Designing Your Life Based on Permaculture Principles (Part 6): Produce No Waste
Mother Nature produces no waste. So why do humans produce so much of it? Until we are able to make biodegradable products, we should learn to live in harmony with nature's closed loop – that is, without releasing waste into the environment. People need to relearn how to model their lives on the natural world as much as possible and to take part in a closed loop, in which one person's waste is truly another person's treasure. By reducing waste, we can reduce the resources used to produce new goods.
If you can recycle your belongings, use biodegradable materials for packaging, and buy second-hand items instead of new ones, then we are benefiting our own ecosystem rather than destroying it. The more the ecosystem thrives, the healthier people will be.
There are many ways in which people can reduce their waste. The important thing is not to view it as a sacrifice or a chore, but rather to see reducing waste as a part of your life. Living a waste-free life can significantly improve both our physical and mental health.
1. Reduce waste sent to landfill and track how often you empty the bin
Reduce the waste you send to landfill and track how often you empty your bin. When you realise that you are emptying the bin too frequently, you can reduce the frequency and begin reusing organic waste to make compost, or glass jars to store water.
2. Avoid using plastic
Avoid using plastic as much as possible. You can significantly reduce landfill and recyclable waste by not buying plastic products. This practice may be difficult at first, but once your mindset shifts, everything becomes much easier.
3. Compost your food scraps
Compost your food scraps and use them to feed the vegetable beds in your garden. We throw away a great deal of food every year, and there are many nutrients left in it. If we can create a food composting system, we can return these nutrients to the vegetable garden and generate plenty of nutrients that help plants grow well. This once again links back to the other principles by helping you save money, allowing you to reuse a renewable resource, and yielding a return from your garden. Three principles in one!
4. Reduce your water consumption
Consider ways to reduce your own water consumption. Could you reuse water from the sink to water your plants? You could create a greywater management system. There are many easy ways to conserve such a precious resource.
5. Avoid wasting time
The creation of waste can take many forms. If we observe carefully how we use our time, we can ensure that we do not waste our most precious resource.
These are not things to be implemented all at once. Do not worry if this seems a little overwhelming at first. The advice is to start small and build larger habits from there.
Reference: Designing Your Life with Permaculture, Josh David [online], available at: https://www.permaculture.co.uk/Designing-Your-Life-Permaculture?fbclid=IwAR3o5P5yfJ09U-9CzclJTi5lmiJKgaLxIMjguGJbuEDn_Gb4jsjIyXBsHfI
This article is part of the Permaculture section – sharing methods for designing a way of life and practising sustainable agriculture according to permaculture principles.
