Bulk App Update

A post by my husband, Scott, who has spent way more time on this app than I have (and still does): He is the technical brain in our home and I love him for it! 

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Thank you everyone for trying out our Bulk locator app!

So far we have had over 1400 people sign up, almost 600 locations added to the app, with over 600 reviews of those locations. 


Also, thank you for your patience as we work out some of the bugs in version 1.0 of this app...there is nothing like having 1400 people use the app, in order to find out what works and what does not work! And we greatly appreciate your suggestions.

Clearly this first release was targeted at just the US & Canada - but in fact, people were able to successfully add locations in Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.

Our initial release was constrained by available time and funds - but we would like to build on the functionality to include:

• International mapping support
• Additional platforms besides the iPhone and Android (e.g., PC, Windows mobile)
• Ability to check for duplicate locations (right now, unless users check if a location has already been entered prior to adding it, I have to "delete" duplicates manually...so sorry about that!)
• Ability to add comments
• and more...

We have exhausted our funding from the Green Awards for this project - so we are now looking into raising funds possibly through Kickstarter to be able to enhance and support the Bulk app further.

For us, the best part of releasing this app was finding a new Bulk location on a weekend visit to Santa Rosa, 50 miles north of our home, and discovering a great store (the Community Market), with an incredible bulk selection. You should have seen the sparkle in Bea's eye;)

This location also happens to be one of several locations that have received the most ratings:

• Whole Foods in Pasadena, CA
• Sacramento Natural Foods Coop in Sacramento, CA
• Community Market in Santa Rosa, CA
• The Refill Shoppe in Ventura, CA
• Refyll Home and Body at the Mar Vista Farmers Market in Los Angeles, CA
• MOM's Organic Market  in Alexandria, VA
• Town and Country Market in Bainbridge Island, WA

So thank you for continuing to share and rate your local bulk suppliers! You are the force behind this app, the locations that YOU add (and rate) make it a great resource for the entire Zero Waste community.

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Our Bulk Locator App is out!

Tired of fiddling with packaging? Want to help the environment? Shopping the package-free aisles can 

also save you time and money, but only if you know where to find them! 

When I started my Zero Waste journey, I had no idea that bulk bins even existed in my town. Then when I found them and realized that I could eliminate all food packaging by solely relying on them, I came to dream of a smartphone "app" that could locate nearby bulk suppliers. The prize money that I received for winning The Green Awards (thanks to your support) allowed me to realize my dream and provide Zero Waste enthusiasts a valuable resource. After a long year of design, development and testing, it is my pleasure to finally present you with BULK, Zero Waste Home's app, designed to help you eliminate packaging from your life, by pointing to bulk food bins and liquid refills near you - and letting you share the locations that you find with others!

The app is available in the iTunes App Store and Android Market and its features include:

• Search, add and rate bulk locations (US and Canada), including selection available and whether or not reusable containers are permitted
• Locate businesses closest to you or a specific address
• Narrow your search by bulk type (are you looking to refill on body care, dog food, wine?)
• Build a bulk-shopping kit through Zero Waste Home's store
• Consult a bulk food guide to learn how to prepare bulk food items
• Read Community Updates from ZeroWasteHome.com

As of yesterday some 175 Users were already using it and have entered 120 Places. But we need YOU, the entire Zero Waste Community to populate it, to share those locations that you have found along your journey. Here is what to do:  

• Download the app
• Add your locations
• Rate existing locations
• Report an issue if you find a problem with a location ("Report Issue" at the bottom of the location page)
• Rate the app...positively of course;) so that others will be inspired to add and rate locations!

Where have you found bulk bins? (Answer this question by entering locations in the app!)

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The Beauty of Zero Waste: Buying Coffee

Some of you felt that I flaunted the availability of bulk in my area when I introduced this series a couple of weeks ago. "This post just seems a little out of everyone's league and for the ones that buy [packaged products] for lack of other options, it may leave them feeling guilty or at a loss", said Jolie. This blog is not meant to flaunt my ways, point the finger at yours, or make you feel guilty or bad about yourself, your way of shopping, your access to bulk or lack of it!...But maybe I did not explain the point of this series clearly enough. 

This series simply aims at demonstrating the beauty of Zero Waste and overtime, at compiling a fantasy photo album of a Zero Waste economy.  My job here is to shatter preconceptions that Zero Waste is messy and unattractive, to provide visual evidence, and to share the great alternatives that I encounter throughout my personal journey. As I said in earlier posts, before I started reducing our waste I was unaware that bulk was even available in my town. Now that I only shop this way, my eye is trained to spot the package free options and I believe it is essential that I report what's out there and what's possible. I hope to inspire manufacturers and retailers to adopt some of these ideas.

In the US, I have found coffee to be one of the products most readily available in bulk form. And I must say, the aroma that exudes out of a bulk bag on the way home does not compare with its packaged counterpart.

Which one do you think is a more beautiful way of shopping for coffee?

Packaged?

Or loose?

Mill Valley Market

Safeway

La Coppa, Mill Valley

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The Beauty of Zero Waste: Liquid Body Care Products

The Zero Waste lifestyle has brought tremendous beauty into my life. So much of it that I could not envision going back to filling my home with packaging, or shopping the packaged aisles!

In this series, I will highlight the beauty of Zero Waste through photographs. Each time, I will provide a side-by-side comparison of a common method with its Zero Waste counterpart.

First, we'll look at bulk shopping. I find refilling my containers and buying loose to be aesthetically superior to shopping the packaged aisles, for four reasons:

• Bulk is tactile: Refilling your own bag with such loose items as bread buns, soap bars, or produce offers an opportunity to handle and feel your purchase before buying (versus packaging, which masks the product and creates an artificial barrier between the buyer and his purchase).
• Bulk is straightforward: It shows the item as-is, naked; what you see is what you get (vs. packaging, which hides your purchase).
• Bulk encourages social interaction: Filling a bread bag at the bakery or a jar at the meat counter requires you to interact with a staff member (vs. shopping the middle, processed aisles of the store, which blocks human contact).
• Bulk saves money: You buy exactly the amount of product that you need and no money is wasted buying a disposable packaging (vs. the price of a packaged product, which includes packaging costs). 

Today, we're looking at two ways to purchase liquid body care products:

Packaged

Bulk
(EO store in Mill Valley)

 In your opinion, which one is sexier?

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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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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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The Bottomline

Hi everyone! This is Bea's husband, Scott.

This is a note to the people that may be standing on the sideline, deciding whether or not this lifestyle or these changes make sense. Or maybe it is a note to the doubters that are thinking this is just a waste of time or money...or maybe it is to the husbands out there that are thinking this is just a big hassle. (I know because I was one of them at first...)

After some prodding from Bea, I went back over our expenses - in detail - from a few years ago (our "old life" in 2005) vs. our expenses now ("zero waste" lifestyle in 2010). To compare apples to apples, so to speak, I also took into account that our two boys are eating significantly more (ages 8 & 10 in 2010 vs. ages 3 & 5 in 2005). I could eat more than both of them put together in 2005 - now, Max eats as much as me - maybe more some days. (Note: Bea has always eaten more than me :)

The bottomline: It looks like we are saving even more than we thought...

> On food we are saving 36% overall:

• Groceries are down 33%
• Farmer's market is up over 1000% (from almost nothing to being a core part of our meals)
• Restaurants are down 67%

> On "drug stores" (like Target, Rite Aid, CVS Pharmacy, etc.) our spending is down 76% (We can't even remember what the heck we were buying there!?)> Overall - our spending is down almost 40% across those categories!!! (not counting for inflation)

I attribute these savings to:

• Shopping the outer rim of the store vs. the aisles
• Less meat for dinner (once per week vs. most days)
• More vegetables (we are spending a lot more at the Farmers Market every week)
• Less dinners out / more family dinners in... (sure some of that is due to the economy)
• Drug store purchases are way down - we don't buy all the "throw-aways"

And this does not factor in any of the time savings - fewer trips to the store, less time spent in the store, less time driving to/from the store...more time with my family, doing the things that we like to do.

Ok - back to Bea for the regularly scheduled program next week...(probably something on how to reuse turnip peels to degrease your stove :)

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Zero Waste Holidays: this time for sure ;)

No, no. I am not crazy: I do not support holiday decorations being displayed at my local hardware store since September...

Nonetheless, the holidays are around the corner and my hardware store did remind me that last December, I vouched to be pro-active for this year's gift exchange. And that included letting those who will be exchanging with us know that we prefer experiences vs. more stuff. It seems early, but letting them know before they even had a chance to gather/buy objects for us, is key and all part of the “master plan” ;).

Here are some ideas, worth considering this holiday season:

GIFTS

-Offering "Experiences" in the form of a gift certificate or actual ticket, such as:

Classes at the local community college to develop a new interest

Movie ticket

Theme park season pass

Museum pass

Bowling night

Hotel night

Meal at a new restaurant

Treat to an ice cream parlor

My favorite for our kids: A year long subscription to a monthly surprise family activity (activities that I have in mind for the year, depending on our finances, include: kayaking, overnight at hotel with pool, ice skating, hiking to an overnight refuge, trampoline or indoor climbing center, science museum, gold panning in the mountains, crabbing, fishing, overnight on a houseboat, backpacking and overnight in the wilderness, fruit picking, sledding, overnight in a fire lookout, etc...) UPDATE: We call them SFA and inform you of our SFA of the month thru Twitter.

-Offering Services (your time) in the form of coupons, such as:

Professional expertise (I can offer simplifying and decluttering services for example)

Hand labor (planting a tree, painting a room for a new baby, fixing a deck, lawn mowing)

Babysitting

Services are great for kids to give (one sibling could take another sibling's chore for a period of time)

-Offering consumables in a reusable jar (to simplify, pick one project and make a large quantity):

Homemade cookies, cake mix, herbal tea, jam, pickles, sugar/salt scrub, balm, lemoncello, toothpowder (with recipe attached)

Or a bulk item (cornichons, olives, maple syrup, toffee pecans, chocolate malt balls).

Homemade candles, soap, and paper are also great “out of the jar” alternatives.

-Shopping your home: Regifting (and there is nothing wrong with that!) or giving something you already own when you know for a fact that the recipient will appreciate it. I have a dedicated drawer for that purpose, it gets filled and used all year long.

-Buying used at a thrift store or on Ebay. For the latter, make sure that the item is used by checking the “pre-owned” option in your Ebay search.

-Using the smallest gifts and bulk treats to fill stockings instead of stuffers.

-Selecting gifts that tighten family bonds (family “experiences” or used board games for example).

-Greening Santa: Santa brings only one gift per family member. It comes unwrapped because Santa cares about the environment and his gift is easily spotted among the other (family) wrapped presents. The benefits of the “one special present” go beyond the obvious...equality among children of different financial background, modesty, smaller wish lists, less stress on Santa!

-Avoiding the mall until January: Not only better for your carbon footprint (driving, new stuff purchased), but also your sanity, stress level, creativity and wallet. Challenge yourself to do without!

GIFT WRAPPING:

-Purchasing or making reusable gift bags from fabric scraps (or redesigned lone socks and pillowcases) sends out a green message to your recipient. The attached tie also eliminates the need for a loose ribbon.

-Purchasing or making Furoshiki squares (28x28) and learning some easy-to-follow tricks on how to artfully wrap in fabric. The elaborate knots and tucks also eliminates the need for a loose ribbon

-Using a gift to wrap another. A t-shirt, a sweater, a kitchen towel can wrapped just about anything and serve a double duty (a gift and wrapper in one).

-Reusing what you already have, if lacking the previous wrapping alternatives: Papers from your recycling bin (your kids can quickly paint some designs on them), children's artwork, a washed meat wrapper, newspaper or paper bag if you are still allowing these into your home ;).

-Using leaves as gift tags or anything in your recycling bin that can be cut into a small rectangle.

DECORATION:

-Reusing a potted plant that you already have or purchasing one that can become your yearly alternative to the Christmas tree. I use a tall topiary. The first year, it seemed odd (an adjustment), now we can't imagine going back to regular trees.

-Vouching to not buy yet another ornament. We rediscover our holiday decorations every year when we unpack our dedicated crate, and we always have enough!

-Making consumable decorations such as a homemade gingerbread house (with treats available in bulk) or a string of popcorn as garland (feeding it to the birds after the holidays, thanks to Dori and Val for the suggestion) for as long as the kids enjoy participating in the making.

-Using seasonal whole fruit, whole vegetables, yard clippings or leaves to adorn the table.

CARDS:

-Emailing your holiday wishes. Last year, I made plantable cards (it took me a week of work and lots of stamps), this year I will email our wishes. It's the thought and the content of the message that counts.

-Sending the cards that you do receive for reuse (as mentioned last year) to St. Jude's Ranch Card Recycling, 100 St. Jude Street, Boulder City, NV 89005. It supports a good cause too!

-Choosing recycled and recyclable materials, if you do choose to send out a card. Keep in mind that photo paper is not recyclable.

TRADITIONS:

-Supporting your Zero Waste efforts with meaningful traditions vs. the wasteful, stressful and complicated activities of the season (Zero Waste not being just about stuff management).

-Being kind to yourself by simplifying your traditions: Consider less cooking, using your everyday china and glasses if your fancy set requires hand-washing, eating out, going for a hike if weather allows.

-Being kind to others by:

1 - Being kind to yourself,

2 - Freeing a parking spot by avoiding the mall ;)

3 - Applying “Acts of Kindness” to your holiday season: participate in a homeless soup kitchen, sing carols in your neighborhood, write a Thank You card to someone whose services you appreciate (your friendly baker for ex.?)...

To hear more about Zero Waste Holidays thru a thick french accent (I hope Santa will think of getting me an accent reduction class), you can check out my recent podcast on More Hip than Hippie.

I dream of having more than an "almost Zero Waste" Christmas. With simplifying and adequate preparation, I truly believe that my dream can come true. Last year, I dreaded the season, this year I feel ready and excited to face it! Bring it on!

Any more ideas to reduce waste during this coming holiday season?

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Zero Waste Dog -or Rat ;)

Zero Waste is a family affair... like I said before: in our home, everyone is on board, and that includes our dog.

Meet Zizou. He joined the family about 3 years ago. We wanted a dog that would be small enough to not only fit in our small house, but also accompany us everywhere we go, whether it is by plane, car, bike or foot - we also chose his coat color to match the floor so that his shedding hair would not show :). He now can even sit with us at restaurants with outdoor seating!

We figured a chihuahua would give us just as much love as a big dog. Zizou has been the answer to all our pet needs, and despite a taste for street trash, as a rat would have ("Rat Boy" is his nickname), he has more than exceeded our expectations of the breed. Our biggest mistake was only to give up our search in rescue centers and getting him from a breeder, when 30 chihuahuas showed up at the local SPCA a month later. And although we love our dog, it makes me sick to my stomach that we passed the opportunity: We should have been patient and waited for the right rescue to pop up. Note: We did rescue both of our previous dogs.

Zizou does not need much, and in a society where, despite the recession, sales of pet products and services rose 5% in 2009 to reach $53 billion (sales are projected to reach $72 billion by 2014), we like to keep things simple, minimal and zero waste for him too:

• He does not have a regular dog bed. He sleeps by the fire gas-insert in the winter, in the bubble chair or on the warm wood deck in the summer, and on the kids beds at night.
• He has two toys: A tennis ball we found (good for running/exercising) and a rope chew (good for cleaning teeth). Dogs have faves, pick a couple, donate the rest to a shelter (the latter also accepts old towels and sheets by the way). My mother-in-law makes one out of old socks tied together for her dog.
• Once a month, we wash him with castile soap (buy in bulk if possible) and clip his nails (compost).
• We usually buy kibbles in bulk at Rainbow or New Leaf (a 50 lbs. bag from the pet store would take our dog years to eat and we do not have room to store such quantity) and since these two stores are hard to get to, I have requested it from our local pet stores, but it is not yet available. For these two reasons I had to buy a small bag last week (with a feeling of being a total zero waste advocate failure), I emptied it into our dog food container and washed the bag. I am filling it with thrift shop donations.
• We add garlic powder to his food for flea control, the garlic breath dissipates after a few minutes ;)
• We occasionally feed him our food scraps, because he is a trim and can afford to do so. He is bummed that our meat consumption is down to once a week, but he approves of the white meat (say "chicken" and witness instant excitement).
• We buy treats in bulk (Petco or the local pet store) but you can make your own dog biscuits too.
• On walks, we pick up his poop in paper from the recycling can (that's if we can find it, because his poops are tiny and he likes to go deep into ivy... a prude one this one). For a big dog, I would use a few sheets, for Zizou, a receipt will do;). Note: One does not need to justify their newspaper subscription for the need of the free plastic poop scooper. If you still receive the paper, you probably also still buy packaged products. Frozen veggie bags, cereal liner, meat wrapper, etc... can do the job just fine too.
• When we can find the excrement in the yard, we scoop it with a metal trowel and flush it down the toilet. For the longest time, I read mixed opinions on the subject, but my local water treatment plant assured me that it was OK to do so.
• I have yet to try it, but in one of my foraging classes, I was told that a tea of mugwort could be sprayed on pets for poison oak prevention before stepping in the wild...

I told my younger son, I was writing an article about zero waste dog and asked him what made Zizou zero waste. He replied: "Easy, he does not bring anything home" ;)

While it is true that he does not bring any junk into the house, he does however bring in loads of affection. Affection that we reciprocate. After all, what a dog needs most is love... and there is nothing more zero waste than love :) is there?

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The Zero Waste Closet

Last week was April 15^th! For most it meant tax day. For me: Biannual clothes shopping day. The day I refresh my worn out basics and add some zing to my wardrobe. I wait and prepare for it for months at a time. I love fashion and I only shop twice a year: April 15^th for spring-summer, and October 15^th for fall-winter.

Before each spree, I visit the library and go through magazines to get inspired and educate my eye. This is a system that I have lived by for the past eight years.
But, please... don't blame me for being tempted by fashion, symbol of a disposable and ephemeral closet: I graduated from the London School of Fashion, and still enjoy expressing myself through dressing. And as long as my shopping habits follow my sustainable ethics, isn't it alright to be fashionable? What can I say: I do care about my looks, regardless of the Zero Waste lifestyle, sadly associated with careless / carefree clothing. Did I mention that one does not need to conform to a certain fashion style to be a Zero Waste advocate?…My personal fashion sense is rather about wearing exciting, one of a kind, USED pieces to make my everyday more exciting.

I can see some of you cringing at the idea of thrifting already. "I can't find anything in that mess", or "Oh! I can't take the smell in thrift shops", people tell me... It's true that the items in the shop have lost their smell of off-gassing plastics and that these shops don't have perfume in the air (department stores) to cover it up. Isn't it sad that most people prefer to shop in a store that reeks of plastic because the smell is associated with new things, the high of shopping and consumerism? You know what I am talking about if you have practiced department/new store abstinence before. It is like discovering the true smell of your house after a long absence... Well the true smell (or is it the phthalates?) of those new stores actually makes me nauseous. And if the term "used" bothers you, call it "vintage". Somehow vintage stores, although they also only carry used items, have a better reputation.

But what I love most about thrift and vintage shopping is the hunt for the unusual clothing, the minimal price tag (where I shop they use a piece of paper stapled to the garment as a price tag), and the carbon footprint redemption, of course… This is where you choose a garment for its fit, not its tag or brand.

Here is my system:

• I stick to minimal closets: My boys, for example, have a set of 4 pants, 8 shirts, and a dressy outfit for each season. I'll spare you my wardrobe list.

• I keep a minimal shoe closet: I have paired it down to just 6 pairs of shoes: slippers, boots, ballet, medium heel, high heel sandal, and sandals. For the kids, I buy athletic shoes second hand, and when worn out I take them to Nike "Reuse a Shoe" program. (At the rate that my little one goes through sneakers, we wait to fill a bin before taking them in). They also own a pair of dress shoes, flip-flops and slippers.
• I own only a small selection (3) of purses: 1 everyday/evening wrist wallet, 1 small foraging messenger bag and 1 work bag (to fit my computer).
• I keep an updated inventory of my closet, made up of neutral colors and exciting season-less essentials. On that same excel file, I highlight the items that I wore out (holes, tears or stubborn stains) and need to replace on the next shopping trip.
• I shop twice a year: It avoids compulsive buys, keeps us out of the mall. (We actually only shop once a year for my husband).
• I shop at second hand stores mostly: I believe in reusing before buying new organic clothes. This season, the new items I purchased were a pair of sandals (could not find a basic secondhand pair) and a bra. The rest I bought at the thrift shop for $40 (I can proudly say, it is a record low)
• If I do get a new piece, I make sure that it is good quality, and only carries minimal tags (I leave the shoe box at the store). Patagonia, I hear, recycles some of their garments to make new ones.
• I am ruthless on fit, it is as simple as: "If it doesn't fit, I must acquit!"
• I bring a basket: Too often we think about the reusable bag at the grocery store, but don't apply it to other stores.
• I put it back on the market before it goes out of style: If, for some reason, I do not wear a specific piece of clothing for a month, I give it to a friend or Goodwill. Otherwise I end up with a closet full of nothing-to-wear. Keep it on the market and share it while it's hot!
• I keep some of my worn out clothes for rags (duh), but I label the rest as "rags" and take it to Goodwill for recycling. Call your local Goodwill to confirm their participation in the program.
• With sewing, I have been able to save many outfits, with only a few stitches (shorten a hem, add an elastic or change buttons...)
• I take it to the tailor, if something is out of my technical expertise (I recently had to take a coat in, the fabric is too thick for my machine)
• I keep handkerchiefs handy in my closet and purses.
• TMI: I keep vitamin E balm next to my sandals to add shine to my polish-free toes.

And you know what the bonus was on this last thrifting spree? Finding a two liter Le Parfait jar for only $2. Yoohoo!

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Not all green products are created equal: What was I thinking?

When you start greening your life, one of the first items on your shopping list of reusables is, a travel cup. So, a few years ago, I decided that I needed to have one to carry around my green tea.

But, I was not going to let just ANY cup showcase itself on my bare shelf though.

So I shopped around. Back then, it seemed that options were mainly restricted to stainless (which makes sense if it is completely constructed of stainless, for its lightweight and insulating capabilities). But all those I found had too much going on: A large obstructive handle, or an (advertising) logo, or a plastic interior (???), or a leaking top or/and bottom…

I was determined not to settle for less and would share my husband’s until the right option arose. I found his at a thrift shop: steel interior, plain exterior (it had a Starbucks logo but I removed it with steel wool), great insulation, and right price… just an unnecessary large handle. Pretty close to perfection though, for just $1.50. It was worth every penny, especially considering its zero manufacturing footprint (the advantage of buying used). Too bad, it did not come with a twin (the disadvantage of buying used).

While I kept on searching, I visited the San Francisco Green Festival. And there, amidst the “granola” filled aisles, I found it: The “I am not a paper cup” (a cup with a name!). Boy did it stand out. It seemed that this object answered all my prayers. Its reusability, its ceramic and silicone material (a change from the usual stainless), its white and clean design, and its reference to modern art, a bonus! (Its name is a take on Magritte’s surrealist piece entitled “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”). In our home, where we choose to live minimally and only surround ourselves with objects that we love and that fit the décor, this cup was all I wanted in a cup.

Who knew that a simple ceramic piece could sum up our house so beautifully!

I had fallen in love with, a cup… but not its packaging: An unrecyclable clear plastic box on a cardboard stand evidently simulating that of a museum art display case. So I bought the shelf sample and welcomed it into my white house.

Gosh, did it look pretty on my cupboard shelf, a piece of art.

The next day, I was meeting some friends for a hike. Time had come to take my warm cup of tea for a walk and Zizou (my dog) too. On my way to meet them, I crossed a couple of trendy looking women, paper cup in one hand, an oversized purse in the other. And it dawned on me…

Instead of being an example of green living, was my new acquisition supporting the paper cup as a fashion accessory? Was I trying to emulate one of the stars mentioned in the Foxnews article "Hollywood’s Hottest Accessory: The Big Coffee Cup"? “The venti embodies everything about the American lifestyle,” Yanoshik said. “Not only is it trendy, but it’s big and out there. People take notice of it.”

What was I thinking going out with this in my hand! I don’t even have the purse to go with it ;). Had I purchased the ultimate wannabe accessory?

And just like that, the object that I had so much loved for one day became one that I despised. I had fallen into the trap of purchasing a sustainable product carrying a contradictory message.

Sadly, it seems that in a world where fashion is so ephemeral, the coffee cup has remained the strongest accessory since Starbucks. Only in a disposable and media focused society, driven by excessive consumerism, can such a destructive trend survive…

Last year, D Squared based a whole runway show on the “Olsen-twins chic” (Nicole Phelps called it), a big purse in one hand, the Starbucks in the other (one would think that there would be room in those large purses to carry a travel mug…). Going down the runway with a cup is one thing, but a disposable one? Couldn’t the label have taken this opportunity to come up with its own reusable design and show some environmental compassion?

People magazine is filled with stars sporting the disposable: Do you ever see a reusable one? I have yet to see one (I admit, I look at People magazine once every 3 months at some doctor’s office…but still, I have not particularly noticed a consciousness raising trend from Hollywood’s most watched individuals over the last few years).

I saw a well-known musician at Whole Foods a couple of months ago. I was waiting for the deli counter, struggling with my jar, when I spotted the public figure and watched him fill a paper cup. You would think that someone, who knows that he is being watched, would at least care to be an example and make better eco friendly choices. He even has the power to make “green” cool! Don’t ask me if I said anything to him… I did not and still regret it.

Ironically in this java driven society, and after years of searching (and many new plastic options on the market later...), I still have yet to find the perfect cup.

Although, I confess: Not finding it, has been a minimalist’s blessing… it has given me time to reflect: Do I really need one? Probably not. My favorite way of enjoying a hot tea outside the home, is with my friends at La Coppa anyways. Luckily, Mill Valley is perfect for that with its European style cafes, outdoor sitting, and ceramic cups… I can donate my fake paper cup to the local thrift store, for wannabes in need of "Olson-twins chic", to reuse.

Coffee or Tea anyone?

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A letter to Whole Foods

A few months ago, I found out in horror and great embarrassment that “Marin County generates the most garbage per capita of any county in the country” (Redwood Landfill’s District Manager Jessica Jones, Ross Valley Reporter, 8/25/09). Yes, you read that right! Ironically, I live in the trashiest place in the whole country! Interestingly, the county’s “green” reputation is one of the reasons we chose to move here. Oh, it’s green all right, full of parks and redwood trees, but that’s as green as it goes. What are the eco hippies that this county is known for, doing? Perhaps hugging the trees…

I even bought a pair of clogs to fit in when we relocated here 3 years ago… I wore them once on Coastal Cleanup day. Climbing and picking up trash in the rocks was not easy with those things on. I even envied my better equipped friend’s Wellies! I donated the clogs back to Salvation Army that week. I guess I should have realized that day, that I had joined a careless community: picking up plastic bags, empty bottles, fishing line, styrofoam bits, shoes (?...), cigarette buds… The kids looked like they hit the jackpot when they found a piece of Lego they could reuse though. They were in a positively better state of mind than I was:

How can an educated community be so clueless about their environmental impact?

And then I sat foot in Whole Foods. The local store reputed for caring about the environment. But do they? Do they do everything they can to help their community reduce waste? Do they know our county’s sad record? Do they understand that they sell some of the trash responsible for our county’s sad record?

This is my letter to them a couple of weeks ago…

Hello:
I live in Mill Valley and blog about zero waste (zerowastehome.blogspot.com). I plan on writing an article about "What my local Whole Foods could do", and I thought it would only be fair to give you heads up on the list that I will post. Your comments are welcome. You can also pass this on to whoever at Whole Foods is concerned about helping Marin residents get to the Zero Waste Goal by 2025.
-make bulk cheaper than packaged: potatoes, cauliflower, baking soda, croissants, etc… are cheaper in a bag/box at your stores.
-sell more bulk: staple items such as olive/cooking oils, vinegar, pastas, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent should be available
-sell affordable cloth bags for bulk, and display them well: right now, $3/bag is too much … if you can find it in the dark corner where they're displayed
-sell cheese European style: behind a counter, a la deli. I was once told by one of your cheese counter associate that they sell too much cheese to serve it that way… what the??? Does that imply that the Europeans/French eat less cheese than they do here, to be able to sell it behind a counter, cling wrap-free?
-sell baguettes a la francaise also: Baguettes sit naked, in baskets, there. You grab them with a small square paper wrapper (if one wants to use it)
-educate your associates: another cheese counter associate made fun of my jars once, telling me that "there was no point in eliminating the use of the cling wrapper from my cheese because I still came to the store in a plastic car". I bought my cheese from Safeway the following week.
-give credit for home jars and bags (incentive) not just grocery bags: some of us have graduated from the grocery bag level.
-charge for any grocery paper bag that you give out.
-replace your plastic bulk bags with paper ones would be a good step too.
Bea
And you know what their reply to my letter was?
Nothing.
Sad.

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Bulk shopping guide in and around Mill Valley, California

Here is the list of bulk staples available from vendors in and around Mill Valley: all items mentioned here only represent a small selection of the respective bulk sections.

Mill Valley Whole Foods (New)
Agave Syrup

Baked goods (bread counter, croissants, focaccia, cookies)
Cocoa powder
Dried fruit (raisins, coconut, mango, etc…)
Flour
Ginger snaps
Grains (couscous, rice, quinoa, etc…)
Granola and Flake cereal
Honey
Juice oranges
Meat, fish, deli and cheese counters
Nuts
Olive bar: olives, cornichons, pickles, marinated mushrooms and peppers, mozarella balls, feta cheese...
Olive oil
Peanut butter
Salt (fine)
Small selection of spices and teas
Straus milk
Sugars
Sweet snacks (malt balls, gummy bears, yogurt pretzels, tiny PB cups, etc...)
Tamari Sauce

Tofu (in the fridge section next to meat department)
Trail mix bar

Whole Foods, San Rafael (12mins from downtown MV)
All items mentioned above, plus:
Baking soda (overpriced!)
Body lotion, shampoo, conditioner
Coarse salt
Dr. Bronners castile soap
Larger selection of spices (cumin seeds for ex.)
White stevia (to make tooth powder)

My Pueblo Market, San Rafael (also about 10mins from downtown MV) : Nothing here is organic but people are super friendly and accomodating. You can ask the bakery/deli to fill your cloth bag with tortillas chips and tortillas.
Fritura
Guacamole
Mexican cheese
Non-organic flavored yogurt
Pastries
Salsas
Sour cream

Good Earth, Fairfax (19mins from downtown MV)
All items mentioned above, plus:
Agave syrup
Apple cider vinegar
Different shampoos and conditioners
Dishwasher detergent (powder)
Fig bars
Laundry detergent (powder)
Pasta
Rice Crackers

Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco (26mins from downtown MV): The Bulk Mecca
All items mentioned above (excl. meat and fish counter), plus:
Active yeast
Agar Agar (to substitute for the pectin in jams)
Animal crackers
Baking soda (cheaper here than elsewhere)
Baking yeast (fresh)
Beeswax (1lb block)
Capers (large)
Cookies
Cooking oil
Dishwasher detergent (liquid)
Dog food
Epsom saltFresh Pasta
Henna
Large collection of teas and spices
Large selection of body lotion, shampoo and conditioner
Pretzels
Rice vinegar
Soy beans (to make soy milk)
Strauss milk (cheaper here than elsewhere)
Sun-dried tomatoes
Tofu
Tortilla chips
Wine vinegar

The following stores are in the bay area, and only worth shopping at, if visiting those areas

Berkeley Bowl, Berkeley (31mins from downtown MV): I was disappointed with this one, I heard that the bulk was fantastic and went there only to find out that they carried barely anymore than the San Rafael Whole Foods. A lot of it is items packaged in plastic bags! A total waste. I was able to find a couple hard to find items, hardly worth mentioning though.
Capers (small)
Interesting snacks (incl. wasabi peanuts)
Good pasta selection (alphabet pasta, lasagnas, etc…)

New Leaf, Santa Cruz area (1hr44mins from downtown MV): My favorite of the smaller bulk stores, because it carries the most needed staples for a simplified pantry and one-stop bulk shopping.
Balsamic
Body lotion, shampoo, conditioner
Cookies
Dr. Bronners castile Soap
Honey
Large selection of spices and teas
Licorice candy
Maple syrup
Nuts
Olive oil
Pastas
Peanut Butter
Wide selection of reusable containers

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Zero Waste Bathroom

The fastest way to get to Zero Waste here, is to find alternatives to your disposables: Remove your bathroom trash can...whatever lands on the floor is what calls for an ersatz. Here are the changes we've made.

-Toilet paper: Yes, we still use it, at least until we get solar on the house and drying washlets on the toilet bowls. For now, it's TP; 100%recycled and unbleached, individually wrapped in paper to bypass the common plastic wrapper on multiples, while we wait for better packaging options to come up on the market. Evergreen is packaged in cardboard but is only sold online.

-Antiperspirant: Switch to a solution of baking soda/water/lavender essential oil in a stainless spray bottle or an alum stone (I bought mine in bulk in France, but you can find some here too). The latter lasts a year and also works on healing small razor cuts.

-Razors: Lucky me, I got it all lazered off six years ago (well before we tried to reduce our waste), but my husband still grows facial hair. He shaves with a reusable stainless razor handle and dries his disposable razor heads after each use, that way, each one lasts 6 months. When he has used his last disposable head, he'll switch to a safety razor. With solar, he'd probably go electric. 2/10/12 Scott has been using a double edge razor for a couple of years now. By drying the blade between uses, a pack of 10 blades should last 5 years.

-Shaving cream: Switch to a rich soap, shaving soap (wrapped in paper) or soap of Alep (I found mine in bulk in France, but middle eastern stores would carry it).

-Shampoo and Conditioner: Switch to bulk, I refill liter size bottles. If your hair is short, you also have the “no-poo” option: rinse your hair, massage baking soda in, then rinse, with vinegar for shine. I gave up after a 6 months trial on my long hair... I now “poo”.

-Body/face soap: Switch to bulk liquid castile soap or a package-free hard soap (best option since less packaging is involved in the making and selling)

-Toothbrush: There are no right answers out there yet. The choice is yours. Recycline (made of yogurt cups, packaged in a travel case, recyclable #5, but plastic), Terradent (replaceable bristle pads on a plastic handle, over packaged), Radius (replaceable plastic head on a recycled handle, too much non-recyclable packaging), and Swissco (wooden and packaged in a travel case but not a US product).

-Toothpaste tube: switch to a homemade tooth powder with baking soda and stevia (see recipes), in a glass parmesan dispenser.

-Dental Floss: Switch to a brass gum stimulator with a rubber tip.

-Cosmetics: Reduce. Cosmetics are my biggest Zero Waste issue, but I have reduced it down to 5 packaged items (cream, kohl powder, brown pencil, mascara, sunscreen powder) and 2 homemade substitute (cocoa powder bronzer and homemade vitamin E balm). While I have yet to find the first 5 items in bulk (on my on-going research list), I can recycle their containers at Origins. Read your labels, watch out for the dirty dozen, and check your cosmetics score on skin deep. If it’s good to you it’s good to the Earth too. 2/10/12 I thought this required a much needed update... The only thing I now purchase in packaging is a glass bottle of SPF tinted moisturizer. The rest, I either make (mascara, kohl eyeliner) or have eliminated (powder, brown pencil). What can I say? I am a work in progress;)

-Nail Polish : Switch to a nail clipper, stainless file and balm. After 15 years of using nail polish, I've gone naked and noticed that the ridges on my nails have miraculously disappeared. A bonus, since I can now also forego the buffer. My homemade vitamin E balm makes my nails shiny on demand and works on eyes, lips and hair. Nail clippers and stainless files come package free at the beauty supply store.

-Q-tips: Forget about them, they are not good for you anyways. Do your research.

-Feminine products: Switch to the Diva Cup and Glad Rags (I made mine from an old flannel shirt): Do I see some frowning? These require an up-front investment and take a couple months getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you won't go back to disposables.

-Hairspray: Switch to lemon water in a spray bottle (see recipes). Amazingly simple and simply amazing.

-Exfoliators: Switch to baking soda or oatmeal for the face and salt for the body, all found in bulk.

-Mask: Switch to bulk clays (French, Kaolin, Bentonite, etc...), mixed with water or apple cider vinegar.

-Contact lenses: My husband is still attached to his (laser can sadly not cure his condition), the packaging of the lenses and that of the cleaning solution are recyclable and by using them only on occasions, he doubles their wearability.

You can also...

• Compost hair and nail clippings: My son believes that he is greener than the rest of us because he bites his nails and does not waste them :)
• Put a brick in your toilet tank, it will reduce the amount of water used every time you flush. You won’t notice a difference (until you see your water bill) and you’ll forget it’s in there.
• Collect water in a bucket while your shower heats, water your plants with it.
• Use zero waste cleaning: Microfiber cloths for mirrors, hydrogen peroxide white vinegar for mold, baking soda as scrub, a mix of baking soda and vinegar as drain cleaner (see Zero Waste Cleaning).

Your turn to Zero Waste your bathroom.
Ready, set, mellow! ...if it's yellow.

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