October: Zero Waste In The Home
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit, says the Lord. (Isaiah 65:21)
October's Action item is
ZERO WASTE IN THE HOME
The word ecology is derived from the Greek word “oikos” meaning “house,” or “environment” and is the study of the relationships between organisms and the environment. The science of ecology tells us that within the nonhuman natural world, all discarded materials become resources for others to use. Thus, nothing is wasted. Everything is recycled or reused. There is Zero Waste in the nonhuman natural world.
In 2002, to emulate the sustainable cycles in the nonhuman natural world, the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) was established. The goal of Zero Waste is to design and manage products and processes “to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them.”
Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water, or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”
The 5 basic principles of a Zero Waste lifestyle are the following:
1) Refuse: Refuse consuming anything that you don’t really need, like straws or plastic cutlery since they can’t be recycled.
2) Reduce: Reduce your overall consumption. For example replace plastic bags by using your own reusable shopping bags or carry with you a reusable coffee mug for your take away coffee instead of always taking a single use one.
3) Reuse: Reuse the stuff you couldn’t avoid from getting like plastic bags, jars, etc.
4) Recycle: Recycle everything that can be recycled including batteries and electrical devices.
5) Rot: Compost your organic waste.
Resources:
​Video: Bea Johnson's Zero Waste lifestyle on CCTV America,
"Zero Waste Home"
Websites
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Restoring God's Earth is used with permission from Zero Waste Church, www.zerowastechurch.org. Some content has been modified by Crown of Glory.
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Tips
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Week 1
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Get rid of unwanted junk mail. Register to receive less at dmachoice.org and catalogchoice.org.
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Refuse: things you don’t really need like freebies at conferences, parties or the dentist office. Refuse plastic and buy items in glass, metal or cardboard.
Week 2
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Bring your own: coffee cup, water bottle, take out container, grocery and produce bags, reusable cutlery and stainless steel straws to cut down on waste.
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Go reusable: ditch paper towels for cloth rags, switch out paper plates and napkins for reusable ones and handkerchiefs instead of tissues.
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Week 3
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Buy in bulk: bring your own containers, tare them at the service desk and fill them up in the bulk section at the grocery store to avoid unnecessary packaging.
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Buy used or second hand items at thrift stores or consignment stores. Join the Chaska/Carver Buy Nothing Facebook group or Freecycle.com.
Week 4
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Compost: find a compost system that works in your home or sign up for a compost service.
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Plan your meals to avoid unnecessary purchases at the store and food waste.
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Move toward a plant based diet- you can find most produce with out packaging at grocery stores.
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