Zero Waste Home

Zero Waste Home

The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste

Bea Johnson

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nonfiction ・ environmental ・inspirational ・homemaking

In her guide to living a healthy, simple, and low-waste lifestyle, Bea Johnson explains the benefits, explores the options, and details the processes of a “Zero Waste Home.” Using her own experiences and research, she eases the reader into the idea that one can live an idyllic life with more time, energy, money- and a lot less trash. Johnson explains that “with less stuff we had time to do things we enjoyed doing.” (1) With the minimalist lifestyle quickly rising to power in an overwhelmed western society, this how-to guide is the perfect tool for people in all stages of

life to adopt a much needed change. In the novel, readers learn to eliminate waste in every part of the home and every aspect of life using Johnson’s 5 Rs: “refuse what you do not need; reduce what you do need; reuse what you consume; recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse; and rot (compost) the rest.” (1) While some may argue that this book is not worth their time because of the efforts it takes to create a zero waste home, the opposite is true: the time it takes to adjust one’s lifestyle is worth it when compared to the time it saves in the long run. And if that doesn’t convince readers, it is just as easy to only adopt some of the methods described in the book. Overall, this book is great for anyone hoping to simplify their life, reduce their environmental footprint, and regain their precious time.

Recommended for: homemakers, environmentalists, money-saving enthusiasts, health researchers

Sources:

1. Johnson, Bea. Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste. Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2013