Zero-Waste Family Maintains Normal Lifestyle (VIDEO)

WATCH: Meet The 'Zero-Waste' Family

Bea Johnson wears makeup. She lives in one of the wealthiest counties in the country. And while raising two children, she's determined to live a zero-waste lifestyle.

Four years ago, Johnson's family downsized their home and decided to simplify their life, reducing the amount of stuff they owned. According to this video from NBC News, Bea's now down to one pair of shorts and two skirts. The family refills cloth sacks with grains and produce, have created a major composting system, and make their own cleaning products. Bea even offers reduction tips on her blog, The Zero Waste Home, encouraging readers to buy in bulk and start a junk mail war. The family's cumulative waste for this year all fits into a small metal box. This is a far cry from the over four pounds of waste every American produces per day.

But this family has found a balance, a way to maintain the lifestyle they enjoy, while drastically cutting down on waste. Bea's husband, Scott Johnson, was initially skeptical of the project, confessing, "I was just afraid that I'd be eating a bunch of granola or something all the time." Instead, the family has focused on reducing the number of items in their home, without cutting out the things that truly make them happy.

For Bea, this means the makeup stays - although she uses homemade substitutes. When asked why she doesn't nix the makeup, Bea replies, "If I did, then I'd be miserable, and is life really worth living when you're miserable?"

Not everyone supports the Johnson's zero-waste lifestyle, and Bea has received messages from a fair share of "haters," people who accuse her of being too extreme in her attempts to cut down on waste. But for Bea, her actions make sense, and her motivation is quite simple, as she explains, "I am doing it for my kids future."

WATCH how this family lives in a zero-waste home:

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