The term “Zero Waste” is self-explanatory, though many proponents agree that it is nearly impossible. There are just some things we cannot control, like the making of products we use in our daily lives. This said, many zero wasters agree on a more general purpose: to get as close to zero as possible.

Although everyone can participate in the zero waste lifestyle, location matters greatly. Depending on where you live, you may be of a different distance to your local farmer’s market or even have the ability to own your garden.

The motivation behind zero waste is to help prevent planetary crises, save the environment, and generally improve people’s and animals’ well-being. Finding your sources or even joining the r/ZeroWaste community can be a solid start.

There are five main principles for zero waste, as Bea Johnson, writer and activist, distinguishes in her book, Zero Waste Home:

•Refuse what you don’t need. Simply do not purchase unnecessary things and/or use stuff like plastic straws.

•Reduce what you do use. Have generally less waste.

•Reuse whatever you can. Practice thrift shopping or re-making your stuff. This also includes saying no to disposable things and yes to reusable ones.

•Recycle what you can’t refuse or reduce. If there is no way you can avoid something, choose to recycle. Just keep in mind that not all material can be recycled and thus ends up disposed of in landfills.

•Rot what‘s left over. Befriend composting as a way of giving nutrients and fiber back to the earth.

You’ve already seen many tips and tricks for sustainable cooking from Reddit, but here are more. Though eating and cooking are very individual, there are a few general guidelines on how to make it more environmentally friendly and healthy.

•Plan your meals. Buy the things that you will eat throughout the day or week, so the remaining food does not get thrown away.

•Think twice when eating out. Takeaway food usually comes in plastic containers, if the portion is too big, food gets wasted.

•Repurpose what you can. Use the leftovers to create a new recipe and make a smoothie from overlooked fruits and veggies.

•Shop with zero waste in mind. Bring your bag, avoid things with plastic packaging, and pay attention to expiration dates.

•Store food for maximum life. Keep your fridge and shelfs clean, so the bacteria do not build up and cause food to rot quicker.

•Preserve your foods. Make food last longer with pickling, freezing, canning, etc.

From the perspective of industry, some companies aim to remove the concept of waste entirely by transforming rubbish. For example, Arthur Huang with his company Miniwiz is creating new building blocks from waste. In 2010, they made an earthquake and fire-resistant exhibition building in Taipei, that was constructed of bricks made from 1.5 million plastic bottles.

In his own words, “From packaging to fast fashion to car batteries, we have to actively transform all this material that’s been collecting for the past 40 or 50 years – it’s not going away, so somebody has to deal with it.”

It is International Day of Zero Waste on the 30th of March. This has been proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. On their website, they explain that this day “promotes sustainable consumption and production patterns, supports the societal shift towards circularity and raise awareness about how zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

Join one of the communities, like r/ZeroWaste on Reddit or the zero waste movement initiated by Zero Waste International Alliance. “Working towards a world without waste through public education and practical application of Zero Waste principles, ZWIA’s mission is to drive systemic change using environmental and social justice principles”.