This post is part of the Closed-Loop Zero Waste series.
If working with nature is a top priority like it is in Closed-Loop Zero Waste, it is important to have awareness of what materials come directly from nature and that nature can more easily work with versus materials that are man-made, don’t directly come from nature, and contaminate the environment. Here is how I define natural and synthetic materials.
A natural material to me is one that comes directly from nature, whether that be stones, wood, etc. Nature can use it through the composting and decomposition process. In Closed-Loop, it is important to prioritize materials that will add value to the environment, or at least be neutral, staying within the Closed-Loop cycle (as seen on the diagram at the end of this post).
Stones and wood come straight from the earth. An example of a material that is known to be chemically inert and more neutral in the environment is glass. Plus, it is naturally occurring, as it can come from sand and lightning as one example.
A synthetic material to me is one that does not come directly from nature, like plastic. It is man-made. If it gets into the environment, it pollutes and can cause danger to living things. Plastic is man-made, not naturally occurring in the environment, and does not decompose readily in the environment. I avoid bringing it into my home whenever possible. There are plant-based compostable plastics, but I avoid these as well since many do not readily decompose in the environment. It takes a commercial composting facility with a high heat to properly compost it.
Put your knowledge to the test! Is this Elmo I found in the woods (and cleaned up to reuse) made of synthetic or natural materials? My best guess (based on how long we have lived on this property) is that this toy was left in nature for at least eight years prior to me finding it.
Questions to ask yourself:
Did Elmo break down readily in the environment after being there for at least eight years?
What does Elmo’s tag say on it? Is he made of a natural fiber like cotton or a synthetic fiber like polyester?
Are his eyes made of wood or plastic?
Did Elmo show any signs of decomposition after getting cleaned?
Plastic is susceptible to break into microplastics. This can cause animals to ingest it when they mistake it for food. (Read more about that here.) When plastic breaks into these very small pieces, how are we to clean the environment of it and give it a purpose somewhere else? That seems (and often is) impossible; microplastics are pollutants that contaminate and do not add value to the environment.
Ideally, we would not have plastic fibers in clothes, drinking bottles, packaging, etc. I especially avoid items where the plastic cannot be easily separated from the natural materials. For example: clothes made with synthetic and natural fibers combined, the single-use coffee cup that has an invisible plastic liner on the inside of the paper cup or the plastic lined butcher paper commonly used to wrap meat. When natural and synthetic materials are combined this way, it is difficult to separate the natural materials from the synthetic when it is time to recycle or compost.
Another material to consider is metal. Metal sits between these two definitions; it is a bit more tricky to categorize. Although metal is a natural element of the earth, there are environmental issues around mobilizing that metal into the environment. It can turn into a contaminant if mobilized from its original place. (More info on that here.) While it is not synthetic, metal is not neutral if mobilized.
My goal is to refuse materials as much as I can like plastic and, in many circumstances, metal. Some items I use in my home as an alternative to plastic and metal are glass food containers, pots and pans, wooden mixing spoons, and wooden (metal-free) clothespins to hang dry clothes. These examples are so simple they almost feel silly mentioning, but that’s how easy it is to start building this awareness. Often, these alternatives are found in our home already!
Appliances and electronics are a large contributor of plastic and metal use in a home. Here are some examples with an alternative that uses very little to no plastic or metal, or are more simply designed and are more durable, or have an alternative appliance that can be used to condense the appliances you own into just a few.
| Appliance/Electronic | Alternative |
| Washer and dryer | Washboard, hand-wash, hang dry |
| Personal car | Walk, run, bike, swim, use public transportation |
| Dishwasher | Wash dishes by hand, soak and scrub without running water consistently |
| Cell phone | Use your laptop with Google Voice |
| Computer monitor and tower | Community sharing like a public computer at the library, a laptop is more minimal compared to the monitor/tower set up |
| Printer | Organize files online instead of printing, use a public printer at a library or school |
| Clock | Laptop or phone |
| Television | Go without, use your laptop |
| Furnace | Wood-fired stove (more simply designed, less likely to break and need repairing or replacing) |
| Cooking stove and microwave | Wood-fired cooking stove (I love the ones that can be used to heat the home and cook food at the same time), earthen oven (there’s a great how-to video to make one of these on Rob Greenfield’s channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmuBPyVhIWc…), or use smaller appliances like toaster oven or single-top burner |
| Vacuum | Broom and dustpan |
| Electric mop | Bucket and wet mop |
Some of the examples have an electronic as an alternative. This is because we can condense many of our electronics into just one device. Take your laptop for example. You can use this as your clock, phone, television, and computer, all in one. I know people who don’t own any of those items and just use their laptops instead!
It is difficult to avoid contaminating materials all together with the current options available, which makes it especially important that we support companies that have already made the change to 100 percent natural materials. This will help make these items more widely available for others in the future and supports an effective Closed-Loop Zero Waste system.
If there is an item you need that is made of a material that cannot be given back to nature and may contribute to some environmental pollution, and we all know there will be those times, try supporting the reuse and sharing economy and reducing the demand on new material to be harvested by acquiring pre-owned items and materials. If you must acquire new material, look for items made locally. This way you can see first-hand how the operation is run and their environmental stance; plus, there will be less resources used in shipping those materials.
Other materials are also in question, like chemicals and pesticides, for example. Some materials even fall under the “hazardous” category according to many waste management facilities. Some may be considered dangerous, but I would argue that any material is hazardous to the environment and to living beings if it cannot be broken down and used by nature in a beneficial way. Hazardous materials are ones to avoid as much as you can, and quite honestly, most are unnecessary. It is difficult to avoid all the hazardous materials in today’s world, but we can try our best to refuse and reduce as much possible.
Here are some common hazardous materials and ways you could handle these materials in your home.
| Medications | Most often, I use a healer who prescribes supplements over pharmaceuticals and invasive procedures (when possible) and uses the body’s natural energy system for healing. |
| Paint | Wood builds that do not need paint, varnish, etc. Cedar holds up great naturally outside. Organic linseed oil paint if sealing is necessary. |
| Oil, gas, auto fluids | Bike, walk, use community transportation more often |
| Toxic cleaners | Water, vinegar, essential oils (lemongrass and lemon together is my favorite), natural cleaners |
| Batteries | De-clutter items that require batteries as much as possible. Use rechargeable batteries. |
| Pest and garden | Pull weeds by hand, vinegar, use polyculture when planting |
| Electronics, appliances, cables, etc. | Reduce your need for these and use alternatives as shown earlier, repair and part out as much as you can through repair shops before recycling |
| Bulbs | Use less artificial lighting: open curtains for natural lighting, design homes that let in more natural direct sunlight with bigger windows, use beeswax candles, LED lightbulbs |
| Toner and ink cartridges | Go paperless as much as possible to avoid using a printer, use community printers (library) when necessary |
Prioritize using more natural materials in your life rather than toxic and polluting materials. It isn’t within the scope of this post to go over every material that could be considered natural or synthetic, but just to give a framework to start rethinking materials in your life and how they align with nature.
A HUGE thank you to my talented cousin, Aili Juusola at Design by Aili Juusola, who helped me make this Closed-Loop Zero Waste diagram look cohesive and engaging!