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@louwithlesswaste
Save the bees 🐝✨
I’m out of toilet paper! What now?
Not to worry! There’s a simple, diy/upcycle way to keep your ass clean during the apocalypse 😉
In short, it’s called family cloth. You cut and hem little squares and use them like toilet paper. When half of them are used up, you throw them in the washer with diaper stripper and they’re clean!
Look at these cuties. Come summer they'll be even happier and bloom to their hearts content!
This little guy is also recovering during the depths of winter (I saved him from the store discount rack), and that my friends is determination.
Whenever you feel like you're struggling, dormant, or failing to bloom, just remember you might be right around the corner from the most beautiful period of growth and life.
musas wacky plants dream list:
astrophytum asterias
echinofossulocactus
adenium arabicum/socotranum
dioscorea elephantipes
euphorbia leuconeura
aloinopsis schooneesii
avonia quinaria
stephania erecta
The War on Waste
Via Nat Geo
New hair cut after a hell of a time finding a salon which practices sustainability and low waste! This expends from their animal friendly products to the water resources and energy use. They dispose of trimmed hair through a repurpose program coordinated with the local animal sanctuary for pet bed stuffing (weird right?)? Other waste they are figuring out how to reduce, and have come up with some options, but no place is perfect yet!
This is such an improvement and I would definitely go again. It was expensive, but in my opinion worth the cost to save our planet while also getting a bit of a self confidence boost!! I do most touch ups on my own anyway so don't require cuts frequently :D
My zero waste supplies so far:
Zero-waste to-go utensils and straws
These are awesome!! Me and my fiance each have a set they came with the case (made from recycled plastic bottles), a bamboo knife, spoon, fork and chopsticks. The case has a nice clip that you can use to attach to your pants or your bag. We also got reusable straws (I often use the glass one and him the metal one). I love getting the chance to use them! They’re perfect for lunches, dining in restaurants, food trucks, cafeterias/malls and more!! they’re light weight, compact and easy to clean.
Zero-waste water bottle and juice jug
These are great! I love this water bottle. I finally decided to spend the money on a good bottle. I found in the past most metal water bottles make my water taste like metal… which is not great, but this bottle doesn’t do that and it keeps cold things cold and hot things hot. This particular bottle holds 4 cups of water. This glass “juice jug” is made form 100% recycled glass (I call it a juice jug because that’s what I want to use it for) and as you can see it holds a lot !
Zero-waste french press
This french press is made out of metal, glass and bamboo, no plastic! The only plastic was the bubble wrap it was wrapped in. So far this has been awesome. It holds quite a lot, we never need to fill it all the way. It’s nice not having any waste when making coffee and you get a more pure flavor because you don’t need a paper filter !
Zero-waste bathroom supplies
Family cloths: We use family cloths (fabric toilet paper) we made from an old sweater. This we were hesitant to do at first but the cost of toilet paper and seeing how much we were using was upsetting. Since using these how often we buy toilet paper has dropped significantly and bonus they feel much nicer than toilet paper and you never experience your fingers breaking through the paper.
DIY products: We use my DIY toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, conditioner ( aka apple cider vinegar in a re-purposed spray bottle) and body exfoliating and moisturizing bars. They’re cheap, customizable, pretty to look at and easier on the environment.
LUSH: At the moment we have Lush shampoo bar and body bar (bar lotion), they’re vegan, zero waste and long lasting !!
Things not included in the photos:
Tote bags, backpacks, shopping cart and bulk bags.
Jars!! canning jars and re used jars from our food.
Food storage containers, lunch boxes and reusable zip-lock bags (made from food grade silicon).
Hand soap and body soap bars.
Loofah made from recycled netting.
Bamboo toothbrushes.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t get everything at once, we sure can’t. This is a collection of investments made over time and there’s still things we want to get/make in the future. Just do the best you can in the situation you’re in.
“A society is defined not only by what it creates but also by what it refuses to destroy." - John C. Sawhill
Single -Use Plastics Ban?
So I live where single-use plastic is no anomaly, but parts of my country are becoming increasingly concerned.
What does a ban on single use plastics look like in everyday life? What is your milk, sodas, or yoghurts packed in? Do you use garbage bags commonly for what waste you have? If you go unprepared to a coffee shop before work what do they put your coffee in? Do bans apply to large chain stores like Walmart or IKEA and do their stores and products have to abide by the bans?
In reality how impactful we're the bans in your opinion, and did they change reality for consumers and producers?
Did a small grocery shop today. Got some new fruits and veg, but couldn't avoid stickers, a new shampoo bar to try since my 'poo is almost gone, and some meds!
This is as eco friendly as I could get on my trip, but I'll try some new places and approaches in the future! I did manage to avoid plastic bags 😁
I felt very mindful and intentional about my shopping today!
budget friendly vegan ‘green’ cleaning
so a while ago i made a post about how i found this book about cleaning with almost exclusively with lemon/lime juice, baking soda, white vinegar, and salt. now i’m finally making the post about it that i promised!! i have tried almost all of these techniques to clean my home and they work incredibly well, while not using harmful chemicals or at least limiting the use of them and also being easily accessible, and naturally vegan! ill now go into detail on how to use these. the basics so first i’ll start off by saying you’ll still probably want to have an all purpose cleaner (like seventh generation or method) as a backup, however these 4 basic ingredients will usually do the trick. baking soda mildly abrasive but still gentle, non toxic, can break down acids and scrub off grease. its extremely versatile for cleaning remedies and there’s lots of additional ways online on how to use it aside from what ill be going over in this post. it can even be used as toothpaste (use on its own or mix with coconut oil and maybe some peppermint oil), deodorant, or as an antacid! distilled white vinegar lightly acidic (compared to store bought cleaners) can be used as a disinfectant while being completely non toxic. lemons and lemon juice has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, also has a good scent (as good as vinegar works, i still like to use lemon juice to cover up the smell). lime juice also works, but lemon juice is usually preferred. salt a little more abrasive than baking soda for scrubbing, and also absorbs liquids. (personally i havent really used salt at all yet for cleaning) multipurpose cleaner recipes for these, you’ll probably want to buy a plastic spray bottle or reuse an empty one from an old cleaning product you had. these three recipes can be kept refrigerated to prolong use. you can use any of these as an all purpose cleaner, its just whatever you feel works for you! cleaner one 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice ¼ teaspoon dish soap (like method or seventh generation) 2 cups hot water cleaner 2 16 oz baking soda 4 tablespoons dish soap 1 cup warm water cleaner 3 (the one i almost always use) ½ cup warm water ¼ cup vinegar ¼ cup lemon juice sink drains generally just pouring boiling water down the drain will do the trick (be careful if you have a porcelain sink as it could shatter from extremely temperature changes like from cold to boiling). but a great way to keep your drains clean is to pour a ¼ cup baking soda down each drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar (remember that baking soda + vinegar fizzes up a lot, so don’t panic when it happens! its just doing its job cleaning), let it set for about 20 minutes to an hour, then pour boiling water down the drains to flush them out. i try to do this every week, and it works so incredibly well! ovens sprinkle about ¼ inch baking soda across the bottom of the oven and spray it with water to keep it moist. repeat spraying it every 30-45 minutes (maybe 4 different times) to keep it from drying. then let it set overnight. in the morning scrub the dried baking soda with a damp sponge and then rinse off the residue. if theres still some grime in the oven, use an old toothbrush with white vinegar to scrub the stubborn areas. stovetops for initial spill overs, sprinkle with salt to absorb the mess and then scrub off. if you have an electric burner and something spilled/burned into the burner pan, sprinkle with salt and cinnamon and wipe off. the cinnamon will mask the burnt smell. additionally, all stovetops can be cleaned with a baking soda solution. use a toothbrush with baking soda to scrub, then rinse thoroughly. microwaves take a glass cup and fill it with ¼ cup vinegar and 1 cup water and microwave for about 4-5 minutes (you want it to be boiling for about 3 minutes). when it’s done let it sit in the microwave without opening it for about 10-20 minutes. after that, it should be very easy to wipe clean as everything will be loosened up. you can also do this but instead of vinegar, use lemon slices put in a bowl of water - this will help with any odors in your microwave.
utensils and containers usually a baking soda paste (made from baking soda and water/lemon juice) will scrub these clean. if you have a lunchbox or thermos that is starting to have a weird smell, pour ¼ cup of salt into it and it let sit overnight then wipe clean in the morning. wooden kitchen items (cutting board, mixing spoons, bowls etc) for a cutting board, wipe with a mixture of a little dish soap and water. then wipe with a cloth dipped in salt. you should also occasionally clean your wooden products by wiping them with a sponge dipped in vinegar to remove grease and odors. you can also use baking soda to clean them. or you can use lemon juice by rubbing some into the wood and let it sit overnight and rinse in the morning. for wood items that are starting to crack, fade, or are becoming brittle, rub them down with a generous amount of olive oil, following the grain. you may need to repeat this two or three times. if theres any oil that ‘pools’ anywhere, just dab with paper towel to absorb it. pots, pans, cookware, dishes for most things you can scrub with a baking soda paste. for things like really dirty casserole dishes, pour them with boiling water and a few tablespoons of salt and let it sit until the water cools then finish cleaning it. for really dirty pots and pans, usually just letting them set with hot water for a while works, but if you need to, put the dirty pan on the stove with water and let it boil for a few minutes. for tough spots that are still left over, pour salt directly onto the problem and then scrub. greasy pans and cookie sheets can be left to soak with hot water and vinegar to loosen them up. dishwasher about once a week put a cup of vinegar on the top shelf if your empty dishwasher. run a complete cycle. then remove the cup of vinegar, and sprinkle baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher and run a second cycle. this has worked very well for me!! surface cleaning using undiluted vinegar once a day to scrub surfaces will usually keep them clean. you can also cut a lemon into wedges, sprinkle it with baking soda and scrub surfaces with the wedges. for anything stainless steel (faucets, knobs, etc) using baking soda to scrub them and then rinse with water makes them nice and shiny! lemon juice is also helpful to use for any hard water stains. floors (tile, ceramic, linoleum, vinyl) for tile floors use a bucket of warm water mixed with ½ cup baking soda and mop. rinse thoroughly. for ceramic, linoleum, or vinyl, use a gallon of warm water mixed with 1 cup vinegar. rinsing is not necessary. tea/coffee stains in mugs scrub with baking soda, and maybe salt if its more stubborn. garbage cans/disposals keep garbage cans smell neutralized by sprinkling the bottom of the can with baking soda each time you empty it. to clean a garbage disposal, once a month pour ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup baking soda, ¼ cup dishwasher detergent into the disposal, turn on the hot water in your sink and run the disposal. you can also throw the leftover rinds from lemons or limes and run the disposal to help clean the teeth of the disposal and give a fresh scent! grout make a paste from baking soda and water and scrub with a toothbrush. rinse when finished. toilets pour ½ cup vinegar into the toilet and let it soak for 30 minutes. then sprinkle a toilet bowl brush with baking soda and scrub any problem areas. use the vinegar from the toilet and any additional baking soda as needed to scrub clean. then flush when finished. bathroom floors for tile or no-wax floors, add ½ cup baking soda to warm water and mop and rinse. you can also add lemon juice for a fresh scent. windows and mirrors 4 tablespoons lemon juice mixed with a half gallon of water. you can also use rubbing alcohol or witch hazel to clean windows and mirrors. wood polish mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. apply with a soft cloth. pet accidents scrub the area with club soda as soon as possible and let dry. then sprinkle the area with baking soda, after about an hour vacuum the area. if there’s still a stain, apply a generous amount of lemon juice to the area and let it set for 15-30 minutes. then rinse the area well and blot dry. another technique is making a paste from lemon juice and cream of tartar, letting it set and then rinse with water and blot dry. after the stain is removed, deodorize the area with a mixture of vinegar and water. there’s a few things i didn’t cover, but for most problems you can use white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and salt or a combination of those for the vast majority of cleaning and it’s almost always safe to use for whatever you’re using it on, although you may want to google it just to be safe before trying it. but there you go! i hope this helps you all as much as this has helped me. having these easily accessible, cheap, vegan alternatives has made cleaning a lot less stressful for me by keeping toxic chemicals out of my house, saving me money, and by actually working, sometimes even better than the high priced chemical versions!
Zero Waste, Veganism, and Privilege
This post has been a long time coming. I’ve had a lot of conversations with friends on this topic lately, and I realize that these important conversations don’t happen very much in our online communities. There are three main things I’d like to address.
1. Environmentalism absolutely must do a better job of reflecting intersectionality.
I’m a member of the activist community at my school and in North Carolina in general. This means that I do everything I can to show up for black lives, trans lives, Muslim lives, native lives and more. I see intersectionality in everything I do and work hard to educate myself as a white, middle class person. I am part of the Divestment Student Network which cannot divorce these environmental issues from the social issues they impact. Environmental racism is real. The same systems of oppression that are creating environmental catastrophe are also hitting queer people, women, and poc the hardest. This cannot, must not, be forgotten. I believe that it is easy to talk about environmental issues in a way that centralizes narratives about landfills, marine life destruction, facts about carbon footprints, and endangered animals. Often times, the human side of things is left out, and those narratives must be just as important. We all suffer as a result of climate change, and certain populations suffer first and most. Our narratives should strive to be more inclusive.
2. The environmentalism movement absolutely must recognize that it takes enormous privilege to be zero waste, vegan, minimalist, etc.
I had a friend point out to me recently that they admired my lifestyle choices, but felt that certain things were exclusive to them because they lived with disability. They had a perspective that I had never considered and really appreciated hearing. I often see people in this community push back against these statements and argue about the ease of “simple swaps” or “lazy veganism” but this just silences and closes out those voices even more. This seriously needs to change. I love figures like the Vegan Bros because they don’t think purity should ever be the goal of veganism. The goal should be drawing people in to this community as much as possible, and listening to the very real challenges and barriers that people face. For example, buying high-quality, long-lasting clothing plainly is not an option for people of low income, and buying second-hand is nothing new or revolutionary when that’s what you’ve always done to get by. This needs to be acknowledged. Most importantly though, shutting down marginalized people when they express their struggles needs to stop, because we should be trying to draw a wider circle to grow as a movement.
3. I come from a place of privilege, which makes it my responsibility to be better and do everything I can to dismantle systems of oppression.
I am white, middle class, able-bodied, neurotypical and educated. I am “woke” to the deep problems in our current food system, and our fashion industry. I have enough financial independence and autonomy to chose to support better products and businesses. I live in a city where I can recycle and compost almost anything, so there’s no reason I should be sending much at all to the landfill. I have a job that allows me to push my university community to do better, and educate others. Because all of this is true, I choose to be vegan, to be zero waste, and to work for environmental and social justice as much as possible. As a friend of mine keeps reminding me “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” (Desmond Tutu). I firmly believe that complacency is a privilege, and I choose to use my privilege for good whenever and wherever I can.
So I'm about to run out of the following items and need some suggestions for companies/items that are relatively ethically based!
- body spray and/or perfume
- deodorant
- shampoo/conditioner
My top 10 favorite zero waste habits/products.
10. French press with metal filter. This is a simple way for every coffee addict to reduce the waste they produce while saving money. When using a french press with metal filters there’s no need for paper filter or plastic single use k-cups (which are non recyclable). With metal filters you can use them over and over again by washing them between presses, when your filters need to be changed you can easy recycle them, and finally unlike a coffee machine or keurig/tassimo machine most coffee presses are 100% recyclable, can last basically forever if properly kept and use very little material plus they don’t use electricity.
9. Recycling/composting. This is a simple thing we all can do. When choosing to recycle or compost your waste you help reduce what goes in our landfills and help reduce new materials from being used. There’s a lot of people that find it hard to participate in composting but there’s ways you can do it! You can get an indoor composter or an outdoor composter, even make one yourself! You can use the compost for indoor/outdoor gardening, sell it, gift it to a friend/family member, gift it to a local farmer/community garden or look in to your local compost pickup programs.
8. Growing your own food. May it be a small garden in your windowsill or a large backyard garden, growing your food is an awesome way to reduce your food bill, reduce the environmental impact of your food (i.e. packaging and transportation), reduce food waste and help create cleaner air by planting plants.
7. Bulk buying. This is a favorite amongst a lot of zero-wasters. Buying in bulk especially if you can use your own containers is an awesome way to reduce packaging on your products and these places are often are locally run and cheaper.
6. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, laundry, hand soap bars. Bars are amazing !! They’re travel friendly, compact, long lasting (I personally find that thay lasts 2-4X longer than their liquid counterpart making them cheaper in the long run), and often waste free, they can also be fun to make!!
5. Fabric produce/shopping bags. known by most, used by few. Using fabric bags reduces plastic in a big way! A tip to remember your bags: have a fabric backpack you fill with your bags, keep in your car, bike, shopping cart, or remember to wear it when you go out. You can also make your own produce/shopping bags out of old clothing,towels, blankets so on…
4. Reusable fabric toilet paper, tissues, makeup wipes and paper towels. Washing fabric uses way less water than making paper products, fabric is better for your skin and using reusable “paper” products saves you money. You can buy new from zero waste shops or make your own out of new or old fabric. Just make sure to sterilize your cloths by boiling them, soaking in vinegar, bleach or other disinfectants before washing. Recommended to wash with other towels, socks and underwear.
3. Reusable Straws. Fun, trendy and friendly! I carry mine in a reusable zip-lock bag (made from food grade silicone) and just throw it in my bag before I leave the house. When I get home if I used them I just wash with hot water and soap with my straw cleaning brush and give my bag a wipe out with hot water. They come in glass, metal and silicone ! ( plastic ones break faster and can’t be properly cleaned/sterilized)
2. Thrifting. Thrifting is a fun way to get “new” things without paying for the demand of products to be made (depending on the thrift store). You can get unique products from new to vintage, clothing , kitchen, office, entertainment and more! and depending on where you shop a lot of thrift stores donate proceeds to local organizations, and give job experience to people that have none/ are having a hard time getting hired elsewhere.
1. Upcycling. Upcyling is the best!! You can take trash and turn it in to treasure. You can even make a profit off of upcycling or save money. This is very important for non recyclable products, like why throw out your k-cups when you can use them to mold bath bombs, or they can help you germinate seeds for your garden.
the 7 r’s of sustainability
1. refuse - if you don’t need it, refuse it. say no to flyers, plastic bags, straws, plastic cutlery etc. invest in a reusable water bottle, slow down and eat in to avoid takeaway containers, make your daily tea or coffee at home and take bags with you when you go shopping
2. reduce - can you cut down on how much you are using? buy food in bulk, eat less meat, don’t buy clothes just because they’re on sale. finding lots of little ways to reduce what you are consuming can have a big impact
3. reuse - can you reuse the product or parts of the product for another purpose? reuse empty glass jars to store food or turn old clothes into cleaning rags
4. repair - if it’s broken try and fix it before you throw it away and buy a new one
5. rot - if you can’t reuse or repair something made of natural materials, compost it. don’t send it to landfill because it can’t decompose buried under other rubbish, the greenhouse gases will just collect
6. recycle - send materials like cardboard and glass off to be chemically repurposed into new products. this process is resource intensive so it is best to reduce your recycling as much as possible, but recycling is always better than sending things to landfill.
7. rethink - if you can’t do any of the above then it’s time to rethink whether you actually need the product. find sustainable alternatives
We do most of this in our house .we have bins for glass ,paper, plastics,and household waste that is picked up every other week.we also have a garden waste bin (things that i cant fit in the compost pile in my garden)i also have a green joanna compost cone for food waste.we pass clothing on to other family members (i have 20 cousins most have children so we pass our kids clothing and toys on to them)and i love diy and can do most oddjobs needed around the home.
Here's a basic guide to household compostable products!
DO COMPOST: food waste (excluding meat, processed grains, or dairy), coffee and tea grounds, paper plates, cups, and napkins.
Note: products must be marked compostable, not biodegradable.. they are not the same.
DO NOT COMPOST: meat, most grains, or dairy, plastic, wax coated materials, items contaminated with these materials/foods, bones, or household products.
I'll make you more detailed post in the future :)