Have you asked yourself “can I reduce my plastic waste?”, “can I reduce my impact or footprint?”, “can I live a sustainable lifestyle?” but thought it was just for Hippies living on a farm or Hipsters dumpster diving for the latest find? It can sound like an uncomfortable and inconvenient life for many that are used to our throwaway society. However, I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. You can achieve a sustainable lifestyle by making small changes in your life and consuming less, but better.
Whether you call it Low Waste, Minimal Waste or Zero Waste it’s for anyone and everyone attempting to make a difference and reduce their waste, impact and footprint. In other words, it’s for conscientious citizens looking to make the world a better place for themselves and future generations. Some find that the term Zero Waste can split people into two groups, those who care about waste and those who don’t. It doesn’t need to be polarizing. Others mention that the term can be misleading, but it is a goal as no one in our current system can be 100% Zero Waste. Therefore, it isn’t about being perfect, it’s more about creating less waste and helping to change the system along your journey. Will I be able to have nice things? The answer is yes, waste is a design flaw after all.
The key to success is to start small and figure out what works for you and your lifestyle. Firstly, do the best you can with what you have and where you live. Secondly, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Thirdly, it’s about trying to make things better. Moreover, the more people that reduce their waste and demand change, the more we will see an improvement. Quitting plastic consumption cold turkey is surprisingly difficult. It is everywhere. Therefore, it’s more about journey and how all the little things that you and the collective can do come together to make a real difference. All of our little changes add up and can create a major impact.
“Where do I start?”, “What do we do?”… This blog will help you along your sustainable lifestyle journey. Start with simple changes and don’t be too hard on yourself. Simply try and it will get easier. Unless you are a seasoned pro, you will have some hiccups along the way. Remember that you are making difference. No one is perfect and that isn’t the point of all of this.
“What about recycling?” you might ask. Recycling is a good place to start but a bad place to stop. You should recycle as much as you can but keep in mind that a large percentage of it ends up in the landfill anyways. The circular recycling symbol might lead you to believe that the material will be constantly recycled into other products; generally after one or two cycles it ends up in the trash. Recycling is a business after all and the entire system is in a crisis. The current market is so flooded that the value of the material isn’t worth the effort. Many countries that used to buy our recycling have stopped accepting it. The key to all of this again is better design! We need to take into account all the resources, energy and waste from the start to finish of a product’s life.
Here are some basic frameworks that can help you make choices along the way. Bea Johnson is the Author of Zero Waste at home, Shia Su is the author of Zero Waste: Simple life hacks to drastically reduce your trash! and Erin Rhoads is the author of Waste Not, Make a big difference by throwing away less. Combine them, research others or make one that suits your lifestyle. Keep in mind that there are many other great books on the subject out there.
Bea Johnson’s 5Rs:
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Rot
www.zerowastehome.com
Shia Su’s 5Rs:
Rethink
Reduce
Repair
Reuse
Recycle
www.wastelandrebel.com
Erin Rhoads 7Rs and more:
Redesign
Rethink
Refuse
Reuse
Reduce
Share
Repair
Compost
Recycle
Choose Kindness
Be the Change
www.therogueginger.com
Refuse or Rethink both stand out and are near the top of each list. You likely know the classic 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle so here is a quick summary on the two others. Refuse things that you don’t need, things that you can live without, things that are single use, things that will become obsolete in a short amount of time. Rethink bad design, built in obsolescence and over packaging. Most of a product’s impact is determined in the design phase and waste is a design flaw.
We are lucky enough these days that many products are being designed with waste in mind without forgetting form and function. Stylish designs keep popping up making it easier to live a convenient and comfortable Low Waste lifestyle. Firstly, always use the products you already have or pass them on to some one in need. Secondly, keep your low waste framework in mind, but most importantly switch to better products given the chance. 142 Zero Waste Swaps and Essential Products from the Almost Zero Waste Blog offer good examples. Remember, consume less but better.
In conclusion, eat real food, find joy in experiences, buy good design, reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals, simplify your life and save money. Above all, live your life, live a sustainable lifestyle!
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Pat
Pat is a Ski Patroller/Avalanche Technician with a keen interest in design and sustainable living due to a longtime passion for the outdoors. Seeing glaciers melt, seasons change, summer skies full of smoke and beach pollution first hand, motivate him to make a difference.
As Yvon Chouinard Founder of Patagonia says “If you are not part of the solution, you are still part of the problem”.