Zero Waste Home Book is out!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

IndieBound

My book, Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste, is out and I couldn't be more ecstatic about its release! 

This book is a personal achievement; a dream that I would have never thought possible - when I came to America at the age of 18, my English skills were so poor that I couldn't even order a hamburger at a restaurant! But the reason behind this book - spreading the word about Zero Waste is what will bring me the most lasting contentment. I am honored to be messenger of the Zero Waste lifestyle.  It has done wonders for our family, providing us financial stability, health improvements and efficiency, and resulting in a richer, healthier and happier life. And I can only imagine what it would do for a society if all its people embraced it as a whole - yes, I dream big;). How grateful our planet, our health, our budget, and our children would be! 

Imagine if we all de-cluttered our homes, and donated and shared those items that sit unused in our closets: Strains on our natural resources would be relieved and the secondhand market boosted (Imagine the great selection at your local thrift store!); Cleaning our homes would be a breeze and we'd have more time to spend with our loved ones.

Imagine if we all took steps to fight junk mail instead of just throwing it into the recycling bin: Marketers would choose other means of advertisement; Forests would grow, our tax dollars could be spent on education, and our time used doing something important.

Imagine if we all realized that shopping is voting and thought hard before buying: Products that are harmful to our health and the environment would disappear. And if we all avoided buying plastics, our oil dependence would subside (gas prices would drop) and so would the wars and conflicts to obtain it. We would not have to research its adverse effects on our health or dwell on the "plastic soup" that floats in our oceans, but focus our energy on fixing the problems that we have created.

Imagine if we all stopped sending our hard-earned money to landfills (which is ultimately what we do when we discard of disposables), if we all embraced the reusable alternatives proposed in my book and eliminated disposable trash liners, paper towels, paper napkins, flatware, plates, foil, wax paper, food wrap, food storage bags, toothpicks, razors, feminine products, band aids, tissue paper, gift wrap, sponges, wipes, staples, markers, etc. (to name a few). We could spend our dollar on experiences instead. We could focus on living rather than discarding.

Just imagine if we all aimed at Being rather than Having! 

Maybe I am a dreamer, I dream of a peaceful and a brighter future for my children. Or maybe I am a believer. I believe in the power of community and I believe in the power of individual action. Or maybe I am a clairvoyant. I can see the key to a better world in your hand, I can see the Zero Waste community waiting for you to join, I can see YOU transforming your life.

And it starts here, today!

Note: If you're local... I have donated my copy to the Mill Valley Library for your enjoyment;)

The Beauty of a Zero Waste essential: The Refillable Fountain Pen

"My pens are my babies and they drink from their bottles" Shangas - on the Fountain Pen Network Forum

My blog series The beauty of Zero Waste and Zero Waste Essential respectively point to the beauty that Zero Waste has brought into my life and the objects (or skills) that I have deemed necessary to achieve as close to Zero Waste as possible. The Refillable Fountain Pen applies to both.

Fountain pen fitted with a converter

In our digital and (increasingly) paperless age, handwriting is slowly losing ground. Elementary grades are substituting penmanship for keyboard skills. Teachers use the computer as an educational tool and note taking apps are replacing even the most spontaneous form of writing.  In an effort to save paper, I do not use handwriting much either. Apart from filling a homemade notebook with ideas and drawing my own illustrations (time constraints and consideration for my publisher's sense of smell put an end to my feather and squid ink dreams), my book was completely done digitally.  I touched my paperback for the first time on The Jeff Probst Show, scheduled to air on May 14th. So much of my work is done on the computer (typing about the Zero Waste lifestyle), over the phone (interviews, suggestions), or in person (speeches, media participation, consultations), that I now consider handwriting a treat...

The Zero Waste lifestyle inspires us to revisit nostalgic basics, and readopt practices that we shouldn't have dropped in the first place. Growing up in France, the use of the fountain pen was an integral part of my education (as it still is for French pupils today), yet I eventually dropped it for cheap ballpoint duplicates. Then when I embarked on Zero Waste, I opted for a ballpoint refillable model. But given the wasteful packaging that refills come in, I eventually realized that a refillable fountain pen was the most waste-free alternative for ink writing. And, boy do I love using mine: Writing with a fountain pen is as enjoyable as using a cloth napkin, or a ceramic plate. The reusable, durable alternatives, heighten the user's experience and respect for the item: You do not treat a fountain pen, a cloth napkin, or a ceramic plate as you would their disposable counterparts. Each use is a pleasure!

The few writing opportunities that still present themselves should follow Zero Waste principles. If you are in the market for a fountain pen, here are some pointers for choosing the right model:

Piston Fountain Pen with ink window

• Look for a vintage model. For secondhand purchases involving specific criteria, I like eBay. Make sure to select the "used" box in the options on the left hand side of the page before launching a search and request "paper or cardboard only" for shipping at check out. You can also visit a pawn shop or a consignment store for this particular item, but they tend to be "hit or miss".

• Look for a fountain pen model that will accept (or come with) a converter, which is a removable and refillable cartridge, or choose a piston model (my preference) which is refilled by turning a knob at the end of the pen (called a blind cap). The piston is a fixed filling mechanism, an integral part of the pen (the barrel is the reservoir) so it will hold more ink, and it's faster and less messy to fill. Both are pictured above. If you already have a fountain pen, the manufacturer might carry a converter for your model!

• Look for quality: I purchased the converter model above for Léo, but the quality turned out to be poor and the ink delivery inconsistent. I purchased a Mont Blanc for myself (a childhood dream), and I have found the quality to be unsurpassed, a real difference in the writing experience: Smooth and enjoyable. As with anything else, quality is worth the cost.

Bottled ink

• Look for a model with an ink window so you know when to refill your pen. You don't want to run out when you're about to sign a million dollar contract or your first book;)

• Purchase a bottle of ink. Choose glass (with a metal cap if possible). For the Quink brand pictured, you'll have a choice between permanent and washable. I chose the former so it cannot be erased. Honestly, I did not research inks, when I bought my jar, I just wanted to support my local stationary store; Parker Quink is the only option they offered.

My pen will be busy signing books at Book Passage in Corte Madera on April 13th (4pm). I hope to meet some of you there (whether or not you have a physical book for me to sign)!

Zero Waste Essential: Positivity

Someone recently asked me how I stay upbeat: "How do you not let the weight of our environmental situation get you down?" 

Every year, Earth Month (April) hits our lives and disturbs our mindsets with a surge of ecological facts... so much information being shared about the sad state of the environment, it's easy to feel saddened by the situation. And of course, when Earth day is everyday with the Zero Waste lifestyle, it's natural to feel frustrated along the way (as I have described here). You even come to wish you did not know as much as you do. It's a common feeling that we all share on our road to Zero. It certainly affected me at one point, but rest assured that with commitment, these frustrations subside.

Here are 5 ways that I found to remedy depression caused by environmental awareness:

1. Retrain your eye. When I started paying attention to waste, I started noticing all the trashy practices around me (the negative). Today, I have learned to focus on the bright side; to pay attention to the solutions (positive). I don't look for disposable cups in people hands, I look for the reusable ones being carried. I don't look at the plastic bag of potatoes in the produce aisle (ugh), I look at the beautiful pile of loose ones (ahh). 
2. Have a good sense of humor. I was recently invited to a sustainable event.  They served wine in disposable plastic cups and after a long day of work, I was dying for that drink. Five years ago, I would have whined about the plastic cup. Today, I enjoy the challenge of finding a solution on the spot. Ironically, I noticed that flowers were drinking out of glass jars (vases), people out of plastic ones. I took a vase and someone's used plastic cup,  and after a little hand-washing at the bathroom sink, my problem was solved - and I was a happy camper with a glass of wine in hand...
3. Live by example/Walk the talk. I felt angry at the world when I considered the environmental problems to be irreversible and my actions to be too small to make a difference. But once I had a system in place to tackle our waste as much as possible, we became part of the solution and frustrations slowly went away to make room for peace. I stopped worrying about what other people do, and started only worrying about my own actions. Not only is the Zero Waste lifestyle good for the environment, it makes you feel good about what you do, knowing that every purchase, every decision is thought out and every time you shop with reusables your actions are noticed by others and may inspire change. 
4. Let your voice be heard. I can't say it loud and clear enough: Accepting is condoning. When we partake in an unsustainable practice without taking action against it, we not only get frustrated but we also perpetuate the wasteful method and silently ask for more, which then leads to more frustration! And with the frustration locked up inside us, negativity inevitably starts eating us up (I found this to be particularly true of relationships, but to also be true in this case). Today, I speak up and effectively address these issues on the spot. Taking action (see active discards) and demanding change turns the problem back at its originators, clearing my head of negative thoughts and making room for positive ones! 
5. Get out more and hug someone (or as a default, hug a tree). There is nothing better for me to de-stress, renew my energy (get rid of the negative one), than to take a walk outside (which I have permanently scheduled into my weekly planner) or hug my family. Can't get enough of either. It's as simple as that.

What helps you beat the depression that comes from environmental awareness?

Note:  I am no longer posting Fashion Friday on the blog- but I will be  and posting it on Facebook and Tweeting it @ZeroWasteHome.

Zero Waste Home Essential: Commitment

Filling pockets with beach litter
And being an embarrassment to my teenage boys.

In a recent interview, I was asked to quantify Zero Waste. "For example, if someone refuses junkmail, is he/she 10% or maybe 40% of the way to Zero Waste?"

I went home shuffling numbers in my head and a couple of headaches later, asked for Scott's input (he is the left side of our household's brain) . We sat down, and for two hours tried to come up with percentages to define one's progress towards Zero Waste. But we soon realized that our assignment was pointless. In conjunction with following the 5R's in order, getting as close to Zero Waste as possible boils down to one fundamental element: Commitment.

If we keep putting Zero Waste (or voluntary simplicity) on the back burner for various reasons ("I don't have time for this" being the most common), change does not happen, routine sets back in. I found that a zero-tolerance policy was the best way for our household to tackle its waste issues head-on and to adopt Zero Waste practices as quickly as possible. Commitment can feel torturous or simply inconvenient at times, especially at first, when you train yourself to change bad habits. For example, I hated going back to my car when I forgot to bring my tote into the store, but commitment forced me to adopt a system and in five years, I've only had to accept one (paper) grocery bag (that was three years ago, on a weekend getaway). Commitment is the best way to make big strides. When we started, it catapulted our progress; today it keeps our yearly trash tally from growing again.

Here are 10 examples when Zero Waste is a pain, but where commitment makes a real difference on how fast and how close you get to Zero:

1. Going back to your car (or home), if you forgot to bring your reusable bags (you can also carry things in your arms or simply transfer them loose from your cart into your car trunk). 
2. Bringing jars to the grocery store or a plate to the pizza parlor knowing you'll get weird looks.
3. Making do with the available bulk, even when you get tired of its selection.
4. Taking time to stop a piece of junkmail, and spending money to mail an active discard.
5. Paying more for a used item or a repair, knowing you can buy new for cheaper.
6. Not settling for an inferior product at the store (i.e., not buying a plastic item, because the store is out of the glass version) and going home empty-handed (Shopping is voting!)
7. Leaving a place better than you found it, even if it embarrasses your teenage boys ;)
8. Saying no to the straw even if it makes a milkshake or a glass filled with ice harder to drink.
9. Using Zero Waste deodorant, knowing that it does not block sweat in stressful situations.
10. Forcing yourself to finish your plate when your ordered too much at a restaurant because you do not want to use a disposable container (you forgot yours).

Once you're motivated to reduce your waste, there is no other way to getting as close to Zero as possible than being fully committed and commitment is the fastest way there too. How committed are you?

Zero Waste Home essential: Motivation

One should be motivated to embrace the Zero Waste lifestyle simply out of goodness of heart. But our weak human nature is often tempted to put selfish needs ahead of conservation. Motivation is key to staying on track. My kids' future is what got me started, but it's too abstract to keep me motivated on a day to day basis. Visualization is what keeps me (I am a visual kinda gal) and the kids going. For example, when I am tempted to purchase plastic, I picture our oil reserves decreasing* and the guts of the birds below increasing...

(*According to Ed Humes, author of Garbology, "10 percent of the world oil supply is used to make and transport disposable plastics"!)

I thought I'd share with you two of the videos that impact my Zero Waste decision making:

On a serious note (thanks Cami for the link)

On a lighter note (yet so seriously true)

What images motivate you to stay on track?

Zero Waste Essential: The Mending Reflex

Repairs are an essential part of our lifestyle. Things are bound to break or get damaged in one way or another, but mending can extend the useful of our necessities. In our prior life, all the examples below would have ended up in the landfill. Today, our "landfill reflex" has turned into a mending one. Whether it involves scrubbing, sewing, gluing, darning or nailing, there is almost always a solution for a break or damage - and boy does it save money!

Here are examples of my recent projects:

Scrubbing: I thought my slipper was ruined when I found a smear of dried up paint on the calf after a wall paint touch up. My scrubber once again came to the rescue and my slipper is now like new.

Sewing: After 12 years, the padding of Scott's snowboarding helmet disintegrated and dropped black powder on his face with each use. I cut and sewed a replacement pad into a wornout wool sweater that I have felted for such repairs. The helmet is more comfortable that it used to be!

Gluing: The bristles of my scrub brush were ready for the compost, but the handle was still usable, so I transferred and glued dowel and handle onto a new brush (glue recipe in my book!)

Darning: My grandmother was a queen at it, and I don't think I do as good a job as she did, but hey, the result still works (Darning tutorial in an upcoming post)

Nailing: Leo's flip flop gave out, a nail across the loose bit now holds it in place. It's been 9 months and it's not budging!

How have you broken the landfill reflex?