What is Zero Waste?

Zero Waste literally means to produce no waste and throw nothing away, especially to landfill. The main aim here is to reduce what you need. Reuse as much as you possibly can, send as little as possible to be recycled and compost where you cannot do any of those things.

Zero Waste Europe states “the role that waste management, anti-incineration, and reduced plastic production plays in lowering our global greenhouse gas emissions will become more and more important”. All of these issues will need to be addressed urgently if global warming is to be kept under control.

In a perfect world, there would be no waste. There is no waste in nature and the aim is to create a circular economy to mirror this. With Zero Waste, nothing is being dumped, instead all resources will be fully absorbed back into a never ending system.

It may seem nearly impossible to produce Zero Waste, but if everyone makes even just some adjustments to the way they live, these small changes will make a big difference in the long run. Everyone should aim for the same goal, and that is to be as close to zero waste as possible.

Unfortunately we can’t control the materials that are used in the products that we buy but we can impact on the production of them.

• If we deter from buying items with excessive, wasteful packaging, the demand for them will decline.
• Refuse to purchase products that are sold in single use plastic. This will help to eliminate a huge worldwide plastic waste problem.
• Transforming your shopping habits could actually transform your life.

Where you live could affect changes you make to implement a zero waste way of living, but everyone should be able to contribute one way or another.

Those who live in towns and cities often have more choice about how and where they buy. There are often more possibilities to buy in bulk or they may be located nearer to a certain type of retailer who are happy to refill previously used containers and bottles. Those who live in more rural areas may have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables or keep their own chickens. The goal is the same, to do the very best that you can with the resources you have.

It has been suggested that there are 5 main principles of living a Zero Waste lifestyle and they are rapidly becoming common across the entire globe.

• If you don’t need it, refuse it - This will prevent unwanted and unnecessary items entering your house. This should include any promotional items that you may be offered at the checkout, along with things like junk mail and plastic straws.

• Reduce what you use - This will generate much less waste overall.

• Reuse as much as possible - Repairing or handing down items is a great way to reuse and expand the life of items such as clothes. Instead of purchasing everything new you could buy it second-hand. There are many charity shops and online selling sites that make this possible. You could swap disposable products for reusable ones that can easily be washed and used again instead of being binned.

• Recycle - If you can’t refuse or reduce then make sure it can be recycled. Preventing recyclable items from going to landfill is great, but it is worth baring in mind that not everything can be recycled indefinitely and will often end up in landfill anyway after a very short lifespan. It is these such items that zero wasters will try to avoid.

• Compost- If you can, compost food waste, paper and items such as wooden or bamboo toothbrushes. As they rot down, they help to return nutrients back to the earth.

We have a wide range of environmentally friendly products made from sustainably sourced materials, are suitable for recycling and or composting and may assist with leading a zero waste way of life. Here are just a few examples:

The options for reducing and eliminating waste are becoming much broader.  The Zero Waste Movement is quickly changing the way people think and the types of products and packaging they use.  In the last few years, the world has seen many Zero Waste stores open their doors with the intention to make positive changes for the environment.  It is now up to you, what changes will you make to be closer to a Zero Waste lifestyle?

Sources:
https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/zero-waste-a-beginners-guide/
https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/zero-waste-a-beginners-guide/
https://www.goingzerowaste.com/zero-waste-1
https://zerowasteeurope.eu/what-is-zero-waste/