Food Waste: How Millions Go Hungry in a Nation with too Much Food

Did you know that the US wastes 70 billion pounds of food every year? However, we're not the only offenders. Globally, the world fails to consume over 1/3 of its food supply. 

Despite this

• 42.2 million Americans are food insecure
• 13.1 million children are food insecure
• 42% of UC students are food insecure 

So why does the US throw away 70 billion pounds of food when millions are food insecure? That's a tricky question to answer. A lot of it has to do with access to, distribution of, means to purchase, and the policies regarding the handling of food. 

Sustainability and Why You Should "Do it Yourself"

When it comes to sustainable living people often think of expensive appliances and electric cars. What we don't always consider are the smaller things that we can do ourselves and how they can effect the quality of our lives. 

Image by Home Thods

Whether you're looking to save money, make higher quality products, or increase the sustainability of your lifestyle, you may want to consider making your products at home.

7 Ways You Could be Reusing Your Old Coffee Grounds

If you're anything like me, coffee is a must do before class. I'm an early riser and don't usually have a hard time getting out of bed. However, if I need to participate in a class discussion you had better hope there is caffeine in me. 

Its easy to prepare a full bodied cup of zero waste coffee with a french press, but how can we take our efforts a step further? What can we do about the remaining coffee grounds? 

As it turns out, there's a lot you can do with them!

Enough With the Trash Talk: Is Recycling Really the Answer?

With only a 34% recycling rate, the United States' recycling efforts are almost laughable when compared to countries like Germany, which recycle 65% of all their waste.  Since a country's ability to efficiently recycle is enabled or inhibited by its economic, social, and political opportunities. This means it is important to contextualize a country (or individual's) circumstances before casting judgment. 

That being said, it might also be useful to see what countries with the highest recycling rates are doing right.  What appears to be happening, is that countries, like Germany, are emphasizing other forms of sustainability above recycling. 

Image by Jordan Johnson

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to dissuade anyone from their recycling efforts. Recycling is a necessary part of sustainable living. It should not, however, be seen as the main focus or priority of sustainability. 

Zero Waste Coffee

For many, the morning cup of coffee is not up for compromise. The internet is flooded with coffee themed memes, forums, and paraphernalia (this is my favorite), suggesting that the beverage has a growing cult-like following. 

So it probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that the Harvard School of Public Health has reported that the average American consumes about 3.1 cups of coffee a day. Which amounts to a 40 billion dollar industry!

Image by Don Lavange

Its pretty obvious that the US isn't giving up its coffee habit. With such widespread use, its important to note the environmental costs of coffee. In turn, we should do what we can to minimize our impact. 

DIY Reusable Shopping Bags

If you're a Californian, like myself, you've probably heard a bit about plastic bag bans these past few months. In November, 52% of California voters said "yes" to a single-use bag ban. This made California the first state to adopt such legislation. 


Having spent three years of undergrad at UC Davis, I'm familiar with plastic bag bans. In 2013, the city of Davis adopted a strict plastic bag ban and began charging $.10 per paper bag. This law really shaped me into the shopper that I am today. While most people prefer to use carts, I am of the buy-what-you-can-carry variety. 

Enough With the Trash Talk: Here's What No One Told You About Recycling

Image by epSos.de

There is nothing I used to hate more than approaching a trash can and seeing a recycling bin next to it. I'd usually stop before the two bins and look at the trash in my hands. Is this recyclable? Two weeks ago it was a styrofoam cup I had been drinking coffee out of. I knew styrofoam wasn't biodegradable so I threw it in the recycling bin.

There are two problems with what I did. 

Homemade Face & Body Lotion

If you have ever been victimized by hard water, you know the importance of having a good lotion on hand. It is unbelievable, the things hard water can do to your skin. 

As a full-time student, I am almost always strapped for cash (save for when that direct deposit first hits--sweet Mary). Its hard for me to justify buying a $15 bottle of lotion from Bath and Body Works. No matter how amazing some of their scents might be... 

Floss is for Tossers!

"Most flosses are made from nylon or polyester which can take up to 80 years to decompose in landfill. Cotton and silk flosses are a common replacement, but they are often fragile and break easily."

Image by Pixabay

Did you know it can take up to 80 years for dental floss to breakdown in the landfill?

According to the American Dental Association "4 out of 10 Americans floss at least once a day." While this might sounds like a small number, consider that in 2014 the United State's population was estimated at just above 300 million people. That means about 120 million people (40%) floss every single day.

Imagine how the earth could ever keep up with the 120 million strands of floss added to landfill each day. That's 43.8 billion strands of floss a year!

Ditch the Mouthwash, Repurpose Your Coconut Oil

Image by Meal Makeover Moms

About a year ago, when I first started adding natural products to my daily routine, a friend told me that they had started oil pulling. When I first heard the term I was confused. My first thought was that it was related to oil drilling in some way. I wasn't even close.

Welcome: Getting Your Feet Wet!

Welcome to my blog! My name is Raquel. 

Zero Waste Student is a blog dedicated to outlining simple—yet impactful— changes that will get you on track to living a more sustainable life.