The 5Rs

The health benefits are a result of our conscious selection of organic, fresh and seasonal food that grows without external enhancement. Food that does not contain preservatives is the best way to avoid allergic reactions and improve cognitive growth and the development of the human body (1). The Zero Waste principle is also reflected in the amount that we walk or ride a bike, instead of driving a car. Main pillars: health (movement, healthy food, less microplastics, no irritation from fragrances, detergents, cosmetics), reduced consumption → budget effectiveness; less waste and more rear cleaning the garbage; aesthetic benefits (at home, outdoors), educational, economics benefits. 5

Aleksa and Diana

In our everyday lives, we have everyday habits. Going Zero Waste is a chance to improve our way of life, by making choices and decisions that are good for the environment.

5 Mie, A. Andersen H. R., Gunnarsson, S. , Kahl, J., Kesse-Guyot, E, Rembiałkowska, E., Quaglio, G., & Grandjean, P. (2017). Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: a comprehensive review.

Environmental Health. 16: 111.

Many people believe that going Zero Waste will change their lives for the worse. They think that it is all about expensive goods and the degradation of their ‘’previous’’ lifestyle, but actually, it’s about improving everyday habits. 5R is a short term used to explain 5 basic approaches that we should accept and use in everyday life. Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot are the principles we learned during the Go Zero project. In order to reduce the waste we affect the world with, we have to start from the easiest and sometimes most efficient step: Refuse. Although it may sound drastic, refusing means saying no only to unnecessary things, such as flyers, promotional magazines and catalogues, irrelevant stickers and posters, which means significantly reducing the amount of paper wasted; and saying no to all kinds of plastic toys, which might bring us some joy in the moment, but eventually become trash. Mainly, just because it is free it doesn’t mean that you should take it, because it’s not much of a deal either for you or for the environment when you soon have to throw it away. Secondly, when you are sure that the objects you accept into your life will be useful for some time, meaning that you cannot refuse them altogether, the option of Reducing pops up. This too means tackling the amount of waste you produce. If you think through the utility and quantity of the product you are buying right from the beginning, you save resources, money and even time!

This one sounds tricky, but is relevant for all 5 approaches. When quantities are well planned, by not having to throw a lot of things away you save yourself the time of buying them, of organizing them (in the fridge, for example) and of throwing them away afterwards. And let’s be honest, taking out the trash is not always a piece of cake! If, however, you really need to buy 12 jars instead of one, because you use them all at the same time (if you have tried to reduce but it didn’t work out), you can consider reusing them in some way or another. This is generally known as upcycling or Reusing. Upcycling/reusing can include a lot of options: from using old jars as cups, pots or painting receptacles to making a picture frame out of an old TV frame.

Of course, the reuse doesn’t have to be artistic. Our grandmas and grandpas were recycling long before the practice got its name. Look how they use old casserole dishes for packing food, old clothes for making fabric rags, old pieces of wood for new furniture. You can ask them how they do it, and upcycle together to save the environment and get closer to your family.