Zero Waste Zines
This series of books was created to share information about zero waste - strategies to reduce the amount of waste we create, and live a more simple and sustainable way of life.
I originally made this Zero Waste zine in 2018 as a teaching tool in my recycling workshops. Each differently colored page gave information on one aspect of zero waste: Refusing, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling, and Rotting (Composting).
Over the years, the Zero Waste Zine “expanded” into five miniature books (each book is made from only one sheet of paper!). Each colored book corresponds to the same page in the original zine.
The “Trash” zine is about Refusing things that will end up in the landfill: single-use, disposable items like takeout containers, cups, straws, and packaging.
When sharing recycling information with people, I want to be as clear as possible about what cannot end up in a recycling bin - the things that we can refuse to buy, the things we can refuse to send to the landfill.
The “Reduce” zine is about about buying as little as possible. This book has inspired people to do a “No-Buy Year” - contact me if you would like to join our WhatsApp support group!
We can reduce a tremendous amount of waste buy not buying things in the first place. All the items we purchase use resources to create them, come with packaging material, and create emissions through transportation.
The “Reuse” zine is about a trip I took to California where I packed all my own food for eating on planes and in airports.
The zine gives practical advice on how to pack food and safely transport it through airport security.
The “Recycling” zine shares exactly what can be recycled in Cuyahoga County (the Cleveland, Ohio area).
The book includes Descriptions and images of items that can be recycled, as well as details about why they cannot be recycled.
“What to Compost” was the first book in this series, and continues to be one of the most beloved books of my readers!
Sometimes, a list of things to compost is not enough to describe the nuance of what can and cannot be composted. This zine uses text and image to communicate this information in a simple way.