Becoming Balanced

Becoming Zero is more about Becoming Balanced for me right now. Realistically I know that with my lifestyle and schedule it will be pretty darn stressful to become 100% zero waste. The whole reason this convenient, single use product society exists is because it is indeed convenient! Once women started getting out of the home and working full time is when all of these single use products started popping up... and it's no wonder.

I work full time. I don't have time to keep the house livable, feed my family, AND make everything from scratch. But I'm trying my best to do my part.

Choosing what I buy in the store is the first way to reduce my waste. I try to avoid plastic whenever possible. I'm learning more and more about how horrible plastic is for our environment, so I'd really rather not support that business. Once you are aware of plastic you realize that most things packaged are packaged in plastic, which is a real bummer. I've basically found an alternative to everything that I want in life... except cheese. So I still buy cheese in plastic.

I've found stores that cater to bulk shopping. This makes it super easy to reduce waste. I just bring my reusable containers (jars or cloth bags), get the tare weights before I shop, and fill them up! Many of these stores have snack foods in bulk too, which keeps my husband happy.

These bulk stores also have bulk soaps and detergents. I know you can make your own, but this week has been especially busy so I just decided to buy in bulk. And it was still super cheap!

I am trying harder to plan ahead. This seems to be the best way to reduce my waste. This reduces the temptation to "just stop and pick something up for dinner on the way home". I also try to plan ahead to use our bread machine to bake bread or take an afternoon and make broth from old chicken bones... things like that. Those things are normally packaged (with lots of added salt and other ingredients) but spending some time on a day off (or even using a slow cooker over night) will give 12+ ounces of broth that you can put in your freezer for another day.

I have switched to a shampoo bar and honestly, I couldn't tell a difference. I'm not super fussy about my hair, but it's clean and I'm not creating plastic so I'm happy. I'm currently in the middle of a giant bottle of conditioner and body wash, but when those are finished I will switch to the unpackaged versions and I'm sure it will be just fine.



I know these are all very small steps, but these are things I have done without hardly altering my way of life. I have ideas on ways to take the next steps, but for now these things make me feel good without it taking over my life and being stressful.

Do I have the guts?

I've had an interesting opportunity for introspection recently.

I was talking with my husband tonight about how back in college I was "that hippie girl" who recycled and cared about organic produce and gardening. I was unique back then. It was my identity. Granted, I was in Colorado Springs which isn't known for its forward-thinking trends... but either way, it was who I was. Now, I live in Boulder County. The opposite of Colorado Springs. City Composting is the bare minimum that everyone does. Now, not only am I the same as everyone else around me I am significantly less passionate and dedicated than a fair number of people.

It's been a consistent theme in my life to not have one specific passion that I'm driving towards. I dabble in lots of different things and therefore don't give myself fully to anything. I've always been envious of those people who were able to throw themselves into a cause. Without fear of shame or judgement. It's very impressive. It takes significant confidence and conviction. Both of which I seem to lack.

I just finished my first week of orientation in my new job in the Intensive Care Unit. It's a job that has intimidated me for my entire career, but I finally gathered the confidence to apply for the position and was hired. I was intimidated for good reason. Honestly, it's not the patient care that intimidates me. Yes, it's intense and I know that I will (often) find myself in over my head, but I understand patient care - I understand how hospitals work and there is always a team there striving for the best outcome for the patient. Honestly, what's intimidated me for so many years are the people. ICU nurses are very confident people. They have to be, right? They are caring for the sickest people in the hospital and need to have the authority and conviction to get shit done. However, oftentimes it seems like that conviction is misplaced.

So here I am wondering how I am going to keep my personality and my own convictions (however weak they may be) among very strong, passionate people. I find myself wondering yet again if I have the guts to do what I want. Be an ICU nurse. Be as close to zero waste in the home as possible. Do I have the guts?

Simplify

As I'm getting rid of a bunch of my stuff I am realizing how little I need and how little these things have brought to my life. Some of the items that are now in the Good Will box I have chuckled at because I CARED so much about making that decision on what color/style/brand to get and now, only a short while later, it is given away.

But then I go a little deeper. What else in my life is not serving me? What else can I simplify? Can I simplify my inbox? I have been. I've unsubscribed to almost everything that does not directly relate to my current situation. Can I simplify my diet? I'm working on it. How about my relationships?

Ah, now that's a tricky one....

Relationships are not things that can be put in a box and given to the needy. They are not keep-sakes that can be burned in a ritualistic bon-fire with your girlfriends.  But sometimes relationships need to be simplified. I know a lot of people, but I consider myself to have very few friends. I think as I move forward with this I would like to solidify this a little more. I don't need a lot of friends, just 2 or 3 close friends and I would be set. But the way that I've structured my social network is such where I have tons of acquaintances and no real friends.

I had the crazy notion of stepping back from Facebook. I've somehow tricked myself into believing that THAT is my friend. Yes, there are people behind the "likes" but that is not friendship. Since my wedding a month ago, very few people that I call "friends" have called or reached out to me to ask about the honeymoon or how things are going. I assume because they feel like they know and because they saw the pictures that I posted and therefore a conversation doesn't need to take place. But as a result I am left feeling empty and lonely. Perhaps my fear of logging out for good is that no one will reach out and I will have my final answer. But maybe that's getting a little too deep for a blog dedicated to zero waste.

I would also like to simplify my job.

I feel like I'm always getting reminders in life to "always do what you love" or "lifes too short to do a job that you hate" etc, etc. I don't hate my job, but it certainly does not bring me the joy that it once did. Of course, I'm not sure what it is that I WANT to do but I don't have the time to explore options for what I want to do because I am too busy working. I also don't know how to afford not working full time. How do people do that? I want the benefits/insurance/retirement security.

But beyond simplifying there is also a balance of a good challenge which is actually what I'm working on with my job. I am continuing my education in whatever ways they allow me to so I can fill different rolls and do my job better.  I'm hoping this helps to create balance in my life. Sometimes you have to intensify before you can simplify.

Looking back, I guess I've always been heading towards the path of minimalism. I've had this wooden sign that spells out the word "Simplify" in my living room for a good many years now and I've honestly been a little embarrassed to own it. Until recently I haven't really known what it meant. I liked the concept, but didn't really embrace it.

So far I am really enjoying my journey of decluttering and simplifying my living space!

no where near zero: Weddings, moving, and cruises.

My oh my! What a summer it has been! While very busy I have not lost sight of the zero-waste goal. Unfortunately without great planning many of the life changing events that occurred this summer were no where near zero waste. Of course, if I could do them again I could do a better job... you live and learn.

The wedding process was crazy! I had very few requests as a bride. I don't care about colors or cakes - all I cared about what using compostable products to aide in a low waste event. I made this known to my vendor and even offered to dispose of it myself if necessary but they said "oh no, we'll make sure it's composted." Well, I just happened to be there as they took the trash out the next morning and I have no doubt in my mind that those bags were headed to the dump and not the city compost. I was pretty upset about it, but eventually took solace in the fact that at least I supported a good company - even if it wasn't properly disposed of.

The gift portion of the wedding is somewhere that I really messed up. If I knew then what I knew now (sage wisdom that it is) I would not have had a registry. We don't need this stuff. I don't want to be ungrateful, but Tom and I are both grown people each with a house full's worth of stuff. So we move into our very modest sized home and ALREADY have too much stuff and now we have boxes upon boxes delivered to us every day full of marvelous frivolous gifts! To be honest I am returning many of them and will probably put the money towards something expensive and boring that we actually need. At the time I was doing what I thought was best, but now I know better... oh well... lesson learned. 

Moving is SO FAR from zero waste! WOW! I wonder what the effect on the earth would be if no one moved? We acquired most of our boxes second hand (mostly from liquor stores) but had to buy some big boxes for the awkward items. I heard there are ways to buy second hand boxes and briefly looked into them, but honestly convenience was a huge factor since it was such a busy time. There is so much stuff that you just dig up as your packing and unpacking that it just brings to the surface all the disposable crap you've been living with for the past many years. The silver lining here is that it is a perfect time to get rid of stuff and downsize! I've had the pleasure of listening to This Minimalism Podcast (Minimalism for the Rest of Us) which has been super great and inspirational as I unpack boxes. I'm still struggling getting rid of sentimental items, but once they're gone I feel good about it (I mean really, when will I even need my high school letter jacket again?).

We are trying really hard to be intentional with the way we are disposing of our unwanted items. This is definitely slowing down the process, but it's totally worth it. So far I have made 2 FULL car load trips to our "hard to recycle" center - Charm.  It's an awesome place for those objects that are broken or unusable by someone else (appliances, scrap metal, bubble wrap, etc). And we have an ever growing pile for the thrift store. I might even try to sell a few things on Craigs list!

For our honeymoon Tom and I went on a week long Alaskan cruise! Amazing scenery up there! We realized pretty quick that Cruising isn't our preferred method of traveling. Don't get me wrong, it is luxurious in every way, but it's hard to completely enjoy a 24/7 All You Can Eat buffet when you know there are people starving to death. I know these kinds of buffets exist, but I don't usually pay any attention and I certainly don't typically support that kind of consumption. It seemed to be an incredibly wasteful atmosphere that dropped you off in only the most touristy of spots. Tom also pointed out just how horrible air-travel is for the planet. It emits far more carbon dioxide than any other mode of transportation and is responsible for 4-9% of all climate change impact from human activity. Getting to Alaska was quite the trek. It got me thinking about what it must be like to live there and have to travel or have every little thing shipped to you.

I learned so many lessons this summer and I continue to feel so grateful for the opportunity to intentionally downsize and dispose of the items we no longer need in a responsible way.

I still have a long way to go...

Reminders

Reminders for myself when I'm not sure any of this matters:

 

Recycle

- Each year, over 3.2 million tons of electronic waste is put in US landfills

- Only 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled.

- For every 1 million cell phones that are recycled, 35,274 lbs of copper, 772 lbs of silver, 75 lbs of gold, and 33 lbs of palladium can be recovered.

- Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year.

- E-waste is still the fastest growing municipal waste stream in America, according to the EPA.

- It takes 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor.

- Electronic items that are considered to be hazardous include, but are not limited to: Televisions and computer monitors that contain cathode ray tubes, LCD desktop monitors, LCD televisions, Plasma televisions, Portable DVD players with LCD screens. (source)

 

 

 

 Compost

In 2005, an estimated 245.7 million tons of municipal

solid wastes were generated in the United States, that’s

4.5 pounds per person per day. Organic materials—

comprised of yard trimmings, food scraps, wood waste,

paper and paperboard products—are the largest

component of our trash and make up about two-thirds of

the solid waste stream.....Yard

trimmings and food residuals by themselves constitute

24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream...  
(basically this whole article is great.)

 

 

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors the materials that make up the municipal solid waste, or MSW, going into landfills. In 2010, more than half of all MSW was made up of compostable materials (see References 1). Food waste is especially problematic, because food in landfills decomposes in the absence of air. This anaerobic process produces methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. According to the EPA's figures, landfills account for a full 20 percent of America's methane production (see References 1). Composting these materials would remove millions of tons from the waste stream. (source)

Limit Plastics 

 

The usefulness of plastic bags is extremely limited, yet according to one estimate, somewhere between five billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year around the world.

 

Much of the plastic that’s polluting the oceans is microplastics, tiny chunks that are next to impossible to filter out. These plastics can come from bigger items breaking down, but they are also commonly added to consumer products like face wash and toothpaste. These little beads are intended to be exfoliators, but many wastewater treatment facilities aren’t able to stop them. There are many biodegradable alternatives, so avoid items with “polypropylene” or “polyethylene” on the ingredients list.

 

 

Climate Change and Waste

Most people don't realize that waste is linked with global climate change. How? The manufacture, distribution and use of products - as well as management of the resulting waste - use energy and release greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane that contribute to climate change.

• By recycling your waste, you reduce the amount of materials that need to be manufactured, thereby reducing energy use and, thus, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas.
  
  
• Organic materials like food, paper, wood and yard waste can break down in landfills, producing methane emissions. Methane is another, even stronger greenhouse gas.
  
  
• In addition, reducing, reusing and recycling wood products can leave more trees standing, allowing forests to continue to store, rather than releasing carbon dioxide.

 

 

hand soap

I went to three different stores yesterday in search for bulk hand soap. I knew they had it at Alfalfa's (a bulk shoppers paradise) but I wasn't anywhere near Alfalfa's. I called ahead to Sprouts to ask if they carried bulk soap (and it took 3 transfers to get me to someone who even knew what I was talking about) and he said yes! They did. Fantastic! Errand running will be so efficient, I thought. Unfortunately I didn't think to ask if it was liquid hand soap.  Oh well.

Nothing wrong with bar soap - at all. I intend to use bar soap in the shower (after I use up the gobs of bottles that I have accumulated) but there is something so satisfying about using liquid hand soap.

I went through a stretch where I didn't have a ton of money.  Certainly not struggling, but not wasting my money on frivolous items like liquid hand soap or a box of kleenex (toilet paper works fine). Therefore, now that I have a full-time-well-paying job I am enjoying these delicacies of life and I'm not ready to give them up quite yet.

Thank goodness for Alfalfa's. Added bonus: It only cost me $1.55 for most of a pint-sized mason jar full of really good organic coconut-y hand soap. A bottle probably would cost at least $5. And while it was not efficient in the slightest to go to three different stores to look for this precious gem, I will say that I am proud of myself for asking at the other two locations so they know that someone out there wishes they had bulk soap. Next time I'll just know to start at Alfalfa's.

Side note question: Even though it is BULK it still comes in big plastic dispensers - I realize this is a million times better than buying a small plastic bottle every time you need soap, but does it still count as zero waste?

Big Picture

Continuing down this road to zero waste is occupying a lot of my mind-space. Constantly criticizing myself for forgetting my reusable bags or my mason jar. My life is not always well thought out. I don't always plan my days to the moment and as a result I don't always have the supplies I need at the exact moment that I need them. I also don't want to carry around a small suitcase to contain all my reusable goods. This is, I suppose, how and why the culture of waste came to be, but nonetheless it is a struggle as I try to change my ways.

I had a rousing conversation with a very forward thinking friend of mine and it was, in a word, discouraging. Discouraging only because I know he's mostly right. I was describing to him my attempts to decrease my waste and he basically said, "well, that's great and all if it makes you feel good, but you're not actually helping the planet." We discussed and he's right in thinking that what really needs to change are corporations and protocols.  The big picture.

I was listening to a story on NPR about the California drought and they said that 80% of the water usage in  California is from agriculture and yet they are only restricting urban water usage.  It makes me wonder how much shorter showers and one day less of watering the lawn will help if almond farmers continue to use 1.1 gallons PER ALMOND.

In the same since, how much is me choosing to bring my own bag or cup going to impact the big picture? Millions of people will continue to do what is convenient and the corporations won't even notice I'm gone. I know the idea is "one by one is how change gets done" and voting with your dollar and spreading the word. I get all that. And I totally agree with all of it and that is why I continue to persevere. But I also agree that nothing will actually change until the big beasts of business change their ways.  I just have no clue how to do that. Chicken vs the egg ordeal, but I'm going to bet that they won't change unless it is demanded from the people.  Hence we push onwards.

Despite the struggles, I have enjoyed the challenge and creativity in decreasing waste. And I'm working on becoming more vocal to help "spread the word" to help it catch fire. (which is equally as challenging as remembering my to-go mason jar).

One thing I have done this month was an attempt at a zero waste (technically low waste as it is not compostable in the end) menstrual cycle by using a Diva Cup. I had tried this a few years ago, but inevitably didn't like it and was afraid of infection/complications. So this time I did some research before hand and I was convinced. I read this article and it jived with me. I realized that you can leave it in for 12 hours, which decreased my jitters of dealing with it at work and you can't get TSS. It took a few days to get it right, but in the end it was kind cool.

I suppose the take away from this month was to do what I can, yes, but also the act of being vocal and spreading the word is just as important.

my first haphazard attempt a zero waste shopping

My first attempt at zero waste shopping occurred yesterday. Maybe not an epic failure, but certainly not a success.

I had spent the morning making these nifty draw string bags out of old t-shirts and I couldn't wait to use them.

I chose to go to Whole Foods. I figured since I was trying to use less packaging they would be sensitive to that and have plenty of bulk options - they didn't. I made the mistake of going to the smaller Whole Foods that is closer to my house and on the bus route. They apparently specialize in packaged goods.

I got a handful of veggies there and went back to my home grocery store of King Soopers. Now they do have an impressive bulk section, but I realized that what I was searching for wasn't bulk items.

I promised my fiance lentil veggie tostadas for dinner which I knew wouldn't be ZERO waste, but I was hoping to only get packaging with the tostadas. As it turns out there is no "bulk cheese" option that I found at either store. I'm not a big cheese eater, but my fiance is and I don't think he's as gung-ho about this as I am :)

I also bought packaging with our toothpaste. I know eventually we will go to tooth powder, but we're just not ready yet.  It is a process, after all. I also bought packaging with our toilet paper. I know Seventh Generation has a product wrapped in paper, but neither King Soopers or Whole Foods had it. I suppose I should have asked for it so my voice would have been heard, instead I just purchased the 12-roll in plastic and took the bus home without a word.

All in all I'm a little disheartened by this experience. It seems like if you want to buy anything other than grains or veggies then you'll have either make it yourself or drive all over town to the various specialty stores that carry bulk cheese/raw milk/etc.  I'm not opposed to making things myself - I love that, in fact, but I work full time and don't always have the time to make my own yogurt or energy bars or whatever. I suppose that is part of the process, too.

Thank goodness farmers market season is gearing up!

Awareness

Awareness. That is what I've been dedicating the last 2 days to.  Simply being aware of when and how much I am creating waste is very eye opening. From that then I can take the next step to correcting the problem.

So far I have noticed that it will take a lot of foresight to decrease my waste. Today, for example, was a crazy busy day. I left the house at 9:30a and didn't get home until 9:30pm. Essentially all three meals were eaten out in a "to go" fashion, which I am not proud of, but you do what you have to do sometimes.

My day could have been less waste-filled if I had provided my own to-go tea mug, skipped the saran-wrapped scone and opted for another option (or brought breakfast from home - both restricted by time this morning) and planned ahead for lunch time options. Of course I was running late to my next obligation so I got Tokyo Joe's to-go and ate it while I drove (don't judge.). The plastic is recyclable, but as I'm learning, plastics only down-cycle and only do bad things. I did appreciate that the plastic packaging did encourage re-use and stated that it was dishwasher safe... unfortunately, I have no use for a re-purposed Tokyo Joe's container and I'm going to bet that I'm not the only one. Anyway, my one-purpose plastic bowl was served in a plastic bag (which I didn't think to refuse at the time, but will be re-purposed for dog poop at some point) and a plastic fork with 2 white paper napkins. It would not be inconceivable to carry a cloth napkin and a "camping style" metal spork option to eliminate waste from those simple but necessary tools.  In fact I already own both of those things, it would just be a matter of having them with me at the right time. I only had time for half of my Tokyo Joe's bowl for lunch so I ate the rest for dinner. I went out with some friends for a whiskey which was served with a compostable cocktail napkin.

So obviously, not a very impressive day when it comes to decreasing waste.

I'm also realizing it will also take a lot of self control to decrease waste. I am addicted to this lifestyle. I love sugar and efficiency and potato chips. I know that my current lifestyle is not the healthiest lifestyle - although probably pretty average for an almost-30 year old American. But I do enjoy it.  I also realized to do that I really enjoy CONSUMING. Shopping. Choosing. Buying. It's all so exciting, but not the most conscientious thing to do.

Just in the past two days I have noted multiple instances where a simple "no thank you" would decreased my waste for the day. No to the chocolate bar. No to the chai latte. No to the veggie straws. No to the cute vintage-style (most likely new wood) planter for the garden. None of those things make my body BETTER. They simply tickle my pleasure center in my brain to continue the addiction.

Not that I want to get into the habit of making excuses, but I do want to say that this week is maybe a little harder than others because we put our house on the market yesterday. As a result, everything needs to stay incredible clean and orderly for the various showings over the next few days making cooking at home difficult. That aside, its been incredibly helpful and eye opening to bring a little awareness into this corner of my life.

Simple successes:
I used my water bottle throughout the day.
I  kept the left-over half of apple in a glass container
I always use my reusable lunch sack and glass tupperware for work lunches.

Earth Day 2015

 My name is Melissa and I am just starting to grow my family. I am getting married in August and we are moving really soon to a house that will hopefully be home for the next half century or so. Currently my fiance and I are normal consuming Americans. We try to recycle, we take the bus when it's convenient, but really, we don't do anything out of the ordinary to reduce our consumption.

Enter my friend Andrea. She is my super-awesome-Zero-Waste-guru friend and every time I talk to her I get super excited about adopting her lifestyle, and every time I talk to her it feels more and more doable.

Well today, being Earth Day (her favorite holiday), we met in the heart of our beautiful little city and ate lunch and talked for hours about reducing waste for our wonderful planet. Somewhere in the middle of our chat I made the decision to work towards her lifestyle, and what better time than the present?!

So this blog is going to be dedicated to me and my fiance's journey as we go from ordinary consuming Americans to maybe not ZERO waste, but certainly LESS waste. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First things first is THIS IS A PROCESS. Andrea has been working towards this lifestyle of 10 years now. I can't expect us to be clutter-free and waste-less over night.

Secondly, I know that I am just ONE voice, but if more people catch on then our voices get louder and maybe companies and big corporations will start to listen. Just like I "voted with my dollar" for organic foods, I can continue to "vote with my dollar" for better/less packaging and a more sustainable product.

Lastly, as Andrea was so kind to reiterate to me today: we don't have to be perfect. She is living the extreme just to show possibilities, but even if enough people are making small changes it can help in a big way. 

My to-do list for this week:
- start to de-clutter. This is the perfect time since we are moving anyway.
- make t-shirt tissues/rags/produce bags
- continue to think/talk/research the idea of decreasing waste. (ie Bea Johnson and Be Zero)
- Be more mindful of my consumer choices and practice saying no to products that don't serve me.

Wish us luck! It's never easy changing your lifestyle, but we have to try otherwise this Earth that we all love so dearly will drown in our own trash:

• We produce a lot of waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.4 pounds (2kg) of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds (13kg) per week and 1,600 pounds (726 kg) a year! 
• Americans throw away enough garbage everyday to fill 63,000 garbage trucks, which if lined up end to end for an entire year would stretch half way to the moon. 
• Americans represent 5% of the world’s population, but generate 30% of the world’s garbage. On average, Americans throw away 2.5 million #1 PET and #HDPE plastic containers per hour! And only 9% of our plastics get recycled!
• Most recyclables never make it to facilities and most plastics are ending up in the ocean.
• The average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year
• 50 percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away.
• Americans use 500 million drinking straws every day. To understand just how many straws 500 million really is, this would fill over 125 buses with straws every day. That's 46,400 school buses every year! Americans use these disposables at an average rate of 1.6 straws per person per day! 
  
  
  (courtesy of BeZero.co)