The increase in global waste, from food to plastic, has increased exponentially over the last decades. Estimates by The World Bank suggest we generate 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually across the globe. An estimated 33 percent of that (conservatively, it is not managed in a manner that protects environmental health.
From their estimates, we can infer this equates to roughly 0.74 kilograms of waste per person per day, or 1.63 pounds. This rate depends largely on the country in question, thus, accurate ranges fall between 0.11 to 4.54 kilograms per person, or .25 to 10 pounds. The discrepancies in these totals derive from high-income countries, who make up 16% of the global population, yet generate 34 percent of the world’s waste.
While solutions to this large global problem will need to be addressed by governments and regulatory bodies, individuals are beginning to take matters into their own hands.
Individuals inspired by the growing waste problem have developed their own ideologies and principles to do their part. Social media and social sharing has certainly aided in spreading this lifestyle.
Low-waste or zero-waste are performed slightly differently, yet the goal of these lifestyles remains the same: to become a conscious consumer, and leave nothing, or little, to waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines zero-waste as a concept that:
“Conserves all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
Those who practice this lifestyle as consumers typically follow one of, or a combination of, low-waste and zero-waste.
Individuals practicing these lifestyles vary in their methods and how strict they are at adhering to rules of avoiding waste. However, here are the main ways waste is conserved or diverted from landfills.
The central methods of living a low to zero waste lifestyle involve following the Five-R method. This method allows beginners and advanced participants to have a lifestyle guide to assist them in every-day situations. The method is as follow:
This method is a counter argument to the well-known and well-taught method of reduce, reuse, recycle. Of which, many activists and zero-waste followers believe to be outdated and less effective. These values offer practical guides to those following, or attempting to follow, a low or zero-waste lifestyle. Let’s break them down.
This step specifically counters the old rule of reducing, meaning to reduce consumption of wasteful items or products. While reducing waste is a great tip, a zero-waste lifestyle asks participants to refuse any and all items that contribute to waste, when these items are not of necessity.
Items that are of necessity and contribute to food, plastic, or other types of waste, should be limited as frequently as possible. This may be medications and other types of necessities for your household that are unavoidable. The lifestyle asks participants to find alternatives that are waste-free or less wasteful instead of continuing with the status quo.
Refusing items encourages participants to become better consumers. That is, by shopping with a higher level of consciousness to avoid purchasing wasteful items or those in excess packaging. This may be challenging in the beginning of a waste-free journey, but is recalled by long-time participants as a rewarding challenge that gets easier with time.
When starting a waste-free journey, it is suggested to audit your lifestyle and home to best-judge what items you toss out frequently. Typically, food waste and plastic packaging are at the top of the list. In fact, over one-third of food globally is wasted. This equates to 1.3 billion tons. By auditing, you have a better understanding of what habits should be adjusted to reach a low or zero-waste goal. For example, becoming a better shopper and reducing the volume of food you purchase if you find yourself throwing away spoiled food often.
By reusing items or products, you extend the life of their item, diverting them from premature disposal. Those following a low to zero-waste lifestyle aim to purchase items or products they believe will serve as multi-purpose, items that are reusable, and items that will last a long time.
This is a guideline in the zero-waste community that places emphasis on refusing any and all single-use products, and replacing them with reusable ones. The argument also stands that reusable items are more cost effective long-term compared to single-use products, which are usually cheaper at the moment.
Typical swaps include reusable water bottles to replace plastic bottles, reusable metal straws to replace single-use plastic straws, and refillable items and packaging.
One’s access to recycling programs depends largely on the country and municipality they live in.
However, beginners are encouraged to do their best to recycle what they are able. The recycling centers that cities or towns utilize vary, thus not all items are accepted by some centers, where others accept a larger variety of recyclables.
While the primary goals remind us to refuse, reduce, and reuse, recycling is an encouraged step in the zero-waste movement, as it is still viewed as more environmentally friendly than landfill disposal. Typical items you see recycled are plastics, cardboard, and paper products.
As previously mentioned, food waste accounts for a large percent of disposed materials. Those in the zero-waste community implore individuals to utilize food waste in a better way. Composting is the controlled process of turning food waste into rich, nutrient dense soils by promoting healthy, natural decomposition.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 28% of our food waste can be composted instead of land-filled. This includes yard clippings. Some cities have their own composting programs that residents can join for a small monthly fee. This is typical in areas with high population density and urban housing. However, if you own property, you can start composting today with very little area.
To learn more about composting, including how to start your own compost, read our: COMPOSTING: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO GET STARTED blog post.
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