Bea Johnson’s Zero Waste Home was one of the first books I read when I started taking zero waste living seriously. Her family of four produces rubbish that barely fills a mason jar — I read that and immediately looked at my own kitchen bin, half full on a Wednesday. Inspiring, but quietly terrifying.

Over the past ten years, my trash level has reduced, but I still don’t live like Bea. I have since learned that having more people doing zero waste imperfectly is more important than only a handful of people doing it perfectly.

I started writing a monthly zero waste column for Zaobao recently, and my imperfect zero waste life was the first thing I wrote about. If you have enjoyed the published article, here are a few more ways my zero waste life is imperfect:

// Shopping at bulk food stores to cut packaging waste is not a MUST

Zero waste content makes it seem like the only acceptable grocery run involves glass jars, a tote bag, and a specific shop that sells oats by weight. My reality? I buy what’s available, and when packaging does come home with me, it earns a second life. An empty sauce container becomes a storage jar. An “accidental” plastic bag becomes a bin liner or even a reusable bag. No guilt, no waste.

// Beauty empties, finished and recycled

I’m committed to using up every last drop of my skincare and bodycare products — no half-finished bottles abandoned because something new caught my eye. When they are truly done, I wash the empties and drop them off at the L’Occitane outlets under their “Big Little Things” recycling programme. It’s a small but closed loop.

// The teabag situation

I try to buy loose tea leaves. But I have kind friends who gift me teabags, and I have learned that the most zero waste thing I can do is finish the gift with gratitude rather than let it sit untouched until it becomes food waste. A small discovery along the way: many teabags contain plastic. So I’ve been snipping them open and steeping just the leaves. A little extra step, a little less plastic in my cup.

// Wearing what I already have

I don’t have a wardrobe full of organic linen and sustainable fashion brands. I have clothes I’ve owned for years, washed carefully, and repaired when needed. A loose button, a torn stitch, a fraying hem — these are not reasons to replace. I know some simple needlework to repair. Otherwise, I’ll approach the auntie in the clothing alteration shop for help. Wearing what we already have is one of the simplest ways to cut textile pollution.

// Even the carton box from Shopee gets a second life

Yes, I shop online sometimes. And yes, the packaging comes into my home. But the cardboard box gets unfolded and recycled with Tzuchi on their Environmental Sustainability Days. For larger cartons, I lay one flat on my kitchen floor on heavy cooking days — a makeshift splatter guard that actually works. Bubble wrap cushions the glass bottles and jars I set aside for recycling. In other words, every piece of trash deserves a second chance.

Zero waste is not a race with a medal at the end. It’s a way of life — and every small, unglamorous, slightly wrinkly step counts.
So let’s be imperfect, together.