"You should not transform items blindly," Zhao says. "The core principle is to let all things serve their proper purpose after they have been transformed so as to reduce wasting resources. The premise is that the incentive to transform comes from the desire to produce zero waste and to create useful things."

Many of her creations have originated in wood and fabric, and she is now exploring transforming plastic items to raise public awareness of plastic pollution, an emerging global threat to the environment.

It has been estimated that over the past 25 years up to 55 percent of the world's discarded plastic has ended up in China. However, in January the country said it would no longer accept such waste.

Zhao cuts plastic bags into strips and weaves the strips into daily necessities such as handbags, to prolong their lifespan.

Learning from tradition is worthwhile, she says, citing the example of people who once used rice or flour paste as a glue rather than resorting to products made of chemicals.

But with such idealism in the air on Wutong Mountain, this question emerges: Does idyllic life itself have a limited shelf life?

One thing that has drawn many artists to the mountain has been the cheap living. However, as the retreat has become more well known and as artists and artisans have upgraded properties, demand has shot up, as have rents, and some of those who live there feel it has lost some of the simplicity that once made it so attractive.

This has left Zhao considering moving somewhere else to find peace - where, no doubt, she will yet again make the most of her artistic skills to pursue the zero-waste ideal.