Bea Johnson is a zero waste guru and an author of a best-selling book called Zero Waste Home. She proudly carries a bottle around with her which contains all the waste she and her three member family have created over the last year. It’s about the size of a marmalade jar. And Bea was one of the stars at the Zero Waste conference, hosted by the non-profit organisation Bezobalu, which took place in Prague this week. I met her prior to the conference I asked her if she could outline the main ideas behind the philosophy:

Bea Johnson, photo: archive of Bea Johnson

“Zero waste aims at eliminating maximum waste from your life. We have been able to eliminate ours to just one jar per year. All we do is simply follow five rules in this specific order: we refuse, reduce, reuse recycle and rot, so at the end we are left with very little waste.

“First rule for example is to refuse what we do not need, because in the consumerist society we are the targets of many consumer goods that are free, but every time we accept them, we are creating a demand to make. So every time we take a free plastic bag, for example, it is a way of saying we love plastic bags, and we want more oil to be drilled from the ground to create a replacement. So we have simply learned to say no to these things and that is the first rule for the zero waste lifestyle.”

Isn't this lifestyle too time consuming?

“People who say that it is too complicated don’t know anything about zero waste lifestyle and I am here to share all the misconceptions that are associated that are associated with this lifestyle. I work a full time job and I have a very busy schedule. So if I am able to do it, I believe other people are able to do that too.

“What takes the most time is actually to find a system that works for you. It also takes time do declutter our life from the things that you do not really need. That’s the second rule of the zero waste life style: to reduce the things that you do need.

“So it takes a while to go through the things that you have so that you can let them go and make other people have access to them, so then you are boosting the second hand market and sharing those precious resources with other people.

“Once the system is in place you'll discover that it really saves a lot of time, because it is a life that is based on simplicity. Simplicity by definition is not there to complicate your life but to simplify it, to make room in your life for what matters the most. What you don’t have doesn’t actually need to be cleaned, stored, repaired, maintained and eventually discarded and repurchased.”

“All we do is simply follow the five rules: refuse, reduce, reuse recycle and rot, so at the end we are left with very little waste.”



Some people also argue that it is too complicated. For instance if you live in a city like Prague, there are no package-free shops and there is no way of composting your biodegradable waste if you live in an apartment house...

“There is a compost system out there for every situation. People who live in an apartment have a choice of either a worm bin – some people put it on their balcony or they find a spot in their cupboard. And it actually doesn't smell. People are afraid of it because they think it is going to smell, but it does not smell, so don't worry about it.

“There is also a system that can be plugged into electricity, it does require electricity but it is much faster than a worm composter and you can eve add meat and fish bones to it.

“And as far as bulk food stores are concerned, well there is already one here in Prague, but people also need to understand that waste-free products are not just what we find in health food stores. It can also be found at the farmers markets. It is anything that you find without packaging, either at your local bakery shop, your local butcher shop or your fish shop. You just bring your own containers to stop packaging at the source.”

What about costs of zero waste life? Is it true that you have managed to reduce the costs of your life by living a zero waste life?

“My husband was a little worried when we started because we were in a middle of a recession and he said we could not afford this lifestyle because I was going to a health food store which had a reputation of costing more. I was also shopping at the farmers markets, which also has a reputation of costing more, but then i encouraged him to the bank statements between the zero waste lifestyle and the lifestyle before zero waste.

Many people on my blog were saying the same thing, but when my husband compared our bank statements he found out that we were saving 40 percent on our overall spending. This is due to the fact we consume way less than before. Today we are just happy with the amount of staff we have, we are happy with our inventory and we are no longer adding to it.

Photo: archive of Bea Johnson

“If we buy something we buy it only because it needs to be replaced: a tennis shoe that has a hole in it, a T-shirt that is too small. And when we buy that replacement, we are going to buy it second-hand, which by definition costs less. But also we buy our food in bulk. When you buy your food packaged, 15 percent of the price covers the costs of the packaging. It is not the manufacture that buys the packaging, it is the consumer.

“And finally we have replaced anything that is disposable for a reusable alternative. That means our money is no longer invested in the landfill, because if you buy something that is single-use, you buy something that will be thrown away, so it is literally like throwing your money away.”

So how has your life changed since you adopted zero waste lifestyle back in 2008?

“We have discovered that this lifestyle has many advantages, not only are they financial, as I have just mentioned, but they also save time. We have discovered a heathier lifestyle, because we have been able to eliminate all toxic products from our lives.

“But to me the best advantage of this lifestyle is the fact that we have discovered a life based on experiences instead of things. Our money is no longer invested in stuff, it is invested in activities and experiences. We have discovered a lifestyle based on being instead of having, and that is what makes life richer.”

In 2015 your four-member family managed to produce just a jar of waste.

“They are elements of repair. I change the sealing at the back of my kitchen sink so the old one is here. There are bits of electrical repair. There is a tampon wrapper. I personally don’t use tampons, I use a menstrual cup but someone came to my house for a party and didn’t know our lifestyle.

“There is also a fishnet from volunteering at a local food bank and there is photo that is sent to us every year by the same family who keep sending me their picture every year, so it ends up in the jar. On top here there is a smartphone case which I purchased second-hand of course but it is silicone and it is not recyclable. And there are also some clothes tags and fruit and vegetable labels.”

“We have discovered a lifestyle based on being instead of having, and that is what makes life richer.”



So what would you recommend to people who want to reduce the amount of waste they produce?

“I would simply recommend them to follow the five rules in order. This is what has allowed us to reduce our waste to this much. So the first rule is to refuse what we do not need. Simply learn how to say no. Next time someone gives you something, think about whether you really need it. If you take it, you are creating demand to make more. Once it is at your home, it adds to your clutter and it adds to your waste.

“Second tip would be to reduce what you do have. Go through your home and let go of the things that you do not truly need. When you let them go, you let other people have access to them.

“And finally I would recommend to reuse and you can do that by swapping anything that’s disposable for reusable alternative, such as paper towels for rags or disposable packaging with jars and cloth bags and finally buy second-hand when you do need to buy something.”

The Prague conference will be followed by a series of workshops on zero waste lifestyle. You can find more info at zerowaste.bezobalu.org.