Play dough will keep my son occupied for hours. It’s also super easy and cheap to make at home, and you probably have the ingredients already. Most recipes seem to include flour, salt, cream of tarter, and oil. Coloring is optional. I don’t know about you but I do not have cream of tarter and…
It’s a new year! We’re going to be focusing a bit more on the other R’s this year beyond Recycle even though Recycle is a big area we can always improve on. There are at least 7 Other Rs according to Treehugger: Reduce: Just use less. Return: Producers should take back what they sell. Reuse: Almost boring,…
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.…
I purchased these products myself and my review is my own experience. More environmentally friendly kitchen scrub options Most kitchen sponges or scrubbing items are made of oddly shaped plastic, a combination of soft and hard plastics, or a combination of different materials which make them difficult to separate and/or recycle. Unless you are going…
This month Earth 911 posted an article titled, “Everything Your Child Needs for a Waste-Free School Year” and “Be Prepared: Your Complete Back-to-School Guide” These articles point out some new “green” school and office supplies that are more environmentally friendly than traditional supplies. However; while I appreciate their intent, and yes compostable materials and recycled…
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…
These are the questions you submitted for clarification on curbside recycling in Austin. We have the contacts and the resources to recycle a ton of items in Austin (we’re so lucky!) we just need to read the material to Recycle Right! Recycling Numbers:The often misidentified “recycling number” inside the little triangle on materials is actually…
Pets have a lot of stuff! It can be hard to be 100% zero waste with an animal. Here are a few ideas that may help lower the environmental impact of your furry friend(s). Buy in bulk if it’s available. Do ask the store how they fill the bulk bins. The store may be using…
Many of the homes in my neighborhood are hitting the 10 year mark. As such, a lot of renovations are going on. The last time I put out a Styrofoam request, I received four big boxes worth of material from two bathroom renovation projects! Another neighbor needed to have her sink replaced and kindly asked…
If you read any zero waste blog, one of the items that inevitably comes up is razors. The blogs recommend you get laser hair removal, waxed, or use a straight or safety razor. All these actions cut down on the disposable razors and replaceable heads, and the plastic used in “disposables.” My leg hair is…