What is the Difference Between Zero-Waste and Sustainable Lifestyle?
Over the years I have slowly transitioned from being a minimalist to a sustainable minimalist, to a zero waster in pursuit of slow living. The more I have learned about our impact on the environment and climate change over the years, the more I have felt inclined to transition my lifestyle to reflect my findings.
A common misconception I’ve heard over the years is that sustainable living and zero waste are one and the same. I have heard them used interchangeably many times when at their core they are different.
While they do have a lot in common, and the zero waste lifestyle IS a sustainable way to live — it is by no means the only way to be sustainable. All zero waste activities are sustainable, but not all sustainable behaviour is zero waste.
What does sustainable mean?
As defined by the Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability refers to the ability to meet our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do likewise. Sustainability can be broken down into three primary pillars:
Environmental impact
Economical impact
Societal impact
As our current and future needs are ever-changing, sustainability looks different in 2021 than it did even five years ago. Technologies we use today are rapidly transforming the way we live and work. Our daily lives are being changed by technology so quickly that there is not enough time for humans to consider long-term impacts.
Our consumer-focused economy emphasises instant gratification in much of what it builds and sells. Consumers are primarily interested in low-cost, single-use products and the mass misuse of natural resources. None of these factors considers long-term impact such as pollution production and resource use that will impair future generations.
Good news: not all is lost! Despite the enviro-doom currently circulating social media, there is in fact still room and time for change.
With the help of education, accountability, and technology, humans are more capable than ever to correct their actions. Consumers have a responsibility to make conscious decisions that favor the future over wasteful conveniences, and businesses have the responsibility of transforming current processes for the future of our planet.
If you are interested in learning more about a movement that has the potential to transform our current environmental trajectory, I wrote an article about degrowth that you can read here.
What does zero-waste mean?
Zero waste is a movement aimed to eliminate landfill waste altogether. It focuses on the preservation of existing materials and actively avoids unnecessary disposal.
“Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient, and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.”
In order to achieve zero waste, products and processes need to be designed and managed in a way that reduces and eliminates waste production and reduces waste toxicity, conserves and recovers all resources, and avoids burning or burying them. Zero waste policy will eliminate any discharge to land, water or air that threatens the health of the planet, humans, animals, or plants.
What does a zero-waste lifestyle look like?
A zero-waste lifestyle prioritizes two of the 5 big sustainability R’s: reuse and repurpose. It encourages individuals to reuse what they have to the best of their abilities. This is done through the conscious effort to only acquire items and materials that are long-lasting. When an item can no longer be used for its intended purpose, the zero waste lifestyle encourages individuals to reuse the item or material instead of throwing it away.
The zero-waste lifestyle is a personal choice and journey. The way in which a person reaches a low to zero net waste varies greatly, as everyone has different material needs depending on location, career, and family dynamics. It is a common misconception that working towards a life with less is difficult. I speak more to that in my post: Is the Zero Waste Lifestyle Expensive?
With that being said, I can only speak to my experience and journey to a life with less waste, but from my perspective, the lifestyle has come with many perks including an appreciation outside of material possessions and a greater appreciation for the planet.
Can you live sustainably without going zero-waste?
This question is twofold because a sustainable lifestyle is not inherently zero waste, but a zero-waste lifestyle IS a sustainable way to live. The key to living sustainably is taking into account the greater good of our planet and future generations in all decisions. While limiting or eliminating waste from your lifestyle does have great benefits for the future, there are sustainable practices that fall outside of the zero waste lifestyle that is still considered ethical.
In North America, our late-stage capitalistic society does in fact greatly influence the answer to this question. It is true that limiting your consumeristic behaviours and landfill contributions do play a big role in whether or not your lifestyle is considered sustainable. Though the argument could be made that the focus on waste takes away from other areas that impact our future such as politics, unethical business practices, socio-economic issues, and pollution.
While those who live zero waste generally have an interest in these issues as well, it is not a core focus. Simply reducing the amount of garbage one produces will not compensate for the societal structure that is harming future generations. This is why I find it so important to continue to educate myself and those around me with ways they can make an impact outside of themselves.
Going zero-waste is a great start, but it is not everything.
Hey, Claudia here
I am a senior graphic designer, a dog mom, an advocate for a zero-waste lifestyle, climate change, and sustainability. My articles are based on personal experience and well researched to give you the best source of information for all things zero-waste.