Why You Should Google “Plastic Pollution”

Writing this blog takes a great deal of time.  I take time out of my already crazy busy life to work on it every single day.  It’s an enormous commitment on my part since I work full time, I have four children, and we are busy with after-school engagements as well.  When I’m not writing, I’m reading books and articles, looking for better products, or just thinking about what I should write about next. Why do I bother when I’m already busy and I have very few readers?  The answer is that I care. I feel passionate about what I’m doing and I want to get this very important message out there so people can be aware of how our trash addiction is impacting our environment and our health. I have heavily debated whether or not to post images of animals affected by plastic pollution. I ultimately decided against doing so since the images are graphic and alarming. I feel it should be a personal choice to view images that can be painful to look at.    There are seals with nets around their necks, sea turtles eating plastic bags, turtles with deformed shells with plastic rings around their middle, and rotting birds that have died of starvation because they filled their stomachs with plastic thinking it was food. Below is a drawing of a baby albatross carcass with a pile of plastic where its stomach once was. The plastic pieces will remain long after the animal is gone and will potentially harm another animal. The pictures are difficult to look at but that’s the point. I challenge you to take two minutes out of your busy day and google “plastic pollution.”

*This picture is from Life Without Plastic by Chantal Plamomdon and Jay Sinha

Albatross with baby

*Plastication: A New Trend in Body Preservation

If cremation or embalming isn’t for you, perhaps plastication is what you are looking for! Plastication is an exciting up and coming trend for after death options. Plastication Incorporated has patented the process of encasing the decedent in an extremely thick plastic case for the purpose of preservation. Henry Fragonard of Plastication Incorporated explains “we were looking for a way to preserve a loved one in a way that is more natural than the brutal embalming process.  Our process doesn’t require harsh chemicals to be injected into your loved one. We simply place your loved one in a 3 foot by 8-foot Plastication cell and then we lovingly pour the plastic around them, and when it is hardened, they are completely encased and preserved forever.” Plastication uses 100% recycled plastics that would otherwise end up in a landfill, so the process is not only humane but also environmentally friendly. “The beauty of Plastication is that your loved one can spend eternity in a place of their choosing,” Says Fragonard. People who choose Plastication can choose to be buried, displayed, or placed in an area that they truly loved, as long as a permit is granted.  Fragonard says “as long as you take care of everything ahead of time, you can decide to be placed in a forest, weighted and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, or blasted into space. The options are limitless and each one is unique and beautiful in its own way.” Plastication is not only beautiful but more affordable as well. Fragonard says “our corporation originally tested the same process with wax but it wasn’t stable enough and wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the look of plastic.” With the patented Plastication process, you can decide if you would like to be posed or have items you cherished in life placed within your plastic encasement. Some decedents have indicated they want to have beloved pets encased with them at the time the plastic is poured to ensure they will be together forever. “Plastication is inexpensive, beautiful, and it will last for an eternity,” says Fragonard. “The only thing that will last longer than Plasication is death itself.”

*Satirical Saturday Brought to You by Betty

Dear Betty: Friday Reader Comment 9/28/18

Unknown asks:

I’ve been thinking about one of these guys.  Just curious about the odor. Also, what happens in the winter?  Does it just turn into a block of ice?

This is in reference to Compost: The Magical Portal of Poop

Thanks so much for your comment!  I highly recommend the tumbler style for composting. It’s easy to use and makes quick work of whatever you put in it.  

If you are composting correctly, there is no smell.  Things start to smell when you have too much green matter.  Green matter is your kitchen scraps, grass clippings, wet things.  You need to balance things out with brown matter. Brown matter is dried leaves, paper, toilet paper tubes,  paper towels and tubes, tissues, napkins, cardboard, pizza box (greasy or not), dry things. You don’t want to put glossy paper like magazine paper into your compost due to the ink.  You want a mixture of two parts brown matter to one part green matter. Compost is pretty forgiving, so you don’t have to be exact. If it seems really wet or starts to smell, add some brown.  If you notice it isn’t breaking down very fast or seems dry, add some green.

Before Old Man Winter shows his ugly face, make sure to empty out your compost as much as possible.  Continue to compost as you normally would, even if the compost is frozen. With the changes in temperature, it will go through freeze and thaw cycles many times, which actually accelerates the decomposition process.  

Thanks again for the great questions and comment!

-Betty

Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion?

I’d love to hear from you!

Email me at Mrs.Stebber@gmail.com or comment on the blog

Cup of Crap (Thanks McDonald’s)

My son Frank (not his real name) delights in the prize that comes with his Happy Meal like most kids his age.  He gets McDonald’s a few times per month and it’s always a struggle to get him to finish eating before he rips open the plastic bag to get to the much-coveted prize.  Usually, a cheap toy that holds his interest for hours or minutes before it is put into his closet in a toy bin where it awaits donation. Do people actually buy this sort of junk at a second-hand store? Over the last few years, we have accumulated some cups from McDonald’s that the kids like to use.  I was unloading the dishwasher and turned one of the aforementioned cups over to see what kind of plastic number it was. It was a 7! All of them are plastic number 7! You really shouldn’t eat or drink out of anything plastic but the least stable plastic is classified as 7 and you should choose any plastic before you choose that one.  It’s the worst of the worst. Plastic number 7 is a slurry of crap plastic that doesn’t really fit into any other number of plastic. I'll talk more about the different plastics in upcoming posts. I had an ice cream bucket sitting in the sink. What number is that? I flipped it over to reveal a 5. The ice cream bucket is made out of higher quality plastic than a cup made for children?!?!? It's a bad idea to eat or drink out of plastic but even worse is to have something acidic come into contact with it or heat it.  I wonder how many times I’ve given Frank a nice acidic drink in his toxic plastic cup? Orange juice or apple juice so many times. It made me feel sick thinking about all the times he has drunk out of these cups. If you have plastic cups you should recycle them and only use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel. Thanks for the cup of crap McDonald’s, you need to do better.

Weekly Weigh In 9/26/18

Today we put out our recycling bin and nothing else.  ZERO garbage.  That makes our September total one bag of trash for the month.  Our original goal was two bags per week, so we are exceeding our goal.  

How did you weigh in this week?? 

Chicken Impossible

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…  Why is chicken packaged this way? It’s easier to break out of prison than break this chicken out of the over the top plastic container, I should know, I broke out of prison once!  But that’s a post for another day. Bell & Evans is a pretty good company as far as chicken companies go. They don’t use antibiotics and they feed their chickens either all natural or certified organic feed. Their organic chickens get to go outside and are raised on an organic farm. Their non-organic chickens are raised on a regular farm but are kept only in a barn and don’t get to go outside. Both are free range inside their barn.  This is a big deal since factory chickens are not treated well. I’ll cover factory chicken in an upcoming post. I do think when it comes to sustainability, their packaging could improve. The thick plastic part of the package is recyclable but I don’t think most people know or do that.  Recycling plastic is not a closed loop system and it can only be recycled into a lesser plastic before it goes to the landfill. I’d like to see minimal packaging and more information on the package to let people know that it can and should be recycled. I struggle to get the package open despite being able-bodied.  I’m not sure if it’s that hard for everyone. Think about where the chicken you buy comes from. It might taste the same to me but I feel better about buying chicken that comes from a place that is more in line with my values. If we all make educated and conscientious purchases, we can make change for the better.

My Kitchen Towels Bring All The Boys To The Yard

During The Great Purge of 2018, I discovered that I had around 25 kitchen towels. They were all the thicker, fuzzier kind that most kitchens have. I don’t like the thick fuzzy kind but they were gifts and I would accept them and keep them because I felt obligated to do so.  I donated the majority of those thick, fuzzy towels and decided to purchase the kind I do like. I prefer the flour sack style fabric and that’s what I looked for. The thinner fabric seems to dry dishes better and they dry out faster than the thick kind when you hang it up after use.  I looked for 100% cotton so that I can compost them at the end of their long life. I picked up these cute cow prints at Target for $2.99 each. Damn right, they’re better than yours.

Compost: The Magical Portal of Poop (Kitchen Edition)

Since my last post about compost, I imagine all of you have been on pins and needles wondering what I use in my kitchen.  Let your eager anticipation melt away and make room for the wow factor. Once upon a time, I used an ice cream bucket to collect our compostable kitchen matter and it was a sloppy experience I don’t care to repeat. I wanted a container that wasn’t too ugly, was large enough for our family, kept out any potential smell, kept away flies, and didn’t require costly filters that produce more waste. For less than 20 American dollars, I was able to find a gem that fits all of my aforementioned needs.  The Sure-Close Kitchen Composter is our portal of choice. It boasts a 1.9-gallon capacity and we empty it about once a week. I choose to use compostable bags to help keep things clean and easy to haul out to the yard composter. There are tiny holes in the lid that allows air circulation to help keep things a bit dryer inside but don’t worry, there are no odors to offend your olfactory.  Yes, it’s plastic but at least it’s partly made from recycled material. You can find the Sure Kitchen Composter and the Unni compost bags on Amazon. Find what works for you and get composting. It’s more fun than you think.

Update 4/16/19:  These bags have been very slow to breakdown through the long winter.  They are proving to be a hindrance in the composting process and I'm second guessing whether I recommend them.  I'll keep an eye on things and give an update in a couple months but for now, I would not recommend them.  Stay tuned.

Subway Cares

My family likes Subway and we eat there once or twice per month.  We have been composting the sandwich wrappers for some time, so I was pretty excited to notice it now states this right on the wrapper!  Right. On. The. Wrapper!!! It’s hard to contain such excitement and I had to grab my phone for a photo opportunity right away. It’s made from 30% recycled fiber and you can recycle it (if there is no food, sauce, or grease on it) or just toss it into your kitchen compost bin.  You have a kitchen compost bin right? Well, what are you waiting for??? Some Subways even have paper bags which is awesome as long as you recycle or compost it. If your Subway still uses plastic bags, make sure to tell them you would prefer a paper bag and refuse the plastic bag, especially if you have an order that you can carry easily without a bag. You can compost your paper cup (skip the plastic top,) you have your own reusable straw, and if you skip the chips and get two cookies in a paper bag, you have an eco-friendly meal! Great job Subway, now just get rid of the chip bags, straws, and plastic drink lids!

*Mr. Fusion

Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor is in its final stages of testing and scheduled to hit the mainstream market in the spring of 2020. “This revolutionary piece of equipment is no longer science fiction,” says Dave Larry, of Mr. Fusion Incorporated. “The U.S. has been barely keeping ahead of the constant garbage crisis and our Home Energy Reactor is going to change all that.”  Mr. Fusion is the future for America’s buy and toss mentality. Mr. Fusion accepts all types of waste from food scraps to animal droppings, from thick plastic to steel beams, from medical waste to toxic waste. In fact, Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor is so versatile and so efficient we may not have enough garbage to power our cars, homes, and commercial buildings.  “Hopefully we can become more dependent on disposables and single-use items so that we will have enough trash to keep up with the energy demand,” says Larry. “Moving towards more disposables and single-use items will be good for energy and good for the economy.” The United States could capitalize on the World’s trash by importing it by the shipping container full. According to Mr. Larry, we could get to a point where we’ve not only cleaned up the garbage we are making but also the garbage of yesteryear.  “We could be looking at unearthing decades worth of solid waste and reclaiming the land and energy value of billions of tons of waste.” With garbage and waste a thing of the past, trash is now treasure. Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor is the solution to all of our waste and pollution problems. It truly is a modern marvel.

*Satirical Saturday Brought to You by Betty

Dear Betty: Friday Reader Email 9/21/18

Dear Betty,

I was reading “Cotton Rounds, All Around” and I was wondering why you don’t just use a
washcloth?

-Tom

Thanks for the question, Tom! I could just use a washcloth but I use only a tiny bit of astringent and

I feel a washcloth would just be overkill. The cotton rounds are the perfect size and take up little space in the laundry. The reusable cotton rounds are also handy for makeup removal and some people use them for removing nail polish. I don’t use them for removing nail polish since they wouldn’t stay as nice. Thanks again!

-Betty

Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion?

I’d love to hear from you!

Email me at Mrs.Stebber@gmail.com or comment on the blog

The Landfill Seen From Space

There are two man-made structures that have been seen from space without magnification.  The first is the Great Wall of China. The second was Fresh Kills Landfill. I strive to bring you accurate information, so I want to take a second to acknowledge that this fact has been debated. There are variables, such as how low you are in Earth’s orbit, how perfect the conditions are, and who you are asking. Having said that, let’s talk about Fresh Kills. In 1948 Fresh Kills Landfill was opened as what was intended to be a temporary landfill on Staten Island.  By 1955 Fresh Kills had grown so large, so fast, that it was the largest landfill in the world and it maintained that title until it’s closing in 2001. At its peak, Fresh Kills claimed 29,000 tons of trash per day. Fresh Kills sprawls over 2,200 acres of land and is a permanent home to 150 million tons of solid waste.  In 2008, a 30-year project to turn Fresh Kills Landfill into Freshkills Park was started. Today, people who live within a one-mile radius are 12% more susceptible to birth defects and have an increased prevalence of cancer. New York has spent little money to study these health issues despite earning millions of dollars per year on the methane gas that is vented from the landfill and used for energy.  Whether or not you could see Fresh Kills Landfill from space when it was open is irrelevant in my opinion. The raw data about the landfill itself is cause enough for concern.

Weekly Weigh In 9/19/18

This week we put out our garbage bin with ONE BAG of garbage.  

How did you weigh in this week?

Grazing Acres is the Place for Me

I have fond memories of the long drive my family made once a year to pick up 100 pounds of beef each year.  That was in the 1980’s and I’m pretty sure the world was still in black and white then. Somewhere along the way my family stopped doing that yearly hunt and gather and I’m not sure why.  We switched to buying our ground beef at the grocery store like everyone else. Factory ground beef is inexpensive and is overpackaged, in my opinion. You are supposed to be able to recycle the thick plastic tray it comes in but I don’t think many people know or do that.  You still have to throw “away” the plastic on top of the package, so even if you do recycle the tray, there is waste. I decided about a year ago that I wanted to feed my family better ground beef and looked to Google to tell me what I needed. I did a little research, got distracted, and then forgot about it.  I thought about it again recently and came across a few farmers in my area that sell to the public. A few were priced well but their cows are 100% grass-fed and I was worried it could taste “gamey.” I came upon Grazing Acres and I sent them an email asking what they feed their cows and how the final product was packaged.  I prefer the taste of meat that comes from a cow that has a steady diet of junk food only. Just kidding! They told me that their cows are allowed to graze all they like and their diet is supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. They told me the meat is packaged by the pound in a thin plastic bag. Food really shouldn’t be packaged in plastic at all but since I’m not going to bring a bunch of mason jars direct to the butcher, I don’t have many options.  Grazing Acres offers healthy meat at a crazy good price. We took our two younger children to pick up our first order of beef. Frank (6 years old, not his real name) and Magdalene (11 years old, not her real name) stepped out of the car and were instantly horrified by smell of the farm. “Oh it smells, it smells!” They complained. They were loud and tried covering their noses with their shirts. At first I was embarrassed by their behavior but when Steve (farmer at Grazing Acres) came and laughed and said “first time at a farm I see,” I couldn’t help but laugh at them too.  I still have to throw "away" the plastic bag it comes in but it is less waste than the packaging from the store. You should check out local farms for their healthier meat and minimal packaging. It’s worth the trip just to see your kids freak out over the farm smell.

Geocaching is What Happens When Nerds go Outside

I wish I could take credit for that title but I saw it on a shirt on Amazon. Very funny and true. Geocaching is the culmination of most of the things I hate. Because I’m a princess I don’t like being outside, being in the sun, getting dirty, getting sweaty, humidity, bugs, getting wet, or touching disgusting things. I heard about geocaching years ago and thought it sounded about as awful as camping, in my opinion. I reconsidered geocaching when it was recommended in Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson. My husband, son, and I tried it that night and it was awesome. We found two caches and loved it. There is something about exercising my mind and the thrill of the hunt that appeals to my innermost nerd. It’s something fun to do as a family that gets you outdoors and exploring. It’s exciting for the kids when we come across frogs and toads. I was caching in the woods with three of my kids when a sudden downpour caught us and it only added to the fun and excitement for them. It’s memories like this that they will treasure as adults. It’s a hobby that connects you to nature and is an excellent reminder of why we are working towards less waste in the first place. 

Composting for a New Generation: Book Review

My husband and I wanted to get serious about composting.  We had tried composting before with a Bio-Orb compost bin in the yard and an ice cream bucket in the kitchen. This was a sloppy, smelly mess and after two seasons we gave up on it. We wanted to give it another try and do it right.  I purchased this book from Amazon for $23 and read it before deciding how to get started on round two of composting. This book takes you from the microscopic intricacies of composting all the way through building larger sized yard structures.  It was perhaps a little more thorough than I needed or wanted but it was still very interesting and informative. I suggest checking it out from the library rather than purchasing but either way it will be a helpful guide for you. Now, who’s ready for a bug party?  (You’ll get it when you read the book.)

Material Girl

Madonna’s “Material Girl” was released in January of 1985.  The song brings back fond memories of riding in my parent’s maroon Buick Skylark on our way to Target.  I would be filled with excitement because I knew I’d be able to spend a lot of time in the Barbie aisle.  The Barbie aisle was especially magical because it had a large display down the entire aisle that made it look like a vaulted pink ceiling.  It was also a little girl’s paradise because the whole aisle was nothing but Barbie. There weren’t as many other options for toy dolls then. It was just Barbie.  Because it was a different time, I was able to spend most of the shopping trip in that aisle while my mother shopped. I almost never got anything during a shopping trip but it was still so much fun just to look at the Barbies and all of her clothes and furniture options.   Oh, that pink and grey Corvette! Because I almost never got anything during a regular shopping trip, it made the occasions when I did get something (birthday or Christmas) so much more enjoyable. I appreciated my things that much more and I took care of them. Well...Barbie did have several high speed crashes in her Corvette but she was wearing her seat belt and always walked away.  My brother used to take Ken’s head off and hide it in Barbie’s pink toilet but these things happen! Ken was always a good sport. I think my parents did a great job at resisting the urge to shower us with anything and everything. My brother and I learned that you don’t get everything you want and how to take care of the things you are fortunate enough to have. It doesn’t mean I don’t overindulge and spend too much or buy too much at times but I try my best.  I think people are happier and more content with less. Life is simpler with less and when you don’t have every little thing you want on a daily basis, it makes those moments of indulgence so much sweeter.

Burn Baby, Burn

What to do with those pesky things that aren’t compostable or recyclable that you don’t want to toss in the trash?  Burn them. Many people enjoy a campfire and it’s a nice easy time to toss in a few of these other category items.  If your kids are old enough to do it safely, they will enjoy tossing things into a fiery inferno of doom.  We took our younger children to Crayola Experience recently and they made different things out of wax and paper.  Since you can’t easily recycle or compost paper coated in thick globs of wax, it seems reasonable to burn it. I picked up a galvanized steel storage bin at Target for $40. It looks nice in our home and it’s a great place to toss things awaiting a fiery death. Waxy paper, Kleenex from an ill person, certain coated paper items, band-aid wrappers, dog food bags (if it isn’t plastic,) you get the idea.  I will save small boxes just for the purpose of letting my son put them in the fire. Don’t worry, we are very careful helicopter parents, he is fine. Keeping a container for these types of items is easy and it will reduce the waste you would otherwise send to the landfill.  Our favorite girl, Charlie is showcasing our new purchase for your viewing pleasure.

Zero Waste Home: Book Review

I have always recycled to varying degrees of commitment but the last couple of years I’ve felt that I need to do more.  Reading Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson was life-changing. I think many people who want to make a change don’t know where to get started.  That’s how I was feeling and this book was everything I was looking for and more. Bea has ideas for every nook and cranny of your busy life.  She takes you room by room of your home and beyond. She has ideas for work, eating out, school, you get the idea. Some of her ideas may not work for you or may be too extreme for you. That’s okay. She still has great ideas that you can implement at your own pace. I bought this book from Amazon for just under $10 and it is worth it to own and refer back to when I need to. I use it often and my kids like to look for recipes she has in the book.  If you are interested in making some changes in your life you should read this book, I highly recommend it. You just might find that the changes are easier than you thought and also rewarding.

Compost: The Magical Portal of Poop

Compost is not dirt.  Compost is the end result of macroorganisms and microorganisms eating your waste.  In the most simplistic of terms, compost is worm, bug, and bacteria feces. You’re welcome for that undesirable knowledge. Compost is the pinnacle of fertilizers and you can make your own for free, or nearly free. Composting is important because it allows organic waste to go back to the Earth rather than sitting in a landfill for all of eternity.  I will talk more about what you can compost in another post but you should know that the possibilities are virtually endless. We use the RSI MAZE 2 Stage Compost Tumbler. It boasts a65-gallon capacity and has two compartments, as the name suggests.  You can remove the middle panel and make it a single compartment depending on your needs. We ordered it from The Home Depot and we love it. We paid around $175 and it is worth every penny. Based on the speed in which it reduces organic matter into nutrient-rich soil conditioner, I think the worms, bugs, and bacteria love it too.

Weekly Weigh In 9/12/18

This week we put out our yard waste bin, recycling bin, and nothing else!   Zero bags of trash!  

How did you weigh in this week?

My Name is Betty and I am an Addict

I can’t go for more than an hour without ChapStick.  My ChapStick of choice is the ChapStick brand original moisturizer in the royal blue tube.  It’s thick, it feels great, and I literally need it. I have one next to my bed, on the end table by my spot on the couch, in my purse, in my desk, and other places I can’t think of at the moment.  The problem is that you can’t recycle the plastic tube through most municipal recycling programs. Since I’ve learned that these either end up in a landfill, in the ocean or inside of a bird, I realized I need to change my ways.  I have spent a lot of time looking for something that will work for me and I haven’t found something that fits all of my needs. In the meantime, I have made the switch to Burt’s Bees because they partner with TerraCycle and I can send them my used tubes to be recycled at no cost to me.  I have to be honest and say that I don’t like Burt’s Bees as much as my precious ChapStick but not all changes are going to be easy.  If you are wondering what I mean when I say “inside of a bird,” Google plastic pollution and you will see what I am talking about.  

My dearest ChapStick,

I miss you and I hope you can work on yourself and we can be together again someday.  I'll remember you fondly, like how smooth you always were and how moist you always made me. I'd tell you it's me and not you but we both know that's not true.

All My Love,

Betty
XOXOXOXO

You Must Be The Change You Wish to See in The World

Gandhi is credited with this famous quote although some argue he never actually said these words. Regardless of the origin, the message remains the same. I want to be the best human being that I can be.  I am flawed, like everyone else. I’m told I’m weird, I’m annoying, I’m a b!tch, I laugh at my own jokes too much, I’m a pain in the butt, I'm insensitive, I'm ugly.  I’m also told that I’m funny, I’m beautiful, I’m generous, I am a kind person, I’m loyal, I’m honest, and that I’m a leader. Some or all of these things may or may not be true.  What I know to be true about myself is that I care. I care so much that I started this blog to try to make a change. I see a need for change and if I can get my message to touch just one person, it’s worth it to me.  Since embarking on our journey of less waste, my kids have responded in a way I didn’t expect. I thought it would be a challenge for them but to my surprise they not only are embracing it, but they are also pushing me for what’s next and telling me that I’m not doing enough.  [Pause for epic Hallmark moment.] I made some changes at work (as mentioned in Zero Waste Work? Not Even Close) but made no mention of it to anyone at the time. My coworker noticed one of these changes and she was inspired to buy a set of silverware for work instead of the plastic “disposables.”  You might be thinking, “oh Betty, it’s just one knife, one fork, and one spoon.” Maybe it is just that. Or maybe, just maybe, one person can make a difference without saying a single word.  Actions speak louder than words my friends, and together we are capable of great things.  

You Must Be The Change You Wish to See in The World

-Mahatma Gandhi (or maybe some other guy)

Cotton Rounds, All Around

Each night before bed, I use astringent on a “disposable” cotton round to cleanse my face of oil before I go to sleep.  I toss the cotton round into the trash since it can’t (or shouldn’t) be composted with the chemical on it. When I realized the waste I was creating in both trash and money, I looked for an alternative.  On Amazon, I found many reusable options and I ordered a set of 14 (plus a small mesh laundry bag) from Wegreeco. They can be used for astringent or as makeup remover pads. They are made from bamboo cotton and are designed to be washed and reused. They work great and I just toss the bag in with my whites in the laundry and I dry them in the dryer. I never run out and I’m saving money. Hooray for everyone, except the company that makes the disposables, I suppose.

The Great Purge of 2018

According to Bea Johnson, (author of Zero Waste Home) one of the steps towards Zero Waste is to take an assessment of what you have.  Since I’m already OCD and hate messes, clutter, and all things excess, I delighted in this step. I do a spring and fall cleaning every year that results in donations and a plethora of trash.  I took an inventory of our home like never before. We lovingly referred to this as "The Great Purge of 2018." We donated, sold, recycled, or gave away hundreds of things. We had fewer belongings than the average family, to begin with but we still had so much stuff. Cleaning out the kitchen drawers, I laid out all of the utensils and contents. We had 13 spatulas, 3 ladles, 2 egg slicers, 25 towels, 3 pizza cutters, 2 ice cream scoops, 4 wine openers, 2 knife blocks full of knives, and even more. Kitchen cupboards offered countless plastic cups, tall glasses, short glasses, wine glasses, mugs, thermoses, insulated coffee cups, shot glasses, plastic plates, cute plastic fire truck and dump truck plates with matching silverware for my son, small plates, large plates, serving plates, serving platters, small plastic bowls, medium plastic bowls, regular bowls, serving bowls, mixing bowls, etc. It used to make me angry trying to dig around for my favorite spatula or mixing spoon in the drawer that had so many. Emptying the dishwasher was a lesson in anger management for people unloading because you had to wrestle the cups, plates, and everything else back into the cupboard. I took a long hard look at our excess and packed it up to donate. We repeated this process in every room of our home and in the garage. It feels like a waste of money at first but if you learn a lesson about not buying so much, then really it is a priceless lesson we all truly need. The house has so much less in it and we have never been happier. Cleaning is easier, putting things away is easier, finding things is easier, everything is easier.  We have learned not to buy things we don’t truly need. We were never big shoppers but we no longer go to a store “just to look.” Society tells us that we need bigger, better, newer, and just more of everything. Why must we do everything in such excess? We are fortunate to be learning that less really is more. If you take a moment to look around at all that you have, you might decide that less could be more for you and your family too.

The Charcoal Bar Will Wash Away Your Sins

I love the Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser by Biore.  I was running out and since it is in liquid form, it comes in a plastic bottle with a pump.  I looked into the Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar by Biore but it comes in a cardboard and plastic box.  I’m not certain, but the bar itself appears to be wrapped in plastic. Well, I refuse that! Small steps are important and as we run low on things we purchased before, I search for a suitable replacement.  After a lot of research, I stumbled upon the Purifying Detox Facial Bar with Charcoal and Volcanic Ash by The Seaweed Bath Company.  It comes in a box (no hidden plastic) that I can recycle or compost and the product itself is amazing. I have very sensitive skin and I haven’t had any issues.  I love it and I’ll continue to buy this product. It may not wash away my sins but it does a great job on my face and it doesn’t trash the planet.

You’re The Jerk, and so am I

“I don’t need anything, except this.”  [picks up an ashtray] “And that’s the only thing I need is this.  I don’t need this or this. Just this ashtray...And this paddle game.  The ashtray and the paddle game, and that’s all I need...And this remote control.  The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that’s all I need...And these matches.  The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control, and the paddle ball...And this lamp. The ashtray, this paddle game, and the remote control, and the lamp, and that’s all I need.  And that’s all I need too. I don’t need one other thing, not one...I need this. The game and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches for sure. Well, what are you looking at? What do think I’m some kind of jerk or something!  And this. That’s all I need.” [walking outside] “The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, and this magazine, and the chair.”  [outside now]  “And I don’t need one other thing, except my dog.”  [the dog growls at him]  “I don’t need my dog.” -Excerpt The Jerk, 1979

We are all like Navin R. Johnson in one way or another.  We are all wasteful and buy too much without even realizing it.  We all want bigger, better, faster, the latest, and more of everything.  We are fixated on objects that bring us no real happiness.  We need to slow down and think about buying quality items that last.  We need to stop indulging every single day and tossing out everything in our path.  I’m just as guilty as everyone else. I recently got a new phone just because I wanted it.  My “old” phone was three years old and had nothing wrong with it but I wanted to treat myself, even though in reality I get just about everything I want when I want it.  The planet doesn’t belong to us and we all need to do better, starting with me.

Reusable Produce Bags Can Carry Your Melons

After we made the switch to reusable shopping bags it seemed counterproductive to still be using the plastic produce bags. I turned to Google to crack the case and it turns out that once again Amazon had the answer to all of my produce bag problems. I ordered the Naturally Sensible 5 pack of bags for about $15. I could hardly contain myself waiting for them to arrive. The first time I used them at the store my daughter Harriet (not her real name) kept looking around because she was uncomfortable with what I was doing.  I asked her if she was embarrassed and she said she wasn’t but since I’m embarrassing most days of the week, I expect that my divergence from the norm was indeed an embarrassment. The good news is that she got over it and now I’m back to being generally embarrassing all by myself.  Reusable produce bags won’t actually fit your melons but you don’t need a bag for them anyway.

Cannibalistic Cows Demand an Appetizer of Plastic

What the f**k are we feeding our cattle?  I used to snub my nose at organic meat because of the cost. What is so special about the animals used for such overpriced meat?  Were they of particular high intelligence or did they descend from bovine royalty?  How do you justify the cost? Now I know you don’t have to pay what they want at the store for healthy, ethical meat.  If you take the time to research your area, you will find local farmers that take good care of their animals and feed them properly.  What that means is they have access to pasture and are either all grass-fed or they may be fed grass as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Because they are taken care of, they are not laden with antibiotics to keep them well enough to get to slaughter. If you buy direct from the local farmer you will save a great deal of money.  Most people like to save money. I took the time to research my area and found Grazing Acres. They feed their cows fruits and vegetables, in addition to all the grazing they do. The price I paid per pound is far less than factory meat from the grocery store.  If you research what factory or “regular” cows are fed, you will be shocked. They are fed candy, feces, road kill, euthanized cats and dogs (in the form of animal feed,) feathers, hair, skin, hooves, plastic, and other cows. I’m not sure which of these things disturbs me the most. They are fed plastic as a replacement for fiber because their diet is so poor. How did we get to this point? We got here by demanding more for a cheaper price. As Bea Johnson says in her book, Zero Waste Home, "shopping is voting." If we all refuse to accept the practice of factory farms, there will be change.  We need to demand better. Shopping is voting; and now I'm giving my vote to healthy cows that were treated well. Please read this article from Organic Consumers Association by clicking here.

TerraCycle is My New Best Friend

I can’t recall how I heard about TerraCycle.  It has been on my list of things to check into and I admit I have been putting it off.  The best solution for our trash problem is to refuse and reduce what we buy and use. Obviously we need some products and the best products we buy are ones that can be infinitely recycled.  I’ll talk more about recycling in another post but it’s important to know that plastic is a finite material that can only be downcycled so many times before it is laid to rest in a landfill for all of eternity.  Lots of plastic can’t be recycled at all. Giving up plastic is very difficult. It’s like trying to give up sugar. It is everywhere! As we get close to running out of a product that is not sustainable or packaged in an eco-responsible way, we look for an improvement.  Sometimes we find an improvement that is sustainable, responsibly packaged, and made in a way that is in line with our values. Sometimes we are not quite there in options that will work for us. Remember that it’s all about making small changes that work for you and taking baby steps.  TerraCycle is our friend during this transition and beyond. They specialize in recycling everything, and I do mean everything. They have a program for prepaid boxes for hard to recycle items that are not accepted by your municipal recycling program. They also have paired with manufacturers that care and want to do the right thing by recycling the waste of their products.  I signed up for the FREE recycling program for Burt’s Bees, Garnier, and Tom’s of Maine. You will be put on a waiting list but when it’s your turn, they send you a free shipping label and you send them back their stuff that would have ended up in the landfill. It’s easy and FREE. When I can’t find a suitable sustainable product, this is the next best thing. For now, in our home, we will try to make a point to choose these brands because we want to support manufacturers that care about the environment.  We all need to do our part to produce less waste in the first place but we also need more companies like TerraCycle.

Canning is a Family Affair

Once upon a time, I thought store-bought spaghetti sauce was the shiznit.  My mother in law ruined that delightful fallacy when she served me her homemade spaghetti sauce for the very first time. Curse her and her delicious concoctions! Ignorance was bliss. Now that I had the lust for this amazing sauce, I had to have it.  Store bought sauce now tasted like ketchup to me. For a while, my mother in law would keep me stocked up on her home canned tomatoes but then I decided to try growing and canning my own.  What was I thinking? Gardening is most things that I loathe. I don’t like being outside, being hot, being in the sun, sweating, getting dirty, and I friggin hate bugs. I've been told I'm a bit of a princess. I feel this is an excellent time to mention that raw tomatoes are near the top of my most hated foods list. In their natural form, they taste like what I imagine poison must taste like. If I was being tortured to give up valuable intelligence, I would hold up to waterboarding but crack when force-fed raw tomatoes. I might be exaggerating a little but tomatoes are a disgusting fruit. Before we moved to our current home, we tried our hand at gardening at a community garden. The tomato plants grew huge and we canned, and canned, and canned. We now have four gardens at our home. We use tomatoes in homemade spaghetti sauce and in homemade chili.  Most years we even make and can our own salsa. I only can tomatoes that I grow in my own garden. There is something so rewarding about starting something from seed, planting it, harvesting it, and eating it, that it seems to taste better. The very best part is that the kids get excited about the gardens we have and they love helping to pick and can our harvested fruits and vegetables. Gardening and canning is time well spent with those you love most.