5 Steps to a Waste-Free Life

I believe that nature has a unique power, and anyone who seeks peace in it should treat it well. I considered myself among those who were making efforts in this direction, thus having become acquainted with the "zero-waste" concept, I began to be interested in this issue from the bottom of my heart. A waste-free life is a long but peaceful path that starts with choosing a new and correct method.

Compared to pre-industrial society, our world is now 1.2 °C warmer. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with a warming of 1.5 °C, human health, livelihoods, security, food, water supply, and economic growth will be affected, and, if the level of warming reaches 2 °C, these hazards will multiply... The long-term goal of the Paris Climate Agreement, which was ratified by the GNAT on October 7, 2021, is to limit the increase in global average temperature to 2 °C compared to the pre-industrial period and even keep this increase at 1.5 °C. According to some scientists, it is too late now to achieve this goal, while others believe it to be possible to maintain a critical threshold of 1.5 °C in conditions of a climate crisis and global warming. Do you think we can continue to live the same way? Can we address this issue by taking steps to ensure sustainability?

At first, I thought that there was no point in spending so much effort on awareness, and no matter whether to act alone or together, I thought it was too late. But after some research, I found out that I was wrong. With minor changes in our daily routine, we can improve the whole course. At the end of this article, I invite everyone who liked this idea, but who, for whatever reason, has not yet been able to take the necessary measures, to take the first step.
"All that is needed for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing." Edmund Burke

Are we aware of the magnitude of the consequences of our daily actions?

If we think about the fact that every year people all over the world throw away 1.3 billion tons of food, and in developed countries alone, the amount of this waste is equal to $680 billion; that for every cup of coffee, from planting seeds to harvesting, 140 liters of water is spent; that piles of plastic in the ocean have created the seventh continent, it becomes clear that everything we do has a direct bearing on the environment...

We can take a zero-waste approach to all aspects of our daily life, be it in the kitchen, in personal hygiene, cleaning at home, and in offices. When choosing gifts for special occasions, having fun at weddings, fishing, go to picnics, we must never forget that we are responsible to the Universe at every moment. During this zero-waste journey, which will also reduce our carbon footprint, it is essential to consider the importance of product choice (see Figure 1) and to understand the responsibilities that are placed on us when shopping.

Figure 1. The Carbon Footprint of Food

Today we know that instead of looking for the ideal, it is much more important to choose the best for our planet and our future. On the road to zero waste, we can take 5 simple steps for our planet (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. 5R a Waste-Free Life

From my university years until today, the motto of my life is the principle: reject, reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, and re-grow. I have a habit of rejecting business card offers at fairs and asking for a digital version, going to coffee shops with my thermos, sorting waste in my house using recycling boxes (paper, plastic, metal, glass, organic), planting greens bought from the market and grow mint and basil at home, and I never stop enjoying this process. I am confident that I am making my life more meaningful because I have more free time for myself, feel healthier, and contribute to maintaining the balance of nature.

The fact that, following the principle of life without waste, my path crossed with Borusan Cat, whose motto is "We create solutions for a better world", I interpret as fateful. It is a great motivation for me to offer economical products to our customers through the B'more Exchange business model, thereby creating advantages in terms of time and cost.

Finally, I bring to your attention the city of Kamikatsu, located in Japan, a country whose traditions and culture I admire, which managed to embark on the path of life without waste, breaking all taboos.

I would like to thank Özgür Günaydın and Murat Can Atalay for their valuable support, without which I would not have mustered the courage to write this article.

References
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualising-the-greenhouse-gas-impact-of-each-food/
https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-turkiye-56291957
https://www.dw.com/tr/bir-fincan-kahve-i%C3%A7in-140-litre-su-harcan%C4%B1yor/a-4577919
https://infogram.com/food-carbon-footprint-1h7j4dvo0o0kv4n?live
https://infogram.com/besin-karbon-ayak-izi-1h8n6m3np9rpj4x?live

Onur Memiş

Author

Onur, Customer Support Sales Consultant at Borusan Cat. Tries to draw his role in social life without being bound by taboo boundaries. Happy to be a part of nature and takes responsibility for it. Travels whenever he can. Believes that his passion for the new and change makes him strong.