Zero Waste

During the International Week, full-time master’s participants at EADA take part in electives focused on sustainability and responsible management. One of the electives this year was dedicated to the “Zero Waste” movement, presented by International Master in Marketing alumna Marta Balaguer and Doris Knickmeyer, member of the Zero Waste Barcelona Network. Here Marta shares a bit about how to integrate aspects of the Zero Waste lifestyle into our everyday lives.

Zero Waste is about promoting a lifestyle based on concrete actions to avoid as much waste as possible. Simple steps that you can take from the moment you finish reading this article. Cool, right?

Based on five basic principles, the Zero Waste movement starts with refusing everything unnecessary, reducing what you buy (and don’t really need), reusing what you have, and recycling what you have already used. This is followed by rotating –and even reinventing– objects for new uses. Just imagine what you could do!

Zero waste is all about thinking before buying because every decision you make is a vote. It is a change in mindset and lifestyle; it is believing that happiness comes from experiences rather than material possessions. Is about learning to enjoy buying, being conscious of your impact on the planet and valuing the things that really matter. And, as an extra bonus, you save a lot of money!

It sounds harder than it is. I have included the first steps towards a Zero Waste lifestyle here:

1. Always bring a tote bag with you to avoid buying a plastic bag every time you shop. Let’s face it, tote bags also look cool!
2. Buy yourself a reusable water bottle instead of buying water in plastic bottles. Let’s avoid drinking little particles of toxic plastic!
3. Ask the barista to put your coffee in a reusable to-go-cup. Let’s save the environment!

Zero waste lifestyle means being an agent of change. Each action you take towards this lifestyle helps you, your environment and all of us. You have the power to change, so DO IT!