Most living things on earth live extremely low or zero waste. Animals and plants consume what they need and nothing more. They don’t toss out trash or waste food, they don’t create substances that aren’t natural, and they live in a sustainable way as a result. Yet humans are not like most living things.
It’s no secret that we all have a lot of waste. Out garbage cans fill up each week before the garbage truck comes by to take it all away and deposit it at a landfill. But is it possible for us to reduce our waste down to zero? By taking conscious steps and making decisions to maximize what you’re buying and using, it’s possible to reduce drastically towards zero waste. But how do we do it? Let’s take a look at some of the best tips, tricks, and advice from sustainability experts on how to live a zero-waste lifestyle.
According to Lucy from Terracycle, “The most effective way to limit waste is to buy less and reduce the amount of excess ‘stuff’ in your life.”
Zoe Morrison from Eco Thrifty Living thinks it’s important to “Pay attention to your daily habits and the things you see around you and question them.”
Erin Rhoads, the author of ‘Waste Not: Make a Big Difference By Throwing Away Less,’ gives us a more concrete idea for reducing waste, “opt for upcycled cotton towels and shirts as cleaning cloths and choose other natural options that can break down in your compost.”
Emma Loewe, the Senior Editor of MindBodyGreen, suggests that we “fight harder for places we feel connected to, and getting outside can fuel more effective climate action as much as it can restore mental health.”
Mariska Nell is the founder of Mama Earth Talk and delightfully challenges us, “If you have never made cleaning products, I would highly recommend giving them a go.”
The author of ‘A Zero Waste Life,’ Anita Vandyke, explains bluntly that the most important thing we can do is lower our consumption and change the materials and products we buy. She adds that “Recycling should be the last option.”
Marimar White-Espin founded Eco Collective and feels that her “number one suggestion is to avoid animal products and to reduce your dairy and meat consumption.”
Key Takeaways
- You can start making better decisions across all areas of your life today that will add up to a dramatically lower amount of waste.
- Changing your habits isn’t easy, but keeping yourself accountable and staying consistent will help these zero waste tricks stick.
- Many changes to becoming zero waste are easier and more obvious than you may have thought.
