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If you are looking for zero waste books to kickstart your journey, look no further!
I collected a list of 17 books about zero waste and plastic-free living.
The books will give you tons of ideas and tips on how to live a zero waste life by making sustainable choices.
The zero waste books are divided into a few categories and are linked to Amazon:
- Some are available for free if you have an unlimited Kindle account
- Others will be free if you take Audible Trial
- Plenty of very cheap second-hand paperback copies!
Without further ado, let’s begin with the list of zero-waste books.
Zero waste books for beginners/intermediates:
1. A Zero Waste Life by Anita Vandyke
You just heard about zero waste, and you are curious to learn more?
Then A Zero Waste Life is a great start, as it will teach you how to reduce your waste by 80% in 30 DAYS.
It is packed with beginners and practical tips on how to start your zero waste journey.
The author will teach you how to make ethical and sustainable choices when it comes to shopping, eating, travel, and beauty.
The book is NOT ideal for those who know the zero waste basics, and who are already making some effort to reduce their impact.
Where to get it:
- FREE with Audible Trial – If you choose Audiobook, make sure to take some notes, as she shares DIY household cleaner and skincare recipes.
- Paperback – Look for second-hand options.
- Kindle – it has tiny letters, so it can be challenging to read it.
2. Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet. by Ashlee Piper
A practical handbook packed with simple yet impactful changes that anyone can do! They focus around:
- your home
- your closet
- your beauty routine
- in the wild
It is ideal for both beginners and more advanced eco-conscious folks.
Give a Sh*t includes step-by-step guides for sustainable living, plus great budget-friendly recommendations for making small & big changes that can make a huge difference.
The book is ideal for you if you want to learn more about the best diet for the environment, why recycling is good (but reducing trash is better), and how to consume and waste less in general.
Keep in mind that the author has edgy humor, and while some might find it entertaining, others complain that it is immature.
Where to get it:
3. Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash by Shia Su
Comprehensive and funny, this read makes “zero waste” feel less overwhelming.
The book is full of practical tips, recipes, and tricks that make it easier for you to reduce the amount of waste drastically.
If you are looking for a great place to start with the zero-waste lifestyle, and for a quick read with practical DIY recipes, you will love this book.
Where to get it:
4. 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg
Kathryn supports baby steps, that’s why the book is full of simple and actionable actions towards a zero waste lifestyle.
It is a fantastic book for beginners, and people who know some fundamental things about eco-friendly living.
The book will get you inspired to make your next zero waste swap and will answer many of your questions, related to reducing plastic waste, and recycling.
If you are interested in DIYs, the book has some simple recipes for DIY cleaning & beauty products.
Where to get it:
5. Less Stuff: Simple Zero-Waste Steps To A Joyful And Clutter-Free Life by Lindsay Miles
The book will help you to get your values in order, and going through each part of the house to get rid of clutter.
If you already practice a bit of minimalism and sustainability, this book will probably contain a lot of things that you already know.
This book is for you if are entirely new to “minimalism” and sustainability and you want to declutter your home, but don’t know where to start.
Less Stuff will help you to get rid of clutter, by providing relatable, real-life examples and actionable steps.
Where to get it:
6. Zero Waste Home by Bea Johns
The author offers both beginner-friendly and more advanced ideas for living a waste-free life.
It is a comprehensive guide to how you can reduce waste and become more environmentally conscious.
The author shares her journey and teaches you how to:
- go through various areas of your house
- how to evaluate what you have
- how to decide what you truly need
This book is for you if you are interested in changing essential habits & you are open to trying some UNUSUAL practices and ideas.
(A lot of suggestions are based on Bea Johnson’s locality, which is the USA. Just keep that in mind.)
Where to get it:
7. More from Less by Andrew McAfee
The central point of this book is that 4 factors in our modern times are changing humanity for the better, and living in better harmony with the planet.
This book gives a useful framework of these 4 factors, which are: technology, capitalism, popular awareness, and government.
There is more interesting information, such as the fact that the economy is changing, as it uses fewer and fewer resources because of technological progress.
Get this book if you want to find how to starting using fewer resources, and if you are interested in finding compelling data on agriculture, paper consumption, and energy usage.
Where to get it:
8. How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee
The book describes the environmental impacts of a BUNCH of activities, foods, and lifestyle choices in much more depth than what you can find online.
It is an exciting way to understand your carbon footprint.
The book will give you tons of ideas on how by changing some behavior/consumption habits, you can live a more sustainable life.
It is based more on facts; however, it is not dry or boring, but instead well researched, and presented with a perfect dose of humor.
The book starts by explaining what the carbon footprint means; then it begins from things that have a small footprint to more significant (such as flying, volcano eruption, forest fires, etc.)
If you want to find quite exciting ways to reduce your footprint and a massive list with information about the footprint of different items & activities – you might love this book.
Some things might be a bit outdated since the book was published a few years ago. However, it still is a significant carbon footprint encyclopedia!
Where to get it:
Books on zero waste & overconsumption:
9. A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life by Tara Button
Do you want to learn how to stop spending your money on THINGS, just because they make you “happy”? Then you will probably like this book.
The author shares are 10 steps to master mindful shopping, using techniques that will free yourself from external advertisement manipulations.
You can find mindfulness exercises, that will help identify triggers for impulse spending, and others, which will teach you how to prioritize spending on essential things in your life.
This book is for you if you want to learn:
- About fast fashion & its impacts.
- How to declutter your home, and how to care for the things you own, so they last longer.
- How to reduce excessive consumption and how to approach mindful living.
Where to get it:
10. Big Green Purse by Diane Maceachern
This book will show you that being a mindful consumer is the easiest, but most powerful way that can generate positive change.
The book will raise your awareness about environmental issues, while it will provide options for small, medium, and more significant changes and steps to help the planet.
It is an inspiring book because it reminds us that when corporations do not sell their product – they will 1) change or 2) their business will die.
In a nutshell, it will help you to believe that buyers CAN change the demand and provoke suppliers to improve their (bad for the environment) products.
It will inspire more sustainable personal choices and it will motivate you to start contributing to a greener world.
Where to get it:
11. The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard
Did you ever wonder what happens to all that trash set out on your street on garbage day?
Where does it go? What is the real cost of extraction of raw materials, production, distribution, and disposal of all that stuff?
The book talks all about it.
It shows how much our lives have changed in the past century with all these new compounds. It observes how much damage these changes have done, too.
Bear in mind – this isn’t a self-help book. Yet, it can be life-changing, for anyone who reads it.
This book is for you if you want to see how overconsumption, pollution, and similar actions affect the world.
Where to get it:
Books about zero waste & plastic-free living:
12. Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry
Terry provides personal stories, stats about the environmental and health problems related to plastic, and excellent solutions and tips on how to limit your plastic footprint.
The guide is understandable and easy to read, full of ideas on how you can start cutting down on plastic use.
In the book, you will be able to find lists and resources for eliminating, reducing, reusing, or recycling plastics.
You can find a checklist plan at the end of each chapter that provides information on how to take action.
Where to get it:
13. How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum
This book is all about why plastic (especially single-use) is a catastrophic product and why we should avoid it.
The first pages of the book include examples of how plastic is harming the planet.
Furthermore, the author provides exciting statistics, factual reports, ideas, and helpful tips on how we can reduce plastic dependence in all areas of your life, such as:
- What food to buy and where to get it from
- How to reduce plastics in your home
- How to avoid plastic on the go
The author is the head of Greenpeace UK, so some of the information and tips are the UK targeted.
Where to get it:
14. F**k Plastic: 101 Ways to Free Yourself from Plastic and Save the World by Rodale Sustainability
F**k Plastic will give you 101 simple ways to cut plastic from:
- FOOD AND DRINK
- AROUND THE HOUSE
- YOUR LIFESTYLE
It is a quick read and genuinely a great introduction to plastic-free living. It is suitable for younger kiddos, too.
Where to get it:
15. No. More. Plastic. by Martin Dorey
This book is a short introduction to how to start your plastic-free journey.
Even though it is small, it is full of useful tips and action steps to start living (almost) plastic-free.
This book is for you if you are quite a beginner in the plastic-free lifestyle. If you already spend some time researching how to live plastic-free, perhaps this book will be redundant.
(Some things are more relevant to UK residents.)
Where to get it:
Books about zero waste & fast fashion:
16. Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas
This book will show what’s happening behind the scenes of the textile and clothing production chain.
It demonstrates how fast fashion brands provide cheap clothing just made to wear and throw away.
Fashionopolis is separate into a few parts, and it looks at the ways the fashion industry harms the environment and its employees.
It also explores smaller businesses that are adopting sustainable production methods, with sustainable materials.
If you have a specific interest in learning about the environmental impact of fast fashion, as well as various manufacturing practices, this book is for you.
Where to get it:
17. Live Green: 52 Steps for a More Sustainable Life by Jen Chillingsworth
Another great, quick read that will inspire you to start (or continue even harder) your plastic-free life.
It is a practical guide that tackles all areas of your life. It includes 52 green changes you can make to transform your home and lifestyle over a year.
It will teach you to modify some of your wasteful habits, how to get rid of environmental guilt (that’s a big one!), and to rediscover the beauty of living a slow, simple life.
This book is for you, if:
- You don’t have a lot of time, and you want a quick motivating read with plenty of ideas
- You want to find lists sources of inspiration, in case you want to dig deeper
- You are just starting this journey or have been on it for a while
Where to get it:
Did I miss a cool zero waste book? Let me know in the comments below.
I would love to update this list and to find more valuable books. 🙂
