Ratna's Story

Ratna's Chicken Supplier

This week, Ratna shares her experience with Zero Waste in China. I always enjoy getting a point of view from far, far away;) Thanks for sharing with us, Ratna!

"I am from Bali but have been living in Beijing for almost 12 years. I have seen how bicycles are replaced by cars, aluminum containers by plastic ones, water thermos by bottle water, home style cooking by McDonald, traditional snacks by packaged biscuits, reusable chopsticks by disposable wood ones, traditional market by Carrefour, saving food by wasting food and early morning Tai Chi by late noon hangover. I have also read about the rise of diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, heart attacks and other life style related illness. In Bali I have seen the river and beaches filled by plastic, more of them every year.

Then I came across you in Second Act and I thought wow… that is kind of extreme. I have always thought that our household is quite environmental conscious. We only take the car for groceries shopping to the market and one of the days on the weekend to take the 3 kids to their gymnastic class. During the financial crisis we had to forgo the taxi (privilege 1 in Beijing) and it is normal now to take the bus and subway or simply walk. We are never keen on shopping, which is limited at the change of season if the kids outgrown their clothes or when ours are getting too discolored (from black to grey). What 10 years old girls can wear we try to pass to our 5 years old son the rest we donate. We always take our bags to the market, our part time helper (privilege 2) cooks most meals. We limit boxed fruit juice and cookies, we don’t eat canned food. We only fly twice a year to visit family (in France and Bali) I fly more for more work. I thought that was pretty good.

After I watched your video and checked on your blog via VPN (all blogs are banned in China) I started to look at what we already do and try to do better. So for the course of a few months now we have gone back to soap bar for washing but still have shampoo & conditioner bottles, toothpaste, deodorant and cosmetics (for work only). I started to take my Tupper ware that are usually sitting in the cabinet to the market and put the meat as well as cheese, bacon, croissant from deli/bakery in them. I made clothes bag from old Halloween costume for the rice, egg (carefully) and beans. I use the Nutella jars for the nuts. Kids refuse to forgo Nutella for now, but we agree to limit the amount we consume monthly, let me know if you have the recipe. Clothes that are no longer appropriate to be donated became rag to clean floors and counters. I am using soap nut when I do the laundry on the weekend, I still can’t convince my helper to do so during the week days. I am now checking on how to make jam as we have a lot of jars from those strawberries and blackberries jam and getting those spray bottles for green cleaning solutions.

My husband and I are taking it one step at the time; we change a few of small habits and make sure the new one is becoming a habit instead of an effort. I can’t for now commit time to jar tomatoes, making jams and other things as I am working full time, but I am making an effort to bake more cookies on the weekend, kids are having fun and love the taste.

There are a lot of obstacles to do zero waste in Beijing as it is embracing consumerism. Second hand clothes shops are uncommon (and not allowed by government), buying in bulk for vinegar, soy sauce and liquid things is not easy. Dry ingredients are easier to buy in bulk. As we are not sure of the quality of the milk, we have to stick to milk in bottles or brick. We can’t refill our wine bottles, so have to recycle them. We still have lot of paper, books, crayons etc, but we are committed not to buy anymore crayon until they are all done with. It is a process and we are trying.

I just came out of the closet to my friends here, received a lot of surprises face and comments like “See how long you gonna last”. I am hoping that by showing that reducing waste is not that painful maybe they will follow suit. The other day in the market some of the other shoppers took notice of my container and said, “ That is a very good idea, we should bring ours too’. Thank you for your weekly story, they remind me on the goal and keep me motivated."

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Frustrating yearly tally, cheered up by Solar

Yep! By the look of the blog, you’ve guessed it! We are getting solar!

Solar has been on our wish list for years but with Scott quitting his job in 2008 to take on a sustainability start-up, our financial priorities have laid elsewhere (mostly survival and mortgage) and our dream put on the back burner. But the incredible cumulative savings that this lifestyle offers, has finally afforded us a solar installation! And I am so excited about it.

It comes at a perfect time in our ZeroWaste journey.

I looked at our yearly landfill tally last month and realized that we hit a plateau. Compared with the previous year, our solid waste reduction is no longer dramatically getting smaller – and thankfully, not getting bigger either ;). There are things we simply cannot refuse, reduce, or find used. There are things that create waste simply from maintaining a house and tending our bodies.

Our tally this past year (Oct 2010-Oct 2011), comprised of:

• State Farm car insurance cards (laminated paper).
• Five tiny paint rollers and masking tape from a fall paint project (stripes in living room)
• An 5-year old plastic toothbrush that I have used/worn-out for cleaning grout.
• Packaging of home repair/ electrical items
• Plastic cork wrapper of some wine bottles
• Photo (from a birthday party invitation)
• Backing of postal stamps
• Plastic sealers from Scott's contact lens solution
• Couple of itchy clothes tags
• Plastic tie from a pair of shoes
• Plastic hanging straps from a dress
• Plastic casing from Romex wire used in an electrical repair
• Scotch tape bits
• Plastic"size" strip from a new pair of jeans
• Plastic warning tag from an electrical cord
• Plastic wrap from a friend's leftover dish (could not refuse her generous lasagna gift, am weak!)
• Plastic price tag ties from clothes
• Some fruit stickers (from occasionally missing the farmer's market, where I can avoid them)
• Few bubble gums from guests
• Tiny other things that do not really have names ;) The bulk of it being soft plastics from home maintenance.

As with our previous tally (which Sunset took away in October last year), the jar obviously does not include the "active discards" of the few things that I have sent back to manufacturers with a suggestion letter, or the occasional candy wrappers (including 10 from last year's Halloween) that people have given our kids and I have sent to Terra Cycle (TerraCycle, Inc, Attn: Candy Wrapper Brigade, 121 New York Ave, Trenton, NJ 08638).

Apart from State Farm insurance cards (who have switched to cardboard cards since our last complaint!), much of our waste is recurrent and will undoubtedly recur. As we all know Zero Waste today is not technically feasible, and I can say that my family is definitely stuck on this plateau. Plateauing is a natural part of the process, I guess. But energy efficient transportation and solar offer ways of improving other types of waste and provide me with much continued waste reduction satisfaction! ;)

We had heard that solar had dramatically dropped in price, and so with our finances in recovery, we took estimates from two different providers last month. Both considered our current and future energy consumption, our finances and space available for the panels. One of them repeatedly mentioned the “free” included Ipad2 as a sales pitch, the other offered a better financial deal given our parameters. Guess which one we chose? Refuse, Refuse, Refuse. Shopping is voting. And I love it when my refusal is rewarded by financial savings from choosing the opposing option.

We are just in the beginning phases (I found out that solar is not an overnight installation), but I already dream of eliminating TP! 

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Becca's Story

This week, Becca shares her journey with us. I love her writing style and how she and her family have evolved in the past year!

"thanksgiving 2010, while visiting my aunt, i picked up a magazine and began to thumb through it. my eye caught a glimpse of the type of decor i love, minimal, clean and modern. i choose to read the article and my first thought was these people are crazy! i handed the article over to my husband whom also loves that type of decor and his thought was the same, beautiful home and crazy lifestyle. on our drive home we started talking about how we should start to get rid of all our junk, that slowly turned into trying out as best as we could at living this lifestyle. we knew all of it wasn’t for us but we tried to began to change. we were a “leave the lights on in all the house, let the water run forever, never recycled type of family.” soon we were making our own dishwashing and laundry soap, bringing all our containers, veggie bags and grocery bags to the grocery store.


i was in process of learning how to sew before finding this article and now really have a passion for up-cycling or refashioning clothing. this is someone who would never set foot in a goodwill (i couldn’t handle the smell).


i find myself actually thinking about things before i throw them away. can i reuse it? should i of even purchased it in the first place? did i really need a bag inside my bag? can someone else use this?


i was so excited for living this way that i thought i should start blogging about it. by the time i got a blog together my zero waste lifestyle was more like a little less waste lifestyle. i decided not to blog about it because i felt like we failed.


my husband was not going for the handmade laundry soap and many times we would forget our bags when we headed to the grocery store.


even though my kitchen does have a few plastic bags in it, i realized we really haven’t failed. my mind set has completely changed. we are not a “leave the lights on, let the water run forever, never recycle type of family.” i think about refusing and sometimes i do. i think about reusing and sometimes i do. i think about recycling and sometimes i do. sometimes is better than never.


we have no desire to live in a big house. we have been fine with one car and hope to get my husband a nice bike. keeping our house clean has been so much easier. my desire to have a clean minimal home has happened. our kids don’t need anymore toys than what fits in their toy box, we too just want to share experiences with them more so than things. i can’t believe it but i actually don’t feel like i need a closet packed full of clothes. i don’t hold on to all my girls art work and church crafts, we take pictures of it.


we really have changed! thank you for your inspiration! if we can change anyone on can!"

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Zero Waste can save and make you money this holiday season!



Long before I ever heard about the term, businesses adopted Zero Waste to make their processes more efficient and financially wise.

Graphics by Leo Johnson

In the home the same is true. I have mentioned the monetary benefits that this lifestyle has afforded my household before, but I want to go into specifics, on how it can save money, and even make a profit this holiday season! This time of the year can be a source of financial stress during these trying economic times, but ZeroWaste can afford relief. Here are concepts that I introduced in earlier posts and how they translate to holiday savings and potential revenue.

Zero Waste will save you money this holiday season by:

• Curbing consumption: Using what you have is obvious, but I know how tempting the holidays can be! The best waste prevention is not spending at all, and not spending at all offers instant savings! Use a potted plant as a Christmas tree, and yard clippings or edibles as table decorations. You probably do not need new ornaments either…
• Focusing on activities vs. stuff: You can offer your expertise or services (i.e., your time) as gifts. Usually older people need a hand, more than they need stuff. Hold on to your dollars and offer your creativity, cooking, manual skills, mobility or time instead. Offering repairs or beauty care will please the elderly, for example.
• Buying used (if you must buy): Thrift stores, rummage sales and online secondhand markets (Ebay, Etsy, Craigslist) undeniably offer affordable gifts and decorations.
• Buying groceries in bulk: Since bulk is generally cheaper, celebratory meals for company will cost you less.
• Eliminating disposables (keep your money out of the landfill): Reusable gift bags and Furoshiki squares offer cumulative savings over the years. No need for wrapping paper or tape.
• Turning your waste into useful gifts: You can make lemon bars, marmalade, lemoncello with excess lemon harvest, turn junk-mail or kids artwork into stationery, melt bits of old candles, soap or crayons into new shapes, use corks for a bath mat and sew rags (i.e., worn-out clothing) into gift bags. I will be making the latter for family and friends.
• Reducing activities that support consumption: Avoiding the mall and decreasing media exposure (tv, and magazines) will ease the shopping temptations and spending binges as well.
• Reducing your paper output: E-mailing your Holiday card or video you’ll be saving material, shipping, and printing costs. This year, our kids will be “elfing” themselves for a comic custom video.

Zero Waste can even make you a profit by:

• Participating in collaborative consumption, i.e., sharing seldom used assets: You can rent your dwelling (through VRBO or Airbnb) and car (through Getaround or Relayrides) this holiday season and make a profit. We take full advantage of this aspect as mentioned here and on Twitter. The process is evidently easier once you have decluttered, but the potential revenue is HUGE!
• Sharing unused resources with others (see post on decluttering): It offers an opportunity to not only re-gift (instead of buying new) but also, and preferably, sell these items for a profit. And the holiday season, is the best time to do so, since Ebay, Amazon and Craigslist can bring you many more buyers than the rest of the year. Green shoppers looking to buy used hope to find your unused items in the secondhand market!
• Recycling and composting: The holiday season also usually means more consumable consumption, which increases recycling in the home. Why not save your recyclables, and take them to the recycling center for redemption after the holidays instead of throwing them in the curbside recycling bin? Instead of costing you money, recycling could make you money!
• Controlling clutter: If you get a gift that does not fit your needs, relieve yourself from the gift guilt. Don’t let anything that you do not need or love, take root in your home, let others use it: Sell it!

ZeroWaste has taken the financial stress out of my holidays. It did not remedy my anxieties overnight, rather over a couple of years as we slowly implemented and understood the full advantages of the lifestyle, but today it engages my creativity and pays back! Now that’s one advantage we did not foresee when getting into this.Can you think of other ways that Zero Waste will save you money this holiday season?

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Chevanne's Story

Thanks so much for your submissions, and please keep them coming!

Our first guest is: Chevanne.

Coincidently, Chevanne posted one of my favorite comments a while back and that comment is what motivated me to host guest posts!

Needless to say more, other than: Thank you Chevanne for participating!

________________________________

Zero waste means discovering
new ways to enjoy my community.

"Approaching Zero" by Chevanne S., NJ


In February 2011, I read an article on Huffington Post about a family that produced less trash in six months than most people did in a day. Impossible. I mocked the whole idea after seeing a picture of their six month trash tally that could fit into the palms of my hands. Just another crazy set of hippies on their high horse. The cacophony of the "green" movement was all the same junk. Soon I forgot about it.


I can't deny though, that I was intrigued by the concept. A few months later, I revisited the idea of zero waste by asking myself a simple question: Is it possible to produce no waste? Theoretically, yes, but this modern society is full of things we must throw away and the trappings of luxury we've become accustomed to would be difficult for anyone to shake. I'm a woman of science and logic before all and decided to be charitable. I began to read all the articles posted on the ZWH blog, but was still relatively unconvinced. I got ahead of myself and like others, judged the language as condescending and the tone, annoying casual.


Then I started to think a bit about the context of the message and play devil's advocate against my own judgments, shifting my focus in order to look at both sides of the argument and find slivers of truth. I found that most of the objection to zero waste was a matter of perspective from a cluttered life. The issue of time commitment kept coming up and I realized the lost potential in days spent stocking our cupboards with food we will never eat, reorganizing things we don't need and still buying more stuff. It was also a false perception of cost. I realized I had learned that a long time ago. I found a recipe for scones and could make them for pennies, instead of buying them for $4 a piece. I never bought another again. Why are we so afraid to admit what we already know is true?


I became a believer in the zero waste journey when I decided to clear out my cupboards. I threw away about $100 worth of expired food, finally realizing what terrible shopping habits I had. I didn't even know what food was in my house and I piled on more. After that experience, there was no turning back, but in order to make the changes, I had to start phasing out a life of waste. I also started thinking about donation. It was an unnerving prospect at first, but an essential part of decluttering my life. I went through old clothes that still had tags on and wondered why was I making space in my home to keep junk. Over the next few weeks, I donated one third of my clothing.


I was still fumbling through the process when I had a revelation. In math, there is what's called an asymptote. It's a curve that infinitely approaches zero, but never gets there. That was the secret. It's about getting as close as you can to zero and posing the question over and over: Is it possible to produce no waste? From then on, every challenge I met was treated like an experiment beginning with that same question. It has spurred a host of small experiments all over the house. I decided on a transitional strategy of observing, weaning and replacing. Examine the routine, try out less wasteful solutions and replace wasteful products when they run out. I have come to know what exactly is in my cupboards with no duplication of products. I am phasing out use of plastic containers and replacing them with glass or reusable bags. There have been no paper towels for months. I'm even toying with homemade facial scrubs. It's almost as if this journey has been a exercise in logic and so far everything I'm doing makes sense.


There is a bigger picture we don't see which keep us focused on our own silo, forgetting that each one of us makes an big impact, good or bad. We really have to start thinking about what choices we make and keep heading toward zero. I've changed the way I think because I've altered my perspective, seeing truly the consumerist machine for what it is. It takes a while to realize what you really need and week by week, month by month, letting everything else go. It's like shedding your skin and you are all the more free and liberated because of it.


Despite my failures and setbacks, I know I've come a long way. I recently ordered reusable sandwich bags and the website offered a free gift with my purchase. I happily refused.

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Share with us!

There I was yesterday (my scheduled blog day), in a strapless dress, sitting on the sunny deck with my computer, squirrels and hummingbirds hopping and chirping all around me. I did not want to be blogging, I just wanted to celebrate and enjoy the most beautiful day of fall (maybe the last) with them.

Want to take my place writing?

Ever since I started this blog, you have shown a great deal of patience and understanding reading through my posts of frustrations, growing pains, and self discovery.

Sometimes you relate to my stories, sometimes you do not, but through the comments we connect, and support each other. Yet, comments only offer a glance at your personal journey.

I invite you to share further with us by submitting your story (zerowastestory at gmail dot com) of 750 words or less in the body of an email (no text attachment please), with a picture attached of you, or whatever would illustrate your words. Let us know what got you started, what keeps you going, what your biggest challenge is (or was), or all of the above. The possibilities are infinite.

I'll alternate my posts with guest articles each week.

Inspired?

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A word on Heirloom Guilt

My grandmother's pot inspired
my home's orange touches

"For you, [Bea] you are on a different level, 'Zero waste' means you have to eliminate even mementos and pictures. To each their own, but it's not a road I am willing to go down." - Sam.

Come on now, let's not exaggerate, I have reduced mementos, but have not eliminated them, and especially not pictures! I cherish them so much that I have even scanned most of them to keep them safe from deterioration and loss.

What I did eliminate from my life though, is heirloom guilt, that is the guilt associated with letting go of heirlooms by fear of:

• Forgetting our ancestors,
• Disappointing our ancestors,
• Not conforming to the tradition of passing down,
• Erasing a family story,
• Lowering one's financial worth ("I can't sell it for what it is worth").

I believe that we do not need things to remember our lost ones. But everyone is free to do what feels right. I feel right having chosen not to hold onto anything that belonged to my grandpa, even though I loved him dearly. I get reminded of him everyday when I get lost into the blue of Max's eyes, when I see Leo's "derriere" that sticks out (a family trait), and when I wear my boots with metal heel plates (he wore them too and I can hear my grandpa walking in my shoes).

As with everything else, I applied the 5R's to guide the way I deal with heirlooms:

Refuse: Say no while you can. Being proactive is a big part of our lifestyle. Thinking of outcomes and addressing them before the time comes (in this case a family death) is key: My living parents already know that I am not interested in inheriting their stuff. I have just what I need and I like what I have. End of story. A hundred years ago, it might have made sense to pass down a good set of china to support a struggling young couple. But with today's consumerism, that same set of China no longer supports, it clutters.

Reduce: Stick to one box per family member. Letting go of the pieces you can part with, helps keep the amount under manageable control. Sell the coin collection and take a trip with the proceeds. Wouldn't your mother agree? In the hospice, dying people do not mention regretting leaving their coin collection behind, they regret not going after their dreams (Bonnie Ware, who worked for years nursing the dying, wrote about a great article on "5 Regrets of the Dying"). Maybe their unfulfilled dream can fund or kick start yours!

Reuse: Use Your Heirlooms. I do not need to store my grandmother's pot, I can actually use it (it even inspired my home's orange touches!). I think my grandmother would be happy to know that I have not let the pot clutter my life (stored for safekeeping somewhere, using up expensive real estate), she would be thrilled to know that I am actually using it. After-all, it is not the stuff that she left behind, but the memories and the stories that we share, that matter.

"The last thing I want is for someone else to have to throw away my junk! I'd rather leave only memories and skills behind" - Anonymous.

Recycle: Turn worn-out items into something else; make bulk bags out of an old sheet for example or plant flowers in your grandfather's boots. All my kitchen towels are made from an old linen sheet from my grandmother. I am using her thrifty ways (a skill that I did happily inherit from her) to use every inch of it.

Rot: If I run into another lock of hair, it's definitely going into the compost!

I can affirm that for me, the biggest advantage of living a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity has been a great improvement in quality of life, but also freeing myself from heirloom guilt. I believe that when parents pass something down, they do not mean to burden us or instill guilt, they just want to make a gesture that they think is mandatory. But once it’s yours, it’s your choice to do whatever you want with it. It's a free country, right?!

Do you feel burdened by heirloom guilt?

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Quince: the perfect Zero Waste Fruit

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Open Garden Project, a weekly garden exchange. I love the concept. I brought a couple of jars of homemade pickles (one of the jars was that of the vinegar mother) and came home with quince fruit.

Ah Quince, the mystical fruit.

Cored whole quince

The woman who brought them to trade, had a full tree at home but did not know what to do with them. I was happy to take them off her hands and work on the delicacies my mom used to make for us. It's amazing how much you get out of the (whole) fruit and cannot bear keeping the following recipes from you;)

QUINCE JELLY

• Wash and quarter the entire quince (I used 4 this time) Do not peel or core
• Cover with water generously (the width of a couple fingers as my mom would say)
• Cook until tender
• Stain over a bowl and let stand for 12 hours
• Weigh the strained juice and mix with equal amounts of sugar (putting aside the cooked quince for the recipe below)
• Add the juice of a lemon (optional)
• Cook until it gels
• Pour into sterilized jars (my four quince yielded the 2 jars pictured).

Strained cooked quince

Quince jelly

QUINCE PASTE

• Remove and compost the seeds from the above cooked quince
• Weigh the cooked quince and mix with equal amounts of sugar
• Blend using a hand blender
• Cook until thick (scraping the bottom of your pan will leave a line in the paste)
• Spread into plates (I used our picnic plates because they are deeper than my everyday ones)
• Let dry for about a week, flipping them a couple of times
• Cut and enjoy with Pecorino style cheese or roll in sugarfor a sweet treat
• Store in air-tight containers.

Quince paste drying

Quince Paste rolled in sugar

Both make great presents.

What seasonal delicacy are you working on?

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Auto Pilot

Some might think that we are obsessed with Zero Waste. Although it is an eminent part of our lifestyle, I do not consider it an obsession... anymore. It might have started as such, but as I mentioned before, Zero Waste for us is now more than just garbage reduction. With the logistics on Auto-Pilot, we can fully enjoy its financial, health, and time savings benefits. I realize that our success with the lifestyle relies mainly on organizational skills applied to shopping, so I thought I would share my Friday routine with you.

GROCERY AND ERRANDS LISTS

We have grocery and errands lists pinned to our wall in the laundry room (adjacent to our pantry). Both lists are made of strips of reused, single-side printed, school paper, clipped and tied to a refillable pencil. We use the sheets from bottom up, so we can tear just the portion used.

When one of us empties a jar or notices butter running low, we make note of it on the GROCERY LIST. The whole family adds to it. Leo once wrote, "10,000 bananas", out of frustration with our local produce ;). I also jot down items needed for special occasions (e.g., extra cheese for a potluck). The GROCERY LIST includes items available in the grocery store that I visit on a weekly basis, which I selected based on its bulk selection, convenience / location, and on-premise bakery. By now, I have built a relationship with its employees and look forward to seeing them every Friday (the day that also coincides with the local farmers' market).

When we feel the urge to get something from another store, we write it on the ERRANDS LIST. Usually, by the time Friday arrives, I have eliminated and/or found a reason not to purchase many items on the list. A great money saver. I also use the ERRANDS LIST to jot down such items as donation drop-offs or specialty bulk items from a different store/town (such as pasta, shampoo, conditioner, Castile soap, dog food, cooking oil, and dishwasher detergent).

Grocery and errands lists seem like obvious must-haves, but through my consulting business with other families, I was surprised to see that more than 3/4 of households, do not have an on-going list, resulting in frequent (sometimes daily) grocery runs and impulse buys.

TOTES

I have three large totes (no need for more): Two GROCERY TOTES, and one FARMERS MARKET TOTE .

I keep the FARMERS MARKET TOTE (containing produce mesh bags) and one of the GROCERY TOTES (containing bulk bags, crayon, bread pillowcase, bottle carrier and baguette bar code) in the trunk of my car.

In the house and next to the lists, I keep the other grocery tote (KITCHEN GROCERY TOTE) handy to fill during the week with: Washed bulk bags, empty jars, empty containers to be returned for a deposit refund (milk and yogurt), empty egg cartons, and empty produce bags, along with ERRANDS ITEMS, such as finished library books/movies, and items to be taken to a repair shop or friend's house for example.

ROUTE

On Friday, I take the tote down to the car with both lists, making sure that I have a minimum of five jars to fill. I number my ERRANDS LIST by stops, starting with the furthest errand and maximizing right turns (better for gas mileage;)

I put the GROCERY LIST in one of the GROCERY TOTES, and pull ERRANDS ITEMS out of the KITCHEN GROCERY TOTE to lay them on the passenger seat, for easy access and quick drop-offs. I also transfer the egg cartons and produce bags in the FARMERS MARKET TOTE.

Then I work my route, crossing out the errands on my ERRANDS LIST as I go. My last three stops are the farmers' market, the grocery store and the library.

At the farmers' market, I take the FARMERS MARKET TOTE, go straight to my favorite veggie stand (veggies at the bottom), then my favorite fruit stand (usually softer than veggies...), and finally the egg stand to get my cartons refilled (the most items fragile on top...).

Then at Whole Foods:

• I load a cart with both GROCERY TOTES, and make a first stop at the customer service to return deposit jars for a refund (I wrap the refund slip around my credit card, so I don't forget to use it during checkout) and occasionally get a tare on a jar or bottle (we use the bulk crayon to write it on).
• I then head to the bakery to order “Ten baguettes, no packaging”.
• I proceed to the salad bar (mostly for grated cheeses at a low price), the olive bar (for the appetizer items like capers, cornichons and olives), and the deli, meat, and fish counters.
• I’ll grab some milk while my jar gets filled at the cheese counter.
• I get my fill in the bulk aisle, writing the item number on the cloth bag with the bulk crayon before filling it (easier) and sometimes fill a jar/bottle at the nearby liquid counter (e.g., honey or olive oil).
• I sometimes also stop in the produce section for a specific item that I would have not found at the Farmers' Market (e.g., loose spinach) or the wine section for white, or the bakery bins for some croissants.
• My loop ends back at the bakery counter, where fresh out-of-the oven baguettes get placed in my pillowcase, giving me much needed warmth (I get cold in grocery stores) and filling my senses with childhood memories, as I make my way to the checkout stand.
• I unload jars first (because heavy items will need to go into the totes first), then bulk and bread. I pullout the baguette bar code (cut from an old wrapper and glued onto a piece of cardboard) and remember my deposit refund slip wrapped around my credit card, as my totes get filled. I say “no” to the store receipt and head home with a quick stop at the library.

Once home, I unload the car, refrigerate cold items, fill storage jars with bulk, (make a sandwich), cut in half and freeze the baguettes, store veggies in the produce keeper of the refrigerator, replenish the fruit bowl, put dirty bulk bags on the washing machine, recycle my lists and put the totes back in place: Two in the car, one in the home. Ready for use the following week…

How do you automate your Zero Waste Shopping?

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Happy Spooning

Little things make me happy.

On a Tuesday evening a month ago, Scott and I were kid-less. We contemplated going to the local theatre for Comedy Night, but opted for a downtown stroll and a stop for dessert instead. With Zizou, our Chihuahua, ecstatic at the sound of his leash, we knew we had made a good choice - little did I know that Dana Carvey would make the theatre roar that same evening! The night was chilly, and with much haste, we made our way to the town's organic gelato place, tied the dog to the tree outside and headed straight for the colorful lit display of the handmade delicacy. After a couple of minutes perusing our options (decisions, decisions!), it was time to deliver our words of choice. Since my heart was torn between Fior di Latte and Honey Lavender, I let Scott decide. He too hesitated, and asked for a taster.

As I finally took my eyes off the display, I looked up and there they were! That's when I noticed the reusable stainless tasting spoons that the store had recently adopted  . "Yes! They did it!", I yelled. The sight of these little tasters made my day. Yep, that's right, as meaningless as it seems, this small change makes me happy.

Last year, as part of an Earth day event, my kids and I picked up trash around town. Not that picking up garbage was a first (we had participated in such events as Coastal Cleanup before), but this time was different. It was not about picking up the floating plastic bag that might have come from some faraway place, it was about picking up the waste that my own community would dare discard on their own city streets. The items we found also said a lot about the business practices taking place downtown Mill Valley. And from the amount of "biodegradable" plastic spoons and single serve cups that we found, I concluded that our gelateria, was the main source of street waste on its block. I found out "Looks ( Flavors) are not everything". An organic business ought to know that Tater Ware spoons do not simply "biodegrade" (as mentioned on the spoons) or disappear from the street.

I believe that it is not only up to residents, but also businesses to show care for the environment and lead by example. And as you already know, I strongly believe that one must "Refuse the things that we do not need or do not want to support in order to be sustainable". Along with a few words of explanation, I brought the found spoons back to the gelateria and discussed solutions with the owner. I boycotted for a year the practices that I did not condone, but let my kids enjoy a cone when Grandma offered.

The fact that the business is organic and uses local ingredients, shows interest in being sustainable. I am really happy that they took their sustainability further by offering reusable stainless taster spoons, and will support their business going forward. I thank you, Noci, for the new spoons, and applaud your efforts. At least until the cups that I still find on the ground, get me back on the boycott ;-)

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Costume Swap Day

Much of Zero Waste relies on planning ahead and being proactive: Taking your name off mailing lists before getting junk mail, saying "no" to the straw before it shows up in your drink at the cafe, or refusing the party favor, days before it gets handed out to your child. With the kids now back in school, we'll soon need to start thinking about Halloween.

Last year, we used items from home and the thrift shop to dress up the kids. Max (pictured) was a grandma. We bought a secondhand dress, wig, glasses and purse for a few dollars during a thrift shop sale. I shortened the dress's hem to fit his height, and used the fabric extras to make a matching coat for Zizou ("le chien-chien à sa mémère") and gift bags (for Christmas). The day after, we donated the whole outfit back to the thrift store (knowing that the kids want a different look every year), as if we had rented it while funding a cause.

We have also borrowed and created DYI costumes before, but for households holding on to them beyond Halloween, a good sustainable option is to swap. According to GreenHalloween.org, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons—about the weight of 2,500 midsize cars...

On October 8, National Costume Swap Day, people across the country will get together for costume swaps in their own cities and towns. Swaps not only help the environment but also save money and build community. You can find one near you or better yet, host one yourself with friends, neighbors, school or community group by following these simple steps and registering your swap (private or public) so others can know about it.

Happy Swapping!

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Salt packed anchovies

Every summer, I learn a few new things from my mom. While the kids learn french, I learn homemaking. I even dream that these new tricks will eventually "offset" the carbon emissions of my trip over time ;).

Last year, my mom showed me how to salt pack (cure) anchovies. Under her direction, I proudly prepared my 1st jar of anchovies. A few weeks later, Scott was flying back to the US, the salt packed anchovies carefully wrapped in his undershirts, which I now understand to be a "no-no" for US customs. Once home, a nice surprise awaited him upon unzipping his suitcase ... You guessed it: The juice from the anchovies had leaked all over (and I was not there to wash my hubby's clothes).

This summer around, I turned down the anchovies at the fish market, realizing that my frivolous ideas tend to annoy my sweet husband. But a few weeks upon my return, I went to Fish, a local fish market, looking for them. The store happened to have just cleaned a whole bunch and did not object to filling my mason jar: I came home with the biggest smile on my face and went right to work recollecting my mom's teachings.


INGREDIENTS:

• Anchovies
• Coarse sea salt (I also had Himalayan, so I mixed them)

RECIPE:

• Remove the head and guts of the anchovies and rinse
• In a jar, pack alternate layers of salt and anchovies (start and end with a thick layer of salt).
• Seal and refrigerate for three weeks before consuming (some of the salt will melt and turn into brine)
• When ready to eat, reach for an anchovie, peel its flesh off the bone under running water (compost the bone and water your plants with the collected water) and soak until de-salted to your taste (a few minutes). We like them in our salads or on our pizzas.

That's it!

As you know it, I love recipes that call for only a couple of ingredients. I have found that homemade anchovies are not only easy to make, they also save on the transportation and recycling of the store-bought kind, avoid our exposure to BPA from lined cans, support local / sustainable business, and easily transfer the homemaking knowledge from my mom to my kids. Something, that is sadly getting lost through consumerism and our disposable society.

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How to Get Started

I recently wrote an article for Yes! Magazine, which included 10 tips for a Zero Waste Household. I thought I would share them with you. These tips happen to summarize the lifestyle perfectly and are a great (and much needed) "How to Get Started" for the blog. It's a good review for those of you who are already well down this path too.

____________

The zero in "zero waste" makes it sound scary and hard to achieve. It is actually not as as hard as it seems, and it is as simple as following these Five R's, in order:

• Refuse what you do not need.
• Reduce what you do need.
• Reuse by using reusables.
• Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse.
• Rot (compost) the rest.

Refuse
1. Fight junk mail. It's not just a waste of resources, but also of time. Register to receive less at dmachoice.org, optoutprescreen.com and catalogchoice.org.
2. Turn down freebies from conferences, fairs, and parties. Every time you take one, you create a demand to make more. Do you really need another "free" pen?

Reduce
3. Declutter your home, and donate to your local thrift shop. You'll lighten your load and make precious resources available to those looking to buy secondhand.
4. Reduce your shopping trips and keep a shopping list. The less you bring home, the less waste you'll have to deal with.

Reuse
5. Swap disposables for reusables (start using handkerchiefs, refillable bottles, shopping totes, cloth napkins, rags, etc.). You might find that you don't miss your paper towels, but rather enjoy the savings.
6. Avoid grocery shopping waste: Bring reusable totes, cloth bags (for bulk aisles), and jars (for wet items like cheese and deli foods) to the store and farmers market.

Recycle
7. Know your city's recycling policies and locations—but think of recycling as a last resort. Have you refused, reduced, or reused first? Question the need and life-cycle of your purchases. Shopping is voting.
8. Buy primarily in bulk or secondhand, but if you must buy new, choose glass, metal, or cardboard. Avoid plastic: Much of it gets shipped across the world for recycling and often ends up in the landfill (or worse yet, the ocean).

Rot
9. Find a compost system that works for your home and get to know what it will digest (dryer lint, hair, and nails are all compostable).
10. Turn your home kitchen trash can into one large compost receptacle. The bigger the compost receptacle, the more likely you'll be to use it freely.

And remember: You're not alone. Come here to share your experience with like-minded individuals, check out the tips page and post your questions in the forum's page.

Thank you for being open to change!

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Progress!

I have had a very satisfying 10 days and I thought I'd share them with you. Over the past couple of weekends, we adopted a few sustainable ideas (I tweeted about them) that have been on my mind for a few years. Tackling them, feels so good.

Homemade Vinegar:

Since embarking on Zero Waste, I had tried and greatly failed at making fruit scrap vinegar (a cheap way to make it). I have therefore been solely relying on vinegars available in bulk. But when I tried my brother's yummy homemade wine vinegar this summer, I realized, that it was time for me to give it a try and make my own using a foolproof vinegar mother upon my return home. Last week, Scott bought a "mother of vinegar" from San Francisco Brewcraft on his way back from work, I was ecstatic to find out that they sell in a reusable mason jar, and got the concoction started immediately. Since we do not have a convenient/nearby source of bulk vinegar and we have extra wine (from our wine bottle refills), making wine vinegar at home, makes a lot of sense for us. I'll have to keep you posted on its taste when it's ready, in a couple of months.

Down to one car:

For the past three years, I have bugged Scott to sell his Mini Cooper to go down to one car. After all, we moved to a downtown to be close to amenities and use the car less - and we mostly walk or bike around here. We loved the versatility and cargo capacity of the Mini but it could no longer transport the four of us comfortably (the kids would sit with their legs crossed on their seats). Scott used it the to go to work a couple of times a week (he works from home the remaining days). I used my sedan for consulting work and once a week for errands/grocery shopping. We also used it for the longer family trips (including camping). It seemed that one, if not both cars, always sat in front of the house, and that with some planning we could share just one.

For the reasons mentioned, it made sense to keep the sedan. At the same time, Scott was reluctant to give up his beloved Mini, but with mounting repair bills (fly-wheel / transmission problems), last week he finally decided to take it in. Little did we know, that we'd end up trading both our cars for a used hybrid, giving us the comfort of my sedan, with even better cargo capacity (hatch-back) and gas mileage than the Mini (and one less insurance payment). The dealer even wrote us a check to make up for the difference ($12 ;) . We immediately created and shared a "car" calendar. It's only been a week, but Scott and I are super happy with our decision.

Bee Condo:

With the bee population decreasing, many sustainable organizations suggest building a bee condo to provide native bees a place to raise young bees. The first time I heard about the concept was three years ago at my friends launch party for Open Garden Project, and it had been on my mind ever since. With Max showing an interest in city planning and power tools, the project seemed perfect for him. I bought scrap wood for $2 at the hardware store and provided him with drill, drill bits, salvaged screws and hanger, and the simple online instructions. It took a couple days - he said he needed breaks;) but Max is very proud of completing his first ever building. He pointed out to one of the holes and said: This one will be the office;). He will be monitoring the bees' activity closely.

Organic Mattress:

A couple of weeks ago, Max fell asleep in our bed, next to Scott, so I spent the night in his twin bed. OMG what a horrible bed, I found out. I have read and cuddled in the kids beds before, but spending a whole night was a real wake-up call, so-to-speak. Springs stuck into my back all night and the lack of any-softness-whatsoever gave me a stiff neck the following day... as if I had camped out all night. I was really paying for the cheap mattress I bought 10 years ago, and realized that I owed my growing boys a softer nest. Scott and I both had always viewed buying a mattress as fun as buying a used car... But since our last car trade was not as painful as we had expected, we went mattress shopping for the boys this weekend. We went to The Natural Mattress Store, and after "sleeping" around, we fell in love with an Eco-Cloud mattress: 97% organic, made locally and with no packaging (on request). It was all we could have asked for! It was more expensive than the ones made in China, but after a few weekend rentals, the mattress will pay itself off. We had the option of sending the old mattresses to the recycling center, we chose to keep them instead: Stacked in the attic, they'll be perfect as a spare bed/couch for the playroom (our old plastic Coleman mattress/ spare popped a while back: I reused the plastic by sewing to the back of our picnic blanket for waterproofing).

Water Audit:

Last month, our church held a Sustainability Fair. I demo-ed a Zero Waste Home Shopping Kit, and the table next to me offered free water audits. I had meant to sign up for one of those in a long time and finally did. During lunchtime last week, a Marin Municipal Water District auditor came by. He looked at our yard, plants, watering patterns, interior water fixtures and machines. "I thought only 2 of you lived here", he said, when Scott mentioned the kids... "You only use half the water of a household of four." Wow, that statement sure made our day. Many readers have asked about our water consumption due to washing reusables. I don't how exactly much more water we use for that extra washing, but our minimalist wardrobes, and water consumption awareness seem to largely counter it.

We already know that little changes can have a big impact, but numbers prove to us how much and encourage us to do more. Future home projects now include setting up a grey-water system diverting waste water from our laundry machine to our ferns. I can't wait to have it done. And I hope that Scott can fit it in his schedule (maybe in the next three weeks instead of the next three years;)

What sustainable practices have you recently implemented that have been most satisfying?

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Back to school. Finally!

OK. I am back and for real this time ;)

The kids were off for three months this year (while our tax dollars renovated the local schools), but they returned to their routine this week, and so have I. Writing this, seated in the shade of the oaks bordering my sunny deck, with hummingbirds buzzing around, feels like a "stay-cation" now.

With the start of a new academic year (and Max in Middle School!), September always feels like January's onset of a new calendar year. Off to a fresh new start: Supplies, Lunches and Activities are revised.

SUPPLIES

Each year, teachers request many un-recyclable items that I would not purchase for our home (plastic markers for example), but would consider for school use. In a perfect world, teachers would keep "still good" supplies for subsequent classes or at least donate them to the local thrift shops at the end of the year. Better yet, manufacturers would offer non-toxic stainless refillables of modern staples such as markers, and teachers would limit their demands to those available and reuse them. But until then...

Our annual scavenger hunt for school SUPPLIES starts with a preliminary stop in the home office to retrieve last year's leftovers and update lists with truly needed items. For example, the new box of pencils required for Max, did not make it. Afterall, Leo finds pencils on the street all year long ;) - and we have plenty mechanical pencil refills. The disposable wipes on Leo's list did not make it either. I volunteered to purchase reusable ones instead.

We then scout the town's thrift shops with a much simplified and revised list. This year, we bought secondhand dividers, a binder, school paper, and one sharpie (Thank you for your donations, fellow Mill Valley-ans!).

We struck out on backpacks (bigger ones needed this year), glue stick, red ballpoint pen, second sharpie, and had to buy these new, but I am happy to give the local stationary store our scrutinized business. It not only allows us to purchase just the right amount (one is enough for now) and without the extra packaging (sold loose), but it also gives me the opportunity to support a small local business and save on gas (the big chain alternative is two towns over).

For the scientific calculator that Max needed, eBay was the best bet. Bought $4 used and now reused.

LUNCHES

The boys' appetites have grown this summer, so I was delighted to find an array of loose buns at the grocery store. These have simplified the kids lunch making. They are cheaper than baguette, do not need pre-ordering, and are pre-cut by Scott, making it easier for the boys to prepare them. Best of all, the serving size satisfies Max's appetite perfectly.

As mentioned before, I do not usually spend time making what is available to us in bulk, such as pickles. But the long break and the sight of cute little pickling cucumbers at the farmer's market, inspired me to prepare them again this year. They are easy to make with only a few bulk ingredients, the kids love them (they are sweet) and they are a great addition to school lunches. So I thought I'd share our recipe with you.

Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

5 cups sliced pickling cucumbers (about 5 count)
1 onion
4 tsp coarse salt
1 cup cracked ice
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
Optional spices

Mix cucumbers, onions, salt, and ice in large bowl
Put a weight on the mixture for 3 hours (see picture)
Drain
Combine vinegar, sugar, drained cucumbers and spices of your choice (1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/8 celery seed, 1 tsp mustard seed for example)
Bring to boiling point (do not boil)
Fill sterilized jars (recipe will fill 1 quart size jar)
For long term storage, you can boil the sealed jar for 10 min. I personally don't. We refrigerate them and they disappear within a month.

ACTIVITIES Never say Never... I am glad I did not.

Now the big surprise for the end. I am about to announce a major change in our household. With much deliberation (six-months long actually ;), Scott and I have finally given up on our video game battle and purchased a used Wii for Leo's birthday. OMG! We have come to realize that our very social pre-teens are losing interest in their Legos, and cannot be kept away from gaming (at least, where we live anyways). In the last year, they have clearly learned to augment their outside playtime with a gaming fix at the neighbors.

Again, in my perfect world, our neighbors and friends would also be against video games and urge their kids to entertain themselves otherwise. We would also agree on the same house rules, dietary needs, all choose zero waste lifestyles, and live happily ever after. Well, since it is not the case, and Scott and I are not willing to move and become hermits or keep the kids locked up, but rather encourage age-appropriate social interactions at home, we considered multiple non-viable options (a trampoline on our hill, fuss-ball in the tiny playroom, etc.), until we faced the inevitable: No matter what we'd find as an alternative, gaming would still be out there and our kids would keep seeking it elsewhere. Then, I thought to myself that as long as we did it in a sustainable way (buying used console and games), with strict usage limits, it probably would not kill me ;)

We've had it now for only a couple of weeks, the kids bring their friends home more and I can share play time (Wii sports) with my fast growing boys. Gaming that fosters social and physical activity, afterall, is not too bad and more controllable than online gaming. And as long as we can mix it up with a variety of other activities, I am OK with it.

That said, do not fear, we are nowhere close to turning TV back on...

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Active Discard

Friday is housekeeping day in the Johnson household. The day is usually marked by hidden treasures emerging from my kids pockets.

This is how I discovered a non-recyclable one this week:
Max: "Wow, we really don't have that much trash."
Bea: "What did you throw out to notice what was in there?" ;)

As Max was putting his dirty laundry in the machine, he found the plastic wrapper of RealD 3D glasses in one of his pockets. In our previous life, we would have discarded it and never thought about it again (...and repeated the same disregard for our discards, each subsequent viewing of a 3D movie). But today, that wrapper (and others going into our trash container) calls for further investigation and one or more following actions:

-Finding an ALTERNATIVE: In the future, Max will keep the 3D glasses for reuse instead of placing them in the dedicated recycling container at the theater.

-Contacting RealD by PHONE (888-334-3577): Their sales representative explained the company's operation. Movie goers use the glasses, theaters collect them, and send them back to RealD. RealD then sanitizes and re-packages them. Talk about "cleanliness standards" needing revision... I suggested that her company reconsidered its impact on the environment.

-EMAILING RealD (support@reald.com):
Hi: I am a simple movie goer, who also strives to live a zero waste lifestyle.
I found out that you reuse the 3D glasses which is great, but I do not support the plastic sleeve, which is meant for the landfill. So here are some questions that you might want to consider:
-Is sanitizing really necessary, are plastic sleeves necessary? It seems that our society has gone germaphobic; Sanitizing and plastic sleeves only supports that unnecessary fear of germs and subsequent unnecessary waste.The last time I visited Disneyland, their reused 3D glasses were neither sanitized nor wrapped in plastic.
-If you truly feel that the sleeve is needed, how about using paper instead? It would not only be recyclable but also biodegradable/compostable.
-How about adding a note on your wrapper that would encourage viewers to reuse their glasses? I doubt that 3D is going away, so might as well encourage people to keep their glasses for next time. (Your receptacle in movie theatres could be used for extras.)
-or better yet: "How about selling longer lasting glasses (real glass lenses in metal frames) to users instead? as a one time fee option to a movie ticket?
I thank you for your time. I applaud your reusing efforts, you are going in the right direction. I look forward to seeing your environmentally caring improvements.
Sincerely yours,
Bea

-MAILING to RealD (100 North Crescent Dr., Suite 120, Beverly Hills, CA 90210) the plastic wrapper with a note such as the copy of the email above or just a few words: "are these really necessary?" or "Please reconsider wasteful practices".

The most common email that I receive from newcomers interested in Zero Waste is about the lack of bulk in their town and their loss as to what to do beyond it. My advice to them, apart from adopting reusables, is quite simple: Let your voice be heard! (I can't stress it enough).

We all have a choice: We can throw it in the "can" time after time, and therefore condone wasteful practices - or we can actively do something to make change happen in our communities. Don't wait for change. Ask for it. Make it happen. Speaking with the grocery store manager to request bulk, suggesting an alternative or no packaging to a manufacturer, or calling a junk mailer, might be time consuming. But a weekly email, call, or letter, is manageable and is a powerful way of pro-actively supporting Zero Waste beyond bulk shopping.

In the comment section, I invite you to share your examples of constructive, to the point letters. Please no rambling :) I hope to make it easier for our community to send or re-purpose our constructive feedbacks. Remember, positive feedback is welcome too. Last week, I contacted Rayovac (800-237-7000) to congratulate and thank them for their innovative cardboard rechargeable battery packaging.

Do you have some letters to share with others?

PS: I hope you remembered to vote today ;) http://www.THEGreenAwards.com/Default.aspx?v=221

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