In May of 2016, I quietly embarked on an experiment: shifting to a zero-waste lifestyle. I transitioned our household as best I could toward this new goal. Rather to my surprise, it worked.
Going zero-waste went hand-in-glove with a number of other lifestyle choices we’d adopted over the years: frugality, green living, food self-sufficiency, etc. How much more difficult, I wondered, would it be to take that next step and stop creating garbage?
Interestingly, we’re outside the usual demographic for zero-wasters. We aren’t young, single, urban, or minimalist. We’re self-employed empty-nesters living on a deeply rural homestead. I learned that being rural required a different approach than when living in cities or suburbs.
What is Zero Waste?
Zero-waste is built upon five principles.
• Refuse what you don’t need.
• Reduce what you do need.
• Reuse by not using disposable items.
• Recycle what you can’t refuse, reduce, or reuse.
• (compost) the rest.
