Types of <waste> that appear in our every day life.
See the characteristics of each type.
Feel free to add your own.
In the end, all that matters is... what's in it for you, right?
Big and successful companies like Toyota, Xerox, now Nestle are doing it.
And not just companies, but communities like the Kamikatsu town of Japan and average households like Bea Johnson's family from the US are already leading a Zero Waste Life.
Why are they so successful?
Dimensions of Zero Waste
Check out how you can sum-up your Zero Waste Experience with only
8 simple and easy-to-use rules.
TOTAL CONTROL
LIFESTYLE
Zero Waste is, more than anything else, a lifestyle.
It is a way of living, which influences all aspects of life. It is just like any other lifestyle (e.g. urban, non-comformist, family-centered, ascetic, artistic, health-centered, hippie, minimalist, extreme etc etc.).
It encompases everything you do every single day: your thoughts, actions, plans, habits, choices, dreams.
It is a natural path you follow. It is personal and unique. How you engineer your lifestyle, depends only on you and your needs and aspirations. Every lifestyle is unique, because every person is unique. But every person shares common aspects of their lifestyle with other people.
You can opt to adopt or not, the Zero Waste Lifestyle.
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Which leads us to number 2) Zero Waste as a choice.
CHOICE
Zero Waste is a choice, just like any other choice. It is a decision you make between two or more options. Just like choosing white or black socks in the morning, choosing your car, your food etc.
Thus, you can choose to continue to live the same life you've always lived. Are you happy and contempt with just the way you are now? You don't want to change anything? You don't want a better life? You don't want more satisfying experiences and new feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction, of sharing and belonging, of security, independance, control? You don't need a new challenge?
Great! Than you should continue just the way you are, because you are already successful!
But you can also choose to live a Zero Waste Lifestyle. You can choose to be part of this huge international community of people whose values are respect and responsability for themselves, their family, community and for their environment. A community which is accepting, giving, supportive. One which loves challenges, solving problems and eliminating everything that is wasteful from our lives.
Nobody is going to make the choices for you. In fact, with Zero Waste you can become more knowledgeable and more in control of your options and decisions. It gives you more opportunities to choose what is best for you and your family. Zero Waste aims to protect you from the charms of media, of the corporations which don't have your best interest in mind . It aims to protect you from being a blind consumer. Zero Waste aims to provide you with the power of real choice.
So, if you feel like you need a change in your life, will you choose Zero Waste? (tell us by leaving a comment below↓)
SET OF HABITS
Zero Waste is a set of habits, so let's talk a bit about habits first.
People are not built to withstand radical changes, unless they are in a threatening situation. In which case, people can be very resilient and adapt rather quickly. This is why, for example, when you want to lose weight, you start by changing your habits. But these changes are very difficult to maintain and end up draining you emotionally and physically and the giving up chances are very high. But if suddely your loved one says he/she will stop being romantically involved unless you do something to control your weight, this will become a strong motivational factor and the chances of fast success rise.
In contrast with radical changes, people are actually built for mild, long-term change. With the optimum amount of suport on several levels, any human can adapt to almost all situations that are not life-threatning. By taking the above example of trying to lose weight, with enough physical and emotional support, and by slowly implementing healthy habits, anyone can lose wieght.
Now. Let's take the Zero Waste Lifestyle. It implies changing your current lifestyle, by adopting a series of habits. These habits (explained in detail on this page) are to be implemented slowly, by following the natural human pace. Unless there's a natural disaster (like the whole plastic in the world suddenly disappears like magic), then the change will be neither radical nor immediate. So nobody will be able to adopt the Zero Waste Lifestyle over night. It is a series of continuous implementation of habits that bring a lot of value to one's life. If the word "continuous" scares you a bit, it is because we were born to pursue immediate gratification. But you will learn to love the slow but steady change in habits, the constant satisfaction and the small daily gratifications.
Keeping the long story short, in order to change our lifestyle, we need a change in our way of thinking. Or, as Steven R. Covey puts it, a "shift of paradigm". Changing the way we think, will change the way we act. So the first shift is in letting go of the expectations. And accepting the natural flow of the human behaviour. Forget instant recipes for success and embrace the slow but steady growth.
More about habits on the Zero Waste Habits page.
EASY-TO-FOLLOW RULES
Zero Waste is a also a set of easy-to-follow rules.
In order to help you become a Zero Hero (= a person that has suceeded in adopting the Zero Waste Lifestyle), I present you a series of simple rules, which, if followed and turned into a habit, will become the basis of the Zero Waste Lifestyle. They will become an active part of every decision you make.
These rules are not beaten in stone. They are just a guide to help you in your every day challenges. Whenever you are in the face of taking a decision, you can tell yourself these rules, so that you can take the best decision you can.
The rules are called: "The 8Rs of Zero Waste", which have begun with just the 3Rs of Waste Management, then they were adapted by Bea Johnson in her book "The Zero Waste Home" as "The 5Rs of a Zero Waste Home" (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot).
To which I have added 3 more Rs, thus becoming "The 8Rs of Zero Waste". And they are, as follows:
~ The 8Rs of Zero Waste ~
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Repair
More about these rules on the page The 10Rs of Zero Waste.
* * *
Also, these 8 rules have been turned into a method, to help you practically, whenever you need to take a decision.
It is simply called "The Zero Waste Method". It includes only 3 big questions which one should put every time they are about to make a decision regarding an object or an action. For example, when you have to choose what to do with an object that has lost the ability to fulfill its initial purpose (e.g. a broken chair). Or simply when you are shopping for new items. Or when you are about to take a certain action (like watching a movie on TV on Sunday night). This method includes the following 3 questions:
1) Do I want this because I need / love / use regularly / improve my life with it?
2) Can I borrow / rent / use something else instead?
3) Does it create some sort of waste by paying for / using / storing / maintaining / disposing of it?
Rent
Rot
Recycle
Rethink
ELIMINATION OF WASTE
Zero Waste is basically the elimination of waste.
And when we talk about waste, I don't just mean trash (garbage, litter, disposable waste)! I mean every single object or action that doesn't produce any value, on the contrary, it produces some sort of loss.
There are many types of waste. Here are some:
Waste of:
Time
Space
Money
Effort
And the list can go on and on... (feel free to add your own in the comment section below ↓)
The Zero Waste Lifestyle helps you eliminate all these types of waste. Some of them on purpose, by implementing the 8Rs of Zero Waste, and some of them occur as the effect of adopting the Zero Waste Lifestyle.
Let's take as an example, applying the "Reduce" rule (from the 8Rs) when you clean your house. You start by purposely reducing space by repurposing, selling or giving away objects (let's say an old chair) you don't use any more (not throwing away!). By doing such, you eliminate from your house the waste of space that object was filling without bringing any value. But also, as an effect, you eliminate the time and effort you use to clean or maintain that object, you eliminate the waste of money that you'd spent on it. You also eliminate the waste of resources that that object had consumed. Now the object has a new role that brings value. And what's exciting is that, if you choose to refubish it (and let's say turn it into a fancy fence), you also eliminate the waste of your skills - you use your dormant (otherwise unused) skill to transform something old and unvaluable into something unique, personal and useful. Etc, etc.
If you want to learn more details about the types of waste and how you can eliminate them, please access the page Types of Waste.
Motion
Resources
Emotion
Skills
CHALLENGE
Zero Waste is a challenge in itself.
And you know what challenge involves. It involves a problem one has, that is to be solved by critical and creative thinking.
So what does a challenge mean? Well. You have a problem aka a difficult situation. And you have just realised you don't have the means to solve it. You don't have the resources or the tools to get out of this difficult situation. So what you need to do is:
1. Study the situation. Analyze it critically. Take into consideration all the subjective and objective sides of the story.
2. Search for the tools to solve it. This process can be very short or very long, depending on the severity of the situation and the perseverance of the people involved.
3. Apply the tools and check the performance. Did it solve the problem? Did it make it worse? Continue to search for the right tools and don't settle. The "right" tools are those that offer a win-win situation for all the parts involved. Be creative.
As an ample example, the first big challenge we face as children... is school :)
There's this big building full of grown-ups and we have to adapt to their daily requests: sit properly, stand up, raise your hand, be quiet, read, write, study, remember to bring your books, practice, write a schedule, do your homework etc etc... So many requests and we don't have any resources to face them at first, right? Just our bodies and minds and some tools to help us through the process of solving so many questions and new situations.
Zero Waste is the same as school. It's just a long series of problems, of lessons to learn, remember, practice and apply. You learn something new about the world (e.g. that plastic is damaging for the environnment), you study the problem and how it affects you and the others (e.g. reading books, articles, watching movies), you find ways to search for problem (e.g. replace plastic bags with natural fiber tote bags), then you practice what you've learned by doing it a few times - doing your homework - and then you apply what you've learned to your daily activity.
Everything that seemed impossible during the first years of childhood, later became a habit, a natural part of daily life. You've just accepted it as it and later you realized why it was so important to achieve this big challenge.
And just like school, your motivation for Zero Waste should not be represented by physical achievements, but by symbolic ones - just like grades. You shouldn't stress over seeing any immediate effects of your actions. Focus on achieving points for every little aspect you do to contribute and then test yourself every few months. Then you can check how you've evolved from before and after the Zero Waste semester.
Zero Waste is the school. It is a long-term commitment.
It is divided in sections (subjects) that must be dealt with simultaneously.
It is not based on immediate results, but on short-term achievements that bring long-term well-being and innumerable benefits.
You are the student, along with so many others around the world who have chosen this school.
The coolest part? You can choose your own teachers!! And you have an infinite resource of knowledge from all over the world available at your finger tips. Awesome, huh?
Are you ready to take your ZERO HERO diploma? Click here and take the Zero Waste Academy Challenge !
PHILOSOPHY
Zero Waste is also a philosophy, because, like all other philosofies, Zero Waste is something yoy think about all the time. You analyse it, criticize it, you weigh its pros and cons, and it becomes the subject of many dinamic discussions!
The Zero Waste philosophy is not perfect. Nor will it ever be. It is not to be generalized, but to be personalized. It is not rigid, it is due to change any time. You add and eliminate constantly, you discover something new and exciting all the time. It is limited only by your imagination.
It is something you think, feel, experience, get engrossed into. It eventually becomes second-nature to you. It becomes "your philosophy of life". Dalai Lama's philosophy is "The meaning of life is to be happy. It depends on you where and how you find it". So find your own philosophy through Zero Waste and name it however you want! Your goal - to be happy.
It is not something you force on others or expect from others than yourself. It is not a goal in itself, it is a philosophy to live by.
Again, Zero Waste is a personal, dinamic, natural, ever-changing philosophy you create for yourself in order to become happy.
Zero Waste helps you gain control over your life.
Are you aware of how much you depend on so many things for you daily life to go on smoothly? Just look around you and realize how many things you "need". You probably have a house full of furniture, electronics, full of objects that you "need" and use every day. Or just objects that you "need" and seldom use. You also have a job (unfortunately a great number of us are not satisfied with) because you "need" money. You can say with no doubt that you "need" the money, you "need" the house", you "need" the appliances, you "need" a supermarket, you "need" clothes, you "need" a car etc etc. I'm sure you do need them. We all do right now. We spend our time making money in order to make a living. We earn money to buy things that helps us have a more convenient life, that helps us (period). You depend on them, and (might I boldy state that) you depend on them to be happy.
But how happy are you with this "dependance". How happy are you with the stress of "having to" earn money? How happy are you with the stress of "having" to buy so many things every day. How happy are you with the stress of depending on soo many things that you ultimately cannot control, in order to make a living (for example groceries that you have no idea how they were grown or materials that have no idea what they contain).
If you are perfectly contempt with this dependence, then you don't need Zero Waste. If you are satisfied with this dependence, then you are entitled to live the life you've always worked hard for, however you want to.
But you aren't, are you? Deep down you are terrified of this dependence, of the fact that if it all suddenly disappeared, you would be ruined, you would be empty and helpless. If you have no money, you can't survive. If you have no electricity or water, you are doomed to a life of misery. If you have no house, clothes, car, many food choices, you are unable to survive. You are scared-stiff only of the idea. But you have no choice. You "have" to because you "need" to. Is that right?
You know I'm going to say "wrong!", aren't you? :) Great instincts. You are perfectly right. I want to write it with big, colorful capital letters:
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING, BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED EVERYTHING !
And I'm not trying to convince you of anything here (although it does kind of look like that...) or sell you anything, or get you to join some sect, or swindle you in sending me money, or to make you do crazy stuff. No! I just want you to realize that you ARE MORE FREE than you think. You have the choice. You have the alternative. That's right, you have the choice of not depending on any of those above mentioned in order to live. You can do without them. You are just so engrossed in every day life that you have just forgotten that, before anything else, we are humans who used to spend time in caves, hunt and gather their food and... well... they survived :)
Of course, I'm not saying we should do that, too :) I don't want to be a caveman. Do you? Of course not.
What I'm saying, is that you must realize this fact: for survival, you only need to be safe and fed.
In order to be happy, well... that's another story I will be covering here, on the page called "Stephen Covey's Maturity Continuum" .
But for now, let's get back to our Zero Waste.
Zero Waste helps you regain that control over your life. It helps you transit from Dependence to Independence. And ultimately it leads you towards the ideal path of Interdependence. To keep the story short, Stephen Covey, in his theory "The Maturity Continuum" he stated that humans go through 3 stages to achieve maturity and happiness: Dependence, Independence and Interdependence. As kids we are dependent of our family. As we grow up, we become more Independent. But the real maturity is when we are Interdependent, which means we are equally dependent on others to provide for us, but others are also depepndent on us for providing them with something they need.
And this "3-sided-coin" can be applied to anything.
Right now we are mostly dependent on big corporations to provide us with everything that is necessary. And we work to make money to pay these corporations. But unfortunately, we cannot control those corporations. We just pay them for whatever they give us, we can't choose what we pay for. As a result, we depend on making money to pay them and on them providing us at the same time.
So where is our independence in this situation? It's in choice. We have THE choice. And Zero Waste does exactly that, it provides us with the choice to be in control. The choice to control where/when/how we eat/buy/use/wear and especially what actions we take.
It takes you to the path of Independence of Choice, and guides you all the way to Inter-dependence. It provides independence from media (fake images, packaging), consumerism etc. It provides independence from money, stress and from working on something you don't enjoy etc.
All in all, it helps you shift from "having to" do something "because I need it", to "wanting" to do something "because it makes my life better". You can gain control of your time, emotions and most of all, stress.
Zero Waste is the basis of Sustainability.
First of all, what is in fact Sustainability? In UN's definition: "Sustainability is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It implies sensible management of resources and includes economic, social and environmental development.
Or more bluntly put "Please don't cut the only tree in the garden to use it as wood to warm up your heart!" :) Sustainability just means that we have to be careful how we use our resources to build things that last longer, are more efficient and bring more benefits to as many people as possible, without consuming too much and without damaging the environment.
In the sphere of sustainability, we have some examples:
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renewable resources and closed-loop processes (for the economic part)
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eco or green lifestyles (for the social part)
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natural or organic agriculture and smart waste management (for the environmental part).
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oops, I'm sorry, but tree hugging is not what Sustainability is about.
And Zero Waste is a holistic system that helps build sustainability. It's at the basis of it actually. If you have a Zero Waste Mentality it means you engage on a journey of using renewable resources, of closing the loop when building a product that will not be thrown away but will go back into the same process that helped create it, of using naturally grown or organic raw materials, end eventually of well... not wasting anything :)
Leading a sustainable lifestyle is the smartest, healthiest and long-term beneficial set of choices you can make, for your own good and your loved ones.
And that's what we aim with Zero Waste.
Zero Waste is a responsability, too.
I know that the word "responsability" is not very pleasing to most of your ears (funny how the English language works here, it sounds as if you have more than 2 ears). But in fact, we all have a number of responsabilities towards those who have provided us with this amazing life so far: be it people, institutions or the environment itself.
We must be grateful for what we have been provided with so far and to also respect these gifts and be responsable for them.
And by adopting the Zero Waste Mentality, you slowly start to realize the importance of everybody and everything around you. And at the same time the uselessness of many things you own or actions you make. You start making a difference between what is useful and what is wasteful. Every second you become aware of how much benefit or damage objects and actions can bring to you.
You will also become grateful for the few but high-quality products you own, for the great experiences you have and also for the amazing people you have around you.
Zero Waste helps you teach yourself gratitude, respect, trust and responsability. It helps you teach yourself inter-dependency.
These responsabilities are:
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towards yourself -> to lead a better life
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towards your loved ones -> to improve their life aswell by shifting from the need to "have more" to the need to "experience more"
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towards your community -> to support it by buying locally and developing the local economy
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towards the environment -> to protect it by not producing any waste and using the natural resources sensibly
Zero Waste is a recipe for success. Pff... yeah... like I'm gonna believe that!
Ok, so this is a cheesy, low-rated expression. So what? I trully believe that Zero Waste can be a beautiful answer to many problems. It can solve many issues indirectly. By focusing on reducing waste, we can improve other aspects of our lives by extension.
If Zero Waste creates more problems for you, then you are not doing it right. You are doing it only partially. So don't give up. Don't do any extreme things, don't bring any strain to your lifestyle or relationships, just be positive and do whatever you can do right now, with a minimum of effort. Don't forget, demand creates supply. You still have the power to change by demanding. So if your Zero Waste Needs are not met, demand the corporations to provide them. If it feels impossible, then it's time to show how much power you have as a consumer. Be brave.
Again, by following the Zero Waste Way, you can improve other sectors of your life aswell.
For example, Zero Waste can help you:
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make more time to spend with your loved ones by eliminating all the useless activities
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save more money by reusing, repairing, buying locally
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make more space so you can feel more liberated
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become faster, more organized and more efficient
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take better decisions easier
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be more independent from factors you cannot control
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and the list can go on and on............
For those who have tried the Zero Waste Lifestyle and have succeeded for a long period of time, please leave some comments below and tell us how it changed your life ↓↓
Zero Waste is a set of skills you acquire in time, at your own pace, by adopting The Zero Waste Mentality and, of course, by persevering.
Some of these skills are:
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organization skills
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fast decision-making
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financial management
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time management
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communication
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creativity
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self-control
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self-management
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dealing with stress etc.
Also, the amount of knowledge you gain is incomparible to any other system you've encountered.
Some of these knowledge clusters are:
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how to build healthy habits
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work-flow know-how
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making smart decisions etc.
Zero Waste is a mentality.
A Zero Waste Mentality is a way of thinking that implies putting everything in a balance, weighing, analyzing and eventually making a decision regarding how to spend your life. Everything is viewed through the lens of what is useful and what is wasteful. Every action and decision is filtered so that only what is truly sensible and value-adding will have a place in your life.
The Zero Waste Mentality is a system of ideas and concepts which give you the ability to stay aware every moment of your life and become a better person.
Zero Waste is a community.
I've said a few lines above that Zero Waste is a personal experience. But it is also an experience that is shared by many other people around the world! From North America to Asia, you will find people that share your feelings, that are trying to go on the same path as you, that are having the same challenges that you have.
Zero Waste is a big international family. You will find here people who can give you ideas and who can support you. It is a trusted place where you can share all your own experiences of Zero Waste and ask for help whenever you need.
Why don't you join our community and be part of this active and fun environment that is The Zero Waste Community?
So search for people near you on all the SNS media! You can start with Zero Waste Japan and then continue from there:
Zero Waste is a tool.
But when I say tool, I don't mean a magic wand that transforms you into everything you've ever wanted.
It's a tool that helps you gradually improve your life by offering you the change to make wise choices, to develop healthier habits, to better eperience life and to be free! And I'm not even exagerating...
Use Zero Waste to have a better life. Don't criticize it until you've tried it for a long-enough time.
Zero Waste is a holistic system.
A Holistic System cannot be viewed as a sum of parts, but as parts that come together and complement each other to create a frame that will represent the basis of your daily activities.
It is a Loop. Imagine your life as one big loop in which you include everything. You can use this loop to think about all aspects of your life. Start with where the loop begins, follow the loop all the way and make sure it ends exaclty where it started.
The Zero Waste Mentality engulfs all areas of life. It is different for everybody, but at the same time it contains the same basic principles needed to achieve your goals. Zero Waste has many ways of expression, many dimensions, methods, many stories and landmarks to touch, many patterns and habits. It's not just about not making any trash. That's just one of the many components of a Zero Waste Lifestyle.
TOOL
COMMUNITY
HOLISTIC SYSTEM
TOTAL
CONTROL
THEORETICAL
ASPECTS OF
ZERO WASTE
EMOTIONAL
ASPECTS OF
ZERO WASTE
PRACTICAL
ASPECTS OF
ZERO WASTE
In theory, Zero Waste is a Lifestyle.
It is based on a certain Mentality.
It has a set of Easy-To-Follow Rules
and through it you will gain a lot of useful
KNOWLEDGE
Zero Waste is also a bag of knowledge. A handful of information.
In order to achieve Zero Waste, you need to acquire enough data to help you through the process. You will be researching and finding a lot of useful information about the origin of materials, how products come to life, are transported and sold etc.
This newly acquired knowledge will alow you to make qualitative decisions whenever there is a chance.
You will also learn about how to build your own products, how to reuse, rebuild, refurnish old objects. How to grow, prepare ingredients and cook your own food. How to simplify, minimize, downsize and efficientize. How to have a healthy lifestyle and good habits.
We are trying to build an international community where all the challenges can be dealt with.
And we are also trying to make this website a place where all the knowledge of the world is gathered and shared with everybody for free!
So please support our website and our SNS by actively participating! We are looking forward to hearing from you, to hear your worries and your success, your challenges as well as your achievements! Let us know by registering (if you haven't done it yet) and also accessing our facebook, twitter or google+.
In practice, Zero Waste is a Tool that leads to a Sustainable life.
It helps build healthy Habits and
a Set of Skills that are a
It also Eliminates all types
of Waste from your life.
On the spiritual and emotional
side, Zero Waste is a Choice, a
personal Philosophy and a
Challenge. It allows you to
be in Total Control of your life.
It is also a Responsability.
Zero Waste is a Community.
Aspects of Zero Waste
There are many aspects regarding Zero Waste.
They are categorized in 3 big groups:
Below you will find 18 ways of explaining what Zero Waste is.
Click on each circle to read more details, or scroll down.
Zero Waste is a continuous process of small daily improvements.
Zero Waste has many dimensions, but probably the most important one is the fact that it is a continuous process.
This process incoroporates the shift in paradigm, changing to the new mentality, building new habits, acquiring new knowledge, following the 10 Zero Waste Rules, simplifying and efficientizing, so that, with small but firm steps,you will reduce your footprint on Earth.
If small actions are implemented constantly, they develop into healthy and efficient habits. If constantly applied, in a long period of tine (let's say one year) the amount of acquired habits will make an enourmous difference in one's lifestyle. On the long run, I see nothing but benefits.