Zero Waste Lifestyle – How It Works!

The Zero-waste lifestyle is one of the smartest lifestyles of our time. Zero Waste does not mean more than “Zero Waste” and aims to avoid waste and, above all, not waste raw materials to preserve our unique nature for future generations. Now I would like to explain to you exactly what is behind the no-waste lifestyle, the basic rules of the no-waste lifestyle, and why this lifestyle will change the whole world. 

Here is a short table of contents for you: 

What is Zero Waste? 

Zero Waste Benefits 

10 Zero Waste Rules (10 Rs) 

The Future of Zero Waste 

Conclusion 

THE NEW LIFESTYLE WHAT IS ZERO WASTE? 

As already briefly mentioned, the environmentally-conscious no-waste lifestyle aims to avoid litter, not wasting raw materials, and instead of using them over and over again. One trend has become a fast-growing movement that is more effective against plastic waste in the environment than any other project. Because zero waste does not generate any waste, and if it happens, it is fed to the recycling circuit. 

The Zero Waste Lifestyle has the vision to change the consciousness of all people on earth to prefer a sustainable lifestyle in which materials and resources are reused for other things. Zero waste is particularly attractive for ethics, economics, and efficiency. Companies, in particular, are in demand because they have to optimise their processes and products in such a way that they are as resource-efficient as possible and free of packaging. Zero Waste is a fantastic environmental movement. 

You should be careful with the term because Zero Waste is not included where it says Zero Waste. It’s easy enough for a company to show off the Zerowaste lifestyle just by putting the term on the box. Except for the customer, no one tries something like this today. From a business perspective, the goal should be to optimise the process chain as resource-efficiently as possible. That pleases the customer and then again the entrepreneur. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF ZEROWASTE  

Before giving you the exact implementation tips, I would like to show you the motivating benefits of Zero Waste. The following reasons speak  in favour of changing your lifestyle to a zero-waste lifestyle: 

 ZERO WASTE HEALTHY LIVING 

Those who live the zero waste lifestyle have less contact with plastic. Plastic food packaging excretes harmful substances such as bisphenol-A (BPA) and, of course, phthalates, which we ingest with our food. These plasticisers are suspected of causing cancer, diabetes, and many other diseases. Plastic changes our hormonal balance and is particularly dangerous for the development of children. These substances are now detectable in each of us in urine. So if you consciously live the zero-waste lifestyle, you also live healthier. As a general rule, you only come into contact with natural things that do not have negative consequences for your health. A good reason to start the no-waste lifestyle. But there is more! 

SAVE BIG MONEY WITH ZERO WASTE 

With the Zero Waste lifestyle, you not only automatically live healthier, but you also have more money in your wallet! Why is that? There are several reasons for this: 

You automatically live in a more minimalist way: Decide on a more conscious lifestyle, such as zero waste, examine your purchases and spend less money on unnecessary things. You can find more information about this in the article Minimalism How to live in a more minimalist way. 

Almost No Trash Fees – Live the zero waste lifestyle, and you’ll quickly notice that the trash can is not as full anymore, and there are significantly lower fees for trash collection due to your small household trash. 

Tap water is cheaper – get a reusable drinking bottle and fill it with healthy tap water. Tap water is at least 250 times cheaper than water from a plastic bottle. You can learn more about this in the article Plastic Bottle Water  VS Tap Water. 

Reuse instead of single-use items: Those who buy tissues, parchment paper, aluminium foil, and co as single-use items end up paying significantly more. Switching to a zero-waste lifestyle is worth it because, for example, plastic-free alternatives to tissues, baking mats, and beeswax towels can be reused for a long time. It is a little more expensive to buy, but the shelf life is really very long! Save money with zero waste. 

Fewer possessions = fewer costs: Those who live consciously have only the possessions they really need to be happy. Additional costs for service, maintenance, or insurance, for example, are also kept within limits. Your own apartment doesn’t have to be so big anymore. More money is left for the best things in life! 

A fundamentally lower consumption: We understand that, despite the impulse to buy, we question a lot, and in the end, we only buy what is really necessary. Questioning, repairing, reusing, and all the other no-waste lifestyle rules (which you’re about to learn) will save you a ton of money. 

Cool, right? Don’t get carried away by the mistaken belief that “organic” or green and sustainable products are always more expensive. If the product is durable, you will end up saving a lot of money and reducing your environmental footprint. 

And now I’ll show you what the Zero Waste lifestyle looks like in practice!

10 RS THE RULES OF ZEROWASTE? 

Have you heard of the 10 Rs of the Zero-waste lifestyle? These are the most important rules if you want to live without waste, and since they all begin with the letter R, they are also easy to remember! With these zero waste rules, you can complete your waste-free lifestyle: 

# 1 REDUCE 

The zero-waste lifestyle not only helps you generate less waste, but it also helps you spend less money! As the? Simply reducing! Take a look at your home. How many of the things you see don’t need? Quite a lot, right? By selling superfluous things and deciding whether you need them when you go shopping, you reduce your possessions to the bare essentials. It makes you a little freer and happier, believe me. Be sure to read my article Minimalism Living Minimalist and learn to cleanout. Here are two examples of typical wasted resources in your home: 

Open your closet: which pieces are at the bottom of the pile? Especially things that you would never wear again. Why do you own them? Because at some point, you probably felt the need to buy them. Just clean and sell or give away unnecessary clothing in clothing circles or eBay classifieds. Therefore, you can reduce the size of your wardrobe according to the Zero Waste lifestyle. 

Take a look in your fridge: The Zero Waste lifestyle creates order, and that too is in the fridge. You can also clarify this if you are not yet shopping and living consciously and your refrigerator is already tidy up. Take a look at expired items and clarify that you shouldn’t buy them again and save money, or consider whether you need to buy that amount the next time you shop. 

#2 REUSE 

With disposable products like CoffeeToGo cups and disposable razors, you won’t make anyone but the industry happy. These are single-use products made from limited raw materials like crude oil! That’s why repurposing is such an important part of the Zero-waste lifestyle. If you want to live environmentally conscious and waste-free, you have to learn to use things more often. Here are some products long-lasting, no-waste alternatives to conventional single-use products: 

Classic Tea Bags – Typically, tea bags are only used once and then trash. The Zero Waste lifestyle has found a good alternative with a stainless steel tea filter or this tea infuser * (each made of stainless steel). 

Water in plastic bottles: Why buy water in plastic bottles? It’s more expensive, you have to wear it, and it tastes worse. The no-waste alternative is, for example, this reusable glass bottle that you can now refill at home. 

Baking Paper – It’s made of paper, but there’s another really cool alternative to baking paper, namely this permanent baking mat. It is easy to clean and can be reused forever. No more baking paper! Cool right? 

# 3 RENT 

You don’t have to buy everything today that isn’t on the tree at three. Borrowing things instead of buying them is fashionable and an important rule of the Zero-waste lifestyle. Borrowing them saves you money, and after 2 weeks, you won’t have it in the corner of your room. You borrow things when you need them and return them when you don’t. LeihDirWas, for example, is one of the portals where you can easily borrow things. For example, what can you borrow instead of buying? 

Books: you don’t have to buy all the new books. Almost all books can be found on loan portals. This is how the Zero Waste lifestyle works. 

Electronics – If you’re planning a cool night at the gaming console and don’t want to spend € 400 on a new console, you can simply borrow it. So after a few days, you are not on the corner, and you still had a nice evening with no packaging waste. 

Sports: Have you always wanted to the longboard at the Tempelhofer Feld? If you don’t even know if this is fun for you, just borrow it and give it a try. So you don’t waste resources and save a lot of money. 

Baby Items: We are particularly wasteful with baby items. At some point, you are too big, and you no longer need the Playmobil padlock. Before it disappears into your wardrobe nirvana, you can also borrow it and/or borrow it, depending on whether you need it or not. 

# 4 REDESIGN 

Another important no-waste lifestyle rule! If you have found a product that you like but unfortunately is wrapped in plastic, just contact the manufacturer! Open your eyes and come up with your idea to redesign your product, which you have been selling for maybe 20 years. The more people contact the manufacturer, the more likely they are to change it. By the way, with the Replace Plastic application, each consumer can report the problem directly to the manufacturer. Too much from the customer’s point of view. 

 You can also live the zero-waste lifestyle from a business perspective. Take a look at your process chain and rank the sources that generate waste. This is called CradleToCradle, and it makes your products fit for the future.

# 5 REPAIR  

 You probably know the feeling when you’ve fixed something that’s broken, right? Isn’t that a cool feeling? He almost threw it away, and suddenly it worked again. Repair is, However, therefore, a very important rule. Don’t give up your bike just because it has a flat tire and the chain broke. There is no reason to throw your bike away! Even if you don’t trust yourself, try to fix it yourself or take it to the bike repair shop. Now that everything is available, we tend to buy new things rather than repair them. Many suppliers also have a service shop where you can get repairs free of charge during the warranty period. Here are some examples of things we quickly give up and throw away: 

 Your washing machine is broken: Call factory service or the plumber if you have tried to fix it yourself without success. A new washing machine costs around € 400,800, right? So it’s worth fixing for a few euros. 

 iPhone falls and glass breaks – I know Apple is rushing to replace this, but please have it repaired. So you can easily transfer photos and phone numbers and give your smartphone a second life. 

 # 6 RED (COMPOST) 

 Our throwaway society has ensured that by 20-40% of our food will not be eaten and will end up in the trash. Although there are enough tips to make the food last longer. Trash has to be collected and processed, and it smells awful. This is completely unnecessary as you can compost yourself properly. While you can simply build a compost pile in the field to fertilise; this, your plants, the kids in town only have the compost bin. To think! Get yourself a bokashi bucket like this one that will help you create a nice smelling compost heap and a compost heap to recycle your organic waste. You are creating your ecosystem to be proud of! This is the best lifestyle in Zerowaste! 

 # 7 REPLACE 

 Replace all your single-use products with durable, reusable alternatives. Of course, you shouldn’t just throw away resource-intensive products that you are using. Wear them until unusable and then replace them in the spirit of the Zerowaste lifestyle. The following things, for example, can be wonderfully replaced by appropriate and environmentally friendly alternatives: 

 Tissues – Firstly, they are packaged in plastic, and secondly, they are trash after one use. Instead, use a tissue that is easy to wash and reuse. 

 Plastic Bags: 

 You’re smart, right? So if you live the Zero Waste lifestyle, replace the plastic bags you keep buying with reusable jute bags that you simply take with you before every purchase. 

 Paperwork – Digitization can be discussed, but if we use it correctly, it also opens up huge opportunities for the Zero-waste lifestyle. For example, replace all your paperwork with digital documents. Depending on your level of knowledge, you have to get used to it a bit, but it’s fast! Also, read the article on how to reduce paper waste. 

 # 8 RECYCLING 

 At best, your zero-waste lifestyle will not produce any waste. Challenges that you were previously unable to overcome through reuse, repair, or replacement should be sent to the material cycle for recycling. But the recycling process also has high resource requirements, as water and energy are required. You can find more information about this in the article on recycling. Try not to let the garbage emerge in the first place, this is called recycling. 

 # 9 REFUSE 

 The Zero-waste lifestyle also means rejecting things. Rejecting means saying no. And just say no to the things you don’t need! In the past, I immediately accepted the things that were offered to me for free. Free pens, brochures, or candy with the brand logo. Today, in situations like this, I ask myself the one crucial question: “Do I need this?” Especially with those cheap, resource-wasting odds and ends, the answer on the shelf is a resounding NO. Since we tend to say YES to free offers, we are also increasing demand for this cheap productmanufactured in poor working conditions from limited raw materials in energy-intensive processes. For example, there is a lot of rubbish here, so I’ll give you the alternative: 

 They offer you a flyer – Assuming you find the flyer useful, you should just take a picture of it. So you can’t lose it and you won’t make garbage. 

 You are offered a free pen – Know that you still have some pens that work at home and that these cheap pens are made in poor condition for a pittance. 

 Your mailbox is constantly getting advertisements – Post a red sign on your mailbox that says, “Please do not post any ads here!” 

 You’re Ordering a Cocktail – If you’re not sure if you can get reusable bamboo straws or other plastic-free alternatives, you probably get a plastic straw. That’s why he simply says when ordering: “For me, please, without a straw, thank you!” That is all.

# 10 REACH 

 A zero-waste lifestyle also means reaching out and helping each other. In the past, when everything was not available 24 hours in the supermarket or could be ordered with a single click, we communicated much more with each other. He asked his neighbours about eggs and other foods. We have lost some of that communication with the convenience that comes with the Internet. If by 20-40% of the food in our homes is not consumed, your neighbour likely has something that he no longer needs. Besides the neighbours, of course, there are also local businesses where you can get the purchase. This communication supports local businesses and helps you maintain balance in your social life. 

 THE ZEROWASTE LIFESTYLE AND ITS FUTURE 

 Since the introduction of plastic more than half a century ago, it has been, long before we felt the downsides of plastic and were forced to rethink. This disorder is happening the hard way through the collapse of an ecosystem or the pleasant way through a collective rethinking of all the people on this planet. Those who live according to the Zerowaste lifestyle opt for the latter. Because Zero Waste Life is the future. Life without trash has long been more than just an emerging green trend; it is a movement of smart people that is growing incredibly fast and will fundamentally change markets, the economy, and society. 

 We will live more naturally and consciously and it will be considered socially stupid to walk the streets with a plastic bag. It sounds difficult, but it is a very positive development. Now we are introducing pre-cycling (the generation of waste does not even arise), a measure that makes recycling superfluous. Companies that are only looking for profit and have not yet geared their processes to zero waste will have to do so in the shortest possible time due to changing demand to remain competitive. The Zerowaste lifestyle makes sure of that, and that’s great. 

  ZEROWASTE LIFESTYLE CONCLUSION 

 Looking ahead, this may have become clear: Zero waste is the lifestyle of the future. After only enjoying the benefits of plastic for decades, we are now beginning to feel the downsides of plastic waste in the environment. It is time to take a few steps back and live more naturally and consciously so that future generations can also live on this great planet. The reason Zero Waste Lifestyle works so well and evolves so quickly is that it is sexy, visible, and easy to implement. People share their smart alternative lifestyle with the world on social media. That creates hope and changes our society in the long run. Let’s go.