An inspiring young woman living a ZeroWaste Lifestyle
Our cooperation with Valeriia ‘Lera’ Popovych from Ukraine started when she applied for the Youth Green Conference-2019. She was successful and joint our event in Austria! Upon the return to Uzhhorod, Lera joint the Youth Wilderness Group and applied with European Wilderness Society for “UzhGreenFest” eco-educational project. Lera was also one of the “Synevyr Clean up” project supporters. Now we are continuing this fruitful cooperation with this active young lady and introducing her ZeroWaste Lifestyle in more details.
And now, she is not only applying a ZeroWaste Lifestyle herself, but also encouraging her friends and neigbours to live like this.
Please also read: Youth Green Conference goes into the field
I want to learn more about ecology, travel to different countries and meet interesting people. Besides, I want to practice my English, too.
And I use my bike to move around the city. The bike does not release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Moreover, tree growing, which keeps our air cleaner, is also among my habits. I do not use plastic bags. I use only cloth or paper bags.
Start your own ZeroWaste Lifestyle
Lera tells us:
“Today, many people talk about global warming and its reasons. They speak all the time, but many of them do nothing. And one day I thought : ‘Why am I doing nothing? Enough. It is time to act!’
To live a ZeroWaste Lifestyle, I started to sort litter at home and to involve my parents in sorting. It was hard to change the way people think. After one month of sorting litter, we have five litter bins in the kitchen. Every two months my parents and I bring litter to the sorting station.
Earth is our home, not a toy
A few months later, I thought I wanted something more. And I started to take litter from neighbours, relatives and classmates. It went something like that: ‘When you finish the bottle, don’t throw it away, please.’ And after walks with my dog, I brought home two or three glass or plastic bottles. It is not my litter, but it is my planet.
So, we set aside a separate room at home, where everything is sorted by fraction.
To be honest, I’m glad that I consciously began to do that. In the future I plan to organize a sorting point in my village with the local authorities. For myself, I want to live ZeroWaste and become a vegetarian. And don’t forget Earth is our home, not a toy.”
We hope, the example of Lera will encourage more people to take care about our environment and to change their habits to a more eco-friendly lifestyle!
