What going ‘zero waste’ means and why it’s important

Global issues generated by waste are pushing us towards a lifestyle where disposable items are used less, reducing our overall waste and the impact it has on our planet.

What does Zero Waste mean?

According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, Zero Waste is…
the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.

Why is zero waste important?

Proper and effective waste management is one of the major challenges of the third millennium. Plastics in perticular, when they aren’t recycled in a properly managed, regulated environment can have dangerous and lasting impacts on the environment around us.

Film resources
We’ll keep updating this section as the challenge progresses. Check back each month for the next recommendation!

No Impact Man (2009)

Author Colin Beavan, in research for his new book, began the No Impact Project in November 2006. A newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who could no longer avoid pointing the finger at himself, Colin leaves behind his liberal complacency for a vow to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two year-old daughter are dragged into the fray. Laura Gabbert and Justin Scheins film provides a front row seat into the familial strains and strengthened bonds that result from Colins and Michelles struggle with this radical lifestyle change.