I just learned about the Buy Nothing Project/group about a month ago. I’m used to seeing, reading, and writing about posting about (for or away/give or want) items on craigslist, Freecycle, Marketplace and our neighborhood social media platforms. My neighbors started mentioning our area’s Buy Nothing group as a way to re-purpose/re-home/donate items. It’s awesome.…
We’ve all seen these. Many of us have ended up with them, willing or not. There are local charities that are ecstatic to accept donations of unopened utensil/cutlery packs! You may have to do some research at first. As I am informed of organizations accepting donations I will update this post. Mobile Loaves & Fishes…
I don’t know about you, but I always came home with a ton of little party favors and such from school at this time of year, not to mention all the other holiday/seasonal parties, birthday parties, stocking stuffers, treats, freebies, etc. When you’re a kid, it can seem like you get something at everything you…
Several years ago my pre-lit Christmas tree lights began to go out. Eventually two entire tiers (of three) burned out. My mom came by and cut all the original lights off of the tree and we strung a single strand through each tier. I bought a Christmas tree bag so we could lay the tiers…
I love seasonal beverages! They’re my favorite treat! I love to try the holiday flavors that come out at this time of year. Unfortunately I’ve discovered that Trader Joe’s, my husband’s favorite place to treat me, is not earth friendly with their seasonal beverage selections. I dislike calling out a specific company, but there were…
One of the big changes one can make going zero waste is reusing containers. Glass and metal will hold up over time and stay in the recycling stream longer. Plastic can in many cases be recycled as well, but only a few times. Health concerns may affect the type of material you choose. Also consider…
Instead of buying a new piece of furniture, consider giving your current furniture a facelift. Slipcovers, pillow covers, decorative pillows, blankets artistically draped, paint, new hardware, new accents, all these things can be used to give a new life to pieces you already own. Here are some examples of a quick color change. My couch’s…
One of Austin’s zero wasters posted about an incredible new lending library she is creating for dishes! You can check out her post on the Dish Lending Library here; it’s so good I’m not going to repeat it! I would love to see this used at the block parties in my neighborhood! Libraries aren’t just…
Unconventional trash bags According to the sustainability site Treehugger, there are 8 Rs. They are: Reduce: Just use less. Return: Producers should take back what they sell. Reuse: Almost boring, but we throw too much stuff out too soon. Repair: Fix and mend things rather than replacing them. Refill: In Ontario Canada, 88% of beer bottles are returned to…
Eyeglasses and Contact Lens Recycling Eyeglasses A super common but often overlooked item that can be reused/recycled are eyeglasses. Everyone has old eyeglasses laying around, some of you may even have old childhood pairs or pairs from before your surgery. There are several places to take eyeglasses so they can be reused and provided to…