Household waste reduction feels harder than ever these days. The pandemic has forced our focus elsewhere, increased the emphasis on hygiene and safety, and created unprecedented circumstances for all of us to navigate. I’ve found myself contributing to the single-use madness with items like paper grocery bags, more restaurant take out materials, disposable masks (thanks Omicron), hand sanitizer and more.

But even with the pandemic concerns and constraints, there are a few things I just don’t buy. If you’re looking to reduce your household waste, maybe these are places you could make a change!

one // Tissues, paper towels, and napkins. Use cloth. Find a system that works for your family. I like to cut up old clothes and I have several wet bags around the house than can be thrown directly into the washer. I have smaller wet bags for my kids to keep in their backpacks for blowing their noses at school. Everyone’s lifestyle looks a bit different, but cloth is a sensational replacement for single-use paper products.

two // Baby wipes. And cleaning wipes. And makeup wipes. I bought a few packages of baby wipes for my first child, but after that we switched completely to cloth, even for traveling. Cloth works better than disposables for all messes, in my opinion, and I just hate the idea of so so so many baby wipes polluting the earth. As for Clorox wipes etc., I make my own bleach wipes with cloth and bleach + water. Most messes I clean up with a towel.

three // Bottled cleansers and lotions. These days, there are many ways to obtain zero-waste beauty products. I like to stock up on at a refill store near me (like Joyfill, Zero Market, or Simply Bulk) but there are also stores online that sell low- to no-waste shampoos, lotions, and soaps. I use soap bars for my face and body, and get liquid lotion in reusable jars. (I occasionally buy shampoo in a plastic bottle because I haven’t found a low-waste option that works for well for my hair, but I only wash my hair once a week so a bottle lasts me at least a year.)

four // Disposable period products. Menstrual cup, period underwear, and cloth pads. Nothing more to buy or throw away! There are several quizzes online that will recommend a good menstrual cup for you (based on how many kids you’ve had, your flow, etc.). Do a quick internet search and you’ll find one!

five // Plastic wrap. I haven’t bought any kind of plastic wrap for years. Occasionally a visitor to my kitchen will ask for it, but personally I’ve never missed it. I store food in jars, glass containers, and silicone bags. To cover items, I use clean cloth towels and beeswax wrap. I also just save plastic bags and aluminum foil that comes into my life; even when you don’t buy these items, they still appear! Which leads to:

six // Plastic baggies. Reusable containers and reusable bags serve our needs well, but we also manage to acquire a lot of plastic bags without buying them. Tortilla bags, produce bags, the occasional bread bag…Recently I bought my son some new face masks and each one came in a plastic ziplock bag. Ugh! I save these and reuse them when I need a bag. But typically, I have way more than I can use!

seven // Muffin wrappers. I make a lot of muffins. I invested in 30 silicone muffin wrappers a few years ago (24 regular size and 6 jumbo). I use them constantly. They’re a bit of a pain to clean, but I know the earth is thanking me. This is one of those items that might not seem like it has much environmental impact since they’re small and usually compostable. However, the production and shipping of paper products is significant. Reusables are a better choice when you’re going to use them over and over again. But, if you only make muffins once a year, then paper might be a better choice!

eight // Dairy milk. Until about a year ago, I was singing the praises of local dairy milk in a reusable glass bottle. But more learning taught me that there’s just too great of an environmental impact from dairy farms (and almost all animal agriculture, really), so I just stopped buying it. My kids missed it a little bit, and they still haven’t been able to give up cheese 100%, but we’re no longer buying dairy milk and it feels good from both a health and an environmental perspective. (Don’t let anyone give you a hard time about almond milk. Sure, almond growing uses a lot of water, but WAY less than dairy milk requires! The impacts of animal agriculture, particularly cows, on the environment is HUGE.)

nine // Dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls for the win! I also try to line dry my clothes as much as possible.

ten // Single-use batteries. This is a change I wish we’d made MUCH sooner. It was one of those “duh” moments…why had we been using disposable batteries for so long!? We now have a supply of reusable batteries in a variety of sizes, and a big plug-in charger in the basement. I worry so much less now about the kids leaving a flashlight on! It is also so nice not to have to deal with safely disposing of batteries since you should never put them in your regular municipal trash bin!

I am so excited to share that I do believe I have found an exceptional option for purchasing low-waste foods: Azure Standard! They’re available to people in almost all parts of the US. I just completed my first order (bear this in mind when reading this post; I am not yet a long-time customer), and I am very pleased with the products and the process!

I’ve been shopping at Costco for bulk goods during the pandemic, but I just don’t feel great about all the waste, and they also don’t carry a lot of the items I need in bulk (how do they not sell dry beans!?). Basically, Costco and I tried each other out, and we’re just not a good fit. At first meeting, Azure and I seem to be made for each other! Here’s some more info:

What’s Azure all about?
From their website: “Azure’s goal is to provide the best, most affordable prices for families by operating on a cost-plus basis and passing on any savings when costs go down. We purchase large quantities from independent manufacturers and food makers in order to ensure you get the best quality food available anywhere. We work hard to provide volume discounts where we can, encouraging our customers to buy in quantities they can share with family and friends.”

I love that they encourage sharing with others. I bought large quantities of several items and then delivered portions of them to my friends and neighbors. Less waste for all and serious financial savings too!

What do they sell?
Azure sells a whole range of food products, including many “name brands.” But I was most excited about their own label, under which they sell grains, flours, spices, legumes, pasta, seeds, nuts, dried fruits and more! Most items come in compostable brown paper bags (I called them before ordering to confirm this), and most items are sold in quantities of less than a pound up to 20, 30, 50 pounds or even more. The product pages include lots of information about the origin, processing, and ingredients of every item. This made it easy to make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted. For example, they note that their olive oil is not processed using hexane. This is important information can be hard for consumers to find.

How does shipping work?
When you place an order, you can opt to pay for shipping to your home, or you can have it sent to one of Azure’s many “drop sites.” These are spots along their truck routes where a drop coordinator unloads several orders for customers to pick up. This reduces the stops a truck has to make by consolidating orders (read: reduces carbon emissions!). You can look for a drop site near you: they’re in most larger cities and lots of smaller towns, too. Some locations are eligible for free shipping, while other areas (Colorado) pay a 8.5% shipping fee.

What’s the catch?
I’m not sure there is one! It’s a particular way to get groceries, which appeals to me, but of course it won’t be the right fit for everyone. Here are a few more things to be aware of:

• “Drops” are made once a month. This means you need to plan ahead and get your order in by the cut-off time. (Although, you can pay for shipping to your house anytime.)

• My pick-up site was at a woman’s house. She was very accommodating about when I came to pick up my items. I imagine most drop coordinators are like this, but I can only speak to my one experience.

• Some items came in plastic bags. I’ve gotten pretty used to plastic packaging during the pandemic, but this is just something I wanted to flag for those of you who are striving to be zero-waste!

• They don’t have puy lentils. I really like puy lentils.

Here are some of the products and prices of what I bought in my first order:

• Organic Roasted Peanuts - 30 pounds @ $3.16/lb

• Organic raw cashews - 5 pounds @ $6.48/lb

• Organic raw pumpkin seeds (imported) - 5 pounds @ $3.88/lb

• Organic golden raisins - 5 pounds @ $3.12/lb

• Organic Thomson raisins - 5 pounds @ $2.46/lb

• Organic mango (no sugar added) - 1 pound for $11.48

• Organic red lentils - 25 pounds @ $1.93/lb

• Organic Great Northern Beans - 5lb @ $1.27/lb

• Organic dry black beans - 25 pounds @ $1.59/lb

• Organic popcorn kernels - 5 pounds @ $1.77/lb

• Organic old-fashioned oats - 25 pounds @ $1.00/lb

• Organic fusilli pasta - 10 pounds @ $2.25/lb

• Organic Einkorn flour - 5 pounds for $18.63

• Organic Spelt flour - 5 pounds for $7.66

• Organic white whole wheat bread flour - 10 pounds for $12.08

• Organic olive oil - 1 gallon for $35.37

• Sappo Hill Soap - 3 x 3.5oz bars for $5.87 total

Is it a good deal financially?
Having bought foods from bulk bins for year prior to the pandemic, I’ve memorized many per-pound prices. The prices above, are definitely less expensive than most typical grocery stores. A few items that stand out as particularly good deals: pumpkin seeds, raisins, peanuts, olive oil, pasta. Keep in mind the prices get lower the more you order and I bought 25 pounds of several items.

Is it a good environmental choice?
The more I think and learn about sustainability, the more I realize that everything we do has an impact on the earth. It’s not possible to live on our earth and not change it in some way. Keeping this in mind, all you can do is try to make the best choices possible with the options available. I can’t speak with authority since I’ve done zero actual studies, but given my knowledge of environmental impacts, here are a few considerations:

• Food waste is a huge contributor to carbon emissions, so buying 25 pounds of beans is only a good choice is you’re going to consume 25 pounds of beans (or share them with your neighbors!).

• Another significant chunk of emissions related to food come from agriculture and food production. Azure provides detailed information on their website about the production and ingredients of their products. Their “Core Values” and “Product Standards” indicate their care deeply about soil health, sustainable farming practices, removing harmful chemicals from our food, and more.

• The food you bring into your home also has an environmental impact based on how it traveled to your house. From the farm to factory, factory to packaging plant, packaging plant to distribution center, distribution center to grocery store, grocery store to your home. Azure takes out of a few of those steps, and also delivers to just a few drop sites in each city, meaning their trucks drive less than a truck from, say, a Kroger grocery store.

• Lastly, the packaging waste from my order was minimal. Granted, I only ordered bulk goods from the Azure brands (they sell several items wrapped in plastic). Also, my order was packaged in larger boxes that had been repurposed. Almost all the packaging I received was recyclable or compostable.

More questions?
Leave a comment below or send me a note! I love talking about all things grocery shopping and low waste.

Have you ordered from Azure? Do you think you’ll try it? Do you want to buy a few pounds of beans or oats from me? Happy to share my bulk or to order a few things for you next month!

I am all about super practical tips that help us all make concrete changes that simplify our lives and reduce our environmental impact. I believe that individual actions keep us connected to the broader issues of the climate crisis. It also feels good to “do something” where you can.

I was thrilled when Redfin asked me share my best tip for a more sustainable kitchen.

I had trouble narrowing down my tips to just one, but thankfully they compiled tips from sustainability experts all across the country, so there is plenty of detailed advice. Read more:

Experts Dish Their Secrets for Keeping a Sustainable Kitchen

Which of these practices have you already implemented in your kitchen?

Are there any tips you’d add to the list?

What new habits would you like to adopt this year?

What changes do you think have the most environmental impact?

A few of you might remember: I set a goal not to buy any clothes this year. Definitely nothing new, but nothing consignment either. I’d been feeling like I had too many clothes, and a lot of my clothing was items I didn’t really like but I’d picked up at Goodwill or a clothing swap. I wanted to stop consumption of any kind and reassess my wardrobe.

Turns out, I unwittingly picked a pretty good year for this endeavor. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, I was certainly not doing any ambling Goodwill hunts.

Nevertheless, I haven’t managed to keep to my commitment 100%. I’ve had some slip ups. But I’ve also resisted a lot of shopping! Which, I’ve learned, can be extremely challenging for me.

Given that today is “Black Friday,” a day that tempts our materialistic tendencies with sales galore, I thought it’d be the perfect time to share an update on my successes and failures:

I had a few impulse-buy moments:

• An Everlane black cardigan.
  I’ve been on the hunt for a “go-to” black cardigan for years. Seriously. Might sound silly to some but I bet others can relate! In early 2020, an Instagram influencer I follow posted about her favorite Everlane cardigan being on sale, and when I clicked the affiliate link, I discovered not only was it on sale, but there was only one left in stock! Before I knew what happened, I’d ordered it. FAIL. The positive side is that Everlane is an awesome company doing good things, and I do think this will be a high-quality staple in my wardrobe for years to come.

• A J.Crew bikini from thredUP.
  I was very sad that the pools in Denver were closed this summer. Going to the pool with my kids has always been how we pass summer days. Then, mid-July, I found a pool that was open! As a result, my kids needed some new swimsuits. I took to thredUP.com to find some options, and late one night I suddenly was ordered a J.Crew high-waisted bikini in my size. Second fail. At least it’s pre-owned?

• A romper from Goodwill. When COVID-19 cases started to go down mid-summer, I made a glorious solo trip to Goodwill. I was mostly getting school clothes and shoes for the kids, but I stumbled upon a beautiful linen romper in my size that was only $2.99. Despite my 2020 goals, I’m not a complete idiot. You snatch up a 100% linen romper when you see one!

I made a couple thought-through purchases:

• Underwear. I needed a few new pairs. Ordered them from Pact, and awesome Colorado-based B Corp where I get most of my family’s undergarments.

• Gloves: I didn’t have a good pair of gloves to wear on school runs. I was always taking my mittens off to help the kids with their stuff and it was getting cold. Ordered some, pre-owed, from thredUP.

• Everlane jeans from Poshmark. As the weather got cooler this fall, all 3 pairs of my “around the house” jeans ripped. I was able to patch one pair, but the other two were beyond repair. I bought a used pair from Poshmark. I love Everlane and their jeans, but still always try to buy used when I can.

I accepted a few gifts:

• A bikini bottom from a friend: Like I said above, swimming was front of mind over the summer. I had to help a friend out when it didn’t fit her. ;)

• Shoes from a friend: I have trouble saying no to free things that are looking for a new home. And I thought it through long enough before saying “yes” to make sure they were shoes I’d wear regularly.

• A hand-knit sweater from my mom: My mom has knit sweaters for decades. They’re beautiful. When I visited her a few months ago, she had one that didn’t fit her that she wanted to give me. I will always feel good about accepting a made-with-love warm sweater from a loved one.

I donated repurposed a lot of clothes.
A big part of my mission this year was to edit my wardrobe. I had too many clothes that I didn’t like and didn’t wear. I tried to donate as much as I could, directly to people who could use it (thank you, Facebook!). I also have a few bags in the attic to take to Goodwill sometime soon. (I recently read Adam Minter’s new book, "Secondhand", and was pleased to learn that most clothes donated to Goodwill find a second life and don’t go directly to the landfill. But those details are for another post!)

In conclusion: I resisted so, so many purchases.
My experience this year has taught me that even though I like to consider myself a minimalist who’s against excess consumerism, I have a real problem with consumption! I felt myself turning to shopping as a response to a whole range of feelings: boredom, sadness, moments of low self esteem.

This year has been challenging for all of us (and yes, I’m fully aware I’m writing about something very insignificant right now!), and I found myself often looking for a little “pick me up.” Buying clothes is a way we try to make ourselves feel good; a way to bring some excitement into our lives.

And there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that. There are worse vices. But I think it’s important to take a metaphorical look in the mirror and decide what’s really driving your shopping. That’s my aim, going forward. I’m not sure what my 2020 goal will be in regard to buying clothes, but I am very glad that I made an effort to curtail my shopping this year.

Now, if I can also make it through Black Friday without any impulse purposes!

What about you? Do you have any thoughts or goals around shopping? Are you comfortable with how much you buy?

I hate spray sunscreens. I know that’s a controversial position to take among parents. Putting sunscreen on your kids is a legit pain, and spray sunscreens often seem like they’re easier. But here’s the rub: they’re shown to be less effective and they’re also terrible for the health of the planet and those nearby when you’re spraying.

Here’s something else I dislike: non-recyclable plastic. And that’s what packages many sunscreens. But thankfully, there are a few companies out there doing their part to make their sunscreens the best they can be for both the health of the users and the health of the planet.

I’ve received some questions lately about what kind of sunscreen we use, so here are my thoughts on how to make the best possible choice for yourself and your family when choosing a sunscreen. Sometimes we forget that our skin is our body’s largest organ, so we shouldn’t be blasé about what we’re putting on it!

THREE THINGS I LOOK FOR IN A SUNSCREEN

one // Proven “non-toxic” ingredients. As you may know, in the US, beauty products are only very loosely regulated by the government. It can be hard to know what ingredients are safe and which ones aren’t. And on top of that, hundreds of sunscreens (and other beauty products) promote themselves as “green” or “natural” or “non-toxic.” In many cases this is just greenwashing; they just want you to buy their product. To determine if a product is really safe, you should be able to find clear information about their products’ ingredients on their website. You can usually tell if they’re bluffing about the natural nature of their sunscreen or if their claims are legitimate.

two // A company with sustainability practices. Many companies are making improvements on their plastic packaging. Reusables are always the best choice, but we’re seeing more and more stainless steel containers and compostable paper sticks. These are fantastic choices. But it’s good to remember that even if a company is using plastic for their products, they still might be doing great things on the sustainability front. Their manufacturing and shipping practices has a lot to do with how many emissions are created through their business. Do some research so you can be informed about the companies you’re supporting with your wallet.

three // Zinc oxide; preferable non-nano zinc oxide. Instead of trying to figure out which weird-sounding chemical ingredients are safe and which aren’t, I look for sunscreens that are made out of zinc oxide and other ingredients I can recognize. As for why you want “non-nano zinc oxide,” it’s essentially because nano particles can enter the bloodstream and that’s bad. So you want not super small particles. You can do a quick internet search and find out lots more information on this topic.

OK OK, SO WHICH SUNSCREEN SHOULD I BUY?

Raw Elements - I love all the products Raw Elements make. All their sunscreens are reef-safe, which is extra important if you’re swimming somewhere besides swimming pools. I can get their sunscreen at my local refill shop, but I also like ordering directly from their website. Their kids sunscreen is great and I also love the tinted face moisturizer. Their biodegradable sticks are super for face application as well. I haven’t yet tried their lip products, but I bet they’re fantastic too.

While writing this post, I realized I could sign up to be an affiliate with them, so here’s a 10% off code if you choose to order from their site: deliberateless10
If you chose to make a purchase with this code, I get a very small commission. But please know that I was planning to promote their sunscreen anyway; I truly love their products and what their company stands for!

Meow Meow Tweet - I use Meow Meow Tweet Everyday Sunscreen year round. It’s light and goes on easily. It gives me less protection than the Raw Elements products, so I use it on days I don’t plan to have a lot of sun exposure. I really love the metal dispenser and the smell. If you’ve never checked out Meow Meow Tweet, you’re missing out. I love all their face products!

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These are by no means the only great sunscreen options on the market. They’re just the brands I know and trust. What other companies are working hard to create sustainable and healthy products for sun protection?

I know it, you know it: we have a toilet paper problem right now.

For many, that problem is that they keep running out and there’s not enough in stores. But from my perspective, the problem is much bigger than that. Americans use a disproportionate amount of toilet paper compared to the rest of the world. And that’s becoming even more obvious in this time of global pandemic which has increased demand and disrupted supply chains.

According to a 2019 article in The Guardian:

“[A] report found that major brands’ refusal to switch to sustainable materials in toilet paper is having a devastating impact on forests and climate. About 28m acres of Canadian boreal forest have been cut down since 1996, an area the size of Pennsylvania. Virgin pulp, the key ingredient in toilet paper, accounted for 23% of Canada’s forest product exports.

Americans are particularly to blame for this crisis. They make up just over 4% of the world’s population, yet account for more than 20% of global tissue consumption. The average four-person household in the US uses over 100lb of toilet paper a year.”

I’ve thought about writing this post for awhile, but avoided it because it’s a bit “icky.” People don’t like potty talk. None of us really want to think about how others clean their bum.

But it’s time. Time to get real. Time to push you to reevaluate your systems. As I see it, there are several easy ways YOU could reduce your toilet paper use. Or at the very least, become a more responsible consumer of the product. Let’s run through them in order of the easiest to hardest changes you could make if you grew up using toilet paper:

EASIEST // Buy thinner toilet paper.
Sacrifice just a tiny bit of luxury. The thinner your paper, the fewer trees were used to make it. You don’t have to have quadruple soft Charmin. I promise. Your bum will be okay.

EASIEST // Use less toilet paper.
Obvious and easy: use fewer squares each time you pee. Teach your kids to do this too; in my experience, they’re big offenders!

EASY // Buy “tree-free” toilet paper (and paper towels and tissues!).
Several companies make toilet paper from bamboo and other resources, such as sugarcane, that are much more renewable than trees. Yes, these products might be a tad more expensive than the big-time name brands, but use a few fewer squares a week and it’ll all even out. Some brands to check out: Who Gives a Crap, Grove Collective, Public Goods, Rebel Green, and Caboo.

MODERATE // Switch to “disposable” cloth for pees.
Cut-up some old cotton clothes that were destined for the landfill anyway. Cut them so they’re about the size of 4 squares of toilet paper. Place them in a container near the toilet. After you use one to wipe, throw it in the trash. Wash your hands.

HARDER // Switch to reusable cloth for pees.
Same as above, but add a bin or wet bag for the used clothes, and then wash in hot water. I use a two compartment wet bag, which allows me to put the clean cloths in the front compartment and then the dirties go in the back compartment. When it’s time to wash, I throw the whole bag in the machine.

HARDER // Buy a bidet or bidet attachment.
I can’t speak to this one first-hand, but I plan to try it out in the near future. Aside from a few bidet experiences in Europe and Japan, I am firmly in the wiping camp. But those in the bidet camp feel strongly that it’s the only way to go. That it’s the cleanliest. People love the relatively inexpensive Tushy toilet attachment, but there are tons of options out there at every price point. Can you say heated seat? Many are sold out at the time being though.

HARDEST // Use cloth for everything.
If you’ve used cloth diapers on your kids, this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. A little poop comes off in the wash. A lot of poop? No. But Most of the poop is going into the toilet, right? Right.

Lastly, remember it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We use a combination of these methods in our house. Any reduction of toilet paper consumption will help the forests. And you wallets!

With that, I’m out. I know it’s easiest to keep doing things the way you’ve always done things, but think about the forest people. Think about the trees. Think about your kids and the air you want them to breath. And they ask yourself if you really, really need super-soft toilet tissue.

What do you think? What do you use? Could you make a change?

When I first started my “zero-waste journey” I was pretty singularly focused on the waste. I started buying more dairy milk than ever before because I could get it from a local dairy in a reusable glass bottle.

But, as my journey has progressed, I’ve become less focused on tangible waste and more focused on the broader environmental implications of what I’m purchasing and consuming. I recently read an article that included a comment from a food company executive. He said that consumers don’t care about the environmental impact of what they’re buying, they just care about the taste. I disagree. I think more and more of us are taking some time to weigh the ethical consequences of what we purchase and consume.

The issues that plague each variety of plant-based milk are particularly hard to sift through. Almonds are bad: too much water. Coconut milk is marred by the problems of worker exploitation in Southeast Asia. So what is one to do? Which milk should we drink? Thankfully, The Guardian broke it down pretty well for us last month. This article, along with others I’ve read on the topic, have formed my latest set of guidelines to inform which milk is “best” in terms of environmental impacts. These may change in time, but for now, here are my 5 tips for deciding which milk is “best”:

one // Dairy milk is always the worst choice. Even if it’s from a local dairy in a glass bottle, the environmental footprint of raising dairy cows for milk is significantly worse than any of the plant-based milk alternatives.

two // Almond milk, coconut milk, cashew, and rice milk are the worst of the plant milks, but they’re still much better than dairy! Not only does almond milk require way more water than any other dairy milk alternative, but 70% of bees are called on each spring to pollinate almonds. We don’t have that many bees! Cashews are pretty water-intensive crop, too, but the good news for consumers is that they’re relatively cheap. As for coconut milk, the international demand for it is ruining the lives of farmers. Rice milk is also a major water hog, and rice production contributes more greenhouse gases than any other plant (yikes I might need to reassess our rice consumption).

three // Hemp, hazelnut, flax, and soy are all good picks. I, personally, am thrilled that soy is “okay” again after people were all against it for a few years. The looks I sometimes get whey I try to order a soy latte! No one should be eating too much soy, and it should ideally be organic, but it’s totally fine in moderation. Hazelnuts grow on trees which help capture carbon, and are also grown in moist climates so they require less water. Hemp and flax are “niche crops” grown in northern hemispheres which makes them more sustainable than monoculture crops.

four // Oat milk and pea milk are good, with a few caveats: Oat milk is on the up and up (just check out any local cafe!), and it’s good from a growing viewpoint, but there’s a bit of concern about how many pesticides are used on oats. If you’re buying organic you might be better off, but there are unfortunately many organic forms of pesticides that are still pretty bad. Chobani just released an oat milk yogurt which kind of seems like both a good and a bad sign to me…As for pea milk, it’s pretty good on the environmental side, but the main producer Ripple ships it’s peas to the US from France, so that’s not ideal. I’m going to dig a bit deeper on this one.

five // Buy shelf-stable TetraPak cartons, not the ones in the dairy aisle. Milk cartons are made of three materials: aluminum, plastic, and paper. TetraPak presses these three layers together instead of gluing them. This means TetraPak is much easier to recycle than the glued ones. TetraPak also has a clearly defined sustainability mission in which they commit to many progressive environmental practices such as those that support a more circular economy.

What are your thoughts? Do you think this much about your milk? What are your favorites? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not 100% vegan. But you cannot deny the studies that show the immense environmental impacts of animal agriculture. Get informed and then make your decisions!

Here in Denver we are so lucky to have a forward-thinking company that is offering city dwellers zero-waste grocery delivery! Infinity Goods launched last fall, and keeps adding new products all the time. I’ve been following them on social media since the beginning, but finally placed my first order last week!

Not to sound over-confident, but I’m pretty darn good at zero-waste grocery shopping. However, it takes a lot of time. A LOT. When I go to the grocery, it’s more or less the only thing I plan for that day. I have to gather my bags and jars, bike to and from the store, shop for an hour or so, come home and unload, and transfer all the food into jars or containers. When you order from Infinity Goods, everything comes ready to be put in the fridge or pantry. Not to mention everything looks beautiful in reusable containers.

On their website, Infinity Goods offers bulk products and loose produce from local Sprouts and Whole Foods stores, as well as other local markets. They don’t carry meat, but aren’t 100% vegan: they offer some dairy products.

But what’s better than that, is that they’re sourcing several products directly from local companies. So you can buy things like ketchup, tofu, cheese, ice cream and pasta in reusable packaging (or compostable packaging, in the case of cheese) from a local company! How cool is that?

They also are working with local companies who will take back their containers to reuse. I tried the salad dressing from Bloombox and Unwrapp’d energy bites. The dressing is GREAT. I won’t get the energy bites again - too expensive for just 6 balls. I make this kind of thing at home for much cheaper. But if you’re buying Larabars or similar, these would be a good choice.

Another win: EGGS. Eggs with no packaging! Look at those beauties below!

The jars and produce bags are given to you with your order, and you return them the next time you place an order. Or you can just request pick up on their website. I loved how on-point their packaging and branding is. A zero-waste nerd’s dream!

They’re still a relatively new company, so they’re ironing out a few details (for example, some of my jars were labeled with dry erase marker which wiped off and could not longer be read). But they were super open to my feedback and helped address some of my concerns!

As with most delivery services, you’re paying a bit more for the convenience. Infinity Goods prices things by item number or jar size, instead of weight, so it’s hard to do a direct price comparison to Sprouts or WF. However, I priced out some of the items by weight and found I was only paying a little bit more per pound. Totally worth it for the time saved, in my opinion.

If you want to try out their service, use the code PLASTICFREE2020 for 10% off an order. Or you can use the code LOVEOVERPLASTIC to get free delivery February 10-13. This post isn’t sponsored; these codes are available to everyone. I just wanted to share this awesome company. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

Have you tried them? What do you think? Would you want this offered in your city?

Just like that, summer is almost over and “back to school” time is upon us. Well, in Colorado, at least. With heading back to school comes supply shopping. I have to be honest, I LOVED shopping for my school supplies as a kid. Picking out the perfect new notebook and a fun new set of pencils. Getting it all organized. But, still being honest, school supplies that are made of natural materials that do not end up in the landfill are infinitely more beautiful and exciting, in my opinion.

Stop for just a second and think about how many schoolchildren there are across the country. Across the world. And how many of them are buying a pack of Crayola plastic markers for school. And plastic glue sticks. And plastic folders. And plastic binders. And plastic plastic plastic. Where’s it all going to go when they’re done with it or it break? Ok, enough thinking about that, it’s depressing.

In an effort to “green up” your school supplies, here are my tips:

one // Use what you have. Scour your house for leftover paper from last year. Tear pages out of a half-used notebook and send it to school with your kid (no teacher is going to count the number of pages!). Collect some slightly used crayons to make a full set. Take the free folder you got from a work event and put a sticker on it. Don’t buy supplies unless you truly don’t have them.

two // Look for supplies at secondhand stores. I often find paper, pens, pencils, tape, binders, markers and more at Goodwill and other thrift stores. I’m not sure why they’re there or why they didn’t get used, but someone needs to use them up! It’s always better to buy used than to buy “eco-friendly.”

three // Ask around. I posted on a FB group that I was looking for 1” white binders with clear inserts on the front. Turns out someone works in a courthouse where lawyers leave tons of binders lying around after hearings. So I’m going to go “save” two binders and my daughter will be all set for 2nd grade! You never know unless you try.

four // Work together with classmates and friends! Maybe arrange a school supply swap? Or buy things in bulk quantities and split them up amongst the class. Often things are sold in sets that might be more than you need.

five // When all else fails, buy responsibly. The sustainable goods market is taking off, and it’s not as hard as it used to be to find non-plastic materials that are okay for the earth.

Check out these sites:

• Wisdom Supply Co. - They have almost everything! markers, crayons, notebooks, folders, pencils, dry erase markers…be sure to read their descriptions of products if you have questions. Very helpful. They also have a fantastic document that shows how to swap their products for the more “traditional” ones you might see on your kid’s supply list.

• Package Free Shop - Binders, notebooks, pencils, and crayons. Good place to shop if you also need some household items.

• The Ultimate Green Store - Good selection of pencils, markers, and paper products. Other products too, such as backpacks and household items.

• Onyx and Green - (Available on Amazon) Made mostly of recycled and natural material. Good middle-ground products.

What do you think? Will you give any of these products a go? Or just buy the traditional ones? Does Crayola pay schools/teachers a dividend or something?

Happy back to school, everyone! Now, if someone could just tell me what to do about the two plastic containers of Clorox wipes I’m supposed to buy…

Yesterday, at Sprouts grocery store, I saw more people than ever shopping the bulk section with cloth bags! Fantastic! I was delighted, and give huge props to Sprouts: they’ve started selling their own cloth bags and are using marketing to encourage their use.

However, people seemed confused about how to mark the PLU number on their bulk items. A few were using twist ties (wasteful!) while others were writing the numbers on their grocery lists. I offered up my washable marker once or twice, and the recipients seemed slightly perplexed at why I cared about their grocery shopping experience, but also grateful.

My point here is, even whey you’re trying to reduce your waste, there can be a lot of logistical roadblocks. So to keep things as simple as possible, here’s my 10-step guide to buying low waste groceries:

• one // Make a list. Divide it into sections:

  • bulk items

  • produce

  • deli

  • “middle of the store” items
    

• two // At home, gather your materials:

  • cloth bags for produce and bulk

  • a washable marker

  • large reusable grocery bags

  • empty glass milk containers (if applicable)

  • a couple sturdy containers for the deli counter (if desired)
    

• three // Go to the store. Walk or bike if you can!
  

• four // Stop in the bulk section for any products that were on your list. You want to make sure you have enough bags for the things you really need. Use your washable marker to write the PLU code in large numbers on the outside of the bag, and then fill with the desired amount.
  

• five // Shop produce. When you’re putting your produce in the cart, place it away from your bulk items so any moisture from the produce doesn’t touch the washable marker on your bulk bags. Put things in reusable produce bags if they fall into one of these four categories:

  • You’re buying several of one item (eg. apples or oranges); this will help the cashier weigh them.

  • You’re going to eat the outside of the item and don’t want to wash it (I put many items directly in my cart: cucumbers, cabbage, apples, peppers… but I wash them before eating).

  • You’re buying different types of a similar food. For example, I like to try many kinds of tangerines and oranges. It can get confusing for the cashier if they have to sort by type. (And sometimes you might be charged more if they lump them all together under the code for the most expensive type!)

  • The item is delicate. Such as lettuce and other greens, broccoli, stone fruits, pears, mushrooms, etc.
    

• six // Shop the middle of the store for low-waste items such as:

  • Pasta in cardboard boxes.

  • Legumes and other items in aluminum cans.

  • Sauces, salsas, and juice in glass containers.

  • Beverages in cans.
    

• seven // Return to the bulk section to use up your remaining bags (as desired). Look for items you commonly eat that are on sale or other new treats you might want to try. The beauty of bulk is you don’t have to buy very much. I often get just a handful of something new to see how we like it.
  

• eight // Go to the deli counter and politely request they put your meat or cheese in your own container(s). I’ve never had anyone say “no” to me here in Denver, but I’ve heard it can be difficult in other cities depending on their health codes and ordinances. I do, however, stay close by and watch carefully to refuse any plastic they might slip in. Often the deli worker feels weird about putting the sticker directly on my container so they try to put it on a plastic bag and hand that to me. Obviously, this defeats the purpose, so just enthusiastically tell them they can stick it right to your container!
  

• nine // Hit up the dairy section for milk, eggs, butter, etc. I buy local dairy milk in reusable glass bottles. I always check the back of the fridge for ones with later expiration dates. I also buy two cartons 18 eggs every time I go to the store. Eggs keep for a long time. Butter is unfortunately hard to buy without packaging. I buy the biggest package available; sometimes you can get a pound of butter in one wrapper instead of 4 individually-wrapped sticks.
  

• ten // Check out. Watch carefully so the cashier doesn’t put a rubber band on your eggs or put something in a plastic bag. Sometimes they have questions or comments about my reusable bags, but usually they just figure it out. I assume they experience all kinds of quirky behavior with patrons!