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Zero-Waste Basics

Gifts, Wrapping, Trees and More: Curb Holiday Consumption Grinch Free

Posted on December 5, 2022December 19, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Side view of a gingerbread dump truck decorated with white icing and candy

This holiday season, save money, decrease stress, and increase joy by choosing alternatives to the usual consumer trappings.

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I was on NPR's Morning Edition today! Do you need

Buy Nothing Day (formerly known as Black Friday) m

Buy Nothing Day (formerly known as Black Friday) may come only once a year but we can embrace it any time! With US credit card debt at an all-time high of $1.08 trillion according to the Federal Reserve, many of us have no choice but to spend less money this holiday season.

And keep in mind that many of today's Black Friday supposed deals often aren’t deals at all:

"But while Black Friday may be known for offering the lowest prices of the year, in reality, it’s one of the worst times to shop […] The goal of a typical Black Friday retailer is to attract customers by offering a few key products at a so-called discount. Then, once those ‘deals’ run out, the retailers have still got you in their hooks because you’re already in their stores or on their sites, at which point you’re more likely to buy something else—even if it’s not on sale." — The Motley Fool

Swipe through to see some fun and free alternatives to shopping today.

Three different neighbors dropped off three differ

The compost is ready and it smells amazing. We top

Applesauce is so easy to make. And it’s a great

Applesauce is so easy to make. And it’s a great deal when you score a pile of not-so-pretty apples at the farmers’ market. These cost 40 percent less than the “pretty” apples. Sometimes the not-so-pretties looks the same as the supposedly pretty apples. However they look, they all taste the same—amazing.

I used a variety of apples for this applesauce. I wouldn’t use red delicious for it—or for anything actually.

Simmer 10 cups of apple chunks in about half a cup of water and the juice of 1 lemon. Add a cinnamon stick or two. I didn’t peel these organic apples or add sugar. Once foork tender (10 minutes or so), mash the apples up with a potato masher. If you leave the skins on, purée the sauce or run it through a food mill.

I made about three jars’ worth but we ate a lot before I could pack it away (hence you see only two in the video).

I saved apple cores in the freezer to make scrap vinegar later (that recipe is on my website).

How many times have you opened a can of tomato pas

#notanad! So we tried @chipdrop for the first tim

#notanad!

So we tried @chipdrop for the first time... They warned we might receive up to 20 cubic yards of wood chips. Pretty sure we did!

ChipDrop connects people searching for wood chips or logs with arborists working in their neighborhood who need to dump their material somewhere. We received fabulous wood chips straight from the source, delivered for free! (Through the site, you can donate $20 to the arborist to cover costs.)

If you arrange a pick up, heed the warnings on ChipDrop’s website! Drivers won’t deliver partial loads and you won’t know how much you’ll get until a truck arrives, possibly filling your your driveway with a mountain of wood chips, blocking the garage door like a snow day.

So come up with a plan to deal with excess wood chips—just in case. My neighbor took several loads in her yard cart and I have lots of people coming over from my @buynothingproject group today to make dents in this five-foot high pile.

We’re out of the drought (for now) in California but overall the trend is toward more dry periods as the climate changes. Spread all over the front, back and side yards, these wood chips will retain water in the soil, add nutrients, suppress weeds and protect against erosion. All for free. And the pile smells amazing!

Not an ad, just a fan!

One of the scariest aspects of Halloween might be

One of the scariest aspects of Halloween might be the number of pumpkins condemned to landfill after the festivities. According to Waste Dive, a leading publication for the waste industry, 1.3 billion pounds of uneaten pumpkins end up in landfills in the US after every Halloween. That wastes not only the pumpkins themselves but all the resources that went into growing those gorgeous gourds—water, energy, land, labor, capital and inputs such as fertilizers.

The good news is we can choose from a number solutions that divert and reduce pumpkin waste and those solutions are pretty simple.

Please add your pumpkin-rescuing ideas in the comments!

#pumpkinseason #pumpkincarving #foodwaste #wastedfood #lovefoodhatewaste #zerofoodwaste #savefood #fightfoodwaste #wastenot #wastenotwantnot #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #lesswaste #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #intentionalliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastekitchen #zerowastechef #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb

New recipe alert! Epic pumpkin and spice muffins m

Ordinarily, I wouldn't be too thrilled by a hole i

Ordinarily, I wouldn't be too thrilled by a hole in the wall but getting the gas capped in the kitchen made me so happy. This represents one more step toward getting our home off of planet-heating fossil fuels.

If you are in the market for a new range or cooktop, consider induction. I am in love with my new induction electric range. It is so quick and responsive and gives off no fumes. And it cleans with a wipe!

Gas stoves pollute homes with pollutants similar to what comes out of a car’s tailpipe: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and formaldehyde. These pollutants have been associated with a host of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. And of all the unburned methane gas that gas stoves emit, about 80 percent leaks from loose couplings and fittings between gas pipes and stoves. In other words, gas stoves emit most of their methane when they sit idle.

Swipe to see thermal a image of gas in action, then induction. Orange indicates heat—not flames. Although the small pot shown in the second image sat on the appropriately sized burner, you can see a lot of heat escaping. Those are not flames lapping the sides of the pot. Induction in the third pic has heated only the pot.

This was not an inexpensive switch—I'm fortunate to be able to do it—however, I did apply for a rebate from @bayren_official which will help. The IRA will also provide a rebate for induction electric stoves next year. That rebate isn’t retroactive but 2024 is right around the corner.

I've written a detailed blog post about making the switch. I included stuff I wish I had known before we started and I provide info on rebates too. See my blog for the post.

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