While social practices have largely contributed to a rapid rise in climate change, 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.
What Is a Zero-Waste Lifestyle?
The zero-waste movement is an eco-friendly lifestyle that aims to reduce the amount of waste an individual creates on a daily basis. The primary purpose of this lifestyle is a commitment to sending as little waste to landfills as possible. While it’s impossible to create zero waste, there are many ways to reduce consumption that can benefit the planet. People in the movement prioritize recycling and reusing products and goods rather than purchasing single-use items that clog up landfills and contribute to climate change and global warming.
Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle can be challenging because you have to unlearn wasteful behaviors while learning to practice mindful consumption. Some find it helpful to connect with others in pursuit of the same goal within their community who can offer support and tips. By making small incremental changes, like starting a compost pile, recycling, repurposing household items instead of purchasing new single-use items, you can begin your zero-waste journey.
What Is the Purpose of a Zero-Waste Lifestyle?
The primary purpose of a zero-waste lifestyle is to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, which contributes to climate change and global warming. This lifestyle reduces our harmful impact on our ecosystem, encouraging sustainable living, biodiversity, and a healthy, productive balance of organisms. Going zero waste can extend the life of many reusable and recyclable materials, conserve finite resources, reduce the amount of garbage sent to landfills, and the number of carbon emissions released into our atmosphere.
9 Tips for Transitioning Into a Zero-Waste Lifestyle
Zero-waste living is a process that doesn’t happen overnight, but by taking a few small steps at a time, we can start to reduce our rapid cycle of consumption and disposal. Below are some tips on how to curb waste:
- Eliminate single-use items. Single-use plastics or paper goods like utensils, straws, paper towels, and plastic bottles contribute to the garbage and pollution plaguing our planet. Use your own reusable items, like metal cutlery or cloth napkins, to reduce the amount of paper and plastic waste you generate with every meal. Keep your own reusable water bottle (like a stainless steel thermos or sports bottle) on hand rather than buying new plastic bottles from the grocery store.
- Take note of your trash. While it may sound unappealing, examining your garbage can help you identify where most of your waste comes from. Understanding your waste habits will give you an idea of what practices you need to refine to reduce your waste production. For example, if most of your waste is food waste, you’ll need to take steps to alter your shopping habits so that you only buy what you can reasonably consume.
- Recycle. Recycling is the process by which used materials are converted into new products. There are many ways to recycle, from DIY repurposing old objects to sending used materials to facilities. Recycling cuts down on our need to harvest resources, helping to save energy, minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce deforestation over time. Learn more in our beginner’s guide to recycling.
- Thrift shop. Buying secondhand clothing at a thrift store is a great way to reuse pre-existing materials, rather than purchasing new, trendy, fast-fashion garments that are more likely to wind up in a landfill. You can find clothing, household items, and furniture at thrift shops, which you can repurpose or upcycle into other useful goods.
- Repurpose household items. There are many common household items that you can repurpose to reduce waste: Mason jars from spaghetti sauce or jam make great food storage containers and planters, for example. You can turn an old bed sheet into a reusable tote for grocery shopping. Use fabric bags to carry fresh produce, so you don’t have to use the store’s single-use plastic bags.
- Compost. Much of the food waste we produce, like eggshells or fruit peels, are compostable materials. Under the right conditions, composting can turn your food scraps into pure organic nutrition without all the harmful methane byproducts that are released into the air when organic materials begin breaking down in landfills. If you have a home garden, compost is also a great, natural way to mulch your soil, rather than using store-brand versions, which are often made using chemicals.
- Buy fresh foods. Processed foods often come wrapped in plastic packaging that is harmful to the environment. Buying more fresh foods, if possible, is a great way to use less plastic. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not typically enclosed in plastic, and you can skip the plastic baggies that the grocery stores and farmers’ markets provide by putting them in your reusable tote. If you eat meat, you can bring your own containers to the butcher or deli, reducing plastic and paper waste.
- Use rechargeable batteries. If you use electronics with disposable batteries, try switching to rechargeable versions. Rechargeable batteries help you save money on packages of batteries and reduce the amount of plastic packaging and empty batteries that end up poisoning the ground in landfills.
- Connect with a zero-waste community. Communities across the globe have successfully adapted their lifestyle to go zero waste. Look up forums, message boards, or visit local community centers that are all geared towards encouraging a zero-waste lifestyle. These groups can be supportive and helpful in providing necessary information towards your own successful zero-waste journey