Zenful Zero Waste

According to the Zero Waste International Alliance - “Zero waste means designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing zero waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water, or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.” Although you can think of zero waste from a perspective of business practices, it is important to understand that just like with a vegan lifestyle, by choosing to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle you are directly profiting businesses with zero-waste practices while also reducing the profits of businesses that don’t. While every decision that you make to reduce your waste makes a difference, the end goal of zero waste is a circular economy where no resources are wasted.

Although zero waste living is great for the planet, there are definitely times that it isn’t great for your wallet. By reducing the amount of one-time-use items that you use, you will instead need to purchase high-quality products that will last much longer. For this reason, you will see an increase in the upfront cost of many products that you use daily. On the flip side, reducing your waste requires you to be more creative and frugal with anything that you buy. By buying clothes or furniture that is pre-loved, you will end up spending much less than you would have to buy these items brand new. Going zero waste isn’t necessarily easy, but any effort you make to reduce your waste is a step in the right direction.

Read as much as you can about going zero waste, we offer a zero-waste online course that is packed full of info as well as tips to help you transition to a zero-waste lifestyle with ease. Although you may not be able to completely cut out your waste instantly, you can start one step at a time by making note of products that you regularly buy and making adjustments accordingly. A few ideas could be using bamboo razors and toothbrushes, storing your meals in tiffins and jars rather than plastic containers, and getting a reusable bottle rather than purchasing plastic bottles from the shop. Although the idea of recycling may seem great, it is important to understand exactly how much of your recycled goods are actually reused.

Zero waste shops have become increasingly popular each year and you may have noticed one opening up in your local area. Zero waste shops aim to reduce waste by using no plastic, buying products from suppliers that share the same values, and sourcing their items locally. If you are interested in shopping in a zero waste shop, make sure to bring containers with you. If you are considering a zero-waste lifestyle, it is also a great place to talk to like-minded people and find out more about how you can reduce waste.

Although reducing your waste is a great thing to do, the goal of zero waste is to move towards a circular economy where no resources are wasted. As more people join the zero waste movement, this, in turn, encourages big corporations to change the way they operate. With enough weight behind this movement, this will also influence the government to enforce regulations, helping us to move closer to a circular economy. Being zero waste is an extremely difficult task, especially with the current systems in place that contribute to a frightening amount of waste that ruins the habitats of many animals on the planet. The zero-waste movement has gained much more attention in recent years as evidence has shown that the rate at which we are consuming the planet’s resources is unsustainable.