A word on Heirloom Guilt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you feel burdened by heirloom guilt?

Happy Spooning

Little things make me happy.

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

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

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

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

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

How to Get Started

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

____________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for being open to change!

Active Discard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have some letters to share with others?

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

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?

Up and Downs of the Week

...Or the rambling diary of a zero waste advocate ;)

This week I spent a bit of time revamping my blog: Notice the new categories, the tips, and the new logo... these drawings were Scott, Max and Leo's suggestions by the way.

But I also had some time to tackle a few junk mail bugs, among other things. So, here I am again tackling the same old ghosts.

DOWN: Last Wednesday, I received yet another adult education catalog. And since writing "refused" on the catalog, was no longer making it disappear from my mailbox (I even exchanged a few notes with my mailman), I went to the post office manager. And I was told to "give it up, because this is the way it is, you can't change it." (Ugh) or can I?

UP: I got hold of the person responsible for sending out the bulk mailing.

DOWN: All she could say was: "I do my share... I have been a vegetarian for 20 years, the cows are the ones destroying the trees" Ugh.

UP: What the??? Although her super lame response was a big downer at first, I can't stop laughing at it now... Seriously, who goes around, saying that their vegetarianism can redeem them from sending out 34 page catalogs to 6000 households every six-months.

DOWN: I also received the local community college catalog that day. Ugh.

UP: I don't know if the woman that I contacted there is a vegetarian, but she was incredibly sweet, head on her shoulders and from my planet... She gave me the great news that they will be sending out a post card to opt out of the catalog soon. YIPPEE! She even agreed to be a source of inspiration to the vegetarian.

DOWN: I saw yet another salon open in my town (it feels like we have about 25 per square mile)...

UP: Beerworks which will soon allow refilling bottles with their brewed beer, root beer and apple cider just opened a couple blocks away on Thursday. YIPPEE! This is the best thing that's happened to the town in a while!

DOWN: On Friday, during my weekly grocery shopping trip, I was told by the deli counter that they would not allow me to fill my jars anymore due to the "Health and Safety" rules... My jaw dropped, and I cried on the way home. Ugh!

UP: I got in touch with the manager later, who said it was not true. A scare for nothing... It makes you realize how much you rely on things when they are taken away from you.

DOWN: Guess what I found waiting for me upon my return from the grocery store? An AT&T phone directory (1 big, 1 small, double bagged). And I had even cancelled this one a ways back. Ugh!

UP: I called customer service (the number can now easily be found inside the directory for opting out) and they nicely apologized at least a 100 times. The distribution center also later called to apologize another 100 times, and they let me know that they would be picking it back up. WOW. Impressed with these guys.

UP: On Saturday, I found out about Aveda Cradle to Cradle certification.

DOWN: I went to Aveda to investigate and found out that Cradle to Cradle certification is not exactly what the book described. A packaging that is recyclable can earn the certification.

UP: the book still describes a great ideal of what our manufacturing world should be, and inspires change.

UP: We had some of our close friends come over for an improvised dinner Sunday night.

DOWN: They brought "biodegradable" water balloons and started the fight before I could stop it. Ugh.

UP: The kids had a blast and the plants got watered.

DOWN: The next morning I had colored plastic all over the yard - it had not yet biodegraded ;) how long does it take anyways?

UP: We got the kids to pick all 250 of them... we'll give them back to our friends to test their true biodegradability themselves ;)

DOWN: On Monday, I found yet another "compostable" spoon (which was found to not really compost) from my local ice cream shop on the ground.

UP: After sending a notice to the owners, I found out that they are willing to work on making their "green business" even greener and will look into waste reducing alternatives. THANK YOU for considering change!

DOWN: Yesterday, I was invited to tour the new Whole Foods, soon to open in town. I had waited for this day to come for a week (to see the size of the bulk section) and had invited 6 friends to join in…only to be told, after biking there in the cold, that the tour had been canceled... Bummer, it would have been nice to get notified by email about the cancellation ahead of time. Ugh.

UP: I got to pick a pineapple and a glass bottle of olive oil from the goodies bag that they were giving out to the disappointed visitors (yes, I succumbed to a free packaged/bottled product for once).

DOWN: We all know pineapples are not grown locally.

UP: The kids noticed the exotic fruit instantly upon their return from school, and are excited about it (oh, the small pleasures of life).

Today, I am considering Twitter for my daily zero waste rambling :)

Zero Waste Kids

Overdue... I agree.

I confess (yet again): I am a lucky mom of two fantastic boys.

Our home could not be Zero Waste (and this blog would not exist) if it wasn't for the whole family's combined effort, including that of my two supportive and conscientious kids.

It's funny that our waste-reduction efforts did not even phase them until last year, when I realized that they had not taken notice of our package-free pantry. Because our transition was unplanned and progressive (we did not simply decide one day to go Zero Waste), the kids never asked questions about our lifestyle, and I had assumed they knew what those 200 Le Parfait jars were doing in our kitchen. It's only when I went on a school field trip with my younger son to Whole Foods, where he could not answer the simple question: "Why is it a good idea to buy in bulk?" that it dawned on me that an explanation was in order. That night, we taught the kids the concept of Zero Waste and we received their full blessing and cooperation. An easy conversion (considering their growing environmental knowledge) that would surprisingly, and dramatically reduce our waste. It's amazing how much their “street junk” added to our weekly garbage tally (plastic bits, tennis balls, electronic bits, etc)...

Refuse has been their most essential assignment since that point. But it does not go without its challenges, in a society where kids (especially shy ones, like my eldest) feel ostracized when acting different than expected. Refusing party favors from school or birthday parties is difficult, but manageable if you teach your kids that actions have consequences, that examples must be set for others and that every effort can make a difference.

Sometimes I feel bad, providing my kids with an alternative lifestyle, deprived of tortillas, oreos, and chips, but books like the one I just read (“Slow Death by Rubber Duck”) quickly straighten my volatile mind. From what we know of the effects of plastics on our health, and the waste of resources that packaging generates, I believe that our lifestyle educates them, is better for their health and ultimately gives them a better future. As parents, “it is our responsibility to do what we can to ensure that they have a brighter, cleaner, healthier world to live in.” (smartparenting.com), and it is our duty to educate them about environmental issues so they too can make the right decisions when we're gone.

After all, our children are the future of a better planet. And it starts with your 8-year-old commenting aloud when a cashier hands out a plastic bag, “Oh my gosh, a plastic bag, mom!”.

Here are some of the things we are doing with our kids:

Party:
That your child is invited to:

• Talk to the host parent and request no party favor for your child. You can talk to them about your zero waste efforts, or more quickly, you can let them know that you are working on de-cluttering your home. Plus, that's one less tantrum that you'll have to comfort, when the cheap Chinese toxic plastic toy breaks after just one use.
• Bring a present that you would be happy to receive for your own child: Scout the thrift shop for an interesting book or give the gift of new experiences. My 10-year-old recently gave his best friend the gift of going out to lunch on their own (Their 1st time in a restaurant without parental supervision). Priceless.

That you are hosting:

• Remember the good old cake served on a ceramic plate with stainless forks? Forget about disposable plates, forks, glasses, napkins and cupcake wrappers.
• Request zero waste presents: For his recent birthday, my son received a gift certificate to the local gelato parlor, an afternoon of indoor climbing, and a ski trip. An ideal Zero Waste birthday! I pointed out to my son, that these great birthday presents are not only kinder on the environment but they also made his birthday last longer. It did not just stop at the unwrapping of a toy.
• Bypass the party favors: Who really wants them anyways?

Grocery Shopping:

• Shop together: It goes without saying that grocery shopping is easier without kids. But when they do come with me, I take the opportunity to teach them about eco-shopping (like choosing local products), I let them pick the meat and fish of the week (within financial reason), and treat them to their favorite sweet from the bulk section. That's when the organic gummy bears make it into my pantry.
• Get them involved: Our kids go to the ice cream store on their own with a jar, which they can fill with their chosen flavor.

Entertainment:

• Visit the library: We do not watch TV, but the kids get to choose the movie of their choice from the children's library every week. They also get all their books here.
• Watch movies!: Kids can absorb so much from movies and "Wall-E", "Earth" and "Home" are great options. We look forward to “Oceans” releasing soon!
• Propose inspiring books: Both “Land of Curiosities” and the “Little House on the Prairie” series are good examples.
• Connect with nature. Our weekly hikes are a great way to learn about nature. We get to spend time together, I teach them about botany and they see what they are fighting for with a Zero Waste lifestyle. Saving nature is ultimately what Zero Waste is all about.
• Play games: To get closer and not waste valuable together time watching TV.
• Focus on togetherness: Too many soccer matches, baseball games, over scheduled weekends all take away from simple family quality time. Hiking, volunteering, biking, beach going, everyday dinners, all make us closer and in agreement for Zero Waste.

School:

• Request less paper from your teacher/school at the beginning of the year: Our teachers have been more than cooperative about paper reduction, they know to only send necessary papers home with our kids.
• Simplify and reuse lunch containers: We are very lucky to have an organic lunch service that supports our school PTA, but the setup is not yet Zero Waste (working on it though). So, I send my kids to school with a fork and a napkin on the days that they do use the hot lunch program. Otherwise, I make them a sandwich, put a cookie and fruit in a small Le Parfait jar and wrap the whole thing in a kitchen towel, furoshiki style – I told you I was an addicted furoshikier!:). The towel serves 4 purposes: it is a protective padding, a carrying handle, a place mat, and a napkin all in one. No need for lunch boxes, lunch baggies, specialized lunch containers, or paper napkin. Although, a stainless steel container would be useful to little ones or those wanting to lighten their load.

Zero Waste Home’s Last Resort: Recycling

At a party, when people first find out that I run a zero waste household, they like to share with me that they “too” recycle everything…

I need to clarify something:

Running a Zero Waste Household is NOT ABOUT RECYCLING.

It’s about REFUSING first and foremost.

Home waste management starts outside the home - and then the disposal of what you refuse does not even need to be addressed. For those items that we do allow in our home, we practice the '3R' mantra (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) religiously and IN ORDER. Recycling is the last resort. A Zero Waste Home is not just about kicking the trash can, but is primarily about refusing the unnecessary packaging as much as possible, therefore reducing recycling (what goes in your recycling is, afterall, a home “reject”, or a “waste”, isn’t it?).

Furthermore, only a percentage of what we recycle, actually gets recycled. However, the cleaner the material that you recycle, the more likely it will be recycled (no, no, your pizza box can’t go in there).

So here is what to keep in mind when shopping, based on an article I found in Co-Op America Quarterly magazine: A simple list of what gets Recycled (can be recycled again) vs. Downcycled (made into an un-recyclable lesser kind of product).
- Aluminum - recycled
- Steel – recycled
- Glass – recycled
- Paper – downcycled (about eight times)
- Plastics #1 and 2 – downcycled (generally once)
- Plastics #3 to 7 – rarely downcycled
- Plastic bags – sometimes downcycled

As for "compostable" bio-plastics - it is "Buyer Beware": Only hot city composts can actually compost them, your backyard variety can't. Not all city composts accept them either (our local trash hauler won’t for example). Some people also mistakenly recycle them, which mucks up the recycling stream. With all that in mind, their disposal becomes worse than "real" plastics.

All things considered: when buying a new product (or a used product for that matter, since its eventual disposal will become your responsibility), I believe that it is best to favor aluminum (unless it comes in contact with food), steel or glass, all of which can be easily recycled again and again. Note: Some aluminum containers are plastic coated.

What’s in our recycling bin this week? As little as we could:
- Two empty bottles of white wine since I have not found a refillable white that is drinkable yet.

- Two envelopes from medical statements (no online billing option).
- One paper label, from a lemonade bottle with an attached reusable cap that I am saving for a wine refill.
- A few paper notes printed/handwritten on both sides and corners ;) since I take a break from paper making in the rainy season.
- An empty roll of TP since, you guessed it, we still don’t have solar (Zero Waste Bathroom).
- One flyer from Comcast since (damn it!) I am still fighting their junk mail . I have called them so many times…they won’t leave us alone!

I know Scott wishes that we had beer bottles on the list - but their caps don’t recycle… and the refillable jug doesn’t work for an occasional drink of beer after a hard days work in the yard.

What’s in your recycling?

Zero Waste Home Essential: Commitment

Filling pockets with beach litter
And being an embarrassment to my teenage boys.

In a recent interview, I was asked to quantify Zero Waste. "For example, if someone refuses junkmail, is he/she 10% or maybe 40% of the way to Zero Waste?"

I went home shuffling numbers in my head and a couple of headaches later, asked for Scott's input (he is the left side of our household's brain) . We sat down, and for two hours tried to come up with percentages to define one's progress towards Zero Waste. But we soon realized that our assignment was pointless. In conjunction with following the 5R's in order, getting as close to Zero Waste as possible boils down to one fundamental element: Commitment.

If we keep putting Zero Waste (or voluntary simplicity) on the back burner for various reasons ("I don't have time for this" being the most common), change does not happen, routine sets back in. I found that a zero-tolerance policy was the best way for our household to tackle its waste issues head-on and to adopt Zero Waste practices as quickly as possible. Commitment can feel torturous or simply inconvenient at times, especially at first, when you train yourself to change bad habits. For example, I hated going back to my car when I forgot to bring my tote into the store, but commitment forced me to adopt a system and in five years, I've only had to accept one (paper) grocery bag (that was three years ago, on a weekend getaway). Commitment is the best way to make big strides. When we started, it catapulted our progress; today it keeps our yearly trash tally from growing again.

Here are 10 examples when Zero Waste is a pain, but where commitment makes a real difference on how fast and how close you get to Zero:

1. Going back to your car (or home), if you forgot to bring your reusable bags (you can also carry things in your arms or simply transfer them loose from your cart into your car trunk). 
2. Bringing jars to the grocery store or a plate to the pizza parlor knowing you'll get weird looks.
3. Making do with the available bulk, even when you get tired of its selection.
4. Taking time to stop a piece of junkmail, and spending money to mail an active discard.
5. Paying more for a used item or a repair, knowing you can buy new for cheaper.
6. Not settling for an inferior product at the store (i.e., not buying a plastic item, because the store is out of the glass version) and going home empty-handed (Shopping is voting!)
7. Leaving a place better than you found it, even if it embarrasses your teenage boys ;)
8. Saying no to the straw even if it makes a milkshake or a glass filled with ice harder to drink.
9. Using Zero Waste deodorant, knowing that it does not block sweat in stressful situations.
10. Forcing yourself to finish your plate when your ordered too much at a restaurant because you do not want to use a disposable container (you forgot yours).

Once you're motivated to reduce your waste, there is no other way to getting as close to Zero as possible than being fully committed and commitment is the fastest way there too. How committed are you?

Pros and Cons of the Zero Waste life

6 Advantages:
- The obvious one: Feeling good about helping the Earth
- Inspiring others to join in
- Being healthier: Bulk foods are in general healthier than packaged or processed foods
- Being more creative: In finding the supplier for the packaged goods you miss, in making the table pretty with what you have, in coming up with different ways to reuse your leftovers… by the way, foraged moss in lieu of toilet paper does not work for everyday use.
- Not dealing with the smell of trash (compost is odorless), and not having to take it out to the curb (what a motivation for our kids to go Zero Waste!)
- Adopting a more meaningful life with less, one that is not based on consumerism (stuffff)

6 Disadvantages:- My husband misses canned tuna sandwich (I keep reminding him… who needs mercury and MSG’s in their diet?)
- Malls and the middle aisles of grocery stores make me nauseous
- Having to turn down wine at a party because it is served in a disposable cup (my own fault, I should always remember to bring my collapsible stainless cup)
- Having to run past food samples served in disposables (finger foods are OK) when I make the mistake of going grocery shopping on an empty stomach
- Sometimes having to pay more for unpackaged: At Whole Foods, potatoes cost less in a plastic bag than bulk
- Realizing that people you care about are unwilling to sacrifice the present (change their current habits) for a better future

Junk mail war: still on!

I started my fight against junk mail 5 years ago, when I signed up for the "do not mail" list on dmachoice.org.

Last year, however, I decided that enough was enough. I declared: "I shall attack EVERY PIECE OF UNWANTED MAIL that finds its way into our mailbox". Not an easy task, one that has changed my relationship with the mailbox forever. I no longer run to it to look for the latest Pottery Barn catalog, but to count how many crap mail pieces I have landed and have to fight.
It's been a part-time job ever since. At the time when the kids need my attention for their homework (kids get home from school at the same time that mail is delivered), I am usually holding on the phone to talk to a customer service representative or emailing some unknown company to be taken off their mailing list. The number has declined overtime, but I would have thought to be free of it by now. Yesterday I landed 4! 2 of these are particularly pesky.

• United Visa application: After numerous mail and call attempts, I have managed to cancel the weekly thick applications that each one of us used to receive (incl. my 7 and 9 years old boys!) but yesterday I landed one that was addressed to the previous owner. UGH
• Local Community College Catalog: I should have a choice to receive these by email instead. Because they are not directly addressed to one of us but the the "postal customer", the mailman has to deliver them. A few months ago, I called my post office to see what I could do about it. They told me to talk to the community college directly. Once I found the (very nice and understanding) person in charge of mailings at the community college, she told me that the post office had the possibility of returning catalogs to them for reuse. I went back to the post office with that piece of information and was granted the right to write "refused" on such mailings... it then only took a long and frustrating conversation with my mailman, another trip to the post office, and another call to the post office for my mailman to actually pick one up... Now if everyone in my town would refuse their Community Catalogs, that would be the end of them.

Here is what you can do to stop your junk mail:

• Go to http://www.dmachoice.org/ (direct mail) and http://www.optoutprescreen.com/ (credit and insurance offers), it's made a big difference.
• Go to http://www.catalogchoice.org/, they cancel catalogs for you. You can also call the catalogs directly.
• Do not open unwanted 1st and 2nd class mail: their postage includes return service, so you can write "Return to Sender" (front of envelope) and "take me off your mailing list" (back), I keep a pen in my mailbox for that effect. Note as of 2-2-11: 2nd class is for catalogs, these need to be cancelled by contacting the catalog directly or by using the link above.
• Open the 3rd class presorted standard mail to find a contact info, then Call/email/write to be taken off their mailing list (that includes any phone directories such as Yellow Pages, from which you can also opt out, by clicking here) Note as of 2-2-11: 3rd class mail with "return address requested" can be refused and sent back to the sender.
• Write "Refused" on the mailings that are not addressed to your specific name or address, they usually are addressed to "postal customer"(such asCommunity Catalogs: Community Education, Classes, Events). No matter what, these will end up in your mailbox, all you can do is refuse them so your mailman take them back (if he does not, call your post office and talk to the carrier supervisor) Note as of 2-2-11: Please understand that if your mailman does take it, it will only be disposed/recycled by him with no further impact on the source. Because such mailings do not include return to sender, refusing them will not stop them from being sent in the first place. It is best to contact the sender directly to propose an alternative way of advertising.

Note: If these steps are too much for you to handle at once, you can let 41Pounds.org handle the bulk of it (fee of $41). You'll just have to tackle the rest.

To reduce your mail paper consumption/waste/recycling further:

• Cancel your magazine subscriptions (for Vogue, calling was best)
• Sign up for electronic bills and statements
• Reuse envelopes
• Reuse one sided mail paper for printing or to make notepads (grocery lists, errands lists...)
• Reuse double sided mail paper to wrap presents or make paper (great for presents and occasional cards/envelopes)
• Recycle or compost as a last resort

REFUSE 1st, REDUCE 2nd, REUSE 3rd, RECYCLE last

Wait! Before I end this posting, let me make something clear... I never was a Pottery Barn fan anyways. I confess that, at one point, I was inspired by their clever home organization ideas. After a decade of receiving, god only knows, how many trees in my mailbox from PB, I have only bought a couple of blankets (at the store, not thru the catalog) to keep the heating bills down the first winter evening that cold hit our new home. Were a couple of sales worth deforestation? I believe that claiming independence from such catalogs has helped me keep a simpler, minimalist, non over-consuming lifestyle. Eradicating junk mail is only for the better.

Zero Waste’s #1 rule

REFUSE, REFUSE, REFUSE: Zero Waste’s #1 rule. We have all been programmed to accept and take whatever is given to us. Every bit we accept and take, creates demand. Zero Waste starts by chasing and changing those habits, one by one. Here are seven ideas to get you started:
- Refuse that plastic bag!: Even if the item, that you have not yet paid for, is already bagged. You know that the bag is probably going to end up in the can but you can let that one go: You’ll feel horrible seeing it go to waste (it will help you remember next time) and refusing helps cashiers change their compulsive bagging habits. De-bagging being a time waster, only our incessant reminding will get them deprogrammed.
- Refuse that bottle of water that you get handed for no reason, my husband went to a sports bar last month, the next day I found a bottle of water in his car (!!!) (#&%@%$#!)... He explained to me that although he barely drank, the bartender gave it to him, and that he felt bad saying no… come on! Show some strength, Love! Did he twist your arm to take his bottle of water? Were they out of tap water at the bar? …
- Refuse freebies from parties, events, festivals, etc. (including green parties, green events and green festivals): I can hear you: “oh, but it’s free!”… well not really, nothing in life is free. Stop the demand for swag bags (and whatever crap it contains).
- Refuse excessive packaging or toxic ingredients and write a letter to those that you wish would change (I try to write a letter of feedback every other day): I believe that consumers can change the world if they let manufacturers know what they want. Remember, you vote every time you buy…
- Refuse the food/drinks served in disposables: Tough, I know, but if you had brought your own, you’d be drinking and eating… you won’t make that mistake more that a couple of times.
- Refuse to let junk mail go from your mailbox straight to your recycling can: you need to cancel those pesky mailings one by one (see “Junk Mail War”)
- Refuse the extra school papers that come home: talk to your kids teachers and request less paper. I used to get a copy of the Community Center Activities Catalog from both my boy’s classes. What a waste, when the catalog is already sent out to all residents and can also be viewed online… at the beginning of the year, I opted-out with the kids teachers and they have been most cooperative.