Caroline Hoops lives almost waste-free. The Oldenburg student writes about her experiences in a blog. Tips for everyday life are particularly important to her.
She does not eat any animal products, wears second-hand clothes and lives a largely plastic- and waste-free life: Caroline Hoops is a vegan and is involved in the "zero waste" movement. Some people are quick to categorise her as eco, exhausting, fun-free, over-committed and a missionary. But the blonde young woman is far from that. The 23-year-old simply wants to do "her thing" and not impose her ideas of a better, healthier life on anyone. "No, I do it for myself because I realise that it makes me feel better. But when conversations or situations arise, I'm happy to talk about the topic," she says. Like recently at the "Street Food Festival" in Bremen. The environmental sciences student, who is currently writing her Bachelor's thesis and will be starting a Master's degree in Sustainability Economics and Management in the winter semester, was out and about with friends. They ordered chips for a snack: while the friends were given the usual cardboard bowls that tend to fly around the streets covered in ketchup and mayo at such events, Caro - as friends call her - dug a stainless steel can, cutlery and cloth napkin out of her backpack and had the chips filled. "Great idea, Caro," said her companions and a conversation ensued.
Alternatives to Sellotape and all-purpose cleaner
"It's not about leading a perfect, environmentally conscious life," says Hoops. Rather, it's the little things that make a big difference - and everyone can get involved: When shopping, for example, it is often enough to reach a little further to the left or right in the chiller cabinet: milk in a returnable bottle instead of a Tetrapak, yoghurt or cream in a glass instead of a plastic cup. Or simply hand over a bread roll at the bakery - without a paper bag. Caroline Hoops is already many steps ahead: she writes about her experiences, adventures and insights from her everyday zero-waste life at loose intervals in her blog "einbisschengruener.com": for example, how she enjoys a festival plastic-free, which zero-waste hotspots she can recommend and what alternatives there are to Sellotape and all-purpose cleaner in plastic bottles. The blog idea had been in her head for some time: she is passionate about photography and design, so a project of her very own fits in well. One evening during a conversation with her boyfriend, they both realised that they wanted to start their own blog. "He eventually founded his music blog 'reissnadel.com' and started a career as a music journalist, and I launched 'einbisschengrüner' in 2015," she explains.
"That's when the spark finally ignited "
As a blogger, she wants to share her ideas with other people, make it easier for them to "switch" to a waste-free life and raise awareness of the issue. "But above all, I keep motivating myself through the blog," says Hoops with a smile.
The student has been living according to the zero-waste motto "original unpackaged" for almost three years. Even though the range on offer in Oldenburg is still limited, Hoops knows where and how she can best buy which food, washing and hygiene products loose: She stows potatoes, carrots and apples in home-sewn cloth bags, for example, and fills jars with broken chocolate and washing-up liquid. And she likes to make her own toothpaste, facial toner and washing powder. But that's not all: together with two students, Caroline Hoops recently launched the "Lass was machen" initiative at the university: "In workshops, we make sustainable everyday products such as washing powder or deodorant," explains Hoops. The first meeting has already taken place and was very popular: beeswax cloths were made by hand as an alternative to cling film. "The meetings are also a kind of swap meet for plastic-free items such as soaps, creams, stainless steel cans - things that you don't like or that you no longer need," adds Hoops.
"NachDenkstatt" at the university
The young woman has not always been a vegan and lived a plastic- and waste-free life: After graduating from high school in 2012, she worked on a ranch in the USA. "They mainly served beef, which I didn't like anyway. And I could do without spare ribs and bacon bagels," she explains. A local friend got the vegetarian ball rolling. The first step was taken: "And it felt good!" says the student. She only came across a life without plastic in a roundabout way: "I read a story about Lauren Singer from the zero-waste movement," says Hoops. Her curiosity was aroused, but without any consequences. Shortly afterwards, she was surfing the internet in search of alternative hair care products and came across a zero-waste blog. "That's when the spark was finally ignited, a good three years ago now," she recalls.
In the meantime, all of this has become part of her everyday life and she has been eating vegan for 18 months - for her, a further and consistent step towards a sustainable future. Anyone who wants to take a cautious approach to the topic can do so at the University of Oldenburg's "NachDenkstatt" from 17 to 19 November, where Caroline Hoops is organising a workshop on plastic avoidance, zero waste and recycling. "A great introduction," says the student.
