Barriers to Zero Waste

Students and other individuals with extensive schedules spend their day multitasking and trying to make the most of their time. With busy schedules and a fast paced life, students can't think twice about how to properly dispose of the waste they produce. It's more convenient to dump all of their waste into one bin rather than spend extra time having to separate each item by what's recyclable, reusable, compostable, and trash. In facing the barrier of time, convenience overrules which leads to incorrect classification and disposal of waste that prevents an individual from being Zero Waste.

It takes individual effort and persistence to meet and maintain the goals of the Zero Waste lifestyle. Not only do individuals have to know how to properly dispose of different materials, but they are expected to stop producing waste entirely. Furthermore, it takes effort to break old habits and change one's lifestyle. Individuals are accustomed to the fast paced consumer culture of society that makes the change to a Zero Waste lifestyle seem unattainable considering their current way of life. They may feel discouraged in their efforts to limit their waste as they aren't being 100% zero waste. When trying to follow a Zero Waste lifestyle, individuals are expected to remember to always have their reusable bags, containers, utensils, water bottles, and other reusable items with them at all times so they are prepared with alternatives to single-use plastics at any given moment. This takes lots of planning and effort that puts pressure on the individual. Additionally, Zero Wasters emphasis buying in bulk; buying in bulk as a Zero Waster requires planning ahead, to make sure one doesn't overbuy to limit the potential of waste production, and remembering to bring reusable bags and containers as to not need to use single-use plastic bags to package their items. Various aspects of the individual's lifestyle must be changed to fit Zero Waste expectations. From how they grocery shop to the products they use in the shower, individuals are expected to eliminate single-use plastic from their life, reuse as many products as possible, and essentially produce zero waste. This extensive lifestyle change takes persistent time, effort, and dedication that seem unrealistic to follow.

The Zero Waste lifestyle's emphasis on reusable products poses a barrier on low-income individuals who cannot afford good quality reusable products with a long lifespan. Cheap, single-use items are more attainable and affordable to low-income individuals thus they will purchase those cheap goods and shortly throw them away when no longer in functioning or even pristine condition. As an alternative to cheap, single-use items, there's a growing market of reusable Zero Waste products that are claimed to be more cost-efficient and sustainable producing little to no waste. Zero Waste products, however, are more costly to the consumer at the time of purchase. For example, at Target, an individual can purchase a pack of 100 single-use cotton rounds for $1.99 versus a pack of just 16 reusable cotton rounds for $15. In the long run the individual may be saving money as they are reusing the $15 cotton rounds multiple times, however, at the immediate time of purchase, low-income individuals will purchase what's cheaper. Furthermore, the market for Zero Waste products is still producing waste. Even if the consumer is making these conscious Zero Waste purchases, their waste production is only postponed. In the long run, waste is produced from either purchase and the individual is obstructed from being fully Zero Waste. Additionally, to prolong the lifespan of a good and partake in the circular economy to postpone waste production, it's emphasized that individuals repair their damaged goods so they can be reused for a longer period of time, however, some goods seem cheaper to through away and repurchase than repair. Due to repair costs, individuals will more likely dispose of their damaged goods thus contributing to waste production and falling out of the circular economy.

Waste cannot be eliminated entirely through recycling and reusing. The inevitable degradation of products that are deliberately made to be single-use is a barrier to individuals being fully Zero Waste. As products degrade, they break down to a state where they are no longer reusable and will be thrown away; eventually, even reusable products will degrade and become waste. Furthermore, not all goods are made recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable. The nature of the product's composition itself then serves as a barrier to being Zero Waste. Single-use plastic goods are mass produced and more readily available in the market; it's more convenient and less costly for the consumer to purchase such goods, but in doing so, they will immediately contribute to waste production after a single usage of a given product if it's not recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or long living. Recycling and reusing are great practices to implement into one’s lifestyle to be more eco-friendly and reduce waste production, but the expectation of producing zero waste, considering the nature of the products that are most attainable on the market, is unattainable.