"This is a question I personally don't understand. The average American creates more than 4 pounds of garbage every day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. What are some of your some of your pro tips for someone that has never ever heard about the zero waste lifestyle, apart from obviously going on your blog and buying your book? Know by heart what your community can or cannot recycle at the curb. As a kid, I grew up in a very simple way in the south of France. probably like the rest of us has been struggling to use our reusables in stores. Bea Johnson is a guru of zero waste living. Bea Johnson, her husband Scott and their kids Leo and Max moved to a smaller house, sold 80% of their belongings and began changing their lifestyle, educating themselves and embarking on the zero waste journey. It clings like plastic and works well for wrapping cold items, but can not be used in the oven. Other than toilet paper, we no longer buy single-use products; we have adopted either reusable or package-free alternatives for them instead. With no helpful information on the internet, Bea began experimenting. That's really the one that I really thought about when I was watching documentaries and reading books early on and that's when my husband and I realised that if we wanted a better world for our children we had to be part of the solution. Here's what it takes to live 'zero waste', "Zero waste isn't just for hippies anymore", "Get ready for zero waste week with these books", "This Is the Most Important Thing to Know About Trying a Zero Waste Lifestyle, According to a Veteran Zero Waster", "This Jar Represents One Family's Waste For An Entire Year", "COVID-19 challenges zero waste lifestyle, expert Bea Johnson says don't give up! But there are very simple sentences that will help you do that. So then the New York Times picked it up and they ran a story on it. The first "R" is to "refuse" things you do not need. Bea Johnson transformed her family's health, finances, and relationships for the better by reducing their waste to an astonishing half litre per year. The Zero Waste Collective is incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to interview Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home (best-selling book and blog!). It's been such an epiphany. Instead of making cheese wed bring a container to the cheese shop. Bart happened to be with me when I got this book and when I read him the back of the book he said, "Well, they . Ancient proverb. Your kit should consist of cloth bags for dry things like flour, salt, sugar, cereal and youll need glass containers for things that are wet, like olive oil, peanut butter, coconut oil and things like that. Her book, social media and appearances all over the world helped launch a global movement, and she is not giving up because of COVID-19. Her journey from this lifestyle to zero waste did not happened over night, that would be impossible. If you realise that what you have is all that matters and if you really live a life that is based on human relations, activities and strengthening human bonds that's when you can taste the good life. The third "R" is to "reuse." But over time, I felt something was dying inside of me. During the pandemic many stores have banned reusable bags, but don't forget about other easily reusable products. Our family has replaced paper towels with microfiber cloths, and we never run out. Spoiler alert: you may have to eat less hamburgers. To remove unpleasant odors from the garbage disposal, your hands, or food jars, use straight vinegar. It might look scary but dont be alarmed. Eczema: Take an oatmeal bath and apply olive oil. No need for trash liners since the wet items that usually make them necessary are compostable. Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home, catalyzed an entire movement by showing that reducing waste is possible, and it doesn't need to mean depriving yourself of what's good in life. They were associating it with like a hippie kind of lifestyle. DETAILS BELOW Bea Johnson (born July 2, 1974) is famous for being blogger. Zero Waste home is Bea Johnsons remarkable story of how her family almost completely eliminated their household waste - producing now less than one quart of garbage per year! ", "Whatever change you adopt you have to see yourself doing it for life because then that's when it becomes a lifestyle. But Bea and her family set a goala zero-waste lifestyle. Verified. All Rights Reserved. "We've found that we're saving 40 percent on our overall budget," she says. Each family member uses a monogrammed ring to identify and reuse his napkin between washes, Tea bags: A tea strainer. The bathroom is probably the second-biggest source of recurring waste in the home, but here, too, it can easily be avoided with decluttering, implementing reusables, and deploying collection receptacles. 2023 Zero Waste Home. Favor wax paper, cardboard, or aluminum if you failed to bring your own container. "[32] Another critic Master Michael Quinn notes: "This is a book about values that forces us to examine our own. . Think back to how much rubbish your household. Once youve got your kit, heres how to use it: Use the cloth bags to stock up on dry bulk, such as flour, sugar, beans, cereal, cookies, spices, etc, These bags also work well for packing bread rolls from the bakery bins, At home: Transfer your dry goods into airtight containers. When I started looking for zero waste solutions somehow what had been taught to me as a child came rushing back into my head. Mathew Bate: It's pretty exciting to finally speak to you Bea, I've been a big fan for some time now. Allocate separate containers as per drop-off locations. The zero waste lifestyle for us is exactly that because we didn't have the solutions at the start, so we failed lot and it was very difficult. Small appliances: An all-in-one blender and a toaster. The streaks will disappear when you dry the shoe.). Your picnic bamboo flatware wrapped in a cloth napkin. Some products with it are not recyclable, others without are recyclable. Bruises: Apply half an onion on the area for fifteen minutes. The global zero waste communitys most useful tool,making package-free locations easy to share and findworldwidewith 10,000 locations in 100countries and growing daily! Thank you! While the French do tend to waste far less than Americans in general, when Bea moved to the USA from France she bought into the American Dream-she shopped without reason, merely as a leisure activity; drove a SUV, lived in a huge house and truly believed that bigger was better. The high priestess of waste-free living is Californian Bea Johnson, whose home produces remarkably little waste. Odor neutralizer: Instead of covering up an unpleasant smell with toxic fragrances, address the source and air the space out. The Zero Waste Home. Reuse: Buy secondhand clothes and repurpose to extend their useful life. It turns . With a blog turned bestselling book and talks throughout the world, Bea Johnson and her family have debunked those misconceptions and inspired a global movement. Zero Waste expert Bea Johnson is marooned in the desert by COVID-19, but she is still reducing trash and says you can too, even in a pandemic. In 2013, Bea Johnson launched a book that was to become the bible for zero-waste livers. What we discovered, me and my husband, kind of made us sad thinking about the future that we were creating, as parents, for our children. Bea Johnson is a Franco-American author, speaker and minimalist known for initiating the movement of waste-free living in the 21st century. And we actually were six months into it with an unpackaged pantry when I realized that my kids had not noticed that we were zero waste. For up-to-date information, please consult my book: Zero Waste Home. Johnson's commitment goes far beyond food. Kitchen cleaner: Use full-strength vinegar to disinfect cutting boards. To clean the oven, generously spray with vinegar, then sprinkle with baking soda and let sit overnight, scrape with a spatula, and wipe clean. Almost a decade ago. They don't own a bin, have banned packaging in their home and have cut their bills in half. Our family produces about that per hour. The fact that this lifestyle has brought you a very profound sense of being alive and happy. "It's all about following my methodology of five rules. That means "sticking away from plastics" according to Johnson. Don't look at them in the eyes when you present your jar at the meat counter for the first time. Reuse: Adopt reusable cleaning rags, and make repairs with a borrowed tool. I was the one bringing the totes and jars to the grocery store, and I realized that zero waste is more what you do outside the house. To learn more about Bea Johnson and zero waste living, check out her website here. When you shop zero waste you'll develop close relationships with your local supermarket attendants | Photo by Igor Podgorny. Runny nose: Use a sea salt solution in a Neti pot. Step 1: Refuse (What We Do Not Need) Single-use plastics (SUPs): Freebies Junk mail Unsustainable practices like: accepting receipts or business cards that we will never consult, buying excessive packaging and discarding it without urging the manufacturer to change. We tested a lot of extremes, but eventually we found a balance that worked for us. Bea Johnson is the fairy godmother of the modern zero waste movement; for the past several years her family's entire yearly waste has fitted in a small glass jar. It's a part inspirational story that tells how Bea transformed the life of herself and her family for the better by reducing their waste to an astounding one litre a year (one single mason jar). What should you consider when expecting company? Both lists are conveniently located adjacent to our pantry and are made of strips of used paper (typically homework printed on a single side). documentary. Vinyl cleaner: Clean and shine no-wax vinyl linoleum floors with 1 gallon of water supplemented with 1 cup of vinegar. Rot: Compost your wool sweaters pills. Is it expired? The first one is to refuse what we do not need. And we also buy secondhand if we need to buy something. Since 2008,. And while raising two children, she's determined to live a zero-waste lifestyle. She currently resides in France. I have about a hundred in different sizes because I use them for canning, storing, freezing, and transporting food, and I store about ten empty ones in a cupboard for leftovers, Paper napkins: A pile of cloth napkins. It might help you, your family, and your visitors to post a list of what each container collects on each receptacle lid. Lets just jump straight in. RELATED: From plant-based meat to vodka made from CO2, fight climate change one meal at a time. It was in that sanctuary and simplicity that we also found time to read books and watch documentaries; books like 'Slow Death by Rubber Duck' (Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie) and documentaries like 'The Inconvenient Truth' (Al Gore) or 'Home' (Yann Arthus-Bertrand). She is best known for waste free living by reducing her family's annual trash down to a pint and for authoring the book Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste. Peter O'Dowd Twitter Senior Editor, Here & NowPeter ODowd has a hand in most parts of Here & Now producing and overseeing segments, reporting stories and occasionally filling in as host. I'm really really grateful for The Source Bulk Foods for bringing me here. The most important aspect of entertaining in a waste-free manner is to. The second "R" is to "reduce" what you do actually need. and has remained #1 Bestseller on Amazon in its category since publication. You are free: We're only here to talk about experience. [4][8][18][20] She is also credited for creating of the 5Rs , an acronym of 5 rules to achieve zero waste,[21][8][4] and Bulk locator, an app that finds package free and refill stores worldwide. At one point Neo has to choose between taking the blue pill or the red pill. Home canning is a great alternative to store-bought cans, most of which are loaded with MSG and can leach BPA. So it's one product that has eliminated others. It's just that I adopted a simpler lifestyle in our household. Headache: Drink an espresso, rub mint on the temples, or roll a fresh California bay leaf into your nostril. At the age of 18, she moved to California as an au pair and met her future husband Scott Johnson. Somehow it's connected all the dots for me. Weve talked about arming yourself with grocery lists before you hit the market, but by serving small portions, reheating leftovers, and utilizing freezing methods, you can further minimize the amount of unused/spoiled food that goes into the compost. Follow. Reuse: Repurpose shipping material and single-printed paper. I use French canning jars of varying sizes for this purpose, Use the mesh bags (or cloth bags) to fill with produce, Use the small-size jars for wet" bulk, such as honey, peanut butter, pickles, etc, Use the pillowcase to transport bread from the bakery, Use bottles to fill with liquids, such as olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, etc, Use the large-size jars for counter" items, such as meat, fish, cheese, and deli.