Book Club | Waste Not
- Carly Morton
- Sep 22, 2018
- 3 min read
I still hadn't got a birthday present from my partner and was perusing through Kmart seeing if there was anything that appealed to me. I have found a number of good reads in there! Lo and behold, 'Waste Not' by Erin Rhoads really captured my attention.
A consequence of starting a minimalist lifestyle has been that I have been more particular about the things that fill my household, what I choose to buy and what I choose to give away.
Watching 'The True Cost' also really helped to shed a light on where our products come from and encouraged me to be more mindful and sustainable in my purchases. 'Waste Not' really completed the process of investigating and curiosity for me.
What's it about?
Written by an Australian blogger and mother, 'Waste Not' is an easy to understand guide on how you can minimise household waste. It has a specific focus on ways to reduce plastic waste and the dangers of plastic in the environment and on our health.
She provides tips and tricks on how to be less wasteful in all realms of the household including; the kitchen, cleaning, beauty and babies. Erin provides a number of at home DIY recipes for your own cleaning and beauty products that are inexpensive and simple to make. Right up my alley!
What I like about it
I have read a number of books lately, and while all of them have been great in some way, I can't say that I have enjoyed the entirety of the book or that it was all relevant to me. 'Waste Not' however, was highly practical and more relevant than other recent reads.
The environmental message is at the heart of the book and is something that is undeniably important to every single human. One of the biggest revelations I got from the book was that while we feel good about recycling, a lot of Australia's recycle actually gets shipped to China where much of it is in fact single use plastic that cannot be reused and won't break down.
This was alarming to read! It certainly made me reassess what I buy and what I do with it "after I'm done with it".
The best bits
- Ideas on growing food and zero waste gardening.
- Instructions on how to create bees wax wraps.
- Tips on making your own compost.
- A number on recipes for your own cleaning and beauty products using staple goods.
A great read that I would recommend to anyone wishing to be more mindful of their impact on the environment and how to reduce waste without breaking the bank or stressing the heck out.
In fact, I recently lent it to my cousin who loved it! Later, she sent me a text telling me that she was starting a worm farm and going out to buy a bamboo toothbrush. As a mum of two young kids, she loved that each chapter contained three simple changes you can make at the end. Being someone who wasn't originally super environmentally conscious, she also liked that Erin didn't 'bash' you with the info but rather presented it in a way where you felt inspired to make small changes instead of guilty aboug the way you had been living.
Check out more tips on sustainable living on my Instagram @evolveliving_blog and YouTube Carly Morton.
Carly xx
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