Links

• An oldie but a goodie: Natural does not equal safe on Sorta Crunchy

• I've always thought that this "meat is the worst thing for global warming" idea is bunk. The Radical Homemaker breaks it down really well.  

•  Yarn video games. YARN VIDEO GAMES!!

• Food In Jars shared a strawberry chutney which sounds great.

• Caramelized Sesame Chocolate Bar from Chocolate and Zucchini

• I want to buy ALL of Art Gallery's knit fabrics and make a thousand Auroras.

• I started reading a few historical sewing blogs and even though it's not something I'm going to sew, I love their enthusiasm! And it is interesting. American Duchess is one of them.

• Lining, underlining, interfacing, facing... so much to learn!

• You know those gorgeous blown glass beverage dispensers? I've always wanted one (not that I have room to store it or a reason to use it, but maybe one day) but they always have these cheap plastic spigots which turns me off. However stainless steel spigots are available to replace them!

• All the details of making mustard from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

 

Sewing Cart

Check out my new sewing cart! It's Ikea's Raskog cart. For a while I've had all my supplies in jars and tins on the window sill, in the closet, spread across my desk... it was kind of a pain. Now I don't have to get up and wander around every time I need something plus I'm more likely to put things back. Shortly I'll be moving my sewing into the common area of the house so this cart will live in my closet (with a lock on the door so Small can't get to all the sharp things) and can be easily rolled where I need it. I'm thinking about getting a second one for my iron, distilled water, pressing ham, etc. It's so handy I might end up with a flock of them...

3 shelves (center is adjustable) with wheels

I added S hooks. The one on the other sides has my ruler and French curve

These are the things I use most often.

The Making of the Diapers, Covers, and Wipes

For the past 6 months (when I have a day where I feel well enough) I've been working on sewing up my diaper stash. They're made from an assortment of old towels, flannel sheets, t-shirts, and a few pieces of purchased-on-sale baby flannel. (Thanks Mom for giving me your old towels and flannel sheets!)

The fitteds were made with a pattern purchased from Very Baby. I used 1/4 inch swimsuit elastic, Aplix hook and loop tape (also from Very Baby), and the serger. The pattern also has options for snaps and using a regular sewing machine. The semi-fitted (I'm not sure what else to call them), which only have elastic in the legs, are from a pattern a friend sent me. I don't know where it came from since it's actually cut out of newspaper. Those are a little easier to sew (elastic is kind of a pain and these only have half as much). I didn't bother to put Aplix on them since I'll have pins on hand for use with the prefolds.

The Non-Disposable, No-Waste Life and Baby

I often hear people say babies are very expensive. I have observed that babies can produce a lot of waste and accumulate a lot of stuff. Since we're all about less waste and less stuff, how will the baby fit in? How much will a baby cost if we apply our life governing principles to the process of adding the baby in? We are at the very beginning of the process but we're starting to develop a plan.

What (Our) Baby Needs:

Diapers. For us it's going to be cloth. There is hardly anything left in our house that is disposable plastic or paper so diapers will be no different. I'm making the diapers from old flannel sheets, old t-shirts, wool sweaters, old towels, and as a last resort if I run out of material before I'm finished, purchased fabric or thrift store flannel sheets. I plan to have a mix of prefolds and fitteds with wool diaper covers. We'll see what I and baby like best. I'm basing the number of diapers and covers on Babywork's suggestions for a diaper layette.

Thinking About Plastic Reusable Canning Jar Lids

I have an aversion to plastic, particularly in the kitchen. So, when I first saw these plastic reusable canning jar lids, my response was "well, that's stupid!" They're BPA free and are intended to replace conventional metal lids which, as you may or may not know, have a plastic coating inside (damned if you do and damned if you don't). But of course, BPA aside, they're still plastic and plastic is still toxic. Phthalates, dioxins, and BPA are not the only things leaching out of plastic that we need to worry about, they're just the ones we know about. 

So my plan has been to transition to all glass canning jars from Weck. But of course I can't do it all at once. This year I want to grow and can all my tomatoes and green chilies, plus the regular round of strawberry jam, blueberry jam, pumpkin butter, and assorted other pickles, chutneys, and preserves. I roughly calculated that I would need 100, 1L. Tulip glass jars from Weck (their Tulip shaped jars are the cheapest per ounce) just for tomatoes. That's about $350 worth of jars. I won't can green chilies or jam in 1 L. jars (because that's ridiculous) so I'll need a large quantity of other, smaller sized glass jars. I haven't done the whole calculation but I'm sure we're approaching or beyond $1000 in jars. And in future years I hope to grow and can all my pumpkin, fruits, and tomatillos so I'll need even more jars.

Which brings me back to reusable plastic lids. Even if I invest in some Weck jars this year, I'll still be doing a lot of canning in standard Mason jars which means I have to use either the normal metal, one-use lids (which have a plastic lining) or use reusable plastic lids. Can you guess where I'm going with this?

I'm a convert, although I have reservations. Eventually I'll be using all glass for canning but for the moment, if I have to use plastic, I might as well use plastic I don't throw away. It's definitely the "Non-Disposable, Low Waste" choice. However, I do think there is an opportunity here for a manufacturer to make all metal or glass reusable lids that work with the rings on standard canning jars.

And, as a side note: I do use one piece plastic lids for dry food storage and freezing food in Mason jars. I'd rather use zinc lids or something similar but they don't exist any more. One day I might have enough Weck jars to use them for non-canned food storage but I doubt it. Since the food never comes into contact with the lid and I put the lid on the food when it's cold, I don't think there is too much cause for alarm.

What are your canning issues and solutions?

Part Four: Miscellaneous Methods for the Non-Disposable, Low Waste Life

This is the final part in our series. Don't miss Part One: The Kitchen, Part Two: The Bathroom, and Part Three: The Bedroom.

The Non-Disposable, Low Waste Life List of Methods

(This is the entire list in simple form.)

Kitchen

- make our food from scratch

- buy loose tea, bulk items, and no single serving sizes

- reusable, compostable, recyclable packaging

- no paper, no plastic flatware, little non-reusable food storage

- no non-stick or plastic cookware, dishes, etc.

- we don't buy water

- reusable grocery sacks

- compost and chickens

Bathroom

- no make up or deodorant

- cloth menstrual pads

- recycled and recyclable razors and toothbrushes

- pee wipes

- cloth shower curtain

- solid shampoo

- homemade soap

- vinegar rinse
- if it's yellow...
- no chemical cleaners
- buy hemp

 Bedroom

- salvaged furniture

- no VOC paint

- lighting choices

- avoid synthetic clothing

- durable clothes and shoes

- mattresses and linens  

Other

- bike

- combining trips in the car

- cloth ribbon, upcycled packaging

- paper and cardboard as garden mulch

- sew and mend

- grow food
- raise chickens

- wash in cold, dry on the line

- limit air conditioner and heater use
- upcycling

 Miscellaneous:

• Bike

This one is obvious. Biking saves fossil fuels, doesn't contribute to noise pollution, and gives you a workout. I don't live in a bike friendly city and only just recently got a bike that is comfortable enough to ride regularly (I like the kind where I sit up straight... the crouched over types hurt my back). I hope we move somewhere truly bicyclable.

• Combining trips in the car

Also obvious but worth stating because I didn't used to do it. Now I save up my errands and do them all at once. Saves gas.

• Cloth ribbon, upcycled packaging

Holiday presents reminded me of this. I use cloth ribbon which can be used again and again because unlike plastic curly ribbon it doesn't get squished, bent, broken, etc. And if it does get squished it can be ironed back out. Also, when I want a traditional bow I make my own from junk mail (particularly some of the thicker catalogs) with this tutorial. We wrap our gifts in reusable containers (glass jars, tea tins, baskets, chip board boxes), fabric, old maps, calendar pages, cloth bags, and the old fashioned newspaper. For filler we use all the shredded paper that accumulates through the year and of course reuse any peanuts or bubble wrap that people send us.

A Must Listen episode of "To The Best of Our Knowledge"

"To The Best of Our Knowledge", one of my absolute favorite public radio programs recently had an episode on upcycling and recycling that I think my readers will be interested in.

Segment one is an interview with Annie Leonard, author of "The Story of Stuff". Did you know that most of our recycling gets sent to the third world for processing? Part two features Tom Szaky, the founder of TerraCycle, which if you've never heard of it, is a company providing an upcycle solution for those who don't want to go through life without convenience packaging. They upcycle (and sometimes recycle) trash into purses, pencil pouches, clip boards, clocks, speakers, kites and more. There is also an interview Mark Frauenfelder, founder of MAKE magazine, about DIY, upcycling, and the pleasures of actually making things.


Check it out! Listen here.

Part Three: The Bedroom (A List of Methods for the Non-Disposable, Low Waste Life)

Welcome to part three. Be sure to check out Part One: The Kitchen, Part Two: The Bathroom, and stay tuned for part four.

The Non-Disposable, Low Waste Life - List of Methods

(This is the entire list in simple form.)

Kitchen

- make our food from scratch

- buy loose tea, bulk items, and no single serving sizes

- reusable, compostable, recyclable packaging

- no paper, no plastic flatware, little non-reusable food storage

- no non-stick or plastic cookware, dishes, etc.

- we don't buy water

- reusable grocery sacks

- compost and chickens

Bathroom

- no make up or deodorant

- cloth menstrual pads

- recycled and recyclable razors and toothbrushes

- pee wipes

- cloth shower curtain

- solid shampoo

- homemade soap

- vinegar rinse
- if it's yellow...
- no chemical cleaners
- buy hemp

 Bedroom

- salvaged furniture

- no VOC paint

- lighting choices

- avoid synthetic clothing

- durable clothes and shoes

- mattresses and linens  

Other

- bike

- combining trips in the car

- cloth ribbon, upcycled packaging

- paper and cardboard as garden mulch

- sew and mend

- soap

- grow food

- wash in cold, dry on the line

- limit air conditioner and heater use
- the place for recycled plastic
- upcycling

Bedroom:

• Salvaged Furniture

Obviously this applies to any room in the house. You can buy furniture second hand (excellent green option) but it's amazing what you find out at the street for the garbage men to take away. Sometimes, like with the book shelf in our bedroom, the furniture is perfectly usable as is. Other times it needs minor repairs or even total revamping. If you're up for it, lots of ugly and damaged furniture has good bones and is worth a renovation. Check out Curbly for inspiration and instructions on everything from reupholstering to repainting furniture (there are also lots of before and after room renovations, holiday crafts, and handmade gift ideas).

Part Two: The Bathroom (A List of Methods for the Non-Disposable, Low Waste Life)

Welcome to part two. Be sure to check out Part One: The Kitchen and stay tuned for parts three and four.

The Non-Disposable, Low Waste Life - List of Methods

(This is the entire list in simple form.)

Kitchen

- make our food from scratch

- buy loose tea, bulk items, and no single serving sizes

- reusable, compostable, recyclable packaging

- no paper, no plastic flatware, little non-reusable food storage

- no non-stick or plastic cookware, dishes, etc.

- we don't buy water

- reusable grocery sacks

- compost and chickens

Bathroom

- no make up or deodorant

- cloth menstrual pads

- recycled and recyclable razors and toothbrushes

- pee wipes

- cloth shower curtain

- solid shampoo

- homemade soap

- vinegar rinse

- if it's yellow...

- no chemical cleaners

- buy hemp

Bedroom

- salvaged furniture

- no VOC paint

- lighting choices

- no synthetic clothing

- durable clothes and shoes

- mattresses and linens 

Other

- bike

- combining trips in the car

- cloth ribbon, upcycled packaging

- paper and cardboard as garden mulch

- sew and mend

- soap

- grow food

- wash in cold, dry on the line

- limit air conditioner and heater use

Bathroom:

• No makeup or deodorant
  

Half of us don't wear deodorant. Neither of us wear makeup. I haven't done makeup since I tried it out for a year when I was 13. Not a fan. I do use lip balm and some lotion in the winter. Making both these things is on the to do list.

When is a Sustainable Textile Not a Sustainable Textile?

Keeper of the Home has a nice series of on going posts about sustainable gifts for the holidays. So far she's told us about some yummy lotions and lip balms and very cool reusable gift wrapping. Yesterday's post covers glass straws (I heart glass straws!) and green fashion. It was the featured green fashion website Fashion and Earth which got me agitated and inspired me to write a post about sustainable textiles.

In the world of eco-textiles we have the clearly bad, the slightly better, and the actually sustainable. There is a lot of confusion about which is which. If we are really interested in making the best choice we need to do some critical thinking about what a truly sustainable fiber is. 

Hand-sewn tea towel from naturally grown hemp.

I think there are three questions to be asked on this issue:
 1. How much do we really need? Sustainable clothing is expensive. If I spent the money I used to buy all my normal clothes on a few high quality pieces of sustainable clothing, I'd have much less clothing... but so what? 
2. Is it even worth it to buy a slightly less destructive version of my favorite t-shirt or should I stop all together and pay the money for true sustainability? Are the intermediate, "better than conventional" steps valid?
3. Should the intermediate, "better than conventional" products be marketed as sustainable? Are these really products that should make us feel "pride and satisfaction"? Will you indeed "positively affect your community and set examples for others"? Or is this just more green washing?

I'm only going to deal with question #3. My issue with Fashion and Earth (and other "eco" clothing purveyors) is not whether we should take intermediate steps or be more radical - that's another discussion. I don't want to talk here about how many clothes we need - maybe another time. But I do want to talk about what is and is not a sustainable textile. If you've made the decision to spend the money and buy a real sustainable textile, which should you choose?

Here's the short version: If we want truly sustainable fiber crops we're talking hemp, animal fiber, silk, and perhaps flax linen. Organic cotton and bamboo rayon are not and probably can not be sustainable fibers.

The Candidates:

Hemp: I'll start here because it's a clear winner. This is what Fashion and Earth's website says about hemp (emphasis mine): "Earning a reputation as one of the most environmentally friendly fibers in the world, hemp is also one of the oldest plant fibers harvested for clothing, popular as far back as 8000 B.C. A particularly hardy plant, there’s no need for pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers in its farming, and it needs very little water to grow. Strong, durable and naturally wrinkle-resistant, hemp fashions also offer the cool hand of linen and the softness of cotton." Anything you can do with cotton you can do with hemp. 

Organic Cotton: It's nice that some cotton is grown organically since conventional cotton is such a heavily sprayed crop. But, in order to grow cotton organically you have to grow it somewhere very dry and/or you use organic pesticides which (while better) can still be ecologically disruptive and toxic to animals other than the insects you're trying to kill. Cotton uses a ton of water. If you grow cotton in the desert for organic purposes (as many pest-susceptible crops are) then you have to use a ton of water in an ecosystem which already doesn't have much. So we see aquifers being drained to support "organic" farms. 

A List of Methods for a Non-disposable, Low Waste Life. Part 1: The Kitchen

So, sometimes when I'm reading other people's blogs, I come across a sustainable or environmental choice they've made that has a significant impact on consumption but which I've never thought of. This is how I felt when I came across cloth menstrual pads. I was like "That is brilliant!"... and so obvious when you think about it. It had just never occurred to me that I could replace disposable plastic pads with cloth.

beans we make from scratch, buy in bulk, and store in glass

Now that we've made so many changes to our life it seems like we have run out of all the easy and big impact stuff we can do. We're down to the things that, if we did them, only make a tiny difference (making our own tortilla chips) or the things that make a big difference but are not financially possible (geothermal priming for heating and cooling), or infrastructural things that don't exist in our area (there is no public transportation at all that goes between here and my husband's place of employment). So I'm always on the look our for that next big obvious thing that I just missed. In that vein I thought it might be useful for me to publish a list of the (sometimes radical) environmental actions we take in case there's something here you've never thought of but which might make a large difference in your life. 

I've broken the list into separate posts. Part one is the kitchen, followed by the bathroom, the bedroom, and then a list of miscellanea. In each post I'll include the entire list in simple form, for reference, but go into more detail below.