How to produce less garbage: 10 videos about Zero Waste
alexander savina
Zero waste, or "zero rubbish", - it is a way of life thanks to which a person tries not to replenish garbage dumps at all. It sounds difficult, but in practice it means first of all awareness (just remember how much plastic in which the products are packed, you throw out in a week, a month or a year) and a more responsible approach to consumption. For those who are ready to change their lifestyle (or at least try), we have collected ten useful videos - they will help, if not completely abandon the garbage, then at least significantly reduce it.
Four years of garbage in one jar
Lauren Singer is the creator of the site Trash Is for Tossers and the YouTube channel of the same name and one of the most famous followers of Zero Waste. In the video, Lauren talks about a small jar in which all the garbage she could not process or compost in four years is stored — for example, a plastic credit card with an expired date, used patches and clothing tags.
On the channel Trash Is for Tossers there are more practical videos - for example, about eco-friendly alternatives to familiar things or answers to popular questions about Zero Waste.
Two adults, two children, zero rubbish
Bea Johnson is another of the most famous popularizers of the idea Zero Waste, the author of the site and the book "Zero Waste Home". Bea and her family have been trying to live without garbage since 2008 - which is not so easy, considering that she has two children. This is Johnson speaking at the TED conference, which will help to better understand the concept of "zero rubbish". In it, she talks about the basic principles on which life without waste is built - "Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot", that is, "Refuse, reduce, use again, recycle and compost" (and in that order!).
Ten ways to reduce waste
Dozens of tips that will help you more consciously approach how you influence the environment. Even if you do not plan to abandon the garbage completely or drastically change your lifestyle, they will probably come in handy for you - to refuse plastic bags in favor of a fabric bag, not to use plastic tubes and to avoid plastic dishes will never be superfluous.
And ten more ways
Blue Ollis maintains a blog about veganism and eco-friendly lifestyle, as well as a personalized YouTube channel. This video is suitable for those who are just thinking about moving to the Zero Waste lifestyle. Blue Ollis tips should be approached critically (we hope that you do not believe that chemicals from shower gel can penetrate your blood, and home-made cosmetics are not exactly suitable for everyone and can also cause allergies), but there is a benefit from them few people think that leaf tea is more eco-friendly than what is in tea bags.
How to make the trip more environmentally friendly
Alas, traveling is often not environmentally friendly: moving on an airplane and traveling by car or bus negatively affect the environment. Manuela, author of The Girl Gone Green YouTube Channel, tells how to organize a trip so as not only to see the world, but also not to harm it. In short - just avoid plastic and disposable things.
How to refuse toilet paper
The name of the video may scare many, but in fact there is nothing terrible or unpleasant here. Amber, the author of The Fairly Local Vegan's YouTube blog, tells how she, with her husband and children, moved from toilet paper to using reusable cloths, and at the same time explains how to make them yourself (or where to buy) and how to wash them. If this option seems too extreme to you, you can always think about a bidet.
How to make washing more environmentally friendly
Blue Ollis small video where she tells how to make washing more environmentally friendly. The main secret of success is soap nuts, which are easy to buy in Russia. Blue Ollis also advises using washing powder bottles many times, filling them in a store - although it will be more difficult in Russia.
How to compost
A short useful video that tells how to get rid of organic waste at home - even if you live in a city apartment and you do not have your own backyard with a garden bed. If the prospect of breeding worms at home bothers you, try to find a garden nearby where you can transfer waste. If you don’t have one video, watch Lauren Singer’s two-minute lesson - she doesn’t compost the waste herself, but shows how it’s more convenient to store it in a city apartment before passing to compost.
Garbage-free cleaning
Immi Lucas, author of the Sustainably Vegan YouTube channel (watch her other videos, such as the Zero Waste guide for beginners), tells how to clean the house, trying to avoid garbage as much as possible: soda, vinegar and lemons help her. Not so long ago, Immi announced that he no longer uses the term "rubbish zero" in relation to himself, but he is still trying to reduce the amount of waste.
Errors on the way to refuse garbage
Rejection of garbage is a big step, so it’s helpful to know what you’ll have to face in the process. Lizzy Bombini talks about the mistakes and prejudices she faced when she began to adhere to the principles of Zero Waste: from feeling that you can instantly and completely get rid of garbage, to possible fatigue from how much you need to change your life if you decide to. Lizzy also advises not to give up things that you already have, for the sake of more environmentally friendly options - for example, not to throw cosmetics that you used before, or not to throw plastic containers that you have at home, so as not to increase the amount of garbage.
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