Zero Waste: A Compilation Of Resources To Guide You
Living in a sustainable, or zero waste, home does not happen over night. Just like with any other lifestyle change, it is going to take time, effort, and a conscious change. You will not be a perfectly sustainable home every day, but even imperfect sustainable living is better than not living to help our environment at all. Once you are part of the journey, you may find yourself saving time, money, resources, and maybe even feeling healthier in life in general. It is life-changing what being conscious of what you bring into your home and put into your body can do. It has been pushed that living sustainably is expensive and that’s why it isn’t accessible for all, but it can be and we will talk more about that! Do what feels right and works for you because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you made a mistake but that you are trying and helping fight climate change.
Similar: How We Practice Zero Waste, Minimalism, and Green Living
What is Zero Waste?
Zero Waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials, without harming the land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health. It refers to the act of waste prevention and the way materials flow through society, with the end goal of creating absolutely no waste. Reducing waste not only decreases pollution, but also reduces costs due to the reduced need for raw materials.
Sustainability is the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. At the current rate, we are producing more than our planet can provide and materials are not being properly replenished (if they are renewable at all). Being sustainable is loaded with benefits that not only affect the individual, but the community and environment as well. Becoming sustainable means a reduction in energy usage, less energy/resources means saving money on bills, less waste, less pollution, reduction of operating costs, creating better working environments and relationships, better quality, cleaning the air quality, improving health, and so many more.
Similar: How To Reduce Your Plastic Use At Home | Earth Day Series
But, sustainability doesn’t always mean living zero waste. Zero waste is loaded with its own benefits as well.
By turning shopping into a conscious activity, you cut out meaningless shopping or impulse buys, and thus save on money. Although investing in quality items cost a lot upfront, it is going to save in the long run (but you can also find long-lasting products second hand to save on cost).
Stop buying unnecessary foods, cut out food waste, and eating fresh (not processed) foods will make you healthier to live a full life. Is it hard to buy fresh, organic produce? Grow your own! So many fresh produce we eat on a regular basis can be grown in small containers/living spaces which you can learn more about here: How To Plan A Garden & The Ultimate Resource Guide.
Encouraging community-based zero waste strategies can be SUPER beneficial, especially to those who lack the necessary materials, such as redistributing useful goods to people in need: food to shelters, used furniture for refugees, professional attire, community gardens, community compost, or even tools and skills.
Zero Waste encourages a circular economy to regenerate supplies, enable job creation, and strengthen community bonds. Zero Waste actually creates, on average, 10 times more jobs through reducing, reusing, and recycling, than through trash disposal. More jobs are created in rental, repairing, reusing, and sharing businesses, funds are spend on local products and services, and CO2 emissions are also eliminated by the lack of long distance transport.
Zero waste encourages a healthier lifestyle through less packages and processed foods/snacks to healthy fresh produce and bulk foods.
Zero waste SAVES money! DIY, buy second hand, check a buy-nothing, and items that are quality will last longer resulting in less spending overtime. Buying reusable also cuts costs, check out: 5 Things I’m Not Buying In 2021
It conserves resources and reduces pollution, reduces conflict, and shifts linear consumption habits to ones that benefit all of those around us, preserving natural resources.
There are so many more benefits that I could keep going, but I think we get the idea. Now that we have discussed what it is and why we should practice this form of green living, let’s jump into some valuable resources!
Similar: The Ultimate Zero Waste Grocery Guide: Michigan
Blogs To Read/Follow:
Similar: 10 Ways You Can Help Prevent Climate Change | Earth Day Series
Books
Garbology by Edward Humes
The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard
Cradle to Cradle by Michael Braungart and William McDonough
Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellog
Zero Waste by Shia Su
No Impact Man by Colin Beavan
How Bad are Bananas? by Mike Bernes-Lee
Losing Earth: A Recent History by Nathaniel Rich
Drawdown edited by Paul Hawken
An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore
This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein
On Fire by Naomi Klein
Great Tide Rising by Kathleen Dean Moore
The Water Will Come by Jeff Goodell
Eaarth by Bill McKibben
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells
American Wasteland by Jonathan Bloom
Waste Free Kitchen Handbook by Dana Gunders
My Zero Waste Kitchen by Kate Turner
The Fate of Food by Amanda Little
A Life Less Throwaway by Tara Button
F**K Plastic by Rodale Sustainability
The Case for the Green New Deal by Ann Pettifor
Cultivating Food Justice: Race, Class, and Sustainability by Alkon, Agyeman, et al.
The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah M. Broom
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins
Youtubers
Podcasts
The Slow Home Podcast
A Sustainable Mind
Conscious Chatter
Brown Girl Green
Low Tox Life
Good + Social
The Wardrobe Crisis
Green Dreamer
The Minimalists
The Green Divas
The Ethical Conversations Podcast
Sustainable Jungle
Sustainababble
Sustainable(ish)
Hey Change
What If We Get It Right?
52 Hertz
Practical(ly) Zero Waste
Think: Sustainability
Sustainability Defined
The Sustainable Agenda
Sustainable Minimalists
Pre-Loved Podcast
Starting Sustainability
There are so many more resources out there, but I didn’t want to overload anyone with the sheer quantity. Are there any must-see recourses that I should add? Let me know in the comments below!
