By Eve Bell

These words still ring through my ears when a door is left open at home. Same for when I see a light left on when I leave a room, I can hear my dad’s voice saying “it’s like Blackpool Illuminations in the house’.

My dad doesn’t like waste in any shape or form. Leaving doors open was wasting heat and the same for lights being left on is wasting electricity. Food went in the compost bin and used dishwater went on the grass. It still does.

I can’t put anything in the bin without imagining him standing over my shoulder. Putting nappies in the bin never ever felt right, so reusable nappies were our choice then Baba+Boo was born and the rest is history.

Fast forward eight years and being conscious of reducing waste, has led to a complete lifestyle change for myself and my family. The road to zero-waste doesn’t have a destination, it is a journey and one that can lead down many paths. I really enjoy reading blogs and articles about how to reduce waste in all aspects of life. I firmly believe that the reduction starts with consumption.

The world is built on a need to consume. The world’s economy is measured by GDP. The growth of monetary spend. So we all need to spend more. We are encouraged to spend more and more importantly want more. Wanting bigger houses, cars, new clothes and more stuff that we actually don’t need. It is all a machine and the only outcome is that is that reduces the thing we all want more than anything…time. And makes a very small percentage of the world ‘richer’. I don’t see millionaires as rich. I’ve seen people living in Sri Lanka and Thailand living in huts living happier and richer lives than those with huge houses and yachts.

Living with less means less cleaning, less choosing of what to wear, less looking online for things you don’t need. And more time to spend with friends and doing things you love. More mindful things that feed the soul. More experiences and more life.

Decluttering is good for the soul and is the best place to start. Once you start purging your things, you will think twice about buying more to replace it. There are fab sites out there dedicated to helping you know where to start clearing out all the stuff you don’t need. Take a look at Less Stuff or Nourishing Minimalism.

My favourite book on the subject is James Wallman’s Stuffocation. If this post resonates with you, read this book and it will change your outlook completely.