Two adults, two kids, zero waste | Bea Johnson | TEDxFoggyBottom

Do you have an excess of stuff? Do you take the trash out on a regular basis? Bea Johnson started a global movement advocating for a zero waste lifestyle. Here, she reveals how she and her family produce less than one quart of waste per year, and how living simply has changed her life for the better.

Since 2008, Bea Johnson and her family are dedicated to living a zero waste lifestyle; they generate a mere quart size jar of waste per year. Through her blog and her book Zero Waste Home, Bea launched a global movement and continues to inspire a growing community to take a stance against needless waste with the application of the 5R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot. She shatters misconceptions, proving that zero waste can not only be "stylish," but also lead to significant health benefits, and time and money savings.

Grand Prize winner of The Green Awards, she speaks at universities, corporate events and conferences internationally, and opens her home to educational tours and the media. She has appeared on TV shows and in publications around the world, from The Today Show to BBC Breakfast. With her passion and positive outlook, she has become a guru and spokesperson for the zero waste lifestyle or, as the New York Times stated, "The Priestess of Waste-Free Living."

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx