Family Produces Almost No Trash

“Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” are three “R”s as familiar to you as reading, writing, and arithmetic, but a fourth “R” inspired a revamp of the Johnson family lifestyle: Refuse.

That means refusing to buy, use, or accept something that will end up in the trash.

Bea Johnson says she started small and now her family of four has produced just a handful of garbage in four months.

It’s living as close to zero waste as possible.

The term is widely used in manufacturing where companies strive to eliminate waste.

Meat goes from the butcher counter to a jar.

Bea refills cloth sacks with grains, produce, and bread.

Husband Scott says the variety of unprocessed, unpackaged food surprised him, but the savings made him a believer.

The family buys less, makes more and eats healthier.

It started four years ago when the Johnsons downsized from a 3,000 square foot home into a space half the size.

They purged everything that didn’t fit, realizing they could live with less.

Their wardrobes are minimal and they no longer use cotton balls, paper towels and other similar products.

They haven’t given up everything that makes them happy.

They’ve simply reduced the number of things it takes to be happy.

“I still have makeup and people say, ‘Why don’t you stop makeup,’ and I think if I did then I would really be miserable and is life really worth living if you’re miserable. I don’t think so,” Bea says.

What they can’t refuse or reuse, they recycle.

Compost bins collect every food scrap in the house.

The Johnsons say they’ve cut their grocery bills by 25 percent.