What does the term of "zero waste home" refer to?
"The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of all products, packaging, and materials, without burning them, and without discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health." [ Ref: Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA)]
In today's modern world, it's difficult to escape the rise in popularity of people aiming to be more climate and environmentally conscious. We've seen the massive rise of the profile of Swedish teenager and activist Greta Thunberg. So there's every reason for people to get involved because it is such a topical issue and concern.
Furthermore, it's imperative that we all do wake up and realise that immediate action is needed not just by governments but by all of us as individuals too. Even small changes in behaviour will get us on the road to becoming zero waste households.
Being a zero waste household does not just happen and it should be something that people strive for in small steps otherwise it can be deeply overwhelming and insurmountable.
As families, it's a part of our responsibility to the children of this generation to teach them the sensible ways to approach being more environmentally and waste conscious as this will stand our society in good stead in the long run.
The zero waste concept, coined by French lady Bea Johnson a number of years ago sees Bea and her family produce no more than one jar of waste per year from their household. This might seem unattainable but Ms. Johnson has documented in her books, blogs and speaking events how very possible this is for everyone in society.
It definitely will require planning and stringent behavioural household changes, but the results could be really interesting and not only impact positively on the environment but also on the household costs!
The guys at EZ Living Interiors & Furniture have put together this infographic below that outlines the whole background to the zero waste homes concept; it highlights some interesting statistics related to zero waste; it details and explains the zero waste hierarchy concept; it outlines the 5 R’s of zero waste and it points out actionable ways to reduce waste in your home plus lots more. Check out the full infographic below for all the details.
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