What is zero-waste living?

Zero-wasters try to limit the amount of trash that will end up in a landfill or incinerator. That means buying in bulk to avoid plastic bags or packaging, nixing single-use plastics and composting food scraps, for starters.

Zero-waste lifestyle guru Bea Johnson (zerowastehome.com) touts the five R's: "refuse what you do not need, reduce what you do need, re-use what you consume, recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce or re-use, and rot (compost) the rest."