Eco-minimalism. Sounds weird, new, and probably intimidating. It was for me, at least, when I first heard it-- and in all honesty I was very intimidated by it.  My journey started with just minimalism and in the beginning, I was reading all the articles I could and was devouring all the information I could. I wanted to know everything I could possibly know about minimalism and all the tips and tricks. In all the readings and videos, I kept seeing the word sustainable. Then I saw the words zero-waste. And then all the pieces fell into place and all of a sudden I was doing my part in saving the world. 

Minimalism is a lifestyle choice to live without excess. This means different things to different people and I promise, there is no right or wrong answer in minimalism. Every minimalist has different criteria and not every minimalist only wears black and white clothes and lives in a house that looks like it could be straight out of a trendy instagram apartment that has never been lived in. For me, minimalism is about only bringing in 1) things that you love, 2) things that you will use, and 3) things that can serve more than one purpose. There are a few other boxes to be checked but those come in with the sustainability aspect.

Now this is where every minimalist is a little bit different. No single way is the right way and it takes some trial and error to figure out what you can and can't go without. So for me, as much as I love all those cool outfits I see online or around my campus, I rarely ever stray outside of a t-shirt and jeans. So my closet is small and the clothes I keep inside of it are only the clothes that I wear on a regular basis. Some minimalists use capsule wardrobes which give you the freedom to change up your wardrobe every season, but I don't use that tool because it just wouldn't make sense for my lifestyle. Now, some minimalists would see the number of pillows and blankets in my room and call me crazy for labeling myself minimalist. However, I will argue until the day that I leave this planet that one can never have too many pillows or blankets. The beautiful part of minimalism is that both of those views are completely acceptable, as long as everything is being used.

Let me begin with the statement that it is my personal belief that eco-minimalism goes hand in hand with minimalism, primarily because it only adds two more filters to the minimalist criteria list. Those two extra filters can throw a wrench in everything though. For me, that criteria looks like 4) was it sustainable created and 5) does it generate landfill waste if it ever has to be thrown away. Albeit, they sound easy enough but they make all types of shopping way more time consuming, that is until you get good at it. Like anything it takes a little bit of practice, a little bit of patience, and a little bit of networking.

The example that I have found that makes eco-minimalism the easiest to understand is with something as simple as a water bottle. A minimalist will see a reusable water bottle as a way to save money by cost-per-use and by the lifespan of the bottle. An eco-minimalist will want a reusable water bottle as well, to save money but also to help save the planet. Eco-minimalists would look for a sustainably made water bottle, probably out of glass or stainless steel, that could be used for years if taken proper care of. Once it was no longer usable or just was ready to be retired, it could be responsibly recycled and created into a new object. Not creating any landfill waste and saving money all in one go. (There are some other factors that play a part in determining if things are sustainably made but for the sake of explaining the basics, we can focus on this.)

With all that said, I am proud to call myself an eco-minimalist. I am in no way perfect and I'm still figuring out some of the details. But each step I take is in the right direction, one that is saving me money and hopefully helping me do my part in saving the planet.