Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 5
Twelve Steps to a Zero Waste Lifestyle
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick Keith and this is episode #5 called 12 Steps to a Zero Waste Lifestyle. And I have to say that I am particularly excited to bring you this episode because once again, during my research I truly learned a lot and I really want to pass this on to you.
Having a lifestyle with zero waste is one of the most sustainable choices that you can make. This lifestyle has tremendous impact on the environment and on the planet as a whole. A zero waste lifestyle is about reducing what you need, reusing as much as you can, and composting what is left over. But, think about this for a minute. I just used the same word three different times in the last few sentences. What word was that.......it was “lifestyle”.
But before I go any further, I want to just give you a brief overview of what this episode is going to cover.
-First I want to talk a little more about what I eluded to just now, and that is the fact the zero waste is a lifestyle choice.
-Then I want to mention the core values of a zero waste and minimalistic lifestyle.
-I want to briefly mention a very direct way to simplify your life.
-And of course along the way I will give examples from my own life
-Then I want to give you 12 tips for going zero waste
-Then in the end I will give a brief summary and say a few words about my next episode.
Okay, that said let’s get started.
So, let’s get back to the concept of lifestyle.
If you listened to my last episode on Alternatives to a Consumer Society, then you know that getting away from that treadmill requires a change in lifestyle. The same is true with the concept of zero waste. It is a lifestyle choice.
Whether you realize it or not, you make choices regarding your lifestyle every single day. But part of the problem is that in almost everything we do in our culture, we are served up a huge dose of convenience. In fact we are surrounded, and buried by the way, with our convenience based society. As a result, the average American sends over 4 pounds of trash to the landfill every single day.
The other problem is that we are blasted with so much advertising and media. We are convinced that more is better. We also get convinced that we need the “professionals”, so to speak, to manufacture and process all of our consumables, such as cleaning products, beauty products, and food items. But the simple fact is that we do not need most of these products. And in fact, we can learn to make many of these same products with the use of very little or no packaging waste.
For example, after doing research for one of my last episodes, I decided to make my own laundry detergent. I found a simple recipe online and gave it a try. Not only is it superior to any commercial brand I have used but all the packaging of the ingredients can be recycled.
Recipe for laundry detergent:
-1 bar of Felt Naptha, grated (can also use a laundry bar, Zote, Ivory, Kirk’s Castille soap
-14 oz of Borax
-14 oz of washing soda
Use 1 Tbsp for a small load. 2 to 3 Tbsp for large load or items that are heavily soiled.
Fact check folks: Did you know in 2018 there was 82.2 million tons of municipal solid waste generated that was packaging material. This amounted to 28.1 percent of the total waste generated.
See the link in the transcript called:
Facts and Figures About Materials, Waste, and Recycling This is an article by the EPA.
But, let’s get back to subject of lifestyle choice. We all make choices regarding out lifestyle every single day. You may not feel that way because you are accustomed to your very insulated lifestyle where you are complete dependent on someone’s else’s effort to supply all of your daily needs.
Now, as I like to say in my blog Off Grid Living News, when you live off the grid and manage your own resources, you are in fact responsible for everything that you do and everything that you don’t do. But, the same is true for your everyday lifestyle choice.
Now, your choice is to continue to live the way you do, and maybe this is benign neglect by allowing someone else to be in
control of all of your resources, or you can live your life with intention.
Bottom line: That is what a zero waste lifestyle is all about. It is about living your life very intentionally. It is about making some positive changes and making a difference.
The core principles of minimalism and zero waste are essentially the same. It is about living responsibly, being self aware, taking responsibility for all that you do and all that you don’t do, it is about cutting out the excess, and finding out when enough is enough. It is about defining the things in your life that truly make you happy and getting rid of the rest.
Now, speaking of that, I do have a post on my blog at Off Grid Living News dot com, that is titled The Importance of Simplifying Your Life. In that post, I mention that the short version of simplicity is simply two steps.
1)Identify what is truly important to you,the things that bring you value, give you happiness, and produce the kind of life you really want.
2) Eliminate every thingelse.
If you want to go directly to this article, there is a link in the transcript for this podcast titled.
The Importance of Simplifying Your Life
But, the bottom line here is that just like anything else, having a zero waste lifestyle is an intentional choice. Similar to my living off the grid, it is an intentional choice.
Now similar to living off the grid, or living sustainably, a zero waste lifestyle is a journey. You first make that choice, then learn as much as you can, then take one step at a time. For example, it may surprise you to know that despite my choice to go off grid over 20 years ago, I am still learning and I am still making improvements. So, I am still on my journey as well.
So, up front, that is what you have to know. Zero waste is a lifestyle choice and it is a journey. Let me emphasize, it will not happen over night. But the important thing is that you make a commitment to it, and start by making one single change, then another, then another.
One person can make a difference. Remember, who would have thought that a teenager named Gretta Thunberg could bring international attention to the subject of climate change. But she did.
Did you know that the average person in our culture generates over 1,600 pounds of trash each year. Consequently, every effort you make to go zero waste does make a difference.
So, let’s get down to some suggestions on how you can start making some changes and moving toward a zero waste lifestyle.
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Tip #1
Question what’s normal.
Okay, going zero waste means thinking outside the box and questioning the normal standards of how we live.
I often jokingly say that if you find yourself in agreement with the majority of people around you, the first thing you need to do is run the other way. Because people so often suffer from what I call “Sheeple Syndrome”.
What this means is that the masses often run around like a bunch of sheep just doing what other people are doing because if so many people are doing that it must be the correct of best way to do things. Right?
Well, nothing could be further from the truth.
Tip #2
Think about the reason you want to do this because this establishes your personal motivation. That motivation is something you will have to re-visit on a regular basis. For example:
Are you tired or worrying about climate change?
Are you tired of political leaders that could care less about the environment?
Are you can active outdoors person and you are tired of seeing all the trash?
Do you love spending time on the beach or in the ocean and hate seeing trash wash up?
Did you actually develop health problems from using commercial products that contain toxins?
Tip #3
Dig through your trash!
Yes that is exactly what I said! The first thing you need to do is come to some realization on how much trash you are producing and what type of trash that is. If you do not want to dig through your trash, then make a list of everything you put in the trash for two weeks. This will give you an overall idea of what you need to address.
Tip #4
Focus on one area of your life at a time.
Examine how you live everyday. If you get to go coffee on a regular basis, you are likely throwing away paper coffee cups. Either look at getting a reusable cup or make it a priority to make coffee at home.
If you get take out food on a regular basis, you are producing a lot of trash.
Okay, I have to admit something here. After a very long work day, I starting doing some research for this podcast episode. Since I was not going to get home until 8 o’clock at night, I decided to order take out food. I was reading through several articles regarding a zero waste lifestyle while sitting at my desk. I suddenly realized just how much plastic waste was sitting on my desk just from bringing home take out food.
And yes folks, I am not perfect and I too need to make better and more mindful choices. So folks, allow me to emphasize this point once again. Going zero waste is a process. It is not going to happen over night. It may take you a year or so to get to the point of zero waste if that is your goal.
Tip #5 Buy local
Buying from local merchants goes a long way toward being able to purchase items without packaging. You can find bulk dry goods, soap, meat, cleaning products, and many other items.
Now I found this really cool website the other day. It is called litterless.com . That is l-i-t-t-e-r-l-e-s-s-dot com. It has a list of businesses in each state that focuses on zero waste principles. So go to litterless.com and check it out. I will also put a link to this website in the blog post for this podcast.
litterless.com
Tip #6
Refuse what you don’t need.
For example, do not use a straw when you go to a restaurant. Don’t use paper towels. If you think there will be left overs to take home after eating at a restaurant, take you own container with you.
Tip #7
Avoid using plastic as much as possible.
Okay, I want to make a special point of this and I want you to use your imagination for a moment.
Imagine 15 grocery bags filled with plastic trash. Now further imagine those 15 bags piled on every single square yard of shoreline in the world. That is is how much plastic trash that ends up in the ocean every single year.
Now nothing will help you gain a better perspective on this problem than personal experience. Such was the case with me a couple of years ago when I was on Honduras doing some advanced training in scuba diving. As part of this 6 week program, we were required to spend half a day of our time doing beach clean up. There was a group of about 20 of us. In half a day we pick up 60 large trash bags of plastic waste off the beach. When we were finished, it did not even look as if we had put even a small dent in the amount of trash that was on that particular beach.
That was when I made the personal commitment to reduce the amount of plastic products I was using.
So, what each of us can do for example, is avoid using plastic grocery bags. Purchase reusable grocery and produce bags.
Instead of using plastic food storage containers, use glass canning jars, glass storage containers, silicone container, cloth food sacks or stainless steel.
Just recently I switched to using silicone ziplock bags for food storage. And one other thing I am just started looking into the other day is making my own bees wax wraps. There is a simple process where wax can be melted and used to coat cloth. That can then be used to wrap food in instead of using plastic ziplock bags.
Tip #8
Eliminate using disposable paper products such as paper towels and paper plates.
Okay, one easy thing that I recently did is I purchased a set of camping plates and utensils to carry in my truck or I put them in my lunch box. Most placed I travel to for work have a small kitchen area or break room for employees. Every single place I go, without fail, has paper or styrofoam plates, bowls, and plastic utensils. So, I use my own dinner ware instead of using paper and plastic.
I also purchased 24 twelve inch square cleaning clothes for $10. I carry my own personal hand towel instead of using paper towels. Since I work in a lot of hospitals, I wash my hands 50 times a day. I went from using 50 paper towels a day to zero.
Tip #9
Start composting.
Did you know that about 80% of the trash we produce is actually organic material. You can avoid that by simply composting. If you live in an apartment, then do composting with worms. I actually have a blog post on my site Off Grid Living News about composting with worms. This is actually what we do despite living on 46 acres. We do not have a large outdoor compost bin because it would attract bears.
But, I am also have some links in the blog post for this episode to direct you toward some resources about composting.
Tip #10
Reduce your food waste.
Did you realize that 25% of the food produce in the US goes in the trash. This is due to losses during transportation, losses at the supermarket, and the things that we all throw away everyday. Now I mentioned something about this in my last podcast episode called How Much Should One Person Be Allowed to Use. The amount of food waste we produce annually is enough food to feed a small country for several years.
So, mange your food more carefully. Cook smaller portions if you need to. Or cook larger meals and freeze the extra.
Tip #11
Buy in bulk
If you find it difficult to find ways to purchase food items without packaging, then buying in bulk will at least reduce the amount of throw away packaging. So buy in bulk and make sure that the packing is actually something that can be recycled.
So, an example in my own life. One of the things I enjoy is good coffee. I thought about this the other day so I started shopping online and found sources where I can purchase coffee in 5 lb containers. And the packaging is something that can be recycled.
Tip #12
Remember the 5 Principles of Zero Waste.
These principles are from the experts. And I will mention these in order of importance with the most important principle being #1.
-Refuse to purchase items with lots of packaging
-Reduce: Don’t purchase things that you don’t really need. Did you know that one in 11 Americans rent a storage unit because they have so much stuff and no where to put it.
-Reuse: Repurpose old items, shop at second hand stores, and stop purchasing disposable items
-Compost: Remember that roughly 80% of your trash can actually be composted
-Recycle everything you can. Now this probably goes without saying, but by following the previous principle of refuse, reduce, reuse, and compost, this should minimize what you actually have to compost.
Okay, I want to emphasize something as I am nearing the end of this episode. Zero waste is a lifestyle choice. Just as my living off the grid is lifestyle choice. Things will not happen overnight. It is important to make changes slowly, take baby steps but stay committed and focused. It may take you a year or more to get there. But in the end, it will simplify your life, it will actually save you a lot of money, and you will be taking a giant step toward sustainability.
And also, don’t forget that I will have multiple links to additional reading and resources both in the blog post associated with the podcast episode as well as in the transcript which you can download.
Now as always, I am going to close this episode by giving you a challenge.
First and most importantly, commit to memory the 5 principles of zero waste, which are refuse, reduce, reuse, compost, and recycle.
Secondly, take any one of the other tips listed above and make that a part of your life. And those tips are
Questions what’s normal
Establish your personal motivation for going zero waste Dig through your trash
Focus on one area of your life at a time
Buy local
Refuse what you don’t need
Avoid using plastic products
Eliminate using disposable paper products
Start composting
Reduce your food waste
Buy in bulk
Well folks that is it for today for my 12 steps to a zero waste lifestyle. Now that I have discussed various topics related to sustainability, in my next episode, I want to do a broad overview of the basic concepts of sustainability. And in later episodes, I will of course get more in detail.
Again, I hope you have enjoyed this material. If so please subscribe to my podcast The Adventures in Sustainable Living as well as my blog Off Grid Living News.
That is all for today folks. This is your host Patrick signing off. Having a fantastic day. And remember....
Go off grid. Live well. And always be sustainable.
