What is zero waste

Zero waste consists of reducing waste through simple actions.

Zero waste is a way of life which aims to fight against plastic pollution and more generally global warming while preserving our health. Getting started with zero waste is very simple: you just need to change some of your habits. Step by step, everyone goes at their own pace according to their expectations.

The advantages of a zero waste lifestyle

The advantages are numerous:

Preserve the environment: by eliminating plastic, removing single-use disposable items and favoring natural materials, reduing the need for dumpster rentals and durable and reusable products.

Fight against food waste: by only purchasing the quantity you consume.

Improve your health: by consuming more organic, more natural and healthy products. This lifestyle encourages a more varied and balanced diet composed of fresh, seasonal, unprocessed and plastic-free products. Thanks to this way of living, we can also save time and money:

Free up time: zero waste goes hand in hand with decluttering, once rid of the superfluous we are freed to take the time to live and devote ourselves to the essentials (leisure, time with family, friends, etc.). It also means stopping thinking about constantly buying disposable products as soon as they are finished since we have opted for products that are washable and reusable over time.

Savings: this lifestyle costs less because we refocus on the essentials (what we really need), we no longer run to stores looking for clothes or objects that we don’t necessarily need. It is also an opportunity to test second-hand purchases, upcycling, and DIY to produce products at lower costs. It also means saving on the food budget, most of the time, bulk products are cheaper because you do not pay for packaging and the initial packaging is larger and therefore more advantageous. Finally, we cook more, which costs less than buying “ready-made” food.

How to adopt zero waste in any situation

Zero waste is practiced both in the city and in the countryside, in houses and apartments. Each room is concerned: kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, bedrooms, toilet, dressing room, garden, etc.

But zero waste does not stop at the doorstep, it adapts to all situations and can also be practiced outside the home. There are therefore solutions adapted to each moment of daily life by applying the 5 rules also called the 5Rs.

At home

How to get started with zero waste at home?

At home, there are healthy and sustainable alternatives to conventional disposable products for every room in order to help reduce waste and eliminate plastic in everyday life.

Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the rooms in which we produce the most waste. The biggest waste is packaging and food waste. It is therefore advisable to eliminate disposable packaging by buying in bulk and then storing your food in jars. For food preservation, move away from plastic and aluminum to reusable beeswax packaging, organic linen flat covers or stainless steel boxes for healthy food preservation.

It also means getting rid of plastic kitchen utensils, which are often harmful to our health, by opting for durable wooden or stainless steel utensils.

Finally, you compost your food scraps either in a classic outdoor composter or in an indoor worm composter.

Groceries

To do your zero waste shopping, favor purchasing products in bulk, by the cut or in returnable containers. Remember to bring your bulk bags for dry foods and your empty pots. These foods can be found almost everywhere: at the market, in organic stores, in producers’ stores, in bulk grocery stores or even in neighborhood shops (bakeries, greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers, caterers, etc.).

At work

Zero waste can also be achieved in business as long as some good practices are put in place. Eliminate disposable cups for drinks and replace them with a reusable cup or mug for each employee or buy tea and coffee in bulk. It also means mastering the use of consumables (paper, pencils, etc.) and choosing them better. As an individual, everyone can bring about change by talking about zero waste in their business and by raising awareness among those around them.