After reading an article about the effects of plastics on marine life, Rachelle Strauss and her husband were compelled to start MyZeroWaste.com, a U.K.-based site that encourages its readers to make small changes in their day-to-day lives, using less resources along the way. This year, the Strauss family dedicated themselves to a zero-waste year — absolutely nothing they create can go to landfills. As determined as the Strausses are, it is quite a change in lifestyle. “Prior to this challenge, we were putting out the equivalent of two to three trashcans per week,” Strauss admits. “We didn’t recycle anything. It all went into the landfill.”