50 Popular Waste-Free and Sustainable Living Books for Your Bookshelf

Ditch the clutter and lighten your footprint with this curated list of waste-free and sustainable living books. You'll find books from zero-waste cooking and crafting to building entire eco-friendly communities.

 

Here is the ultimate list of the best zero-waste, plastic-free, and sustainable lifestyle books to guide your journey to a greener home. 

The Classics & Foundations 

These are the foundational texts that birthed the modern zero-waste movement.

• Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson 

• 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg 

• An (Almost) Zero-Waste Life by Megean Weldon

• Sustainable Badass by Gittemarie Johansen 

• Six Weeks to Zero Waste by Kate Arnell 

• The Zero-Waste Lifestyle by Amy Korst 

• Simply Sustainable by Lily Cameron 

• Beyond Recycling by Erna Parker 

• The Zero Waste Solution by Paul Connett 

• Zero-Waste: Reconsidering Waste Management by Atiq Zaman 

Waste-free in the Kitchen 

A sustainable lifestyle starts at home in the kitchen. These books will help you save groceries, use every last scrap, and break your reliance on single-use plastics. 

• The Zero-Waste Chef by Anne-Marie Bonneau 

• The IKEA ScrapsBook: A Waste -Less Cookbook 

•BReD: Sourdough Loaves, Small Breads, and Other Plant-Based Baking by Ed and Natasha Tatton

• The Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook by Dana Gunders

 

• The Plant-Based Cookbook: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Recipes for Lifelong Health by Ashley Madden

• Cooking with Scraps by Lindsay-Jean Hard

 

• Let's Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home - A Cookbook by Dan Pelosi

• Low Waste Kitchen: Radical Recipes for Sustainable Living by Alessandro Vitale

• Eat It Up!  by Sherri Brooks Vinton

• Zero Waste Cooking for Dummies by Rosanne

Eco-Living for the Whole Family 

Want to involve the kids or make your home-life eco-friendly as a family? These books make sustainable living approachable and fun for all ages. 

•Zero Waste for Families: A Practical Guide by Fredrika Syren

• Zero Waste Kids by Robin Greenfield 

• Recycle and Play by Agnes Hsu 

• This Book Is Not Garbage by Isabel Thomas 

• 50 Things You Can Do to Save the World by Kim Hankinson

•My Plastic-Free Home: Simple Steps to Live More Sustainably by Kate Jones

• The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting by Jen Gale

• 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle by Elizabeth Weitzman

• A Zero Waste Family by Anita Vandyke 

• 100 Things to Know About Saving the Planet: Big, Small, and Unexpected Ways to Help Our World for Children by Jerome Martin

DIY, Crafting & Upcycling

 

Reduce waste by mastering the art of DIY. These guides are packed with recipes, upcycling projects, and tips to eliminate store-bought, plastic-heavy products. 

• Clean Green by Nancy Birthwhistle

• Sustainable Wardrobe : Practical advice and projects for eco-friendly Fashion by Sophie Benson

• Wear, Repair, Repurpose: A Maker's Guide to Mending and Upcycling Clothes
by Lily Fulop 

• Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

• Zero Waste Patterns: 20 Projects to Sew Your Own Wardrobe

by Birgitta Helmersson 

• Trash Craft: Upcycling Craft Projects for Toilet Rolls, Cereal Boxes, Egg Cartons and More

by Sara Stanford 

•Make Thrift Mend: Stitch, Patch, Darn, Plant-Dye & Love Your Wardrobe

by Katrina Rodabaugh

• Making Happy Things: 20 Joyful and Sustainable Sewing Projects

by Sue-Ching Lascelles 

• Upcycling Furniture & Home Decor For Dummies

by Judy Rom

• Home by Natural Harry: DIY recipes for a tox-free, zero-waste life

by Harriet Birrell

Broader Perspectives: Activism & The Planet 

Expand your mind with books focused on the global climate crisis, circular economies, and mindful consumption. 

• The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard 

• Cradle to Cradle by McDonough & Braungart 

• The Waste-Free World by Ron Gonen 

• Drawdown edited by Paul Hawken 

• The Sustainable Design Book by Proctor, Rebecca

• 50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference

by Rebecca Barnes

• This Book Will (Help) Cool the Climate by Isabel Thomas 

• 50 Simple Steps to Save the Earth from Global Warming by David Steinman

• The Humanure Handbook by Joseph C. Jenkins 

• Recycle: A Practical Guide to Waste Management, Sustainable Living, and Recycling Techniques for Home, Business, and Environmental Impact

by Noah Alexander Hayes 

By reading even a few of these selections, you'll be well on your way to saving money, simplifying your space, and protecting our planet.