Zero Waste Week

What is Zero Waste?

The primary purpose of the Zero Waste movement is to attempt to eliminate as much waste from your daily routine as possible. The massive amounts of trash that accumulate in landfills and oceans around the world present a variety of environmental issues such as pollution, water and air contamination, ecosystem destructions, and contribution to carbon dioxide emissions. While many people acknowledge that for a variety of reasons it is nearly impossible to prevent no waste, there are many steps one can take to avoid creating unnecessary waste. 

Steps to Becoming Zero Waste (EarthEasy Blog)

1. Refuse what you don’t need. This prevents unwanted items from coming into your home and applies to all those promotional items you’re offered, along with things like junk mail and plastic straws.
2. Reduce what you do use. This equals less waste overall.
   1. Reuse whatever you can. Can you extend the lifespan of something by mending, handing down, or repairing? Can you buy or sell second-hand? Reusing also means swapping disposable products for reusable ones that can easily be laundered instead of thrown away.
3. Recycle what you can’t refuse or reduce. Recycling is one way to save resources from ending up in the waste stream and eventually a landfill. 
4. Let everything else decompose. Composting food scraps, paper pieces, and wooden or bamboo toothbrushes returns nutrients and fiber back to the earth.