As we saw in the 3R-V, waste reduction is the first element to consider when talking about responsible consumption. Over the past decades, a lot of emphasis has been placed on recycling and composting. An increasingly marked and very laudable trend consists of Zero Waste consumption. In a world of overconsumption, you have to use trickery to get there. Indeed, some have understood that recycling is a way to relieve guilt and that the best waste is the one we do not produce.
So what is the Zero Waste philosophy?
5 main principles support the philosophy associated with Zero Waste.
In fact, they are similar to the 3R-V to which we add an element and we bring some important nuances. So here they are:
- Refuse the superfluous : This simply involves refusing plastic or non-reusable gifts or objects, plastic bags, unnecessary toys offered, excess packaging, paper advertisements, etc.
- Reduce to what is strictly necessary : Here we break it down into two elements which boil down to settling for less to live better!
The first refers to sort of dynamiting our home to sort it out and keep only the essentials. Everyone keeps items in their home that they don't use. Others will use it most of the time. Give them to the next ones.
The second refers to planning your next purchases based on what you will really need and making sure that your purchase does not implicitly come with something else that you do not want (example: saran wrapped cheese). - Reuse what you buy : First of all, everything that is purchased must be used until its end of life! So if I buy something, I have to make sure that it is not a temporary splurge and that it will be useful to me for a long time.
To this end, we will choose reusable grocery bags and jars, ecological and good quality clothing , reusable personal hygiene products, etc. - Recycle everything you couldn't refuse.
- Compost the rest.
How to achieve the Zero Waste philosophy?
To achieve a Zero Waste lifestyle you must first give yourself a chance and understand that it is a process that will take some time.
In general, people who tend towards this philosophy will take it step by step. This involves adopting short and medium term objectives encompassed by a long term vision. We therefore all have the chance to choose the first step that seems best suited to our situation.
While there is no single recipe for adopting a zero-waste lifestyle, there can be several ways to dissect our approach.
Zero waste approach by raw material
We could take the examples of plastic, gasoline or paper. You might choose to eliminate one of these elements from your life first.
Obviously here, it is not a question of throwing away the plastic toys that are still used... This will be a pure waste since they have been produced. The point here is to use them until their end of life or to ensure that others will use them.
You could also possibly make sure to replace your gasoline car with an electric car or even use public transportation. Regarding paper, the idea is to reduce its use as much as possible: encourage the reading and transfer of documents in digital format, avoid printing photos, etc.
Zero waste approach per room or section of the house
You can go by room in your home and the undesirables that are found there, you could for example dissect your approach by finding alternative products for your bathroom, your kitchen, the children's playroom or your wardrobe .
For the bathroom and kitchen, you can encourage the purchase of products in bulk. There are really several great businesses that are emerging more and more in this direction. For children's toys, they need very little (yes, yes, I'm telling you!).
Encourage trips outside, digital or audio books, wooden and battery-free toys... And for the wardrobe, several options are available to you. A minimalist wardrobe with ecological clothing will be your salvation.
Multiple references
There are currently several websites and several books that are excellent references on Zero Waste! Although it is not exhaustive, we offer you a list of sites to consult which will allow you to learn more and which will inspire you on the steps you could take.
Zero waste Montreal (no need to be from Montreal... you can also do a search on Facebook because several regions also have their Zero waste site).
10 zero waste bloggers you should know
Eco Loco offers you several alternatives to support you in your efforts to adopt a Zero Waste lifestyle. You can visit our store for this purpose.
Ecologically yours,
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