Prioritizing Values in Times of Change

For 8 years I have lived a zero waste lifestyle, meaning I have not sent anything to landfill and, over that time, I have made every effort to be a near perfect pillar of my values.

But two weeks ago, when the reality of COVID-19 set in, I made some choices that went against the way I have lived my life for almost a decade. 

I sacrificed my values and bought items in plastic. Lots of it, and plastic that I know isn’t recyclable in NYC recycling or maybe even anywhere. I bought things that could stay in my cabinet for years if need be, and it has made me feel so confused. 

Why would I go against something that I have actively prioritized and promoted?

In 2012, I was in NYC during Hurricane Sandy. I didn’t take it seriously and was left with no food, no power, no water for a week and a half. I had to walk down and up five flights of dark stairs to get to my apartment. I didn’t have a flashlight, didn’t have a cellphone, bathed with dirty water and washcloths, and was terrified. 

Nonetheless, compared to so many in NYC at that time, I was incredibly privileged and lucky. But on the other side of it, I told myself that I would take precaution to never be in that position in times of crisis again.

When I learned about COVID-19, like many, I underestimated the situation and believed it would not affect me directly. But as the days passed, I realized my arrogance and decided to get prepared. I decided to take precaution and stock up on items that I may need if contained to my home. Many of those items, when purchased in the quantities I selected, only came packaged in plastic. In putting my safety first, I went against my environmental values, and created waste.

This made me think about my values as a whole. My main value and goal in life is to create large-scale positive change. As I thought about that, I started to ask myself why. I believe the planet will be okay, if not better, without human activity and so when I fight for environmental sustainability, it is not for the planet alone that I am fighting, it is also for the people that inhabit it I want this earth to be restored to health, so that we can all live here healthfully as well. In understanding this, I realized that I don’t have to abide by just one main value system. I have many values and sometimes, as circumstances change, one of those values may take priority above another. 

My safety and well being and the safety and wellbeing of my community and of the people around me are just as important as some of the other values that I have championed over the past 8 years. My friends and family provide me with daily inspiration, encouragement, and love. The local Brooklyn community embraced me with open arms when I first launched Package Free, and has shown me and my team endless support growing our mission. The restaurant owners and store owners where I dine and shop have helped shape my experience in New York. Now, the people who have helped me become who I am personally and professionally and the small business owners who are the lifeblood of the city are struggling. It is my priority at this time, to prioritize them.

I encourage all of you, no matter what point on your zero waste journey you are in, to stay safe and support one another.  Now’s the time to lift our community up, even if that means pivoting away from one value to prioritize another; in this case pivoting from sustainability to create and sustain a strong, thriving, and inclusive community.  If that means buying plastic packaged food, using single use cups, or getting takeout from local restaurants, do what you need to feel safe and to help others feel safe as well.

I recognize that what I am writing comes from a huge point of privilege. I’m able to spend the money to buy a surplus of food. I have the space to put it in. I have health insurance, I have savings in the event that I needed to go to the hospital. This is not the case for many. Being put into a situation where I have to prioritize having a basic household food staple over practicing my environmental values reminds me of how privileged I am.  I know that there are so many people that don’t have the luxury to consider options outside of their immediate needs. This experience has been an incredible reminder that it’s a privilege to be able to worry about things when you have security. It’s also an important reminder to be grateful, because the security I experience is something that many don’t have. 

I know that taking precautions for our safety might not make the world less trashy, but it is absolutely necessary. In alignment with Package Free’s mission, once our doors re-open, we will be helping our community divert any packaging accrued during this time from landfill. We will also be making low cost essentials free of plastic so that someday in the near future, you will not have to sacrifice sustainability for price point. 

We’re all navigating this situation together, and while I am far from perfect, and have made VERY imperfect decisions over the past few weeks, I am trying to be the best for myself, my community, my company and team, and our collective humanity. 

Thank you for supporting and empathizing with me during this time. I am here for you if you need to talk and I look forward to seeing you all face to face on the other side of this.