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How to Go (Almost) Zero Waste: Over 150 Steps to More Sustainable Living at Home, School, Work, and Beyond
Your easy, practical resource on the journey to sustainable living
A zero-waste lifestyle can have a profound impact on our environment and the health of your home, and How to Go (Almost) Zero Waste is here to make sustainable living easier, with more than 150 different ways you can make more sustainable choices at home, school, work, and beyond.
Learn how to reduce your footprint at your own pace with simple steps like carrying reusable shopping bags, more intermediate steps like mending your own clothes, and major steps like creating a garden-to-cafeteria program at your local schools.
How to Go (Almost) Zero Waste offers:
***Changes big and small—Discover how sustainable living can be a progressive process—one manageable step at a time— that leaves you feeling successful, positive, and eager to do more.
***Your choice—Decide how you want to use this book, whether it’s trying out steps here and there, flipping to sections of interest, or reading the whole thing before you get started—it’s up to you.
***Progress, not perfection—This book will help you take the steps to sustainable living that you are able and comfortable with, based on your budget and lifestyle.
Begin the path to more sustainable living with a book that makes it easy and manageable for anyone.
A zero-waste lifestyle can have a profound impact on our environment and the health of your home, and How to Go (Almost) Zero Waste is here to make sustainable living easier, with more than 150 different ways you can make more sustainable choices at home, school, work, and beyond.
Learn how to reduce your footprint at your own pace with simple steps like carrying reusable shopping bags, more intermediate steps like mending your own clothes, and major steps like creating a garden-to-cafeteria program at your local schools.
How to Go (Almost) Zero Waste offers:
***Changes big and small—Discover how sustainable living can be a progressive process—one manageable step at a time— that leaves you feeling successful, positive, and eager to do more.
***Your choice—Decide how you want to use this book, whether it’s trying out steps here and there, flipping to sections of interest, or reading the whole thing before you get started—it’s up to you.
***Progress, not perfection—This book will help you take the steps to sustainable living that you are able and comfortable with, based on your budget and lifestyle.
Begin the path to more sustainable living with a book that makes it easy and manageable for anyone.
178 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 12, 2021
I’ve read a ton of zero waste books, but I still managed to collect a whole bunch of new tips from this one. I especially liked the author’s attitude of coming to these lifestyle changes from a place of love—not judgment or despair.
It was also nice to see that the book was relevant to covid times. Maybe that will date it in a couple years? But for now it was nice to read a resource that considered the social climate that we’re all currently experiencing.
It was also nice to see that the book was relevant to covid times. Maybe that will date it in a couple years? But for now it was nice to read a resource that considered the social climate that we’re all currently experiencing.
July 28, 2021
Looking for ways to be kinder to the environment? if so, this is the book for you with 150 tips that we can consider to make the world a healthier place.
I just ordered laundry strips which will decrease the plastic coming into our house. I hung out the towels on the line (those rough dried towels feel so good after a shower) and am looking forward to an annual canning session with my mom in a few weeks! Little by little, we are making changes to make a difference!
What little steps are you taking?
I just ordered laundry strips which will decrease the plastic coming into our house. I hung out the towels on the line (those rough dried towels feel so good after a shower) and am looking forward to an annual canning session with my mom in a few weeks! Little by little, we are making changes to make a difference!
What little steps are you taking?
June 7, 2021
Meh. I didn't really enjoy the formatting of this book. It's very surface level.
November 20, 2020
This book turned out to be a huge disappointment. There is so much I don't like about this book. I can go through it giving endless examples & I'll do just that, but first, to keep it simple, you don't need this book. What you need is Google & The Environmental Working Group. The author tells you to go online for virtually everything. You don't need this book. Don't do it. You'll just be adding more waste. So far out of all the Zero Waste books I've read, I loved 'An Almost Zero Waste Life' by Megean Weldon. Even the book has an eco friendly feel to it. That book is totally worth getting. It is my absolute favorite so far & has earned a spot on my shelf.
At first this book was off to a good start.
In chapter one she argues why we should all try to produce less trash. "The World Counts website cited these statistics: In the first four months of 2020,... 2 million people died from outdoor air pollution,... 1 million died of indoor air pollution... more than 1 million people died from lack of access to clean water." Let's think about that, 4 million people or 1 million people per month died. It got me thinking of the COVID19 situation & it seems to me a polluted planet is the bigger killer. Not that I don't take COVID19 seriously, but it's certainly worth thinking about. The author also briefly discusses recycling & I was glad that she mentioned how recycling isn't as great as folks seem to think it is. After all recycling takes a lot of resources & not everything can be recycled. The best thing to do is to avoid created waste in the first place. Obviously we can't be 100% Zero Waste, but every little thing we do to create less is that much more we are doing to benefit ourselves directly, the health of our planet, & every living thing on our planet.
In the ultra short chapter two she gives 20 excellent swaps you can do to reduce waste.
In the rest of the book she slowly starts to loose me. She pushes going Vegan. That's great if it works for her, but that lifestyle isn't realistic for some of us & I am one of those people. If it works for you, that's wonderful! I was Vegan for many years. My health plummeted. I went AIP & my health improved overnight. I am not exaggerating. My needs aside, my irritation with this goes far beyond the "meat pollutes" diatribe. CFO meats absolutely do pollute. They are horrible. No animal should ever have to live that way. Pasture raised however, does not pollute. Pasture raised is the exact opposite. It is good for the environment. The planet needs pasture raised animals! That is the natural way of life. What kills me is the author mentions pasture raised & still insists the planet is better off if you don't eat any meat, even pasture raised. It's biased. I live next to a huge farm (by huge I'm referring to the amount of land) that raises beef cattle. They are all pasture raised. It's beautiful. It doesn't smell. The animals are never given grain. They rotate happily from pasture to pasture. They are not crowded. I walk past them in the morning, see the steam rising off their backs, listen to the sound of their breathing, the sound as they bite some grass & chew, while calmly watching me as I walk by. I've witnessed them giving birth in the pasture. They even play as they get older. How gently they are cared for. I am fortunate to have such a beautiful view from my own pastoral farm. If you are wondering, I do not raise meat animals. I do run my own eco farm full time. Nothing is more beautiful or backbreaking than living on the land.
She discusses going organic, avoiding GMO's, supporting local farmers markets, cooking your own meals, using reusable bags, changing the cleaning products you use, etc. All good things. But remember, go online for in depth ideas & suggestions. Insert eye roll here.
She mentions the importance of avoiding fragrance/parfum. I am constantly looked at like a nut when I avoid a product that contains fragrance. Here's why, "...'fragrance" can be a combination of 3,1000-plus chemicals." Need I type more?
I got the impression the author doesn't even practice a lot of what she preaches. She makes a suggestion then tells you that you can find ideas online. The entire book is like this. In one spot it was blatantly obvious that a shampoo bar she mentioned, she only used once or twice. In it she said "...my hair felt a bit gritty as I rinsed..." Meaning, she used it once to try it, but didn't like it. Why even mention a product you don't like? I got the distinct impression that the author doesn't use bar shampoo. I know I don't. I hate it. I have super long straight hair. I wash it every other day with the bulk sized Kiss My Face Whenever brand of shampoo that I subscribe & save to. Not Zero Waste, but a step up to be sure. Yeah, you can totally use bar shampoo if you like it, go for it.
I don't mean to bash at something I practice & believe in, but this book really rubbed me the wrong way. I've been living a greener life for nearly 2 decades. I have already done so many of these changes. They didn't all happen at once. It was gradual. Just like eating organic was gradual. Run out of something, replace it with organic or green. Eventually over the years you'll have made a complete 360 of your life & you wont even really notice it until you go to someone else's house & see the endless plastic containers, the constant trash, the noise & the chaos. A Zero Waste lifestyle goes hand in hand with Minimalism. We are bombard everyday to buy, buy, buy. With Fast Fashion, new electronics, "keeping up with the Jones's" etc. When you come right down to it, it's pretty stupid. People have so much stuff, they buy storage space to store more stuff. It just keeps piling up. Then with all the toxins in our foods, air, & water, our health is going down the toilet too. For our physical & mental health, minimalism & zero waste are so much healthier for ourselves & our planet.
I also want to point out that Zero Waste or Minimalism is hardly for the "privileged." You spend so much less, because you buy so much less. Even if you go organic, you'll still have more money because you will be reusing products, cooking at home, gardening, mending, upcycling, etc. I am not rich. Oh my goodness no. Not even close. I am only mentioning this because I noticed the P word in a amazon review & was rather shocked by it. Spending less doesn't mean spending more unless you choose to spend more!
If you've read this far, thanks for that! If you really are itching for a Zero Waste book, do yourself a favor & get the book I mentioned at the very beginning of this review. It's totally non judgy. The author offers realistic ideas & even recipes all in a really cute book. This book on the other hand, is just a repetitive slog telling you over & over to go to so & so website for whatever the author is suggesting you do. No recipes, no fun. Totally uninspiring. If you still are curious about this book, you might want to see if your library carries it first. If you actually like it, then you might want to buy it.
At first this book was off to a good start.
In chapter one she argues why we should all try to produce less trash. "The World Counts website cited these statistics: In the first four months of 2020,... 2 million people died from outdoor air pollution,... 1 million died of indoor air pollution... more than 1 million people died from lack of access to clean water." Let's think about that, 4 million people or 1 million people per month died. It got me thinking of the COVID19 situation & it seems to me a polluted planet is the bigger killer. Not that I don't take COVID19 seriously, but it's certainly worth thinking about. The author also briefly discusses recycling & I was glad that she mentioned how recycling isn't as great as folks seem to think it is. After all recycling takes a lot of resources & not everything can be recycled. The best thing to do is to avoid created waste in the first place. Obviously we can't be 100% Zero Waste, but every little thing we do to create less is that much more we are doing to benefit ourselves directly, the health of our planet, & every living thing on our planet.
In the ultra short chapter two she gives 20 excellent swaps you can do to reduce waste.
In the rest of the book she slowly starts to loose me. She pushes going Vegan. That's great if it works for her, but that lifestyle isn't realistic for some of us & I am one of those people. If it works for you, that's wonderful! I was Vegan for many years. My health plummeted. I went AIP & my health improved overnight. I am not exaggerating. My needs aside, my irritation with this goes far beyond the "meat pollutes" diatribe. CFO meats absolutely do pollute. They are horrible. No animal should ever have to live that way. Pasture raised however, does not pollute. Pasture raised is the exact opposite. It is good for the environment. The planet needs pasture raised animals! That is the natural way of life. What kills me is the author mentions pasture raised & still insists the planet is better off if you don't eat any meat, even pasture raised. It's biased. I live next to a huge farm (by huge I'm referring to the amount of land) that raises beef cattle. They are all pasture raised. It's beautiful. It doesn't smell. The animals are never given grain. They rotate happily from pasture to pasture. They are not crowded. I walk past them in the morning, see the steam rising off their backs, listen to the sound of their breathing, the sound as they bite some grass & chew, while calmly watching me as I walk by. I've witnessed them giving birth in the pasture. They even play as they get older. How gently they are cared for. I am fortunate to have such a beautiful view from my own pastoral farm. If you are wondering, I do not raise meat animals. I do run my own eco farm full time. Nothing is more beautiful or backbreaking than living on the land.
She discusses going organic, avoiding GMO's, supporting local farmers markets, cooking your own meals, using reusable bags, changing the cleaning products you use, etc. All good things. But remember, go online for in depth ideas & suggestions. Insert eye roll here.
She mentions the importance of avoiding fragrance/parfum. I am constantly looked at like a nut when I avoid a product that contains fragrance. Here's why, "...'fragrance" can be a combination of 3,1000-plus chemicals." Need I type more?
I got the impression the author doesn't even practice a lot of what she preaches. She makes a suggestion then tells you that you can find ideas online. The entire book is like this. In one spot it was blatantly obvious that a shampoo bar she mentioned, she only used once or twice. In it she said "...my hair felt a bit gritty as I rinsed..." Meaning, she used it once to try it, but didn't like it. Why even mention a product you don't like? I got the distinct impression that the author doesn't use bar shampoo. I know I don't. I hate it. I have super long straight hair. I wash it every other day with the bulk sized Kiss My Face Whenever brand of shampoo that I subscribe & save to. Not Zero Waste, but a step up to be sure. Yeah, you can totally use bar shampoo if you like it, go for it.
I don't mean to bash at something I practice & believe in, but this book really rubbed me the wrong way. I've been living a greener life for nearly 2 decades. I have already done so many of these changes. They didn't all happen at once. It was gradual. Just like eating organic was gradual. Run out of something, replace it with organic or green. Eventually over the years you'll have made a complete 360 of your life & you wont even really notice it until you go to someone else's house & see the endless plastic containers, the constant trash, the noise & the chaos. A Zero Waste lifestyle goes hand in hand with Minimalism. We are bombard everyday to buy, buy, buy. With Fast Fashion, new electronics, "keeping up with the Jones's" etc. When you come right down to it, it's pretty stupid. People have so much stuff, they buy storage space to store more stuff. It just keeps piling up. Then with all the toxins in our foods, air, & water, our health is going down the toilet too. For our physical & mental health, minimalism & zero waste are so much healthier for ourselves & our planet.
I also want to point out that Zero Waste or Minimalism is hardly for the "privileged." You spend so much less, because you buy so much less. Even if you go organic, you'll still have more money because you will be reusing products, cooking at home, gardening, mending, upcycling, etc. I am not rich. Oh my goodness no. Not even close. I am only mentioning this because I noticed the P word in a amazon review & was rather shocked by it. Spending less doesn't mean spending more unless you choose to spend more!
If you've read this far, thanks for that! If you really are itching for a Zero Waste book, do yourself a favor & get the book I mentioned at the very beginning of this review. It's totally non judgy. The author offers realistic ideas & even recipes all in a really cute book. This book on the other hand, is just a repetitive slog telling you over & over to go to so & so website for whatever the author is suggesting you do. No recipes, no fun. Totally uninspiring. If you still are curious about this book, you might want to see if your library carries it first. If you actually like it, then you might want to buy it.
April 24, 2023
Good intro book for beginners, when you're wanting/needing clear or easy steps to get started on your sustainability journey without all the heavy science and daunting stats. I like that the book's organized in a scale system: "how much money, time, and effort it [the step] might require, along with the impact it will have." Some parts were repetitive. I gained a bit of new knowledge and resources.
July 29, 2021
This one is great for beginners with steps big and small. Each of the steps is presented in terms of investment ($$), time, effort, and impact. Chapters are organized by parts of your life (food and dining, family, work/school) with a special chapter at the beginning titled “Baby Steps: Easy Swaps to Make Now.”
What I like: This book is well-organized and easy to read. A beginner can learn quick, easy, cheap ways to reduce waste in the bathroom with easy swaps like toothpaste tablets instead of tubes (#48) or making your own bathroom cleaner with apple cider vinegar and baking soda (#53)
Best tip: I love how the author acknowledges the fear so many of us have about the climate crisis. Her tip to “think love, not fear” (#145) is an important one. We can only control so much! Keeping the focus on what’s within our control (our own choices) is key.
What I like: This book is well-organized and easy to read. A beginner can learn quick, easy, cheap ways to reduce waste in the bathroom with easy swaps like toothpaste tablets instead of tubes (#48) or making your own bathroom cleaner with apple cider vinegar and baking soda (#53)
Best tip: I love how the author acknowledges the fear so many of us have about the climate crisis. Her tip to “think love, not fear” (#145) is an important one. We can only control so much! Keeping the focus on what’s within our control (our own choices) is key.
January 24, 2022
Of the few "how to reduce waste and plastic" books I have read/browsed lately this is my favorite. Instead of making the reader feel awful and hopeless it provides achievable tips and ways to change your lifestyle incrementally. Each of the steps is presented in terms of investment, time, effort, and impact.
I do wish the book would have addressed how waste management and guilt is always passed on the the consumer and that if governments pressured corporations to package products using compostable products and threatened them with fines it could do much more towards solving the overall issue. I can dream right?
I do wish the book would have addressed how waste management and guilt is always passed on the the consumer and that if governments pressured corporations to package products using compostable products and threatened them with fines it could do much more towards solving the overall issue. I can dream right?
December 3, 2022
I have been working towards (almost) zero waste for several years and wanted to see which steps the author provided and if there were things I may have missed or needed work on. It felt good that much of these I have already implemented, but there is always work to be done.
If you don't really know much about zero waste but want to do your best to help the environment and how you live in general, this is a good book filled with great tips and explanations. They even have an amount of effort that you may have to put into it little key for each idea. Very nice.
If you don't really know much about zero waste but want to do your best to help the environment and how you live in general, this is a good book filled with great tips and explanations. They even have an amount of effort that you may have to put into it little key for each idea. Very nice.
February 20, 2023
This book is better suited for people who are just starting or who have recently started their zero waste journeys. I found that I already knew almost all the tips presented here and the books is quite repetitive on some things. I started skimming a little over halfway through. 🤷🏻♀️ Not for me, but I appreciate the effort and hope this book ends up in the right hands.
Thank you to Callisto Publisher’s Club and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for me to review.
Thank you to Callisto Publisher’s Club and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for me to review.
February 21, 2023
Filled with so much science backed knowledge and tips!
It could be a bit redundant at times but I loved it! I’ve been on the zero waste journey for a while now but am still making strides. This book had so many tips and tricks I never thought about before. An excellent read that’s based on science rather than emotion even though this can be a very emotionally charged topic.
It could be a bit redundant at times but I loved it! I’ve been on the zero waste journey for a while now but am still making strides. This book had so many tips and tricks I never thought about before. An excellent read that’s based on science rather than emotion even though this can be a very emotionally charged topic.
October 14, 2021
good overview of getting to zero waste
I have taken 30 years to learn most of what is in this simple clear book. It has references and extra information for those who need to learn more or require proof and facts.
A really great place to start saving the planet.
I have taken 30 years to learn most of what is in this simple clear book. It has references and extra information for those who need to learn more or require proof and facts.
A really great place to start saving the planet.
January 18, 2023
It is about progress not perfection. Probably the only part of this book that I enjoyed.
Research and statistics are sporadic. Advice is not consistent, nor in alignment with some of the messages in this book.
Research and statistics are sporadic. Advice is not consistent, nor in alignment with some of the messages in this book.
April 20, 2023
I've read many books on decreasing my impact on the environment and my surroundings, and still found many new things I could do listed in this book! Love that it was written from a place of love and guidance, vs judgment and fear.
January 2, 2021
Excellent, practical, and an easy read.
February 16, 2021
Awesome!
This is an organized , comprehensible, and interesting read! I love the steps to become more sustainable in a number of ways.
This is an organized , comprehensible, and interesting read! I love the steps to become more sustainable in a number of ways.
October 24, 2021
Good, Up-to-Date Book on Sustainability Ideas
Good book for anyone who is looking for actionable ways to curb their environmental impact. Great ideas and activities for readers!
Good book for anyone who is looking for actionable ways to curb their environmental impact. Great ideas and activities for readers!
December 22, 2021
I think that this would be a great book for someone who is just starting to get into the Zero Waste mind set. It is very concise, but also gives a list of resources for those who want to go deeper.
October 8, 2022
Great idea for a book. The formatting is not my taste. Good tips tho
December 31, 2022
Nothing new really, have read better books on zero waste. This was good to brush up on the main principles though. Read through this fairly quickly.
June 30, 2023
Great info & tips in here, but it became incredibly repetitive after a point.
July 7, 2024
Good quick tips to moving towards less waste and also being more environmentally aware in general!
October 14, 2024
I’ve used this as a reference book for a long time, a handy reminder of small things that have a real impact. It has brought permanent change to our lives.
March 11, 2025
Easy and fast read. Very educational. I took a lot of notes. Could use some more depth and less veganism
May 25, 2025
Not bad - looks at small and big ways to reduce in all areas.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews