Zero waste living is a lifestyle change that aims to eliminate waste by reusing, recycling, composting organic matter, and refusing packaging and single-use items whenever possible. This involves adopting sustainable practices like refusing unnecessary items, reducing consumption, reusing products, recycling responsibly, and composting organic waste. A zero waste lifestyle is a mindful way to reduce environmental impact and live more sustainably.
To start a zero waste journey, consider these 35 steps:
- Assess your current waste habits: Be mindful of your purchases and ask yourself if they truly need it.
- Reduce to only what you need: Reuse what you already have before buying or consuming other products that serve the same need.
- Refuse what you don’t need when: Refuse items you don’t need.
- Take showers instead of baths and keep them short: Skip the dishwater, collect rain water, and invest in water-saving devices.
- Make conscious choices to reduce, reuse, and recycle: Send nothing to the landfill or incinerator. Minimizing the waste sent to landfills that harms the environment can help undo some damage. One method of reducing our carbon footprint is to go zero waste.
In summary, a zero waste lifestyle involves adopting sustainable practices such as reusing, recycling, composting organic matter, and refusing packaging and single-use items. By making conscious choices to reduce, reuse, and recycle, you can contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly environment.
📹 TOP 5 Tips to Start ZERO WASTE/ sustainable living
“You cannot do all the good that the world needs, but the world needs all the good that you can do.” © “Do your best & advocate …
How can we achieve a zero waste society?
The article provides 21 eco-friendly tips to help reduce waste at home. It emphasizes the importance of buying bulk goods, using cloth produce bags, avoiding plastic packaging, supporting local farmers, avoiding single-use plastics, discarding tea bags, and greening up your closet. The average American generates about 4. 9 pounds of waste daily, and reducing waste doesn’t have to be perfect. There are numerous ways to reduce waste, including taking sustainable actions and purchasing eco-friendly gifts.
The article shares 21 easy zero waste tips, urging readers to try a few and see what works for them. It emphasizes that perfect isn’t the enemy of good, as the world needs millions of environmentally conscious people doing zero-waste imperfectly, not just a few doing it perfectly.
How can you start a zero waste lifestyle?
Zero waste is a sustainable approach to reducing waste in daily routines, aiming to create a circular economy without landfills and incinerators. It involves minimizing consumption, embracing reuse and repurposing, practicing proper recycling, embracing composting, implementing zero waste in the kitchen, choosing sustainable products, supporting local businesses, and making conscious choices to limit waste and protect the environment.
To start a zero waste journey, evaluate your waste habits, minimize consumption, embrace reuse and repurposing, practice proper recycling, embrace composting, implement zero waste in the kitchen, choose sustainable products, and support local businesses.
What are the 5 steps of zero waste lifestyle?
Bea Johnson, the author of Zero Waste Home, shares her journey of transitioning from a hyper-consumerism lifestyle to a minimalist and sustainable one. The book, which was launched in 2013, tells the story of Johnson and her family’s transition, which has become a movement. Today, there are numerous Zero waste activists, including Lauren Singer and Kathryn Kellogg, who are working towards transforming the rest of the world’s waste management practices. The Zero Waste movement aims to reduce waste, promote sustainability, and reduce the negative impact of excessive consumption.
Why is zero waste not possible?
The adoption of a zero-waste lifestyle is challenging due to various factors, including lack of resources, time constraints, and financial constraints. Access to resources like bulk stores, composting facilities, and recycling centers is limited, and behavioral insights can guide policymakers to make these resources more accessible. Time constraints can also hinder the adoption of sustainable choices, but behavioral interventions like restructuring choice architecture can help.
Financial constraints can also hinder the adoption of zero-waste living, as eco-friendly products may be more expensive. Behavioural economics can help by creating economic policies that incentivize sustainable choices by taxing products that produce excessive carbon at a higher rate.
What are the 5 rules of zero waste?
The 5Rs of sustainable living are principles that guide individuals and communities towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future. These principles include refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. The first step to a zero-waste lifestyle is to refuse unnecessary items from entering your home. Saying “no” to unnecessary items or holding off on purchasing them can help prevent waste from entering your home.
By following these principles, we can work towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future, enhancing our quality of life and reducing our environmental footprint. As The Honest Consumer emphasizes, sustainable living is a vital concept in today’s world, requiring a commitment to reducing our environmental impact.
What are the 5 principles of zero waste?
The 5Rs of sustainable living are principles that guide individuals and communities towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future. These principles include refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. The first step to a zero-waste lifestyle is to refuse unnecessary items from entering your home. Saying “no” to unnecessary items or holding off on purchasing them can help prevent waste from entering your home.
By following these principles, we can work towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future, enhancing our quality of life and reducing our environmental footprint. As The Honest Consumer emphasizes, sustainable living is a vital concept in today’s world, requiring a commitment to reducing our environmental impact.
Is a zero waste lifestyle possible?
Zero waste, a concept that originated in the industrial era, is not meant for individuals, as it is a systemic problem rather than a personal failing. The term originated from the idea that products should have an end-of-life without waste, with the goal of making them useful again. This model is essential for companies to work within, as an individual cannot truly go zero waste without companies working within this model. The confusion surrounding zero waste as a co-opted term is due to the linear economy.
How do you become a zero waste?
The guide underscores the significance of utilizing reusable bags, circumventing plastic waste, procuring in bulk, bartering, seeking secondhand items, repairing reusable utensils, forgoing straws, recycling, and composting to diminish waste and advance a zero-waste lifestyle.
What are the 5 pillars of zero waste?
The “5 Rs” of zero waste, as proposed by Béa Johnson in her 2013 book “Zero waste home: the ultimate guide to simplifying your life by reducing your waste”, are: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rotate. Refusing modern comfort is the main principle, as it aims to recognize the superfluous and refuse it. This principle is also the foundation of minimalism, which involves surrounding oneself with minimal objects and furniture, allowing them to take on real meaning. For instance, refuse plastic bags and opt for bulk purchases.
How can zero waste be achieved?
Many communities worldwide are working towards zero waste, focusing on extended producer responsibility, product redesign, waste reduction, repair, reuse, and donation. Zero waste is defined as the conservation of resources through responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning or discharges that threaten the environment or human health.
Examples of zero waste goals include the City of Fort Collins Road to Zero Waste Plan, and Zero Waste International Alliance. The goal is to reduce waste, reduce toxicity, consume, and package, and recycle, compost, down cycle, and dispose of waste-based energy.
📹 10 Tips to Live Zero Waste on a Budget
It creates a great mindset to reduce expenses and waste. Here are 10 tips to live a Zero Waste lifestyle and save money from my …
I live in Iceland and at the start of the year it was made illegal to send food scraps to the landfill. We are still waiting for the bins and until then its not punishable. And the compost bins are free. They are also getting every building to have a paper, plastic and compost recycling curb bins. We should be getting them before the summer. It is also planned to have more community recycling bins for metals, glass and more. I’m not sure if other countries are also making laws against not properly recycling your waste.
Some of the things I’ve observed on how to share environmentalism with friends, family and neighbors is just be living it the best ways we’re able to. When we moved into our new house and signed up for the free recycling program, they told us we were the only house on our street signed up 😬 but after about a month of us setting our recycling out, suddenly several other neighbors started signing up too and now half the block recycles! 🎉 I’m convinced it’s just because they saw us doing it and then found out it was free and super easy 😅 But when people see you living environmentally friendly and you show them it’s not such a huge life change, they feel more comfortable dipping their toes in.
I’m trying to go from a traditional household and into a zero waste homestead. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done (and I’ve relearned how to walk 3 times in my life!). It has to be something that you feel you need to live your true self. If not, it feels like an impossible task. For me it feels like there’s not point in being alive if I’m not going to give it my all. So the challenges of this lifestyle are welcomed to me.
I think you kind of hinted at this when you were talking about identifying invasive plant species, but I just wanted to say that it would be awesome if you could share all about that in a future article, along with the process of- & your experience with transitioning to a no-mow lawn, what qualifies it to be certified as a wildlife habitat, how/where to get the certification, and what regulations/restrictions your city does/doesn’t have regarding the appearance of your yard. 😊 Would also love to hear all about how you’ve found ways to get involved in your neighborhood/city (for instance, I remember you saying you were elected as a representative, so it would be interesting to know how that process went and what you’ve been doing within that space thus far), and any advice you may have for finding ways to get involved / make changes in our communities (and how to become a part of those things). ❤
You just gave me the kick I needed to get a composting bin. I called and got an appointment tomorrow to get one for my house. I live in a small village in France and it’s only 15€. I’m very happy because my trash is mostly filled with compostable things as I cook a lot. Thank you so much. Nathalie from France ❤
I am getting away from the “buy this to be sustainable” and now go 2nd shopping. 2 of my water bottles cost me only a dollar and both are metal that I got from that 2nd store. I bought my mom some jello pudding cups (she’s disabled and 68 yrs old, I give her what makes her happy atm) and now I use those plastic cups as cups and veggie dip containers. I reuse my plastic containers at family potlucks and for my own lunches. Any step in the right direction is better than no steps taken at all.
I’m trying to make Earth Day resolutions a thing, similar to New Year’s resolutions, but focused on sustainable/environmentally-friendly living. I posted about it last year, and several of my friends really liked the idea, so this year I’m going to post a list of suggested resolutions. These are all some good tips along those lines.
My family is very eco friendly, we were all working towards being a much more sustainable living unit, but after I left for college, a lot of those habits have faded from living with a bunch of other college students. Your articles have really helped pull me back to those habits and this article was great for someone starting or for someone who’s been at it for years! Greta article!
Since the pandemic I’ve found it hard to phase out plastic packaging… we were getting really good then EVERYTHJNG was delivered in plastic etc as couldn’t go to the store. The only things I can get loose affordably are sweet potatoes and mangos. However soft plastics are now recycled in my moms area so we wash and save our soft plastics and put them in her recycling. We do all the other things- reuse tubs for lunches and leftovers, reusable bottles and cups, I use the slow cooker (crock pot) a lot as it uses less energy than our cooker
I was gifted yeti tumblers and cups and I had promotional items water bottles, but I wasn’t drinking enough water or any at all until I realized the cups and bottles I had just do not suit my sensory needs. I use the yeti cups for coffee or tea, but for water I needed a big one with a soft mouth piece, a cover, a wide opening for cleaning, semi opaque, has a straw and a handle and feels good to touch. A lot, I know. But I found the perfect one and I actually drink at least 64oz of water every day now!
I have started using a 50:50 ratio of oil and water to remove my makeup (I used only oil before) and it works so well. It is less oily on my skin and I use less oil. I just use warm water first to wash my face, which already removes some of my makeup and then shake the oil/water combo in a tiny glass to bring it together and use it with a reusable cotton pad. Works great! I just “mix” small amounts every week so it doesnt go bad. Mostly just 1 ts water and 1 ts sunflower oil (or whatever oil I have in my kitchen for cooking😅).
Hi Shelbi, I just wanted to say that your articles have really helped me to do those things that you mentioned and I’m really grateful that you provide such in depth info. As a teen that has been in the sustainability movement for almost 2 years now, I’d have to say that changing my mindset has been the most impactful. When it comes to talking about sustainability, I always tend to politely inform people of swaps when it relates to the subject we are talking about. Mentioning that it will also save them money usually makes them consider trying it. Anyways I found this vloggy kinda article quite relaxing, keep up the great work!!
I live in that store! And I also met you wife while I was at work! I had no idea that you were so close to me. I really hope that we cross paths one day so I can tell you how much you have impacted the past 4 plus years in my life. You are an amazing person and now I want to stay in lux to see if I can meet you 😅
YES yes yes! Food waste is the worst! Food waste rots and makes your trash bags heavy, damp, smelling nasty as hell, attracting insects, etc. Since I have a garden to use for every single piece of food waste, I use 1 trash bag of non-recyclable trash every 5-6 weeks. if we miss a pickup day, we don’t care because it doesn’t smell so it can wait 1 more week.
i used jojoba oil for a long time for makeup remover as well and I recently moved abroad and have not been able to find it locally. the one store that carried it was 40 euro! I couldn’t afford that. so I ended up getting a cheaper one at muji that I had been wanting to try but hadnt since it came in plastic. I felt a little guilty but its not like i have multiple make up removers sitting in my bathroom cabinet. I recently found a zero waste store but it’s not very close it takes like 45 min to get there with a combo of walking and metro. Life for me it odd now. I don’t have the systems that I spent years setting up in my home. Composting/ chickens/ rain water collection/ herb garden/ bidet and I’m sure a few other things that just cant come to mind right now. I’m sure once my living situation becomes more “certain” i will start to implement those things. On the other hand I no longer have a car and rely mostly on public transit and my own two feet. I keep reminding myself to have a balanced attitude and right now I’m just focused on only buying what I realistically need as I “start over”
Thanks Shelbi! I’ve been on a waste-reduction and sustainability journey for several years now, and it’s just nice to have some simple reminders. Really helps me see how far I’ve come, and how much my little bit of action has changed my life for the better. Congrats on making changes to your home; really looking forward to THAT reveal!!! 😄
Thank you for this Shelbi! I live in a household with young kids, and two adults in busy careers, so articles like this really help us to remember where to focus our sustainability efforts. As you say, “the truly sustainable option is what’s sustainable for you!” The next time you’re thinking of doing a refresher article like this, would you consider something like a “top 5 sustainable habits that make the biggest impact”? I always wonder whether the efforts we are making (cloth diapering our kids, composting, growing our own food) are where we should be focusing, to have the biggest reduction of our environmental footprint with the limited time & energy we have!
Can you please explain to me how the individual wrapping of who gives a crap is sustainable? I think it would be better if they are not wrapped individually! I see this a lot in sustainability influencers and they never really discuss it (apart from using it as gift wrapping, but that doesn’t seem as relevant to me). Just really curious what you think
I got my Stanley thermos because I watched a article of a guy running over various bottles with his tractor to see which was most durable!!! The Stanley came out with just a dent, and it performed the best when the guy tested which bottle kept water hottest and coldest the longest. I bought mine new, but I’m hopefully gonna have this thing for the rest of my life!
I’m trying to start living more sustainably and it can feel so overwhelming! I don’t know where to start! PLus we have a lot of sensory and extra needs in my house, so items like shampoo bars etc just are not a viable option. Thanks for sharing these tips Shelbi, i now know to start with what i already have and start changing my mindset.
Where I live (rural area), there is quite literally no recycling other than paper in the ENTIRE COUNTY. Even drop off. Nowhere. It is horribly depressing. So me and my husband are slowly moving towards reducing and reusing to the point where we have as little waste as possible for where we live while still living comfy.
My journey has been both long and filled with missteps. I used to work more towards living sustainable, but I did the thing where I bought so much because the “this will totally help and make it easier” mindset. I realized that was part of the problem and just worked towards putting the new products to use. Then I fell off that track because it was too much at once. Year or so down the road I picked one thing to stick with, reusable bags. For all of 2019 I used reusable bags probably 90% of the time. I was so proud and started working towards expanding that. Then of course the world changed in 2020 and I was creating so much waste trying to stay healthy, and could no longer use reusable because of safety issues. After three years I’m finally back on it, with one step at a time. Started using my reusable bags again. Such an easy start and change for the journey! Now though I’ve added in saving food scraps for my sister’s chickens and compost pile. Two very easy life changes. I know I’ll be able to introduce more changes soon, but I’ve come to live with the mindset “every little bit helps”. That alone helps keep me on track more than anything now. So, it’s not everything all at once, but it’s this step is helpful for now and I just keep going forward.
Regarding using what you already have and water bottles… the bottle I currently use is one I got free from some event when I was in undergrad, it’s one of those long skinny neck type water bottles and is marked all over with my undergrad uni’s branding, and I also left it in the hot car once and some glue holding the decorative bottom piece onto it melted so now it doesn’t sit straight… but it holds almost a liter, doesn’t get moldy, and it fits in my cupholder so it does everything I need it to. Good enough for me. If it breaks or something I’ve got a literal dragon hoard of other water bottles and cups and travel mugs I’ve gotten as gifts or swag from school/work events. Seriously have had to tell people to stop giving me random drinking vessels. And in general to stop giving me gifts just because they feel obligated to. And I’ve given out reusable water bottles and mugs to friends and stuff because they just. keep. piling. up. 🤣
My neiborhood is having an interesting debate, one new family spread dandelions in their yard to “save the bees” then every neighbor around that house has doubled their use of weed killers because their homes manicured yards are getting dandelions. The whole neighborhood is losing it at the new family because they moved in and immediately change the aesthetic of the area. Both sides feel they are right.
I have a question related to “use what you already have” type of mindset. I have been wanting to get rid of stuff that I’ve had for years and it brings me no joy and is essentially just clutter. I would rather not throw stuff out but no one wants to buy most of this stuff, let alone some of it is too worn to give to someone. I have looked into things that I can do with it, but a lot of it is either not near me or is too expensive (at least for a currently unemployed college student), like TerraCycle. Do you have any tips on what one could do to get rid of stuff that is free and easy to do that is not disposing it in the garbage bin? Also, another question related to the same question but now geared towards self-care products– Should you still use products even when they are “expired” like sunscreen, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc.
I would like people to know that when big corps claim eco stuff, it’s usually at the cost of a small co-manufacturer. For example, WM requires each of its suppliers to reduce waste by a certain % each year and then takes those #s and claims that THEY reduced CO2 or CH4. Like no…IIIIII did that! My team did that! And it’s often at the cost of the employee in the form of lower raises, loss of bonus, less benefits, etc. because improvement projects cost money. It’s really frustrating. And they get all of the credit. I’m a fan of improvement and reducing waste, but people in 3rd world countries aren’t rhe other ones affected by lack of social injustice.
I convinced a friend to switch to Who Gives A Crap and we were both incredibly disappointed to find that the quality I had been raving about was just not there. The toilet paper itself was way thinner, and even the paper each roll comes wrapped in was thinner and not as vibrant. He ordered directly from their website. Any idea what happened? Have you ordered any recently yourself?
Loved this article, a great reminder of everything on why I transitioned into being more sustainable. I bought a compost tumbler last year and have been waiting to start composting until it warms up. I live in Oregon and it’s been pretty cold. I was planning on saving all of the leaves from my tiny backyard to use as brown material but the landscapers came and took them all! Is there an alternative to leaves to use as brown material? Can I use shredded paper and cardboard? I’m so bummed I don’t have any leaves.
Also: the steel smelting industry one of the world’s largest GHG emitters! There’s increasing political momentum around finding ways to green the steel industry, but doing so will require significant technological advancements. Buying new stainless steel products is extremely climate unfriendly from a lifecycle perspective.
I disagree with the food packaging aspect. If enough consumers contact the company directly and demand packaging that has less plastic they’ll slowly change their behavior. I remember this r e d d i t topic/post where someone requested a pasta company have less plastic framing look in (to view the pasta) and the company later tweaked the packaging to aid what that consumer wanted. Now all their boxed-pasta has less plastic per unit.
Food waste technique my family uses is: if it’s something like leftover chicken that’s gonna go off if not eaten just chuck it on your back garden/ lawn and your neighbours cat, or local squirrels and seagulls will probably eat it within minutes if not seconds 😂 they ain’t fussy and it means the mouse or worm they were gonna try hard to eat stands a better chance at not being worth it cause they’re less hungry haha
You’re helping me ❤ I used to beat myself up over having to have a vehicle and burn so much gas but I live in a northern, rural town with no public transit that’s not walkable, so I need a car! You made me realize that that’s not my fault, it’s a result of my community and what I have access to. So I give myself grace now. And instead I do other things that I can.
My advice is not to try and do everything all at once because it is overwhelming, and can become so stressful you give up. When you get started focus on one area, research what may work for you, and in the meantime buy less. I know Who Gives a Crap is one of the most sustainable brands, but I don’t love that they use unnecessary packaging by wrapping each roll individually.
And when you do decide to buy make sure you look for just the right thing. I bought a cup new and i use it and one other one exclusively. And I knew my boots were falling apart so I looked for a week to find exactly the right pair for me. Now I have a $100 pair of boots that I bought for half the price second hand. They’re real leather too so they’ll last me years if I take good care of them. (don’t come for me vegans)
I not really into the whole zero waste movement and now I know why you helped clarify the issue I had with it and that is expecting to go sustainable immediately or if you are still using something because you haven’t found a alternative solution that is sustainable and hygiene products are a issue like soap and shampoo a few natural, environmentally friendly, and sustainable products (well at least they claimed to be I honestly didn’t do any real research except Google search and reading the reviews and their website. ) I end up badly allergic having redness, swelling and sometimes peeling skin (the lye seemed to be the cause to much for my skin).
It’s so frustrating with the water. Where I live, our municipal tap water is high quality… but our pipes in our old building where we rent a unit are not. There is no plan to replace them and filters will not make it completely safe. We have to buy water jugs or we’ll get sick. In a city where the water is good!
Does anyone have any suggestions on sustainable MacBook cases? I am referring to a shell that would be attached to the actual computer, not a protective sleeve. I’ve only been able to find eco friendly protective sleeves/bags from my internet searches, which I don’t need because I already have a sleeve
I’ve been working towards a low waste lifestyle for years and was doing pretty decent with the access limits I have, but I’ve recently been diagnosed with celiac disease and I have to get rid of just about everything in my kitchen, and many hygiene products. Do you(or anyone in the comments) have suggestions on how to go about replacing my items to safe products while not adding to the destruction of the planet when trying to also not destroy my health? For anyone who might not know the issue with celiac and needing to replace everything: celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where your body attacks your intestines when you consume gluten containing foods(wheat, barley, rye). Gluten is extremely tiny and sticks to everything. I have to get rid of anything made with gluten, processed on the same machines as, used to cook/eat with, all wood, plastic, silicone, porous surfaces, and anything with tiny crevasses are permanently contaminated with gluten and will continue to make me increasingly ill to use. Thank you in advance to anyone able to share thoughts and ideas to help me. I have started donating food and hair car items that I can not use, and I plan on donating/giving away my other items as I’m able to replace them with safe items.
On the water bottle topic I had to buy a new one because the one I owned and had for years had rust in it the I honestly couldn’t clean because of how small the opening was. I wanted to get one that I can use for a while so I had to think about what I liked and didn’t like from my old one. Can’t clean well, small metal mouth hit my mouth and teeth a lot, want a bigger size, etc. I got lucky the YETI was having a sale to get rid of old inventory and even had free customization. I got a great water bottle I clean and take care of, strong enough for hiking (which I don’t do), and put things on that make my bad days not too bad. Sustainable is not only able not having to replace but not wanting to replace
sometbing folks should be aware of is that in a lot of american cities, trash and recycling are not public. where i live, non-single family homes and apts larger than 3 units handle their own trash and recycling through (literally) dozens of different private companies. in my case, the company that handles our recycling has no clear instructions on their cans and their website doesnt either. to this day, i dont know my recycling rules.