Even though cutting down on waste in the home may be relatively common concept these days,\u00a0there was once a time that undertaking a lifestyle change of such magnitude had only crossed the\u00a0minds of very few.<\/p>\n
Among these pioneers, Bea Johnson rose up to share her journey through the blog Zero Waste\u00a0Home<\/a>, later followed by a book of the same name.<\/p>\n When I decided to cut down on plastic consumption<\/a> in my own home earlier this year, I started\u00a0following her work more closely. However, I only recently got my hands on Zero Waste Home<\/em><\/a> (the\u00a0book) and found it to be the all-encompassing, easy-to-follow guide I\u2019d been seeking all this time.\u00a0In 260-plus pages, Johnson unpacks the philosophy of voluntary simplicity that underscores her\u00a0 family\u2019s lifestyle and also shares a wealth of practical tips, advice and recipes. The book is built\u00a0around the 5R\u2019s of Zero Waste \u2013 Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot \u2013 related to each aspect of\u00a0 homelife.<\/p>\n While I highly recommend reading the book in its entirety, here are five points that really stood out to me:<\/p>\n We all know that a messy space leads to a messy mind. However, did you ever consider that a\u00a0cluttered space also robs you of precious time?\u00a0Quite honestly, I never really made that connection. However, Johnson makes it clear that cutting\u00a0down on unnecessary space, furniture, d\u00e9cor etc actually also made space for her family to a live a\u00a0fuller life.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we found during this transitional period is that with less stuff, we had time to do things we\u00a0enjoyed doing. Since we no longer spent every weekend mowing our lawn and caring for our huge\u00a0house and its contents, we now spent our time together as a family, biking, hiking, picnicking and\u00a0discovering our new coastal region. It was liberating,\u201d she writes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Realising that your \u2018junk\u2019 problem starts far beyond the four walls of your home is probably the crux\u00a0to living a successful zero waste lifestyle. \u201cCurbing consumption is a major aspect of reducing waste (what we do not consume ultimately will\u00a0need to be discarded), but consumption does not occur solely through the obvious act of shopping,\u201d\u00a0writes Johnson. \u201cIn our society, we start consuming the moment we step out the door and pick up a\u00a0dry-cleaning advert hanging on the knob, or a plastic bag stuffed with a leaflet promoting\u00a0landscaping services in the front yard.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ultimately, she argues that we need to be continually conscientious in making decisions AGAINST\u00a0mindless consumption. Also, it\u2019s up to all of us to refuse, so that eventually, we no longer need to. Supply affects demand.<\/p>\n \u201cRefusing is a concept based on the power of collectivity: if we all refuse hotel freebies, then they\u00a0will no longer be offered; if we all refuse receipts, then they will no longer need to be printed.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you\u2019re still struggling to refuse products politely, you can start by carrying reusable coffees mugs<\/a>,\u00a0straws<\/a>, shopping totes<\/a> or produce bags<\/a> with you wherever you go. There are amazing, and easy, replacements for single-use items.<\/p>\n One of the most exciting aspects of undertaking a journey toward a less wasteful life, is the fact that\u00a0it offers you the opportunity to get creative! In an effort to avoid unnecessary packaging or impulse\u00a0buys, making your own products becomes a sort of go-to.\u00a0In Zero Waste Home, Johnson shares how she\u2019s made everything from Dijon Mustard to her own \u2013\u00a0initially unsuccessful \u2013 mascara.<\/p>\n \u201cMy kitchen is a science lab. If I pull some beets out of the refrigerator, I might end up with a salad, a\u00a0lip stain or a watercolour dye. The options are infinite and limited only by my creativity,\u201d she writes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In this day and age of convenience, we\u2019ve somehow come to believe that everything we need can\u00a0only be bought. However, when you start doing a bit of research about your favourite treats or\u00a0beauty products, you may find that they\u2019re surprisingly easy to make!\u00a0There is, of course, also the added benefit of knowing EXACTLY what goes into your products when\u00a0taking this approach \u2013 gone are the days of trying to decipher the names of mystery ingredients on\u00a0the label.\u00a0As Johnson explains:<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond satisfying my curiosity, making my own food [and beauty products]\u00a0also provides a sense of control and reassurance that comes along with handpicking the ingredients\u00a0versus eating food made with a long list of things I can neither pronounce nor trust.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The book is packed with recipes for edibles, cosmetics, toiletries and even cleaning products, tried\u00a0and tested by Johnson herself. What makes them really great is the fact that most of the ingredients\u00a0are easy to source and mostly quite affordable.<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure most of us can agree that composting is probably one of the most daunting parts of going\u00a0Zero Waste. This is especially true if you live in a small space and don\u2019t have a garden of your own.<\/p>\n Johnson is, however, adamant that since a quarter of kitchen waste is compostable, \u2018Rot\u2019 is key to\u00a0cutting down on your overall solid waste in the home.<\/p>\n Even when living in a small apartment, you can invest in a composting system<\/a> that won\u2019t take up\u00a0much space or can be hidden away easily under your kitchen counter.<\/p>\n And what to do with the \u2018compost tea\u2019 if you don\u2019t have a garden? Easy! Feed some to your\u00a0houseplants<\/a> and donate the rest. In Cape Town, you can take your kitchen waste or \u2018compost tea\u2019 to\u00a0the Oranjezicht City Farm<\/a> in Cape Town or to Future Farms SA<\/a> in JHB, so they can use it to grow As with any big lifestyle change, there will always be those wonderful people who support you\u00a0through thick and thin on your way to a Zero Waste home. BUT, you can also be sure to encounter\u00a0those who will have something negative to say.<\/p>\n Some may find your newfound commitment to cutting down on unnecessary consumption too\u00a0extreme, while others might tell you you\u2019re not doing enough\u2026 or doing it wrong.\u00a0While well-intended advice is always welcome, don\u2019t let other people\u2019s opinions ever get you down.\u00a0Unsurprisingly, Johnson has encountered more than her fair share of this along the way and writes\u00a0the following:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat matters to us is not what people think but how good we feel about what we do. It is not the\u00a0preconceived restrictions but the infinite possibilities that we have discovered in Zero Waste that\u00a0make it a subject worth elaborating. And I am excited at the prospect of sharing what we have\u00a0learned to help others better their lives.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you want to tap into some of Bea Johnson\u2019s practical advice yourself, be sure to get your hands on\u00a0Zero Waste Home<\/a>!<\/p>\n Start Curing the Waste Crisis: Recycling – A 101 Guide<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n1. Decluttering your life, declutters your time<\/h1>\n
2. Waste reduction starts outside the home<\/h1>\n
\nOnce you understand this, you can start implementing the first and most important of Zero Waste\u2019s\u00a05R\u2019s \u2013 \u2018Refuse\u2019. It also happens to be the most difficult of the 5R\u2019s, because it can put us in very\u00a0awkward positions socially. That is until we decide to stop caring about feeling like a weirdo for
\ntaking our reusable containers to our favourite takeaway outlets or saying \u2018no thank you\u2019 to the\u00a0goody bag at a conference.<\/p>\n3. Reconnect to the joys of \u2018making\u2019<\/h1>\n
4. Composting is king<\/h1>\n
\nmore beautiful veggies!<\/p>\n5. There will always be critics<\/h1>\n