CUTTING OUT THE CLUTTER
Junk Free | Meet the Frenchwoman whose wardrobe fits into a carry-on bag — and whose kids think it’s NORMAL to have a tidy home. Her life wasn’t always as organised, she reveals. It started with moving into a small apartment . . .
MANY women open a cupboard overflowing with garments, and complain about having nothing to wear.
But not Frenchwoman Bea Johnson, who, despite restricting herself to a 15-piece wardrobe of secondhand clothing that fits into an aircraft carry-on bag, looks like she’s just stepped off a catwalk.
Johnson, who has been dubbed “the priestess of waste-free living” by The New York Times and the “messiah of ecology” by Paris Match, writes a fashion blog and gives tips on how to create your own makeup.
She started the Zero Waste lifestyle movement in 2008 based on five principles: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot.
Her philosophy? “Own less, waste less and live more.” Zero waste is not the preserve of hippies, she says. You can be stylish while saving time, money and the planet.
She has inspired zero-waste restaurants in the UK and zero-waste stores around Europe, and has addressed the European Parliament and the UN.
Her book, Zero Waste Home, has been translated into 12 languages and she travels the world sharing tips on how to live simply and still be fashionable and happy.
Her life of “voluntary simplicity” has allowed her, husband Scott and sons Leo and Max to save so much money that they can afford the things they never thought possible.
Cutting back, buying in bulk and buying second-hand led to the Johnsons saving 40% of their household expenditure in the first year of implementation.
“The less we have, the richer we feel,” she says.
On her blog, Johnson, a fashion school graduate, writes: “Life is short. Rather than shopping, I much prefer planning an adventure or living one, like kayaking overnight in the Everglades, as we did during the holiday season/shopping madness.”
The idea began in 2006 when the Johnsons decided to move from their large home in California to be closer to local amenities.
They rented a small apartment for a year while they searched for the ideal home. Most of their possessions went into storage.
“We moved in with four chairs instead of 20, one table instead of four, one set of sheets per person, four plates, and so on.”
When they moved into a new home they realised they had not missed the things that were in storage. They let go of about 80% of their belongings.
It made them question and research environmental issues.
“What we discovered made us sad about what we were leaving behind.”
Her husband started a sustainability company and she tackled the home.
In 2008, “zero waste” was generally used to describe waste management. “I decided to apply it to the home.” She discovered she needed to follow her five rules.
Start with “refuse”, Johnson advises. “Say no to the things we do not need and are bad for the planet, like single-use plastic, freebies like free pens, junk mail and business cards.”
She owns only what is needed and the family live a minimalist lifestyle. Reuse means swapping single-use items like tissues for hankies and buying only second-hand clothes.
“My kids think the way we live is normal. Twice a year when I go to the thrift store, I ask them what they want. They may say skinny pants, a Quicksilver T-shirt or Puma shoes — and then I make sure I get it.”
She recycles what cannot be refused, reduced or reused.
“A zero-waste lifestyle does not mean recycling more, it means recycling less thanks to waste prevention in the first place.”
She has rid her home of toxic cleaning products. “We can clean the house with a spray of water and vinegar and a pure soap. We brush our teeth with bicarbonate of soda and also use it as deodorant.”
On trash collection days there is nothing outside the Johnsons’ house. They produce just one small jar of waste a year.
On average, each person in the world dumps around 438kg of waste annually. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of waste is generated each year — of this South Africa generates about 108 million tons.
Johnson will be touring South Africa from May 5 to 10 to offer practical advice.