What is The Difference Between Being Zero-Waste and Eco-Friendly?
Posted by DEBBIE PLUMRIDGE
There are a lot of similarities between going zero-waste and eco-friendly, yet there are not the same. Some people often mix these two terms up. Read on to find out the difference between being zero-waste and eco-friendly.
Zero-Waste
Being zero-waste actually has a somewhat narrower scope, that is, eliminating waste. The aim of going zero-waste is to make landfills obsolete. Yes, completely obsolete. Sounds good, right?
When going zero-waste, there are several aspects that need to be considered, for example, the design of a product and creating a “cradle to cradle” system. This system is based on the idea that each and every part of a product can be recycled without any compromise on quality. The system is heavily inspired by nature, where nothing is wasted, and everything is a nutrient.
Zero-Waste Lifestyle
In a zero-waste lifestyle, people focus on two main components; reuse and repurpose. People have to reuse almost everything they can, which significantly reduces the amount of garbage. With this goal in mind, consumers are then forced to buy and use only those goods that are reusable, such as kitchen eco savers.
Once an item has been used for its original purpose, it is then reused instead of discarding it away. This saves time, money, and effort and has a huge benefit on the environment and society at large.
A common misconception in public is that having a zero-waste lifestyle is quite difficult to achieve and maintain. Frankly speaking, this is purely a myth. Zero-waste lifestyle only requires commitment on your part; the results will follow themselves. Speaking of results, you will immediately notice how much unnecessary expenditure has been reduced. Your lifestyle also will grow considerably better and healthier.
Eco-Friendly
While zero-waste was focused on eliminating the need for landfills, eco-friendly encompasses a whole lifestyle where you want to save the planet in every aspect of life, from saving energy, fuel, water and others resources. That means no more self-debates and philosophizing in the shower!
However, when we go into the nitty-gritty of it all, practically no product is truly eco-friendly. Eco-friendly, by definition, means not damaging the environment. Manufacturing any product requires some sort of damage to the environment, be it in the form of water consumption, energy consumption, or waste by-product.
Living Eco-Friendly Without Zero-Waste
Here is an interesting conundrum. An eco-friendly lifestyle isn’t always zero-waste. On the other hand, zero-waste is a huge part of going eco-friendly. If you reduce waste in your life, it is indeed going to be beneficial for you and future generations. However, there are various other eco-friendly approaches that aren’t zero waste.
The term eco-friendly can be applied in business, politics, socio-economic issues, pollution, and various other fields. Living in an eco-friendly manner needs a wide-scale education program that teaches its importance and practical ways to bring it into your routine.
Conclusion
Both zero-waste and eco-friendly lifestyles are excellent ways to live. Zero-waste is geared towards removing garbage while eco-friendly is preserving the environment on a grand scale. Truth be told, the way we have ravaged our planet, it needs any and all efforts from us. Even the smallest step in preserving our planet can snowball into a movement.
If you want to take that step, visit our website to browse our completely eco-friendly merchandise.
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