WHAT IS ZERO WASTE?
It is a manner of life or conducting business that prevents waste from accruing from consumption. Our current consumerism model works as follows: we take resources, we create items, we utilize them (often quite quickly), and then we "throw away" the finished products. A linear economy runs like this.
In a circular economy, however, everything we make and use has an endless number of uses. This system takes into account a product's effects on people and the environment over the course of its full life, from conception to disposal.
Zero waste is a challenging concept. Simply by being on this world, we will make waste. Botanist and inventor George Washington Carver had a straightforward yet insightful view on waste:
"Waste is man-made. Nature produces no waste; whatever is consumed is returned to the whole in a reusable form. Man fails to utilize appropriately the bounty of nature."
Even though we might not be able to change how companies sell to us over night, we do have the power to express our preferences through our spending and way of life. The more this shift in perspective is valued, the more probable society will start to work in a way that doesn't make us feel bad about simply being.
Refuse what you do not need. Reduce what you can't refuse. Reuse instead of tossing. Recycle anything that can't be reused, or refused. Rot what is compostable.
The first two principles promote waste reduction.
This step can be both my least favorite and favorite step at the same time! Rejecting things we don't need is incredibly sustaining. Life is easier to appreciate because there is less to take care of.
Refuse:
Fast fashion and any business that employs unethical methods. If we need something new or are prepared to spend money on a firm with excellent people and planet practices, we try our best to buy old first and second ethically created items. Now, there are so many online resources available for inspiration.
All plastics (apart from those we can't possibly avoid)
Disposable things, such as takeout boxes or containers, etc.
Junk mail You can get help with this from Eco-Cycle!
REDUCE:
Your needs can be made simpler by minimizing what you already have or can't refuse. Also, it aids in shifting your attention from the quantity of your possessions to their quality. Reducing more closely relates to determining your actual demands.
We have decreased
Outings for fun shopping. This lessens "I need" mentality, which encourages wasteful consumption.
Gimmicky goods that are short-lived.
Unnecessary cosmetics
Domestic cleaners
REUSE (and repair)
Reusing replaces the need to use disposables.
How we reuse:
Purchase reusable items. We carry our own coffee cups, produce bags, water bottles, and containers for stuff like cheese and meat. The best places to do this are Whole Foods, neighborhood bulk/organic stores, etc.
Utilize washable items rather than disposables. When we can, we buy in bulk. When we know we will have leftover food if we go out, we also pack reusable containers.
Find solutions to fix everything that has been broken or torn.
ROT
Composting eliminates the need for plastic trash bags and substantially lowers landfill waste. Just returning food and organic material to the ground where it belongs is what composting entails. Resources are replenished as a result of this. Composting may require some inventiveness on your part, but it can divert 20 to 30 percent of landfill waste, where methane gas production is a significant issue. There are composting solutions for everyone, whether you live in a city flat or in your own backyard (how to here).
RECYCLE
Recycling is undoubtedly at the bottom of this list for a reason—it is not the solution to waste. Yet it's a terrific place to start if you want to cut waste.
In southern Colorado we recommend: Clean Valley Recycling
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