Approaching a Zero-Waste Lifestyle

PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLES
By Saniy Malhotra, Permaculture Education.com

Back in college, on one lazy Sunday afternoon, I was lying on bed and browsing through videos on YouTube. Very randomly, I came across this video about a woman who had been storing all her waste in a small glass jar. I was very fascinated and watched the entire video about “A day in her life” very patiently. This woman was Lauren Singer, one of the most popular propagators of the zero-waste lifestyle. Of course, back then I had no idea about this concept. It didn’t seem necessary or even viable to achieve, for a long time.

Exactly 2 years later something changed. I started living alone and dealing with my waste on my own. Every day I used to go out to empty the trash and feel my heart sink. One fine day, after a house party, amidst the plastic cups, disposable cutlery, takeout boxes, and glass bottles, I realized that all this trash doesn’t really go anywhere if I throw it ‘away’. There is no ‘away.

This realization genuinely changed my life. I researched a lot, talked to people, experimented, heard podcasts, saw videos, read articles, and finally came up with a few easy ways in which I could reduce my waste without investing a lot of time and money. If you are even slightly interested in knowing how you can reduce your carbon footprint and impact the earth, keep reading!

Shop smart – Think before making a purchase. Don’t just buy something because you like it. Ask yourself these questions before you pay for something:

• Do I need this or do I just want to get it because I can?
• Can I find a store that will refill my container and avoid any packaging at all?\Is it packaged in glass/paper/board?
• If not, can I find an alternate brand that has the same product in recyclable/biodegradable packaging?
  Are the ingredients ethically sourced?
• Can I DIY something like this from things available at home?
• Can I buy this second hand from a thrift store? (clothes/home décor/appliances, etc.)
• Can I borrow it from a friend/relative who doesn’t need it anymore? (clothes/home décor/appliances, etc.)
• Can I get a local brand of the same product? (It will have a low transportation footprint and would involve employment of locals – like a farmer’s market)

Zero Waste Shop
Start segregating – Although the aim should always be to produce no waste, in practice this can be difficult. Something or the other always appears. So, when it does, one should know how to deal with it, consciously. Metal, paper, cardboard, glass – all this can be recycled. Make sure you have separate bins for recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Some types of plastics can also be recycled. Check with your local recycling unit what is acceptable and make sure to add that.

Segregate Waste
Follow zero waste practitioners– Find people in your country who are already on this journey. Follow their blogs, YouTube and Instagram channels to know about the easy swaps that make their life waste free. Since these people are from your country, you would have easy access to all the brands/assistance they talk about. For example, switching to bamboo brushes instead of plastic ones, buying soap bars wrapped in paper instead of body washes in plastic bottles, zero waste food recipes, stores to buy in bulk from, thrift stores, slow sustainable fashion brands and so much more.

Change your perspective – Instead of viewing things as waste, start viewing them as resources that you, the environment, the manufacturer, and probably an oil rig paid for. Try to make the best use of it. Repurpose it, reuse it, and only then recycle it. Recycling is an energy intensive process and should be done only when we can’t find any other use for that piece of ‘resource’ (not waste). While you are at it, also eliminate the notion that new is good. You can wear clothing more than once. Your phone can be 3 years old. Your blanket can have a mismatched cloth patch to cover a hole. Having money does not mean that you have to buy things when you experience the slightest inconvenience. Think of the larger picture and the resources involved in manufacturing something new. This is the real inconvenience we need to think about.

There is no waste in nature. The waste of one cycle, ends up becoming a feeding resource for another one. As human beings we should learn from this holistic approach. This would not only avoid waste but also save us tons of raw resources and money. In fact, the Permaculture Principles directly and indirectly talk about this a lot. Principle 6: “Produce no Waste” directly helps designers eliminate the possibility of waste while designing. “Use Small and Slow Solutions” and “Integrate rather than Segregate”, when you start implementing these principles, you will realize that they also help the designer eliminate waste by creating multifunctional, interconnected processes.

If you feel that you can start making conscious efforts to help the Earth, you should visit our website and take the Permaculture Design Certificate Course. Recycling and designing for zero-waste are just a tiny part of all that you will learn in the 72-hours of course content. Upon completion of the PDC Course, you will be a certified Permaculture Designer who can help other people start their green journey!