When I moved to Ottawa in 2015, hardly anyone had heard of zero waste, there were no “package free” shops. Thanks to the folks at Nu, now there are two stores specifically dedicated to this kind of grocery shopping.

THE SAFETY RAZOR// Keep Well Kept

I've had the Safety Razor on my list of zero waste swaps since 2015. Why did it take me so long to get one? For one thing, I wasn't sure what I wanted my razor to look like. But most of all, I still had plastic disposable razors to use first.

ARE YOU USING YOUR TIME// Deciding to Spend Less Time on Instagram

A few months ago I said to @sparkclarity "I don't think I'm going to look back and be like 'I wish spent more of my late twenties and early thirties on Instagram.'" While we laughed about this and thought it was hilarious, it's real, a serious concern, and I’ve kept thinking about it.

Social Media, MindfulnessLeah WilliamsSeptember 29, 2019Life Made Light, lifemadelight, life made light, Zero Waste, zero waste, zero waste and social media, Zero Waste and Media, Social Media, social media, Instagram, instagram, phones, plastic free, plastic free shopping, Vancouver, The Soap Dispensary, Spark Clarity, Clary Chambers, wasting time, presence, life, intentions, intention, mindful living, mindfulness, spotify, zero waste movement, change, priorities, Leah Williams, leah williams, leah williams instagram, Leah Williams Canada, leah m Williams, Leah M Williams, zerowaste movement, Are you using your time, a post about being on your phone, intentional living, are you using your time, Are you using your time: a post about being on your phone Comment

THE PRIVILEGE OF APATHY// Transforming Eco-Anxiety into Action

It’s thinking that because you don’t see it, feel it, or it doesn’t immediately impact you, that action is optional. Part of privilege is the option to decide when to care or take action, and doing so only when it’s convenient or affects you.

DONATING CLOTHES// There is No Somewhere Else

When I started writing about why donating clothes is not sustainable without introspection and change, I got asked “what do you suggest that I do with older clothes that I’ve had before I went zero waste?”

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EARTH DAY PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM// Expectations VS. Reality

About a month ago, when I knew Earth Day was coming I was super pumped. But the closer it got I started to feel mild dread. The approaching Earth Day was starting to symbolize this massive failure, because I had not written a single word in a month and the project I was hoping to announce was not ready.

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ARE YOU ON YOUR PATH// Practice, Change and Accepting the Past

If you're working to change and interested in growth, there will be slip ups; when you-know you know better but cave to an old pattern anyway. You can consciously be aware that something is not healthy, and still do it. This is part of the process of change.

Habit Building, Change & GrowthLeah WilliamsMarch 30, 2019Life Made Light, lifemadelight, life made light, Attachment and Well-being, Attachment and Well Being, Attachment, attachment, Well-being, well-being, Well Being, well being, Attachments and Well-being, Attachments and Well Being, Attachments, attachments, March, march, 2019, vegetables, plastic free, Plastic Free, Zero Waste, zero waste, zerowaste, change, growth, habits, habit, personal growth, spiritual, path, journey, trust the journey, rest, plastic free living, vegetable picture, present, mindfulness, old decisions, decisions, energy bar, faith, be present, practice, resistance, habit change, alignment, law of attraction, are you on your path?, peace, trust, grounding, stay the course, Leah Williams, leah williams, leah williams instagram, Leah Williams Canada, leah m Williams, Leah M Williams, accepting the past, regret, Are you on your path, Are you on your path?, Practice and changeComment

ZERO WASTE SHOPPING// A Business is not “Zero Waste” Because it Offers a Reusable Container Policy.

Does the bulk store you shop at recycle their packaging? Do they compost? What happens to their food waste? Is there compliance with labor laws? What happens behind-the-scenes of a business is just as important.

Plastic Pollution, Zero WasteLeah WilliamsMarch 18, 2019responsibility, cashews, peanut butter, peanut, mason jars, mason jar, jar, jars, bulk, bulk shopping, life without plastic, Life Without Plastic, plastic, single-use, single use, reusable, reusables, disposable, stickers, pens, habit, habits, doors, Zero Waste, March, march, 2019, shopping, bulk food, Bulk Barn, bulk barn, plastic free, plastic-free, empower, empowering, empowerment, responsible, discouraged, discouragement, mindset, attitude, opportunity, compost, labor laws, compliance, harvesting, nut harvesting, chocolate chips, chocolate almonds, walnuts, pasta, matcha, medjool, medjool dates, dates, hemp, hemp protein powder, almond butter, stainless steel container, container, stainless steel, pesticides, behind the scenes, oceans, ocean, the enironment, nature, environment, waste reducing, disposables, travel mug, mug, reusable mug, bag, utensils, consumption, zero waste lifestyle, zero waste living, do better, make a difference, be informed, get informed, improve, Leah Williams, leah williams, leah williams instagram, Leah Williams Canada, leah m Williams, Leah M Williams, lifemadelight, Life Made Light, PopularComment

ZERO WASTE// It’s Not Really New

The idea that taking care of the planet, is new or only for certain people is not true. And the way some ethical movements are getting marketed makes it seem like there’s a rule book or that using what you already own is not good enough…

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REPRESENTATION// Zero Waste Instagram and The Responsibility of Image-Making

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.

Social Media, Zero WasteLeah WilliamsDecember 15, 2018Zero Waste, Social Media, vegetables, plastic free, groceries, zero waste shopping, Zero Waste and Social Media, representation, accountability, responsibility, image culture, instagram, Instagram, intention, mindfulness, content creation, content making, conscious, branding, green washing, sustainability, inadequacy, ideology, ethics, the medium is the message, food inequality, privilege, supply chain, excess, real food, good, grocery shopping, vegan, vegetarian, foodie, December, art, image makers, artist, Life Made Light, lifemadelight, life made light, zero waste, zero waste and social media, Zero Waste and Media, social media, 2018, december, rainbow, content creator, what's it really about, Leah Williams, leah williams, leah williams instagram, Leah Williams Canada, leah m Williams, Leah M Williams, The Responsibility of Imagemaking, The Responsibility of Image making, Zero Waste Privilege, Zero Waste Instagram, Content Creation, taking responsibility, responsibility for making images, Greenwashing, How to identify GreenwashingComment

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