What is Zero Waste?
Zero Waste is a philosophy that encourages a complete lifecycle for products. The goal is to be able to use an item in a way that it will not end up in a landfill. Most of the products today are single-use and designed to be thrown out. Zero waste is about waste prevention.
REFUSE
Refuse what you do not need. This means saying no to free stuff. Saying no to plastic bags. Saying no to items that don't add value to you.
REDUCE
Reduce what you do need. We know the average American is drowning in stuff and many of this stuff sits in storage going unused. Reduce your needs to the basics.
REUSE
Reuse what you consume. This means buying quality items so that they can be used many times over. This goes for clothing, kitchenware, bathroom items, etc.
RECYCLE
Recycle what you cannot. Recycling is further down the hierarchy here because it should not be the final solution. Recycling still take a lot of resources to complete and unfortunately, not everything can be recycled.
ROT
Finally, return what you cannot use back to the environment. The caveat here is that the item must be compostable and biodegradable so as not to harm the earth.
Resources
First, I would recommend picking up Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson from your local library. She has great tips and lessons on how to start and live a zero waste life.
Second, check out the hashtag #zerowaste to get more ideas on how to start.
Third, consider joining a Zero Waste Group on Facebook. Search for one that is local to you.
Fourth, check out these other blogs that feature zero waste living. There's plenty more from this list so head over the Zero Waste Bloggers Network to peruse more.