{"id":57517,"date":"2017-04-06T07:15:25","date_gmt":"2017-04-06T11:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=57517"},"modified":"2017-04-10T11:30:15","modified_gmt":"2017-04-10T15:30:15","slug":"30-day-zero-waste-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/30-day-zero-waste-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"The 30-Day Zero Waste Challenge: Can You Hack It?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Kathryn Kellogg was 20 years old, doctors discovered six lumps in her breast. The lumps turned out to be benign, but their appearance transformed the way Kellogg related to her body. She started thinking about what she put in and on her body in a whole new way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a lot of the products we use aren\u2019t thoroughly tested,\u201d says Kellogg. \u201cI learned that plastic has BPA and BPS\u2026 Both are endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen. Basically, the last thing I needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she researched the chemicals that were coming into contact with her body, Kellogg began to identify correlates between the health of our environment<\/a> and the health of our bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cNature can\u2019t digest plastic either,\u201d she says. \u201cIt poses a huge threat to nature, especially marine life\u2026 It\u2019s completely in our food chain and could wipe out an entire eco-system. It\u2019s a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Why I Started My Own Wellness Brand<\/a><\/p>\n

So Kellogg decided to remove plastic and other toxic products from her life \u2014 both for her own health and the health of the environment. Then, she took things one step further. She adopted a \u201czero waste lifestyle,\u201d in which she endeavored to produce as little trash as possible.<\/p>\n

Now Kellogg runs goingzerowaste.com<\/u><\/a>, where she encourages others to join in her efforts to ditch plastic, remove harmful chemicals from their home and beauty routines, and \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 majorly reduce their waste. To that end, she created the 30-Day Zero Waste Challenge<\/a> to ease people into the zero-waste lifestyle. The challenge includes everything from using natural cleaners to forgoing plastic straws, consuming whole foods, and swapping out paper towels for cloth napkins.<\/p>\n

And the movement isn\u2019t exclusive to hippie communes. The zero waste lifestyle can be adopted by people of all stripes (including city dwellers). Here\u2019s what zero waste really entails, why it matters, and how to get in on the action.<\/p>\n

Going\u00a0Zero Waste: The Difference It Makes
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\u201cAmericans generate a whopping 220 million tons of waste every year.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cGoing zero waste is all about reframing our thinking and overhauling our consumption habits,\u201d says Kellogg. \u201cThe easiest [way to describe it] is, \u2018We make no trash.\u2019 But it goes so much deeper than that. The lifestyle promotes putting value back into our belongings. Instead of being a disposable society, we focus on being a reusable society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why is reusability such a good thing? For starters, it reduces our consumption of natural resources. Right now, says Kellogg, \u201cWe\u2019re using two earth’s worth of resources [each year] to make products that are thrown into a giant hole in the ground where they will never decompose.\u201d Put another way, Americans generate a whopping 220 million tons<\/a> of waste every year. This waste ends up in one of the country\u2019s more than 3,500 landfills (at best) or pollutes our land and waterways (at worst).<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Scary Ways Pollution Might Be Affecting Your Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

But waste doesn\u2019t stop being a problem even if it makes its way to a landfill. Landfills are major emitters of methane, which is one of the primary greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. And then there\u2019s the issue of plastic. Much of our country\u2019s waste is composed of plastic, says Kelsey Head, an Environmental Educator at Walking Mountains Science Center<\/a> in Avon, CO. \u201cPlastic takes nearly a million years to degrade,\u201d she says. \u201cThe longstanding existence of plastic will present us with issues we can\u2019t even fathom yet, most especially in our water. We\u2019re doing serious damage to our global ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

When individuals reduce their waste, they benefit the environment by minimizing their eco-footprint. But their impact extends much further than that. \u201cWhat\u2019s really cool is the influence they can have on people around them,\u201d says Head. If only one person in the world tried to reduce their waste, it might have a minimal impact on the planet. But when their actions inspire others to follow suit, says Head, that can be nothing short of revolutionary.<\/p>\n

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Michelle Pellizzon holding 30 days of trash. (Photo: @betterbymichelle<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Zero Waste, Zero Regrets: The Personal Benefits<\/h3>\n

The zero waste lifestyle doesn\u2019t just benefit the planet. It may also improve the lives of the people who adopt it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m no longer filling my life with stuff. Everything in my life has purpose or meaning.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Nutritionist and editor Michelle Pellizzon<\/a> has gradually transitioned to a zero waste lifestyle. In the process, she\u2019s identified several benefits. For starters, she says, \u201cIt saved me a lot of money. I definitely wasn\u2019t expecting that.\u201d Pellizzon attributes this perk to conscious consumerism: When you carefully consider every purchase, you avoid spending money on impulse buys. And when you purchase whole or bulk foods as opposed to pre-packaged items, you\u2019re not paying for the product\u2019s packaging.<\/p>\n

The lifestyle also saves Pellizzon time. \u201cI thought I\u2019d waste a lot of time trying to come up with solutions for [being] zero waste,\u201d she says. But going zero waste has had the opposite effect. For example, because she now plans her grocery shopping ahead<\/a> and cooks in bulk<\/a>, she cuts down on trips to the grocery store and time spent in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>12 Brilliant Meal Prep Ideas to Free Up Your Time<\/a><\/p>\n

Kellogg has experienced these same advantages \u2014 and then some. She eats healthier because she\u2019s not eating processed foods<\/a>. She\u2019s developed a sense of community as she purchases locally made products directly from their creators. And she\u2019s happier. \u201cI\u2019m no longer filling my life with stuff,\u201d Kellogg says. \u201cEverything in my life has purpose or meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 30-Day Zero Waste Challenge: How to Get Started<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re sold on going zero waste or just looking for simple ways to reduce your eco-footprint, Kellogg recommends starting out by committing to one waste-reducing action. Once you\u2019ve made it a habit, you\u2019ll naturally be motivated to delve further into the zero waste lifestyle. Here are several ways to get started:<\/p>\n