Zero waste is a way of thinking (and acting)
An environmentally friendly philosophy of life, based on the idea that the best way to live in an environmentally sustainable way is to minimize its impact on Earth. How?
By limiting the amount of rubbish produced and reusing your waste as a secondary raw material. In this way, the latter do not become useless waste but are transformed into resources.
It is a silent form of rebellion against consumerism. We like to use the term silent - although perhaps we should say proactive or proactive - because it is based more on waste than on complaint. First of all, the rejection of objects that have a short life and then: reduction of the use of disposable things. Glasses and plates of plastic arts are not foreseen in the life of a zero waster and in his house you will find mostly objects made to last. Sustainable objects that do not tend to wear out or break after a few uses. The ultimate goal is to gradually eliminate the use of incinerators and landfills.
This thought involves every sphere of life. From the simple gesture of doing the shopping in bulk (avoiding packaging and plastic bags), to the choice of eco-sustainable cosmetics that once dispersed in the drain and in the sea do not harm the health of the marine ecosystem that, if it survives, then ends up on our tables (simple products such as scrubs and masks can be made at home with natural ingredients, while avoiding non-recyclable packaging and pollutants).
Zero waste follows the same logic as the European Union's waste hierarchy principle. If a product cannot be reused, repaired, rebuilt, renewed, finished, resold, recycled or composted, then it must be reduced, redesigned or removed from production.
Zero waste hierarchy
An extreme concept?
It may seem extreme, utopian, unreachable.
The zero wasters themselves may seem heavy, fixed people who deprive themselves of the beautiful things in life such as shopping and packed fruit already peeled and cut! But you don't have to stop at the appearance. Of course, living completely without producing waste is really difficult and can become stressful if you live in a place where there are few ecological alternatives but reduce (even by a lot) is feasible for everyone, just want it.
Everyone is free to do what they want (and can) do. All this with the awareness that all our actions, both positive and negative, have an impact on the environment, on other people and on those to come. For this reason, sometimes knowing that even small gestures can have a great influence if combined with other good practices can help to find the right motivation to take such a path.
But why do zero wasters hate plastic so much?
The question that everyone asks themselves! But what will all this terrorism against plastic ever be! So much for recycling.
Yes, in part. This statement is not entirely true since only a mere percentage of the plastic can be recycled. This means that separate collection does not completely solve the problem because it is not a definitive solution to the problem.
We are in the middle of what some call the Plastic Age. Every year 300 million tons of plastic are produced[2] with dramatic consequences for rivers, seas and even the ocean. The aquifers from which we derive life abound in microparticles, fragments and plastic filaments which, however small, remain plastic. Plastic that is ingested by fish and birds who exchange the microplastics that emerge on the surface of the water for food. And I don't think there is any point in remembering it, plastic is not biodegradable: it is practically indestructible.
- plastic paradise movie
Plastic Paradise is an English documentary that we recommend you see to get an idea of the levels of pollution in the ocean caused by plastic.
Scientific studies have also demonstrated the negative effects of plastic and its disposal and dispersion in the environment on human health. Substances such as Bisphenol A and phthalates released from plastic (which covers the food we eat and the water we drink every day) and the waste of energy used to produce this material should be sufficient reasons to push us to say stop plastic.
What can we do?
Let's get to the concrete things. As usual, we return to the focal point: choices.
continued in part 2: https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5d63be1de4f39f00aebf062b/living-zero-waste-why-avoid-waste-part-2-5d95db730a451800ad4684e3