From 2011 to 2016 I was pleased to be able to have done 365days where I did a kind deed every day(& 366days in the leap year)!
In 2017 I am doing it again...my aim is to inspire others into action by showing them how simple it is to do kind acts for others. I do this by doing a kind act a day. I do this by sharing my story and some ideas for living a kinder life. Kinder for others, kinder for ourselves, kinder for the planet. Welcome to 365days of kindness!
Yesterday I made a trek to my favourite local zero waste bulk foods store The Wasteless Pantry. I bought a few things we needed for the house including Gluten Free Flour, Arrowroot Flour, Almonds, Gluten Free Tamari sauce and then some yummies for me for the next few days. Including Banana Chips, Dried Apples, Dried figs and of course i also bought a new toothbrush.
Which brings me to my next sustainable idea.
Sustainable September Day Nine - Buy or use a Bamboo Toothbrush.
Bamboo toothbrushes are great. I have used these toothbrushes on and off. The best part of this is that they can be thrown into the compost bin as soon as they are dead.
You could also use the dying toothbrushes for those hard to reach places when you need to clean up (that way you get more life out of your toothbrushes).
My dentist has told me, personally, that I need to use an electric toothbrush, so my best waste reducing plan is to buy replaceable heads for my electric toothbrush (Which is rechargeable) and then get rid of the old heads through the dental recycling program, run through the schools or which is now at The Wasteless Pantry.
They have a whole range of recycling programs for all kinds of things... including old Toothbrushes, dental floss containers and Toothpaste containers. However i now have a new bamboo toothbrush that i will use intermittantly.
I am also searching for a great replacement to “Pixters”. They are like little scrubbing brushes that fit between your gums and your teeth. They are made out of plastic and are theoretically a single use item… however I use them several times before they look like they couldn’t clean anything. They seem to be the only thing that works for me (dental floss isn’t so great). So if anyone has a wonderful eco friendly variety that I could use, I would be so grateful for the recommendation.
You can also get plastic free dental floss!!! Which is awesome. It's made of silk instead and can be composted
ACTIVITY: You could also make your own toothpaste. Bea Johnson and many other Zero Waste lifestylers happily make their own toothpaste from products you might already have in your home.
I love the 'How to' videos from Trash is For Tossers. So here is one on how to make Zero Waste toothpaste.
I will be giving this a go tomorrow, so i will let you know how it goes. I will also be using my new Charcoal infused Toothbrush (with black bristles) that i bought from the Wasteless Pantry yesterday.
I hope this finds you all well.
with love & kindness,
Daena
Making life a little kinder for our planet and all those who live here.
Welcome to Sustainable September 2017. This year I decided that I wanted to go back and look at a whole range of environmental or ‘Eco’ Kindnesses.
This blog is all about being kind to each other, kind to strangers (regardless of our differences), kind to ourselves and kind to our planet.
This one month a year I focus on how to be Kind to the planet. I have such a love for making a difference to the amazing planet that we live in and on. I want to inspire people and show them how simple Eco Kindness is.
Little changes make the world of difference. It can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. It can be the level of participation you want it to be too. You could choose to just do Sustainable September every year, or even Plastic Free July to see if a short change works for you. It could be as simple as changing your single use water bottle for a reusable one, alternatively, you could change your whole life and choose a zero waste lifestyle. Whatever you decide to do for the environment I hope you make a few simple changes and be kinder to the planet for all of us and for all future generations.
The next three days of Sustainable September are about the three ‘traditional’ ideas of managing waste. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Sustainable September Day One is Reduce. Reducing the amount of environmentally unhealthy things you bring into your lives and homes. I’m talking about Refusing Stuff, Waste, Plastics, Chemicals.
REFUSE: Last year, I wrote about the “Zero Waste Home” a book by Bea Johnson. In this book she talks about there being another level of stuff before ‘reduce’ called ‘Refuse’ (You can see this graph better in the video below). This is simply about refusing things that come into your home that you will have to thrown away in the future.
This is about refusing freebies like pamphlets, hotel shampoos, samples etc. For example: Pamphlets, if you take them then you have to get rid of them. Some are able to be recycled but not all of them. Shampoo or soaps at a Hotel/motel/Bed & Breakfast are great for an emergency, however when you take them with you unused, the likely hood of you actually using them also deminishes. they are more likely to end up in landfill unused. It seems crazy but having a stockpile of little plastic wrapped bits wont necessarily help you or the planet. If you leave them there and go prepared to a hotel (most times we know well in advance when we go to for a holiday) you help prevent sending plastic to landfill. Usually the freebie is a large amount of waste for the amount of products you receive. And even though a free pen or a free sample of perfume is lovely to receive, usually they are made out of plastics that will inevitably be sent to landfill.
Reducing the amount of things heading to landfill is what todays Sustainable September Kindness is all about.
WASTE: This section (although long) talks about the extreme lifestyle changes that some people have made to reduce the amount of Waste they produce or participate in producing.
There are two lifestyles that I have noticed work well within the “Reduce” banner of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
One is Zero Waste and the other is Minimalism. These can go hand in hand. The thing is that you don’t HAVE to be either Zero Waste or a Minimalist to make a difference to this planet or live an intentional life. I, personally, find them inspiring. And whilst they are the extremes when it comes to Environmentally Friendly* lives, we can learn a lot from them. (*Minimalism is not necessarily Environmentally Friendly, but it is about pairing your life to just the necessities that tend to be quality and do not deteriorate as fast).
I’ve talked about the Bea Johnson Book “Zero Waste Home” already. And slowly I am learning how to work with this framework. I still have a lot to learn and to implement when it comes to this lifestyle. But slowly I am implementing many of the actions in this amazing book. I have shared blog posts from Previous Sustainable Septembers on Zero Waste and those amazing people who are brave and crazy enough to give it a go.
Bea Johnson seems to be the most popular Zero Waster. And you can find a whole plethora of short and long videos about her on YouTube Channel. I love watching these. She is a North American so a lot of the specific Zero Waste products she talks about are not always available here in Australia but the ideas themselves are universal. You can Check out this amazing talk she gave recently to TEDxFoggyBottom called “Two Adults, Two Kids, Zero Waste”.
Bea Johnson is not the only one though, YouTube will give you more and more inspirational videos about people taking on the challenge and living Zero Waste Lives. Or even reducing what they were doing with some of the Zero Waste Principals.
Lauren Singer is another of the amazing Zero Wasters that has a heap of helpful videos on how to live a life with less waste. She does a whole heap of Q & A vlogs on YouTube if you want to check it out any further. Her channel is called TrashIsForTossers and you can check out her TEDxTeen Talk here.
I watched this video from a Vegan Vlogger “Joey’s Plate” and found it really interesting because although she is not going 100% Zero waste she has been building on what she is already doing. Reducing waste and considering thoughtfully, her impact on the environment.
Before on this blog I have talked about Minimalism. Minimalism also falls under the “reduce” section of our environmental kindnesses. Reducing what we let into our lives and living lives of intention is far more important that owning all the stuff. I have been following the two guys called “The Minimalists" for a while now. I listen to their Podcast regularly (I’m still working through their back catalogue) and I enjoy the message they have to share. They even have a documentary out at the moment on Netflix called “Minimalism: A documentary about the important things.” I watched this about 9 months ago and it cemented a whole lot of things for me.
If you don’t have netflix or you want to know more about the Minimalists check out this short video interview with the Minimalists Joshua Fields-Milburne and Ryan Nicodemus. The guys at The Minimalists talk below in their transition to minimalist and in the TedTalk they finish up talking about Waste.
These guys are not the be all and end all on Minimalism. I do love how they talk about the fact that they have one recipe of life that is working for them and they want to share it, but they also know that you can change the ingredients of the recipe to suit you own life.
Joshua Becker, another popular blogger and Minimalst gave an hour long talk called “Becoming Minimalist” about the benefits of minimalism in the talk he gave in Sweden in 2015. Joshua Becker describes Minimalism as “the intentional promotion of the things we value most and the removal of anything that distracts us from that.” And says that “Minimalism forces us to define what we really value in Life.” For a shorter video from Joshua Becker check out a shorter one here.
Some of the Benefits of minimalism are: Less Cleaning. More time. More money. More Freedom. Less Decisions (Less decision Fatigue). More Space. Less Stress. Better Environmental Impact. Higher Quality Goods. More opportunity for gratitude. Less Comparison. Contentment. Greater ability for Generosity.
In terms of Environmental Kindness. Minimalism can help us overcome consumerism by being more deliberate with the purchases we make. It is not about giving up shopping or purchasing things all together… it is about making wise and intentional choices. For example: buying things that will last longer so that we are not continually replacing & throwing away items. Instead of buying the latest “it” things we can choose a carefully curated life where we buy what we need and love.
If we can see what Minimalism can bring to our lives, the benefits and the possibilities, we can focus on more of the things we really want for our lives right now. Including adding value to others lives. This can include saving money to do extravagant Kindnesses (in my case) or to support a worthwhile charity or group who are making a difference in the world. This can also mean that we have enough time to do it.
PLASTIC: Did you know…
“Every bit of plastic ever made still exists and in the first 10 years of this century the world economy produced more plastic than the entire 1900's!” (Plastic Free July).
When it comes to reducing Plastics, it can be as simple as reducing the amount of plastic single use items that come into our lives. Making smarter or wiser choices about items we buy and things we purchase. For example, choosing a glass jar of pickles instead of a plastic jar of pickles. It can be making sure the body wash you buy doesn’t have plastic micro beads. Or choosing to buy whole potatoes to prepare instead of buying a prepackaged bag of frozen chips. It can be the difference between buying a bag of rice in a fabric bag rather than a plastic one. Choosing to go without a plastic bag at a shop for just one item. You could go extreme like the zero wasters or the Plastic Free July team and give up all plastic in almost every area in life. Making the choice to reduce that amount can make a massive difference to our planet.
CHEMICALS: A lot of Chemicals can have harmful reactions to us, as humans, as well as to many other living beings and also to the earth itself. Making choices to reduce the types of Chemicals we use on our bodies, in our homes, offices, gardens and transportations (Cars, Motorcycles, Mopeds, Buses, etc). This can make a huge impact on our general wellbeing.
Personally, I don’t feel very well after being exposed to some beauty products and a lot of ‘regular-store-bought’ cleaning products. That is not including a lot of chemicals that are used in gardens, offices and on some of the public transport that I use. My reactions can be as simple as feeling nauseous and as extreme as face or body swelling (if directly exposed), eyes watering, nose running, headaches and migraines, vomiting and fatigue. It is one of the reasons that our house has reduced the amount of chemicals it uses. If this is what these chemicals do to me on a small scare, I wonder what they are doing in large quantities to our planet.
FINALLY: In the coming month I will look at some substitutes both in cleaning and beauty products. I will even be talking about how to make these supplies simply and easily and with minimum waste.
I will also be including "Activity" ideas for you to have a hands on approach to changing your lifestype to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly one. This could be an art, craft, action or game.
ACTIVITY 1: Take a bushwalk, a walk on the beach and admire the world that you are wanting to help protect.
Last year I included an idea of how you could do a Random Act of Kindness or a simple act of kindness that vaguely related to the Sustainable September idea for the day. For those that are looking for Kindness ideas around these Sustainable September ideas... well I wanted to throw that to you. I want you to suggest as many Kindness ideas as you can think of for Sustainable September, and you can do this here or on the 365Days-Of-Kindness facebook page.
I hope you enjoy this months Sustainable September information and Blog. I have opened up a Page on my Blog (a tab at the top) that will let you access any resources from this year and previous years. So feel free to check that out too. Please note that it is a continual work in progress and an act of love. So i will be continually adding information and resources.
Hope this all helps with your Eco-Kindnesses.
Sending love,
Daena Guest x
So I thought I had successfully posted yesterday's blog at 9 last night but it turns out it didn't post properly. I am so sorry.
I've been working hard to make sure all of the posts are written, finished off and posted before midnight. Usually earlier if possible. But I am using a new app so sometimes things haven't been going quite to plan. I am getting used to it though.
Today was all about drying your washing outside.
But it also had the side note of looking after birds.
The weirdest thing today was that I was in a shopping centre and a pigeon had got itself suck inside. It was super distressed so I did my best to help calm it down and catch it. Even if the last bit failed, when I left the bird was calmer and not flying into Windows. He had found a perch where I couldn't reach even if I wanted to. And nothing I did could have got it down to get it outside. I ended up having to leave it.
Today is an idea that actually came in the mail today.
Sustainable Septmeber Day Sixteen: go paperless for bills and statements.
After receiving a whole bunch of stuff in the mail today I was thinking how silly it was that we are using paper when we can deal with these things online.
"Paper production is a process that has not changed in over 2000 years. In today’s measures it takes 24 trees to produce one tonne of virgin printer paper but only 25% of each tree is used to produce the paper product. The paper industry is a greedy resource consumer that uses more water to produce a tonne of its product than any other industry. It uses a staggering 90,000 litres of water per tonne of virgin paper." Australian Science 2016
Each year companies spend billions of dollars sending out bills, newsletters and special offers to its customers on paper. Not only are trees cut down to help make enough paper but there is so much money spent on postage and travel for that letter to end up in your letter box.
"Everyone must play their part in creating sustainable futures for the world’s commodities. Paper is a huge commodity and is consumed at exorbitant rates as outlined by Forest Ethics‘ recent research. They reported that across the world North America used on average 229kg of paper per capita annually, Western Europe got through 178.7 kilograms, Latin America 43.02, Asia 41 and Africa 7.51 kilograms per person. In Australia we use on average 230kg per person per year. It is clear that the paper industry demands exponential resources to continue to fulfill the demand and if Australia would like to achieve sustainability we must rethink our consumerist ways."Australian Science 2016
If we can reduce the amount of paper we consume we give our forests and trees a break
Front Lines: this is a video by the website PayItGreen.org. The video helps to illistrate exactly why you should change to using electronic instead of paper bills, newsletters and statements.
Kindness idea: place some money in or near a book for them to buy it, take it home and read it.
I love this idea because it's about books and also about paper. To be more environmentally friendly you could do this at a second hand book store or even at an opshop.
So I made it safely to Canberra and had a pretty good trip to get here. No big dramas or issues really. A bit of turbulance. I took my reusable water bottle and my KeepCup too. They were both lifesavers. I find that my KeepCup is so good for flights because I have a lid for it, unlike the ones the airlines actually supply, which makes turbulence a breeze. The water bottle I have with me is only 500ml but fits perfectly in my handbag. Here is is below just so you could see that this is me at the airport living the dream.
My waterbottle getting a trip on an Aeroplane
A view over Adelaide (I had to stop there before going on to Canberra).
Getting ready to fly on to Canberra from Adelaide. Should have photographed my KeepCup and WaterBottle in the pouch on the back of the chair.
It was really rough turbulence just before landing in Canberra and my KeepCup was literally a life saver. As turbulance hit 5minutes after the cabin crew had come around with cups of hot tea and coffee. So no spills or burns for me! YAY! Thankfully a lot of people had juice today or it could have been a lot worse.
Whilst I am in Canberra I am staying with an amazing friend here and we had a wonderful meal out tonigh before i got taken back to his house, where im staying this week, and we got to put the last of my bed together. He bought a bed for me so i could come stay with him! Talk about kindness!
I will have to keep it fairly quick tonight as I am already exhausted and want to get into the new time zone as quickly as I can. So here goes... lets look briefly at paper.
Sustainable September day 3: Say NO to Receipts.
Saying No to receipts is about reducing the wasteful consumption of wood and paper. If you don’t need a receipt say no when asked (preferably before they print it off). I understand many people need receipts for tax purposes. But if you don't need to keep receipts then don't. This way you can easily reduce your paper waste.
“Paper products are crucial to society, as they have enabled literacy and cultural development. However, without changing current paper production and consumption practices, growing demand for paper adds pressure on the Earth’s last remaining natural forests and endangered wildlife.
WWF advocates reducing wasteful consumption of wood and paper. But even with more frugal use and greater efficiencies, net demand is likely to grow with rising population and incomes in developing countries. So how can we produce more paper without destroying or degrading forests, in a world where competition for land and water is increasing ?
This challenge spans the whole supply chain, from where and how wood is grown and harvested to how wisely and efficiently it is processed, used and reused. It also involves changes to consumption patterns – such as eliminating excessive and wasteful use of paper in rich societies, while improving access for the poor to paper products that can improve education, hygiene and food safety.” (http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/forest_sector_transformation/pulp_and_paper/)
Paper waste is a large issue because of the sheer amount of trees that are used to create the paper in the first place. Often the trees being cut down to make paper have come from naturally occurring forests and rainforrests. This destruction og the natural environment in not sustainable, whilst destroying natural habitats for animals and birds. This is not good for the environment.
I love paper as much as the next person. I really love books and notebooks. I am a bibliophile, so reducing the amount of paper in my house is hard. Like the statement says above, Paper is crucial to society and education. However, reducing the amount of useless paper waste is not that hard to do.
For the last few years I have been looking at the work by the Bea Johnson. She wrote the book “The Zero Waste Home” and has inspired me to reduce the amount of waste I, personally, put into the world. I know I have written about it a lot in the past so I will leave this light but she talks about simple ways to reduce waste. The first is to say NO to it. If you don’t need, it don’t take it. This includes freebies, samples, pamphlets and business cards. This can be very hard to do but I often end up chucking out so much stuff that I don’t need just because it didn’t cost me anything to aquire. Feel free to adopt the practice of saying no to all these ‘free things’ too. However, the easiest way to start is to say No to receipts. And build up these habits.
Kindness Idea: Learn how to make your own paper from your waste paper and turn it into a beautiful card or wrapping paper.
Often i will send off a card or letter to someone who just needs to know i am thinking of them, is having a hard time, or is away from home. This just makes a person feel special. Making things for another person is a complimentary way to show you care for someone. You also care for the environment by reusing a resource you already have lying around. You can use old news papers, wrapping paper, used printing paper, old study notes, and even the backs of cards (i like to keep the pretty fronts of cards and reuse them too).
On the front lines: The Zero Waste movement.
Here is a TED talk by the amazing Bea Johnson. I hope you like it.
or this one my Manuela Baron...
Hahaha.. so much for a short post. I do love to type. The hard thing sharing this stuff is knowing when to stop. Like I should have done a while back. hahha.
I hope this finds you all well.
Love to you all,
Daena xx
Its the final countdown... "dah dah dah duh di di di di de dah dah dah duh di di di di du da dooo" *Sings the final countdown song like a pro - including the instrumental!*
Well my lovelies, we have almost come to the end of Sustainable September for 2015.
I hope you have found it really worth your while checking in regularly and seeing what small things you can adopt to change the way you think about our beautiful planet.
So today is My mums birthday.
This gorgeous lady has been supporting me to get my Sustainable September blogs written, inspiring me, letting me hash out ideas, giving me ideas when I had writers block, encouraging me to keep going, telling me to go gentler on myself when I was sick, being my champion and my companion. She is a wonderfully tough cookie who keeps me motivated when I really struggle, and lets me do the same for her when she needs it most.
So this idea is both a tribute and a thank you to the woman who has heard incessantly about the Zero Waste Home, who has been with me through sickness and health (it appears I passed my flu on to her too! Sorry mum) and to the woman who loves to be creative.
Sustainable September idea number 30! Also known as...
September 30: Upcycle something.
Even though this one is not in English, it is pretty easy to see what the steps are to make this awesome Pencil Case/Bag. Check out link here. The image is about half way down the page.
I love this idea, because the glass often breaks in my house in picture frames. Check out the link here
I love this one so much. I know its a book that has effectively been destroyed, but sometimes the pages are ruined but the cover is fine! :) I love the idea of turning something i love (books) into something useful (a purse/handbag). Check out link here
You can tell I have saved the best Sustainable September Idea for last. I also add to these folders regularly. I love Pinterest a little TOO much! hehehe. But I love the creativity and ideas that end up on that site! :) So my passion for turning unusable stuff into usable is such a blessing. SO here are some more form the archives!
CD Mosaics are awesome and sort of holographic! So cool. Check out the link here
This is a simple and awesome way of using a couple old belts and a way to store all those magazines you may need in the future. Check out the link here
This one you can even buy pre-Up-Cycled for you. However if you have a whole heap of drawer units that the legs fell off... keep them, stack them and you have an awesome unit like this! Check out where to buy this here
So many fantastic ideas. The last note i might make about Bea Johnson and the Zero Waste Home is that she does mention that if you upcycle something it often looses its ability to be recycled. So check some of the recycling regulations are in your suburb or city.
KINDNESS IDEA: make something beautiful and give it to your friends/family/co-workers/acquaintances.
Whether it be a bottle bag made from an old (clean) sock. Or a Pallet Chair (like my best friend did for me last Christmas), there are so many wonderful Up-cycling things you can create. However this idea also allows you to make anything beautiful, not just up-cycling things. It could be a quilt or a pot mitt, or even a spunked up pot to put a clump of bulbs from your own garden, or even a delicious and beautiful smelling pie, cookies or some delicious bready-thing (that I sometimes wish I could but I cant eat any more). It is your choice, creativity is key. And the aim is to bring a smile to that persons face.
It has been such a delight sharing Sustainable September with you all. And thank you for sticking in there with me.
Much Love,
Daena xx
How did your adventure go with OpShopping? Did you get a thrift shop buy that was so good you have to share? I would love to see or hear about it. :)
Half of my personal library is from the OpShops of Perth, WA. I so love books! :) And now my closet is also filled with clothes from them too.
A Salvo's Op-Shop on the way to the train on thursday. I was walking in the heat and stopped to buy a hat so I didn't get sunburnt.
All the books in the Salvos Store! So many to choose from! :)
The idea I present to you today, for tomorrow, is about the last part of the 5 Rs from the Zero Waste Home book.
September 27: Buy/Make a Compost Bin.
The last section of the Zero Waste Home, Bea Johnson, talks about how the last thing that needs to be dealt with in a Home that is reducing its waste is the rotting stuff. Things that can be composted. In her book she lists several different systems and ways that your organic matter can be composted! :)
One of those is the compost bin. Like mine. I totally forgot to photograph it today, sorry!
I did love the idea of "Trench composting". The trench composting is where you dig a 12" deep hole (30cm deep) and put your compost in there and then cover it back over. This is excellent for camping, renting (where you are not allowed a compost bin) and other options.
I have a black compost "bin". I have a bucket for scraps in the house that I then empty into the bin outside to compost. I know there is worms in there too because I have found them in the compost I moved at the bottom.
It really depends on what type of compost bin you are looking for. I remember when I bought mine that there were so many to choose from. So think about what you need before you go and purchase anything. Some can take more types of organic matter than others.
"Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants
grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of
what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost
keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and
release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. All composting requires three basic ingredients:
Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs.
Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds.
Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development.
Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to
greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of
different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your
compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides
moisture to help break down the organic matter." (EPA 2015)
I hope this helps explain the Composting better. KINDNESS IDEA: Support Second Bite.
Second Bite is a program that helps feed people in need with food that would otherwise end up in landfill.
"SecondBite
redistributes surplus fresh food to community food programs around
Australia. Food is donated by farmers, wholesalers, markets,
supermarkets, caterers and events. This high-quality surplus food is
redistributed to community food programs that support people who are
homeless, women and families in crisis, youth at risk, indigenous
communities, asylum seekers and new arrivals." (2015)
It is an awesome program. If you can help, please do. They are awesome! I hope this finds you all well, Love and hugs, Daena xx
So did you have a chance to refuse a receipt? I did. And I was proud of myself for remembering to do it.
Well you would think by this point I would have run out of ideas. Well... yes and no. I have planned some ideas coming up for the weekend. Things that if you work during the week you might not be able to do. So I've saved them for the weekend. And now its just ideas for the midweek, thankfully there are not too many days left of Sustainable September. There are so many things that could be used... finding the right one is often a little trickier. Balancing simplicity and harder ideas to help people all along the journey of Sustainability.
One interesting thing though was that I was reading about the Global Development Goals today. Yes... that IS how exciting my work is! :) And I came across an interesting article that talked about the importance of creating little to no waste.
“Targets that will need a reversal in current trends to be met are reducing income inequality, lowering the number of people living in slums, protecting coral reefs, mitigating climate change and producing less waste, the ODI report said.” (Reuters 2015).
If we actually want to reach our Global Development Goals and reduce poverty in the world, we need to produce less waste. Aiding the Global Development Goals is an obvious kindness we can all
do. It is important support those less fortunate than ourselves. I am so glad that I have already started on this journey. Both kindness and reduced waste. I am glad I was introduced to Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson, and the first thing that led me to this idea the video by Lauren Singer.
This would normally be a weekend idea, however, even if you do the research tomorrow and install on the weekend, its better than nothing. There are so many options these days for water tanks. Rainwater is a great way to preserve water. In Australia water is so important to sustaining life in the harsh climate. Every year in Western Australia there are water restrictions during summer.
This is clearly a larger idea and is definitely the most expensive idea so far. It can be a problem for people who rent. Or people on low incomes. This may also be the hardest idea so far. it may also be one of the best ideas if you can make the initial investment. There are now underground rainwater tanks and a few other awesome ideas. Google can help you finding what is right for you.
KINDNESS IDEA: Help the birds (and bees) in your area by leaving out water in hot weather.
Birds love bird baths as it can provide needed water in the summer months, or warmer months. Bees need this too (although super shallow water bowls so they don't drown). Bees are really important to our food production so need to be supported, particularly as their number have been dwindling in recent years.
I hope this finds you all well. Much love,
Daena x
Good Evening my dears (for those in Western Australia) and a time-specific-greeting to you too (wherever you may be),
How did you go at the Farmers Market? Buy anything delicious? Mmmm... foood! :)
Sadly, my nephew had his Soccer Grand Final today so I missed the farmers market! On the plus side, he and his team WON!!! Yay! Go kiddo! I am a super proud Aunty (and not just now either!)! I enjoyed the fact I was there to watch it. So I guess that just means...next weekend I'm off to the farmers market.
The Sustainable September idea for today is...
September 21: to find a local bulk supply store and buy what you need for your pantry!
I recently discovered a bulk buying store called the Wasteless Pantry. Mum & I went there the other day & bought a few things.
Buying the Almond meal I need to make a delicious Almond and Orange cake! mmmm.
For our first trip we only bought a few things I knew we needed (whilst staying at my sisters house & for home later too).
The best part was we could bring our own jars and containers and they would just weigh them and then we filled them up and re weighed them. We paid the difference! So awesome! Prices were pretty good & we got exactly enough to fit in the containers we had! Pretty great of you ask me. :) no waste! No packages to return to our homes to them be chucked in the bin! They had a HUGE range too! They are fairly new in Perth, WA! One awesome feature was that they had a couple boxes of glass jars of all shapes and sizes that were clean and that could be used if you forgot to bring your own. They also had matching ones you could buy... but i love the rustic look, and I know now another place where I can take my excess jars to be used instead of ending up in recycling! :)
When I was in Sydney a few weeks ago I found another store just like it! It is called Scoop Wholefoods :)
Being my first experience at a store like this it was kind of like Daena Heaven or Nirvana! :) Paradise!
One of the cool things was they had paper bags for you to use and you could also buy little cotton bags too. I bought one for me to use again here in Perth.
These were the jars at Scoop that you could purchase. All of them looked so Pretty!
I got SO excited they had WHEAT FREE Licorice! I know Licorice isn't everyone's favourite sweet. But i love it. Technically now that i am grain free its still off the table of things I can eat, but its great to know other options now exist for others with weird food intolerances.
I wanted to taste all of the delicious grain free goodies. I however didn't have enough time to sample them all and probably not enough money at that point either! hahaha. So good!
So much deliciousness! I loved this store in Sydney! :) I love these stores generally too! We need more of them around! :) I love the whole waste free idea!
I mean it all fits in to the Zero Waste Home idea too! It is one of Bea Johnsons biggest suggestions! :) I am almost finished reading the book now and I cant believe that I am still learning so much. I was so proud of myself when I went to the shops yesterday to meet my best friend for "coffee" (neither of us actually drink coffee), and I only bought two things. Both of them for other people. My sister needed some dishwasher tablets that are environmentally friendly, and I went to buy a birthday gift for a friend. Usually when I go shopping I have lots of things I buy. None of it is vital. Its just bits I think I might need, things I can usually do without! Using Bea Johnsons book has helped me plan a bit better too. And I like that! I am now a more conscious shopper.
Anyway, I need to head to bed now. The cooler weather has not helped me coughing! It must get better soon, i have stuff to do! Things to achieve! :)
What have you been up to today? Today I have still rested, and also decided to steam mop the house. I have decided the steam mop does NOT bring me joy! I have a pretty tiny house, but when you have to actually steam mop three rooms (the bathroom, laundry and kitchen) takes 3 hours to clean, its just easier to get the ordinary mop out. So my solution is that I will be getting rid of the steam mop (with my mums blessing of course). It is amazing that now I am looking around the house with a thought to de-junk and live a less impact-full lifestyle, I am noticing the stuff that sits in areas and collects dust.
Today when I was resting I was reading more of Zero Waste Home! I am almost half way through! :) One thing Bea Johnson talks about is living a minimal life so that you do not have to spend so much time cleaning (thankfully) and you have more time to do things you enjoy, like spending time with family and friends.
One thing that came up is a bit of a love of mine. A secret love of the Capsule Wardrobe.
For those who don't know what it is, it is about having a wardrobe where everything is classic style and can be mixed and matched so that you can layer and it all matches/contrasts. It often means having a very small collection of clothing that is good quality and long lasting. I used a capsule Wardrobe when I went to Europe in May. It meant I only needed to take Hand luggage, and it had 3 weeks worth of clothes. Amazingly there were still a few pieces of clothing that I didn't use, and a couple that had to be replaced on the way. I was so in love with the idea that I learnt a lot about myself and my purchasing habits along the way. I got lots of my ideas from Pinterest. If you want to see what I am talking about you can look at my Travel Wardrobe folder here.
I also used the App on my iPhone called Stylebook. It helped me figure out what would go with what for my travelling. I also use it now to make sure when I buy something it will go with the rest of my wardrobe. It sounds weird, but i found it fun. You can also see how much stuff you have. Like that massive pile of clothing that was in my lounge room yesterday, you can avoid, overbuying.
We are often compelled to buy more and more, and then we find that we have less and less to wear. When you have a compact wardrobe it is easy to choose what to wear because you wear what you have, and it all matches or contrasts so it all works together. You also are more likely to look after the clothes you have rather than finding them disposable. 80% of all cloth that is not usable goes to landfill. Reducing this percentage for ourselves is really important.
I admit I am not perfect. When I started creating a capsule wardrobe in May, I had a lot of clothing that didn't fit into this philosophy, and some of it doesn't work for me, or bring me joy, any more (hence why I got rid of 5 bags). I also learned that for this to work you need to buy quality clothing with durable fabrics. I had been buying cheap clothes that died pretty quickly, and now I buy
better quality ones so that I know that they will last the distance. I have discovered that you don't need to spend a fortune to get a good quality capsule wardrobe when you check out the Thrift stores/Op Shops either! :) Buying second hand is a great option when you are looking for quality because items of clothing have been pre-tested for you. Don't you hate getting that t shirt home only to discover it gets covered in pills in a day? or the jeans that even after washing them 5 times, still leave your legs blue? I like charity stores/thrift-shops/op-shops for helping me to get the things I want or need for my wardrobe. Like recently I bought 3 beautiful scarves for $3AUD total ($1AUD each) at a St Vinnes store. YAY! i have had so many people ask me where I got my grey scarf from, because it also doubles as a wrap in cool weather! Plus recycling clothes is better for the environment! Having less helps your immediate environment, because you are using what you have. It definitely saves you money because you are less likely to buy clothes that do not fit in the capsule!
One of Bea Johnsons suggestions and reasons for having a small wardobe is in case of emergency. She is able to literally throw everything into a suitcase and nothing gets left behind. I think this is super important in an area like where my sister lives, that is prone to Bushfires. She lives in a beautifully lucious and green area filled with trees, bushes, greenery, native animals and birds It is beautiful. It is also dangerous. In the 8 years that they have lived in the house in the hills they have had to evacuate 3 times. The last time was the closest to their home. Thank the heavens their house has been safe every time! I see the benefit for a capsule wardrobe so that we can get our clothes out of the house in the case of an evacuation. It could also something that could help when you have to rush for national or international travel in a hurry. I have had friends and family in other countries who I wished (at various times) that i could just pop on a plane and be by their side. Having a capsule wardrobe means you could pack and be in the airport fast! I like that idea. I guess because it is based in kindness. Being for people you love in their time of need. Making that easier has to be worth it! :)
For clothes that aren't worth keeping and have huge stains and rips in them, consider turning them into house hold rags to use in the place of paper towels.
KINDNESS IDEA: Buy socks for Homeless people. Often the one thing that is needed most for Homeless people is socks and it is often the thing that is not remembered that is needed. Warm/thick socks are usually good during winter months. And lighter ones during hotter months. But buy what you think you would wear. There is even a campaign in my city for this purpose exactly at the moment it is called Socks in the City. Check it out here.
Hello my dear friends and followers,
Forgive me for a late blog post today but I'm rather unwell. I wanted to do something fun and exciting because i want it to inspire me to be fun and excited (even when i feel so crappy).
So today's Sustainable September idea is... September 16: Dejunk!
Go through your things and get rid of everything you don't NEED! One idea for this is so you can make some extra cash selling the stuff at a garage sale, eBay, or at a vintage shop (depends how old your stuff is really). I was reading an article today about how actually holding, or even shopping at, Garage Sales are excellent for the environment. The article by Domain talks about putting "personal financial gain aside, garage sales are also doing their part for making us a greener country by encouraging reuse and reducing waste. “Passing on what you don’t want to someone who does want it is a fantastic form of sustainability,” Nichols says. “Over the past decade, Australians have doubled the amount of waste we generate, from 22.7 million tonnes to 43.6 million tonnes. Landfill is a significant issue but collectively we can make a real difference” (2015).
Okay, I know you might not think this whole de-junking business is exciting, but for me it is. Currently I actually have a crazy messy room at the moment. I hate the mess. And I am a little ashamed of how bad I have let it get. I have been so busy this last month that I have literally thrown thing into my room so as to get more stuff in there. I think its time I got rid of some of the "Stuff". I do not need it all. Except the books. I do need those right? ;)
This is also part of the Zero Waste book. The Second Phase of Bea Johnson's book talks about Reducing. I know you have seen the below diagram before. And this is another part of it.
Diagram: page 15 of Zero Waste Home.
Bea Johnson writes... "Reducing is an immediate aid to our environmental crisis. It addresses the core issues of our waste problem and takes into consideration the imminent environmental consequences of population growth, associated consumption, and the finite planetary resources that cannot support the world's needs. Reducing also results in a simplified lifestyle that allows you to focus on quality verses quantity and experiences verses stuff. It encourages questioning the need and use of past, present, and future purchases. The things you own, you own because you need them." (pg 19).
I love this book! On page 21 Bea offers a range of places to get rid of your excess "stuff" too. Things like selling to Amazon.com, eBay, flea markets. Or even if you want to continue the kindness on, pass it on to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Freecycle.org, Homeless or women's shelters, schools, etc.
There are so many things you could pass on. That you do not need in your life, that someone might need. And that you can share.
I have been following the work of an organisational specialist from Japan recently, Mary Kondo. The following video is from her...
She is a genius. Asking the question "Does this item spark joy?" To clarify does it make you happy? does it make you proud? If it doesn't get rid of it. If it does, keep it! :) This is a perfect way to de-clutter. The video is long but it is really worth it. And you can always buy Mary Kondo's book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up", which I will probably buy in the near future.
KINDNESS IDEA: Donate some of your de-cluttering to charity, so that they can make money off your donations.
I hope this finds you well, and healthy!
Much love,
Daena x
Still with me? How did you go kindly turning down things you don't need? Did you leave that free pen behind? How about saying no to the pamphlet from the pizza place down the road? No matter what you did, well done.
Yesterday we talked about "refusing" things, which is the first of the 5 stages of having a waste free life, based on the book by Bea Johnson called "Zero Waste Home".
The kindness for tomorrow sticks along these same lines.
September 13: Put up a "No Junk Mail Please" sticker on your mail box.
This reduces the unconscious waste coming into your home and into your life.
Alternatively, If you don't want to stick a sticker, you can add a magnet like this one from Mailbox Magnets.
I, personally, still like to receive the community news paper. I read it and then use it to clean my windows, wrap my kitchen scraps or pack fragile things up with it. Often unless you call and cancel your local community newspaper from the source they will keep delivering to your address. So, if you don't want to receive the newspapers, contact your paper directly.
KINDNESS IDEA: If a neighbour is going away, offer to collect their mail for them. That way it looks like someone is still home. Overflowing mailboxes are a good notification for thieves that people are away and have been away for some time. And this is a simple kindness almost anyone can do, that doesn't cost you any money.
Good day fellow Sustainable September-ers (that is totally a word),
So how did your walk to work go? Did you get wet? Did you share an umbrella with someone? Did the sun shine?
I hope you took the time out to have a beautiful walk even if it wasn't to work or school.
The below pictures were of a walk I took through the State Botanic Gardens and park lands. Kings park is bigger than Central Park NYC. It is beautiful.
Getting back to nature is a wonderful reminder of what we do Sustainable September for.
The Spring Festival at Kings Park, Perth, WA, opened this month with this awesome tree. Its called "The Queens Tree" because Queen Elizabeth planted it on her trip a few decades ago. For the Festival her tree was dressed up just like her. :)
The Reflection pond and Flame of Remembrance at Kingspark.
The View of Perth City from Kings Park.
Such a beautiful Spring display of Native Australian Flowers
The state emblem of the Western Australian Kangaroo Paw on the path from the car park to the views.
The rare Black Kangaroo Paw
Our environment has such a powerful impact on us. How we treat it, has a greater impact on us all.
At the beginning of Sustainable September I shared that i would be reading the book by Bea Johnson called "Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste". So far I haven't finished it, but I have learned a lot already. The first chapter is called "The 5 R's and the Benefits of the Zero Waste Lifestyle". This chapter has been an eye opener for me. Often we see the 3 R's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, however Bea Johnson adds another two things to that list.
Diagram: Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste (Page 15).
I thought that one thing that we forget to mention is to refuse certain items in our attempts to be environmentally friendly. Think about all those times you have been handed pamphlets on the street or a free voucher to some place you know you will never go. Think about when you stay in a hotel and you get those little Shampoos and Conditioners. Do you really need it? Or will the papers and the little plastic bottles, just end up in land fill?
I had my first trial by fire with this when I was in Sydney. I had managed to forget to bring my Shampoo, so ended up using one of the, several, little bottles that were available to me at the hotel I was staying at. I used what I had to. The hardest part was leaving the rest of them behind. I really didn't need them. In fact they would have been more trouble than they are worth. Not to mention the environmental cost of more plastic in land fill.
So today's Sustainable September idea is based on this premise...
September 12: Refuse any thing that you do not need. e.g.. Pamphlets, show bags filled with stuff you won't use, little bottles of shampoo or conditioner, business cards, pens, plastic bags, cups, double bagged items, extra receipts (unless needed for tax purposes for course), etc.
This is about stopping "needless waste". Often the pamphlets are on shiny paper that some councils do not accept as recycling. So best to avoid them completely.
I know for some people they collect pamphlets for Kindergarten classes or art classes. At least there is one type of use for these things. Or its does seem like a sad waste.
Bea Johnson beautifully points out that 'refusing', often unconsciously, "condones and reinforces wasteful practices". She writes "Every bit we accept, or take, creates a demand to make more... When we let waiters fill our glass with water that we wont be drinking and a straw that we wont use, we are saying: "Water is not important" and "Please make more disposable Straws". When we take a "free" shampoo bottle from a hotel room, more oil will be rigged to make a replacement. When we passively accept an advertising flyer, a tree is cut down somewhere to make more flyers, and our time is unwisely spent dealing with and recycling something trivial" (Pg. 16).
This really had me thinking. I mean I know there are plenty of times I have taken pamphlets I don't need. Or show bags filled with crap I don't want to look at. It all ends up in my bin. So I love the idea to refuse, so that we are conscious of what we are receiving in our lives. And we can then be conscious of helping the environment.
As always remember to be kind in all your interactions.
"Nobody wants to go against the grain or be rude when some thing is offered with no ill will. But a little practice and short justifications make it easy for us to decline the politest entreaties. All you have to say is "I am sorry, but I don't have a trash can," "I am sorry, but I have gone paperless," "I am sorry, but I am trying to simplify my life," or "I am sorry, but we have too much at home already." People usually understand or respect a personal choice and will not insist. In some cases, we found that pro-activity - such as taking ourselves off mailing lists before junk mail is sent out - works best" (Pg. 18).
When I first wanted to focus on this Sustainable September I didn't expect people to radically change anything in their lives, to the point of being 100% waste free. I am not brave enough to try that myself... YET! Like me all I hope for is small changes. Small changes that can make a huge difference. I love the little ideas that cause you to be conscious of how your actions affect the environment. If that means refusing some stuff you don't want or need... awesome! I also didn't realise the saying 'no' could be so good for the environment.
I hope you learnt something today like I did.
Oh and...
KINDNESS IDEA FOR TODAY: Donate old magazines to school or kindergartens. Or if they are current, please, please, please donate them to a doctors clinic. It is a special thrill finding a magazine from this year in a doctors surgery. So any time you have a magazine, pass them on to good homes.
