Try this: zero-waste living

Bea Johnson tells us how a minimalist lifestyle brings happiness and health

Bea Johnson throws nothing away. Every year since 2008, her family of four (which includes two teenagers, a husband and a dog) has produced only enough garbage to fit inside a jam jar. They simply live with less.

What started as a personal obsession to live a zero-waste lifestyle now has full support from her family; it’s allowed them to travel the world, helped them be more present, happier even. On a recent trip to Beijing to promote the Chinese-language launch of her book, Zero Waste Home, Johnson shared tips on how to get started reducing waste in homes and why it’s not as time-consuming as many might fear.

What are some of the financial and health benefits of living a zero-waste lifestyle?

My husband was not on board at first, thinking shopping in health food stores would be financially draining. When we compared bank statements from our pre- and post-zero-waste life, we discovered we were saving 40 percent annually on household costs. As for health benefits, our lifestyle eliminated toxic products from our home. We’ve replaced all cleaning products with white vinegar, for example.

How can people get started on the road to reducing their waste output?

The 'zero' in zero waste makes it sound hard to achieve; it’s actually not as scary as it seems. I use the 'Five Rs'.

Refuse what you don’t need, like freebies and single-use plastics. You’ll be amazed how much stuff you’ll be able to stop from coming in.

Reduce the number of items you have (this actually boosts the second-hand market, which is extremely important to the future of zero waste).

Reuse by buying second-hand items and swapping disposable items for reusable ones.

Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse.

Rot – or compost – the rest.

Going zero waste takes a lot of creativity. What was the trial and error process like for you when you were first starting out?

Trial and error was inevitable for us. I had to test many alternatives, recipes and how-tos. At one point I got too wrapped up in homemaking: I was making cheese, bread, yoghurt, soy milk, butter... Some of these ideas were too extreme or time-consuming, and we later dropped them for the sake of simplicity. We realised that there was no need for us to make bread if we could buy it unpackaged, either directly from the bakery or from bakery bins. The very reason I wrote Zero Waste Home was to share all the waste-free alternatives that worked for us, so others don’t waste time testing as I did.

Is it possible for people who work full-time or busy parents to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle?

I work full-time, so I can confirm that it's an untrue perception that they cannot. I think this sometimes comes from bloggers aiming for zero waste but still in their testing mode, just as I was. Their experiments make people believe that in order to live waste-free you have to make everything from scratch. It’s scaring the crap out of working mums and keeping them away from waste-free living!

The other day, I saw someone used my hashtag #zerowastehome for a toothpaste made from nine ingredients. I am fighting this misconception everyday: there is no point in making toothpaste if you can use baking soda, or an of array cleaning products if all you need is vinegar. I want people to understand that successfully adopting a zero-waste lifestyle comes from adopting a simple life, first and foremost.

Want to do more to help out the environment? Hit 'Read more' for ways to give back in Beijing.

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