Bea Johnson and her family are just like any other. They love and care for one another, they spend time together, and they eat together at the dinner table.
Except, there's one big difference. The Johnsons live a zero-waste lifestyle. That means they don't create any garbage at all.
Originally Bea Johnson and her husband wanted the American Dream of a nice, big house with a giant flatscreen HDTV, a nice car, and children.
"I really fell for the idea you should have a bigger car and a bigger house and fill it up with stuff," Johnson told Metro. "But then we realized living that life didn’t really bring us anything."
Since then, the Johnsons have eliminated almost all of the waste from their lives. They go shopping with Mason jars, reusable tote bags, and don't by any food items that come in packaging.
The reason wasn't necessarily for sustainability, at first, so much as a financial necessity.
"We actually started doing it because we were in a financially difficult period," she says.
"My husband didn’t earn a salary for a year while he was trying to start a company, I was working four part-time jobs and it was the middle of a recession. We were having trouble making ends meet and it was zero waste that got us out of that."
The Johnsons say they have reaped the rewards of 25% financial savings. They make their own body wash, toothpaste, dishwashing liquids, detergents, and shampoos. They compost all recyclable items, only go clothes shopping twice a year and buy secondhand clothing.
That sounds fine and good, but I think I'd start to miss my Clinique cleanser and Fekkai hair conditioner!
What do you think of this lifestyle? Would you ever try it out?
If you're still unsure about the Johnsons, watch the video below and SHARE if you think this is an interesting idea.