It's more than possible for students to overcome the challenges of living a sustainable lifestyle while on a budget
A common misconception of waste-free living is that it means producing zero garbage whatsoever. It is impossible to live completely waste-free. If you search far enough down the supply chain, all products (even sustainable ones) produce some form of waste. Waste-free living is less about being the perfect environmentalist and more about reducing consumption, saying no to plastic, and forming sustainable habits.
However, making small changes to your daily routine can be expensive, especially for students whose financial priorities lie elsewhere. With rising costs in tuition, housing, food, and gas, being environmentally friendly may not take precedence. In addition, students must balance course loads, jobs, friends, family, and more - all before taking the time to make waste-free lifestyle transitions.
Making the switch can be daunting when you have a busy schedule, live on a budget, or don't have a lot of money in savings. But don't give up hope. For those who are looking to become more environmentally conscious, there are many ways to navigate the financial challenges.
Step one is to abolish any perception you have of minimalist living. Social media inaccurately depicts the waste-free lifestyle by turning it into an aesthetic rather than a philosophy of life. Reducing your consumption won't be glamourous. Our society is structured for convenience, meaning that plastic is everywhere. Finding alternatives for single-use items might be messy and that's okay.
Step two is to come to terms with the fact that this transition cannot be done overnight. Replacing everything you own with something sustainable in one go will deplete your wallet. Those who claim being eco-friendly is too expensive, are likely trying to do too much too fast. The trick is to make the lifestyle switch slowly by using what you already have first. I've been making this transition for three years and still have much work to do.
Contrary to popular belief, waste-free living actually saves you money. Yes, alternatives are more expensive short term, but unlike single-use products, sustainable goods aren't purposely designed for the dump to keep consumers consuming. Instead, they are crafted to last a long time. For example, a menstrual cup, which has a lifespan of up to ten years, can save someone roughly $600 dollars on tampons in that same period of time.
Step three is to set realistic goals. My top tip for this step is to think about accomplishing zero-waste living based on the different rooms in your house. Tackle your bathroom first, then your kitchen, then your bedroom, and so on. Think about the various items in these rooms that can be replaced with ones that have longer lifespans.
My waste-free journey started in my bathroom. I switched to bars of shampoo and conditioner. While they do cost slightly more, they last about three times longer than the bottled kind. I also switched from single-use razors to a reusable one. Again, in the short term, it was more expensive, but I've been using the same one for two years and it will probably last me two more.
As for my kitchen, I started freezing my food scraps to make broth I could later cook with. I do this because, although composting is excellent for the environment, food waste produces a harmful greenhouse gas called methane. The average Canadian household loses $1,100 dollars in food waste each year, so just by making homemade broth, I am saving both the planet and money.
In the long-run living waste-free is not as expensive as it seems. All you have to do is remember that there is no perfect environmentalist, to make the transition slowly, and to set attainable goals. If, as a student, this lifestyle is not accessible because of finances the easiest change that still makes a difference is to say no and refuse unnecessary single-use plastics.
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1101 Cafébar (1101 Cannon St. E.) is snugly nestled between the neon lights of Shorty’s Pizza and the blue brick exterior of Osten Beerhall. The café feels warm and inviting. On a sunny day, the sun will shine in through the two wide front windows onto the bright white walls as chill music plays softly in the background. The café and hall are owned and run by Dan Hawkins, Marc Dufort and Robert Squire. Squire says that the café is a great place for students, serving as a perfect study spot and a hip hangout location in the evening. Squire says that they encourage visitors to sit and work for as long as they like.
“I mean, there's plenty of people that are here first thing in the morning and are working here for a considerable amount of hours . . . [d]uring the week, it's a good place I would say to sit and study or work,” said Squire.
As I sat in the café, I saw a revolving door of people coming from all walks of life. There was someone typing away at their laptop, two people chatting over tea lattés and scones and a few other folks who stopped by to pick up a coffee on their way to work. Squire says that a diverse mix of people frequent the business.
As I sat in the café, I saw a revolving door of people coming from all walks of life. There was someone typing away at their laptop, two people chatting over tea lattés and scones and a few other folks who stopped by to pick up a coffee on their way to work. Squire says that a diverse mix of people frequent the business.
“I have as many [people] coming from the Dofasco steel factory as I do young urban professionals that have moved from Toronto, that are in design or creative spheres. And that's one thing that I think that makes this place really vibrant is having some semblance of cross-cultural dialogue, not only in who frequents the place, but in the actual DNA of the business,” said Squire.
1101 and Osten Beerhall are two connected businesses, each space having its own unique atmosphere. The two ends of the business work in tandem to ensure that each has the resources that they need to best meet the needs of their customers.
“1101 services coffee and cocktails to Osten, Osten services our lunch program, beer list, wine list, so that technically it's all one business but outwardly facing it's two different spaces and two different vibes in the spaces,” said Squire.
This combination provides a unique opportunity to minimize the food waste for the beer hall. The lunch menu served at 1101 from 11 a.m. onwards comes from Osten’s kitchens, and has several of the same items as the dinner menu served in the beerhall. Things like brisket, sockeye gravlax and hamburgers are all served at both 1101 and Osten. By offering the same items, the two businesses can help minimize their food waste. Less options between the two establishments means they are less likely to be ordering a surplus of supplies for a dish that isn’t as popular, and less likely to end up with food being thrown away.
As the name suggests, Osten Beer Hall serves mostly beer—both local and imported—in addition to wine, cider and mead. They also have a full dinner menu. Osten Beerhall and 1101 may be connected, but each space has a separate, unique vibe. Both are located immediately next to Shorty’s Pizza, so whether you’re in the mood for espresso, hamburgers or pizza, there’s guaranteed to be something for you.
Osten Beerhall and 1101 are close to Ottawa Street, but they’re not quite there. Rather than another stop on a shopping trip, 1101 becomes a destination in itself. Between the food, drinks and atmosphere, it is well worth the extra five minutes that it takes to walk up Cannon from Ottawa.
“[I]t is kind of like a little bit of a destination and a little bit of a trek to get here. But I think the space that we've created here is really welcoming and inviting to all people. And we're excited to share that with people if they want to make the trek to come,” said Squire.
“[I]t is kind of like a little bit of a destination and a little bit of a trek to get here. But I think the space that we've created here is really welcoming and inviting to all people. And we're excited to share that with people if they want to make the trek to come,” said Squire.
Whether you’re looking for a first-date spot, a place to study for a few hours or somewhere to take your friends to dinner, 1101 Cafébar and Osten Beerhall have got you covered. This unique cocktail of coffee and spirits is guaranteed to be your new favourite hangout spot.
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