To combat the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution, Joy and Lisa founded the EcoYou community . In addition to blog posts about minimalism, environmental protection, and zero waste, clean-up events are organized in the associated Facebook group. EcoYou also includes a shop offering sustainable alternatives such as washable makeup remover pads and produce bags.
We launched EcoYou in Bali in May 2017. At the time, we were traveling in Asia and became aware of the enormous plastic problem. On the beautiful beaches and in nature, we encountered one thing above all: tons of plastic waste. We wanted to do something about it and started with beach cleanups.
The project is the brainchild of Joy and Lisa, both 29 years old. We both love traveling and nature.
Our vision is to have more fish than plastic in the world's oceans by 2050. We work towards this goal daily through our blog and social media. We want to inspire people to reduce their plastic waste and provide sustainable inspiration.
With our EcoYou project, we don't want to lecture, but rather inspire and support people in rethinking and reducing their waste and plastic consumption.
It starts right at the point of shopping. A plastic bag can easily be replaced with a reusable cloth bag.
For on the go: Coffee to go - reusable cups or drinking bottles instead of single-use plastic.
In the bathroom: soap instead of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles, as well as washable makeup remover pads.
We've also been using a safety razor for a few months now – we're really impressed with it. Disposable razors are a thing of the past.
We see a major challenge in our consumer society. We often buy unconsciously and don't think about the consequences of our consumption.
Our motto: Less is more – we remind ourselves of this every day and try to live by it.
In our opinion, another challenge is perfectionism. A life without waste is a major hurdle and discourages many people from even starting to produce less waste.
We want to take it easy and do our best every day. Because together, we can all achieve a lot with small steps. We shouldn't stress ourselves out and just do our best every day.
We started our clean-up events at Asian stalls. First alone, then in groups. In Bali, we started a 30-day clean-up challenge – every morning we went to the beach and collected several bags full of plastic waste.
We've now founded an international Facebook group: Clean Up the Planet . Here we share clean-up events and encourage each other. The events usually happen spontaneously; there aren't any regular dates yet.
First, take us on a brief journey through the origins of EcoYou. Who is behind EcoYou and what is your vision?
We launched EcoYou in Bali in May 2017. At the time, we were traveling in Asia and became aware of the enormous plastic problem. On the beautiful beaches and in nature, we encountered one thing above all: tons of plastic waste. We wanted to do something about it and started with beach cleanups.
The project is the brainchild of Joy and Lisa, both 29 years old. We both love traveling and nature.
Our vision is to have more fish than plastic in the world's oceans by 2050. We work towards this goal daily through our blog and social media. We want to inspire people to reduce their plastic waste and provide sustainable inspiration.
With our EcoYou project, we don't want to lecture, but rather inspire and support people in rethinking and reducing their waste and plastic consumption.
In your experience, what are the biggest misconceptions about zero waste?
The term "zero waste" sounds great and exciting, but we find the concept very difficult to implement for the average person. We think "less waste"—reducing waste rather than aiming for 100% waste prevention—is more realistic.What are some simple first steps towards less waste that can be implemented quickly?
It starts right at the point of shopping. A plastic bag can easily be replaced with a reusable cloth bag.
For on the go: Coffee to go - reusable cups or drinking bottles instead of single-use plastic.
In the bathroom: soap instead of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles, as well as washable makeup remover pads.
What are your favorite reusable products?
We always keep reusable produce bags and cloth bread bags in our backpacks. They're incredibly practical and help us avoid using plastic and paper bags every day.We've also been using a safety razor for a few months now – we're really impressed with it. Disposable razors are a thing of the past.
Is there anything you feel is missing from the zero waste lifestyle, and where do you see the biggest challenges in relation to it?
We see a major challenge in our consumer society. We often buy unconsciously and don't think about the consequences of our consumption.
Our motto: Less is more – we remind ourselves of this every day and try to live by it.
In our opinion, another challenge is perfectionism. A life without waste is a major hurdle and discourages many people from even starting to produce less waste.
We want to take it easy and do our best every day. Because together, we can all achieve a lot with small steps. We shouldn't stress ourselves out and just do our best every day.
Tell us a little more about the EcoYou Clean Ups: how often and where do they take place, and where can we find information about upcoming clean ups?
We started our clean-up events at Asian stalls. First alone, then in groups. In Bali, we started a 30-day clean-up challenge – every morning we went to the beach and collected several bags full of plastic waste.
We've now founded an international Facebook group: Clean Up the Planet . Here we share clean-up events and encourage each other. The events usually happen spontaneously; there aren't any regular dates yet.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.