Meet Thea from Eco Now
Meet Thea Merrit, founder of Eco Now at The LAB. We had the opportunity to get to know Thea a bit better as well as understand the importance of zero-waste, how easy it can be to take steps to be a more eco-friendly consumer, and what it means to be the first re-fill station in Orange County! To learn more about the zero-waste lifestyle or to take your first steps in becoming a more eco-conscious consumer read on and feel free to stop by Eco Now. They open every day at 11:00 am!
Q. When and why did you decide to go zero waste?
A. It was a natural transition for me -- when I moved to California nearly ten years ago, I solely relied on my bike for transportation, and things kind of evolved from there. I knew about our worldwide waste problem, and I found out recycling wasn't effective so naturally, before even knowing about other 'zero waste' people, I started to develop this lifestyle where I relied completely on reusables. It became a fun way of living because I wanted to see how far I could go.
Q. Tell us more about you! Can you walk us through a typical day in the life?
A. I wake up, have a stretch and head for the French Press where I will make coffee, I usually have fruit & oats for breakfast which I can find in bulk at Mothers Market. I will brush my hair using my bamboo hairbrush, put on some make-up using certain products that are packaged in compostable tubing. Clean my ears with a reusable ear swab and brush my teeth using a bamboo toothbrush & tooth tablets.
If I have time I will prepare a lunch for myself, pack it up, and get to work. Most days I head to the storefront. When I'm in the shop its a checklist of to do's: clean, refill the refills, inventory, repeat!
If I haven't packed my own lunch, I dine in at local restaurants. I have found sustainable restaurant options and I am really quick to inform the staff of the items that I won't be needing such as a straw, and a napkin. I tend to take a good look around a new restaurant before I dine in, and I ask myself questions like; do they offer reusable cups, do they offer reusable cutlery, did I remember my own to-go container? These basic questions help me be sustainable even on the go.
After lunch it's back to emails, creating social media content, placing orders and so on. So many things a small business owner has to take care of, but its becoming routine for me and I am enjoying myself more and more.
If I can find the time, I like to take a bike ride through the city and find some nature paths to roam on. Otherwise, I will go for a walk and bring a bag with me to pick up some trash that I come across.
For dinner, I like to prepare a meal. I usually do my grocery shopping at one of the local farmers’ markets that I attend each week. I have found that the easiest place to shop for sustainable food and package-free food is at farmers’ markets. No one ever bats an eye when I have my own bags and jars to refill.
After dinner, it is more computer work, research, and R&R. Finally, when I make it bed, I reach to my nightstand and find a tin of lotion and apply it, have a drink of water from my mason jar and call it a night.
Q. What inspired you to start your own eco-conscious and sustainable business?
A. In my previous workplace, many of my coworkers would commend me for living such a sustainable and interesting lifestyle, but I noticed that my peers, although impressed, didn't adopt many of the same habits as me and I wondered why. I had an ah-ha moment and realized that I needed to bring education and resources to my community in order to make it more convenient for other people to be sustainable consumers. I started with farmers' markets and I fell in love with the entire experience, I felt like I had found my scene, people supporting people, local businesses, small businesses, a lot of conscious consumers, and that inspired me to keep going.
Q. Have you faced any challenges as a woman entrepreneur?
A. I wouldn't say as a woman entrepreneur, just as an entrepreneur in general. It is a lot of hard work.
Q. What’s a question customers ask often?
A. What is zero waste? Zero waste is the idea that you create no waste through your experiences. I do not think it’s possible for a person to have an entirely zero-waste life, but one can have more and more zero waste experiences that accumulate to a very large impact.
Q. What did you find to be the most difficult thing about being zero waste?
A. Being given things that you do not want or need even though you have very clearly stated your intentions of living a zero-waste/low waste lifestyle.
Q. What changes do you hope to see for our environment in 2020?
A. I hope to see businesses and restaurants take more accountability for the waste they place on their customers and I hope they find alternative options to be more sustainable.
Q. How did you hear about The LAB?
A. My wonderful boyfriend used to live down the street from The LAB so we ventured to it for the first time several years ago, I remember thinking "I'm not cool enough to be here," now I have a store at The LAB!
Q. What do you never leave home without?
A. I always have a reusable water bottle, coffee cup, cutlery set inside a pouch with a reusable cloth napkin all inside of a reusable cloth bag that can be very handy and versatile. Most days I bring a container with me just in case I have leftovers to bring home.
Q. Is there anyone in the zero waste world that inspires you?
A. There's a lot of zero waste people and businesses that inspire me. I'm mostly inspired by Moku Roots, its the first zero-waste restaurant in Hawaii and also @Plasticfreemermaid is super inspiring. I love her platform, her message, and her soft voice.
Q. What tips do you have for people dipping their toes into the zero-waste world?
A. Be observant, when you meet with a trash can, look at what you are throwing away and ask yourself if there is an alternative, and be that alternative, be that change. My favorite quote is "we don't need some people doing zero waste perfectly, we need a lot of people doing it imperfectly."
