Beginners guide to Zero waste living.
Any journey towards greatness must start somewhere; likewise, the journey towards zero waste living must start small but with a vision towards eliminating the trash that fills up landfills and pollutes the earth.
A zero-waste lifestyle may be different from one person to another. Still, they all follow a few simple rules, and everyone can participate on some level contributing towards the larger goal.
- By refusing or minimising your use of single-use products that end up in landfill, the overall demand for those products will eventually decline to force manufacturers to come up with better alternatives
- by accepting more of the reusable products that help prevent creating dumps, the need for those products will increase and force manufacturers to produce more affordable solutions
- by streamlining your life towards reducing waste, you will find that you are left with more time to do things that matter in your life!
The goal is to strive towards the best that one can do with whatever resources we have.
Principles of Zero Waste
Zero Waste Home writer and activist Bea Johnson shares five principles for Zero Waste living.
- Refuse what you don't need—preventing unwanted items from coming into your homes, such as junk mail to plastic cups and straws.
- Reduce what you do use—creating overall less waste.
- Reuse whatever you can. Extend the lifespan of specific products you use by handing down or simply repairing or swapping disposable products for reusable ones.
- Recycle what you can't refuse or reduce. Preventing resources from entering the waste stream by recycling is one option and creating a circular economy with reusables is another.
- Rot what's leftover. Composting food scraps, paper pieces etc., nourishes the earth and returns the elements without accumulating in landfills.
Start by making simple habit changes such as;
Bring less into our homes.
- If we bring less through the door, our homes will be easier to manage, and we'll have less waste overall.
Shop using reusables
- Choose stores that accept your reusable containers and create pressure for others to follow.
- Choose restaurants that supply you with reusable dishes or packaging.
- When on the go, make sure your reusable cup and container are with you.
Refuse unwanted samples or promotional items
- Most will accept and understand if you say 'no' to these, so its a matter of taking that stand to help save the planet.
Check out our blogs for further inspiration and ideas for Zero waste living!