# Bea Johnson

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Franco-American environmentalist

Béa Johnson Johnson, in 2017 Born 1974 (age 51–52) Besançon, France Citizenship France United States Occupations Environmentalist, author, motivational speaker Years active 2006–present Known for Waste-free living activism Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste Movement Zero waste Spouse Scott Johnson[1] Children Max and Leo[1] Website zerowastehome.com

**Béa Johnson** is a US-based [environmental activist](/source/Environmental_activist), author and motivational speaker.[2][3][4] She is best known for waste free living by reducing her family's annual trash down to a pint and for authoring the book *Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste*.[5][1][6] Having started to adhere to simple living as early as 2006,[7] Johnson is widely recognized for pioneering and popularizing waste-free living.[8][9][3][10][11][12]

## Background

Bea Johnson was born in France.[12] She grew up in [Provence](/source/Provence). At the age of 18, she moved to California as an [au pair](/source/Au_pair) and met her future husband Scott Johnson.[3][13]

## Activism

Johnson's family began to follow a minimalist lifestyle in 2006, after a move forced them to downsize.[12][14][7] In 2008, Johnson discovered the term "zero waste" (which back then was used for manufacturing practices and waste management) and applied it to her household's simple-living.[13][3][14] In 2009, she started to write a blog about her family's lifestyle sharing her ideas and first hand experience.[10][15][16] The blog evolved and in 2013 Johnson published a book, summarizing her views and philosophy on minimalism and offering practical advice on how to reduce waste at home.[4][8] Johnson then started to lecture around the world to spread her ideas.[17][18][12] First criticized as "hippie" and "bohemian", the zero waste lifestyle then became more mainstream.[1][19] As many sources note, her activism and book inspired many people including to change their views on the impact one has on the environment and to modify their consumption habits. This eventually led to the growth of a movement around waste free living.[4][8][18][20] She is also credited for creating of the *5Rs*, an acronym of 5 rules to achieve zero waste,[21][8][4] and Bulk locator, an app that finds package free and refill stores worldwide.[22][23]

Her movement has been also described as "too rigid for ordinary people" and sometimes "unrealistic", especially during the coronavirus pandemic.[24][25] According to MSN News, Johnson had to cancel her speaking tour in the US due to quarantine and lockdown policies in 2020 but still maintained her zero waste lifestyle while living on the road and staying at the campgrounds.[17][26]

## Zero Waste Home book

First published in April 2013 by [Scribner](/source/Charles_Scribner's_Sons), the book consists of an introduction, 9 chapters and a conclusion. The first Chapter "The 5Rs and the Benefits of the Zero Waste Lifestyle explains the core principles of her zero waste philosophy. It is followed with chapters containing practical advice on how to apply these principles to everyday life. The conclusion describes what the future would look like if zero waste was adopted by the entire civilization.[27][28] Although some bloggers and professional literary critics pointed to some immanent radicalism about the zero waste movement,[29] the book generally received positive reviews.[30][31] As *Gypsy Soul* wrote: "The book is split into sections which makes it very easy to use as a reference book when you want to tackle a certain area of your life."[32] Another critic Master Michael Quinn notes: "This is a book about values that forces us to examine our own. The focus is on our consumption habits and the role they play in the destruction of this planet we all share."[33]

As of 2020, the book was translated and adapted to 28 languages including German, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese and more.[8][34][24][18]

### The 5Rs

These are the core principles of Johnson's zero-waste adherence policy, which also form her book's philosophy:[10][8][4][35][36]

- **R**efuse the things that you do not need

- **R**educe the things that you do actually need

- **R**euse what you consume

- **R**ecycle only what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse

- **R**ot (compost) the rest of your waste

## Publications

- *Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste*, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1451697681](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1451697681)

- French translation: *Zéro Déchet*, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-2352042570](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-2352042570)

- Portuguese translation: *Desperdício Zero*, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9722358972](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9722358972)

- Spanish translation: *Residuo cero en casa. Guía doméstica para simplificar nuestra vida*, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-6075462400](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-6075462400)

- Traditional Chinese translation: 我家沒垃圾：一個加州媽媽的零廢棄生活革命，重新找回更健康、富足、美好的人生, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9573280736](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9573280736)

## See also

- [Conservation](/source/Conservation_(ethic))

- [Individual and political action on climate change](/source/Individual_and_political_action_on_climate_change)

- [Simple living](/source/Simple_living)

- [Sustainable living](/source/Sustainable_living)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bohemian_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bohemian_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Bohemian_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Bohemian_1-3) ["The Simple Life"](https://www.bohemian.com/northbay/the-simple-life/Content?oid=2482529). Bohemian. October 9, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hook, Leslie (March 11, 2016). ["FT Masterclass: Zero-waste living with Bea Johnson"](https://www.ft.com/content/76aa71cc-e583-11e5-a09b-1f8b0d268c39). *[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times)*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-newyorktimes_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-newyorktimes_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-newyorktimes_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-newyorktimes_3-3) Slatalla, Michelle (February 15, 2010). ["A Visit From the Priestess of Waste-Free Living"](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/fashion/18spy.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AP_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AP_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AP_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-AP_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-AP_4-4) ["Zero Waste households winnow their trash down to almost nil"](https://apnews.com/article/e2f6bc97b2fe4ac5998b1b54da6f5c18). *Associated Press*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Zero Waste Founder Wants to Help Consumers and Brands Be More Sustainable"](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/the-zero-waste-founder-wants-to-help-you-and-brands-think-about-sustainability/). AdWeek. February 10, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Johnson, Bea (2013). *"Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste"*. [Scribner](/source/Charles_Scribner's_Sons). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781451697681](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781451697681).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mashable_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mashable_7-1) ["How to start a zero waste lifestyle"](https://mashable.com/article/zero-waste/). Mashable. April 27, 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-deseretnews_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-deseretnews_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-deseretnews_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-deseretnews_8-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-deseretnews_8-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-deseretnews_8-5) ["What if we stopped throwing stuff away? Here's what it takes to live 'zero waste'"](https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2019/12/27/21003818/what-if-we-stopped-throwing-stuff-away-heres-what-it-takes-to-live-zero-waste). Deseret News. December 28, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Zero waste isn't just for hippies anymore"](https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/01/health/zero-waste-package-free-trnd/index.html). CNN Health.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-matters_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-matters_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-matters_10-2) ["Bea Johnson: The Zero Waste Lifestyle"](https://mattersjournal.com/stories/zerowaste). Matters Journal. July 25, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Get ready for zero waste week with these books"](https://bookriot.com/zero-waste-week-books/). Book Riot. August 30, 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mailtribune_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mailtribune_12-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-mailtribune_12-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-mailtribune_12-3) ["Radical simplicity"](https://mailtribune.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/radical-simplicity). Mail Tribune.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-postmagazine_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-postmagazine_13-1) ["'Zero waste' queen on the five Rs of her eco-friendly lifestyle: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot"](https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2129442/zero-waste-queen-five-rs-her-eco-friendly). *[Post Magazine](/source/South_China_Morning_Post)*. January 20, 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RS_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RS_14-1) ["This Is the Most Important Thing to Know About Trying a Zero Waste Lifestyle, According to a Veteran Zero Waster"](https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/green-living/zero-waste-lifestyle-simplicity). Real Simple.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["This Jar Represents One Family's Waste For An Entire Year"](https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/05/20/zero-waste-family). WBUR. May 20, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["A zero-waste lifestyle"](https://www.chron.com/life/gardening/article/A-zero-waste-lifestyle-4486535.php). Chron. May 3, 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MSN_17-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MSN_17-1) ["COVID-19 challenges zero waste lifestyle, expert Bea Johnson says don't give up!"](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/covid-19-challenges-zero-waste-lifestyle-expert-bea-johnson-says-don-t-give-up/ar-BB133Hgb?ocid=hplocalnews). MSN.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-REFINERY29_18-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-REFINERY29_18-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-REFINERY29_18-2) ["Marie Kondo Came For Your Stuff; Bea Johnson Is Coming For Your Garbage"](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/01/222362/zero-waste-home-movement-bea-johnson). Refinery29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Bea Johnson: Queen of Zero Waste"](https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-20459613.html). Irish Examiner. September 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Zero-waste living moves into mainstream"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210504060203/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37515691). *NBC News*. June 4, 2010. Archived from [the original](https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37515691) on May 4, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["How you can join the move towards zero waste"](https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/green-living/how-you-can-join-the-move-towards-zero-waste-adb13e23-01c2-46d0-9c4e-f362a808be45). IOL.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Meet Eco Influencer Bea Johnson"](https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/bea-johnson/). Grazia. 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["Bulk Locator"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200106211352/https://app.zerowastehome.com/). Zero Waste Home. Archived from [the original](https://app.zerowastehome.com/) on January 6, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Yale_24-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Yale_24-1) ["Zero Waste? Like… None?"](https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2020/10/01/zero-waste-like-none/). Yale Daily News. October 2, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** ["Is the Coronavirus the End of the Zero Waste Movement?"](https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/is-the-coronavirus-the-end-of-the-zero-waste-movement-a5b59e8cb3b7). Medium. July 28, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["Reclaimed and reinvented': Barbie dolls sport recycled fashion in virtual benefit auction"](https://abc7news.com/community-events/barbie-dolls-sport-recycled-fashion-in-sonoma-benefit-auction/7966191/). ABC7 News. November 15, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** Johnson, Bea (2013). [*Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ejDAo6krWJIC). Scribner. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781451697704](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781451697704).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** ["Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson: Summary & Notes"](https://www.grahammann.net/book-notes/zero-waste-home-bea-johnson). Grahammann.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-29)** ["Zero Waste Home Review"](https://www.curiouslyconscious.com/2016/02/zero-waste-home-book-review.html/). Curiously Conscious. February 8, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-30)** ["Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson"](https://everyday-reading.com/zero-waste-home-by-bea-johnson/). Everyday Reading. April 18, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** ["Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson Book Review"](https://www.shoestringcottage.com/zero-waste-home-bea-johnson-book-review/). Shoestring Cottage. January 24, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-32)** ["Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life – Book Review"](https://www.gypsysoul.co.uk/zero-waste-home-the-ultimate-guide-to-simplifying-your-life-book-review/). *Gypsy Soul*. GypsySoul. October 10, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-33)** ["MANDATORY READING: Review of ZERO WASTE HOME: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SIMPLIFYING YOUR LIFE BY REDUCING YOUR WASTE by Bea Johnson"](https://www.mastermichaelquinn.com/book-report/review-of-zero-waste-home-by-bea-johnson). *Master Michael Quinn*. May 2, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** ["Book"](https://zerowastehome.com/book/). Zero Waste Home.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-35)** ["10 Easy Ways to Become a Zero-Waste Household"](http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/zero-waste-home/). Maria's Farm Country Kitchen.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-36)** ["How to Live Zero Waste"](https://time.com/5218046/how-to-live-zero-waste/). *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))*.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bea Johnson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bea_Johnson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bea_Johnson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.