Yilin, formerly known as Cao Yilin, is the founder of Shenzhen Zero Waste - a practitioner of the Zero Waste lifestyle.

Zero Waste is a concept that encourages the redesign of the resource life cycle so that all products can be reused, with the goal of not sending waste to landfills, incinerators or the ocean. Today, the garbage generated by Yilin's family of three each week can be contained in just one Lao Gan Ma jar.

Once addicted to throwing things away

In 2015, she first arrived in Shenzhen. Because she brought a lot of things with her, but the house she rented was not big enough, Yilin began to learn the art of tidying up, which manifested as throwing things away like crazy, throwing away 80% of the things in her home, known as "breaking up the rules". Later, she heard the online sharing session of Beijing Zero Waste practitioner Tang Beijia, and was surprised: "It turns out that there are people in China who agree with and practice the Zero Waste lifestyle."

The next day, Yilin took a few gauze bags left over from boiling Chinese medicine at home to buy vegetables. After a few days, the vegetable shop owner remembered Yilin. "The boss said that I was the third customer she had seen who brought his own cloth bag." Yilin was happy and regretful about this. It turned out that some people were doing this, but not many people did so.

"Throwing things away is the simplest way to solve problems, but also the most irresponsible way." In the process of distinguishing "Datsu-shин-ri" and "zero waste", the word Yilin mentioned most was "responsibility". "Datsu-shин-ri" is centered on current needs to judge whether the thing is useful or necessary, while "zero waste" considers the source and the future. "When I buy things, I will think about whether I can handle it scientifically and responsibly if I have to throw it away one day."

Complete it bit by bit like a game

"Datsu-shин-ri" can see the changes in the home immediately, but "zero waste" will not. Yilin admitted that this is a difficult thing: "If I tell you that this home will take three months or even a year to tidy up, will you still have this motivation?"

Yilin's motivation is "self-achievement". Just like a level-breaking game, breaking down a huge goal into small tasks and completing them bit by bit, after a week, a month, or a year, the whole person will be refreshed.

First of all, food, no longer eat food with plastic packaging. When traveling, Yilin will prepare "five treasures" - handkerchiefs, cloth bags, water cups, tableware and lunch boxes. More advanced, Yilin learned to make handmade soap, use fruit peels to make homemade enzymes instead of laundry detergent, compost kitchen waste, and transform old things.

In fact, compared with the previous state of "breaking up", Yilin's home has many more bottles and jars, and there are boxes and barrels of various sizes on the balcony, making the home look more "messy".

However, what makes Yilin happy is that her family supports her very much. "My husband is not a person who complains. He is very curious about what I do. Usually I will take the children to do it together, and he will help as much as he can." Now, Yilin's children have become little environmental protection promoters in kindergarten and have been praised.

Yilin said that she was able to become a "zero waste" supporter, not only because of the recognition and encouragement of her family, but also because she felt more fulfilled by being able to "make friends". In 2018, Yilin founded the Shenzhen "zero waste" public platform to promote "zero waste" life in the form of "online communication + offline activities".

Currently, there are nearly 300 people in the WeChat group created by Yilin, who are practicing the "zero waste" lifestyle together. Yilin and her friends in the group have jointly organized 21 offline activities, including a "zero waste" lifestyle sharing session, a "new life for old things" idle exchange activity, an old clothes transformation workshop, and an environmentally friendly enzyme production sharing session, with more than 600 participants.

Change starts with carrying shopping bags

Today, Yilin has been practicing the "zero waste" lifestyle for nearly three years. She said that her pace of life has begun to slow down, and she has a good idea of her family's food, clothing and daily expenses. "I will observe the garbage and see the behavior of myself and my family, so as to summarize my life. Garbage can also be a way of looking at the world."

On the balcony of Yilin's house, there is a white compost bin, which contains soil and processed kitchen waste. "Just give it some time and some reasonable means, and nature will turn them into useful things. There is no garbage in this world, only resources placed in the wrong place."

But can "zero" garbage really be achieved? Yilin is very clear that it cannot. "The goal of "zero garbage" is actually to reduce the amount of garbage." Yilin believes that the "garbage classification" currently in full swing in Shenzhen is only one link in the reduction of garbage. Although it can greatly alleviate many problems in the current urban garbage management, reducing the amount at the source is the key.

Yilin talked about "garbage classification" is not equal to "resource recycling". In addition to partial recycling after classification, the more important purpose is to prevent the mixing of garbage and avoid more serious pollution caused by incomplete incineration due to excessive moisture in the mixed garbage, but garbage landfill and incineration will continue.

Therefore, the practice of "zero garbage" practitioners is more thorough. In life, Yilin requires herself to truly reduce waste at the source, and only buys products that can be recycled and processed, such as paper, glass, metal, and biodegradable plastics.

In Yilin's Shenzhen "zero waste" life group, many group members have designed a more ambitious goal for "zero waste" - environmental protection. Yilin is happy to see this. Yilin quoted a group member's words: "The whole world is interconnected, and no one can be immune to it."

Changes must start with tiny details, especially in the bustling and high-speed Shenzhen. Yilin is very clear that not everyone is willing to sacrifice a "convenient" life like her, and can devote huge time and energy to "zero waste." She said: "For most people, environmental protection should be based on the premise that it does not basically affect normal life, and should not become a burden. You can start by carrying shopping bags with you and make some changes within your power." (Nanfang Daily reporter He Xuefeng coordinated by Zhang Wei)

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