Over the years, as we’ve embarked on living a more sustainable, zero waste lifestyle we’ve come across one all too common trend – greenwashing. If you’re not familiar, greenwashing is false marketing that dresses something up as more natural, eco-friendly, or sustainable than it really is. Many brands invest lots of money into marketing to portray themselves as being eco-friendly, instead of actually implementing greener practices. For us, sustainability is about more than reusable coffee cups, which is why a product’s ingredients, materials, sourcing (and more!) really matter to us.
How to Spot It:
The tricky part about greenwashing is that very smart marketers, designers, and brand managers are paid to create very convincing campaigns and package designs for the products that we find on our grocery store shelves. So, how do you spot it?
First, we recommend keeping an eye out for buzzwords that don’t actually mean anything – eco-friendly, natural, biodegradable, and chemical-free are just a few of the common ones out there. Most of these words don’t actually mean anything and lots of unnatural, not sustainable practices can be hiding behind them.
Second, look into the claims that any products or brands are making. Are their claims verified by a trusted, outside source? If not, the company has probably invested in a public relations campaign around said claim, without actually doing anything for the environment.
A Few Examples
Unfortunately, there are lots of examples out there when it comes to greenwashing. Even the most well-intending brands can slide into this because, quite frankly, sustainability is trendy. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular greenwashed products.
Bottled Water: There are plenty of brands out there that realize that packaging water in something other than plastic bottles is a good sustainability play. But, while water that comes in a box or even a glass bottle may seem like a more sustainable choice, the brands behind them may not be as eco-friendly as they seem. Boxed Water, as an example, may come in a recyclable cardboard container, but their manufacturing, filtration, and other operational processes are not more sustainable in the slightest.
Household Cleaning Products: From laundry detergent to cleaning sprays, there is a major push for brands to bring forward new more “natural” product alternatives. One of the biggest brands in the CPG ecosystem, Tide, recognized an opportunity to lean into these trends, releasing their Tide Purclean Plant-Based Detergent, but the EWG gives this product an “F” rating for concerns tied to the product’s ingredients.
Food: Food companies have been using terms like “natural” and “farm-raised” for years to paint a more wholesome picture of their products. Here’s the really scary part, the FDA doesn’t require brands to disclose what is included when they list “natural flavors” in their ingredient list and hundreds of chemicals can actually be hidden under that label. Tyson, as another example, has put “all-natural” across their chicken packaging, despite being treated with antibiotics and fed GMO corn.
Personal Care Products: The beauty and self-care industry have definitely capitalized on terms like all-natural, organic, chemical-free, and so on are thrown around alot by beauty and self-care brands. Big box stores like Target, have dedicated aisle to green beauty products, but many of these products still include questionable ingredients, packaging, and production practices.
How to Avoid it:
Greenwashing is all too common in the aisles of the grocery store – the everyday self-care and household products you use are easily dressed up with packaging, product names, and claims to lead you to believe you’re purchasing a ”better” product. Here are some helpful tips to avoid greenwashing in your everyday essentials:
Take a look at the ingredients.
When it comes to self-care and household cleaning items, make sure you take a peek at the ingredients – our “How to Detox Your Home” blog post is a great place to start for this! If the list is long and filled with unrecognizable words, it may not be as clean and green as it’s claiming to be. This is one reason we love our handmade soap scrub bars – their ingredient list is short, simple, and filled with items you’re familiar with like olive oil and rosemary.
Consider the packaging.
Sometimes it’s okay to judge a book by it’s cover. What we mean by this is if a product is claiming to be more eco-friendly, but is packaged in a BPA-filled single-use plastic container, then it’s likely not the best solution. Instead, try to opt for more natural, refillable solutions like our all-purpose cleaning concentrate.
Look beyond their marketing.
Don’t let pretty packaging fool you! Big brands have smart teams of marketers and package designers who lean into trends and buzzwords to promote their products. Just because a product is emblazoned with leaves and flowers, doesn’t make it better for the environment. The good news is that so many sustainable products like our Bathing Culture Mind & Body Wash are the best of both worlds – beautiful (reusable packaging) and safe, sustainable ingredients.
Do your research.
Doing your research is always one of the best ways to avoid being tricked by marketing. Look into the brand to see what’s happening behind the scenes. Not finding any info or company representatives hesitant to share the details? Probably a good sign there’s some greenwashing going on. Opt for a vegan dishwashing block instead of the “greener” version of the big brand variety.
At Simply Zero, we care about the big picture when it comes to products, which is why we carefully curate and vet each and every item we carry. It’s important to us that we share products that are good for you, for others, and for the planet. Have you experienced greenwashing as you shop for everyday essentials? What tips do you have for avoiding it?
]]>As a female-founded brand, we’re particularly interested in the role that women play when it comes to sustainability and climate change, which is why the findings from Project Drawdown have caught our attention. In 2017, a team of scientists, economists, policymakers, researchers, and business people published Project Drawdown, an ongoing review and analysis of climate solutions to reduce excess greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. The initial output of this project was a list ranking 80 practical solutions that could help slow down climate change.
The top of the list included lots of the usual sustainability suspects – such as eating a more plant-based diet and more solar farms. However, within the top ten solutions were two lesser talked about solutions: education of girls & family planning. It may seem interesting that these categories ranked so highly, but the project’s research has shown that there is a major ripple effect when it comes to these things. When more girls are educated, they have more opportunities, they likely make more money, have access to family planning, marry later, and have fewer children. These smaller-sized families help decrease overall consumption and therefore also decrease pollution. On top of all of this, education opens doors to more jobs in science and government, where women can be involved in helping to solve climate change.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month (and International Women’s Day on March 8th), we’re feeling extra empowered to call out what an important role women can play in climate change and how important supporting women around the world is in order to drive that change. Family planning can help lower the carbon footprint of communities with less unplanned pregnancies and smaller families. These smaller families will produce less waste. Girls who are educated are able to better prepare for natural disasters and help their communities. Possibly most important of all, by providing education and family planning girls have the opportunity to be a part of the conversation around sustainability and climate change. They have opportunities to be a part of the science and politics that help to create even broader global change. We were particularly inspired by this TEDtalk from Katharine Wilkinson sharing three key ways that equity for women and girls can help stop global warming, as well as this PBS feature that calls out “Want to stop climate change. Educate girls”
We’ve vowed to use our platform as a way to lift up the voices of those who need to be heard and now more than ever, we know that women (and the world) need this message lifted! In our shop, we support women by curating products from female entrepreneurs and makers – you can click here to shop all our woman-owned brands!
]]>Many people don’t know this, but the Greek language actually has 7 different words to describe love in all its many forms. Most of us can probably agree that there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to love and obviously the Greeks agreed.
While Valentine’s Day isn’t really “our thing” around here, we do think that celebrating love in all its different forms is always a good thing, especially during a year that's been so challenging for so many of us. Here is some inspiration on how you can celebrate each and every type of love in a more sustainable way!
Eros is also sometimes referred to as “love of the body” as Eros was the Greek God of love and sexual desire. It’s characterized by attraction and is most similar to what we think of as romantic love between partners. Of course – the cliche go-to Valentine’s Day gift for couples is often flowers (and a little wine and chocolate never hurts).
We could (and should!) write a whole post on how to sustainably source flowers, but here are a few quick tips:
This kind of love can be between lifelong partners and also best friends – it’s that deep, all-knowing bond that grows over time. For us, there is nothing better than good conversation when it comes to these people in our lives. Nothing helps conversation flow more than a good bottle of wine, right?
The great news is that the glass bottles that your favorite vino comes in are easily recyclable and natural wine corks can be tossed into your compost bin. We also suggest opting for a wine that is certified as sustainable meaning that it’s farming practices meet certain eco-friendly standards. If you’re feeling extra fancy, pour your wine into our glass + cork carafe to serve it!
This is that exciting, energizing feeling of having a crush. This kind of love comes with a bit less long term attachment, but normally a lot of fun. Now, spending Valentine’s Day with a fling might be a tad of a risky choice, but you do you!
To spice up your ludus love evening in a super sustainable way, we suggest some Body Oil from our refillery or our new Mango Body Butter for a little at-home massage night. There is nothing more sexy and playful than that!
There’s nothing quite like the no-matter-what kind of love from your family – that’s storge. It’s the instant love a mother has for her baby and the “I love you even when I don’t like you” feeling you have for your siblings.
We can’t think of a better way to celebrate a day all about love, than to be gathered around the table sharing a meal with your family. Our zero waste holiday meal guide may be able to help you plan the perfect meal for your loved ones, too!
If you’re the host – make sure you’re stocked up on sustainable kitchen gear to help decrease food waste and avoid unnecessary packaging from your meal! Our Stainless Steel Tiffin for storing leftovers and Cloth Napkins for setting the table are two essentials we suggest!
So, we aren’t going to pick favorites but if we were picking favorites this one may take the prize. This love of self can have negative, narcissistic connotations, but we like to focus on the self-care, self-esteem building kind of self-love. We think this kind of love is really a healthy foundation for any kind of love.
This year, lots of people may be spending Valentine’s day solo, making it the perfect time to show yourself a little extra care. Our perfect idea of an evening alone? A long, luxurious bath ritual – dry brush your skin, apply a face mask, and pop an all-natural bath bomb into your tub. Self-love is about more than simply skincare + relaxing, but this is a great place to start.
Pragma just may be the perfect combination of traits from both Eros + Storge. It’s the kind of everlasting love that grows over time and is often referred to as the highest form of love. We see this love most from couples that have grown and evolved together for many years.
Since this type of love is built over time, we think that time together is truly the best way to celebrate it. We are all about experience-based gifts and nothing is more fun than planning a romantic getaway. Pack up some of your favorite road trip snacks in a reusable container and fill up your coffee cup and hit the road with your favorite person!
There’s truly nothing more altruistic than agape love. It’s rooted in a deep empathy and love toward all humanity and a caring for others without expecting anything in return. This kind of love comes to life in spirituality, nature, and service towards others.
We are all about this kind of love because it’s the exact feeling we have towards Mother Earth that makes us want to treat her better. What better way to celebrate than by finding a way to give back? Spending a few hours volunteering locally, donating to an eco-friendly organization, or simply spending time in a gratitude meditation are all ways you can connect with this kind of love.
It’s refreshing to be reminded of all many layers and varieties of love existing in our own lives. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or not, we hope you’re inspired to love on yourself and others in a more sustainable way this year!
]]>If you’re still stumped on what to gift someone, our curated zero waste kits are always a great place to start or you can never go wrong with a good old-fashioned gift card. This year more than ever, shopping from a small business is an amazing way to shop more sustainably and to invest your money into brands you believe in!
What other ways are you trying to be more sustainable this holiday season?
]]>For us the answer is simple: everywhere. If you think about it, the entire commitment towards living zero waste is like one, giant cleanse. In implementing the 5R’s of zero waste, we not only rid ourselves of wasteful habits and excess stuff, but we also allow ourselves to reexamine what exactly we choose to bring back into our everyday lives, habits and products included.
When it comes to our products, there’s a lot to consider. Beyond the packaging, knowing what ingredients we should or shouldn’t be keeping in our homes and using on our bodies can be overwhelming and a tad bit confusing. We thought we’d make it easy for you to start detoxing your products with these three simple steps:
There are over 82,000 chemicals used in the creation of our everyday personal care and household products. Studies have shown that of these 82,000, one out eight are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins and hormone disruptors. Additionally, many products include plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft), degreasers (used to get grime off auto parts) and surfactants (used to reduce surface tension in water, like paint and inks). Another study found that 80% of products contained at least one of these toxic chemicals. Can you imagine what ingredients like these do to our homes, our bodies and the environment?
Luckily, there are some great organizations doing the dirty work in uncovering which chemicals are the most important to avoid. Many environmentalists call these the “Dirty Dozen” harmful chemicals to avoid:
Just like many of us do a trash audit at the beginning of our zero waste journeys, conducting a product audit can be a great way to understand what’s actually in the products we have at home. It’s also a great starting point in understanding which products to start transitioning away from.
Doing one is rather simple, too.
With the Dirty Dozen list in hand, cross-reference the ingredients list of your products. For those that contain harmful chemicals, make a plan to get rid of them immediately or, alternatively, use them up and plan to transition to a more natural product after.
Below is a list of starting points:
When you’re ready to transition to a new product, there are some great tools you can use to help make decisions on what to bring back into your home.
Whether you’re taking your first steps along your zero waste journey or have been on it for a while, a good book can be an excellent resource to further your growth and deepen your understanding on your next big lifestyle challenge. We’ve curated a list of some of our favorite books for every zero waste interest to meet you along your journey, wherever you’re at. And if you have a favorite Zero Waste book that’s not on the list, please share it in the comments below!
Often referred to as “The bible of Zero Waste Living,” Bea Johnson’s, Zero Waste Home, is an essential read for anyone getting started on their zero waste journey. The book shares essential how-to advice, secrets, and insights based on Bea’s experience. She demystifies the process of going Zero Waste with hundreds of easy tips for sustainable living that even the busiest people can integrate: from making your own mustard, to packing kids' lunches without plastic, to canceling your junk mail, to enjoying the holidays without the guilt associated with overconsumption.
Reviews: "Waste not, want not isn't about penny pinching. It's about gratitude and loving our lives. Bea Johnson doesn't just teach us to save the planet. She teaches us to save ourselves."-- Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man
Price: $16.65, or less secondhand
This book is the perfect starting point for those looking to dive deeper into the nuances of the plastics industry and start taking easy steps to avoid everyday plastic usage. Printed on FSC-certified paper and with BPA-free ink, Life Without Plastic strives to create more awareness about BPA-based products, polystyrene and other single-use plastics, and provides readers with ideas for safe, reusable and affordable alternatives. Jay and Chantal show readers how to analyze their personal plastic use, find alternatives and create easy replacements in this step-by-step guide.
Reviews: "Eliminating plastics is a core step of waste-free living. Life Without Plastic will not only make the planet and your family healthier, it will improve your standard of living so greatly that all you'll regret is not having started earlier!"-- Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home
Price: $20.23, or less secondhand
Kathryn Kellogg, the woman behind the popular Instagram feed, Going Zero Waste, gives readers a step-by-step blueprint for making realistic zero waste lifestyle changes in her book 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste. In this book, Kellogg shares her own tips and more, along with DIY recipes for beauty and home; advice for responsible consumption and making better choices for home goods, fashion, and the office; and even secrets for how to go waste free at the airport. "It's not about perfection," she says. "It's about making better choices."
Reviews: “Greenify every aspect of your life” -- Rachael Ray Every Day
Price: $16.51, or less secondhand
Put simply: this book is filled with easy, effective strategies to jumpstart a sustainable, waste-free lifestyle. If it seems overwhelming, it isn't In Zero Waste. In this book, Shia Su demystifies and simplifies the zero waste lifestyle for the beginner, sharing practical advice, quick solutions, and tips and tricks that will make trash-free living fun and meaningful. Learn how to build your own zero waste kit, prepare real food (the lazy way), make your own DIY household cleaners and toiletries, be zero waste even in the bathroom, and more.
Reviews: "Reading Zero Waste is like having a cool zero waste friend hold your hand and guide you every step of the way. Shia's friendly, approachable how-to guide makes zero waste accessible and inviting. Thoroughly researched and full of Shia's trademark humor and charm, this book takes the guesswork out of zero waste. From greening your home to avoiding trash on the go, Shia covers it all, with sections on where to shop (even without bulk stores), meal planning, eating out, and personal care. Zero Waste shows that taking control of your own consumption and being part of the solution, not the problem, can be easy and fun!" -- Ariana Schwarz, founder of Paris-to-Go.com
Price: $15.63, or less secondhand
The Story of Stuff expands on the celebrated documentary exploring the threat of overconsumption on the environment, economy, and our health. Leonard examines the "stuff" we use everyday, offering a galvanizing critique and steps for a changed planet. From sneaking into factories and dumps around the world to visiting textile workers in Haiti and children mining coltan for cell phones in the Congo, Leonard highlights each step of the materials economy and its actual effect on the earth and the people who live near sites like these. With curiosity, compassion, and humor, Leonard shares concrete steps for taking action at the individual and political level that will bring about sustainability, community health, and economic justice.
Reviews: "The intrepid Ann Leonard has written an eye-opening, humorous, and highly readable account of how our seemingly innocuous lifestyles are part of a larger system of destruction and dysfunction. Leonard gets my vote for hero of the year. A must-read." -- Juliet B. Schor, author of "Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth" and professor of sociology at Boston College
Price: $16.56, or less secondhand
This book is for those asking themselves an important and rarely asked question--is shopping green really any better for the planet? By examining the major economic sectors of our society, including infrastructure (green housing), consumer goods (green clothing), food (the rise of organic), and energy (including solar power and the popularity of the hybrid car), Green Washed: Why We Can't Buy Our Way to a Green Planet explains that, though greener alternatives are important, we cannot simply buy our way to sustainability. A new and unique take on green consumption, Green Washed shows how buying better is only the first step toward true sustainability.
Reviews: "If only we could buy our way (or recycle our way!) out of our environmental troubles. But as this slim and powerful book makes clear, what we need even more than clean cars are clean politics and economics that let us make sensible structural choices."-- Bill McKibben, author Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
Price: $14.67, or less secondhand
This book is ALL about living with less stuff and we’re no stranger to author Marie Kondo's decluttering method. She promises that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home--and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.
Reviews: ". . . a literal how-to-heave-ho, and I recommend it for anyone who struggles with the material excess of living in a privileged society. (Thanks to Ms. Kondo, I kiss my old socks goodbye.) ... To show you how serious my respect for Ms. Kondo is: if I ever get a tattoo, it will say, Spark Joy!" -- Jamie Lee Curtis, TIME
Price: $15.63, or less secondhand
Decluttering is great for our mental wellbeing, and when done right, it can be good for the planet too. When we rehome, repurpose or recycle the things we no longer need, we free up existing resources for others and reclaim our homes with less guilt.
Less Stuff is a guide for people who find it difficult to declutter and who don't want to see things go to waste. Step by step, you'll explore finding your 'enough', learn how to let go of your old possessions without sending them to landfill, and eventually break the cycle of stuff. The end result is a planet with less strain, a home with more peace and a life with more meaning.
Reviews: “If you are well practiced in both minimalism and sustainability this book will probably be a review of things you already know. If you are just starting your journey, this is a great book bc the author really goes step by step, room by room and provides a great structure to build off of. It helps get over the overwhelm hurdle that comes with making change.” - Amazon reader
Price: 18.39, or less secondhand
Do you ever feel like you, as one person, will never be able to make a difference in the world? This book dives into exactly that feeling. When there's so much conflict around the country and around the corner, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, powerless, and helpless. The good news is that millions of everyday people are ready to step into their power to transform their communities. Equal parts inspiration, education, and Do-It-Yourself, Transforming Communities by veteran community activist Sandhya Jha will open your eyes to the world-healing potential within you, and give you the vision, the tools, and the encouragement to start transforming your neighborhood, one person at a time.
Reviews: "Sandhya's stated goal--which she ably achieves here--is simple yet arduous: to get us out of our stifling cynicism so that we may see deeply, listen intently, act justly, and love radically. To break down our world-weariness and its consequent inactivity, she beautifully fuses the enduring wisdom of faith and justice movements with the raw tactility and wounded victories of on-the-ground work, in ways that both disarm and charm. To be sure, her scholarship is needed more than ever, for it is nuanced yet accessible, technical yet gritty, erudite yet disruptive."-- José Francisco Morales Torres, Director of Pastoral Formation, Disciples Seminary Foundation, Claremont, California
Price: $14.71, or less secondhand
An intersectional environmentalist must-read! From injuries caused by lead poisoning to the devastating effects of atmospheric pollution, infectious disease, and industrial waste, Americans of color are harmed by environmental hazards in staggeringly disproportionate numbers. This systemic onslaught of toxic exposure and institutional negligence causes irreparable physical harm to millions of people across the country-cutting lives tragically short and needlessly burdening our health care system. But these deadly environments create another insidious and often overlooked consequence: robbing communities of color, and America as a whole, of intellectual power.
Reviews: "A Terrible Thing to Waste is a powerful and indispensable book for anyone who cares about a just and healthy future for all Americans. Harriet Washington asks the critical questions that get at the heart of racism and inequality in health, income, social welfare and power in 21st century America."--Gerald Markowitz, author of Lead Wars and Distinguished Professor, John Jay College, CUNY
Price: $16.55, or less secondhand
In this book, Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, uses her platform to highlight the work of mostly female climate activists in frontline communities that are already reeling from the effects of climate change. During her research, Robinson met with ordinary people whose resilience and ingenuity had already unlocked extraordinary change: from a Mississippi matriarch whose campaign began in her East Biloxi hair salon and culminated in her speaking at the United Nations, to a farmer who transformed the fortunes of her ailing community in rural Uganda. In Climate Justice, she shares their stories, and many more. Powerful and deeply humane, this uplifting book is a stirring manifesto on one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time, and a lucid, affirmative, and well-argued case for hope.
Reviews: "As advocate for the forgotten and the ignored, Mary Robinson has not only shone a light on human suffering, but illuminated a better future for our world." -Barack Obama
Price: $14.72, or less secondhand
This book should live on every environmentalist’s coffee table! An international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here--some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth's warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline.
Reviews: "Drawdown is not just a project--it is an adventure. It is a promising story that has the potential to engage every person on the planet with at least one solution to climate change, whether it is educating girls, improved rice cultivation, creating walkable cities, eating a plant-rich diet, household recycling, or any of the other solutions."
--Karen O'Brien, cCHANGE
Price: $21.16, or less secondhand
This book provides a brilliant explanation of why the climate crisis challenges us to abandon the core "free market" ideology of our time, restructure the global economy, and remake our political systems. In This Changes Everything Naomi Klein argues that climate change isn't just another issue to be neatly filed between taxes and health care. It's an alarm that calls us to fix an economic system that is already failing us in many ways. Klein argues that the changes to our relationship with nature and one another that are required to respond to the climate crisis humanely should not be viewed as grim penance, but rather as a kind of gift.
Reviews: "This may be the first truly honest book ever written about climate change." -- Bryan Walsh "Time "
Price: $17.47, or less secondhand
Have you ever wondered the carbon footprint of your everyday activities? Like riding the bus or drying your hands with a paper towel versus an air dryer. This book answers all of these questions! Part green-lifestyle guide, part popular science, How Bad Are Bananas? is the first book to provide the information we need to make carbon-savvy purchases and informed lifestyle choices, and to build carbon considerations into our everyday thinking. It also helps put our decisions into perspective with entries for the big things (the World Cup, volcanic eruptions, and the Iraq war) as well as the small (email, ironing a shirt, a glass of beer). And it covers the range from birth (the carbon footprint of having a child) to death (the carbon impact of cremation). Packed full of surprises-a plastic bag has the smallest footprint of any item listed, while a block of cheese is bad news-the book continuously informs, delights, and engages the reader.
Reviews: "I can't remember the last time I read a book that was more fascinating and useful and enjoyable."--Bill Bryson
Price: $15.59, or less secondhand
Named after the now-iconic "doughnut" image that Raworth first drew to depict a sweet spot of human prosperity, Doughnut Economics offers a radically new compass for guiding global development, government policy, and corporate strategy, and sets new standards for what economic success looks like. Raworth handpicks the best emergent ideas--from ecological, behavioral, feminist, and institutional economics to complexity thinking and Earth-systems science--to address this question: How can we turn economies that need to grow, whether or not they make us thrive, into economies that make us thrive, whether or not they grow? Simple, playful, and eloquent, Doughnut Economics offers game-changing analysis and inspiration for a new generation of economic thinkers.
Reviews: "What if it were possible to live well without trashing the planet? Doughnut Economics succinctly captures this tantalising possibility and takes up its challenge. Brimming with creativity, Raworth reclaims economics from the dust of academia and puts it to the service of a better world."--Tim Jackson, author of Prosperity without Growth
Price: $16.56, or less secondhand
Most people don't want to think about what happens when the oil runs out (or becomes prohibitively expensive), but "The Transition Handbook" shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive effect. They can lead to the rebirth of local communities, which will generate their own fuel, food and housing. They can encourage the development of local currencies, to keep money in the local area. They can unleash a local 'skilling-up', so that people have more control over their lives. "The Transition Handbook" is the manual which will guide communities to begin this 'energy descent' journey. The argument that 'small is inevitable' is upbeat and positive, as well as utterly convincing.
Reviews: "This book lays out the reasons we need to change our habits (climate change, depletion of oil, people's and the planet's health) without laying a guilt trip or a nightmare scenario on the reader. We can change what we are doing in a reasonable manner and make a big difference in our local communities and also for the planet. The steps are laid out in an easy to follow manner. Great read for people wanting to make a difference in how they are living on and with the planet and not just complain about what the governments are or aren't doing." - Melissa Draper, Amazon Review
Price: $22.46, or less secondhand
Silo maps out an extraordinary new plan from radical young chef Douglas McMaster, founder of SILO the first zero food-waste restaurant--a food system for the future. "Closed-loop systems," "radical suppliers," "off-grid ingredients," "waste-free prep" and "clean farming" are just some of the words you will find in this polemic on the future of food as we know it. These are just some of the raw ingredients deftly chopped and mixed into an irresistible and intoxicating fusion. Part inspiration, part practical kitchen know-how, part philosophy--just add anarchic flavours and a dash of pure hope for a beautifully crafted book destined to be a refreshingly radical addition to your kitchen library.
Reviews: "I've always said that it's in a chef's DNA to utilize what would otherwise be thrown away. We are hardwired to take the uncoveted and make it delicious. But Doug McMaster is on another level entirely--he is doing some of the most thorough and thoughtful work on food waste today. This book gives you more than a glimpse into his mind. It provides a much needed roadmap for a future of limited resources and growing demands." - Dan Barber, Chef/Co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Price: $26.99, or less secondhand
Max La Manna has inspired thousands of people across the world to rethink their approach to consumption and made it his mission to turn the tide on plastic and breathe new energy into the leftovers that are typically destined for the trash. In his first cookbook he shares 80 of his tasty, healthy recipes that will help you save money, food and eat well. Not only that, Max shares some of his favorite all-natural home hacks, life tools you need to add value to what you already own and a 21-day zero waste challenge!
Reviews: “Great book and super eye opening to food waste. The recipes in the book are simple and easy to follow, and gives unique recipes to use up food in the house that you normally would throw away. We love the book.” - Dan Kavanaugh, Amazon reviewer
Price: $27.60, or less secondhand
In We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer explores the central global dilemma of our time in a surprising, deeply personal, and urgent new way. The task of saving the planet will involve a great reckoning with ourselves--with our all-too-human reluctance to sacrifice immediate comfort for the sake of the future. We have, he reveals, turned our planet into a farm for growing animal products, and the consequences are catastrophic. Only collective action will save our home and way of life. And it all starts with what we eat--and don't eat--for breakfast.
Reviews: "Beautiful, powerful writing that's made me rethink the way I eat." --Samin Nosrat, author of Salt Fat Acid Heat
"This is a life-changing book and will alter your relationship to food for ever . . . Lucid, heartfelt, deeply compassionate . . . Sharp, hard-hitting." --Alex Preston, The Guardian
Price: $23.00, or less secondhand
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Flip any plastic product or package over and you’re sure to find a small symbol imprinted into the plastic: three chasing arrows often encircling a number. It’s an important symbol and yet most of us have never thought much about it. If we have, we’ve most likely had a thought somewhere along the lines of — “Oh good, the recycling symbol” — and then tossed the item into our recycling bins. But the truth is, the plastic recycling symbol on the bottom of our products and packaging tells us so much more than whether an item can be recycled or not.
And FYI: Just because a product has the chasing arrows symbol, doesn't mean it's recyclable. (More on this later.)
Well. Plastic comes in many different varieties. Different combinations of resins and polymers create plastics with different properties and different types of plastic present their own independent opportunities and threats. Officially, the symbol embedded on most plastics is called a “resin identification code” and it’s numbers, 1 to 7, help us to identify the type of plastic it is made from. It does not indicate the recyclability of a product.
We’ll say it again: A plastic recycling symbol ≠ A product is recyclable
In Life Without Plastic, authors Plamondon and Sinha, explain why:
“Thanks to the intelligent strategy that the plastic industry came up with in the early 1980’s of imprinting a recycling code on the most commonly consumed plastic items, a large majority of consumers think that the bulk of the plastics they consume are recyclable and actually do get recycled through their local curbside program. In reality, only a small percentage of the contents is recycled.”
The answer to this question is a little trickier and here’s the reason why: whether a type of plastic can be recycled is not indicative of whether that type of plastic actually is recycled. In short, what plastics can and can’t be recycled in your local curbside recycling program is determined solely by your local municipality. It is important to check with your local municipality about which materials are recyclable and which are not, and check-in frequently as rules are subject to change over time.
Short answer: A LOT. And to show just how much information is held in those tiny numbers chased by arrows, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to decoding plastics #1 through #7.
What follows is a little tour of the most common types of plastic one might come across in everyday life. With each plastic we give a little description of what each plastic recycling symbol means, what products you’re likely to find it in, if it’s safe, recyclable and most importantly, how to avoid it.
What is PET: PET (also abbreviated PETE) is short for polyethylene terephthalate, the chemical name for polyester. It is a clear, strong, and lightweight plastic that is widely used for packaging foods and beverages, especially convenience-sized soft drinks, juices and water.
Where you’ll find it: Virtually all single-serving and 2-liter bottles of carbonated soft drinks and water sold in the U.S. are made from PET. It is also popular for packaging salad dressings, peanut butter, cooking oils, mouthwash, shampoo, liquid hand soap, window cleaner, even tennis balls. Special grades of PET are used for carry-home food containers and prepared food trays that can be warmed in the oven or microwave.
Health + Safety Concerns: PET has been approved as safe and does not contain bisphenol-A (BPA) or phthalates (plasticizers). However, in the presence of heat it can leach antimony, a toxic metalloid, into food and beverages, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach ulcers. The longer the bottle is on the shelf or exposed to heat or sunshine, the more antimony is likely to have leached into the product.
Recyclability: PET is one of the most widely accepted plastics in curbside recycling programs (although we recommend checking with your local municipality before blindly tossing into the recycling bin). Products made from recycled PET include: new PET bottles and jars, carpet, clothing, industrial strapping, rope, automotive parts, fiberfill for winter jackets and sleeping bags, construction materials, and protective packaging.
How to avoid it: Invest in a reusable water bottle, shop for food products packaged in glass or aluminum, shop for refillable personal care products like mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap and all-purpose cleaner, make a plan to cook at home one more night a week and when you do go out, remember to bring your own containers for leftovers.
What is HDPE: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a versatile plastic used in a wide variety of applications. It is typically opaque in color and is another popular packaging choice for food, personal care and cleaning products.
Where you’ll find it: Milk jugs; bleach, detergent and other household cleaning products; juice bottles; butter tubs; toiletry containers; cereal box liners; kids toys and some plastic bags.
Health + Safety Concerns: Like PET, it is also considered “safe," but some studies have shown that it can leach the endocrine disruptor nonylphenol (added to HDPE as a stabilizer), especially when exposed to ultraviolet light such as the sunlight, and other possible stabilizer chemicals with estrogen-mimicking activity.
Recyclability: Like PET, HDPE is one of the most widely accepted plastics in curbside recycling programs. Flimsy HDPE plastics like single-use bags and films are typically not accepted curbside, but can often be recycled through local drop-off programs. Products made from recycled HDPE include: picnic tables, plastic lumber, park benches, waste bins, bed liners for trucks and other products which require weather-resistance and durability.
How to avoid it: Look for drinks like milk and juice packaged in glass or aluminum; opt for refillable personal care items and household cleaners; if available to you, shop the bulk food section at your local grocery store and bring a set of reusable cloth bags; shop for kids toys at your local thrift shop.
What is PVC: Polyvinyl chloride is durable and weathers well which is why it’s often found in things like piping and siding. It’s also cheap, making it still a popular choice for products and packaging. It is rarely accepted by recycling programs and often contains phthalates (plasticizers).
Where you’ll find it: Plumbing pipes; shower curtains; inflatable mattresses; clear food packaging; shrink wrap; plastic children's toys; tablecloths; vinyl flooring; children's play mats; and blister packs (such as for medicines).
Health + Safety Concerns: Although tough, PVC is not safe for cooking or heating. PVC contains a phthalate called DEHP, which can cause male traits to become more feminized (DEHP-containing products have been banned in many countries, but not the U.S.). In some products, DEHP has been replaced with another chemical called DiNP, which has similarly been shown to have hormone disruption properties.
Recyclability: PVC and V can rarely be recycled curbside, but it’s sometimes accepted by plastic lumber makers. If you need to dispose of either material, ask your local waste management to see if you should put it in the trash or drop it off at a collection center.
How to avoid it: Opt to wrap your food in beeswax wrap instead of cling wrap; shop for children’s toys at your local secondhand store; look for shower curtains made from mold-resisting organic materials like hemp.
What is LDPE: Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a flexible and tough plastic, but breakable. It is considered less toxic than other plastics, and relatively safe for use; however, it is not commonly recycled.
Where you’ll find it: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning, produce and shopping bags; tote bags; hot/cold beverage cups; juice and milk cartons; garbage bags.
Health + Safety Concerns: LDPE is considered less toxic than other plastics, and relatively safe for use. It does not contain BPA, but as with most plastics, it can leach estrogenic chemicals
Recyclability: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities might accept it. LDPE plastic when recycled is used for plastic lumber, landscaping boards, garbage can liners and floor tiles.
How to avoid it: Invest in a set of reusable cloth produce bags and grocery totes; buy your bread from a local bakery and bring your own bag; invest in a reusable beverage cup; look for milk and juices packaged in glass or aluminum
What is PP: Polypropylene is used for similar applications as polyethylenes but is generally stiffer and more heat resistant. It is considered as one of the safer plastics and is often used for containers filled with hot food; however it can still be tricky to recycle with only some curbside recycling programs accepting it.
Where you’ll find it: Yogurt containers; syrup and medicine bottles; caps; straws; kitchenware, take-out and “microwave-safe” plastic containers (i.e. Tupperware); disposable diaper and sanitary pad liners, thermal vests; appliance parts and numerous car parts (bumpers, carpets, fixtures).
Health + Safety Concerns: PP is generally considered a safer plastic for food and drinks usage. Although many of the products made from it are considered “microwave safe”, it is not healthy to consume foods that have been warmed within them.
Recyclability: PP is recyclable and is now accepted by many curbside recycling programs; however it is not accepted by all programs. It is best to check with your local municipality to understand if #5 PP plastic can be recycled in your region. Products made from recycled PP include: signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays.
How to avoid it: In some cases, #5 PP plastic can not be avoided (i.e. medicine), however you can still take measures to avoid it in many cases. Say “no thanks” to straws if you’re able; choose wood or metal kitchenware accessories over plastic; store food in glass or metal containers and always use glass or metal to reheat your food; invest in reusable pads and a menstrual cup.
What is PS: Polystyrene can be found in it’s rigid form or in it’s ultra-light counterpart form, styrofoam. It is notoriously difficult to recycle and is widely known to leach into food when heated.
Where you’ll find it: Disposable plates and cups; meat trays; egg cartons; carry-out containers; aspirin bottles; compact disc cases; packing peanuts; bike helmets
Health + Safety Concerns: Styrene monomer is known to leach which, under long periods of exposure, can cause neurotoxic; like fatigue, nervousness, difficulty in sleeping, hematological; low platelet and hemoglobin values, cytogenetic; chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities, and carcinogenic effects. Using plastic # 6 for hot foods and beverages, like hot coffee in a polystyrene cup, maybe the worst idea of all.
Recyclability: PS #6 plastic is rarely accepted in curbside recycling programs due it’s breakability and the fact that it’s 98% air. Since it’s breaks apart easily, you should put any #6 plastics or styrofoams in an airtight bag or container before sending to the landfill to avoid further dispersion. Products made from recycled PS #6 plastic include: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers.
How to avoid it: Package leftover foods from a restaurant in your own glass or stainless steel containers or even beeswax wrap. Invest in a reusable beverage cup and set of reusable bamboo travel utensils to avoid using the plastic ones.
What is OTHER: A wide variety of plastics that don’t fit into the previously numbered categories are lumped into this one, including bioplastics. It is a “use at your own risk” plastic due to it’s high levels of toxicity and rare recyclability in curbside programs.
Where you’ll find it: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, bullet-proof materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon.
Health + Safety Concerns: Any plastic designated #7 is likely to leach BPA and/or BPS, both potent endocrine disruptors linked to interfering with proper mood, growth, development, sexual function, reproductive function, and puberty, among other essential human developmental processes. They are also suspected of increasing the risk of adult reproductive cancers, obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Recyclability: #7 Other plastic is not traditionally recycled in local curbside programs, but it’s important to check with your local municipality before tossing to the landfill. You can also check with specialty recycling businesses in your area or Terracycle to recycle these plastics. Products made from recycled #7 Other plastic include: plastic lumber and other custom-made products.
How to avoid it: In some cases, #7 OTHER plastic can not be avoided (i.e. electronics), however you can still take measures to avoid creating demand for new #7 plastics by shopping secondhand for products made with it.
]]>The global plastic crisis is complex and nuanced; what we encounter at surface level is only just the tip of an iceberg. In this post, we’re exploring beneath the surface of our global plastic crisis to answer some of our most pressing questions about plastic, Big Plastic and solutions for a more just recovery.
]]>It’s no secret: plastic is everywhere. We find it in our food packaging, we find it in our everyday household and personal care products, we find it in our clothes. It’s cheap and it’s versatile. In many ways it has revolutionized life saving industries as we know them today — like medicine, energy and clean water.
Without plastic, space travel may not have been possible and our cars and jets would not be as light or fuel-efficient. And yet, the convenience plastic offers has created a toxic throw-away culture that is polluting every corner of our planet at a pace so monumental that now, it’s unmanageable. We are living in a global plastic crisis.
A quick search on Google for the “plastic pollution” might render you videos of turtles with single-use plastic straws lodged in their noses, scuba divers swimming through floating gyres of plastic debris or images of sea creatures tangled in ghost nets. You might even find articles highlighting the discovery of tiny particles of plastic, or microplastics, in our drinking water, food, air and even the human body. For many just awakening to the plastic crisis, these videos and articles might come as a shock. For others, it comes as no surprise.
The global plastic crisis is complex and nuanced; what we encounter at surface level is only just the tip of an iceberg. What’s below the surface — what we rarely encounter with quick Google search — is the gargantuan toxic mass of Big Plastic and the threat it imposes on communities and ecosystems before the plastic bottle even reaches the ocean.
In this post, we’re exploring beneath the surface of our global plastic crisis to answer some of our most pressing questions about plastic, Big Plastic and solutions for a more just recovery.
Image via National Geographic
Modern plastic, or the common name for a category of materials called polymers, first made its appearance on earth about a century and a half ago through the augmentation of cellulose — a natural occurring polymer in the cell walls of plants.
In 1869, John Wesley Hyatt — inspired to find a material substitute for ivory —discovered that treating cellulose with camphor created a material that could be crafted into a variety of shapes and made to imitate natural substances. The discovery was revolutionary as it proved that humans could create new manufacturing materials without the constraints imposed by a scarcity of natural resources.
In 1907, Leo Baekland invented Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, meaning it contained no molecules found in nature. It’s success led major chemical companies to invest in the research & development of new polymers and new plastics soon joined celluloid and Bakelite.
Where plastic as material really came of age was during World War II. Nylon, invented as a synthetic silk, was used in parachutes, ropes and helmets and Plexiglas replaced glass in aircraft windows. During World War II plastic production in the United States increased by 300% and the surge in plastic production only continued after the war ended.
Plastic is produced through a complex process that starts deep beneath the earth’s surface. Let’s start with the raw material: fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are typically found a mile or two below the surface of the earth and to reach them, the oil industry has historically employed an aggressive extraction process called fracking. Put simply, the fracking process involves drilling into the ground and injecting the earth with a mixture of water and chemicals so that oil is released. Not surprisingly, the process presents a number of health and environmental hazards and has been linked to reports of poisoned drinking water, polluted air, mysterious animal deaths and industrial disasters and explosions.
Once the oil has been extracted it’s time for it to be transported. That means: pipelines. Pipelines carry the oil from the pump to the refinery. In addition to the environmental risks they pose to the ecosystems they’re built through — leaks, ruptures, fires — pipelines also deeply threaten the health and safety of communities that live nearest to them; disproportionately, these are communities of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) who are often sidelined in the decision making.
At the plant — again a site most often found near or within BIPOC communities — oil is transformed into gas and gas into plastic resin. The process releases large amounts of toxic chemicals into the air, polluting the surrounding communities at a disproportionate rate and exposing local residents to a slew of health problems.
Like with pipeline construction, these fenceline communities are given no voice in the corporate decision making process, yet bear the brunt of the healthy, safety and environmental risks of living near a plastic production site.
Watch this video about the residents of St. James, Louisiana and their battle to #StopFormosa
After all of that, plastic plants are left with a new raw material to sell to corporations in order to make their products and packaging. Which brings us to our next question.
Trying to list all of the ways in which modern society consumes plastic is almost an impossible feat. When we think about the plastic crisis, and the pollution it has amounted to, the most common plastic culprits are consumer packaged goods (CPG) — toothbrushes, plastic bags, laundry detergent bottles, diapers and disposable razors. Beyond CPG, we find plastic in toys, furniture, home & garden accessories, clothes, electronics, sports gear, shoes, baby accessories, and mattresses. Beyond those, we find them in commercial fishing — ghost nets, fishing line — automobile tires, shipping containers and other large-scale commercial industries. We could go on, but you get the picture.
Global consumption of plastic is out of control. Unfortunately, due to the low rate with which the raw material is brought to market, brands are able to bring their products and packaging to market at an artificially low sale price that doesn't account for the environmental damage incurred through extraction and production.
Low prices allow these plastic packaged products to gain traction among consumers — many who don’t have the luxury of choosing more sustainable alternatives — which in turn, increases demand for them and perpetuates the vicious cycle of plastic production all over again.
Image via The Surfrider Foundation
What’s more? Consumers who purchase plastic products are at a higher risk of exposure to toxic chemicals that can transfer from plastic into our food, water and air. Just last year, research published in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology found that the average person actually eats at least 50,000 particles of microplastic a year and breathes in a similar amount. So yeah, we are now literally consuming plastic.
It’s been commonly said that the average single-use plastic item is used for roughly 12 minutes before it is thrown “away” to be landfilled, incinerated, littered or, least likely, recycled.
Here in the United States, most of our trash heads to a landfill where it sits for the rest of eternity. These landfills are predominantly located in BIPOC communities and are merely designed to store our waste, not break down waste. We’ll say that again. Landfills are not designed to break down waste, only to store it. Once there, our plastic waste will never truly biodegrade, it will merely degrade into smaller and smaller pieces over an extremely long period of time.
Recycling, although a better alternative to landfilling, hasn’t been a great solution either. Currently more than 300 million tons of virgin plastic is produced annually and less than 10% is recycled.
Why? Because plastic is an oil-based commodity. When oil prices fluctuate, so does that price of plastic. When those markets are depressed, virgin plastic becomes far cheaper to buy than recycled plastic and recycling companies struggle to find a domestic market for their product. Without a market, many recycling companies sell their goods overseas. In 2011, plastic waste was America’s largest export to China but in 2018 they imposed a ban on trash imports in order to reach their own sustainability goals.
For the privileged individual who wants to do something, the simple answer is follow the 5R’s: refuse what you don’t need, reduce what you need and can’t refuse, reuse what you need and can’t reduce or refuse, recycle what you can’t reuse, reduce or refuse and rot what’s left. For many, however, the shift towards a zero waste lifestyle and the adoption of reusables, is not yet an equitable solution.
We realize this and will always strive for equity and accessibility in all that we do. That’s why Simply Zero has united with #BreakFreeFromPlastic members around the world to support the following principles for a just recovery:
Like with many environmental crises, the solution to our global plastic crisis is complex and demands action at all levels. Whether you choose to say “no” to straws, challenge yourself to live completely plastic-free or dive in as an activist for environmental justice, we need you!
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Below you can find the petitions, organizations, Black leaders and organizations that I am learning from and supporting. I hope you'll join me in taking the time to read, learn, listen, sign, and donate money where you can.
* Denotes where I have personally invested
Protestor Relief
Community organizations are raising money to support those who have joined the protests in cities across the US. Use this directory to find your city and check their sites and socials for the latest information.
You can also donate to The Bail Project, which is a jail fund that fights racial and economic inequalities in the jail system at a national level.
Police Funding and Accountability
The Black Lives Matter Global Network is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. They are calling to re-appropriate funds from police departments to communities and resources that ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive through their #DefundThePolice petition.*
Campaign Zero was developed with contributions from activists, protesters and researchers across the nation. This data-informed platform presents comprehensive solutions to end police violence in America.
Reclaim the Block organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans.
Black Visions Collective* is a black, trans, and queer led organization committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence and shifting the narrative to create transformative, long term change.
There are plenty of informative, and thorough places to begin the work of becoming anti-racist. Here are some places to start:
Read
For an anti-racism reading list, please check out this community created list by the Chicago Public Library. Some that I’ve added to my bookshelf include:
If fiction is more your style, here are a couple of other books I’ve read in the past and loved:
If you’re interested in reading these books, I encourage you to check with your local library first and if you wish to purchase, choose a black-owned bookseller. The titles linked in this newsletter will direct you to Mahogany Book, a black-owned book store dedicated to meeting the literary needs of readers in search of books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora.
Listen
1619: An audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
Intersectionality Matters: A podcast bringing intersectionality to life. Learn from the Black scholar and activist who coined the term about what intersectionality looks like in practice and how to continue the fight for justice for Black women.
Radical Imagination: A podcast that is not only talking about big issues like inequality, racism, housing insecurity, but meeting the people creating bold, inspiring solutions.
Follow
These are some of the accounts on Instagram I continue to learn from, listen to and be inspired by: @laylafsaad*, @theconsciouskid (an especially good resource for parents), @rachel.cargle*, @aja.barber*, @queerbrownvegan, @wastefreemarie, @mikaelaloach, @greengirlleah, @dominiquedrakeford, @melaninass, @buyfrombipoc, @plantkween.
If you head to any of the accounts above, please don’t forget that it is the responsibility of non-black people to educate themselves—which can be done in part by using the many incredible resources many of them have produced already. If you can, support their work by contributing monthly recurring donations.
Study
There are many courses and workbooks you can take as you begin your work towards becoming anti-racist. Here are two for a start:
Black-owned businesses are a critical part of our local economies. Supporting them and building community is a cornerstone of sustainable living. If you live in Cincinnati, please check out the Voice of Black Cincinnati for a directory of black-owned businesses you can support. If you live beyond Cincinnati, check out the following resources:
]]>If you’re anything like me, getting started on a new goal is one of the most exciting times in our lives — we’ve come to a place where we’ve envisioned new possibilities for ourselves and have recognized ways to push towards new growth — but it can also be one of the most intimidating and lead us toward goal spiral quickly. Maybe you’ve experienced this scenario?
We start with an exciting, shiny new goal, and all goes well for the first week or two until we hit a roadblock and suddenly find ourselves in need a break. So we take a day off. Then another one, and another one, until a month later and we find our break has become the daily status quo and we don’t have a single result to show for ourselves. And so we give up, until a new season or new year when we decide to give it a go again — this time with success!
I know, I’ve been there. Goal setting is a tricky practice and figuring out works best for you can take some trial and error (why else do we have thousands of different goal setting planners and workbooks?). Likewise, making a lifestyle shift can be equally as testy. We start off with good intention and enthusiasm, and as time goes on and challenges arise, we find ourselves questioning our motivation and ability to keep pushing forward.
But it is possible to push through and, from my experience, setting yourself up for success from the beginning is a important part of it. It may be tempting to jump right in to your zero waste journey and start making all the swaps from the get-go, but if I can give you any advice it would be: slow down. Achieving the zero waste life doesn't happen overnight. Take some time to set yourself up with a solid foundation that will keep you standing strong and pushing forward. Here’s a look at how I’ve framed my zero waste journey and set myself up for achievement and growth along the way.
One of the most important things you can do when starting a new goal or lifestyle journey is gain clarity around your “why” — the motivating intention behind your initiative. So, you want to go zero waste? Ask yourself why.
It’s important here to think big picture. If you don’t feel that your intention will matter to you six months from now, it likely isn’t important enough to motivate you in the long run (and let me tell you, a lifestyle shift is definitely the long-run!). Your “why” should be an intention that feels so aligned with your value-set that each and every thing you do in life supports and furthers it.
“Your “why” should be an intention that feels so aligned with your value-set that each and every thing you do in life supports and furthers it.”
For me, that why is: To provide a clean, healthy, harmonious planet for all species on earth now and in the future. It’s why I avoid single-use plastic, why I’m working towards a more plant forward diet, why I shop ethically and secondhand, and ultimately, why I’m in business.
Aside from setting a strong intention, educating yourself is another key component in setting yourself up for success in the zero waste life. When you build a solid foundation of knowledge around the critical issues facing our planet, you strengthen your reasoning behind each decision you make. For instance, saying “no” to straws becomes a much more important choice when you know that:
Americans are using about 390 million plastic straws each day
It takes up to 200 years for a plastic straw to decompose and they can’t be recycled in most places
Each year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic (source)
versus just hearing that it’s an easy first swap to make. Learn the 5R’s, check a few zero waste books out from your local library, find a few bloggers to reference when you’re curiosity spikes, read environmental news and journals. The more you know, the more motivating the lifestyle becomes.
When it comes to building habits, I don’t really think there’s a magic number of days it should take to truly form one. Some say 21, others say longer, but in my opinion, it all comes back to the individual, their motivation to make change, and of course, their “why.” If we have clarity around our “why” and are motivated to make change, the habit forming will likely occur faster than if we don’t.
That being said, I don’t recommend trying to make ten habits at one time. Start with one or two and once you’ve got those nailed, move on to the next. You can get started by doing a review of your daily routine and asking yourself: where is there potential for me to make waste?
“If we have clarity around our “why” and are motivated to make change, the habit forming will likely occur faster than if we don’t. “
Do you stop at the coffee shop every morning? Invest in a reusable travel mug and practice bringing it with you each morning. Eating lunch on-the-go most days? Get in the habit of packing your lunch a few days a week (sans ziplock!) and bringing cutlery from home (or invest in a reusable bamboo set). Wherever you start, just remember to give yourself time to really let things become second nature.
One of the biggest reasons I started Simply Zero was to hold myself accountable along my journey. Knowing that there was a digital community counting on me (and let’s be honest, it was mostly my family and friends at first) was motivation to keep working towards new habits and goals, doing the research, and sharing it with the world. So, if you’re like me, find a way to connect with your peeps and let your most loved and trusted people know what you’re up to. Zero waste meetups and online groups are becoming more and more popular so do a quick search on Facebook or Meetup to see what’s happening in your community online and IRL.
Lastly, remember to have grace and be kind to yourself. Making a lifestyle switch isn’t easy and there will be times where you'll feel guilty or frustrated with yourself for imperfections along your journey. Showing kindness to yourself is something we often forget and just like in anything we do or challenge we take on it’s important to remind ourselves to show the same kindness to ourself as we would to others embarking on the same things. When you do experience the inevitable #zerowastefail, feel what you need to feel in the moment, know that in the grand scheme of things it’s OK, and then jump right back in where you left off. YOU GOT THIS!
I don’t know about you, but growing up my house was the kind that had a dedicated gift-wrapping station around the holidays. Tupperware storage bins full of wrapping paper, ribbon, gift bags, bows, gift tags, special scotch tape dispensers and scissors were pulled out after Thanksgiving and didn’t get put away until after the New Year. Gift wrapping was always a tradition that my mom and I put a lot of time and thought into. It was time we spent together, just the two of us — we talked, we listened to holiday music, we watched our favorite holiday movies — and often joked that we spent WAY too much time and effort on our wrapping for someone else to rip it apart. These days, the wrapping station still exists and my mom is using up the supplies she’s had on hand for years, but each year we’ve been transitioning more and more gifts to another style of wrapping, Furoshiki.
What is Furoshiki?
Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping technique that embraces the philosophy of reuse in some of the most beautiful, functional manners by challenging us to take ONE thing — a cloth — and use it in many different ways. Throughout history, Furoshiki has been used to transport everything from clothes, gifts, food, to other goods and it’s easy to see why. It’s versatility both in wrap style and cloth design allow any item to be wrapped functionally and beautifully.
Today, there are many different furoshiki styles and uses including:
wrapping gifts
a bag for shopping
a scarf, belt, bandana, or hanky
protecting items when traveling
a lunch bag (especially for bento boxes and tiffins)
An (eco) friendlier way to wrap
Aside from helping our environment, one of the biggest reasons why I have embraced the furoshiki style as my go-to wrapping method is money! Like with many other swaps I’ve made in the zero waste lifestyle, money-saved is a huge motivator. It’s estimated that American consumers spend $3.2 billion dollars a year on wrapping paper — presumably including gift bags. That’s $3.2 billion dollars spent on something that gets used once and (more often than not) thrown away. Imagine the money, resources, and time we could save if we all switched to quick, easy, reusable wrapping methods, like furoshiki.
Some Quick Stats
98% of consumers wrap gifts during the holidays
38,000 miles: distance covered if every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon
45,000 football fields: the amount of paper saved if every family wrapped just three presents in reused material
4 million tons: the amount of trash wrapping paper and shopping bags alone account for annually in the US
25%: the average increase (5 million extra tons) of waste produced during the holidays
50% of paper consumed in the US is on gift wrap and decorating products
3 hours: time Americans will spend wrapping gifts
25% expect to spend 4 or more hours wrapping
Getting started with furoshiki
The first (and only) thing you need to start wrapping is a cloth! Before you grab just any old cloth, here are a few things to think about:
Size/Shape: Typically, furoshiki wraps are not square with the length being slightly longer than the width, but for the purpose of finding/making your own, a square cloth will work just fine. You’ll also want to be sure that it fits your object. As a rule of thumb, your cloth should be about 2/3 larger than the size of your object.
Fabric: Choose fabrics that are strong, not too thick, and have a little bit of stretch. A fabric that is too thick will be difficult to tie. I always go for fabrics with designs that catch my eye first and then do a few test knots to see how easy/difficult it will be to tie. And remember, if you find a piece of cloth that’s not square/rectangular you can always cut it to size when you get home!
Once you have an idea of the size, shape and type of fabric you’re looking for, it’s time to source! Some of my favorite ideas for acquiring and/or making cloths are:
vintage scarfs at thrift stores
fabric scraps from secondhand craft stores or friends who quilt or sew
cut and dye old sheets or t-shirts
bandana, handkerchiefs, or teatowel
Wrapping your gift
Wrapping your gift can be one of the most fun and creative parts of furoshiki, mostly because there isn’t a right and wrong way. That being said, there are some tried and true styles that you can follow when you’re just getting started. Below I’ll be guiding you through 14 of the most popular styles — outlined by the Japanese Department of Environment — with bonus tips on what types of gifts each style is best for!
Traditionally, furoshiki wrapped gifts are presented to the receiver by the giver, unveiled, and the cloth kept for the next use. This is a great method when you’re gifting family members — everyone unwraps their gifts and clothes get collected at the end for storage and reuse next year. If you’re gifting someone outside of family, where you know the likelihood of taking back the cloth is minimal (or you just feel plain awkward asking for it back), you can include a set of instructions on how to tie furoshiki as part of the gift. You can even give the person a demonstration on how to do it to increase the chances of your cloth being passed on!
Looking for even more eco-friendly ways to wrap your holiday gifts this season? Check out my low waste guide to holiday gift wrapping and be sure to share ALL of your zero waste wrapping with me on Instagram by tagging @simplyzero_ and using the hashtag #simplyzerowasteholidays in your photos!
There’s incredible power in putting your hands on every piece of trash you’ve created in the last year. In some ways it’s a pretty messy endeavor, but in others, it’s an incredible reminder of all the things you’ve experienced, the people you’ve seen, and the things you enjoy most in life. An untraditional diary of life if you will.
When I started transitioning toward the zero waste life it was never any part of my intention to achieve a specific goal when it came to my trash. I knew it would never be zero, I knew that striving to keep it all in a mason jar was likely unattainable, but I knew that I wanted to create less and that I would do everything I could to avoid bringing unnecessary waste into my life and home. So when I emptied my trash in January 2017 I gave myself a simple a challenge: see how long it takes you to fill your trash bin again.
Unfortunately, my experiment was thwarted when I came home one afternoon and found the trash emptied by a presumptuous good samaritan. So I started again, and at the beginning of 2018 I set another goal: see if you can achieve one bag of trash for an entire year (and this time audit it!).
Put simply, it’s a study of what kind of trash you make. For most of us answering the question, what’s in your trash right now?, is almost unanswerable and for fair reason. Most of us have been conditioned to consume, toss, and move on without any real connection to where our things come from, the resources used in their creation, and the footprint they’ll leave behind when we’re done with them. Quite honestly, I think we’d all be a little shocked by how much waste enters our lives on a daily basis without our even thinking about. The good news is that answering the question, what’s in your trash right now?, isn’t that hard and once you get a full idea of the kinds of trash you’re tossing, identifying problem areas and making meaningful lifestyle change to reduce waste becomes all the easier.
Essentially all you’re doing is collecting trash and sorting it. But, let me break it down for you in a bit more detail:
And remember don’t beat yourself up if you finish up and you’ve created more than you expected. Zero waste isn’t zero and we don’t yet live in a society that supports the philosophy behind the circular economy. The whole point of the audit is to gain awareness of the trashy areas in your life and identify ways to minimize them in the future. Be kind to yourself and approach it from a place of excitement to improve, motivate, and inspire!
All in all, my one year of trash weighed 8.5 lbs (the equivalent of an average person’s trash over 2 days) and by going through it all again I was able to divert about another pound that was compostable, recyclable, and terracyclable. So roughly 7.5 lbs total. It did NOT include trash that other people brought into my home or the litter box waste created by my cat. What it DID include, though, taught me the following:
I really like wine and beer
My cat and I both shed…A LOT
I traveled and saw some great music shows
I am still using up cleaning products from my pre-zero waste life
I can do better when it comes to eating animal products
I like to indulge on potato chips and halloween candy
I get a lot of unnecessary plastic packaging in the mail
I throw money away (literally, I found a nickel!)
I invested in reusables
I still get a lot of receipts even though I refuse them most of the time
I get lazy sometimes and throw recyclables and compostables in the trash
Overall, I think I did a pretty good job. I feel grateful for all that the process has taught me and am excited to use all I’ve learned as a guide as I head into my third year of zero waste life.
What about you?
Have you ever done a trash audit? If yes, what did you learn? If no, would you consider doing on now?
Let me know in the comments below.
As we navigate the holidays, here are some tips on organizing the best zero waste holiday party of the season.
]]>Every year, around the second weekend of December, my family throws our annual holiday party — it’s just family, but with 40+ people (and growing!) it’s a BIG ordeal. When I was a kid, I remember going to my grandparent’s house for these parties. The parents would all sit around the fancy dining room table (likely the one time each year it was actually used), us kids at the kid’s tables in the kitchen. There were real plates, real cups, and real cutlery wrapped up in napkins. Everyone’s potluck dishes were brought in glass casserole pans and the tables were lined with real tablecloths — it felt homey and slow and special.
It was vastly different from the holiday parties we host today, where everything is disposable and the goal is to have everything “cleaned up” as quickly as possible at the end of the night. Potluck dishes are brought in single-use aluminum pans covered in plastic wrap, meals are eaten off of single-use plastic or paper plates with single-use plastic utensils, drinks are consumed from the dreaded red solo cups, and mouths wiped an endless supply of paper napkins. When dinner is finished and plates and utensils have been thrown away, smaller single-use plates and more plastic utensils are brought out for dessert. With 40+ people convenience is definitely the easier route to go and at the end of the night, with the help of a big box of plastic bags, the entire party can be cleaned up within the hour.
But at the expense of what? It’s easy to believe that once we’ve “cleaned up” and tossed those trash and recycling bags in the bins, they’re out of our lives forever. But the harsh reality is that our “cleaning up” is really just “trashing” somewhere else and the quick convenience we experience at the end of our party is really just a giant inconvenience to our planet, and us, in the long term.
Today, there are so many eco-friendly swaps we can make to avoid single-use plastic and paper party ware. By making a few, you can not only save time, money, and stress when entertaining, but you can also feel good knowing that your conscious party planning is contributing to the health and well-being of our planet and the future generations that inhabit it.
As we navigate the holidays, here are some tips on organizing the best zero waste holiday party of the season:
Opt for digital invites
Skip the time and expense that comes with sending paper invites — most of which get opened, posted on the fridge for a few days, and then tossed — and choose a paperless e-vite. My favorite place to go for invitations is Paperless Post. They have a great selection of free invites and an even bigger selection of paid invites if you feel like dropping a few dollars.
Go for natural decorations
Until they start making balloons from natural, compostable materials, just don’t buy them! Instead, opt to decorate with plants or flowers from your garden or make some DIY garlands or banners. You can even string up some holiday lights inside for extra ambiance.
Get creative with cups, napkins, cutlery, and plates
If you’re hosting a big group, you may not have enough sets of dishes, utensils and cup to go around. A few ways I’ve managed to get around this are: using mason jars for cups, checking out the secondhand store for old sets of cutlery, and asking a friend to bring their sets of dishes over (this one is a great one if you’re looking to avoid any extra expense and if you’re friend is coming anyway, they won’t miss their set for the night!). As for napkins, invest in a set of cloth napkins or hankies, or get creative with an old sheet.
Stock an eco-friendly bar
From my experience, the bar is often the most frequently visited spot during any holiday party. Make an impression on your friends and family by stocking a plastic-free, minimally packaged selection. For beer, opt for a keg or a few growlers from a local brewery or grocer. For wine, look for screw-off options or naturally corked bottles. For mixers, opt for juices in aluminum cans or glass or mix up a few flavored sodas with a Sodastream. Spirits typically come in glass bottles, just be mindful of how many options (and therefore, bottles) you stock…you can usually get by with just a few.
Provide disposal options
Making sure that guests have options when it comes to disposal is crucial. I always make sure that I have a few different disposal options available throughout the house, each properly marked for recycling, trash, and even composting. This saves me time after the party’s over and can also be educational for your guests, too!
Here are some tips to party like a zero waste pro:
Be prepared
When you’re simply attending a party, you don’t really have much control over how it’s organized. Be prepared with your zero waste on the go kit to avoid having to use single-use plastic cups, utensils, and napkins.
Go for the growler
If you’re bringing beer with you, opt for a growler instead of cans or bottles. Even though the cans and bottles can be recycled, a growler is less resource intensive and can be reused over and over. If you’re bringing a bottle of wine, look for options with screw-off caps or natural corks.
Get creative in the kitchen
It can be so easy to run into the store, grab a bag of chips and a jar of salsa, and call it a day when it comes to bringing an app to a party. But who wants to be at a party with JUST chips and salsa. Get creative in the kitchen and bring an dish that showcases package-free foods — maybe a homemade veggie platter with hummus and babaganoush or a plate of homemade crinkle cookies?
If presents are part of the tradition or you’re part of a white elephant/secret santa opt for gifting experiences and consumables over things and avoid traditional wrapping.
Don’t be hard on yourself
We’re human, don’t beat yourself if you end up making a little bit of trash. We don’t yet live in a society that supports a completely trash-free lifestyle so we can only do our best. Celebrate the swaps you did make!
Creating a zero waste kit is one of the easiest ways to start reducing single-use waste when you’re on-the-go. Often, you can started with items you already have in your own house, but just like a new workout outfit can inspire us to invest in our health, sometimes a new reusable can kick-start a new zero waste habit.
To create your zero waste kit, it's important to think about your daily routine. Here are a few questions you might ask yourself as you run through your day:
Replacement For | Single-Use Plastic Utensils
Sourced From | Ethically sourced bamboo
End of Life | Case can be recycled in textile recycling, utensils are 100$ compostable
Price | $13-$15
Replacement For | Single-Use plastic straws
Materials | Borosillicate glass
End of Life | Glass is 100% recyclable
Price | $5-$8
Replacement For | Single-Use Paper Cups
Materials | Glass, cork, silicone
End of Life | Glass is 100% recyclable, cork is 100% compostable, please check with your local municipality for silicone disposal
Price | $16-$28
Replacement For | Single-Use plastic wrap or to-go containers
Materials | GOTS Organic cloth, beeswax, tree resin
End of Life | Beeswax wrap is 100% compostable
Price | $25
Replacement For | Single-Use plastic bags
Materials | GOTS Organic cloth
End of Life | Reusable cloth bags are 100% compostable or recyclable with textile recycling
Price | From $5.50 - $20
]]>“It’s easy for you to be sitting there at home, in front of your television, consuming whatever you want, tossing everything in the trash, and leaving it out on the street for the garbage truck to take it away. But where does the garbage go?”
-MAGNA, former recycling picker at Rio de Janeiro’s Jardin Gramacho landfill in the documentary Waste Land
When I think about the concept of zero waste, this quote from Bea Johnson’s, Zero Waste Home, always comes to mind. Especially the last sentence: But where does the garbage go? We’re taught from a young age to “throw our trash away”, but less frequently taught about what that really means — where away really is — and the implications of our out-of-site, out-of-mind attitudes. Unfortunately, our waste is everywhere. It’s in landfills, our environment, the air, the soil, our lakes, rivers and oceans, throughout the communities we call home, and even our bodies. So how can we take responsibility for our waste as individuals? That’s where the zero waste lifestyle comes in.
Before we dive in to what on earth living zero waste is, I want to be clear about what it’s not. Going zero waste can seem like a daunting enough task when you’re just starting out and, if you’re here, you’ve likely come across individuals within the movement who are keeping years worth of trash in a mason jar and are thinking to yourself, “How the heck am I supposed to do that?” I get it. I was in the same boat about two years ago when I first started my zero waste journey. So I thought I’d clear the air and say that zero waste is NOT:
Zero waste is a lifestyle born from the industrial cradle-to-cradle philosophy — essentially to produce as little trash and recycling as possible, reduce our waste-to-landfill contributions and demand for natural resources and energy, and foster the concept of circular economy. As an individual, this is widely achieved by following the principles set forth in the 5R’s: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot.
Refuse
We are bombarded by opportunities to consume the minute we walk out of our homes each day — a free sample at the coffee shop, a goody bag full of freebies at our work conference, bags and receipts at the store — and with each of those opportunities, brings more unwanted stuff into our homes (or worse, directly into the trash). At the same time, each of these opportunities also brings a chance to say, “no, thanks.” It may be the most difficult and uncomfortable of the 5R’s but here are some ways you can start refusing:
Avoid single-use items
Pass on freebies (hotel room toiletries, party favors, samples, goodie bags, etc.)
Unsubscribe from mailing lists and junk mail
Opt away from unsustainable practices
Reduce
Reducing helps us evaluate our past consumption habits, pare down our belongings, give back to those who need it, and shift our mindsets when it comes to making new purchases. When we reduce, we simplify our lives and shift the focus from quantity and things to quality and experiences. Simple ways to reduce include:
Donate, sell or swap unwanted items
Share, borrow, or rent less frequently used items
Use what you have, buy only what you need
Avoid mindless shopping
Consider the life cycle of potential purchases — can it be reused, recycled, composted?
Reuse
The average single-use item is used for thirty seconds or less before being thrown in the trash. To avoid supporting these products and the resources their production, and subsequent disposal, deplete we can reuse. Here are some great places to start:
Create a basic reusables kit:
Tote bag
Bulk/produce bags
Water bottle
Coffee/tea mug
Straw
Utensils
Food container
Cloth napkins/hankies
Borrow, rent, or share less frequently used items
Shop secondhand
Repair what you have
Get to know your local recycling municipality and what can and cannot be recycled
Consider visiting your local MRF (materials recovery facility)
Designate an indoor bin to collect your recyclables
Research collection sites for hard-to-recycle items like electronics, clothes & textiles, corks, certain plastics, appliances, and hazardous waste
Ask yourself, “Can I reuse this item?” before sending it to be recycled
Rotting = composting (or the recycling of organic materials). Food waste makes up about one-third of all household waste — when you remove it, plus recyclables, trash-to-landfill drastically decreases (as does money spent on trash bags!). There are several solutions to composting depending on your living situation. Some of them include:
Contributing to a local composting municipality, if an option
Build a compost in your backyard
Build a worm bin or bokashi in your apartment
Freeze your compost and donate to a local farm or farmer’s market
Join a community garden and contribute your compostables
Thanksgiving is only a few days away and like many of you, I’ve been spending more time than usual in the kitchen and making trips back and forth to the grocery store. Of all holidays, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite — time with family, delicious food, and no pressure around gifts. It’s also a holiday prime for an over-abundance of food waste. In fact, it’s estimated that our food waste increases by over a third during the holidays with Americans wasting on average 5 million more pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years!
Thankfully, with a little planning and creativity you can be on your way to a delicious, low waste, meal. Check out some of my favorite tips for zero waste feasting below:
Have any other savvy tips or tricks to make the most of your food? Drop them in the comments below!
Photo Credit: @rootedjuicery
]]>Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to wrap and decorate your holiday gifts without spending lots of money on single-use wrapping paper and decorations and sending it all to the landfill. Below is a low waste guide for wrapping your holiday presents using all secondhand, recyclable, compostable, and reusable items. Beautiful and sustainable!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR WRAPPING:
Recycled brown paper (I saved mine from packages I’ve received throughout the year)
Old paper bags
Newspaper
Old maps
Scrap fabric
A cloth bag — that’s part of the gift!
A vintage scarf or hanky
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR TYING + DECORATION + ASSEMBLY
Twine
Yarn scraps
Hemp
Strips of scrap fabric
Real plants (look around your house, yard or neighborhood)
Upcycled hang tags
Scissors
To wrap this mini zero waste on-the-go kit — bamboo utensils, glass straw, produce bag, and bulk bag — I found a piece of scrap fabric at my local secondhand craft store and tied it using the Japanese technique of Furoshiki. I finished it off with a mini bouquet of evergreen snipped from the courtyard of my apartment building and tied it off with an off-white piece of yarn.
To wrap this Keep Cup, I used recycled brown paper for the wrapping, paper tape to seal it, and alternating red and white yarn scraps to embellish it with a criss-cross checker pattern. For an extra festive pop, I added a bouquet of evergreen and eucalyptus and finished it off with an upcycled hang tag that I painted over with secondhand paint bought at the thrift store.
To wrap this mini cocktail kit, I used a cotton cloth bag as the wrapping. I placed all three items into the bag and secured with a reused piece of red and white cord, added a clipping of eucalyptus and an upcycled hangtag for my note.
Opt for paper tape vs. plastic scotch tape (you can find paper tape here)
If you’re short on time and opt for traditional wrapping paper:
Check your neighborhood for secondhand craft stores — you can usually find full rolls of wrapping paper for under a $1
Avoid wrapping paper that is metallic or covered in glitter
Understand that not all wrapping paper can be recycled. Check with your local municipality before assuming all wrapping paper can be thrown in your curbside bins.
Be sure to save fabric scraps, cloth bags, and yarn/cord scraps for reuse again next holiday season
And recycle or compost the paper!
Do you have any favorite zero waste wrapping techniques that I missed? Share them in the comments below and be sure to share your zero waste wrapping with me on Instagram by tagging @simplyzero_ and using the hashtag #simplyzerowasteholidays in your photos!
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