Life in the style of Zero Waste - How to reduce waste to zero

Active growth of garbage greatly affects everyone’s quality of life, and environmental issues are becoming more acute. According to RBC, the use of plastic bags in the world exceeds 1 million units per minute, for a year this is more than a trillion units. At the same time, the active phase of the life of the packet is on average 12 minutes, and the decomposition process is hundreds of years old. In response to this, new environmental trends are born. One of them is Zero Waste..

Zero Waste or zero waste – what is it?

Zero Waste or Zero Loss – the literal translation of Zero Waste. Those who support this movement advocate informed consumption and want to come to the idea of living without waste. Such people try not to generate garbage at all. They don’t use disposable things, they give sorted garbage for recycling, they see the benefit in renewable energy and other components of the green economy.

Zero Waste is a community of like-minded people who promote zero-waste methods at the household and state level. Especially active is the European division “Zero Waste”, and youth organizations in Brazil, Argentina, the USA and Mexico, where they regularly recruit volunteers. Debris reduction is also heavily dealt with in Japan, New Zealand and the UAE..
Large manufacturing companies are trying to keep up with Zero Waste: Procter & Gamble, Subaru, Ford, Nestle. In 2018, Apple’s IT giant became independent of traditional raw materials and fully supports all of its needs with renewable energy. In addition, Facebook, IKEA, Google and others want to come..

Target Zero Waste

The goal of the Zero Waste ideology is to reduce the amount of garbage that goes to landfills and incinerators.

The community’s task is to change lifestyles and create sustainable cycles of consumption and production, where any excess material becomes a resource, not a garbage. In the future, Zero Waste should reduce pollution of land, water and air in order to preserve health and nature..

The Zero Waste movement is characterized by a moral ideology and a special type of home budget management that combines global goals with practical home solutions.

Zero Waste Concept

The concept is based on a philosophical approach, but takes into account current economic and industrial processes. Environmental protection must be ensured by “clean production”, which turns the production chain into a waste-free cycle. Old goods need to be recycled, not thrown away.

The concept of “Zero Waste” is based not only on recycling, but also on the importance of an approach to product design. They should last longer, and manufacturers need to use less plastic in the package..

Zero Wast Principles

Zero Waste activist Beah Johnson, a pioneer of eco-movement, formulated the 5R rule. It voices the principles of non-waste life. In essence, this is the practical application of environmental theory. The general principle is to consume less raw materials to be disposed of..

Refuse (refusal of unnecessary things)

To litter less, you need to buy less, i.e. make shopping trips deliberate. To do this, compile grocery lists and weigh purchasing decisions. Learn to say no to everything that’s disposable and useless, too cheap and poor-quality.

Reduce (decrease in consumption)

Save resources and use fewer things. It’s not about reducing the grocery basket, but it’s quite possible to change the approach to clothes.

Reduce the amount of electronics and furniture in your home. Rent some things or buy second-hand on Internet sites such as Avito or second-hand.

Technology also does not stand still. Now there are waffle spoons or glasses of applesauce that you can eat.

Reuse + Repair (reuse and repair)

Handle things carefully so that they last longer and try to give them a second chance, when they will obsolete themselves in the main role. Do not throw away broken or torn things, but try to repair them.

Recycle

Take all the garbage that is intended for this to the recycling points. Sort glass, waste paper, plastic, separately dispose of light bulbs, batteries, batteries and other hazardous waste.

Rot (composting)

From organic waste, make fertilizers for plants or the garden in the country. Sort organic matter from other debris and put in containers with ventilation and filter. Send fruit and vegetable peelings, paper sleeves, leftover food, dried flowers, eggshells, tea bags, animal hair, and even hair with cut nails to compost.

Zero Waste at Home – Tips

Each of the principles of 5R includes many small steps that should become a habit gradually, so that life in the style of “Zero Waste” does not seem like a heavy burden.

Zero Waste policy does not require giving up everything at once, but with every consumer action, think about whether you are harming yourself and nature. Zero Waste is not against comfort, but against unnecessary.

Buy durable and healthy products

First of all, these are dishes: containers for food, thermo mugs, thermoses, jars for cereals. With these things you can go to a food service when you need food or drinks take away. For shopping, mesh bags and cotton bags, reusable shopping bags, eco bags for weighing fruits and vegetables are suitable.

Useful home composter for processing organics, a grinder for a sink or a vermicomposter. Put a water filter (not to buy bottled).

Do not buy things you can do without.

Plastic bags, plastic toothbrushes, disposable shaving machines, plastic and film packaging, paper towels and napkins, toothpicks, gift wraps, etc..

Liquid products for hygiene and households can be replaced with solid counterparts without packaging or made by yourself. It’s easy to find recipes for homemade shampoo, soap, utensils and even cosmetics on the net..

Don’t be greedy

Give things you don’t need. This applies to excess clothing and utensils. In social networks there are communities, where you can give food. Books can be disposed of through bookcrossing or taken to the library.

Make things new

Glass jars and bottles are suitable for vases, and the old fabric will serve as a good rag in the household. Reusable washcloths, lids for containers and utensils, makeup disks, diapers can also be sewn from fabric..

In general, the “Zero Waste” lifestyle is closely related to up-cycling – the process of turning old things into different interior items and decorations. If you have a child, craft crafts with unnecessary materials.

Do not take what they give you for free

We are talking about shopping bags, daily newspapers, useless souvenirs, advertising catalogs with samplers, flyers, booklets and business cards. If you really need information, then just take it on your phone. And handouts and corporate keepsakes from seminars and conferences are usually gathering dust.

Write down some useful addresses

Find out where there are recycling points or at least containers for sorting garbage. This information is available on the website. recyclemap.ru, where GreenPeace activists created a virtual map with different types of waste collection points.

Try not to go to large supermarkets, but only to small shops and to the market: here the goods are not packaged so much and can meet you if you want to buy something by weight in your own container.

Change everyday habits

View the balance of cards on the screen of ATMs or in your smartphone, so that you don’t have to print the receipt again, buy energy-saving light bulbs, use office paper from both sides, load the washing machine completely and unplug electrical appliances from the outlet. Try growing vegetables and herbs yourself, or at least freeze them.

Zero Waste Shops

The first store, positioning itself as zero waste, appeared here in 2017 in Petrozavodsk. Most other environmental stores are now located in Moscow and St. Petersburg..

ZeroWasteShop

Site

One of the most famous stores with delivery in Moscow. There are products, cosmetics without packaging, reusable diapers and useful little things in hygiene: wax napkins, fabric shoe covers, bamboo brushes. Shop draws up electronic checks to save paper.

GrowUp.Eco

Site

Ecological goods store in Moscow. It offers shopping bags and shoppers, bags for weighing food, reusable dishes, brushes, cleaners and natural cosmetics not in plastic packaging. You can order delivery by mail or at a pickup point in your city.

Netto market?

Site

Shop from Butovo, which sells food in returnable containers. Offers about 120 types of goods with self-delivery or delivery..

Urban Fauna Concept Store

Site

A small store combined with a library, eco-collection, cafe and coworking in Moscow. Among the various hygiene products, cosmetics and utensils, you can find goods that will deliver to the desired city..

“Buy right”

Site

The famous store of eco-activists in St. Petersburg. It is located on the metro station “Prospekt Enlightenment”, there is a delivery in the city: the goods are packaged in eco-packaging and transferred to your place.

NOPLASTIC ITSFANTASTIC

Site

Shop at the metro station “Petrogradskaya” in St. Petersburg. Offers reusable useful items. Delivery is possible in any city in Russia and even the CIS. From interesting products, recycled plastic jewelry and recycled bags.

ZEERO

Site

Online store of informed consumption. Delivers its range of brushes, bags, bags, etc. all around Russia. There are reusable shoe covers and tubes, menstrual cups, food devices, natural tooth powders, napkins, mugs, jars.

“In string bag”

Site

Online marketplace for the sale of goods without packaging. It delivers all the products that they have in St. Petersburg, and non-food items (such as bags, shopping bags, cosmetics, hygiene and cleaning products) also in the country. Among the products: cereals, flour, nuts.

Books about Zero Waste

Zero Waste – Beah Johnson

Beah Johnson’s book, Zero Waste, began to appear in Russian just now, although it was a bestseller in the United States back in 2013. In it you can learn about how a family of four in San Francisco produces no more than one liter can of garbage per year.

Beah has been committed to this movement since 2006 and frankly talks about the experience in Zero Waste Home. Johnson also tells about failed experiments, for example, about how to replace toilet paper with moss.

“The Goal is Zero Waste” – Robin Murray

This book is over 15 years old, and it was written by order of the GreenPeace English division. Posted by Robin Murray, Professor at the London School of Economics and Leading Expert in Waste Management.

He describes the non-waste idea of economics and production in the state. For Robin, global environmental changes are important: the abandonment of cars in favor of public transport and the extension of the life of things that are thrown away immediately after breakdown.

Criticism of zero waste

Not enough organic materials

The Ziroveisters are criticized for the incorporeal nature of their aspirations: there isn’t enough organic materials for the whole society, and they need to be used at least a thousand times to level the harm of toxic waste. However, “Zero Waste” does not lead to a revolution in consumption, but wants to accustom people to the search for alternatives and draw the attention of manufacturers to environmental issues.

Return to the past

For the uninitiated in ideology, the project “Zero Waste” is a rollback to the previous stage of development of society, when you give up civilization and become a hippie. But supporters of the movement do not live in the forests, do not self-medicate and generally keep up to date.

“Zero waste” is expensive

Beginning eco-activists are often afraid that participation in Zero Waste will increase their spending, as eco-shops are considered expensive. But in fact, costs can be reduced, because purchased items are used many times.

Another fear is associated with constant thoughts of garbage. However, the Ziroveisters do not worry about waste every minute: they are not perfectionists and not paranoid. On the contrary, you save time on an interesting life and limit yourself in how much effort and hours to spend on cleaning, repair and hygiene.

Harm to the economy

For public figures, the risks of movement are associated with the possibility of losing the economy in its current form. But Zero Waste does not advocate protests and revolutions; it offers a gradual reorientation of consumption from disposable things to impressions and entertainments that really bring positive emotions.

Inefficiency

The last thing the Zero Waste eco-movement is reproached for is low efficiency. Strong savings in the end do not give proper results after some mark.

Zero Waste is not a policy of asceticism, therefore, no one is forced to cut the world’s garbage by an unbearable price by 0.5%. Everyone does as much as he needs for personal comfort and contribution to the general ecology..

Life in the style of Zero Waste – How to reduce waste to zero

Zero Waste or zero waste – what is it?

Target Zero Waste

Zero Waste Concept