Zero Waste is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused.
The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerators, or the ocean. Currently, only 9% of plastic is actually
recycled. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature.
Let's start with landfills: landfills are anaerobic, meaning they lack oxygen, which is necessary for organic matter to break down in a healthy way. In the anaerobic environment of a landfill, decomposing matter emits more methane, a greenhouse
gas that’s much more potent than CO2. Keeping materials out of landfills is one critical route to tackling climate change.
Zero waste is also important for another reason. Beyond just keeping items out of landfills, it works to keep unnecessary products out of the production stream entirely, by encourages consumers to move away from single-use products in
favor of long-lasting ones that are used again and again.
I like to think about the example of a plastic spoon. If I used a plastic spoon every morning and threw it away at the end of breakfast each day for a month, not only will those 31 plastic spoons sit in the landfill for decades if not
centuries, but also that's 31 spoons of plastic material that needed to be mined, shipped to factories, made into forks, and shipped to me. When I reframe it that way, it makes just washing and reusing a metal spoon seem
like not that big of an inconvenience. To that spoon, now add paper napkins, plastic water bottles, plastic bags, cling wrap, tissues and every other disposable thing we touch each day. Zero waste has the potential to add up to a big
impact.
To find a few initial steps you can take that will have a big impact, consider what your biggest sources of trash and recycling are. Food scraps? Takeout containers? Toiletry bottles? If you start by reducing your trash in the areas where
you make the most, seeing the tangible changes each week will help motivate you to keep going. A few ideas: setting up composting at your home, making or purchasing some cotton produce bags to cut down on grocery waste, and working
on bringing your own water bottle, cloth napkin, and utensils along with you.