Lauren Singer started living a zero-waste lifestyle in 2012. This jar holds everything she hasn't been able to reuse or recycle for the past four years. The New Yorker set up <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesimplyco.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">www.thesimplyco.com</a> and her <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trashisfortossers.com" target="_blank" target="_blank">blog</a> to help spread the zero waste message.
Lauren Singer started living a zero-waste lifestyle in 2012. This jar holds everything she hasn't been able to reuse or recycle for the past four years. The New Yorker set up www.thesimplyco.com and her blog to help spread the zero waste message.
CNN
Singer began her new ultra-sustainable way of life after opening the fridge one day and realizing so much food came wrapped in plastic.
Singer began her new ultra-sustainable way of life after opening the fridge one day and realizing so much food came wrapped in plastic.
Lauren Singer
When Singer goes to her local farmers' market she uses her own reusable cloth bags. She even avoids paper packaging, preferring to wrap freshly baked bread and pastries in her own dish towels.
When Singer goes to her local farmers' market she uses her own reusable cloth bags. She even avoids paper packaging, preferring to wrap freshly baked bread and pastries in her own dish towels.
Between 22% and 43% of the plastic we use ends up going into landfill, according to the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwatch.org%2Fglobal-plastic-production-rises-recycling-lags-0" target="_blank" target="_blank">United Nations Environmental Program.</a>
Between 22% and 43% of the plastic we use ends up going into landfill, according to the United Nations Environmental Program.
David McNew/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
She says she's saved a lot of money by avoiding supermarkets where part of the price goes towards packaging.
She says she's saved a lot of money by avoiding supermarkets where part of the price goes towards packaging.
To avoid plastic packaging Singer even makes her own toothpaste using just three ingredients -- coconut oil, baking soda, and peppermint oil.
To avoid plastic packaging Singer even makes her own toothpaste using just three ingredients -- coconut oil, baking soda, and peppermint oil.
Around 1.3 billion tons of edible food is lost or wasted every year,<a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Fresources%2Finfographics%2Finfographics-details%2Fen%2Fc%2F414385%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank"> according to the FAO</a>.
Around 1.3 billion tons of edible food is lost or wasted every year, according to the FAO.
Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP/Getty Images
"I've changed my lifestyle and prevented thousands of pounds of trash going to landfill," says Singer. "I believe that one person can make a difference, it's just having a desire to do so."
"I've changed my lifestyle and prevented thousands of pounds of trash going to landfill," says Singer. "I believe that one person can make a difference, it's just having a desire to do so."
Lauren Singer