An (Almost) Zero-Waste Life: Learning How to Embrace Less to Live More
Release Date: March 17th, 2020
Genre(s): Non-fiction, How-to
Publisher: Rock Point
Pages: 176
Rating: 
.75
Note: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
An (Almost) Zero-Waste Life is a how-to guide on reducing the waste produced in your home. Separated into chapters on each category in your home (and outside of it), Weldon starts by listing all of the single-use products that can be replaced with longer-term products. Additionally, she shares recipes, mini-guides, and tips to reduce waste, save money, and simplify living.
I’ve been researching zero-waste content and making swaps for almost a year now. That being said, I was interested in what more I could learn from An (Almost) Zero-Waste Life. There’s a lot covered that you may already know if you’ve been doing this for a while, such as reusable bags and jars, solid, package-free products and using cloth in place of single-use products. However, Weldon does share a lot of tips, recipes, and ideas that I have yet to come across.
Something in particular I noticed about An (Almost) Zero-Waste Life is the amount of emphasis Weldon makes on keeping things simple. Especially in terms of things like cleaning products (that she shares recipes for) – the fewer, the better. Having fewer options is certainly helpful and I’m glad to see her make these points with some of her choices.
The only thing I thought could have been improved was the emphasis on the above. Weldon starts with her zero-waste content, then jumps in. However, I know that a lot of people struggle to adapt to many zero-waste swaps. There are bits and pieces throughout this book about how this lifestyle can simplify your life (see above). But as someone that doesn’t know much and has some interest, these changes can be overwhelming. People that make these changes out of their love for the environment adapt easily. But for those that are skeptical, I think more emphasis on the reasons for transitioning (and how it would help in particular) would cater well to that audience.
Overall, I found An (Almost) Zero-Waste Life to be a very helpful guide. This has some good reference material that I know I’ll be looking back on in the future.
