How to live more eco-friendly? We talk about food waste, reusability, and ways to achieve less waste in skincare and makeup with Kasia Kwaśny, an eco-friendly influencer known on social media as Zielona Sroka.
Hey Kasia, tell us about yourself.
Hi. I'm a geologist by training. This field has always interested me. I've been collecting minerals since childhood. In my final years of university, I decided to focus on diamonds. I completed further courses and managed to find my dream job. Unfortunately, as my family grew, I had to give it up. Being home, I thought it would be fun to talk online about my passions – diamonds and jewelry. That's when Sroka was born – because magpies love trinkets. However, I quickly realized I didn't really have anything to share. I happened to be reading Bea Johnson's book "Love Your Home" at the time. The idea for zero waste was born. At that time, the topic wasn't as popular on social media as it is today. Zielona Sroka is a magpie for all things eco-friendly. That's the best way to describe my profile.
What prompted you to become interested in less waste?
I've already mentioned Bea Johnson's book. The author can be considered a pioneer of this movement. But in reality, less waste has been with me for as long as I can remember. I really don't like wasting food and have always tried to buy secondhand. I grew up in punk rock culture, with which free veganism is strongly associated. The list could go on. During the pandemic, I was really bothered by the amount of plastic and waste we were producing at home. I felt overwhelmed by the amount of things our family had, like the cosmetics bottles in the bathroom. I started spending everything in boxes and looking for alternatives. You could say that minimalism is closely intertwined with zero waste, and zero waste with minimalism. However, I always emphasize that in my family, we don't live a zero-waste lifestyle, but a less-waste lifestyle.
Why, in your opinion, is it worth limiting single-use plastic?
Plastic has been around for a relatively short time, but because it's cheap to produce, it's present in virtually every aspect of social life. Unfortunately, we produce too much of it. It's one of the plastics most damaging to our planet. Some types of plastic will take hundreds of years to decompose, releasing harmful substances along the way. There's already talk of floating islands of plastic in the oceans. I'm not saying plastic is entirely bad. However, in places where we use it only briefly (such as plastic tear-offs or takeout food packaging), it can be replaced with natural materials or reusable products. Contrary to appearances, these changes aren't difficult.
How long have you been running your social media channels? What prompted you to start them?
In March, my Instagram account @zielonasrokaidzieci celebrated its first birthday. In addition to that, I've also been running a TikTok account for several months now. The idea for social media was born during the pandemic. While we were confined to our homes, many of us were looking for a way to escape the overwhelming reality. I was one of them.
What tips do you share with your audience?
On my Instagram account, I've been writing about reusability and reducing plastic from the very beginning. I've been showing changes in our home and presenting the plastic waste I've managed to say goodbye to. I wanted to completely ditch plastic. Instagram motivated me to make these changes. I love reading and am constantly educating myself on the topic of zero waste. That's why I often share interesting books that describe an ecological approach to life and consumption.
My TikTok profile—though still Green Magpie—focuses primarily on leftover-free cooking. I also try to show how to make household chemicals or simple skincare products at home. This chemistry game reminds me a bit of my college days, as geology classes involve a lot of chemistry.
What can we do to reduce our use of single-use plastics and how? Where do we start and how do we go about it?
First of all, I'd like to say that I deeply regret the fact that so much single-use plastic is still produced in Poland. For over a year, the EU Single Use Plastic Directive has been in effect in the European Union, banning the use of several types of single-use plastic. These include plastic straws, takeaway food packaging, disposable plastic coffee cups, and plastic cotton buds. Unfortunately, Poland failed to adapt its law in time to the new EU regulations, and this plastic is still present. I would start reducing plastic with these things. Just buy your own coffee mug, cutlery, or steel straw. Or simply refuse (Refuse is one of the zero-waste principles). I would also add limiting the use of plastic tear-off bags in stores. Unfortunately, the directive—for sanitary reasons—does not prohibit their use. And you can return from such daily purchases with a dozen or so single-use plastic bags. Tear-off bags can easily be replaced with a reusable mesh bag—they're already available in supermarkets. You can also sew them from an old curtain – that's what I did.
Is it difficult to live a less wasteful life? What are your favorite ways to live plastic-free?
No, it's not difficult. In fact, it's become a daily occurrence for me, and I don't even notice it. Various reusable items, like shopping bags or a set of homemade dishes, make things much easier. When I started, it was more complicated. I had to look for many products on Aliexpress, or – as in the case of bags or beeswax wraps – make them myself. I live in a small town where we don't have a store that sells bulk products. So, in traditional grocery stores, I look for products in glass or paper. Every once in a while, I make a larger purchase at one of the online eco-friendly drugstores. You also have to remember to say no. Whenever I order something online, I ask for less-waste packaging, and in stores, I refuse free samples. It's a bit more difficult with children and their choices. On the other hand, my older daughter is quite aware and often gives up on less necessary things.
What do you think are effective ways to avoid wasting food?
The topic of not wasting food is probably closest to my heart. It's where I feel most comfortable. I cook a lot without leftovers – #lesswastekitchen is about being open to new flavors. Have you ever eaten a broccoli stalk or chips made from potato peels? If not, you absolutely must try it. The basic steps to reducing waste are shopping with a list, meal planning, and proper storage. A little culinary creativity also comes in handy. Thanks to the simple rules I've implemented, we practically throw away no food in my house. After large purchases, proper organization of products in and out of the fridge is crucial. For example, potatoes shouldn't be kept with apples. Another cool trick is turning tomatoes upside down. This slows down their ripening. And I keep them on the windowsill. The windowsill is the best place for tomatoes. I also wanted to mention Jadłodzielnia Mosina. It's a place very close to my heart. Besides food sharing, they have many great initiatives. I often say that Zielona Sroka is also a child of Jadłodzielnia.
What does your skincare routine look like? Do you only choose cosmetics that aren't packaged in plastic?
I always thought I had very problematic skin. As a teenager, I didn't have any problems with acne, but after university, rosacea appeared. It was a difficult time; I tried various methods to combat acne and my sensitive skin. There were antibiotics, very irritating sulfur masks, and freezing with liquid nitrogen. But none of it helped. I had to give up many foods, makeup, and sunbathing. I improved when I started exploring natural products. Calendula soap helped me deal with the problem. For several years, rosacea has been just an unpleasant memory for me. However, I'm careful when choosing cosmetics. That's why I only use mineral makeup. I also have a trusty cream, serum, and micellar water. I'm loyal to these cosmetics. I choose products in bars or glass – only the dispensers are plastic. It took a long time, but I managed to almost completely eliminate plastic from my bathroom.
What about makeup? Do you use it every day? Is the packaging or the ingredients more important to you?
I've already mentioned makeup. I only choose mineral products because they don't clog pores. I still have a nagging fear that my rosacea might return. Since both ingredients and packaging are very important to me, it was hard to reconcile this. Generally, zero-waste makeup is a very difficult topic. Some say it's best to go without makeup at all. But what if we like it? Less-waste products are becoming increasingly popular, and many can be found in regular drugstores. But you have to be careful of scams. For example, lipstick packaged in paper on the outside may have plastic components inside. Recently, I've also seen a trend for eyeshadow palettes in boxes. The problem is that the boxes are laminated with foil. I pay close attention to the ingredients in cosmetics, especially makeup. As a geologist, I know a lot about minerals. That's why I wanted to raise awareness that often what sparkles is actually glitter—another microplastic polluting our planet.
Thanks for the interview!
