there were small breaks where people could grab drinks and snacks.

The participants were very excited about trying the recipes and eager to participate in the discussion. The goal of the work shop was to make people think about how they, as ordinary citizen, could also help nature a little hand by changing small habits in their life. Together with the discussion and the practical part, we found that it was highly successful and definitely up for a sequel! 

By Danielle van der Burg