Fredrika Syren - Zero Waste for Families: A Practical Guide

Zero Waste for Families - A Practical Guide

Second Edition 2022

Copyright2022 The Zero Waste Family

www.ZeroWasteFamily.com

Published by BBL Publishing, an imprint of

Build.Buzz.Launch. Media & Publishing, Dallas TX, 75218

www.buildbuzzlaunch.com

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ISBN: 979-8-9854660-0-3 (trade paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-7352966-9-2 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022902920

Book cover and interior design: Kaspar deLine

deLine & Co. Communications and Design

Cover Photograph: Elena Shur Photography

Manufactured in the United States of America

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Dedication:

This book is dedicated to my three wonderful children, Isabella, Noah and Liam, for always being my inspiration.

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My kids should not have to worry about plastic waste in the ocean, pesticides in their food or climate change. They should only have to worry about school, if a boy likes them, or if I will notice they took an extra cookie.

Fredrika Syren

I think most people assume I was born green.

The truth is that before 2006, while I did favor organic food and I did recycle that was about it. I knew about climate change and was concerned about itbut it wasnt until I became a mother that I felt a deep sense of urgency. Fueled by that maternal, protective instinct to leave my children with a healthy planet to call home long after Im gone, weve slowly (and clumsily, at times) embraced a zero-waste lifestyleand were figuring it out as we go.

When it comes to climate change, I think many of us tune out simply because we dont know what we can do. But since my family and I started our journey to more sustainable living over a decade ago, I can tell you that it feels good to actually take steps to make a difference, even if they are small. I did not choose to become an activist, but I chose to be active. This was how my journey toward living a more sustainable life began.

As we journeyed towards our zero waste life, I looked for any informationespecially how to reduce waste with kidsbut found very little was available. Once we achieved our zero waste goal, I wanted to share our tricks and tips with other families looking to become more sustainable, and this became the first edition of this book. Since then, I have been asked about how we talk to our kids about climate change and how we turn fear into action, so I wanted to make a second edition of my book, adding more information about these topics, as well as more recipes I have since created and additional resources.

In 2021, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report that declared a code red for humanity and gave a grim glimpse of the worlds future. The reports statement that climate change is caused by humans may be the most damaging part. With every part of the globe affected by the actions of humans, seeing the alarming outlook could have us asking ourselves: What can I do about climate change? Im just one person?

Zero waste family Urban Homestead

Were a zero waste family of five, and together we fight for a cleaner, healthier planet by speaking up, inspiring, and volunteering to preserve the planet and a future for our three children.

The answer? Well, it isnt just recycling.

Its easy to feel overwhelmed with all the negative information and get the feeling you want to just ignore the whole thing. But personal action is critical, and as individuals, we should always do what we can to reduce our own carbon footprint and strive to leave the planet in better shape for future generations

My family and I have been working on this since 2006. Once we made the decision to reduce our carbon footprint, we executed small changes over many years. I truly believe it takes baby steps to go green and that you have to challenge yourself over years because few people can carry out drastic changes right away.

For over 14 years, we have been taking measures toward a more sustainable life. I still feel there is room for improvement, and there are days when I just want to throw in the towel and give up. And then Im reminded of why I do thismy kidsso they will have a planet to live on and to make sure they grow up as healthy as possible.

When we decided to go completely zero waste in 2015, we were living in an apartment in Sweden. Today we live on an urban homestead located on a standardsized lot in the middle of San Diego. Together as a family, we care for our 400-square-foot backyard garden, which sources many of our meals. While living zero waste has been challenging and has often required creativity, we always knew the end result would be worth the hard work. I knew that reducing our waste to almost nothing would benefit the planet, but weve been surprised by how our zero waste lifestyle has also saved us lots of money. Now were on the road to financial independence. Because we save so much money by consuming less and living simply, we have more time with our children and with each otherwhich has made our family a very happy one. Our lives feel richer, even as weve learned to live with less.

Im so happy you are here and you have taken the first step in your journey towards a sustainable life. I hope this guide will help you take small steps, because I always recommend you start small, one step at a time, celebrate your accomplishments and remember to enjoy the journey. This is how our familys path began. Today we are a family of five, living a zero-waste, plant-based, & mindfully minimal life so that both our kids and our planet can enjoy a beautiful, thriving future.

We created this guide in hopes of making the shift to zero waste feel less overwhelming. Weve collected tips, recipes, life hacks, and brands that have helped us along the way, and we are excited to share them with you.

In this updated guide, I share even more tips, recipes and ideas, and offer helpful information about sustainable products. I have added a couple more chapters about how to practice zero waste gardening, since gardening is a very big part of our zero waste lifestyle. I have also added a chapter about how to talk to kids about climate change and how to raise environmentally friendly kids. We hope youll join this ever-growing Zero Waste Family thats building a conscious shift towards sustainabilitybecause the truth is, theres no time to waste.