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Zero-Waste Basics

Getting Over the Ick Factor to Reduce Waste

Posted on April 23, 2019September 2, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

reusable washable cloth handkerchiefs

The ick factor over dirt and germs leads us to buy stuff over and over and over rather than simply washing quality items we buy or make once an reuse over and over.

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"Bring me back" Last week, I visited family and f

"Bring me back"

Last week, I visited family and friends in Canada and Friday in Montreal at @lepetitdep, saw these delicious soups from @latina_cuisine, sold in returnable mason jars. If you look at the Latina Cuisine website, you can buy their products at many locations in Montreal, including some IGA grocery stores! (You can find them in a handful of stores in the Ottawa area also.)

We have, for the most part, a centralized food system that cranks out ultra-processed, ultra-profitable "food" that can be shipped long distances thanks in part to indestructible, chemical-leaching, single-use plastic packaging. Our health, the environment (and our taste buds) need local, affordable, real food for everyone, crafted by small producers and sold in reusable, refillable containers.

Don't these look appetizing?
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#jars #jarporn #masonjars #reusables #reuserevolution #refillable #wastenotwantnot #sustainablelifestyle #sustainablefoodsystems #plasticfreeliving #plasticfreelifestyle #breakfreefromplastic #plasticpollution #plasticisfossilfuel #plasticfreejuly #plasticfreeforthesea #plasticfreeoceans #wastefreeliving #lowwasteliving #zerowastejourney #zerowastelifestyle #zerowasteliving #zerowastetips #zerowastehome #zerowastechef #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb #loveyourmother

I’m so excited! I’ll be at @rainbow_grocery on

I’m so excited! I’ll be at @rainbow_grocery on Sunday, April 16th from 11am to 2pm, sewing produce bags out of donated fabric, handing those out and signing copies of my book.

Rainbow is bulk heaven. If you ever visit San Francisco and are into zero waste at all or low waste or whatever you want to call it, you must visit. One year for my birthday, I asked to go there.

After I sew and sign, I’ll stock up on all the stuff I’ve run out of, like looseleaf puerh tea and cacao nibs (I brew them together... OMG... I will have to post a Reel about that). My friend @debrabaida says if Rainbow doesn’t have it, it doesn’t exist. I think she’s right!

I hope I can meet some of you in person that day. I’m really looking forward to it. Can you tell?

Thank you for asking for my food-waste busting adv

Even your carnivore eaters will devour this beanie

Even your carnivore eaters will devour this beanie shepherds pie. And you’ll reduce wasted food when you make this highly adaptable recipe with what’s on hand.

You’ll need random beans, vegetables and potatoes. This tastes really good with tomatoes and mushrooms but don’t worry if you don’t have those. A bit of miso or spoonful of soy sauce will add umami if you don’t have mushrooms. Maybe you have a bit of red wine. Add a generous splash of that. Get creative with what’s on hand. And taste as you go!

Here is the non-recipe recipe:
💫 If you have mushrooms, sauté those in olive oil until they have released their water and browned. Set aside.
💫 In the same, now-empty pan, sauté random, bite-size vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add more olive oil if necessary. I used two small carrots and all the parts of a bunch of broccolini (you can eat all the parts, including any leaves). Set those vegetables aside.
💫 Next, sauté an onion or shallots or a small leek until softened. Stir in herbs. I used previously fresh sage I had dried after Thanksgiving.
💫 Stir in tomatoes if you have them. I have a few jars of frozen roasted tomatoes left from the fall. I added half a jar.
💫 Stir in cooked beans. I used pinto and white beans cooked a couple of days earlier in my pressure cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste.
💫 If you’re using an oven-proof pan, spread the beans into an even layer. Or move them to a baking dish. Layer on sauteéd vegetables.
💫 Boil bite-size pieces of potatoes (skin on if organic), drain when cooked, add milk and butter of choice, salt and paper to taste and mash. You can make these a day or two in advance. Layer over the vegetables.
💫 Place the shepherd’s pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake in a 400F oven for about 25 minutes. Broil the top for the last few minutes to brown the potatoes.

This large shepherd’s pie feeds us for a few meals. Cook less, eat more. Enjoy!

"The most important thing an individual can do is

"The most important thing an individual can do is be a little less of an individual and join together with others in movements large enough to make change." — Bill McKibben, 350.org founder

Yesterday's IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report is a summary of the previous sections of the IPCC's mammoth sixth assessment. It shows we haven't done enough to address the climate crisis but also that we have never been better equipped to tackle it.

You may be asking yourself what you can do. One thing we can all do is find our people by joining a climate-focused group such as @350org, @sunrisemvmnt, @indigenousclimateaction, @nrdc_org, @earthjustice ... There are many. And if you have eco-anxiety, working with other concerned citizens can help.
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#IPCC #IPCCreport #globalgoals #keepitintheground #loveearth #noplanetb #strikeforclimate #thereisnoplanetb #plasticisfossilfuel #climatecrisis #climateemergency #extinctioncrisis #climatechangeawareness #climatecrisisisreal #climatechangeisreal #environmentalactivism #climatechangesolutions #climatesolutions #climatejustice #climateactionnow #globalwarmingisreal #drawdown #drought #wildfires #environmentalracism #climateaction #actonclimate #loveyourmother

I’m out of dish blocks and dish soap 😮 No pro

I’m out of dish blocks and dish soap 😮 No problem! I can make dish soap! Here’s how:

🫧 Heat 2 cups of water.
🫧 Turn off the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of shredded bar soap.
🫧 After the soap melts, stir in 1 teaspoon of washing soda.
🫧 Let the soap sit for several hours or overnight. Add 15 drops of essential oil if you’d like scented dish soap.

If it’s too thick to use, give it a whir with an immersion blender. Store in a pump and use as needed. I made this batch with Good Soap. Dr. Bronner’s is good.

This is not super sudsy like the commercial stuff but it gets the job done and doesn’t cost very much to make.

If you can’t find washing soda, you can make it by heating baking soda. See my recipe index for that and this dish soap.

Out of baking powder? If you have cream of tarter

A lower waste lifestyle should save you money, not

A lower waste lifestyle should save you money, not bankrupt you. Yes, some aspects of zero-waste living cost more (unpackaged farmers' market produce versus a discount grocer that packages everything in plastic). But others aspects will save money—eating all the food you buy instead of throwing some out, eating lower on the food chain, buying in bulk when you can (for many items, not all). These nine ideas are just some of the ways to reduce waste and save money.
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#frugal #thriftlife #secondhandfirst #makedo #buyless #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #foodwaste #zerofoodwaste #lovefoodhatewaste #wastefreeliving #lowwasteliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #plasticfreeliving #plasticfreelifestyle #breakfreefromplastic #plasticfreejuly #plasticpollutes #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastetips #kitchentips #zerowastechef #climateemergency #thereisnoplanetb

UPDATE: The 200 spots have filled! Thank you to ev

Clean rust from jars and lids with DIY citrus scou

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