An Almost Zero Waste Life

Book excerpt: Author Megean Weldon, aka The Zero Waste Nerd, gently guides you on an attainable, inspirational, mindful, and completely realistic journey to a sustainable living lifestyle. Find tips, strategies, recipes, and DIY projects for reducing waste in this approachable, beautifully designed and illustrated guide. What is zero waste living? Although the practice has been around for generations out of necessity, it is making a comeback as concerns grow about the fate of our environment. To put it simply: it is attempting to send no waste to landfills. Although you may have read or heard about “zero waste,” “sustainable,” or “green” living, the concept can sometimes seem too complicated, the author’s tone a bit self-righteous, or riddled with advice geared for people with 5 acres of land in the country with dreams of raising livestock and homesteading. This is not that book. Can a “regular” person do this? Absolutely! Zero waste isn’t necessarily about zero, but more about changing or altering the way we see the world around us, how we consume, and how we think about waste. It’s about making better choices when we can, and working to reduce our overall impact by reducing the amount of packaging and single-use plastics we bring into our life. Focusing on the positive, An Almost Zero Waste Life presents simple ways to reduce waste in every aspect of your life: Cleaning: Recipes for natural cleaners and how to ditch paper towels for good. Meal plans: Weekly menus and recipes for zero waste meals that use bulk pantry staples. Shopping: How to shop zero waste at big chain stores and ways to reduce food packaging. Bathroom: Sustainable beauty routine. Recycling: Ingenious ways to repurpose old clothing and how to recycle small metals, like razor blades. Compost: The basics of composting. And much more! An Almost Zero Waste Life will change the way you see the world around you, how you consume, and how you think about waste for a healthier planet and happier you.