Environment Articles

by Valerie Garforth, FAUSA

Anyone who cares about the environment is surely aghast at images of overflowing landfills, refuse- blocked streams and rivers, and the great garbage patches in the oceans. Each one of us has the responsibility to reduce our waste, and thereby our consumption, to as close to zero as possible. We are among the ones who have the luxury of being able to reduce consumption and waste, and so our responsibility is all the greater. This is one of a series of articles based on the five “R”s in Bea Johnson’s Zero Waste Home: Refuse (what we do not need), Reduce (what we do need), Reuse (what we use), Recycle (what cannot be refused, reduced, or reused) and Rot (compost the rest). The first “R” – Refuse, was addressed in an earlier article. Here we look at ways to Reduce consumption and waste. If you are reading this, you probably are already making efforts in this direction – this is a checklist and perhaps an encouraging prod!

Heating/cooling/power

• Install a smart thermostat and set the temperature several degrees lower than you are used to in the winter and several degrees higher in the summer.
• Close off rooms which are not in use.
• Hang insulated window coverings and close at night. Check attic insulation.
• Dress appropriately for the weather (long underwear and sweaters in winter, etc.)
• Switch off lights and appliances in unused rooms.
• Run machines when full and select the shortest effective cycles.
• Cold wash where appropriate (many items now stipulate cold water).
• Air dry clothes outside (umbrella type system or line) or on a rack inside to avoid using an electric or gas heated dryer. This both saves power and prolongs the clothing’s life.

Water

• Take short showers rather than baths (use a timer if you are unsure).
• Fill a watering can for plants with water while you wait for it to run hot (friends we visited in California placed a bucket in the shower just for this purpose).
• Install low-flush toilets.
• Fix dripping taps and other leaks.
• Reduce watering for lawns, etc. (see section on Gardens).

Food

• Plan meals and food shopping ahead to include food you already have.
• Have one “leftover” meal per week where your creativity comes into play to create tasty dishes from what you have in the fridge.
• Reduce portion sizes (especially meat).
• Try vegetarian recipes “meatless Mondays”.
• Cook only as much food as you will need (e.g., count Brussels sprouts per person – I usually reckon three if they are large or four if they are small).
• Freeze small containers of leftovers which can be used in soups, or sauces (write a label using masking tape with the date and contents).

Driving and travel 

• One result of the COVID-19 crisis is that we are all driving and traveling less. 
• Walk or cycle when possible. 
• Virtual meetings are one of the good outcomes of COVID-19 which may well persist.

Household products

• Add water to containers of shampoo, conditioner, dish washing or laundry liquid and shake well (with top on!) to extend supply, often for weeks.
• Cut open toothpaste tubes to extract the last few brushings.
• Use cleaning vinegar for many cleaning purposes, thus reducing the need for multiple different products in plastic containers.
• Consider making your own cleaning products rather than buying them in single-use plastic bottles. (Zero Waste Home has recipes for household cleaners; many can be found online.)

Plastic

This is such an overwhelming issue that we will be dedicating one article solely to plastic. In the meantime, here are a few ways to reduce plastic use:

• Purchase bulk products (dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, etc.) in large size containers which can be decanted into smaller containers. Large containers contain less “packaging to product” and are easier to recycle as they don’t get lost in the process.
• Purchase refillable containers. A pet store near us provides kitty litter in bulk.The first purchase is a large container of kitty litter which can be refilled multiple times with a scoop at the store.
• In pre-COVID days, it was possible to take one’s own containers to the store to purchase items such as rice, pasta, dried fruit, etc. Let’s hope we can return to that soon. 

Garden

• Reduce water used for sprinkling by reducing lawn size or replace grass with other ground covers which are more drought tolerant (e.g. clover) (Xeriscape).
• Install rain barrels to capture rain water.
• Plant native varieties which require less water, less care and maintenance, and provide pollen, fruits, nuts and shelter for wildlife.

Clothing and shoes

• Purchase good quality, classic clothing which suits you. It will last for years and not go out of fashion.
• Care for clothes by hanging them on a hanger after wear and washing appropriately.
• Buttons, zips and other fasteners can be replaced by you or by a local tailor who can also perform alternations.
• Purchase good quality shoes, and care for them with regular polishing. Become friends with the local shoe mender who can also repair suitcases and other items.
• Keep shoe trees in shoes which are not being worn and rotate several pairs of shoes.

Possessions

• Probably we all have too many possessions. It can be hard to part with possessions that have sentimental meaning or have simply been with us for many years. A suggested criterion is “what you don’t truly use, need and love, has to go.” 
• Start small by going through a drawer or closet. Take everything out, give the closet or drawer a clean, and examine every item before setting it aside for cleaning/repair, donating or retuning.
• Old or torn items that are not repairable can go into a rag bag for use in cleaning.
• Giving away precious items to adult children, grandchildren or friends can be truly satisfying.
• Thrift shops, such as Goodwill or The Salvation Army, are good places to take donations. Zero Waste Home lists 30 possible outlets for donating usable items (page 21).
• Marie Kondo, a Japanese woman, has written books and made a TV series on decluttering. A fresh perspective may inspire us to detach ourselves from accumulated possessions.

Downsizing

This is perhaps the biggest reducing exercise most of us will undertake. Sooner or later, we may need to move to a smaller place, and it is helpful to bear that in mind when tackling clutter. Karen, a member of the Environment Team, says of her own decluttering and downsizing, “Moving from a house to an apartment and then to a smaller apartment has been a big help in this process! I still have lots of impractical or decorative stuff that has been given to me or that has meaning for another reason. Those I have kept. I have found that actually choosing to keep something rather than throw it away makes me appreciate it that much more.”

Other advantages include:

• Moving to a smaller place means choosing items which you really need, like and have meaning (see above).
• Our children will not have to deal with so much of our “stuff.”
• Having fewer possessions makes it easier to keep track of them.
• There is less to clean and maintain.
• Life is simpler.

References:

Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson

Vinegar: Nature’s Secret Weapon by Maxwell Stein

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo  

All photos: Pixabay