{"id":92187,"date":"2018-11-20T14:34:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T13:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=92187"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:09","slug":"these-students-are-going-one-week-without-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/11\/20\/these-students-are-going-one-week-without-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"These students are going one week without waste"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting this story off with an astonishing fact about plastic waste and its effect on the planet would be futile. Unless you\u2019ve lived your whole life deep down in the Amazon jungle, you should be well aware that the plastics you use on a daily basis will continue to contaminate the Earth long after you kick the bucket.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

That alone should be reason enough to begin learning how to live without plastic, according to student organization Post Plastic Generation. That\u2019s why they are hosting the Zero Waste Challenge this week, a challenge to motivate students to go seven days without producing a single piece of waste.<\/p>\n

The challenge also includes workshops to teach participants, of which there are a few dozen (mostly female), how to shop sustainably, produce their own toiletries, and repair ripped clothing instead of buying new items. At the opening kick-off on Monday night at the Erasmus Sustainability Hub, EM spoke with three participants about their expectations for the Zero Waste Challenge.<\/p>\n

Luisa Osburg (1st year Psychology student)<\/h2>
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"Ask yourself whether you really need the stuff you\u2019re about to buy."<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cI think this week is going to be quite hard when it comes to buying things I need, like toilet paper. Money-wise, it\u2019s going to be a challenge as well. Of course, buying cheap stuff is best as a student, but cheap usually isn\u2019t good for the environment. Luckily, I just quit smoking, so I won\u2019t be producing any waste from that. The most important thing for me is staying motivated. If you\u2019re just trying to prove to someone that you can do it or you\u2019re doing it because it\u2019s trendy, I think it will be hard. For me, I\u2019m doing it because I love this planet and I want to preserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gunnar Heller (Masters in Global Business and Sustainability)<\/h2>
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"Going shopping this week will definitely be eye-opening."<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cI try to avoid producing plastic waste, but I must admit I buy foods like pasta that are packaged in plastic. Going shopping this week will definitely be eye-opening as I\u2019ll have to notice all the products that use plastic and I know most of them do. The biggest challenge will be not being able to go to the convenient supermarkets and shopping instead at more eco-friendly, bulk shops. In truth I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll go the whole week without producing a single piece of waste \u2014 I\u2019m a realist. And I think I\u2019ll forget at some point because it\u2019s not already engrained in my mind. It\u2019s a habit that needs to be formed and that will take more than a week. Baby steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sara Parnell (3rd year Psychology student)<\/h2>
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"I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll have to change my lifestyle too much but maybe that\u2019s a na\u00efve statement."<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAysha Gasanova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cShopping for non-market stuff like non-dairy milks or basically anything that\u2019s canned will be the biggest challenge for me. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll have to change my lifestyle too much but maybe that\u2019s a na\u00efve statement and I\u2019ll find out that I\u2019ll have to change some little things, which will be a good educational moment. Products like deodorant I already buy in glass containers, but now I want to go all in and start making it myself. Can I go the whole week without making waste? Probably not, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the point. I think it\u2019s about learning, becoming more aware, and becoming used to living waste-free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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