Hey earth muffins! A month ago I moved back in with my parents after moving away from Grand Rapids, MI. My boyfriend and I made the decision that we want to purchase a house instead of renting an apartment. When deciding where this house would be, it just made sense to head back home where both our families are! The housing market is crazy right now, so we are hunkering down with our parents until we find a great first home. 🤞Moving back in with family is amazing, but it also throws a curveball on my eco living habits. Here are my tips for how to be zero waste while living at home with your parents!
Give yourself some time to feel out the situation.
While I visit home often, it has been awhile since I lived with my parents. Obviously, they have different ways of living than I am used to, especially when it comes to sustainability. Instead of just continuing to live the way you were living, I sugget laying low for awhile. Your eco journey can wait a week or so! This will allow you to see how they function and do certain things. Once you observe for a bit, then you can decide where you can continue living the same way and which areas need a bit of an adjustment for the time you are living there. Your parents are doing you a huge favor, so don’t cause any trouble!!
Don’t badger your parents to make a million sustainable changes!
I am lucky that my parents are about as sustainable as my boyfriend is. I’ve written a whole guide about how I live with someone who isn’t as sustainable as myself; I suggest you check it out if you are in a similar situation! It is never a good idea to try and change every single thing your parents do all at once. In your observation period, you may have noticed 25 different areas where your parents could easily change a habit to be more sustainable. Remember, even your own eco journey has been a slow process! Don’t expect your parents to drop everything and join the zero waste movement all at once. While you can introduce them to certain eco products slowly, just do this one small step at a time!
Lead by example.
People tend to make observations about the way other people do things. If you don’t want to directly talk with your parents about new sustainable habits they can make, I suggest just living as eco-friendly as possible in your current situation. Your mom might comment on your makeup – so talk about the latest zero waste brand you are trying out! Bring your parents to your favorite local thrift store and introduce them to the joys of secondhand shopping. There are so many opportunities to share your eco knowledge in an encouraging way once you are under the same roof!
Introduce them to your favorite sustainable documentaries and books!
When you are trying to decide what to watch for the next movie night, suggest a new documentary you have been wanting to see. They might be totally on board with watching something educational. I know my dad is always looking for good book recommendations; if your parents are similar, share some of the best eco books! Just like I was hooked after reading No Impact Man, maybe they will jump on the sustainability bandwagon on their own accord.
Live a little non-zero waste for a bit…
Living with someone who isn’t as sustainable as you can be challenging. During the time you live with your parents, you might just have to cut your losses and realize that you won’t be able to live as eco-friendly as you’d like. This happened with diet for me. I’ve shared my tips for living with someone on a different diet before (my boyfriend is a huge carnivore; I’m a vegetarian). My parents have been supportive with my choice to eat no meat; however, I recently decided I wanted to also cut out fish. But, my parents usually cook a bunch of fish when I am visiting because they aren’t too comfortable with vegetarian recipes. Now that I am living here, I will be eating fish until I move into my own house, just because it makes it easier on them. I’ve cut my losses and my eco journey is still intact! 😊
Final Thoughts on How to Live Zero Waste with Your Parents
Moving back in with your parents is just like moving in with a new roommate… It might take some time to mix your habits and daily routines, but it will eventually work out! It is important to not pressure your parents to convert to living exactly how you were before you moved in. That is never a good suggestion in a “how to be zero waste” post! Instead, lead by example and slowly influence your parents into making small changes. That being said, accept that you might have to cut your losses and be a little non-zero waste for a bit… But that is totally okay! Your eco journey will be stronger than ever again! What is your current living situation? How do you deal with living with people who aren’t as eco-friendly??
Love,
Jenna ♥
I think you have an excellent plan and I hope you will be able to find your dream home before too long! The housing market where I live is insane as well, and renting an apartment makes it feel impossible to save enough for a house. (Especially when the house prices go up and up and up. Sigh!) You’re doing something really wonderful! I also appreciate your advice to go slow and and feel out the situation. You definitely don’t want to come on too strong. Thanks as always for your wonderful post! I always learn something new from you 🙂
Thank you so much!!! 😀
Jenna ♥
I think the do unto others motto works well here. Remind yourself what it would be like to live with someone who constantly wants to change your values in ways you don’t necessarily wish to go.
The easiest habits to change are the ones that are closest to the habits they already have or interests they already possess. I got into composting when I was gardening not so much for sustainability but because it was great for garden soil. Don’t garden as much but have kept composting because its a habit that I got into while I was gardening. Build on interests and they tend to stick.
I definitely agree with the “do unto others” motto – thanks for sharing! I agree that building on interests is a great way to get new habits to stick.
Jenna ♥