Produce No Waste

Is it possible to throw something away?
Where is away?
Chances are if you live in a modern home you have some sort of curb side garbage service. You have become accustomed to throwing things away. Have you ever taken the time to consider where away is?
The truth is there is no away. The plague of consumerist items has transformed our landscape. Perhaps it is time we took a serious look at the sixth principle of permaculture.
Produce No Waste
Every natural system on earth is connected, and since we live on earth we to are part of the natural system. Our actions have a direct effect on our local environment, and in many cases on a much broader spectrum than we could ever imagine. In human society today we have really lost touch with the natural world and in fact take our own lives for granted.
Like many addictions consumerism is a tough habit to kick. A normalcy bias keeps people locked in a perpetual cycle of use and disposal. Some people have realized the insanity of it all and have begun to explore the long road of recovery. Chosing to recycle everything you can, composting your food scraps and as a last resort transporting your own waste to landfill and paying an on site tipping fee. When you take responsibility for your own waste you are on the right path. You may begin to explore ideas such as composting toilets and grey water recycling. If this sounds like you then congratulations, you are a member of the enlightenment. May you live a long and prosperous life as a steward to the land, sea and air that supports us all.
When we follow the principles a zero waste lifestyle becomes an attainable goal. Our energy sources are maximized and stored, renewable resources are cherished and used wisely, design flaws are valued as learning tools and rectified upon discovery. Indeed the only mistake in permaculture is not practicing the principles and ethics. Waste becomes a yield. All organics are composted and returned into the system (they never actually left the system, there is no away) and put to work building soil depth and fertility. Left over building materials are repurposed or bartered. Consumer items that are acquired are quality items, often purchased second hand and then passed on to future generations. You must trade convenience for resilience. This is in fact a small shift, we will discuss small change soon.
Our home is not a disposal site. We can never get back the lost habitat due to large scale waste systems. My local landfill site was once a pristine lake. Now it is a mountain, leaching toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the aquifer. My hope is that as more people learn the true cost of our actions this kind of damage can be avoided in the future.