Working for Levi Strauss & Co. as an assistant fashion designer, I went to China a few times, and it changed my perspective on the fashion industry. I had no idea on the extent of its waste. Later, I became a stay-at-home mom, and while researching mom questions, I discovered cloth diapering. I learned about the impact of disposable diapers, which blew my mind. It felt wrong to know that I was contributing to the enormous amount of diapers in the landfill. When my baby was six months, I tried cloth diapers, and I committed to a zero-waste lifestyle because I did not want to leave a huge problem for my kids to clean up. Since then, I have done more research on the chemicals in household products, and I am now creating my own lotions, cleaning solutions, and oils. When I go grocery shopping, I buy from farmers markets and in bulk, reducing plastic as much as possible. It takes planning to be zero-waste, but there is so much information online that can help. In the end, it’s all about slowing down and re-thinking that a “go-go-go” lifestyle is good for us. Slowing down gives more results and is most fulfilling. Sara Romero, San Rafael
