A ‘zero-waste’ influencer – who previously revealed that all the trash she accumulated over the course of four years could fit into one tiny mason jar – has shared a detailed look into a day of her life, which includes using homemade products, composting, and shopping in second-hand stores.
Lauren Singer, 31, from New York, has become well-known on the web for sharing an inside look into her sustainable lifestyle.
The social media star and entrepreneur took on a ‘zero-waste’ lifestyle just over a decade ago, which means she does her best to produce as little garbage as possible in an attempt to improve the environment.
In 2017, she earned viral fame after she posted a YouTube video, which has since gained more than one million views, in which she showcased all the rubbish she had built up in four years – and it was a shockingly small amount.
A ‘zero-waste’ influencer – who previously revealed that all the trash she accumulated over four years could fit into one tiny mason jar – has shared a detailed look into a day of her life
Lauren Singer, 31, from New York, has become well-known on the web for sharing an inside look into her sustainable lifestyle
The social media star took on a ‘zero-waste’ lifestyle a decade ago, which means she does her best to produce as little garbage as possible in an attempt to improve the environment
In 2017, she earned viral fame after she posted a YouTube video in which she showcased all the rubbish she had built up in four years – and it fit into one 16-ounce jar
Now, Lauren has revealed what goes into her eco-friendly lifestyle, and detailed some of the small changes she has made to achieve her close-to-trash-free living
In fact, all of Lauren’s garbage from the past four years could fit into one 16-ounce glass jar, leaving many people on the web impressed.
Now, Lauren has revealed what goes into her eco-friendly lifestyle, and detailed some of the small changes she has made to achieve her close-to-trash-free living.
She explained to Insider that she wakes up at 7:30am, and starts her day by brushing her teeth with a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste that she made herself.
She created the all-natural toothpaste by combining coconut oil, baking soda, and organic peppermint essential oil; she also added Stevia to make it taste better.
She explained on Instagram: ‘Not only is making your own toothpaste easier than pronouncing the ingredient list on the back of a conventional store bought tube, but you are also doing the earth (and your wallet) a favor.
‘DIY is much less expensive than store bought paste and you are keeping a tube of toothpaste that is difficult or impossible to recycle out of a landfill.’
On top of all that, Lauren also switched to plastic free floss, adding in another social media post, ‘I feel great knowing I’m keeping plastic out of my body, out of my oral care routine, and out of our oceans, waterways, and landfills.’
She also created her own deodorant, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies in an attempt to avoid creating unnecessary waste.
She makes her morning coffee using beans that she grinds herself in a French press, and Lauren then heads out to drop off any food-based garbage that she produced throughout the week at a nearby composting site.
‘Did you know that upwards of 40 per cent of our food supply is wasted in the United States and that other completely compostable items make up upwards of 40 per cent of our overall municipal solid waste in the US?’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘You all know that I’m the biggest proponent of composting and think it should be readily available as a usable service as trash is.
She explained to Insider that she wakes up at 7:30am, and starts her day by brushing her teeth with a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste that she made herself
She created the all-natural toothpaste by combining coconut oil, baking soda, and organic peppermint essential oil; she also added Stevia to make it taste better
She also created her own deodorant, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies in an attempt to avoid creating unnecessary waste
Lauren then heads out to drop off any food-based garbage that she produced throughout the week at a nearby composting site
‘That being said, even though I love composting, I try to avoid sending as much to compost as possible by using proper food storage which leads to longer lasting, fresh produce.’
The 31-year-old then goes to Pilates, but explained that she has strict rules for the studio that she uses – like them using all-natural cleaning products and recycled toilet paper
The 31-year-old, who is an NYU graduate who earned a degree in environmental studies in 2013, then goes to Pilates, but explained to Insider that she has strict rules for the studio that she uses for her workouts.
She said it needs to have big windows that give off a lot of sunlight, all-natural cleaning products to keep the place tidy, and recycled toilet paper.
Lauren revealed that she goes food shopping four times a week, to ensure that she is always using fresh produce in her meals, so she then walks over to the farmers market.
She doesn’t purchase any pre-made dog food for her pup, Rosie, but instead, makes it herself out of chicken, zucchini, apples, carrots, and potatoes.
‘Most traditional dog foods come packaged in large, plastic bags that aren’t recyclable,’ she stated on Instagram.
Lauren revealed that she goes food shopping four times a week, to ensure that she is always using fresh produce in her meals, so she then walks over to the farmers market
She doesn’t purchase any pre-made dog food for her pup, Rosie, but instead, makes it herself out of chicken, zucchini, apples, carrots, and potatoes
‘Most traditional dog foods come packaged in plastic bags that aren’t recyclable,’ she stated on Instagram. ‘They are also filled with so many unnecessary ingredients’
‘They are also filled with so many unnecessary ingredients that don’t really benefit the health of your furry friend.
‘I’ve been making this recipe for Rose for years and not only does she love it, it’s completely zero waste because I can compost everything – even down to the bones!’
She added: ‘I’ve been making this recipe for Rose for years and not only does she love it, it’s completely zero waste because I can compost everything – even down to the bones’
She told Insider that chicken is the only animal product she buys, which is just for her dog, as she herself eats mostly fruits and vegetables.
Lauren also strictly avoids all plastic – using stainless steel appliances and reusable bags – and she buys all of her clothes at second-hand stores.
Her other tip for a sustainable lifestyle is to ensure you are storing leftovers properly so that food doesn’t go to waste – and she recommends silicone bags, mason jars, reusable food wrap, and steel Tupperware.
After dinner, Lauren ends her day by taking Rosie to the park, before winding down with some TV. She also spends a lot of her free time picking up trash at nearby beaches or parks.
According to the influencer, her life isn’t so different from everyone else’s, explaining to the outlet that anyone can make a difference even in small ways.
‘The average American makes four and a half pounds of trash per day, so anything to get closer to zero is making a positive impact,’ she said.
Lauren also strictly avoids all plastic – using stainless steel appliances and reusable bags – and she buys all of her clothes at second-hand stores
Her other tip for a sustainable lifestyle is to ensure you are storing leftovers properly so food doesn’t go to waste – and she recommends silicone bags, mason jars, and steel Tupperware
According to the influencer, her life isn’t so different from everyone else’s, explaining to the outlet that anyone can make a difference even in small ways
She revealed that she decided to change the way she lived after stepping back to evaluate the impact she had on the Earth in 2012.
‘I thought that caring was enough, but it turns out that my lifestyle was creating harm and contributing to the systems that I was actively talking about fighting against,’ she explained.
She revealed that she decided to change the way she lived after stepping back to evaluate the impact she had on the Earth in 2012 and realized that her ‘lifestyle was creating harm’
On her website, Lauren recalled reflecting on her ‘personal environmental impact’ after watching one of her NYU classmates use plastic bags and a disposable water bottle to lunch every day.
‘I would sit there and think, we are supposed to be the future of this planet and here we are with out trash, messing it up,’ she wrote.
While it certainly took some getting used to, she said in a 2017 interview with New York Magazine that she finally felt she was in the groove.
‘As more and more time passes, I produce less and less,’ she explained. ‘In the beginning, I was producing a lot more recycling. That’s because I don’t buy anything packaged in plastic anymore – I’m sort of set up.
‘I stopped buying packaged products and began bringing my own bags and jars to fill with bulk products at the supermarket.
‘I stopped buying new clothing, and shopped only second-hand. I continued making all of my own personal care and cleaning products.
‘I thought that caring was enough, but it turns out that my lifestyle was creating harm and contributing to the systems that I was actively talking about fighting against,’ she explained
Laura also spends a lot of her free time picking up trash at nearby beaches or parks
She has founded a blog called Trash for Tossers, in which she documents her journey as a zero-waste influencer and shares various tips that you too can use to produce less garbage
She also started her own shop that sells sustainable products, called Package Free , which offers things like a toilet brushes, sponges, reusable dishcloths, and other home supplies
‘I downsized significantly by selling, donating, or giving away superfluous things in my life, such as all but one of my six identical spatulas, 10 pairs of jeans that I hadn’t worn since high school, and a trillion decorative items that had no significance to me at all.
‘Most importantly, I started planning potentially wasteful situations; I began saying “no” to things like straws in my cocktails at a bars, to plastic or paper bags at stores, and to receipts.’
She has since founded a blog called Trash for Tossers, in which she documents her journey as a zero-waste influencer and shares various tips and tricks that you too can use to produce less garbage.
Her Instagram account with the same name has gained more than 358,000 followers.
She also started her own shop that sells sustainable products, called Package Free, which offers things like a toilet brushes, sponges, reusable dishcloths, and various other home supplies.
‘I was an environmental science major in college, and I not only wanted to learn about sustainability, I wanted to actually live it,’ she said, while initially promoting her brand through Kickstarter in 2017.
‘I thought a lot about the questions “Why the f**k are there so many chemicals in everything?” and, “When did this become OK?” and, “Are they even necessary?”
‘I’ve been trying to answer these questions, and in the process, making my own, well, everything, from toothpaste to deodorant to laundry detergent.’
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