About

We Believe Sustainable Living Should Be Simple, Not Perfect

The Zero Waste List is an independent resource helping real people make better choices for the planet — one swap at a time, without the guilt.

Our Mission

When I first tried to reduce my waste, I was overwhelmed. Every search led to conflicting advice, expensive products, or a message that unless I fit a year’s trash into a mason jar, I wasn’t doing enough. That’s not helpful — and it’s not true.

I started The Zero Waste List in 2021 to cut through the noise. The mission is straightforward: make sustainable living accessible to normal people with normal budgets and normal schedules. Progress over perfection. Small changes, repeated consistently, add up to something significant.

We now have nearly 100 articles covering everything from non-toxic bedrooms to zero waste kitchen swaps — all written to help you make informed decisions without the pressure to be flawless.

What We Do

We publish in-depth guides, honest product reviews, and practical tips for reducing waste at home. Our content falls into a few categories:

  • Product reviews and comparisons — We research materials, certifications, company practices, and real-world performance so you don’t have to spend hours doing it yourself.
  • Room-by-room swap guides — Actionable walkthroughs for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and beyond.
  • Zero waste basics — Beginner-friendly content for anyone just starting out.
  • The Zero Waste List (our shop) — A curated directory of products we actually stand behind, organized by category for easy browsing.

We don’t sell products directly. Every item in our shop links out to the brand or retailer — we’re a guide, not a storefront.

How We Make Money

Transparency matters, so here’s how this site sustains itself: some of the product links on The Zero Waste List are affiliate links. That means if you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at absolutely no extra cost to you. The price you pay is the same whether you use our link or not.

This affiliate revenue is what keeps the site running, the research funded, and the content free. It also means we have a financial incentive to recommend products — which is exactly why the next section matters.

Why Trust Us

We take our recommendations seriously. Here’s how we earn your trust:

  • No pay-for-placement. Brands cannot pay to appear in our guides or reviews. If a product is featured, it’s because we believe in it.
  • Research-first approach. We dig into certifications (GOTS, OEKO-TEX, B Corp), ingredient lists, manufacturing practices, and third-party testing before recommending anything.
  • Honest assessments. If a product has drawbacks — price, durability, availability — we’ll tell you. A recommendation you can’t trust isn’t worth making.
  • Independence. This is a solo-run site. There’s no corporate parent, no investor pressure, and no editorial compromises. What you read is what I genuinely think.

When we review higher-investment products like organic mattresses or non-toxic cookware, we know the stakes are higher for you. That’s why those reviews go deeper — because spending $1,500 on a mattress based on a stranger’s recommendation requires a level of trust we don’t take lightly.

Get Involved

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been on this journey for years, there’s something here for you:

  • Browse The Zero Waste List — Our curated shop of sustainable products, organized by room and category.
  • Read our guides — Start with our zero waste beginner series or dive into a specific room-by-room guide.
  • Stay connected — We’re building an email list to share our best finds, new reviews, and practical tips directly to your inbox. Sign-up coming soon.

Thanks for being here. Every small choice matters more than you think.