What’s the story with zero waste? For starters it’s a lifestyle choice, focuse on how we can reduce our impact on the world by zeroing in on the amount of stuff we send to landfills.

And one of the best ways to improve our knowledge is to read zero waste books.

By which we mean books on zero waste and what it means to live it. These zero waste writers are dropping trash facts and zero waste tips like most people drop plastic in the garbage can.

And best of all, they’re people who started out just like you, so you can easily relate and integrate their lessons into your life.

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Index: Books About Zero Waste Living

  1. Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste Jump to store
  2. Waste Not: Make A Big Difference By Throwing Away Less Jump to store
  3. How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time Jump to store
  4. Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too Jump to store
  5. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things Jump to store
  6. Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash Jump to store
  7. 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste Jump to store

Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste

Image by Bea Johnson (zero-waste-books)
By: Bea Johnson

Bea Johnson is the original voice of the zero waste movement, at least as it is known today.

Aside from running one of our favorite zero waste blogs by the same name and pretty much sparking the modern war on waste, Bea writes one of the best books about zero waste.

Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste is a comprehensive guide on how to go zero waste for the whole family.

More than just a collection of recipes, tips, and actionable zero waste steps, it’s an inspirational story about how she reduced her family of four’s waste to one liter per year—and how their lives are healthier and happier for it.

Waste Not: Make A Big Difference By Throwing Away Less

Image by Erin Rhoads (zero-waste-books)
By: Erin Rhoads

Erin Rhoads, a fellow Australian zero waste blogger, penned The Rogue Ginger.

For books about the zero waste journey, Waste Not: Make A Big Difference By Throwing Away Less is top notch. Erin’s progress-over-perfection to zero waste is comprehensive while accessible. It includes recipes and repair guides, and encouragement and reassurance, especially if DIY is not usually your thing.

How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time

Image by Will McCallum (zero-waste-books)
By: Will McCallum

So you’ve decided to give up plastic. Fantastic!But why do we have to “give up” plastic anyway? How did our plastic addiction start?

Greenpeace UK’s oceans division Will McCallum answers these questions and more in How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time.

Rather than address the plastic and waste problem on an individual level, he offers a wider framework within which to see it, including correctional steps on a corporate and governmental level.

Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too

Image by Beth Terry (zero-waste-books)
By: Beth Terry

Beth is another blogger-turned-author. Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too is about Beth’s zero waste journey toward eco-empowerment and it’s packed with tools to get you there (whether you’re just beginning or have been at it a while).

In addition to helpful checklists, tables, and profiles of other zero wasters it also includes larger scope tips that aren’t always directly related to personal waste.

Like strategies for interacting with others who don’t share your vision, larger community involvement, and how to let go of eco-guilt and perfection.

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Image by Michael Braungart and William McDonough (zero-waste-books)
By: Michael Braungart and William McDonough

Rather than instructing on how to go zero waste, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things holistically addresses a bigger question: what is zero waste?

While the previous books deal with the practical side of the zero waste movement, Braungart and McDonough are concerned with its theoretical, systematic side. Rather than thinking of consumption in a linear fashion (AKA cradle-to-grave), they break down the concept of a circular economy and how it can eliminate waste on a widespread scale.

Easily one of the best zero waste books for those looking to understand the big picture beyond the trash jar.

If you like that, check out their more practical follow-up to this theoretical masterpiece, The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability.

Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash

Image by Shia Su (zero-waste-books)
By: Shia Su

Shia Su is the relatable voice behind the blog Wasteland Rebel and the title of her book says it all.

Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash is all about how we can curb our global trash epidemic. Based on her personal experience of reducing a year of nonrecyclable garbage to a mason jar, we’d consider this one of the best zero waste books for beginners.

From DIY zero waste cleaning to tasty food recipes and general kitchen tips, she demystifies what it is to be zero waste, making it easy and, dare we say, fun.

101 Ways to Go Zero Waste

Image by Kathryn Kellogg (zero-waste-books)
By: Kathryn Kellogg

If you’ve done any digging into going zero waste, you’ve likely heard of Kathryn Kellogg and her appropriately named blog, Going Zero Waste. A “recognized spokesperson for the zero waste movement” by the likes of CNN, Guardian, and National Geographic, Kathryn is one of the biggest names of the zero waste game.

A fan-favorite zero waste book, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste covers tons of topics, including cleaning, traveling, entertaining, eating, recycling, and how to advocate for sustainability outside of the home.

101 realistic tips, 256 pages, and one planet you’ll be more equipped to protect!