As the effects of climate change and human-led environmental damage become ever more apparent, the way we live our lives will need to change. Lifestyle choices, such as zero-waste living, can contribute to a more sustainable future.
What is ‘zero waste’?
The idea behind the zero-waste movement is simple: generate as little waste as possible, especially avoiding single-use plastics and other disposables.
Reducing wasteful consumerism is the first step. Not buying unnecessary products saves resources as there’s no need to manufacture replacements.
Reusing and repurposing products you purchase is perhaps the most important zero-waste process. This could mean saving glass jars from sauces to use as candle holders or flower vases, or magazine pages saved for gift wrapping.
As the focus is to send zero waste to landfill, recycling can aid low-waste lifestyles if done properly. If a purchase cannot be avoided, and the product unable to be reused, recycling provides a final option.
Plastic pollution and ineffective recycling
Less waste means less pollution. As we face a plastic pollution crisis, the amount manufactured should be drastically reduced in favour of natural, sustainable alternatives.
Microplastics – small particles of degraded plastic – have been found throughout the food chain and in human bodies. The long-term health effects of this contamination are currently unknown. Plastic can absorb chemicals and toxins in the environment, making it incredibly hazardous.
Only 9% of plastic ever created has been successfully recycled, due to inefficient systems and improper disposal. Because recycling can generate a ‘false’ sense of sustainability, access to recycling facilities can encourage irresponsible consumerism as the waste appears manageable.
The truth of landfill and waste
Even biodegradable organic matter struggles to decompose in landfill. This leads to waste persisting in the environment after disposal.
Any decomposition that does occur releases greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. Toxins and chemicals can also leach into the air, soil, and waterways, polluting local plant and animal life.
Once a landfill site is full, another must be created. This can involve deforestation or land clearance. The site then becomes a rubbish pit for years. Once full and covered, the soil and surrounding wildlife may be polluted or damaged, harming future growth.
Start living a zero-waste life
Begin with a waste audit. Identify your most wasteful habits by noting what you throw away, and then consider solutions.
If your waste is mostly food scraps, find recipes which incorporate peelings and start composting. Throwing away mostly plastic food packaging? Buy more boxed dried goods and loose produce. Remember also: cardboard is more reliably recycled and less toxic than plastic.
Compostable products are helpful zero-waste multipliers. Breaking down in home compost, alongside organic matter, they become natural fertiliser. There’s no need for resource-intensive processes and no landfill waste.
The environmental benefits of a circular economy
Closed-loop or ‘circular’ economies help enable zero-waste living. Traditional milk delivery is an example: a reusable glass bottle is delivered, used by the customer, then returned to the dairy for sanitising and reuse. New bottles are neither regularly produced nor discarded.
Circular economies draw inspiration from the natural world where ‘waste’ is simply a resource for other life. For example, food scraps and peelings from one family can be given to a community garden, to grow produce for others, which in turn becomes compost again.
Zero waste from start to finish
Living a zero-waste life is about reducing wasteful consumerist dependencies, which impact on the environment. Making low-waste choices where possible helps more, and is more practicable, than aiming for absolute zero-waste in a society not currently designed for that goal.
Eco-friendly products should be manufactured with a zero-waste ethos. FOOGO green’s natural tableware does just that. Our plates, bowls and trays are made from naturally fallen areca palm leaves, which are gathered, washed and pressed in a chemical-free process.
Similarly, our disposable wheat straws are gathered from the leftovers of grain harvests, and our compostable cutlery is made from sustainably sourced birch wood.
Start your zero-waste journey today with our plastic-free products by visiting our online store today.