You want to have a positive impact on the earth. Awesome! One way to do that is to live a zero-waste lifestyle. But how do you even begin the journey to creating less waste? Don’t worry, I got you! Read on for 5 simple ways to go zero waste and to live a more simplified and eco-friendly lifestyle. These 5 steps are the core of living a life that will have a positive impact on the planet.
What Is Zero Waste?
Zero waste is a lifestyle that aims to send nothing to the landfill. It is a dedication to reducing what you need, reusing as much as you can, and recycling and composting the rest. Zero waste is about making choices as a consumer to cut down on plastic and single-use conveniences that are bad for the planet.
Zero waste is about simplifying your life by reducing the waste you create. It’s the ultimate goal of living an eco-friendly lifestyle. It’s not about being perfect or making huge sacrifices. It’s little steps you can do to cut down on waste. In your kitchen, your bathroom, and your home.
A zero-waste life is about a circular economy versus a linear economy. The current system of a linear economy, raw materials are mined and processed into products that are thrown away after use. In a circular economy, the cycle of raw materials needed is closed. Instead, the cycle of reducing, reusing, recycling and composting creates a production that is much more sustainable.
A zero-waste life is focused on creating a system where all resources can be resumed fully back into the system instead of ending up waste in the landfill.
The 5 Rs of A Zero Waste Home
Following the 5 Rs of zero waste: Refuse, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot will make cutting waste from your home more simple and easy to do.
The five Rs are easy steps you can take for using less plastic and producing less waste. Simply refuse what you don’t need, reduce what you do need, reuse what you consume, recycle what you can not refuse, reduce or reuse, and rot (compost) the rest.
This isn’t about being perfect but doing your best to go zero waste and to produce less waste in your home. Applying the 5 Rs in order will result is less waste. Refuse and Reduce addresses how to prevent waste. Reuse addresses mindful and conscious consumption. Recycle and Rot addresses how to process discards. The 5 Rs are simple ways you can go zero waste.
1. Refuse
Refuse What You Don’t Need
This is step number one to keeping waste out of landfills. It’s refusing all the things that add up. Junk mail, business cards, receipts for small purchases that you won’t return, double bagged goods at the stores, flyers… anything that is essentially junk and wasteful.
2. Reduce
Reduce What You Do Need
There are some things that you just can’t refuse, but you can take steps to reduce consumption and only buying what you truly need. Yes, you need to buy food but reduce single-use plastics and cut down on wasteful food packaging. Sure, you need toiletries but reduce buying what you don’t need. You get the idea.
Pare down and declutter your home. Evaluate what you use and what ends up collecting dust. This will help you make smarter choices with shopping. You will be able to make choices based on what you actually need.
Reducing waste starts with how you consume. Decrease leisure online shopping, only buy what you need, and question every purchase you make.
3. Reuse
Reuse What You Consume and Cannot Refuse Or Reduce
Reusing is utilizing something in its original manufactured form several times to maximize its usage, as well as increase its useful life.
Since this is the third step, you won’t have to worry about reusing junk. Because you will refuse and reduce unwanted plastic and waste.
Reusing will help you evaluate if you need to take better steps to be refuse and reduce. If you don’t bring home plastic bags then you won’t have to worry about how to reuse them. Reusing helps eliminate waste from consumption, alleviate resource depletion, and extend the life of goods purchased. Yay!
4. Recycle
Recycle What You Cannot Refuse, Reduce, Reuse
With every purchase you make, think of the life cycle of that item. Sure, you can recycle that plastic water bottle, but what does that really mean? That plastic bottle is toxic to produce, degrades in the process of recycling, made into non-recyclable products, and is destined to end up the landfill.
Refuse, reduce, reuse, then recycle.
5. Rot
Rot- Compost The Rest
Rot is the process of composting. Which means the recycling of organic materials. It’s nature's way of recycling.
The organic matter decomposes over time and becomes a nutritious soil conditioner. Most kitchen food scraps and yard waste can be composted. This compost can be used as mulch in your garden and house plants.
Read more in-depth about all five steps at 5 Simple Ways To Go Zero Waste
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