SUSTAINABILITY/LIFE LESSONS

Waste Not, Want Not — A Philosophy Worth Living By

On the simple habit of refusing to let perfectly good things go to waste

Photo by Ariane Frei on Unsplash

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” — New England proverb, popularized during WWII rationing

I have a pet peeve that I honestly cannot shake. When a barista at a coffee shop makes a drink and something goes wrong, they throw the whole thing away. Wrong milk, wrong syrup, it does not matter. Into the trash it goes, even when the customer is standing right there and would have happily taken it. It drives me crazy every single time.

Waste has never sat well with me. I cannot pinpoint exactly where it came from — it has just always been part of who I am. Some people are wired to accumulate. I have always been wired to pass things on.

Clothes I no longer wear go to Goodwill. My old eyeglasses are donated to Lions Club, where they get cleaned up and sent to people who need them. Those little hotel toiletries that pile up in a drawer? I collect them and bring them to women’s shelters and veterans’ organizations, where they are always put to good use.

My housekeepers have also benefited from miscellaneous items around the house that I know I will never use again. If it still works and someone can use it, it leaves with a purpose.

Halloween costumes are another one. My son and daughters would wear them once for the party or trick or treating, and that would be it. Rather than letting them sit in a box, they went straight to my younger niece and nephew who were always thrilled to get them. My daughters’ party outfits followed the same path. Why let something perfectly good collect dust when someone younger in the family would love it?

One of my most treasured memories came from our three years living in Japan. As my kids grew out of their clothes, I would donate them to a nearby orphanage. One afternoon we were walking past and I stopped in my tracks. Some of the children were outside wearing the very clothes we had dropped off. It is hard to put into words exactly how that felt — warm and grateful does not quite cover it. It was one of those moments that reminds you why these small habits matter.

I have been a minimalist my whole life, long before it became a trend. Shopping has never brought me much joy. I am more of a browser than a buyer. I have always derived more joy from giving than from receiving — and I think that shapes everything about the way I live.

I learned early on that happiness does not come from acquiring things. It comes from experiences, from people, and from knowing that what you no longer need is making someone else’s day a little better. I only buy what I need, and I never hold onto more than serves a purpose.

This minimalist philosophy extends to gifts, too. When people ask what we want for birthdays or holidays, the answer is almost always nothing, or something consumable. Flowers, chocolates, wine, a gift card. Things that bring a moment of joy and leave no clutter behind.

And when it comes to giving, I do the same. Those are my go-to gifts for others as well, because to me they are the most thoughtful kind. They are generous without adding to the pile, and when they are gone, the memory of them is enough.

It really does not take much. It is just a pause before you toss something, a quick thought about whether someone else could use it. Most of the time, they can. And that one small step makes all the difference.

Do you have your own ways of making sure things don’t go to waste? Clothes, food, everyday items — whatever your habit is, share it in the comments. I am always looking for new ideas.

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**B.R. Shenoy is a lifestyle writer and the owner/editor of ***The Family Desk* on Medium. She writes a newsletter on **Substack and is a coauthor of ***The Invisible Lines of Poverty*.

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