Episode 17 - Zero Waste
The Disposable Society
Zero waste, or waste-free, is a reaction to the throwaway society and all of the problems that it has caused. The disposable society, throwaway society or throwaway culture are terms used to describe the overconsumption of short-lived or disposable items over durable goods that can be repaired.
Short-lived or low-quality items include things like fast fashion, as well as planned obsolescence and e-waste. Making things that don’t last very long is a viable business strategy because consumers then need to buy replacements. It is profitable because businesses aren’t held responsible for their product’s end of life. Next, there are also single-use items like plates, cutlery, straws, and bags. And of course there is also the packaging for all of these goods.
Disposable, or single-use, items are actually a pretty new invention. When disposables were introduced in the 1950s, they were touted as a timesaver for housewives. Around that same time, plastic was introduced into the mainstream market.
A few plastic facts:
● It has only been 113 years since plastic was first introduced.[1]
● It has only been 55 years since the first plastic bag was created.[2]
● We have produced over 320 million metric tonnes of plastic, which is heavier than every human alive combined.[3] And that figure is set to double by 2040.[4]
● Only 14% of plastic has ever been collected for recycling, and only 5% has actually been recycled (rather than downcycled).[5]
Today, plastic has become so essential to how we live our lives that it has really gotten out of control. Globally, we generate 3.5 million tons of solid waste every day – approximately 10x the amount we produced a century ago. The average American produces 1,500 pounds of trash annually, sending 4.4 pounds of trash to the landfill every day.[6] And that is a problem for climate change because landfills are responsible for 16% of methane emissions in the US.[7]
Single-use plastics are a particular problem because they are so common and used for such a small amount of time. For instance, Coca-Cola produces 120 billion plastic bottles every year.[8] And plastic bags are used for an average of just 15 minutes.[9]
As William McCallum of Greenpeace UK has described it:
…we managed to create a material and use it at unbelievable scale with no plan for how to deal with it afterwards. Single-use plastic cutlery, plastic bags, and plastic-lined coffee cups have become central to our lives – used once for a matter of minutes, they will not break down for hundreds of years. It is untenable to carry on like this: we are consigning future generations to a world in which plastic might outweigh fish in the ocean in 2050.[10]
Most plastic ends up in landfill, but a lot of it also leaks into our water systems, ending up in the oceans. 12.7 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year,[11] which works out to one garbage truck of plastic entering the ocean every minute.[12] There are an estimated 150 million tons of plastic in the oceans right now, equivalent to 300 of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world.[13]
When plastic gets into the oceans, it really messes with ecosystems. Approximately 90% of seabirds have plastic in their stomachs.[14] And plastic ingestion and entanglement are really bad for seabirds and other wildlife. And because plastic is being eaten by everything and everyone, bioaccumulation is a risk for animals at the top of the food chain[15]
The Zero Waste Movement
The Zero Waste, No Waste, or Waste-free movement is essentially 25 years old. Most of the top advocates for zero-waste are (white) millennial women. Some examples include: Kathryn Kellogg (Going Zero Waste), Lauren Singer (Trash is for Tossers and Package Free Shop), Anne-Marie Bonneau (Zero-Waste Chef), and Bea Johnson (Zero Waste Home).
Principles of Zero Waste
In its simplest expression, the zero-waste movement aims to produce zero trash. But even the most ardent waste-free advocate will acknowledge that this is not possible in today’s society. We will always produce some trash, and we will always be complicit in the production of trash we can’t see.
This is why any zero-waste advocate will tell you that part of being zero-waste is making your voice heard – whether that’s political actions like voting, protesting, and talking to your Member of Parliament or smaller actions like writing a makeup company to say that you’ve stopped buying their product because there aren’t refillable options.
Although recycling is a part of the waste-free movement, going zero-waste actually means recycling less. So, zero waste means reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost, in order of preference.[16]
Reduce
You can reduce by refusing to buy things with lots of packaging and by not buying things unless you really need them. This doesn’t necessarily mean being super austere: it means finding a balance of what you need. A 2015 survey found that more than half of Americans (54%) are overwhelmed with the amount of clutter that they have. Three-quarters (78%) said they did not know what to do with it or found it too complicated to deal with.
Reuse
Go for reusable items instead of single-use items, and durable instead of short-term. Then keep using stuff as long as you can. That means repairing stuff – and when you’re buying, look for things that can be repaired. Also, shop used when you can. And when something can no longer be used for its original purpose, repurpose it. Waste-free advocates often talk about “demoting” items. For example, the last plastic toothbrush I owned I demoted as a cleaning brush. It’s great for cleaning tiles. Basically, be like your grandparents.
Recycle
Recycle, where you can, but do it well: if more than 1% of a batch of recycling is contaminated, the entire thing may end up in landfill.[17] Zero-waste asks you to really look into what you’re recycling.
Compost
About 75-80% of all household trash is organic matter that can be composted, but we mostly aren’t composting it. If your city or town does composting, it can be really easy to do this. I keep a compost bin in my kitchen (food waste) and in my bathroom (for things like tissue, hair, and compostable floss). In a later episode on biogas, we talk about how food waste could be converted into energy, if you want to learn more!
Generally speaking, compostable plastics are not a solution to plastic waste. Very little of it actually gets composted. And in a lot of cases you cannot compost these items in home composting. There are also “biodegradable” plastics that can’t be composted. And nothing biodegrades in a landfill!
How to Become Zero Waste (ish)
Ultimately, going zero-waste will mean replacing some of the tools that you use to meet your daily needs. But it’s counterproductive to trash stuff that you’re currently using in favour of eco-friendly products, so waste-free advocates suggest a slow approach with small improvements.
Start with a waste audit
Go through your trash to see what some of the most impactful swaps could be for you. For me it is definitely snack foods – chips, granola bars – and receipts (which cannot be recycled or composted).
Say no to stuff you don’t want
As Sarah Lewis of the Zero Waster puts it: “Just Say No to Crap”. This can include things like straws and paper cups. Being clear about your requests in advance is a good way to avoid problems. One easy solution is to put a “no junk mail” sign on your mailbox. When you are at a restaurant or café, be clear and polite but firm about your requests. Usually people are happy to accommodate, but if they aren’t you can choose not to return there in the future.
Gifts are difficult, because there are social customs and emotions involved. Zero-waste advocates generally recommend: (1) talking to your family and friends about why waste-free is important to you and (2) giving them tools to make it easy for them to give gifts that won’t cause problems for you. Kathryn Kellogg recommends giving friends and family a list of consumables, experiences, and items you’d really value. It is key to do it well in advance. She even recommends adding notes about why you want something, which can help if people want to go off-list.[18] But ultimately, this is a thing you’re doing: if someone gives you a gift, accept it and thank them. The time to raise the issue is much, much later.
Buy things more intentionally
This means buying things only when you really need them. When you do buy something, try to find ways to buy it used or buy it new but built to last (repairable). Try waiting 30 days before purchasing something you want.
Start with some easy waste-free moves
Some of the easiest ways to reduce your waste include:
· Saying no to straws (unless you need single-use straws for accessibility reasons);
· Getting (and actually using) reusable bags. Set up a system so that they are with you when you need them; and
· Getting (and actually using) a reusable water bottle and coffee mug.
When you’re ready, slowly start replacing disposables and short-term items with stuff that is refillable and/or built to last. Start with the problem areas you identified in your waste audit. For consumables, buy in bulk and avoid plastic packaging as much as possible. Glass and metal containers tend to be easier to recycle.
Think about end of life for your goods
Most people already recycle, but they key is to recycle well. Usually, your municipal government will have online tools to help you recycle properly. But it’s important to know that you can recycle things that your city or town will not accept. Increasingly, you can bring short-term items back to the companies that made them for recycling.
Check out Terracycle to see if any of their recycling programs meet your needs. Terracycle is an organization that collects difficult to recycle items in 21 countries. You have to join and look at their specific programs though – they work in partnership with companies. E.g. You can recycle Boom Chicka Pop popcorn bags through Terracycle. Other programs include: Tweed cannabis, several Burt’s Bees products, Europe’s Best frozen fruit and veg packages, e-waste, Nespresso capsules, and much more. Terracycle has public drop-off locations, or you can mail items to them. In the future we’ll do an episode on recycling so we can give it more attention.
Another great way to think about the end life of your consumables is to try composting! If you’re not composting your food, it goes into landfill where it produces methane. That’s because landfills are tightly packed so there isn’t enough oxygen for it to decompose properly. When food waste breaks down in landfill, it releases methane, which is a super potent GHG. Project Drawdown estimates that composting can reduce emissions by 2.3 billion tons over the next 30 years. About 40% of landfill material is organics – so if we all composted we could make a big difference.
And of course, if you are donating a good, be smart about it. Try starting with friends and family. Then, use the tips we suggested in our clothing series!
Try out a waste-free shop
Waste-free stores are shops where all of the products come with either no packaging or recyclable/compostable packaging. They usually have a system where you weigh your container, then you fill it and are charged by weight. Zero-waste stores have opened up in trendy neighbourhoods in the last five years. An article in the Guardian estimated that 100-200 zero-waste stores had opened in the last two years in the UK.
If you are in a medium-large city, there is probably a waste-free shop somewhere. Toronto has a handful of them, for example. There are some online as well: Package Free Shop is great, and I go to it for anything I can’t find in a local waste-free shop.
If there isn’t a waste-free shop in your area, you still have options. Check out Bulk Barn and other bulk stores for food items: it’s cheaper and there is more selection. If you aren’t sure where to find waste-free or bulk stores in your neighbourhood, this tool from Zero Waste Home is helpful. For produce, choose no/low packaging items at a grocery store or farmer’s market. For personal care products, Lush has an array of low/no-waste products.
You can also try “do it yourself” solutions using bulk ingredients. There are lots of recipes out there from all of the zero waste advocates mentioned above. Try one out! Things like cleaning supplies tend to be very easy and accessible to make. Lotions, lip balms, etc. can be super easy too.
Endnotes
[1] McCallum, Will. (2018). How to Give Up Plastic. London, UK: Penguin Life.
[2] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[3] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[4] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[5] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[6] Kellogg, Kathryn. (2019). 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste. New York: the Countryman Press.
[7] Kellogg, Kathryn. (2019). 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.
[8] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[9] Kellogg, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.
[10] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic at p.3-4.
[11] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[12] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[13] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[14] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[15] McCallum, How to Give Up Plastic.
[16] Kellogg, Kathryn. (2019). 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.
[17] Kellogg, Kathryn. (2019). 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.
[18] Kellogg, Kathryn. (2019). 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.
