The young and the wasteless - how one family has completely decluttered their lives

30 April 2017 - 02:00 By SHELLEY SEID
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Bea Johnson with her husband, Scott, and sons Leo and Max.
Bea Johnson with her husband, Scott, and sons Leo and Max.
Image: STEPHANIE RAUSSER

Many women open a cupboard overflowing with garments, and complain about having nothing to wear.

But not Frenchwoman Bea Johnson, who, despite restricting herself to a 15-piece wardrobe of second-hand clothing that fits into an aircraft carry-on bag, looks like she's just stepped off a catwalk.

Johnson, who has been dubbed "the priestess of waste-free living" by The New York Times and the "messiah of ecology" by Paris Match, writes a fashion blog and gives tips on how to create your own makeup.    

She started the Zero Waste lifestyle movement in 2008 based on five principles: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot.

story_article_left1

Her philosophy? "Own less, waste less and live more." Zero waste is not the preserve of hippies, she says. You can be stylish while saving time, money and the planet.

She has inspired zero-waste restaurants in the UK and zero-waste stores around Europe, and has addressed the European Parliament and the UN.

Her book, Zero Waste Home, has been translated into 12 languages and she travels the world sharing tips on how to live simply and still be fashionable and happy.

Her life of "voluntary simplicity" has allowed her, husband Scott and sons Leo and Max to save so much money that they can afford the things they never thought possible.

Cutting back, buying in bulk and buying second-hand led to the Johnsons saving 40% of their household expenditure in the first year of implementation.

"The less we have, the richer we feel," she says.

On her blog, Johnson, a fashion school graduate, writes: "Life is short. Rather than shopping, I much prefer planning an adventure or living one, like kayaking overnight in the Everglades, as we did during the holiday season/shopping madness."

The idea began in 2006 when the Johnsons decided to move from their large home in California to be closer to local amenities.

They rented a small apartment for a year while they searched for the ideal home. Most of their possessions went into storage.

"We moved in with four chairs instead of 20, one table instead of four, one set of sheets per person, four plates, and so on."

When they moved into a new home they realised they had not missed the things that were in storage. They let go of about 80% of their belongings.

It made them question and research environmental issues.

"What we discovered made us sad about what we were leaving behind."

mini_story_image_vright1

Her husband started a sustainability company and she tackled the home.

In 2008, "zero waste" was generally used to describe waste management.

"I decided to apply it to the home."

She discovered she needed to follow her five rules.

Start with "refuse", Johnson advises. "Say no to the things we do not need and are bad for the planet, like single-use plastic, freebies like free pens, junk mail and business cards."

She owns only what is needed and the family live a minimalist lifestyle. Reuse means swapping single-use items like tissues for hankies and buying only second-hand clothes.

"My kids think the way we live is normal. Twice a year when I go to the thrift store, I ask them what they want. They may say skinny pants, a Quicksilver T-shirt or Puma shoes — and then I make sure I get it."

She recycles what cannot be refused, reduced or reused.

"A zero-waste lifestyle does not mean recycling more, it means recycling less thanks to waste prevention in the first place."

She has rid her home of toxic cleaning products. "We can clean the house with a spray of water and vinegar and a pure soap. We brush our teeth with bicarbonate of soda and also use it as deodorant."

On trash collection days there is nothing outside the Johnsons' house. They produce just one small jar of waste a year.

On average, each person in the world dumps around 438kg of waste annually. Globally, 1.3billion tons of waste is generated each year — of this South Africa generates about 108million tons.

Johnson will be touring South Africa from May 5 to 10 to offer practical advice.

sub_head_start Eco-warriors shine a green light

South Africa might not have a high priestess of waste, but there are several locals who are promoting eco-friendly lifestyles.

These include:

Cape-based Rhian Berning is the founder of Eco Atlas, an all-inclusive, ethical online portal with a search function that provides responsible travellers and conscious consumers with information on places to eat, shop and stay.

Why: I studied environmental science in the 1990s, way before green was the new black. For me it's enabling people to see that there are innovative solutions that allow us to thrive and have healthy communities and a healthy planet.

What: I thought what if information was freely available so we could choose which businesses to support based on their eco and social justice practices? Wouldn't that be powerful and allow us to steer a new course by actively voting with our wallets for change for the better! Eco Atlas has been recognised as a ground-breaking concept with lots of potential to change business as usual.

How: I created Eco Atlas because it's about all those small daily choices we make that, added together, can rewrite the future we're all wishing for.

Cape-based Jade Khoury runs eco-awareness training and workshops through her organisation, Low Impact Living. These include a holistic eco-housekeeping course for domestic workers and workshops on natural beauty. She also runs Earth Champs, a wilderness and eco-warrior club for kids.

Why: As a teacher, mother and creative person wanting to be part of positive change in the world, our impact on our natural environment always disturbed me. It made no sense to set up a life for ourselves and our children that is ...destructive for the planet.

What: When I saw the ways I could change my own life, I began to see opportunities to share this knowledge and inspire and empower other people to do so too. I'm particularly interested in the many simple and affordable things we can do every day; things that are good for us, our planet and our pocket.

How: As a first step, cut out single-use items. Say no to plastic bags, straws, takeaway packaging and balloons.

KwaZulu-Natal based Colleen Black founded her online business, Life Lived Simply, in 2015. She sells products such as reusable stainless steel straws, bamboo coffee cups, FreshBag produce weigh bags and menstrual cups to help people reduce their waste.

Why: After stumbling upon the term "zero waste", I felt challenged to strive towards this lifestyle. We need to take responsibility for the impact we are making on earth.

What: I am trying to inspire and educate people to make changes in their lifestyle. I see more and more people willing to change. Every change we make in our own lives creates a huge impact; people will see you making the change and so the ripple effect takes place.

How: For a first step, minimise single-use packaging and use reusable shopping bags.

sub_head_start Tips from Bea Johnson

• Clean your house with white vinegar and olive oil-based soap;

• Brush teeth with bicarbonate of soda;

• Use ground, burnt almonds as eye makeup;

• Use cocoa powder as a bronzer;

• Use strands of silk to form dental floss;

• Buy in bulk, and use cotton bags or glass containers to carry groceries home; and

• Use moss as toilet paper. (This only works when it's fresh; thereafter it becomes as hard as a steel scourer!)

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now