What's in our family's jar of annual waste?

The most common question I get these days is:

What's in the quart size jar of waste that your family produces each year?

Well, each year is different in contents and weight, but we recently closed our jar for the year 2014 (we take our tally from October 16th to October 15th), and here is what's in it, from right to left:

Photo paper that I "hole-punched" for an art project (more on that in a different post): These are photo holiday cards that were sent out to us by acquaintances that are not aware of our lifestyle.

Worn-out biking gear: A bike glove with gel protection that punctured and some handlebar tape that felt apart.

Fashion editing bits: The straps that I removed from a pair of secondhand synthetic sandals (I usually buy leather), the decorative zipper pulls that Leo wanted off his secondhand backpack. The "moisture absorbent" device, also pictured, came in one of the backpack's pockets.

Laminated cards: An insurance card from our previous dental insurance and a business license that I laminated years ago and found in the 2006 tax folder that we recycled. The laminating decisions that I made then are still haunting me :)

Stickers: Plastic produce stickers, cheese labels, and unsightly warning label that I removed from the electrical cord of a secondhand light.

Home repair waste: Paint chips and old caulking that needed to be replaced, and four fuses from four attempts at trying to repair our receiver ourselves (The repair shop did a much better job at finding the fault!)

Hygiene waste:  The broken spoolie of my wooden mascara wand (I composted the handle) and five Band-Aids. We do not have Band-Aids at home, but four were applied onto my sons' arms after vaccinations, before we could say no; and one was applied on Scott's arm by a first aid team, after a biking accident on the mountain.

Backing of stickers, such as USPS stamps, a UPS receipt, and the replacement handlebar tape, that I mentioned above.

Gardening waste: A green plastic tie, found in my yard (dragged under a shoe from somewhere else, maybe?) and the last dust mask we had (now, we use a bandanna instead).

Travel waste: An expired passport cover (the pages were recyclable) and checked luggage labels. We only use carry-ons, but last year for Thanksgiving, we visited family in Texas. As a hostess gift, I decided to bring homemade pickles without realizing that my luggage would have to be checked for security reasons (more than 4 oz jar).

Kids waste: A bubble gum and a party favor airplane that my 14 year old accepted from his orthodontist. "Just to bug you, mom", he said. Ah the joys of having teenagers! In his defense, he expected it to be made of balsa wood, but this styrofoam version broke within the first five minutes, of course.

My other teenager, Leo (now 13) says that I am a hoarder because I have kept our waste since October 2010 (4 quart size jars). I tend to agree with him that it's silly for me to keep them. What do you think I should do with their content?

• Throw in the trash for the landfill?
• Take to the closest county that burns its waste for energy? (I will be traveling through there in a few days)
• Fill bottle bricks? (I could fill one that I pick up on the beach)
• Throw in the ocean? (Kidding ;)

I have mixed feelings about all of these options, and would love to hear your voice! Please take the poll on the right.



UPDATE: Thanks to the 836 of you who voted, here are the results of the poll:

• Throw in the trash for the landfill?   42 (5%) 
• Take to the closest county that burns its waste for energy?  526 (62%)
• Fill bottle bricks?  268 (32%)

Many of the comments here and on Zero Waste Home's Facebook page suggested using the jars as-is or as an art piece to raise awareness, something I might be considering...  But what I have learned from this exercise, is that a post explaining the problems around incineration is much needed! Stay tuned.


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Que contient notre bocal de déchets annuels?

Chaque année, le bocal se distingue de l’année précédente par son poids et son contenu. Mais, on a récemment fermé notre bocal pour l’année 2014 (collecte du 16 Oct. 2013 au 15 Oct. 2014), voici donc ce qu’il contient (de droite à gauche):

Du papier photo que j’ai poinçonné pour un projet d’art  (détails supplémentaires à suivre dans un autre article): Ce sont des photos que des connaissances (qui ignorent notre mode de vie) nous ont envoyées comme cartes de vœux (tradition US).

Matériel de cyclisme usé: un gant dont le coussinet protecteur en gel s’est percé, et les bandes désintégrées du guidon du vélo de mon mari.

Mode: les lanières que j’ai enlevé d’une paire de sandales synthétiques d’occasion (j’achète du cuir de coutume), les lanières des fermetures éclair que Leo a préféré enlever de son sac à dos d’occasion. Et l’absorbant d’humidité, qui se trouvait dans une des poches.

Cartes plastifiées: une carte d’assurance dentaire périmée (et non renouvelable), et une licence que j’ai plastifiée il y a des années, et que j’ai retrouvée dans notre fichier d’impôt 2006 au moment de le recycler. Les décisions que j’ai prises il y a près de 10 ans, me hantent encore :)

Etiquettes: les étiquettes en plastique de fruits, de légumes, du fromage d’Affinois, et celle que j’ai omis du fil électrique d’une lampe achetée d’occasion.

Réparation: Des écailles de peinture et des morceaux de joints siliconés qui nécessitaient d’être remplacé et 4 fusibles provenant d’essais ratés pour réparer la sono (le réparateur a trouvé le défaut beaucoup plus rapidement que nous !)

Hygiène: Le rouleau de ma brosse a mascara en bois (j’ai composte le manche) et 5 pansements. On n’a pas de pansements à la maison, mais quatre on été appliqués aux bras des garçons suite à des vaccinations avant même qu’on puisse dire non, et un sur le coude de Scott par des aides médicales, suite à un accident de vélo en montagne.

Support d’étiquettes: provenant des timbres postaux, d’un reçu d’UPS, et de la nouvelle protection du guidon, dont je parle au-dessus.

Déchets du jardin: Une attache en plastique verte trouvée dans le jardin (probablement trainée d’ailleurs sous une chaussure), et le dernier masque anti-poussière que nous avions (aujourd’hui on utilise un bandana à la place).

Déchets de voyage: La couverture d’un passeport expiré (les pages étaient recyclables) et des étiquettes d’enregistrement de bagages. On voyage avec des bagages à main, mais lorsqu’on a rendu visite à la famille de Scott au Texas, j’ai amené des cornichons maison en cadeau, sans réaliser que ma valise ne passerait pas les contrôles de sécurité (le bocal contenant plus de 100ml, j’ai dû enregistrer ma valise).

Déchets des enfants: un chewing-gum et un avion que l’orthodontiste a tendu à mon fils de 14ans. «Je l’ai pris juste pour t’embêter, Maman » a-t ‘il dit. Ah le bonheur d’élever des ados! Il pensait qu’il allait être en bois, mais cette version polystyrène, n’a pas durée plus de cinq minutes, bien sûr.

Mon autre ado, Léo (maintenant âgé de 13ans) dit que les quatre bocaux qui contiennent nos déchets depuis le mois d’Octobre 2010, vont ironiquement a l’encontre de notre minimalisme. Je suis plutôt d’accord avec lui que c’est idiot de les garder. Que pensez-vous que je devrais faire de leurs contenus?

• Les jeter à la poubelle, à destination de la décharge?
• Les amener à l’incinérateur le plus proche?
• En faire des briques-bouteilles ? (Je pourrais en ramasser une sur la plage)
• Les jeter dans l’océan ? -je plaisante ;)

Chaque option a des inconvénients, et j’aimerais avoir votre avis ! Je vous prie donc de bien vouloir voter à droite. Merci!

MISE A JOUR

Merci aux 97 personnes qui ont votées. Voici le résultat des courses:

• Les jeter à la poubelle, à destination de la décharge? 8 (8%)
• Les amener à l’incinérateur le plus proche? 36 (37%)
• En faire des briques-bouteilles ? 53 (54%)

Beaucoup de personnes sur ma page Facebook et dans les commentaires suggerent en faire une oeuvre d'art comme outil de sensibilisation: idée que je veux bien creuser. Mais ce que je retiens surtout de cet exercise, c'est qu'un article concernant les problemes liés a l'incinération ne ferait pas de mal. A venir...

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?

Time Wasters

After catching up with friends, and taking care of the many odds and ends upon my return (tomato canning, lemonade making, deep-house cleaning, sewing, house painting, wall repair, stove repair, flat tire, etc.), here I am, re-emerging with alone time (for the first time in 3 months), and an urge to write again. Sorry for the long absence!

The kids went back to class and as with every back-to-school, I am set with a set of new school-year resolutions (along with most parents of school aged kids). I am ready for a new beginning, full of hope. I again hope for a better, more organized year with more time for human relations and more me time (the latter in the hope to be more zen as I often worry about the memory that my boys will have of me later in life...stressed out, too busy, ?). I hope to hug and cuddle my kids and husband more. I hope to have friends and neighbors over more often, and more spontaneously (my perfectionism too often keeps me from doing so). I hope to get closer to my dad. I hope to call my mother-in-law more often. I hope to give myself a facial once a week. To sum it all, I need to make more time or rather, I need to stop wasting time.

My household is very organized, and by both cutting off TV and simplifying our lifestyles, we have greatly expanded our leisure time, but I still find myself sometimes wasting away by either procrastinating or aimlessly surfing the net (the latter usually being a product of the former).

And since it is well known that e-mail and the web are the bane of the procrastinator's existence, I plan on spending less time on them. Not so easy when you write a weekly blog, but doable. I already deleted my Facebook account. I am happy with my social life and felt that FB did not do anything for me at this point in my life, and it ate into our precious time. I also vouch to only check my emails twice a day and keep an empty in-box (better for the mind, better for the environment...not unnecessarily cluttering up a running server somewhere). I have even contemplated the idea of sticking to short email replies and adding: “Sent from my iPhone” or “Sent from the road” to my email signature ;). From what I learned in an article, I also need to make a list of computer tasks and block time for it, just as I need to make a list of tasks away from the computer so that I don't get tempted to jump back into it. By breaking down a large project into the set of smaller tasks required to complete it, I should also be able to take care of my propensity to procrastinate.

If all goes well and I follow my resolutions carefully, I should be one zen, entertaining and cuddly mom by next year ;), and hopefully with even one less wrinkle (from the weekly facial).

What's your time waster?

The French Way

I have come back to the US and am feeling good.

Stepping away from routine, computer, and interviews while adopting a new life and ZW in another place, has cleared my head. I feel refreshed and zen (I even feel voluptuous with the few pounds gained from my mom's cooking;). I want to feel this way all year round and wonder if my passionate nature makes it at all possible... I make the same resolution every August but always find myself stressing out by mid-September. I can only hope that the yoga classes that Scott gave me for my birthday (Groupon), will aid my goal this time around.

Now enough about my "état d'âme", here is what you really want to know about my ZW experience in France: It was easier than expected.

And here is why:

1- With no more preparation than the jars and totes that I borrowed from my mom, and the bulk bags that I brought with me from CA, I was able to buy most of our groceries from the FARMERS MARKET.

• The summer makes for fantastic, ripe, tasty produce which I purchased in great abundance. The melons for example are out of this world and their freshness compensate for the heat of the region. The tomatoes, zucchinis, bell peppers, eggplant, peaches, plums are ripened to perfection before being sold at the market, and their taste is incomparable to those I purchase at home. I even saw veganism as a possibility... until I saw the ravioli stand.

• The farmer's markets, not only sell produce and eggs, but also unpackaged fresh pasta, bread, fish, meat, deli (especially salami), cheese, olives, tapenade, anchovies, anchovie paste (makes me hungry just writing this), capers, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, spices, cookies, and even creme fraiche. Every market is, of course, different, but with a little investigating, one can find "le marché" that best fits ones needs.

• Jars and cloth bags are very well accepted. The vendors are more than happy to fill a jar in order to save (the cost of) one of their wrappers. Not that I asked, but I was told that other customers occasionally brought their Tupperware to the market.

• Some stands weigh their produce in tared baskets thus reducing the need for produce bags (I would love for my farmer's market to do that).

2- In the South of France too, bulk is unknown to most and hard to find, but I found a few ORGANIC STORES that carried it. I only used the store to complement my farmers market finds with: Dry staples (bulk flour, sugar, salt, coffee, dry pasta, cereal), a few condiments sold in glass, and packaged hygiene necessities. I could see myself only needing the store for a monthly run, if I lived there. All it would take, is a little investigating and planning.

•  The bulk was not very fresh (the oatmeal from one place even "spawned" a swarm of moths into our apartment), but the selection was decent (half a dozen types of cookies for example).

• The stores I visited did not have bulk bags for sale (paper bags are available), nor had they ever seen anyone use them until I showed up. Tare was therefore not deducted, but I was fine with that.

•  French people are green more out of financial concerns than environmental ones, at least in the rural area, where I stayed. For that reason, consumption is lower than that in the US, and the plastic bag has been effectively "banned". Grocery stores sell their plastic bags but rarely did I see someone buying one. People simply remember to bring their totes to the store.

•  I did purchase more recyclables than usual for 2 reasons: (1) I was starting from scratch and did not yet have all my bulk sources figured out; and, (2) Besides alcohol, bulk liquids could not be found in stores. Items that I purchased in plastic included: Shampoo, conditioner, white vinegar and liquid "Savon de Marseille" soap (not as good as castile soap I found out, but I made do with it). Items purchased in cardboard packages: Baking soda, and laundry detergent, in glass: olive oil, mustard, cornichons, and pate. And finally, items purchased in cans: Cod liver ("foie de morue", a family treat).

• The trick when buying at the store is to find out about the: (a) Subtleties of the available products (e.g., an eco dishwasher detergent might hide plastic packaging in a cardboard box); and (b) Recyclability of the available products. In France for example, plastic recyclables are not separated by number #1, #2, etc...as we do here, but rather by form (shampoo bottles OK for example). Glass bottles and papers in my village are recycled manually in city containers.

• I only found toilet paper in the throw-away plastic wrapper and used it to collect meat bones and cheese crusts, meant for the trash where we stayed (city compost not available). Maggots got into it though...and earned me the title of the "crazy American" by my landlord;) (in the US, I would be the "crazy Frenchie";)...

3- In most VILLAGES:

• SPECIALTY SHOPS sell loose products and welcome cloth bags, if needed. These shops include the bakery (for bread and the occasional breakfast croissants), but also shops where we could buy cookies, candy, chocolate, and soap. Bread, for example, is typically tied in the mid-section by a small piece of paper for transport, but refusing it is completely acceptable.
• Home harvests are shared amongst NEIGHBORS (tomatoes, zucchini, apples) and usually come presented in a wooden crate. That's what I call an un-refusable freebie;)

4- Along the COUNTRY ROADS:

• Many signs indicate FARMS or crafters, who are always happy to fill a reusable container or bottle and strike up a conversation about it. This is how we purchased goat milk (a family first, where we had no idea the taste of goat would be so discreet!), cheese and bulk wine. The co-op where I refilled my wine in support of the village where my mom resides, required the purchase of a five-liter plastic jug. At "home", I would transfer the wine into empty flip-top lemonade bottles.

• And there is always the package-free items of the WILD: Figs, plums, snails, dandelion, and blackberries.

5- OTHER logistics to consider:

•  I was told that some towns offer city compost, but my mom's does not. The compost available to us was her very successful aerobic bin, which digested fruit and veggie scraps. Due the high lime content in the area's soil, my mom did not allow egg shells in her compost, I simply buried ours.

•  Some grocery stores sold individual package-free Le Parfait jars. But I also used empty condiment jars for storing or simply stored leftovers in their cooking pot as I often do at home.

• Upon our departure, I cleaned the whole house with white vinegar and a couple microfiber cloths I had brought along to give to my mom.

CONCLUSION:

If I go back next year, I'll work on reducing our recycling by finding more bulk options (e.g., a place to refill olive oil). Each year, we can only try to be more informed than the last, as we learn our way around the local ZW options. Ultimately, it is a learning process wherever we go, just as it was at home, until we make the discoveries that allow us to automate our ZW efforts.

Here is an overview on how we approach ZW away from home:

1. Bring a few cloth bags (we use them for snacks on our trip to the travel destination), a tote (maybe use a travel backpack instead?), and a couple of jars (if traveling by car).
2. Find a local farmer's market or at least the freshest produce available.
3. Learn about the local recycling program and compost options (dig a hole?).
4. Find a store that sells bulk, and if bulk isn't available, focus on purchasing glass (great for reuse) or cardboard packaging, both more eco and widely recyclable than plastics.
5. Be on the lookout for specialty stores and local crafters.
6. Take advantage of the local foraging opportunities.

Did you discover new ZeroWaste ways this summer?

Six Month Tally

Until six months ago, Scott still took the trash out Sunday evenings.

He would slip into his shoes late at night, and rain or shine, would run the 36 steps down to our curb to set the can out for pick up. Even if all it contained was a couple of band-aids. I could never figure out whether he was doing it out of habit, to retain a sense of "normalcy", or to simply make a point of using the service that we cannot (yet) cancel (our local hauler has trash pick up bundled with recycling and city composting).

But one rainy Sunday evening this last January, as Scott was once again heading down the dark path to the curb, he stumbled upon a mature buck. A godsend. Scott turned around, came back into the house and decided that this whole "taking out trash" business was too dangerous ;). That's also when we decided that it would be fun to see how long it would take us to fill the 20 gallon can. Our "can" has been the paper towel section of a vintage holder since.

Here is our 6 month tally.

It might seem much for those who thought that we were perfect, just as it might not seem much for those who did not think a handful of waste possible. I personally think that our level of waste is frustrating, but it is a challenge that calls for further action:

Food related items:

- 8 beer caps from a twelve pack that a friend brought: In times of financial instability, how can a man refuse the gift of beer? ;)

- 13 white wine plastic wrappers: We still have not found a decent refillable white wine and it is really hard to discern plastic from foil until you open the bottle. It should be indicated on the label.

- 2 cheese wax/crusts.

- 1 heat-damaged gasket of a jar bought at the thrift store: I had no idea the gasket was baked on until I opened the jar at home, had to force it open and had to scrape it with a knife.

- 2 top ends of Starbucks Single packets: From my visiting mother-in-law who must have taken the rest of the 2 packets with her to dispose elsewhere.

- 4 snack wrappers and 3 bubble gums given to my kids without my knowledge: Those probably are the most irritating to me. The Fiber One bar contained 23 ingredients, including high maltose corn syrup. Ugh. The Teddy Grahams contained 19 ingredients, including partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil and high fructose corn syrup. Double Ugh. As for bubble gums, they are simply plastic. Triple Ugh. I do not yet blame my eight and ten year-old children for succumbing to temptation and accepting the empty calories. For now, I blame the ignorant adults who buy and feed harmful and wasteful junk not only to their children but also to others.

Plan of Action

- Educate friends and family further about our lifestyle and eating habits.

- Educate the kids further about healthy foods.

- Send emails to winemakers to adopt foil and cork, or glass tops (screw tops are BPA lined)

- Take our friends to Beerworks to refill their bottles ;)

Clothing related items:

- 18 plastic price tag holders: I can't remember the origin for eight of these.

- 2 disintegrated foam shoulder pads from a used coat.

- 2 feet of synthetic thread from an unravelling curtain.

- 6 labels removed for their itchiness: Don't you love the feel of tagless clothing?

Plan of Action:

- Propose a plastic free price tag to the thrift stores that have them.

- Apply glue to the edges of my unraveling curtain.

- Email or write to clothing manufacturers to adopt label-free clothing.

Bathroom related items:

- 8 band-aids: Like I said before, my younger son had a love for band-aids, but we're out, so we won't find those in our trash anymore.

- 2 individual plastic/aluminum wrappers from over-the-counter medication, bought a couple of years ago: A remainder of our once, unconscious purchasing.

- 1 toothbrush replacement head from Terradent: We have 2 left.

- 4 disposable eye drop tubes: Scott took our older son to the ophthalmologist and forgot to refuse...

- 1 packet of petroleum jelly: Again, given to Scott by a doctor, he forgot to refuse.

- 5 plastic cap wrappers: One from hydrogen peroxide, one from eye drops, one from contact lens solution, the three others I don't know.

Plan of Action:

- Email or write to manufacturers to replace plastic cap wrappers with paper or cardboard wrappers or simply bypass them and adopt a sealing cap.

- Remind Scott to refuse at a doctor's visit.

- Purchase compostable toothbrushes.

Miscellaneous Items:

- 1 expired credit card.

- 1 Best Buy gift card.

- 1 expired french version of the Green Card.

- 4 ski lift tickets.

- 7 irrigation system pieces.

- 1 broken rubber band.

- 1 broken pen: the last plastic and disposable one in the house!

- bits of plastic tape from a parcel.

- 1 sticker stamps sheet.

- 1 plastic wrapper of a snowboard pad.

- 1/2 plastic spoon found on the property while landscaping.

- The wrapper of a tiny Lego set, bought by Grandma for my younger son. Somehow the small sets are not fully recyclable, like the bigger ones.

- The plastic wrapper of twine, bought 6 years ago: It's amazing how much purchasing decisions can haunt you for years.

Plan of Action:

- Contact the credit card company about using recyclable cards.

- Contact the ski resort about using a rechargeable and recyclable card instead for their lift tickets.

- Contact Lego about the non-recyclable wrapper in their small sets.

- Find package-free twine.

What's not included:

- The 6 art/schoolwork pieces, laminated by the teachers: We left them at school, and explained to the teachers that parents should have the right to choose whether or not they want to make a completely recyclable/compostable piece of paper, eternal by encompassing it in plastic.

- The candy wrappers from the Valentine's Day classroom celebration: We took them to the school principal to show her how much trash was generated per head in our kids classrooms.

- The few items that I have sent back to manufacturers with a letter of explanation, such as a broken pump to Dermalogica, toothbrushes to Radius, and a contact lens case to Complete.

- The pesky plastic wine corks, the occasional fruit or veggie stickers and the broken drinking glasses, three of which I collect for future art pieces.

What's in your bin?

Our white walls explained

Picture used for illustrative purposes only



Comments, such as the following, keep recurring:

• "I certainly would not want my children, when asked what their mom loves [...] to answer "clear surfaces and white walls." Anonymous

Critics come in waves. Through them, I have had to defend our car usage, our meat consumption, our toilet paper purchase... lately, our white walls (and I thought I was making a statement with the white floors;). That's right. White walls and decorating style. I sure did not expect to spend any time explaining my wall color or design choices when starting this Zero Waste blog.

• "Bea, it seems like you are advocating a style choice rather than a more environmentally friendly way" Anonymous

What do the color of my walls, and our mod decor have to do with Zero Waste? Where on this blog can you read that one needs white walls to adopt the Zero Waste lifestyle?

Honestly, these comments crack me up. They take my decorating aesthetics way too seriously. Again, this blog is not to dictate how one should live (or decorate), but to share the principles that I have found to work for myself and my family. This is simply NOT a decorating blog.

I thought it went without saying that to adopt of lifestyle of Zero Waste (or voluntary simplicity), mid-century modern decor does not need to apply, and could just as well be Moroccan, Mexican, shabby chic, French country... or whatever style you're into (I can't believe I writing such an obvious statement).

• "You [Bea] confuse personal aesthetics with zero waste, [...] I would go nuts in a white home!" Mitty

Ironically, the color of our walls save us a lot of energy: We intentionally chose white to brighten up our house (and in turn lower our electricity consumption). Although we live in the trees, we do not need lights on a rainy day or before night fall. Every bit of daylight gets used and reflected. On a hot day, the house stays cool. Not to mention that for me, a light house has always meant a happy house. The white walls represent a canvas colored by people and their personalities, shadows on the walls change with daylight and seasons, the windows and outdoor views become living artwork. I understand that this color (or the lack thereof) choice might not be everyone's cup of tea, but hey, that's a personal preference, no need to lash out about it. As for our decorating style, it simply evolved from what we were able to find used...

None of this criticism obviously would have come out, would I have omitted pictures of my interior, which happen to be a quick and easy way for me to add visuals to my posts... I could search for alternative pictures instead, but I find that my time is better spent sharing lifestyle choices than decorating styles. That said, you are free to post and share pictures of your interiors on the forum or our FaceBook page.

Some days I wonder: What did I get myself into? What am I doing giving my time away to hungry angry critics using my walls as a target? What am I doing complicating my life by sharing our voluntary simplicity? Then I remember those of you, who do not get hung up on my white walls but rather read beyond or see through them and I keep going.

Now, enough about decorating style, let's keep this blog and its comments focused on the core values covered in the articles: Waste and time/money/resources wasted on the unnecessary (this article would be one example).

Outside the Box

Now that you have evaluated your waste all the way down to the dark bottom of your medicine box, let's take a look outside the box, outside the house...

From some readers' comments, I take it that the title of this blog might lead some to believe that a "zero waste home" advocate cares only about his or her own trash can:

Anonymous, for example, wrote: "With all due respect, I feel strongly that we all have the responsibility to look outside of our homes as well at all of the places we can make a greater impact, by working together, by writing letters to our elected officials, by working with colleagues to make our places of work and learning more green."

I agree that we all have the responsibility to do more... and while my posts are mostly based on practical tips to reduce one's household waste, it does not mean that the broader community issues are being ignored.

Here are some of the things that we do outside of the home, for those concerned about our broader efforts:

• I write weekly email/letters to manufacturers worthy of constructive feedback, urging them to push their sustainability further. For example, I have written letters to find alternatives to the plastic seal on the returnable yogurt glass jar (St Benoit), to offer their products in bulk (Seventh Generation), to switch from a recyclable to a reusable cap (flip tops caps at Straus Creamery)...and encourage others to do the same.

• I also suggest changes in products that I used to love and now miss. For example, I loved Oil of Olay eye lifting serum, but the packaging was a joke and the ingredients were toxic. Here is a past letter to them:
  "Re: Regenerist eye lifting serum: Such a great product, one that I am addicted to, but one that also really stands out in my Zero Waste Home. Isn't it time that Oil of Olay found an alternative to parabens and excessive packaging for their products? You are a leader in affordable skin care that works, I think it's about time that you became more environmentally friendly...To the many people who care, shopping is voting. On my future election (shopping trip), I will vote for an environmentally friendly product, but I'll miss you. Sincerely, Bea."

• I sometimes send something in the mail with an explanatory letter (Don't tell Scott... he most likely would not approve the mailing expenses, that are not in our budget): Plastic corks back to Barefoot (good and affordable local wine, but bad corking choice), half toothbrushes back to Radius (the disposable, unrecyclable, unsustainable half), a free and unnecessary contact lens case (came in with the lens cleaner), etc…

• Scott and I both participate in Credo Action Campaigns (one stop shop for busy activists) which sometimes includes signing a petition or writing/calling an elected official (made easy by simply following a link in Credo's emails).

• I joined Sustainable Mill Valley, whose purpose it is to promote "the adoption and implementation of public policies that reflect sustainability principles". I serve on the waste committee of course. Last month, our meeting included both our local waste hauler and city's sustainability coordinator, with whom we discussed better waste solutions for our town.

• I participate in our town's sustainability discussions: in February, we had a Climate Action Plan meeting.

• Scott is on our elementary school site council, and I recently participated in a PTA discussion panel on "Ways to Make our School Greener" which raised school waste concerns.

• We participate in trash pick-up events as a family such as Coastal Clean Up (where we find the oddest, indescribable items floating about), Polk Street Neighborhood Association Street Clean Up in San Francisco (where my 73-year-old mother-in-law, visiting from Texas, bravely joined in, and where I found out that smokers desperately need quitting at best, or public ashtrays at least, picture above), and Earth Day pick up (where I filled my 20 gallon reusable bag within 10 minutes at our local baseball field).

• We make a point of "leaving the place cleaner than we found it" (If scouting taught me one thing that would be it). Pick up as you go, whether camping, hiking, beach going or simply walking the dog.

• Lastly, we were both inspired to make career changes: I am focused on changing one house at a time with BeSimpler, helping people to live more simply and to move towards zero waste; and, Scott is focused on changing one business at a time, launching his company, FairRidge Group, to address broader social and environmental issues (he spoke at Opportunity Green last fall). We don't know yet if these were the right financial decisions for us – but it is an exciting time to be trying to find out (can you say "Great Recession").

Could we do more? Of course we could! If we did not have two fun boys, a needy dog, a yard in progress and the great outdoors to enjoy. But frankly, we are satisfied with the amount that we manage to contribute and balance in our jobs, activities, and home (we only have so many hours in a day). We are now at least relieved from action paralysis that once afflicted us.

Because while environmentalists debate the importance of individual vs. collective action, we agree with Colin Beavan that, "We cannot wait for the system to change, we individuals are the system", and that actions speak louder than words.

How do you walk your talk?

Travel: Glamping to Connect with Nature

At the end of each camping season, I already look forward to the beginning of the next. Last November was no different: When the chill settled in, I dreamed up our Easter break. But this time, instead of a tent pitching expedition, I planned a dog friendly glamping road trip within California.

Our trip was such an incredible experience, I thought I'd share it with those of you who are ready to give glamping a try!

Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

I had read about this place a few years back. Despite negative experiences with Youth Hostels and the fact that this one does not accept dogs, we decided to give the "family room with shared bathroom" a try. On our way there, we stopped at La Nebbia Winery to refill a few bottles for the trip. After boarding Zizou, we checked into the lighthouse to find that the amenities unfortunately did not meet our expectations: Run down and way too expensive for their condition. And to make things worse, the much-anticipated "Jacuzzi-tub on the Pacific" was closed. But I swallowed the price tag when we spotted countless whales offshore: Seeing so many at once was such an unexpected perk! The surrounding setting was beautiful and the coastal winds invigorating. We walked on the nearby beaches, explored tide pools and played football in the (invasive, but nonetheless pretty) ice plants in bloom, filled our mesh bags with tasty strawberries, avocadoes, and peas from a farmstand and had the famously delicious artichoke soup at Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero.

Cons: Expensive for what you get
Pros: Whales, whales, and more whales
Ranking: 6 (least favorite)

Treehouse in Santa Cruz Mountains, Watsonville

Leo on the rope bridge leading to the TreeHouse

Zero Waste Lunch

The next day, we slowly made our way down the coast to our next destination. Scott and Leo rode their bikes along Highway One, while Max and I picked up Zizou from the kennel. Then, we took a hike down to a beach, had a picnic with the goodies purchased the night before, sipped a beer in Santa Cruz, and stopped for bulk groceries at New Leaf (happy to find pasta, bummed at having to argue to have my jar filled). We arrived and parked at our host's house in the afternoon. From there, we took a four minute walk on a single track trail, at the end of which the path turned into a roped bridge: It is with delight that we discovered the Treehouse, a little cabin built off the ground amidst a set of redwoods. Leo instantly noticed the Jacuzzi-tub (which would make up for that of the lighthouse), Scott, the unsightly unit in construction nearby. Once inside, the place had everything you'd need: A kitchenette with basic utensils and a bathroom with a shower. After a hot tub soak, we made dinner, watched a VHS tape, and hugged the redwoods indoors :). I fell asleep dreaming of The Little House on the Prairie, wondering what it would be like to live here all year. The next morning, sun rays splashed the cabin as we stretched in bed to the sound of resident birds. We reluctantly left the cozy nest, but looked forward to our next glamping location.

Cons: Unsightly/unfinished unit nearby
Pros: Self contained - a "Little House in The Woods" experience
Ranking: 2

Yurt on Lake Cachuma, Santa Barbara

"Poppy" Yurt on Lake Cachuma

Our Zero Waste was put to the test in the hills of Santa Barbara. The day's end caught up with us, as we realized that we needed a few extra groceries. We stopped in a couple of locations along the way, hoping to find a store with minimal bulk, baked goods or a counter to fill our jars, but only found upscale convenience stores with packaged goods. With a little bread left, a head of romaine lettuce, condiments, a lemon and a jar of soon-to-expire homemade salsa (both, a friend's gift), we opted to make the best of what we had - with the help of one food item to carry the salsa. I grabbed what-seemed-to-be-a-paper-bag of Flamous falafel chips, read its "eco" claims, shook it and squeezed it as to detect a hidden interior plastic liner, but I didn't get a clue of any: "Wow,  check this out!", I said to Scott, "a brand finally found a way to package its chips without plastic". With two teenage boys desperately hungry, I put my shopping ethics aside and reluctantly bought the bag. We reached Lake Cachuma before sunset. I quickly noticed that one side of the campground was sheltered from the wind, my online reservation was, of course, for the other. Nonetheless, each yurt was set on the water and offered amazing views of the surrounding hills. After unloading the car through strong gusts of wind, we sat down for a drink and an appetizer of chips and salsa. Shame on you, Flamous, for misleading the consumer with your sneaky plastic bag! Luckily, our evening took a turn for the better. Our campsite neighbor offered us a freshly caught trout. I must have sounded desperate, when I hurriedly accepted;)... I stuffed it with my girlfriend's lemon, Scott prepared the barbecue, the sun sat and the wind died down, as predicted by the park's ranger. A delicious meal of trout, salad and bread, comfortable beds, and, other than the raccoons digging into our compostables, a quiet night... I reflected on the fact that things always even out.

Cons: Yurts can be windy in late afternoon
Pros: Awesome views
Ranking: 4

Tepee in a KOA, Calico

Zizou guarding the Tepee entrance;)

Leo on a "silly bike"

Had we planned to vacation without our dog, I would have been able to reserve a much sexier location for a tepee. I hadn't realized, this one would be set next to the highway. Nonetheless, this KOA was our youngest boy's favorite spot. The activities offered (pool, archery, "silly bike" rentals, fusball and air hockey) were perfect for his age. The location was uncrowded, but what I liked most about it, was the desert being at our fingertips. During our two night stay, we kept busy and had a lovely time. We went to the nearby ghost town of Calico, the Rainbow Basin Natural Area past expanses of Joshua Trees, and a Drive-in movie theater. We bought our food from the local Safeway, the staff of which did not question my jars and bags. The tepee was clean, and despite the noisy location, we slept comfortably on the mattresses provided. As you can imagine, the night sky in the desert is unparalleled and offers unlimited entertainment. Simply put, this was an easy, leisurely stop.

Cons: Proximity to the Freeway
Pros: Proximity to the Desert
Ranking: 3 (Leo's #1)

Oak Flat Fire Lookout, Sequoia National Forest

Oak Flat Fire Lookout

Salad of  foraged miner's lettuce

Out house in the heavens

To access our next shelter, we had to swap cars: Our Prius for a 4x4 rental. After refilling jars and cloth bags at the super friendly Vallarta Supermarket in Bakersfield, a 45 minute drive took us on a dirt road through beautiful cattle land, then veered up a steep hill to a clearing bordered with boulders and miner's lettuce ready to be picked. In the middle of all this beauty, we discovered our night's accommodation: A fire lookout set on top of the world... Hard to believe that we had this whole place, in the middle of nowhere, all to ourselves! The amenities were rustic as we expected them to be, the outhouse cleaner than we would have imagined (and its setting so incredible, I could not stop taking pictures of it under different lights!). The ladder leading up to the cabin isn't for the faint-at-heart (Zizou wouldn't dare go up its steep see-through steps) but the trek up is well worth the effort. The 360 degree views from up there are simply breathtaking. Tears will fill your eyes with pure joy. Needless to say, I loved this place. It way exceeded our expectations.  I fell asleep that night, with dreams of updating the place, of scrapping and painting its window seals, of preserving it for future generations. I even wondered what it would be like to own and treasure one of these.

I read about fire lookouts a decade ago and had since longed to stay in one: An experience that I thought I'd be ready to cross off my bucket list after our stay. On the contrary, after visiting Oak Flat, I am ready to visit many more. 

Cons: Accessible by four wheel drive only 
Pros: Sleeping on top of the world
Ranking: 1 (my favorite)

Under the Stars, Arroyo Seco Campground, Greenfield

Max and Leo ready for bed

No matter how much you plan, sometimes things don't work out as you'd expect. We had planned on staying at the Poso Guard Station that night, but a week before our departure date, the park cancelled our reservation for damage due to a recent storm. So we left on our trip, knowing that our last night's accommodation would be a wild card. Countless propositions and considerations later, we ended up opting for a night under the stars. We would have preferred to sleep in the backcountry, but not finding any viable options along our way home, we stopped at a campground in Los Padres National Forest. We arrived at sundown, with a sign that read "campground full", which it is to be expected on Easter weekend. A friendly chat with the hosts granted us access to a group campsite all to ourselves, near a sink (dishwashing reusables made easy). Fellow campers seemed to care little for either the environment or the facilities. Being grateful to have found a place to spend the night made it easy for us to ignore them. After dinner, the kids made their bed in the open back of our Prius, Scott and I laid on mattresses pads directly on the ground. We fell asleep staring at the stars, recollecting the joys of this wonderful trip and the backpacking trips planned for the summer ahead.

Cons: Careless campers (nasty bathrooms)
Pros: The hosts (accommodated us without reservation in a full campground)
Ranking: 5



As with camping, I found glamping to be such a great way to connect with nature.
Have you tried it? Do you have a site to share with us?

Why I've let go of non-functional items in my home.

Why do we fill our shelves with knick knacks? Is it to simply fill empty surfaces? Why must they be filled? Are we afraid of hurting someone's feelings (by not displaying a gift)? Is it to show off our wealth? Is it to remember someone? Is it to prove that we are educated and cultivated (shelves of books)? Is it to escape our own reality ("this shell reminds me of happy vacation times")? Is it to prove that we have been places and are wordly (tiki statuette)? The last three especially ring true to me.

In my previous, bedroom community life, I had unconsciously filled my home with travel books and artifacts collected all over the world: A way for me to impress friends and separate myself from a settled community that I longed to escape. But I have since come to realize that the pictures in my head, the experiences lived and the memories shared with my husband of that world trip are more important. They live forever and can never be taken away, stolen, damaged or burnt. On the other hand, artifacts can. The library now stores our books. I am free of the responsibilities related to possessing such objects.

My story might not ring true to everyone but what I know for sure, is that the pretexts that I hear from my clients point to the reasons given above. "Oh I can't let that go, I bought it in Thailand!", or "I paid X amount for it!," or "My mother made it!," or "My friend gave it to me," or "It reminds me of happy vacation times." Are those reasons good enough to clutter your walls, shelves and overall life? They do not seem valid enough to me anymore. People do not give us things/presents to burden us, they give them to us as a simple, sometimes cultural gesture, not to clutter our space.

Putting much value on such items teaches our kids to do the same. With parenting comes the question: What important life lessons do we want to teach our kids? We choose to teach ours that there is more to life than stuff. It is experiences and people that make life rich, and it starts with parents living with less.

"The stuff that I cherish is mine to cherish - I don't expect my children to keep it and I have told them as much" Anonymous... Valid outlook on heirloom guilt, but, to the question: "What does your mom love?" I would not want my kids to answer "her porcelain dolls."

"Telling our kids" is one thing, but "living by example" is another, and in my mind, a more powerful way of getting an important message through to them.

I have questioned my past pretexts and feel liberated from the false reasons that had me display non-functional things. Today, I only display a handful of very select ones.

Again, I do not write this blog to dictate, but rather to share my experiences, and hear yours.

What keeps you from emptying your curio shelves?

Does decluttering help the environment?

"[...] Getting rid of inspiring artwork/fixtures etc. just creates more waste (what really happens to stuff that no one buys from Goodwill?) . I completely agree with reducing what you buy/bring into your home--but, if its already in your home will getting rid of it really help anything?" - Jasmine in Maine

In response to the comment above, I need to clarify a few, very important things before going on the subject of decluttering a specific space, as promised in Less is More. While the comment above ignores the financial, health and time saving benefits of decluttering (i.e, "make room in your life for the things that you enjoy doing"), it calls for a further look at the environmental benefits.

Does decluttering help the environment?

1 - Decluttering forms better shopping habits. Less shopping means less strain on our resources: Only thru decluttering will you find epiphany in reducing future purchases. A process better lived than described, but I will try my best.

Many of my clients are thrifty shoppers, but all their "cheap" purchases do not seem to impact their wallet. But the accumulation eventually strikes them to use my consulting services. Hours of work and piles of donations later, they realize that the seemingly harmless shopping is the cause of clutter, stress, unhealthy dust collection, and a waste of time and money ($1 here, $1 there, really add up). The exercise of decluttering change their shopping habits forever. They now think twice about buying and bringing anything new or used into their home.

I remember having that same revelation after simplifying my home. It directly lead me to stop shopping as a hobby, stop the online searches, the spontaneous trips to Target, and the unplanned stops at garage sale or thrift shops. Not that I ever considered myself a big shopper before, quite the contrary, as I was considered frugal by friends and family. But thru decluttering, I learned to really understand and restrain resource depleting accumulation and shopping habits, and choose (repairable) quality over (disposable) quantity: A must in the long term future of Zero Waste.

2 - Decluttering supports sharing with others: Many complain that thrift shops are full and use this as a pretext not to declutter. But thrift shoppers with a targeted list will disagree. I am one of them. Many times, I have gone to a thrift store to look for a specific item and have come out empty-handed. I have struck out on backpacks, school supplies, sheets, pillowcases, kids books, boy's suit, shoes... and yet I have found these items unused, in homes that I have consulted. Storing unused items, is not considerate, but selfish to the Earth, as it forces those who care about the environment to buy new.

The future of Zero Waste holds great resale shops. Sharing is key to the large scale success of this lifestyle. As they say: Someone's trash is someone else's treasure", and I truly believe that. The recyclers want your 30-year-old paperwork (to save trees today) and the fashionistas, your 1990's accessories.

That said, while thrift stores can be a convenient way to initially let go, many other outlets exist and are often more appropriate. The key, is finding the best match for the items that you do not use or need. Among the countless possibilities, here are some examples, not in order:

• Diggerslist (home improvement)
• Freecycle
• Consignment shops (quality items)
• Habitat for Humanity (building materials, furniture, and/or appliances)
• Craigslist (large items and free items): My experience is that anything posted for free can disappear within 15min.
• Ebay (small items of value)
• Amazon (books)
• Local Women's Shelter (toys)
• Local SPCA (towels)
• Auctions houses
• Antique shops
• On your curb with a free sign
• Friends
• FamilyRegifting
• Operation Christmas Child (in a shoe box, only new items)
• ThredUp (kids clothes trading), or Relash (clothes and book trading)
• Homeless shelter or hot meal locations
• Crossroads Trading Co
• Nike Reuse-a-Shoe (any brand of worn-out athletic shoes)
• Tool co-op
• Schools (art supplies, magazines, dishes to eliminate class party disposables)
• Churches (dishes for reuse in lieu of disposables, but also ministries occasionally need specific item donations, such as warm jackets)
• Nurseries and Preschools (blankets, toys)
• Garage sale
• Rummage sale for a cause (our school held one last weekend to raise money for Nepal Freed)
• Friends for their own garage sale
• Flea markets
• Return to the source (for example, bike tires to the bike store, recyclers reuse them)
• Optometrist (used glasses)
• Dress for success (workplace attires)
• Recycling (paper clutter, and empty boxes)

More, local resources:

• Trips for kids (bikes)
• The Away Station (building materials)
• Urban Ore
• Ohmega Salvage
• Scrap (art reuse)
• Creative reuse (arts and crafts)

As for the "stuff that no one [will] buy from Goodwill"....or from the sources above, chances are, it has past its useful life. Whether you dispose of it or you successors do, it is waste. Holding onto it does not make it into something useful.

3 - Decluttering makes Zero Waste manageable: I have said it and will say it again. Simplifying (which starts with decluttering) makes it easy to organize and stick to the logistics of Zero Waste. How many reusable bags does one need to be Zero Waste? In my case, 3, not 10. Less means less to worry about, clean, store, repair or dispose of later.

Jasmine: Even if you did not see the point of decluttering in order to form better shopping habits, share with others, or make Zero Waste manageable for environmental reasons, don't you value time saved from not caring for the unnecessary? I personally do... Time has allowed me to re-connect with the outdoors, green my home, create this blog... Time is the most valuable commodity needed in caring for the environment -it is our lack of time that created the problems that we now want to fix (e.g, SUP's in the great garbage patch).

Overall, it seems that Decluttering items already purchased "helps" the environment more than Storing them. Wouldn't you agree?

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! 

_______________________________________________

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.