Handing over the keys to the new shared flat. No more accessories. No more advertising signs: All logos removed. Only drink water at home.

May 15, 2023. I had submitted the termination notice for my lease for my previous apartment and picked up the key for my new shared room in the afternoon. On the way to the bus, I was speechless. The garbage collectors had been on strike for five days, and their absence was clearly noticeable. The entire Hinüberstraße resembled a huge garbage dump - the street was visually disfigured. Paper shreds and plastic packaging were scattered everywhere by the wind. The city's strong dependence on garbage collection and the resulting chaos shocked me deeply in that moment. As I waited for the bus, I imagined what would happen if the garbage collection were to strike for a month or longer. "The streets would fill up more and more with garbage, the wind would spread it even further. The stairwells would overflow with garbage. Traffic would come to a standstill because the garbage piles would now reach the streets. Rats, mice, and other animals would be attracted by the garbage piles. There would be more conflicts between neighbors because no one wants this garbage in front of their door. Gradually, the situation would escalate to the point where it could take on civil war-like proportions..."

The arriving bus brought me back to the present. I got on and became aware again: That's exactly why I wanted to gradually transform my life towards zero-waste. I wanted to contribute as little as possible to this garbage chaos.

When I arrived at Jahnplatz and stood in front of the apartment door, Viola and Vanessa opened the door for me. Viola was the one moving out, and Vanessa, the one staying in the apartment.

"Hello Alexander," Vanessa greeted me.

"Hey Alex, I'm Viola."

"Hello Viola, nice to meet you."

"I'll give you the keys already, I'm in a call right now," Vanessa handed me the keys and disappeared into her room. I chatted with Viola for a bit.

"And when are you moving in?" she asked me.

"This Friday. And you're moving out?"

"Yes, exactly. I wasn't satisfied with my current job and am moving back in with my parents for the time being until I find something better."

"I think it's brave of you to have the courage to change your life. What would be your dream job?"

"Thanks! Good question. I'm not exactly sure myself yet. I need time to think about it more precisely. But definitely something related to sustainability. Maybe sustainable urban planning."

"Uh, sustainability sounds exciting. I'm trying to make my life as sustainable as possible myself. Are you perhaps even a vegetarian?"

"I live vegan. And you?"

"I'm a vegetarian and working on transitioning to vegan as well. I heard Vanessa also lives vegan. You're probably on the same wavelength?"

"Well, not really. Vanessa is more involved with Lina. They are friends with each other. I didn't like it that much when they were sometimes quite loud in the apartment," Viola explained, and I noticed that she didn't feel so comfortable here in the apartment.

"That wouldn't bother me, I think. Do you know anything about the other person who is moving in here?"

"No, I just know that she's a doctoral student."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll get to know her soon enough then."

"When do you plan to bring your things here?" she asked me.

"Next Thursday or Friday, and then I'll stay over the weekend."

"Then we'll see each other again on Saturday. I still need to pack all my stuff and transport it to my parents' place."

"Okay, great! See you on Saturday! Oh, and one more thing! Do you know if we can store the bike here in the basement?"

"In the basement, yes, but there's hardly any space. We all leave our bikes outside."

"Oh, okay, got it. Well then, see you on Saturday, bye!"

"Yeah, see you on Saturday!"

As I was already turning around to leave, Viola called me back.

"Oh, and Alex. If you're in the basement in the dark, don't be startled by the fishing suit hanging there."

"Thanks for the heads-up," I grinned, waved to Viola, and took the bus home.

When I got home, I took out my black bow tie that I had left behind during the last cleanup of my bow tie collection in my wardrobe. It remained as a reserve for special occasions when I wanted to look fancy.

I had become so committed to minimalism that I even considered the smallest details to make my life even more minimalist. One such detail was removing labels from my clothes and covering logos attached to sweaters and T-shirts at the back of the neck or on the back of pants.

I also covered the entire bank card with a permanent black marker (except for the area with the chip). This way, no logos (bank, Master, Visa and card details) are visible. The next time I pay with my card at the supermarket checkout, the people behind me won't be able to see which bank account I have to deduce what kind of person I am. Even if someone were to rob me, they wouldn't see the card details and might not even realize that it's a bank account.

After that, I dedicated myself to my website and decided to delete even more modules to save server resources. Modules that I couldn't even imagine removing before. Apparently, I had also become an advanced minimalist in web development.

While I was working on the website, my eyes fell on the coaster on the table, leading my thoughts to my tea. If I didn't drink tea at home, I probably wouldn't need a coaster. If I only drank water, directly into my thermos, then I could place it directly on the table without worrying about colored marks. This would not only save me from washing the cups, but also eliminate the need for a kettle for tea. No tea purchases, no storage space for tea, and no packaging or tea bags to dispose of. Simply by the habit of drinking only water at home, I would become independent of so many small things.

This idea fascinated me, and I decided to only drink water at home from today onwards. I put away my French press and coasters in the corner to give away later. I gave the loose fruit tea along with the black container to Hanna.

Microchanges:

1. I cut off all the labels from my clothing. To avoid looking like a walking billboard for other companies, I don't buy clothing with conspicuous logos or slogans. This way, other people can't immediately tell how much my clothes are worth.
2. I don't own any accessories like watches, rings, ties, bow ties, chains, bracelets, or other similar items. This way, I avoid unnecessary waste and have more money.
3. I only drink water at home. This way, I avoid tea bags, as well as coffee and tea grounds as organic waste, and the paper packaging of tea. So I don't need a coffee maker, an electric kettle, cups, or coasters for cups.

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