Zero Waste Living
Waste doesn't simply disappear when we take out our garbage bins, it is taken to landfill where most of it will stay forever. This is a terrible waste of resources and very damaging to our environment. A Zero Waste lifestyle will avoid most of this waste through responsible consumption of resources. This is very simple and involves following the following 5 steps:
1. REFUSE (Wh
at we don't need)
- Changing our consumer behaviour is the first step to living Zero Waste. Each time you accept a consumer item you must ask yourself if you need it and what will happen with it once you are done? Think of single use products such as plastic bags or bottles. Just say NO!
2. REDUCE (What we do need and can't refuse)
- Reducing is simplifying your lifestyle and focusing on quality over quantity. You must evaluate your past purchases and honestly answer if you needed them at all. You should only own things you truly need and have this in mind for future purchases.
3. REUSE (What we consume and can't refuse or reduce)
- This is simply using products in their original form as many times as possible to maximise their useful lifecycle. This could be through buying second hand, having reusable products, sharing or repairing items.
4. RECYCLE (What we can't refuse, reduce or reuse)
- If you follow the previous 3 steps then there will be little left to recycle. If you do need to buy products in recyclable containers then avoid those that are down-cycled where the material degrades each time it is processed (e.g. plastics). Recycling saves resources but still takes energy. You should also research to make sure you really know what can and can't be recycled.
5. ROT (Compost the rest)
- Composting is simply the recycling of organic material. You can use a compost bin or a worm farm and this alone will reduce your landfill waste by more than 30%. The benefits of a Zero Waste lifestyle
If you follow the 5 R's you will reduce pollution, encourage conservation and save natural resources which are all important sustainability issues. In addition to these essential environmental advantages there are other benefits that you wouldn't think possible. SAVE MONEY
You might think this lifestyle would be an expensive one, but quite the opposite is true. You will reduce consumption, storage, maintenance, waste costs, and buy quality products that are better value for money, sell unused assets for profit and cut down on medical expenses through improved health and well being. HEALTH
The health benefits are primarily from reducing our exposure to synthetics. These are found in plastic products and packaging which leech into our food and emit gas which we breath. Think of that new car smell which is nothing more than off-gassing synthetic chemicals. The Zero Waste lifestyle also encourages shopping in health food stores, using natural home-made remedies, cooking with unprocessed bulk foods and advocates an active lifestyle, all of which contribute to a healthy and chemical free life. TIME
We live in a world where we are always short of time. We spend far too much time shopping, storing, maintaining, organising and cleaning belongings we don't need. Unburden yourself from this wasteful lifestyle and spend your time on experiences with your loved ones instead.
