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A Zero - Waste Lifestyle

In the United States, throwing away a lot of trash is not unusual. The average American produces around 680 kilos of trash each year. On the other hand, everyone has choices when it comes to their lifestyle, and the US is also home to people like Kathryn Kellogg. She and her husband live in California, and they throw away very little. In fact, the amount of trash they produced in two years—every bit of waste that they could not recycle, reuse, or turn into compost—fit into a small glass jar.

Kellogg writes a popular blog called Going Zero Waste. Her blog posts encourage others to make better choices and live better lives. She reports that she and her husband are saving around $5,000 a year at the grocery store. Instead of buying prepared foods and commercial cleaning products, they buy fresh foods that they cook themselves and make their own cleaning products. They even make their own deodorant and skincare products.

The real goal of going zero waste, however, is not just to save money. For another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Frugalwoods, the goal is to enjoy life more and spend more quality time together as a family. Their blog, Frugatwoods, includes articles about buying less and saving money, growing food at their home in Vermont, and raising their baby girl. Mrs. Frugalwoods says that their daughter, “...is our mini gardener/hiker who adores being outside in nature with her parents...”

Many people would like to waste less, and the Internet is full of ideas to help them. There are people living zero-waste lifestyles and blogging about it not only in the US, but in many other countries as well.

compost (n) a mixture of decayed plants used to enrich garden soil

blog (n) a website with a diary or journal about a certain subject