5 Steps for Living Zero Waste
My zero waste pantry, all sourced from the bulk bin, free of packaging waste.
Taking out the trash is a mindless activity. You haul out the container to the side walk once a week and a big truck comes by and scoops it up for you. Do you ever wonder where all that trash goes? You’re not alone if you have never considered this question.
Earth is an amazing planet. It produces the most beautiful fruits and vegetables which nourish us through each season, and then reuses all the food that doesn’t get eaten, begins to rot, and turns it into new soil. The earth is just like a living being. The soil is the digestive system, the ocean is the circulatory system, vegetation is the respiratory system, animals are the nervous system, and humans are its conscience. However, humans have gotten in the way of Nature doing what she does best. Instead of sending rotting food back into the earth, we have decided to dig very large holes in the ground and send all expired, half eaten, or uneaten food into it along with toxic chemicals, plastics, and other trash that the Earth cannot breakdown. Many people think that food can still biodegrade in this environment but sadly, that isn’t the case.
One way to help the Earth heal is by getting rid of your trash can and living a zero waste or low waste lifestyle. This will reduce the amount of trash going into the landfills, and will set an example and inspire others to do the same. Here are 5-steps to help you get started:
Refuse - it all starts by taking a stand and saying no to single-use items, especially plastics. Think plastic bags, coffee cups, straws, handouts, and items that you don’t need and can’t reuse. Shop at the farmers markets and bulk bins to avoid packaging and produce stickers.
Reduce - “simplify, simplify, simplify”. Learn to live with only what you truly need. Don’t over buy, make the most of what you already have, and donate the rest so others can benefit from it. Instead of buying new home care and beauty products, which not only come in packaging but also contain harmful chemicals, try making your own. Check out Trash is for Tossers for some great DIY recipes!
Reuse - before sending something to the recycling bin, try to find a way to reuse it. Glass jars can be used for cups, candle holders, pen holder, flower vase, sauce containers, etc. Bring reusable bags to the market, and a reusable mug or jar to get your coffee or smoothie to go.
Recycle - what you can’t reuse or rot (compost), recycling is the next best option. Make sure to rinse out anything that’s going to the recycling center to prevent contaminating the other items in the bin. Recycling varies by city, be sure to check what your local facility will take. Recycling also means buying used items, such as clothing, cars, electronics, etc. You will find that a lot of used items are as good as new, without all the fancy packaging that you're just going to throw away.
Rot - give all food scraps and organic materials back to the earth so she can digest it for you. You can keep a small home compost bin in your kitchen and dump the scaps in a home compost or community compost drop off like LA Compost. Do some research to see what’s available in your town, sometimes local farms will take the scraps to feed their chickens. If you have a garden, you can set up an outdoor compost that will lend amazing nutrient dense soil for your crops. Check out Greenlid - a compostable compost bin!
The way that nature works is that everything is connected, working together towards something greater than themselves. It requires the support from everyone and everything working in unison as a whole. We’ve become so disconnected from nature, that humans have been acting like a virus, destroying the planet instead if supporting it. The good news is that we also have the ability to heal the planet through our actions. In the human body every cell and every organ has a purpose just like nature, to help the body thrive. Their work makes the function of a human being possible. This is true for the planet as well, think of every human as a cell inside the body of the Earth. The recovery of the planet depends on all of us harmonizing together.