Plastic-free living, is not to live without plastic. Such a feat would be impossible for anyone that would like to live and interact within the realms of the modern society. Plastic-free living is more about reducing reliance on the material through our everyday actions. Think single use plastic like shopping bags, straws and over packaged food.
My view: I'm not against plastic, simply against it's misuse.
Recommended book: Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit (Revised and Updated), by Beth Terry
Zero waste, is an industrial term, used to describe a system that creates little to no rubbish. Living zero waste is about making the active decision to divert 90 percent of your own rubbish from landfill by following a philosophy of:
Rethinking, Refusing, Reducing, Reusing, Repairing, Sharing, Composting and, as a last step Recycling. The remaining 10 percent accounts for items that cannot be reused, recycled or composted.
My reason for going zero waste: The next generation should not have to deal with my rubbish. It’s my responsibility.
Recommended book: Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
I understand and accept waste is created, as a by-product of my day to day life, like heating my home or travelling. And I'll agree with anyone, that points out how misleading and confusing the word zero can be. For example, bulk food shopping is not completely zero waste. I believe the label 'Zero Waste' best describes someone who aims to send a reduced amount of rubbish to landfill. It's about making choices that are driven by intention, kindness and responsibility.
Why do people like you, who live zero waste, keep their rubbish in a jar?
The rubbish jar is simply a rubbish bin, just smaller. What was an experiment to see what rubbish I produced, has morphed into an educational tool, that I use to show what can be achieved. Essentially my rubbish jar is holds my ten percent; the items that cannot be reused, recycled or composted. My husband follows a zero waste lifestyle, but does not keep his rubbish in a jar when he makes it. And I've never asked him too. Storing rubbish in a jar, is not a prerequisite to living a zero waste lifestyle.
When I talk about the rubbish, that I make as a consumer, it includes everything inside the home and what I do outside the house too. So in my waste jar, you will find rubbish I made on a holiday to the Philippines and rubbish from my wedding. I don't advocate keeping all of my rubbish though. If applicable, I will now send it back to the company, with a letter, letting them know how they can make a smarter product with less waste. As a consumer, I can't take on all the responsibility of avoiding waste. I have to speak up to businesses, if I want change, and I see that as a key part of being responsible for my rubbish too. Full disclosure, I have three items that are part of the ten percent, but don't add to my jar of rubbish. These are toilet paper, used contraception and vacuum dust.
Under no circumstances, do I ever try to avoid waste or plastic when it comes to my health. Without our health, we have nothing.
You can read more about how I ended up living a plastic-free and zero waste life here.
The Talk
There will be some new and maybe even odd words that pop up if you dig around the blog. Here are a few and the meanings...
Circular Living / This is another term for zero waste living.
Pre-cycling / Another term for zero waste living.
Legacy Waste / Rubbish made before going zero waste.
Up-waste / This is the waste created when something is made. For example, when glass or cardboard is made, there would be some form of waste created in the process.
Upcycling / Taking something old and transforming it into a brand new object, therefore giving the original object a new life and saving its resources from landfill.
Down-cycling / When a material, usually plastic, can only be recycled once before that is the end of its life. Plastic bags are often down cycled into park benches or children play equipment. When either of these reach the end of their life, neither can be transformed again.
Bulk shopping / Buying food that is not individually prepackaged, sold at bulk stores.