Zero Waste is a trendy eco-trend that calls for conscious and responsible consumption. According to the principles of the Zero Waste philosophy, absolutely everyone can change the world by making it cleaner and safer, creating as little garbage as possible. It sounds complicated, but in practice it is quite realistic.
We suggest that you try to implement the basic rules of Zero Waste and you’ll see how cool it is to be part of a huge eco-team and free from the world of stuff.
Trend or necessity?
The term Zero Waste didn’t come from American eco-bloggers, it came from economics. The principles of cyclicality are basic in manufacturing and boil down to a closed process: designing a product, production, consumption, disposal or recycling, recovery or reuse. It is simple and logical, any thing, having passed the way of creation and use, sooner or later ends up in the garbage. As a result, an endless stream of waste and unnecessary things fills personal space and the planet.
Important: Landfills contaminate groundwater and water supplies, and poison the air with toxic gases.
Think about the amount of plastic packaging and bags you throw away in a week, month or year? The amount of trash is terrifying, don’t you agree? What can a person do? Change his attitude toward the world of things, learn how to consume consciously and reduce his garbage footprint. It’s hard to change anything in the system on your own, but you can support Zero Waste supporters around the world and help promote a culture of consumption.
Some people believe that promoting Zero Waste principles can destroy the economy, but that’s a big mistake! Bea Johnson, one of the most famous coaches and pioneer of the Zero Waste movement states, “We’re just going to spend money not on disposable things, but on experiences and fun!”
Can Zero Waste be called a way of life? Yes, derive a unique eco-formula for yourself and you won’t be able to go back to your old life again
The 5 principles of Zero Waste
If you’re ready to change your lifestyle, or at least give it a try, we’ve prepared the 5 basic principles of Zero Waste and placed them in order of priority.
- refuse – discard the unnecessary;
- reduce – reduce what you need;
- reuse – reuse what you buy;
- recycle – recycle what you can’t reuse;
- rot – compost/reuse what you can’t reuse; recycle – recycle what you can’t reuse.
So what’s behind the simple set of rules formulated by Bea Johnson?
- Always make it a priority to buy eco-packaged goods, try to avoid single-use plastic and paper packaging, in favor of reusable. Choose glassware, stainless steel, ceramic, etc. Weigh and store fruits, vegetables and cereals in cloth sacks, and meat in pouches/containers.
- Avoid products that contain synthetic additives. Give preference to DIY recipes that are created at home. The list of recipes is huge, both for skin and hair care and cleaning products.
- Replace some things in the house with eco-friendly alternatives: swap out tissues for cloth towels, plastic comb for wooden comb, etc.
- Learn how to dispose of household trash.
- Analyze and make a basic closet that can be combined. Try not to clutter your closet and revise once a year, don’t need – give it away, need – buy it. As an option, use second hand.