Zero waste is a popular eco-direction in the West that popularizes conscious consumption and reduction of waste. Simply put, it"s a rejection of garbage or the absence of garbage. This idea is promoted by the Zero Waste International Alliance, which proposed this definition.

According to Wikipedia, the philosophy of zero waste is to ensure that waste does not get to a landfill, waste incinerators or the ocean, polluting land, air and water and harming people and animals.

You"ll ask, where should the garbage go? So, people who adhere to this idea use more and more reusable goods in everyday life, try to buy a new one less, and reuse the old one. Therefore, less garbage accumulates.

Proponents of the movement prove that all excess materials can become resources, not garbage. For example, in 2018, the Coca-Cola Brazil brand invested $400 million in equipment for cleaning and refilling its bottles. And, for example, roads and prostheses are now made of plastic bottle caps.

It"s impossible to become zero waste right away. This should be approached consciously and with soul. To be environmentally friendly (eco-friendly). Understand that you are good for the whole planet.

As eco-activist Olga Kib says, "the main thing is not to blame yourself for everything you throw into the common garbage so as not to fall into despair - and to remember mistakes so as not to make a mistake in the future."

There are five principles of zero waste: 

- Refuse (refusal)

Zero waste begins with giving up unnecessary things. Use reusable items - for example, instead of plastic bags, take eco-bags with you to the store. Restore old furniture, buy used appliances, reduce your wardrobe to a minimum.

- Reduce (decrease in consumption)

Approach your purchases wisely, reduce your consumption. You shouldn"t accumulate things, it"s just things.

- Reuse (reuse)

When buying eco-products, you have repeatedly seen a green icon in the form of three bent green arrows and the inscription reuse on the goods, which means reuse. Buy a water bottle or a thermal mug and forget about plastic cups. And some coffee shops will also give you a discount.

- Recycle (recycling)

Don"t forget about the separation of waste. We buy too much plastic. But only 9% of it is recycled. Therefore, sorting garbage is very important. It will allow you to recycle up to 90% of waste.

- Rot (composting)

In the village, garbage is disposed of into a compost pit. And in city apartments, kitchen composters and sink shredders, which gained popularity among American housewives in the late 1940s, are increasingly popular. They allow you to abandon the trash can, which needs to be constantly taken out, and turn garbage into small crumbs that does not clog the sewers.

"For us in zero waste, the main thing is that you will leave behind, " says Charlotte Votkives, co-founder of the Zero Waste Life project, in an interview. - "For me, the priority is not to surround myself with what will then lie on the planet for several hundred more years. I do not produce garbage at all, and I put all food waste in a compost pit where food residues decompose worms. The same goes for clothes: if you get together as girlfriends and arrange a swap (exchange of clothes), you won"t have to go to the mall and buy something new."

Supporters of zero waste argue that the absence of waste will significantly reduce environmental pollution and reduce costs as the demand for raw materials will fall.