News — Zero Waste

I wrote this blog back in 2017, published it again in 2024 and now I am reposting for 2025.  In 2024, I wrote "not much has changed" but for 2025 I think I'll say, " a lot has changed".  The big change for me is the "boycott big" movement.  I have been preaching "shop small and sustainable" since the beginning.  Boycott Big is simply the flip side of the message.  If you shop small you are not shopping big, it's as simple as that.  Another economic blackout is coming up, the dates fall around the Easter holiday.   It's a chance to show the power of individual dollars. 

The People's Union USA is where I get most of my boycott big info.  The next blackout is April 18, 19 and 20, which is the Easter holiday weekend.  My blog, written in 2017 has all the info for you to celebrate Easter, especially the basket/treat part without shopping at a big store.  Instead, you can spend a lovely day downtown supporting small shops or order items online- but don't wait until the last minute if you want goodies delivered.  That might be on of the biggest challenges for supporting small online businesses, allowing enough time for an order to be delivered.    

Here are some ideas to help make your Easter celebration more sustainable.  I spent a fun day shopping for Easter goodies in my local community and put together a sweet Easter basket.  

It's important when you are changing up your holiday traditions to be realistic and think reusable.  I read a sweet FaceBook post from a friend about the joy she felt when putting out her Easter heirlooms, especially a bunny her mom had made.  We can make these same memories for our children when we purchase wisely.

The first item is the Easter basket/container.  We have handmade stockings we use every Christmas and I wish I did the same for Easter.  How lovely to use the same container year after year.  I'd also include some trinket/filler containers and maybe even a beautiful handcrafted spring animal.  Unpack the box as a family a week before Easter and then pack away until next year.  Your Easter box becomes the nucleus of your celebration and your children will cherish these memories.

The more you do as a family to prepare for any holidays, the more memories you built and traditions you start.  So have an Easter grass making party.  All you need is a few old, colorful magazines and scissors.  Cut the pages into strips and then older kids can curl.  How cute!  How fun!

When shopping for Easter treats start at your local coop, health food store or candy store where you can buy from a bin.  This will eliminate a ton of unnecessary packaging. It's possible to buy foil wrapped chocolate bunnies and eggs without any extra packaging.  Save all the foil bits and roll into a ball.  When it gets big enough you can take it to the recycling center.  If one of the items in your reusable stash is nesting critters, you can fill them with all your loose, unwrapped candy treats.  Check out your local bakery for cute cookies, just remember to bring your own container or bag.

 

There are lots of other items to fill an Easter goodie basket, depending on the age and interests of your children.  For toddlers try small sturdy books, wooden toys, wooden puzzles, play food.  Books, art supplies or a card for a special trip or event for older kids.  Try to strike a balance between consuming/using on the big day and having a longer shelf life.    A family game to be played all together can make a large gathering lots of fun and keeps everyone together away from the TV.

One important step to help everyone understand why reducing, reusing and refusing is so important is a community service action.  Our family has added a trash pick up to our holiday celebrations.  There’s nothing like picking up a bunch of straws, drink cups, candy wrappers and so on to make it crystal clear why you are on your zero waste journey.

 

 

 

We all have sweaters with holes in them.  Instead of throwing them up turn them into wearable art using the simple buttonhole stitch to mend and strengthen any holes or tears.  We take you step by step through the buttonhole stitch as well as how to use it for mending. Happy mending!!!!

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What a long strange trip it's been lately with the Covid-19 virus, stay at home orders and a whole lot of stress.

But somehow life still goes on and it's the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.  Our original plan was to do some trash picking up, a recycle drop off, community connections and prizes.  Instead we are offering Earth Day Bingo.

Earth Day Bingo is fun, creative and you can win prizes while making connections.  Plus you can help out small businesses.  Each square is open ended and allows for creativity.  Everyone's situation is different.  At first, I had "take a walk" but realized not everyone was living the rural life.  If you are in a city taking a walk is so different than my reality.  We share big ideas and common feelings but each of us has our own reality.

There are nine squares to fill in.  The center- Planet Earth is the free square.

The most important square is Be Registered to VOTE.  Each state differs but don't wait if you are not registered.  A great site for info is The Environmental Voter Project. 

Donate- donate time, blood, money, items.  There are so many community and grass root initiatives that it can be hard to choose.  Here in Maine since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the lack of PPE safety equipement a drive was created to sew fabric masks for essential workers in retirement homes, public safety, grocery stores and more.  Check out Sewing Masks for Maine. 

Shop Small- this is more important now than ever.  If you value community, innovation and just plain old spunk please use some of your purchasing power to support small businesses.  Green America has a great blog about the power of voting with your money.  

Plant Something- focus on a bit of green.  Start some seedlings.  Repot a house plant.  Get some seeds sprouting in the kitchen.

Make Less Trash- This might be the hardest square to fill in during the quarantine because it's so limiting what you can purchase at the store for food.  One big change for me was to shop from our local farm and buying my milk in glass jars.

Notice Nature- If you are stuck inside look out your window- chances are a bird is tweeting.  If you are lucky enough to walk or hike safely be grateful- nature is a gift to treasure.

Repair or mend- clothes, furniture, a relationship.....  Our recent blog The Joys of Slow Stitching has ideas for using a needle, sewing or knitting to help reduce Covid stress.

Share an Eco Tip- we'd love to hear about your experience with zero waste, being mindful, voting with your money and any tips or strategies to help make staying home a community and growing experience.

We are offering prizes!  3 in a row gives you a code for $5 off our website.  You can only use the code one time per order.  If you fill the cardin share with us to be entered into our Eco Extravaganza Bundle- cool stuff from our downeast shop which is currently closed.

Come on and play some bingo!

 

 

Going Zero Waste during any holiday is tricky but Halloween is especially challenging.  The fun quickly turns into trash.

Here are some simple tricks to help reduce waste but don't procrastinate, DIY takes time.

COSTUMES-

• Organize a costume swap.   Costumes are typically worn just a few times and not made of sturdy material.  Extending the life of a costume keeps it out of the landfill.
• Use your imagination and the recycle bin for any cardboard based costumes.  
• Visit a thrift store for inspiration.  A prom dress can become a princess gown.  A bathrobe a super hero cape.
• A glue gun will become your new BFF.

DECORATIONS

This is the easy part.  Fall is the harvest season filled with natural beauty.  Pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds.  If you want a bit more, invest in quality items including wreaths, bunting and treat bags that can be used for years.  My best advice is to have a Halloween box filled with reusable decorations, favorite books and most importantly memories.  

TRICK OR TREATS

It's helpful to limit the number of houses you visit.  Planning an after party can help with the transition.  The after event can be a special video or family game with a big bowl of popcorn and fresh cider.  Instead of playing "Old Maid" switch it up to a Halloween theme.  Have your family make the cards together.  A fun memory is to use old Halloween photos for the pairs.  Yes, this takes time but if you have your Halloween box it's worth it and your deck can grow each year.  

REFUSE

Simply refuse some items including all cheap plastic ones that have an interest span of seconds but a life span of centuries.  

Pass out natural items.  A bowl of polished stones, rocks or shells is exciting.  Coloring sheets, puzzles or candy packaged in cardboard including Dots or boxes of raisins.

You need to start early for your DIY Zero Waste Halloween celebration.  It takes time to collect materials and craft.  You might also need time to set and manage your children's expectations.  

Let's take the truly scary out of Halloween- the trash and still have fun.

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed with your Zero Waste journey?  The good news is there is a lot of advice out there.  However that can also be the bad news- it can be a bit overwhelming.  

In my opinion the most essential tool you need to begin, continue or refine your Zero Waste journey is your brain.  Yes- your brain.  Any advice you get needs to be filtered to fit your lifestyle.  Not the lifestyle you imagine or are striving towards but how you actually live.  The nitty gritty day to day life with home, work, family, pets, etc.  Big ideas and goals need to be tailored and adjusted into achievable steps.  When we are successful, we feel positive, motivated and more open to examining and refining life changes.

Your brain is also the most powerful tool in educating yourself in order to make informed choices.  In our blog 19 for 2019- Tips for Going Zero, Tip #1 was-

1. Educate yourself.  The more you know, the more motivated and committed you will be to keep your resolutions to be plastic free and zero waste.

I wrote my first eco-conscious blog back in 2016.  At the time, I was working on not using plastic grocery bags.  I know!  Now it seems quite ridiculous but back then if I remembered my reusable bags it was all well and good but if I forgot I would take plastic bags and feel guilty.  Now I never use plastic grocery bags and my town has banned them.  The most important change for me was making a conscious choice and then tweaking to make my choice a reality. 

We all have a responsibility to do our own small bit to help reduce the amount of trash and plastic waste we create.  The journey is an awakening if you open your heart and use your brain.