Ohhhh...yes, I love the Zero Waste lifestyle!!! With my hoarding disorder, I held onto a lot of stuff bc it would fill landfills & hurt the earth! I didn’t want to that that! But honestly, I was just turning my house into a landfill. So I started changing my zero waste consumption like reuseable bags, metal straws, reusable zip lock bags and make-up remover clothes!! We can keep each other encouraged bc we are on a similar journey!
@@isabeljehle3616 Metal straws are totally unneccessary to, unless one needs them because of a disorder etc. Every metal straw has to be made and that is waste of energy and material and we don´t need them. It´s not plastic vs multi use straws that are re real issue it´s that ppl tend to think they need those alternatives. Single use cutlery made of bamboo, cardboard aso are the same, just brink ordinary ones from home. (or buy a set on fleamarket and keep in your bag)
@@wonderingsanna yes,that`s right,too.....to bye thinks just to have the same thing in non plastik is wrong. But these straws will last me my hole life and i have no plasik straws with not so good things in it....But yes, a lot of things we buy because of "zero waste" is not needed!!!! :)
It's great that you what produce less waste. I'd sugess two things: 1. When decluttering, DON'T hang on to something just because it would be getting thrown away otherwise. Keeping it doesn't help it just stresses you out and clutters your life. 2. Don't go zero waste - Go LESS waste!!! A bunch of people I know personally or I'm following online just do some changes only because everything needs to be called zero waste but they don't use it (became just clutter again) or are always looking for excuses for every piece of trash they produce. Nobody needs be perfect, it's way more effektiv if a lot of people do it imperfect. Small things and habbits (reuseable bags,...) can change a lot. Don't rush just take one step after another
Apparently it is almost impossible to be zero waste. I’ve been doing less waste lifestyle for more than 20 years. My family still produces waste! We have a small bin (7 litre) that we empty about every 4-6 weeks.
Wendla Thompson - just remember a lot of donations (especially clothes) go in the landfill or are sold to a middleman who sells it again to Africans. They are left to deal with it if is no good.
@@sherunswithscissors that is the hard part.....knowing what's trash (won't sell at any price) and what isn't. You can't look at something, like a stained tee shirt, see the possibilities (a cute patch here and there) and donate it hopping someone else sees them too. Thrift stores and alike don't have the time or space to store and or fix items. An example is a lamp that came in a bundle I bought at an auction. The shade that came on it wasn't the best but it also wasn't the worst I've seen. After I donated the lamp I saw the guy throw the shade into the trash. He knew the lamp would sell faster without the shade. I don't donate to the Goodwill because I've seen how the items get broken and crushed in those big bins. Any charity that has a semitrailer parked in the back makes me suspicious.
Hey Erica, Germany calling! The only way to really avoid packaging is to buy bulk and bring your own container, as is your idea. So for the time being, make do. The important thing is, you want to make a difference. So what I suggest is you check out the new place you are about to move to. Are there bulk stores/supermarkets with a "bulk section"? What about farmers markets and small (coffee) shops that offer coffee unpacked or in recycable packaging. Note here: Paper/cardboard/biodigradible materials as packaging are fine for transport and you just add them to your compost or your recycling. Personally we have two coffeemakers.... I know... One good ol' fashioned drip machine and one with pads, made from the same material as recycable coffee filters. Once they break down, I will change to French Press. Grinding my own coffee. Also note that "less waste" is a more obtainable goal than (literally) "zero waste". See what works for you personally and also your family/household! Some things are just not possible for you (now) - don't bend over backwards, you only end up miserable. No need to be perfect. What you can do, try it, is to challenge yourself, because why do we create so much waste? It's convenient... Plastic bottles? Convenient. Packed fruit/vegetables? Convenient! Plastic bags? Convenient! To-Go-Whatever? .... You get it. Here's what I do: - I bring my own bags. A complete arsenal of them (usually cloth or recycled plastic - think the blue Ikea bags)... Which is standard in Germany. We do pack our groceries at the check-out ourself. Also plastic bags have been banned. You get cloth bags and paper bags for a few cents at the check-out and can always bring them back for your shopping, regardless of where you shop. - I buy as much as I can in glass bottles/jars (think drinks, condiments, etc.) I reuse those jars and bottles to store things. - No need to buy any more mason jars, plastic containers etc. ALSO: This is not Instagram or Pinterest, this is the real life. It does not have to look "aestheticly pleasing to the eye". Remember the 7 R's! - I buy my vegtables and fruit unpacked. I use cloth bags to keep them together or when they have a "soft skin". (Stores in Germany offer "vegtables nets". You buy them once and can reuse them AND you might be charged less. Or you repurpose old clothing/fabrics to bags, works just as well. - I buy local and organic when and if I can. Fairtrade and sustainable. - My goal is always to have as little plastic as possible between me and the product. I work in retail myself (I stock the frozen stuff), so I know about the sheer amount of packaging waste we produce and that's BEFORE you (all) take stuff home with you. I try to buy products packed in paper, cardboard or made from recycled/recycable/biodegradable packaging. It usually says so at the bottom of the box, etc. - I either mix my own cleaning supplies or buy eco-friendly products. Same goes for personal hygenie products. Note here: No one should endanger their health and physical well-being for the sake of going waste free! No compromise. My longterm goals is, to use up everything in my household untill it cannot be repaired or mended anymore. I first try to buy it second hand (again: health and safety first) and, depending on what it is, upgrade to a more sustainable option. So instead of buying plastic, I go for glas, wood/bamboo, steel - the like. Is it more costly? Yes, but then again my mom owns a cast iron pan that originally was owned by my great-grandma, made in the German Empire....So invest and it will last (more than) a lifetime. (I own a pot that is nearly 60 years old...) Say NO and REFUSE! You have to challenge yourself and refrain/refuse buying stuff. Also you as a customer have a voice and power. We in retail notice, even big cheeses eventually do. The changes that took place in the last 5 years in German stores are enormous and are largely because people stopped buying "wasteful". They wanted, demanded, organic/sustainable/fair products, bought what was available to them and left the rest to sit on the shelfs. Or they stopped buying in certain places all together. Billions in lost revenue. You (people) have the power to change and demand change. And it can happen. Personally, I refuse to buy anything that contains palm oil. (check it out, PSA, might cause uneasy sleep...) Does it take getting used to? Yes. You try to break old habbits. There will be set-backs... A wise person once said: "Take it one day at a time.". Finally and maybe most importantly - What helped me most, was not the internet, no v/blogs, Pinterest or Instagram influencers. It was grandma.... Yeah. Erica, don't look in the here and now for how-to's but turn around and look back! How did your grandma do it back then... the grandparents, their parents and so on. They were the "true" zero- wasters, because they could not afford to waste anything, literally. The best household/zero waste hacks are the old-timey ones. Think "the 1900's house wife". Classic homemaking/houskeeping skills are the best. Optain them, incorporate them into the 21st century. Anyways, you have any more questions? Ask away. You did a wonderful job so far, you will tackle that as well. I am proud of you! Greetings and best of luck for your upcoming move!
hi, just a quick tip: i know we all love a clear container for coffee beans beacuse it's pretty (i do too) but it is actually better to store coffee beans in an opaque container or if you put it in glass, store that in a light-proof cupboard. coffee loses lots of its aroma when exposed to light :) other than that i love seeing you make that switch. it always baffles me when people drink coffe from pods/cups, it's just so much worse than fresh ground coffee. or if you don't wanna grind the beans yourself at least get ground coffee :) Or maybe i am just biased bcause I grew up in a household where everything beyond freshly made filter coffee was seen as the devils work lmao
I was thinking the same thing. I bought a coffee container at Starbucks that is wonderful. It is dark and as you use the ground coffee, you slide the lid down to keep air out. Love it.
I just have a small (clear) container that I put beans in on the counter and the rest of the bag I keep in the pantry (in the dark) - I go through the coffee in the little container about once a week because COFFEE IS LIFE
Compost! Recyclable brown bags (that the coffee comes in...)can also be put into the compost - infact, adding brown paper (none printed/glossy) adds carbon to the compost which balances out the nitrogen part. Hence it will not be so smelly! Compost is a great thing - says a self confessed compost nerd!
Now I'm not sure... I have always read 'refuse' as refusing - saying no - which is in line with minimalism. The less you buy or collect, the less waste is generated. But reducing 'refuse' as in cutting down waste also works 😁 Either way, keep up the good work. On a sad note, I have discovered that my beloved microfiber cloths are actually made of plastic, cannot be recycled, and contribute to micro plastic in the air, soil and water 😑
@@KatyInNH thanks, but apparently the type of plastic from the microfiber cloths actually melts differently and causes problems in the recycling process. So I'm just going to use natural fibre rags, I guess
I truly think that most people don’t realize how bad the cups are for the environment so the fact that you see this issue AND want to fix it is WONDERFUL!! 🥰 I also love that you’re still decorating knowing that you are moving in a few weeks 🙃
If anyone doesn't know, plastic recycling is not a solution, so we really need to focus on the reducing part. 😉 I like to: - Donate a small monthly amount to Ecojustice; - Think very carefully about all of my purchases, their packaging, who made them, and the product's lifecycle/disposal/repairs (metal and cardboard are easiest to recycle); - Use reusable bags; - Use biodegradable kitchen sponges; - Refuse straws and plastic cutlery when I remember; - Buy fewer frozen meals; - Use silicone ziploc-style baggies; - Use beeswax wraps; - Drink tap water; - Buy silicone kitchen utensils; - Use baby wipes made of tencel or bamboo; - Use a menstrual cup, period panties, or cotton menstrual pads (I had to switch after childbirth, but there's something for everyone); - Use my old t-shirts to make rags for cleaning (the softest ones are now handkerchiefs for when no one's sick); - Use cloth napkins; - Use bar soap with a sea sponge underneath to keep it dry; - Buy package-free produce; - Start my own vegetable garden; - Grow wild raspberries and strawberries (yum!); - Buy local produce when possible; - Eat less meat; - Not buy juice or bottled drinks; - Buy one large container at Costco instead of multiple smaller containers when it makes sense; - Refill spices and dry goods at a bulk store (once they reopen); - Choose clothing that doesn't contain plastic (polyester, microfiber, and acrylic release particles of plastic into the environment when you wash them); - Use my electronics until they break; - Buy durable dishes so they don't end up as landfill (mine are Corelle now); - Use corn dental floss in a reusable container (mine is Flosspot Gold); - Don't buy more in a category until I've use up what I own (low buy challenge); - Buy secondhand; - Borrow or rent things I don't need often; and - Participate in my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook to give and receive free things (including furniture and kids' clothes). My next project is to switch to bar shampoo and body wash once I finish what I have. After that, I want to make my own sourdough bread (I can't eat regular bread) and starter. Eventually, I want to sew more to repair clothing, and I want a bidet with a dryer. I'd also like to be more politically active, because I know there's a group in my area fighting to ban single use plastics. Once I'm in a place to do so, I want to start making my own baby food pouches again and eliminate granola bars from my kitchen. Things I don't do right now are: take public transportation, rehydrate dried beans, use biodegradable or washable diapers, make my own granola bars and almond milk, reduce my toothbrush waste, use a safety razor, or use earth-friendly paints for art.
I started out the same way with the K-Cups. It was a chore trying to still the little container and I had to do it four times every morning. The Keurig finally died and I invested in a much less expensive regular coffee maker. This one lets me choose what type of brew and it shows you on the side of the reusable filter how much coffee you're using. It also has a thermal carafe and keeps the coffee quite warm. So now I buy regular ground coffee and it's working out just fine.
In the 7 R's, refuse does not mean "trash", it means, "say NO" --as in, say no to non recyclable packaging, say no to single use plastic bottles, say no to disposable K-cups (as you are doing). It speaks to the choices we make when shopping. Vote with your dollar! Also, your coffee station looks great--I agree, that was too many word signs. IMHO, one or two are cute, but when we use lots of them in a room, our eyes ping around from word sign to word sign, because our brains need to read those words--good for you for showcasing just the one in your coffee area. Love the vid!
I love how you just keep going. You tried something (like the coffee station) and it didn’t work for everyone in the family so you just went at it again, didn’t like the result and went at it again. I also started to look at my waste once I started Decluttering. I think the refuse part is major. I mainly dealt with the recycle first and then read up on the energy it takes to recycle and realized refuse is the most important step. I didn’t let the reuse (or use to the fullest) stop my Decluttering though. I just had to forgive myself, donate what I could, trash what I couldn’t. Then vow to use up/out what fit into my new minimalist life. I found that the more I decluttered the less I liked having words on the wall. The words became clutter and distracting because your mind will want to stop and read it every time. It is like noise, like someone talking to you every time you look at a sign or saying on the wall.
When I look at my trash (that includes recycling) I see money. My money. They aren’t giving you all that packaging for free! Really keeps me motivated. You can 1) make your own cleaners-I buy a huge bag of baking soda, a gallon of Castile soap, a couple of gallons of white vinegar and a gallon of grain alcohol. Lasts about 2 years and makes everything from toothpaste to windshield cleaner for the car. Maybe think about reducing plastics too. I replaced microfiber cloths with cotton flour sack cloths. They’re cheaper, more versatile and no micro plastics in the water. You can get plastic free reusable k-cups which are better for you (no hormone disrupters) and the environment. From q-tips to dental floss you can find plastic free, zero waste options these days. Also, when you move check out your new city’s options, some cities are composting things you can’t put in a back-yard composter. Thanks for sharing your journey!
The main thing that helped me on my minimalist and no/low waste journey of more than a few years now was ditching the guilt and judgement... my own and other's. It's progress not perfection, Dear Heart. I'm 68 and have been through a LOT of stuff. Sigh... I've had some epic fails that have been more than compensated for by the improvements in my health, life, finances, and even family. Trash happens LOL!!!!!!
Some minimalists suggest not having signs up in your home as it’s a distraction but I love signs. I like reading the positive messages. I even have some in my bedroom. I’ve been watching DIY youtubers and learning how to make some decorative signs. I can’t wait until I can get the supplies to make them.😊
I've found that having the smallest garbage service can they offer is a great way to limit your waste. Knowing how little space I have in the garbage makes me put more of an effort into getting things into the recycling bin instead.
Good for you getting rid of k-cups! Baby steps! Minimalism/downsizing/simple living is a journey of awareness and choices...keep up the effort! We've had a compost bin/pile in the yard for 10+ years and 3 dogs. The dogs have never messed with it. It's not hard, you can do it! It's not gross or smelly, if done properly. We (fam of 4) challenge ourselves to fill only one kitchen size trash bag every seven days. Everything else has to be recycled, reused or composted. Thanks for sharing your family's journey, Erica. It's encouraged me in our family's minimalish journey even more :-)
This is a really good home school topic . Involve your children !!! When I was a child my entire school did a project to save food in our cafeteria. We chose to not take food we would we would not eat and we put all food waste in separate bins . Our teacher used the food to feed his pigs . At the end we went to his small farm to camp and have a breakfast of pancakes and bacon . It was a big project and hard to fully explain here but you could do something similar on a small scale ... like compost .
I like the minimal look of your coffee bar. I've read the Cozy Minimalist and think her advice about the word thing is spot on. Id trade out that small coffee sign for the big five. Love that it captures your family and adds some heft and scale to the display. The coffee sign seems redundant and doesn't visually fill the space. Everything you're doing is so inspiring! Thanks!
I'm so glad that you are pursuing this! I want to learn more and enjoy watching you. Here are a few things we do just in case you find them helpful: - reuse pet food bags as trash bags in are large kitchen trash and produce bags for our bathroom trashes. Better yet, don't use produce bags at the store. They are surprisingly unnecessary. - use one multifunctional product. Vinegar and coconut oil are great examples. I also really like a concentrated all purpose, light duty cleanser. We put it in a spray bottle and it can be used for all surfaces including floors, dishes and laundry. Laundry detergent can be used as a stain remover if applied directly to stain. -use dryer lint as a fire-starter -plant fruit trees A pennysaver writer mentioned starting with what you do the most (so coffee was a great first) laundry and meals are other good choices. I'm learning alot from Mary's Nest channel if you want to watch her reuse of kitchen scraps and such. I'm sure there is so much more! Thank you!
I started going "zero" waste one step at a time. What I struggled with is that I wanted to do a perfect zero waste. When I was able to let that thought go, my zero waste journey went so much easier. I focused on one zero waste swap at a time. For example, a safety razor that is not made from platic, old school shaving. When that worked I changed my shopping habbits on food. Our local veggieshop offers veggies and fruit without plastic, so that's where I shop more. I have a travel cutlery, so no more platic or wooden cutlery. Small steps make a big impact. Together with minimal and zero waste I find that my shopping habbits are changed. I ask myself if I really need it. And if I choose to buy I buy it with a lot of research. Better for my wallet, for my House and for the planet. I love following You, thank you for sharing 💓
Reducing my waste has been tough. Some changes are easy, but nobody can be ZERO waste and every time I have to throw something out I feel so guilty. Every time I try some alternative and it doesn't work for me, I feel like I failed. It's been hard for me mentally. So I guess, I wanted to warn you, and tell you what you're doing is great, and don't give yourself a hard time when things don't work out. You are doing an amazing job!
So so glad you are starting zero waste. We started 5 years ago when our daughter was born with cloth bumming and breastfeeding. We arn't perfect, we now have a cereal sized bag a week of trash, mainly unrecyclable food plastic. Best piece of advice I can give you to start is mindfully consider when you throw something away whether there is an alternative purchase or whether you can do without. There are sooooooo many things we don't buy at all anymore, as we realised they were not necessary and sold to us by clever advertising and learned habits.
First...I ❤ your videos and courage to share your journey with the world. Every one of your videos has inspired me. I've been living a close-to-zero waste life...my whole life. It is how I was taught. I admire you making the change from all the plastic coffee pods. I'm 55, have been drinking coffee everyday for 40 years and never understood the "benefit" of those machines...other than a new market for large corporations to exploit. So...that being said...kudos for not trashing a machine that is still working. ...and instead, embracing the way to make it as zero waste as possible. Coffee bean purchasing is a very personal choice...you have to enjoy the coffee you make!!! Some tips for now...throw in a pinch of cinnamon, a dash of vanilla, nutmeg, 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil...basically anything to give your coffee a "special flavor" now and then. This way you only have to deal with 1 bean...1 ground coffee...and it makes life easier...1 cannister and you always know how much you have on hand. When your machine breaks down...consider going to an electric 12 cup coffee perk (or smaller). Make 1 pot in the morning and put it into a good thermos. The coffee stays hot all day and is a no fuss way to use the coffee maker once a day. I've been doing this for years and the coffee perk I use was a wedding gift my parents received at their wedding...it is older than me...and makes perfect coffee every morning...365 days a year. My 1 basket of coffee a day is used as body scrub, sink drain deoderizer and put into small air flow containers to absorb the smells from my pets. I also never feel guilty throwing it in the garbage because it acts as a deoderizer there too...and I only need to take out garbage 1x a week...1 bag...so having a natural compostable deoderizer added to it over the week helps. Keep doing what you are doing, you are an inspiration ❤
I've always been minima-ish, but earlier this year, I started my zero waste journey too! Started composting 2 months ago!😊 I've been binge watching on UA-cam and Ted talks on sustainability lately. There are so many great contents out there! I watch Rob Greenfield, Bea Johnston, Lauren Singer, Kathryn Kellogg, Sedona Christina, Shelbizlee, Gittermary Johansen, and so many other! Just type "zero waste" and the whole world opens up. I dry coffee grinds (in the sun or in the microwave) and keep in the jar to put in a corner, or in a shoe closet as it deodorize the air. After few weeks I compost it. Just be careful you don't overheat the grinds as it scatters... 😓 I live in Japan, and there aren't many bulk stores near by, but I'm realizing if I try, I can make many changes in the way I shop or what packaging I choose. Cheering you on your low waste journey!
We have those trash cans everywhere in Seattle! One simple switch I recently made was switching from body wash to bar soap. Lasts a lot longer and no plastic bottles. Check out shelbizleee on UA-cam! She has a lot of “easy” swaps and also understands the companies behind things you are buying. We just bought Dropps dishwasher pods too
I use liquid body wash and shampoo but I use a wall mounted soap dispenser so there is no waste. I fill the dispenser, rinse the bottle and use what's in it and then recycle the bottle. My husband didn't like body wash and used bar soap. Instead of throwing away the little bits I made pouches from wash cloths. When the bar got small he could put in a fresh bar. His favorite was the ones a daughter in law crocheted for him. Instructions for both kinds can be found on the internet.
Wendla Thompson I have one of these too! Plus it reduces those ‘bottles’ in your bathroom cluttering the shelves and side. I too made a ‘soap scrubby’ from cotton yarn, great minds think alike! 👍🏻
Firstly, you're doing a great job at lowering your waste. Careful not to rush yourself, as it can feel overwhelming and lead you to quit. I usually try eliminating one type of waste, and when I've mastered that, try another. I imagine with 3 kiddos you probably go through a lot of napkins. One of the best purchases I made was a set of cloth napkins on etsy (recommend a dark colored cotton or linen). We never buy napkins anymore, just throw them in the laundry with our clothes. Keep going! Much Love!
Coffee grounds are great in the garden. I just sprinkle around all of my flowers. When life was normal I would go to coffee shops and get their used coffee grounds for my garden.
@@eahuebner1 You can also recycle a flannel sheet to do the same. I have a stack of unpapertowels that I traced with a book and cut with pinking shears. Though ideally you'd run them through a surger.
@@flickeringfairy3119, I could, but it would be a project that sat around for years and I would forget to buy or borrow the shears. 🤣 I really enjoy the birdseye texture for cleaning and I love the luxury of double layered unpapertowels and cloth wipes too.
@@eahuebner1 I totally get that. I craft often so I already have them, but even then I used to have projects that sat for years. Minimalism had changed that. Now I have one single bin of fabric that's sitting around. 😂 I'll have to check out the available options for next time.
Is the problem with laundering microfiber getting micro-plastics in the environment? I have a fair number of microfiber cleaning cloths I would rather use up than buy cotton.
Erica - You are doing great. Life is not about perfection, it’s about progress. You have made SOOO much progress in such a short time. Congratulations! And welcome to the bright, decluttered, minimalist(ish) side! It’s peaceful over here:)
Composting is wonderful. It feels great to lessen what goes in the trash. If you get chickens they will eat almost all your scraps. The few things they can’t eat can be composted.
I think the REFUSE part is the most important one and your decluttering journey and the epiphanies you had along the way set you up for success in refusing to bring in new things into your home in the first place. This includes refusing freebies and refusing to participate in trends and fads.
So excited for your minimalist/ zero waste journey- you’re off to a great start. Something to consider regarding lower waste on coffee is to toast your own at home. You can purchase raw beans in bulk well in advance, and roast weekly quantities with a skillet or popcorn popper. Once the beans are roasted, they stay fresh about 10 days, but raw beans have a longer shelf life. This would reduce the per pound packaging that is frustrating. Before you commit, you could try a batch or two before buying a large quantity of raw beans. My husband and I have done this for the past year and have had great coffee at a great price with so much less waste. Frugal minimalism for the win!!
Great job! I can’t believe you’re thinking about k-cups before a big move! You’ve clearly reduced a bunch of stress! I think becoming a minimal-ish-ist is a huge step towards reduced waste. A couple of other small ways: avoid single use drink beverages and snacks where possible, bring /use your own bottle/container where possible, compost, and easy- reusable bags for shopping.
Hi Erica, I love your channel! I send my soft plastics to the grocery shop (Woolworths Australia) to be recycled as our recycling bins only accept hard plastic. They stopped accepting bags in March when the Covid-19 really hit our shores, but it has now been 1 month since our last recovered case in my state, so I sent almost 4months worth of soft plastic out today. It is harder to try to be Zero Waste when the government has declared it's time to be Contact free. One hack I do is to use UberEats paper bags in the Garden as a weed suppressor/mulch, My favourite cafe also has cardboard drink holders so I have been re-using the cups and cup holders for seed-raising. Zero-Waste is a corporate buzzword and impossible for anyone to achieve alone, so try instead to Minimalize Waste and Seek Support. Congratulations on starting! Shelbizlee is another UA-camr who is full of help about producing less waste. .
It’s not refuse as in waste. It’s refuse, saying no to free things u know u will not use and refusing to make new purchases unless it’s necessary. Cleaning: vinegar water baking soda is all u need. To make the smell of vinegar weaker soak citrus rinds in the vinegar for two weeks. It works because I do it. So glad u r headed in this direction ❤️🇨🇦
I have loved doing verimcomposting with worms--very low smell, easy to do, uses up paper and all our fresh food waste! It's sounds weird but the worms are so cute and I highly suggest it.
I compost anything that was ever alive. That includes all yard waste, paper towels, shredded paper and cardboard, meat, cheese, cooked bones, cotton and wool clothing. Everything composts just fine. I have five, one cubic yard, bins, with removable fronts so that I can turn them quickly and easily. They have lids so that I can use the filled bins for garden tasks, and are painted deep blue. Pretty and practical.
I just started too! Once I ran out of k-cups, I just didn't buy more! I also do menstrual cups, and my most recent purchase is reusable sandwich and snack bags. I just bought mine on Amazon. I'm excited that you're doing this! I have a long way to go but another benefit I encourage myself with is the financial benefit! Woo hoo! Let's do this!
One step at a time. Nobody is perfect. You have a lot of gracious viewers. ❤Thank you for sharing your journey. Call your waste management and see if they're doing a compost program with yard waste. Also we actually only get our trash picked up every other week with the recycling. It's new to our area but it wouldn't hurt to ask if this is an option in your area.
It's great that you start in a selected area of your everyday life! Good job!!! For me personally Zero Waste and Minimalism should be more connected and I am glad that you show your transitioning ideas and actions in both fields. I never heard about the Ethical Bean Company and believe they don't ship to Germany. And I would always recommend to check if there are bigger packages of something you buy if you cannot buy it in bulk due to Covid-19 or the stores in your area. There will be less waste involved per serving (as well as they might be cheaper). Looking forward to your next steps and thank you so much for taking us along on your way and showing us the smaller and bigger challenges and how you cope with them!!!
I love your dedication to coffee in your kitchen & in your mind. I can relate! Erica, I started watching your channel over the winter. I can honestly say you look healthier. You're glowing! I'd love to see a video on what it's like to readjust when your husband comes home after months away. Do you find yourself doing the dishes, when before you might have left them in the sink? Stuff like that. Plus, I'd love to hear his thoughts on coming home to this amazing lifestyle change (more than a few seconds here & there). How has it impacted him each day? Does he feel he can relax more, enjoy the family more? Etc. What you accomplished while he was gone was huge!
Hi there! I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago through another site that I follow; The Minimal Mom, who I have followed for a while now. I love videos that show organizing and sorting through stuff and I especially love yours. You show how the majority of us actually tackle the stuff and the kinds of stuff we all have and have put off dealing with, so thank you very much for that. I have been binge watching your videos for a couple of weeks now, trying to get caught up, skipped ahead to this one today, LOVE Coffee, so had to watch out of turn. You asked for suggestions so here goes: I have recently switched from a regular drip electric coffee maker, that we have all used for years, to a pour over method. I was inspired by another channel that I follow of a young couple "The Nomadic Movement" who are building a tiny house movement on property they bought in south America. But....they also have joined with a local resident that roasts coffee and have developed their own blend of bean/roast. Watching them motivated me to switch to the pour over method; it's a much better cup of coffee. I started to get concerned with how nasty the coffee maker is even if you clean it on a regular basis, it still never gets clean, the insides you can't get to, etc. The pour over method the items are washed daily and the only waste is the used grounds and a filter, both can be composted. I also notice you have your beans stored in a clear glass container, researched that as well with all this switching and info shows to store in a dark container to prevent light to keep fresher longer. Anyways...thanks for your videos and inspiration to get my house in order now that I've got the coffee part figured out.
Also, worth looking into a microfiber filter for your washing machine. Microfiber cloths are made from plastic, and mixed fiber clothing (polyesters etc) release micro plastics into the water. Easy attachment to your existing washing machine!
A great way to compost is to keep a bucket in the freezer (e.g. a gallon ice cream bucket) and throw all your compost in there. That way, it doesn't stink up the kitchen, and you don't have to take it outside immediately.
Yay! Love coffee and love zero waste. My fiance and I have an espresso machine, kalita pour-over, french press, and drip. For all but the kalita we have a reusable filter. We feed all used beans to our worms! (We live in an apartment and have worms on the balcony). I try to be conscious of my coffee waste too, since it's a high water process to grow, ship, and roast them. I reuse my coffee bean bags and am looking at getting glass milk bottles to reduce our plastic waste for lattes. Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and chocolate are so important too!
Good for you for looking to reduce waste and this is an easy place to start! The "after" of the coffee bar made me inhale deeply as there was less visual clutter. 🙌🏻 I'd go further and take away the 3 plants in the wire basket, and move the mugs in its place. Move up the glass coffee consistent to the right of the coffee sign, putting the greenery plant from the counter next to it. The cookies are cute but I'd ditch those too. Just having the things up on the shelf and the counter clear of everything but the coffee maker!
Beating you up about your K-cup usage would have been counter-productive. We reach each step in our journeys at different times and in different ways. I know that the more someone nags me about something, the less likely i am to change it. Your journey has been fascinating to watch, not to mention educational about what decluttering truly means, and the emotions it brings up. Please keep sharing your journey and helping the rest of us feel like we are not alone.
Hi from the UK! Plastic Free July is a great place to start - they recommend removing things like straws, plastic bags, takeaway coffee cups and plastic drink bottles. I buy my dry goods from a refill shop where I can use my own bags, take a stainless steel water bottle and a reusable coffee cup when I go out, use bar soap and I've found menstrual cups life changingly good! I'm not sure if you can buy produce unpackaged in the US at the moment but I buy as much unwrapped as possible (I take mesh bags to the supermarket).
I’m lucky there’s a zero waste shop where I can go and refill my containers with all sorts, eliminating packages. However, it’s an hour drive from me!! Re coffee grounds and coconut oil - fantastic idea! I don’t use ground coffee (instant as I’m lazy) but Starbucks around here gives away the coffee grounds for free!
So glad to see you making a switch to reusable pods. I have used them for YEARS because I think the cups are waaaaayyyyy too expensive. I have a little flip scoop to fill them and I LOVE it. Use it a dozen times a day (you got nothing on my coffee addiction, kid). Not minimalist to have that kind of gadget but by far the most used thing in my kitchen other than my single serve coffee maker. Keep up the good work!
We have refuse pick up weekly I put mine out every two months all paper goes into the compost that I can I have been known to soak paper that has a film of plastic on it in the past now I just don’t buy it. If there isn’t a passable version it doesn’t get bought. Coffee grounds either go into the compost or just put between the plants it all breaks down. I love your coffee station now. 💖 you are amazing I love your progress and the videos.
Reducing is better than reusing, and reusing is better than recycling. I think you are on the right track. Have you used a carbon footprint calculator? The Nature Conservancy has a really good one. It asks you detailed questions about your habits, calculates your carbon footprint, and gives you ideas on how to shrink it so that you tread lighter on this planet. That’s my whole-hearted answer. My half-assed answer is to keep on keepin’ on and use some of the money you are saving to purchase carbon offsets.
You are on the right track. Start slow. Pick one thing or area at a time. You will keep finding new areas to become more sustainable, it's a process. Every little thing you do adds up, so keep going.
I started my less waste, less plastic and less stuff live two years ago. It takes time to do it but I have no stress and every baby steps helps. For less wast the first thing I did was analyzing my trash can. So I looked what the biggest trash was in the can. Now we drink water from the main, homemade syrup or we buy it in glass bottle and I make our homemade yoghurt. We need only some glass jars and the oven. My goal is a imperfect zero wast live.
Wow Erica I think your shelf decor looks wonderful now!!! Good on you for looking into eco/green/ sustainability. It really does go hand in hand with minimalism. I am on a similar journey and often learn new things. I don't want to overwhelm you but microfiber cloths are a no as well. They shed trillions of plastic particles into the waterways and sea through our washing of them. Wildlife can't avoid them and are being found weighing down their guts etc in dead wildlife. I was horrified when I found out as I too had bought them thinking I had made an eco-friendly choice. Google search it. Cotton rags are the best. Either repourpsed from old clothes/linen or I believe Amazon has good ones. I am really enjoying your channel. Thanks from New Zealand.
I live in Northern Europe were strickt rules are towards the environment, we do have shops you can fill everything you want in your own packages. I live in a zero waste town, huge sunpower and windpower stations, eco and plastic bins, re cycle of about every thing you can think of. Our green waste is changed into gas and compost. Part the of town has houses of the grid with no waste, even the water is recycled. Growing your own food is encouraged and the thrift stores thrive. It started in the sixties here with refusing nuclear energy and weapens.. My kids don't know anything else. It's sitting down and get used to do it different but give yourself time. It needs a different kind of thinking and you are allready on the road to change. You get there.
The 7 R’s you refer to are great but being from the UK we don’t use Refuse in same context as you. When we see Refuse it means not to accept anything and say “No” to items we don’t need/want as in free gifts etc. Love your channel as it gives me so much inspiration xxx
Well Done Erica, it's not an easy journey, but every little helps. 2 people I follow for for really good Eco tips are "Going Zero Waste" and "Shelbizeee".
I loe seeing the process of simplifying the coffee bar! Super fun and SO relatable! Edit: I started to eliminate words in decor in my home for the same reason you said "too many words" when arranging your coffee bar. One sign with words can be cute, but it soon starts to feel like subconscious commands, like my decor saying "do this! do this! do that!" and it wasn't helping my house feel peaceful. I still hae some word decor, but I don't buy it anymore.
I am using goat milk soap bars instead of buying plastic bottles of body wash. I bought a shampoo bar of soap to use instead of buying shampoo in a plastic bottle. It works just as well for me as other shampoos. I bought the soda stream with glass carafes to make my own carbonated drinks. I've also bought a dish soap bar soap which came with a natural scrubber that I LOVE, and now I'm not using sponges. I have gotten my husband used to using the refillable k-cups for our coffee by buying flavored beans at Fresh Thyme grocery to grind. He now gets his beloved flavored coffee without using plastic kcups. Like you, I've invested in good microfiber cloths too. Anyway I can, I'm trying to reduce the plastic purchases. Making my own cleaning solutions is something I've just started doing.
I love your channel Erica! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. You are inspiring so many people. You are genuine and real and such a breath of fresh air from the other youtubers with their perfect homes. I feel like we are in this together. I am so happy your husband is home! Thank him for his service and sacrifice, and thank you for your sacrifice in handling things at home while he was away. ❤❤❤❤
Plants love used coffee grounds. You can sprinkle them on your garden beds as a light fertilizer so you won't have to buy commercial fertilizer. The acidity that some people worry about actually gets brewed out of the beans. If you don't put cooked kitchen scraps, meats etc. on your compost, the critters won't be too interested in it.
I really like how you took one aspect of your life/lifestyle and really thourougly analysed in regards to waste reducing. One can see your commitment to your zero waste resolution, very inspiring. Lot of success 😊
What i do to reduce waste: I make my own scrubber out of jute, if it looks ugly it goes on the compost. I make toothpaste since i'm 19 years old, i use coconut oil, active charcoal and turmeric. For washing clothes i use soap nuts or for white clothes baking soda and vinegar. For coffee i use instant or my mother hast one of those typical german coffee machines reduces waste too but i hate the taste😅 Greetings from germany
Depending on how many of the reusable k-cups you have, if you set them aside after using them, they will dry back out and are much easier to dump the grounds out of them. Brown paper bags (unlined) can be composted. In fact, they are really great for putting your compost in and you can store it in the freezer until you have enough to take outside to your compost bin.
Good for you with the k cups. Have your own style off stuff on display! You've got great ideas and you've come so far on your journey! Way to go on your Decluttered life
Erica, what a great job you are doing of helping to teach steps to minimalism. I love watching your videos because they make me so happy and hopeful that my house is on the way to minimalism.
Here’s my top 5 for not only producing waste, but also saving money; 1) Charlie’s Soap powder laundry detergent. I order the $130 massive bucket of it. It lasts us (family of 6) an average of 2-3years with just the one bucket. 2) Wool dryer balls. I’m on my same set of 10 that I got 8+ years ago. No crazy chemicals from dryer sheets. 3) I’ve found that dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar are all you need to clean just about anything. Forget all the crazy bottles with warning labels. 4) Menstral cup for the win. So amazing - so much less waste. 🙌🏻 5) Buy a 1/4-1/2 cow from a local farmer and stock your freezer. It’s all wrapped in butcher paper - no plastic or styrofoam in sight.
For reducing the coffee waste we got an Italian coffee maker (moka pot), which is actually the norm in our home country, Spain. Coffee grounds can be composted for your raised bed garden, used as a natural exfoliating product, as an antiaging mask, pest repellent, and deodorizer for shoes. We also like to prepare coffee with paper filters, but some brands make them with recycled paper and you can compost the paper too (and you can make them with kitchen paper towels). A French press is another option, I don't like the flavor so much but it's better than the one-time-use capsules. In Ecuador, they use cloth sifters which you can easily diy and it is washable.
I gave up caffeine, for me my addiction was soda. You can’t not buy that in plastic and I couldn’t find a replacement so I’m just drinking water now. My recycling bin was cut down by 3/4. I couldn’t believe it the first week I was convinced I missed a bin! Crazy how 1 think can change so much. If Aldi stopped plastic wrapping produce, have my landfill bin would be empty!
We buy whole beans loose from the store. We use the recyclable brown bags. We fill at store, bring home to store then SAVE the brown bag to take back to the store to refill when needed.
You do know the easier it is to see biscuits the easier it is to eat them! You could use the k cups as pots for planting seeds or seedlings with the children. Plastic isn't an issue if we keep reusing it instead of throwing it in the trash.😷😘
Minimalism and sustainability are not always hand in hand. It is a personal choice! My husband and I still use k-cups but compromised by getting San Francisco Co. Coffee k-cups at Costco. Cheaper actually than us getting coffee beans and cups are designed different. The box is goesin recycling and everything else is industrially compostable (toss in yard waste container with food scraps)
I grind my own coffee. A two pound bag last me about a month and a half. When buying the ground coffee the same amount would only last me a month. I have a little 5 cup coffee maker. In the warmer months I dry out the grounds and use them in my flower beds and garden. I read that coffee grounds are good for fertilizing the soil and getting rid of slugs. I also don't buy paper towels and I drink the water out of my tap.
In our home we use glass storage containers, reusable silicone storage bags, mesh bags for produce, reusable shopping bags, mason jars. I don’t drink coffee so I can’t relate. But I’m growing my own herbs and use that to make tea.
I am reusing glass jars that food cones in and invested in some mason jars. (Difficult to find now days) Invested in white cloth napkins. Wash with peroxide to remove stains. If stubborn stains...use bleach tablets. Good quality wash cloths replace paper towels Wooden handle scrub brush to wash dishes. Disinfect in dishwasher. No more gross sponge. Use beeswax wraps and reusable, washable plastic zip bags.
We have been composting for a few years now and put cardboard, paper, green waste, fruit, vegetables and tea leaves into it and have had beautiful compost from it.
Try finding a local cofee bean roaster. Sustain local business as well. They sell it to me in paper bags and burlap bags. Both can be composted. Helpful not eliminated.
We seem to be buying a lot of ziplock plastic bags with different foods in them. Like dried cherries, shredded unsweetened coconut, walnuts, cheese which finally caused a lightbulb moment to wash those out and use as baggies. Led to a funny moment on a trip to a cabin when I boiled the coconut stored in one bag instead of the rice but it really has cut down on buying bags. I also cut the tops off makeup tubes, lotion and toothpaste to get the very last out.
Here in the uk we have multipul bins, wheelie bin for rubbish, another for recycling..you cant put soft plastics (that you can scrunch up in your hand like you can with paper), then we had a food pod (all food waste) and a chargeable wheelie bin for garden waste :) here in the three rives district council we have the best recycling rate, out of other local council wards :)
I used bulk bins for a while, but I found that a lot of things went stale too quickly at the store, before I had even purchased it. Now I try to just buy the biggest bag (that I could use before expiration), more food per plastic. I buy 50lb bags of beans, rice, oatmeal, white sugar, popcorn, etc (and many of those are actually compostable paper bags). I keep them in the 3 gallon buckets that the bakeries throw away - the icing buckets. This is also how I keep 3 months of food storage rotating. #emergencypreparedness
If others are looking for lower waste (not zero waste) there is a brand of coffee pods called “San Francisco Bay” available on amazon and elsewhere. There is no plastic and they’ve fully compostable. Obviously there’s some waste with with shipping, etc. but it’s a great start to lower waste and alternative to the plastic cups.
![DECLUTTER Before the Move [Part 2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qUNOcmBuqtw/mqdefault.jpg)
Ohhhh...yes, I love the Zero Waste lifestyle!!! With my hoarding disorder, I held onto a lot of stuff bc it would fill landfills & hurt the earth! I didn’t want to that that! But honestly, I was just turning my house into a landfill. So I started changing my zero waste consumption like reuseable bags, metal straws, reusable zip lock bags and make-up remover clothes!! We can keep each other encouraged bc we are on a similar journey!
This is so amazing!!
I did a little squeal of delight seeing your comment Hoarders Heart 💓 two youtubers I love.
metal straws are great!!!!!
@@isabeljehle3616 Metal straws are totally unneccessary to, unless one needs them because of a disorder etc.
Every metal straw has to be made and that is waste of energy and material and we don´t need them. It´s not plastic vs multi use straws that are re real issue it´s that ppl tend to think they need those alternatives. Single use cutlery made of bamboo, cardboard aso are the same, just brink ordinary ones from home. (or buy a set on fleamarket and keep in your bag)
@@wonderingsanna yes,that`s right,too.....to bye thinks just to have the same thing in non plastik is wrong. But these straws will last me my hole life and i have no plasik straws with not so good things in it....But yes, a lot of things we buy because of "zero waste" is not needed!!!! :)
It's great that you what produce less waste.
I'd sugess two things:
1. When decluttering, DON'T hang on to something just because it would be getting thrown away otherwise. Keeping it doesn't help it just stresses you out and clutters your life.
2. Don't go zero waste - Go LESS waste!!! A bunch of people I know personally or I'm following online just do some changes only because everything needs to be called zero waste but they don't use it (became just clutter again) or are always looking for excuses for every piece of trash they produce.
Nobody needs be perfect, it's way more effektiv if a lot of people do it imperfect. Small things and habbits (reuseable bags,...) can change a lot.
Don't rush just take one step after another
Clutter doesn't have to be thrown (put into the landfill) away. Donate it or give (not gift) it to someone who likes it.
Apparently it is almost impossible to be zero waste. I’ve been doing less waste lifestyle for more than 20 years. My family still produces waste! We have a small bin (7 litre) that we empty about every 4-6 weeks.
Abundantly minimal talks about this too. Better is better.
Wendla Thompson - just remember a lot of donations (especially clothes) go in the landfill or are sold to a middleman who sells it again to Africans. They are left to deal with it if is no good.
@@sherunswithscissors that is the hard part.....knowing what's trash (won't sell at any price) and what isn't. You can't look at something, like a stained tee shirt, see the possibilities (a cute patch here and there) and donate it hopping someone else sees them too.
Thrift stores and alike don't have the time or space to store and or fix items. An example is a lamp that came in a bundle I bought at an auction. The shade that came on it wasn't the best but it also wasn't the worst I've seen. After I donated the lamp I saw the guy throw the shade into the trash. He knew the lamp would sell faster without the shade.
I don't donate to the Goodwill because I've seen how the items get broken and crushed in those big bins. Any charity that has a semitrailer parked in the back makes me suspicious.
Hey Erica, Germany calling!
The only way to really avoid packaging is to buy bulk and bring your own container, as is your idea. So for the time being, make do. The important thing is, you want to make a difference. So what I suggest is you check out the new place you are about to move to. Are there bulk stores/supermarkets with a "bulk section"? What about farmers markets and small (coffee) shops that offer coffee unpacked or in recycable packaging. Note here: Paper/cardboard/biodigradible materials as packaging are fine for transport and you just add them to your compost or your recycling.
Personally we have two coffeemakers.... I know... One good ol' fashioned drip machine and one with pads, made from the same material as recycable coffee filters. Once they break down, I will change to French Press. Grinding my own coffee.
Also note that "less waste" is a more obtainable goal than (literally) "zero waste". See what works for you personally and also your family/household! Some things are just not possible for you (now) - don't bend over backwards, you only end up miserable. No need to be perfect. What you can do, try it, is to challenge yourself, because why do we create so much waste? It's convenient... Plastic bottles? Convenient. Packed fruit/vegetables? Convenient! Plastic bags? Convenient! To-Go-Whatever? .... You get it.
Here's what I do:
- I bring my own bags. A complete arsenal of them (usually cloth or recycled plastic - think the blue Ikea bags)... Which is standard in Germany. We do pack our groceries at the check-out ourself. Also plastic bags have been banned. You get cloth bags and paper bags for a few cents at the check-out and can always bring them back for your shopping, regardless of where you shop.
- I buy as much as I can in glass bottles/jars (think drinks, condiments, etc.) I reuse those jars and bottles to store things. - No need to buy any more mason jars, plastic containers etc. ALSO: This is not Instagram or Pinterest, this is the real life. It does not have to look "aestheticly pleasing to the eye". Remember the 7 R's!
- I buy my vegtables and fruit unpacked. I use cloth bags to keep them together or when they have a "soft skin". (Stores in Germany offer "vegtables nets". You buy them once and can reuse them AND you might be charged less. Or you repurpose old clothing/fabrics to bags, works just as well.
- I buy local and organic when and if I can. Fairtrade and sustainable.
- My goal is always to have as little plastic as possible between me and the product. I work in retail myself (I stock the frozen stuff), so I know about the sheer amount of packaging waste we produce and that's BEFORE you (all) take stuff home with you. I try to buy products packed in paper, cardboard or made from recycled/recycable/biodegradable packaging. It usually says so at the bottom of the box, etc.
- I either mix my own cleaning supplies or buy eco-friendly products. Same goes for personal hygenie products. Note here: No one should endanger their health and physical well-being for the sake of going waste free! No compromise.
My longterm goals is, to use up everything in my household untill it cannot be repaired or mended anymore. I first try to buy it second hand (again: health and safety first) and, depending on what it is, upgrade to a more sustainable option. So instead of buying plastic, I go for glas, wood/bamboo, steel - the like. Is it more costly? Yes, but then again my mom owns a cast iron pan that originally was owned by my great-grandma, made in the German Empire....So invest and it will last (more than) a lifetime. (I own a pot that is nearly 60 years old...)
Say NO and REFUSE! You have to challenge yourself and refrain/refuse buying stuff. Also you as a customer have a voice and power. We in retail notice, even big cheeses eventually do. The changes that took place in the last 5 years in German stores are enormous and are largely because people stopped buying "wasteful". They wanted, demanded, organic/sustainable/fair products, bought what was available to them and left the rest to sit on the shelfs. Or they stopped buying in certain places all together. Billions in lost revenue. You (people) have the power to change and demand change. And it can happen.
Personally, I refuse to buy anything that contains palm oil. (check it out, PSA, might cause uneasy sleep...)
Does it take getting used to? Yes. You try to break old habbits. There will be set-backs... A wise person once said: "Take it one day at a time.".
Finally and maybe most importantly - What helped me most, was not the internet, no v/blogs, Pinterest or Instagram influencers. It was grandma.... Yeah. Erica, don't look in the here and now for how-to's but turn around and look back! How did your grandma do it back then... the grandparents, their parents and so on. They were the "true" zero- wasters, because they could not afford to waste anything, literally. The best household/zero waste hacks are the old-timey ones. Think "the 1900's house wife". Classic homemaking/houskeeping skills are the best. Optain them, incorporate them into the 21st century.
Anyways, you have any more questions? Ask away. You did a wonderful job so far, you will tackle that as well. I am proud of you!
Greetings and best of luck for your upcoming move!
hi, just a quick tip: i know we all love a clear container for coffee beans beacuse it's pretty (i do too) but it is actually better to store coffee beans in an opaque container or if you put it in glass, store that in a light-proof cupboard. coffee loses lots of its aroma when exposed to light :)
other than that i love seeing you make that switch. it always baffles me when people drink coffe from pods/cups, it's just so much worse than fresh ground coffee. or if you don't wanna grind the beans yourself at least get ground coffee :) Or maybe i am just biased bcause I grew up in a household where everything beyond freshly made filter coffee was seen as the devils work lmao
I was thinking the same thing. I bought a coffee container at Starbucks that is wonderful. It is dark and as you use the ground coffee, you slide the lid down to keep air out. Love it.
I just have a small (clear) container that I put beans in on the counter and the rest of the bag I keep in the pantry (in the dark) - I go through the coffee in the little container about once a week because COFFEE IS LIFE
Was just thinking this!! Ikea have a lovely similar container in black!
Wow you're getting deep, Erica! Every step helps-don't put too much pressure on yourself!
Ha feels deep. 🥰😂
Compost! Recyclable brown bags (that the coffee comes in...)can also be put into the compost - infact, adding brown paper (none printed/glossy) adds carbon to the compost which balances out the nitrogen part. Hence it will not be so smelly! Compost is a great thing - says a self confessed compost nerd!
Now I'm not sure... I have always read 'refuse' as refusing - saying no - which is in line with minimalism. The less you buy or collect, the less waste is generated. But reducing 'refuse' as in cutting down waste also works 😁 Either way, keep up the good work.
On a sad note, I have discovered that my beloved microfiber cloths are actually made of plastic, cannot be recycled, and contribute to micro plastic in the air, soil and water 😑
Yes, it's definitely refuse as in say no! That's the first/best way to reduce waste: don't create it in the first place.
Also refusing things like straws, plastic bags, plastic utensils, etc. I didn’t know this about microfiber cloths. I may have to not replace...
There is a bag called guppy friend, that catches the microfiber particles in the wash. When finished washing, remove the plastic and recycle.
@@KatyInNH thanks, but apparently the type of plastic from the microfiber cloths actually melts differently and causes problems in the recycling process. So I'm just going to use natural fibre rags, I guess
This is why I don't buy Norwex ☹️... But there are worse things than using microfiber 👍
Coffee station looks great! I love how you recognized it was still busy but included that in the video, transparency is why I love your channel! ☺
I truly think that most people don’t realize how bad the cups are for the environment so the fact that you see this issue AND want to fix it is WONDERFUL!! 🥰 I also love that you’re still decorating knowing that you are moving in a few weeks 🙃
Reusable k cups have saved me so much money AND it’s eco friendly. I’m glad to see you are starting to make this switch! 🌻✨
If anyone doesn't know, plastic recycling is not a solution, so we really need to focus on the reducing part. 😉
I like to:
- Donate a small monthly amount to Ecojustice;
- Think very carefully about all of my purchases, their packaging, who made them, and the product's lifecycle/disposal/repairs (metal and cardboard are easiest to recycle);
- Use reusable bags;
- Use biodegradable kitchen sponges;
- Refuse straws and plastic cutlery when I remember;
- Buy fewer frozen meals;
- Use silicone ziploc-style baggies;
- Use beeswax wraps;
- Drink tap water;
- Buy silicone kitchen utensils;
- Use baby wipes made of tencel or bamboo;
- Use a menstrual cup, period panties, or cotton menstrual pads (I had to switch after childbirth, but there's something for everyone);
- Use my old t-shirts to make rags for cleaning (the softest ones are now handkerchiefs for when no one's sick);
- Use cloth napkins;
- Use bar soap with a sea sponge underneath to keep it dry;
- Buy package-free produce;
- Start my own vegetable garden;
- Grow wild raspberries and strawberries (yum!);
- Buy local produce when possible;
- Eat less meat;
- Not buy juice or bottled drinks;
- Buy one large container at Costco instead of multiple smaller containers when it makes sense;
- Refill spices and dry goods at a bulk store (once they reopen);
- Choose clothing that doesn't contain plastic (polyester, microfiber, and acrylic release particles of plastic into the environment when you wash them);
- Use my electronics until they break;
- Buy durable dishes so they don't end up as landfill (mine are Corelle now);
- Use corn dental floss in a reusable container (mine is Flosspot Gold);
- Don't buy more in a category until I've use up what I own (low buy challenge);
- Buy secondhand;
- Borrow or rent things I don't need often; and
- Participate in my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook to give and receive free things (including furniture and kids' clothes).
My next project is to switch to bar shampoo and body wash once I finish what I have. After that, I want to make my own sourdough bread (I can't eat regular bread) and starter.
Eventually, I want to sew more to repair clothing, and I want a bidet with a dryer. I'd also like to be more politically active, because I know there's a group in my area fighting to ban single use plastics. Once I'm in a place to do so, I want to start making my own baby food pouches again and eliminate granola bars from my kitchen.
Things I don't do right now are: take public transportation, rehydrate dried beans, use biodegradable or washable diapers, make my own granola bars and almond milk, reduce my toothbrush waste, use a safety razor, or use earth-friendly paints for art.
I started out the same way with the K-Cups. It was a chore trying to still the little container and I had to do it four times every morning. The Keurig finally died and I invested in a much less expensive regular coffee maker. This one lets me choose what type of brew and it shows you on the side of the reusable filter how much coffee you're using. It also has a thermal carafe and keeps the coffee quite warm. So now I buy regular ground coffee and it's working out just fine.
So....where is the black and white coffee sign from? Love it! And your channel!
In the 7 R's, refuse does not mean "trash", it means, "say NO" --as in, say no to non recyclable packaging, say no to single use plastic bottles, say no to disposable K-cups (as you are doing). It speaks to the choices we make when shopping. Vote with your dollar! Also, your coffee station looks great--I agree, that was too many word signs. IMHO, one or two are cute, but when we use lots of them in a room, our eyes ping around from word sign to word sign, because our brains need to read those words--good for you for showcasing just the one in your coffee area. Love the vid!
I love how you just keep going. You tried something (like the coffee station) and it didn’t work for everyone in the family so you just went at it again, didn’t like the result and went at it again. I also started to look at my waste once I started Decluttering. I think the refuse part is major. I mainly dealt with the recycle first and then read up on the energy it takes to recycle and realized refuse is the most important step. I didn’t let the reuse (or use to the fullest) stop my Decluttering though. I just had to forgive myself, donate what I could, trash what I couldn’t. Then vow to use up/out what fit into my new minimalist life. I found that the more I decluttered the less I liked having words on the wall. The words became clutter and distracting because your mind will want to stop and read it every time. It is like noise, like someone talking to you every time you look at a sign or saying on the wall.
I agree with everything you said!!
Hmmm...you got me thinking....
When I look at my trash (that includes recycling) I see money. My money. They aren’t giving you all that packaging for free! Really keeps me motivated. You can 1) make your own cleaners-I buy a huge bag of baking soda, a gallon of Castile soap, a couple of gallons of white vinegar and a gallon of grain alcohol. Lasts about 2 years and makes everything from toothpaste to windshield cleaner for the car. Maybe think about reducing plastics too. I replaced microfiber cloths with cotton flour sack cloths. They’re cheaper, more versatile and no micro plastics in the water. You can get plastic free reusable k-cups which are better for you (no hormone disrupters) and the environment. From q-tips to dental floss you can find plastic free, zero waste options these days. Also, when you move check out your new city’s options, some cities are composting things you can’t put in a back-yard composter. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Dental floss? Really?
The floss isn't as cheap but ... here's a sample of what Amazon carries
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07F63BD8M#Ask
David Mitchell Yep! Found one that’s made with bamboo and came with a reusable metal dispenser. You just purchase refills. I love it!
I use silk and beeswax floss in a glass container. It goes into my compost.
The main thing that helped me on my minimalist and no/low waste journey of more than a few years now was ditching the guilt and judgement... my own and other's. It's progress not perfection, Dear Heart. I'm 68 and have been through a LOT of stuff. Sigh... I've had some epic fails that have been more than compensated for by the improvements in my health, life, finances, and even family. Trash happens LOL!!!!!!
Some minimalists suggest not having signs up in your home as it’s a distraction but I love signs. I like reading the positive messages. I even have some in my bedroom. I’ve been watching DIY youtubers and learning how to make some decorative signs. I can’t wait until I can get the supplies to make them.😊
I've found that having the smallest garbage service can they offer is a great way to limit your waste. Knowing how little space I have in the garbage makes me put more of an effort into getting things into the recycling bin instead.
Good for you getting rid of k-cups! Baby steps! Minimalism/downsizing/simple living is a journey of awareness and choices...keep up the effort! We've had a compost bin/pile in the yard for 10+ years and 3 dogs. The dogs have never messed with it. It's not hard, you can do it! It's not gross or smelly, if done properly. We (fam of 4) challenge ourselves to fill only one kitchen size trash bag every seven days. Everything else has to be recycled, reused or composted. Thanks for sharing your family's journey, Erica. It's encouraged me in our family's minimalish journey even more :-)
This is a really good home school topic . Involve your children !!! When I was a child my entire school did a project to save food in our cafeteria. We chose to not take food we would we would not eat and we put all food waste in separate bins . Our teacher used the food to feed his pigs . At the end we went to his small farm to camp and have a breakfast of pancakes and bacon . It was a big project and hard to fully explain here but you could do something similar on a small scale ... like compost .
Those Oreos would be gone in a second once seen in my home lol
😂😂😂😂😂
Same!
Yeah, I was like, "Whaaaa?? Just put them in my mouth already!"
Yup!!! I would have eaten them as I filled it......😂
I like the minimal look of your coffee bar. I've read the Cozy Minimalist and think her advice about the word thing is spot on. Id trade out that small coffee sign for the big five. Love that it captures your family and adds some heft and scale to the display. The coffee sign seems redundant and doesn't visually fill the space. Everything you're doing is so inspiring! Thanks!
I'm so glad that you are pursuing this! I want to learn more and enjoy watching you. Here are a few things we do just in case you find them helpful:
- reuse pet food bags as trash bags in are large kitchen trash and produce bags for our bathroom trashes. Better yet, don't use produce bags at the store. They are surprisingly unnecessary.
- use one multifunctional product. Vinegar and coconut oil are great examples. I also really like a concentrated all purpose, light duty cleanser. We put it in a spray bottle and it can be used for all surfaces including floors, dishes and laundry. Laundry detergent can be used as a stain remover if applied directly to stain.
-use dryer lint as a fire-starter
-plant fruit trees
A pennysaver writer mentioned starting with what you do the most (so coffee was a great first) laundry and meals are other good choices. I'm learning alot from Mary's Nest channel if you want to watch her reuse of kitchen scraps and such.
I'm sure there is so much more! Thank you!
I started going "zero" waste one step at a time. What I struggled with is that I wanted to do a perfect zero waste. When I was able to let that thought go, my zero waste journey went so much easier. I focused on one zero waste swap at a time. For example, a safety razor that is not made from platic, old school shaving. When that worked I changed my shopping habbits on food. Our local veggieshop offers veggies and fruit without plastic, so that's where I shop more. I have a travel cutlery, so no more platic or wooden cutlery. Small steps make a big impact.
Together with minimal and zero waste I find that my shopping habbits are changed. I ask myself if I really need it. And if I choose to buy I buy it with a lot of research. Better for my wallet, for my House and for the planet.
I love following You, thank you for sharing 💓
Reducing my waste has been tough. Some changes are easy, but nobody can be ZERO waste and every time I have to throw something out I feel so guilty. Every time I try some alternative and it doesn't work for me, I feel like I failed. It's been hard for me mentally. So I guess, I wanted to warn you, and tell you what you're doing is great, and don't give yourself a hard time when things don't work out.
You are doing an amazing job!
So so glad you are starting zero waste. We started 5 years ago when our daughter was born with cloth bumming and breastfeeding. We arn't perfect, we now have a cereal sized bag a week of trash, mainly unrecyclable food plastic. Best piece of advice I can give you to start is mindfully consider when you throw something away whether there is an alternative purchase or whether you can do without. There are sooooooo many things we don't buy at all anymore, as we realised they were not necessary and sold to us by clever advertising and learned habits.
First...I ❤ your videos and courage to share your journey with the world. Every one of your videos has inspired me.
I've been living a close-to-zero waste life...my whole life. It is how I was taught.
I admire you making the change from all the plastic coffee pods.
I'm 55, have been drinking coffee everyday for 40 years and never understood the "benefit" of those machines...other than a new market for large corporations to exploit.
So...that being said...kudos for not trashing a machine that is still working.
...and instead, embracing the way to make it as zero waste as possible.
Coffee bean purchasing is a very personal choice...you have to enjoy the coffee you make!!!
Some tips for now...throw in a pinch of cinnamon, a dash of vanilla, nutmeg, 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil...basically anything to give your coffee a "special flavor" now and then. This way you only have to deal with 1 bean...1 ground coffee...and it makes life easier...1 cannister and you always know how much you have on hand.
When your machine breaks down...consider going to an electric 12 cup coffee perk (or smaller). Make 1 pot in the morning and put it into a good thermos. The coffee stays hot all day and is a no fuss way to use the coffee maker once a day.
I've been doing this for years and the coffee perk I use was a wedding gift my parents received at their wedding...it is older than me...and makes perfect coffee every morning...365 days a year.
My 1 basket of coffee a day is used as body scrub, sink drain deoderizer and put into small air flow containers to absorb the smells from my pets. I also never feel guilty throwing it in the garbage because it acts as a deoderizer there too...and I only need to take out garbage 1x a week...1 bag...so having a natural compostable deoderizer added to it over the week helps.
Keep doing what you are doing, you are an inspiration ❤
I LOVE that hobnail glass!!! Looks so pretty. ❤️
I’m obsessed with hobnail.
Erica Lucas Nice style to be obsessed with. 👍
I've always been minima-ish, but earlier this year, I started my zero waste journey too! Started composting 2 months ago!😊
I've been binge watching on UA-cam and Ted talks on sustainability lately. There are so many great contents out there! I watch Rob Greenfield, Bea Johnston, Lauren Singer, Kathryn Kellogg, Sedona Christina, Shelbizlee, Gittermary Johansen, and so many other! Just type "zero waste" and the whole world opens up.
I dry coffee grinds (in the sun or in the microwave) and keep in the jar to put in a corner, or in a shoe closet as it deodorize the air. After few weeks I compost it. Just be careful you don't overheat the grinds as it scatters... 😓
I live in Japan, and there aren't many bulk stores near by, but I'm realizing if I try, I can make many changes in the way I shop or what packaging I choose.
Cheering you on your low waste journey!
We have those trash cans everywhere in Seattle! One simple switch I recently made was switching from body wash to bar soap. Lasts a lot longer and no plastic bottles. Check out shelbizleee on UA-cam! She has a lot of “easy” swaps and also understands the companies behind things you are buying. We just bought Dropps dishwasher pods too
Thanks I will check her out!! I use bar soap so there’s another thing I can include on my list!
I love the Dropps brand I use there dishwashing pods and laundry pods! They work very well, smell good, all natural and no plastic waste! 😁
Big YES to watching Shelbizleee! She will give you so much information, inspiration and practical advice
I use liquid body wash and shampoo but I use a wall mounted soap dispenser so there is no waste. I fill the dispenser, rinse the bottle and use what's in it and then recycle the bottle.
My husband didn't like body wash and used bar soap. Instead of throwing away the little bits I made pouches from wash cloths. When the bar got small he could put in a fresh bar. His favorite was the ones a daughter in law crocheted for him.
Instructions for both kinds can be found on the internet.
Wendla Thompson I have one of these too! Plus it reduces those ‘bottles’ in your bathroom cluttering the shelves and side. I too made a ‘soap scrubby’ from cotton yarn, great minds think alike! 👍🏻
Firstly, you're doing a great job at lowering your waste. Careful not to rush yourself, as it can feel overwhelming and lead you to quit. I usually try eliminating one type of waste, and when I've mastered that, try another. I imagine with 3 kiddos you probably go through a lot of napkins. One of the best purchases I made was a set of cloth napkins on etsy (recommend a dark colored cotton or linen). We never buy napkins anymore, just throw them in the laundry with our clothes. Keep going! Much Love!
Coffee grounds are great in the garden. I just sprinkle around all of my flowers. When life was normal I would go to coffee shops and get their used coffee grounds for my garden.
Please consider using re-washable cotton cloths instead of microfiber which has been shown contribute to the microplastic issue.
Green Mountain Diapers unpapertowels and birdseye wipes got us to ditch the microfiber and Bounty habit. They are EPIC!
@@eahuebner1 You can also recycle a flannel sheet to do the same. I have a stack of unpapertowels that I traced with a book and cut with pinking shears. Though ideally you'd run them through a surger.
@@flickeringfairy3119, I could, but it would be a project that sat around for years and I would forget to buy or borrow the shears. 🤣
I really enjoy the birdseye texture for cleaning and I love the luxury of double layered unpapertowels and cloth wipes too.
@@eahuebner1 I totally get that. I craft often so I already have them, but even then I used to have projects that sat for years. Minimalism had changed that. Now I have one single bin of fabric that's sitting around. 😂 I'll have to check out the available options for next time.
Is the problem with laundering microfiber getting micro-plastics in the environment? I have a fair number of microfiber cleaning cloths I would rather use up than buy cotton.
Erica - You are doing great. Life is not about perfection, it’s about progress. You have made SOOO much progress in such a short time. Congratulations! And welcome to the bright, decluttered, minimalist(ish) side! It’s peaceful over here:)
Oooh Erica! You're going down the low waste path. Your channel is now even more up my alley. Woop I'm here for it!
I’ve done the K-cup thing. You will save a boatload on coffee by going the reusable route.
Composting is wonderful. It feels great to lessen what goes in the trash. If you get chickens they will eat almost all your scraps. The few things they can’t eat can be composted.
I think the REFUSE part is the most important one and your decluttering journey and the epiphanies you had along the way set you up for success in refusing to bring in new things into your home in the first place. This includes refusing freebies and refusing to participate in trends and fads.
So excited for your minimalist/ zero waste journey- you’re off to a great start. Something to consider regarding lower waste on coffee is to toast your own at home. You can purchase raw beans in bulk well in advance, and roast weekly quantities with a skillet or popcorn popper. Once the beans are roasted, they stay fresh about 10 days, but raw beans have a longer shelf life. This would reduce the per pound packaging that is frustrating. Before you commit, you could try a batch or two before buying a large quantity of raw beans. My husband and I have done this for the past year and have had great coffee at a great price with so much less waste. Frugal minimalism for the win!!
Great job! I can’t believe you’re thinking about k-cups before a big move! You’ve clearly reduced a bunch of stress! I think becoming a minimal-ish-ist is a huge step towards reduced waste. A couple of other small ways: avoid single use drink beverages and snacks where possible, bring /use your own bottle/container where possible, compost, and easy- reusable bags for shopping.
Hi Erica, I love your channel!
I send my soft plastics to the grocery shop (Woolworths Australia) to be recycled as our recycling bins only accept hard plastic. They stopped accepting bags in March when the Covid-19 really hit our shores, but it has now been 1 month since our last recovered case in my state, so I sent almost 4months worth of soft plastic out today.
It is harder to try to be Zero Waste when the government has declared it's time to be Contact free.
One hack I do is to use UberEats paper bags in the Garden as a weed suppressor/mulch, My favourite cafe also has cardboard drink holders so I have been re-using the cups and cup holders for seed-raising.
Zero-Waste is a corporate buzzword and impossible for anyone to achieve alone, so try instead to Minimalize Waste and Seek Support. Congratulations on starting!
Shelbizlee is another UA-camr who is full of help about producing less waste.
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It’s not refuse as in waste. It’s refuse, saying no to free things u know u will not use and refusing to make new purchases unless it’s necessary. Cleaning: vinegar water baking soda is all u need. To make the smell of vinegar weaker soak citrus rinds in the vinegar for two weeks. It works because I do it. So glad u r headed in this direction ❤️🇨🇦
The pretty canisters with the blue on them could be turned backwards so you still have the pop of color but not the words! :)
I have loved doing verimcomposting with worms--very low smell, easy to do, uses up paper and all our fresh food waste! It's sounds weird but the worms are so cute and I highly suggest it.
The worms are absolutely gross and I am a farmer’s daughter - they are not like garden worms.
I compost anything that was ever alive. That includes all yard waste, paper towels, shredded paper and cardboard, meat, cheese, cooked bones, cotton and wool clothing. Everything composts just fine. I have five, one cubic yard, bins, with removable fronts so that I can turn them quickly and easily. They have lids so that I can use the filled bins for garden tasks, and are painted deep blue. Pretty and practical.
I just started too! Once I ran out of k-cups, I just didn't buy more! I also do menstrual cups, and my most recent purchase is reusable sandwich and snack bags. I just bought mine on Amazon. I'm excited that you're doing this! I have a long way to go but another benefit I encourage myself with is the financial benefit! Woo hoo! Let's do this!
One step at a time. Nobody is perfect. You have a lot of gracious viewers. ❤Thank you for sharing your journey. Call your waste management and see if they're doing a compost program with yard waste. Also we actually only get our trash picked up every other week with the recycling. It's new to our area but it wouldn't hurt to ask if this is an option in your area.
It's great that you start in a selected area of your everyday life! Good job!!! For me personally Zero Waste and Minimalism should be more connected and I am glad that you show your transitioning ideas and actions in both fields.
I never heard about the Ethical Bean Company and believe they don't ship to Germany.
And I would always recommend to check if there are bigger packages of something you buy if you cannot buy it in bulk due to Covid-19 or the stores in your area. There will be less waste involved per serving (as well as they might be cheaper).
Looking forward to your next steps and thank you so much for taking us along on your way and showing us the smaller and bigger challenges and how you cope with them!!!
I love your dedication to coffee in your kitchen & in your mind. I can relate! Erica, I started watching your channel over the winter. I can honestly say you look healthier. You're glowing! I'd love to see a video on what it's like to readjust when your husband comes home after months away. Do you find yourself doing the dishes, when before you might have left them in the sink? Stuff like that. Plus, I'd love to hear his thoughts on coming home to this amazing lifestyle change (more than a few seconds here & there). How has it impacted him each day? Does he feel he can relax more, enjoy the family more? Etc. What you accomplished while he was gone was huge!
Hi there! I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago through another site that I follow; The Minimal Mom, who I have followed for a while now. I love videos that show organizing and sorting through stuff and I especially love yours. You show how the majority of us actually tackle the stuff and the kinds of stuff we all have and have put off dealing with, so thank you very much for that. I have been binge watching your videos for a couple of weeks now, trying to get caught up, skipped ahead to this one today, LOVE Coffee, so had to watch out of turn. You asked for suggestions so here goes:
I have recently switched from a regular drip electric coffee maker, that we have all used for years, to a pour over method. I was inspired by another channel that I follow of a young couple "The Nomadic Movement" who are building a tiny house movement on property they bought in south America. But....they also have joined with a local resident that roasts coffee and have developed their own blend of bean/roast. Watching them motivated me to switch to the pour over method; it's a much better cup of coffee. I started to get concerned with how nasty the coffee maker is even if you clean it on a regular basis, it still never gets clean, the insides you can't get to, etc. The pour over method the items are washed daily and the only waste is the used grounds and a filter, both can be composted.
I also notice you have your beans stored in a clear glass container, researched that as well with all this switching and info shows to store in a dark container to prevent light to keep fresher longer. Anyways...thanks for your videos and inspiration to get my house in order now that I've got the coffee part figured out.
Also, worth looking into a microfiber filter for your washing machine. Microfiber cloths are made from plastic, and mixed fiber clothing (polyesters etc) release micro plastics into the water. Easy attachment to your existing washing machine!
A great way to compost is to keep a bucket in the freezer (e.g. a gallon ice cream bucket) and throw all your compost in there. That way, it doesn't stink up the kitchen, and you don't have to take it outside immediately.
Yay! Love coffee and love zero waste. My fiance and I have an espresso machine, kalita pour-over, french press, and drip. For all but the kalita we have a reusable filter. We feed all used beans to our worms! (We live in an apartment and have worms on the balcony). I try to be conscious of my coffee waste too, since it's a high water process to grow, ship, and roast them. I reuse my coffee bean bags and am looking at getting glass milk bottles to reduce our plastic waste for lattes. Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and chocolate are so important too!
Not zero waste but I am a huge fan and long time customer of Deansbeans.com. Excellent coffee and award-winning sustainable practices. ☕👍
Good for you for looking to reduce waste and this is an easy place to start! The "after" of the coffee bar made me inhale deeply as there was less visual clutter. 🙌🏻 I'd go further and take away the 3 plants in the wire basket, and move the mugs in its place. Move up the glass coffee consistent to the right of the coffee sign, putting the greenery plant from the counter next to it. The cookies are cute but I'd ditch those too. Just having the things up on the shelf and the counter clear of everything but the coffee maker!
Beating you up about your K-cup usage would have been counter-productive. We reach each step in our journeys at different times and in different ways. I know that the more someone nags me about something, the less likely i am to change it. Your journey has been fascinating to watch, not to mention educational about what decluttering truly means, and the emotions it brings up. Please keep sharing your journey and helping the rest of us feel like we are not alone.
8:02 I LOVE the top shelf empty 🥰 try clean space for a week you will thank your minimalist self later x
Hi from the UK! Plastic Free July is a great place to start - they recommend removing things like straws, plastic bags, takeaway coffee cups and plastic drink bottles. I buy my dry goods from a refill shop where I can use my own bags, take a stainless steel water bottle and a reusable coffee cup when I go out, use bar soap and I've found menstrual cups life changingly good! I'm not sure if you can buy produce unpackaged in the US at the moment but I buy as much unwrapped as possible (I take mesh bags to the supermarket).
I’m lucky there’s a zero waste shop where I can go and refill my containers with all sorts, eliminating packages. However, it’s an hour drive from me!! Re coffee grounds and coconut oil - fantastic idea! I don’t use ground coffee (instant as I’m lazy) but Starbucks around here gives away the coffee grounds for free!
So glad to see you making a switch to reusable pods. I have used them for YEARS because I think the cups are waaaaayyyyy too expensive. I have a little flip scoop to fill them and I LOVE it. Use it a dozen times a day (you got nothing on my coffee addiction, kid). Not minimalist to have that kind of gadget but by far the most used thing in my kitchen other than my single serve coffee maker. Keep up the good work!
We have refuse pick up weekly I put mine out every two months all paper goes into the compost that I can I have been known to soak paper that has a film of plastic on it in the past now I just don’t buy it. If there isn’t a passable version it doesn’t get bought. Coffee grounds either go into the compost or just put between the plants it all breaks down. I love your coffee station now. 💖 you are amazing I love your progress and the videos.
Reducing is better than reusing, and reusing is better than recycling. I think you are on the right track. Have you used a carbon footprint calculator? The Nature Conservancy has a really good one. It asks you detailed questions about your habits, calculates your carbon footprint, and gives you ideas on how to shrink it so that you tread lighter on this planet. That’s my whole-hearted answer. My half-assed answer is to keep on keepin’ on and use some of the money you are saving to purchase carbon offsets.
You are on the right track. Start slow. Pick one thing or area at a time. You will keep finding new areas to become more sustainable, it's a process. Every little thing you do adds up, so keep going.
I started my less waste, less plastic and less stuff live two years ago. It takes time to do it but I have no stress and every baby steps helps.
For less wast the first thing I did was analyzing my trash can. So I looked what the biggest trash was in the can. Now we drink water from the main, homemade syrup or we buy it in glass bottle and I make our homemade yoghurt. We need only some glass jars and the oven.
My goal is a imperfect zero wast live.
Wow Erica I think your shelf decor looks wonderful now!!! Good on you for looking into eco/green/ sustainability. It really does go hand in hand with minimalism. I am on a similar journey and often learn new things. I don't want to overwhelm you but microfiber cloths are a no as well. They shed trillions of plastic particles into the waterways and sea through our washing of them. Wildlife can't avoid them and are being found weighing down their guts etc in dead wildlife. I was horrified when I found out as I too had bought them thinking I had made an eco-friendly choice. Google search it. Cotton rags are the best. Either repourpsed from old clothes/linen or I believe Amazon has good ones. I am really enjoying your channel. Thanks from New Zealand.
I live in Northern Europe were strickt rules are towards the environment, we do have shops you can fill everything you want in your own packages. I live in a zero waste town, huge sunpower and windpower stations, eco and plastic bins, re cycle of about every thing you can think of. Our green waste is changed into gas and compost. Part the of town has houses of the grid with no waste, even the water is recycled. Growing your own food is encouraged and the thrift stores thrive. It started in the sixties here with refusing nuclear energy and weapens.. My kids don't know anything else. It's sitting down and get used to do it different but give yourself time. It needs a different kind of thinking and you are allready on the road to change. You get there.
Your town sounds like heaven! Would you mind sharing the name, or at least the country? I'd love to look more into your town's processes. Thanks!
The 7 R’s you refer to are great but being from the UK we don’t use Refuse in same context as you. When we see Refuse it means not to accept anything and say “No” to items we don’t need/want as in free gifts etc. Love your channel as it gives me so much inspiration xxx
Well Done Erica, it's not an easy journey, but every little helps. 2 people I follow for for really good Eco tips are "Going Zero Waste" and "Shelbizeee".
I loe seeing the process of simplifying the coffee bar! Super fun and SO relatable!
Edit: I started to eliminate words in decor in my home for the same reason you said "too many words" when arranging your coffee bar. One sign with words can be cute, but it soon starts to feel like subconscious commands, like my decor saying "do this! do this! do that!" and it wasn't helping my house feel peaceful. I still hae some word decor, but I don't buy it anymore.
I am using goat milk soap bars instead of buying plastic bottles of body wash. I bought a shampoo bar of soap to use instead of buying shampoo in a plastic bottle. It works just as well for me as other shampoos. I bought the soda stream with glass carafes to make my own carbonated drinks. I've also bought a dish soap bar soap which came with a natural scrubber that I LOVE, and now I'm not using sponges. I have gotten my husband used to using the refillable k-cups for our coffee by buying flavored beans at Fresh Thyme grocery to grind. He now gets his beloved flavored coffee without using plastic kcups. Like you, I've invested in good microfiber cloths too. Anyway I can, I'm trying to reduce the plastic purchases. Making my own cleaning solutions is something I've just started doing.
I love your channel Erica! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. You are inspiring so many people.
You are genuine and real and such a breath of fresh air from the other youtubers with their perfect homes. I feel like we are in this together.
I am so happy your husband is home! Thank him for his service and sacrifice, and thank you for your sacrifice in handling things at home while he was away. ❤❤❤❤
Plants love used coffee grounds. You can sprinkle them on your garden beds as a light fertilizer so you won't have to buy commercial fertilizer. The acidity that some people worry about actually gets brewed out of the beans. If you don't put cooked kitchen scraps, meats etc. on your compost, the critters won't be too interested in it.
I drink iced coffee. I use a Rumble Jar and set up my cold brew in the fridge before I go to bed. Works great.
Limiting paper products and composting fruit and vegetable scraps made the biggest difference in our family.
I really like how you took one aspect of your life/lifestyle and really thourougly analysed in regards to waste reducing. One can see your commitment to your zero waste resolution, very inspiring. Lot of success 😊
What i do to reduce waste:
I make my own scrubber out of jute, if it looks ugly it goes on the compost.
I make toothpaste since i'm 19 years old, i use coconut oil, active charcoal and turmeric.
For washing clothes i use soap nuts or for white clothes baking soda and vinegar.
For coffee i use instant or my mother hast one of those typical german coffee machines reduces waste too but i hate the taste😅
Greetings from germany
Depending on how many of the reusable k-cups you have, if you set them aside after using them, they will dry back out and are much easier to dump the grounds out of them.
Brown paper bags (unlined) can be composted. In fact, they are really great for putting your compost in and you can store it in the freezer until you have enough to take outside to your compost bin.
Good for you with the k cups. Have your own style off stuff on display! You've got great ideas and you've come so far on your journey! Way to go on your Decluttered life
Erica, what a great job you are doing of helping to teach steps to minimalism. I love watching your videos because they make me so happy and hopeful that my house is on the way to minimalism.
Here’s my top 5 for not only producing waste, but also saving money;
1) Charlie’s Soap powder laundry detergent. I order the $130 massive bucket of it. It lasts us (family of 6) an average of 2-3years with just the one bucket.
2) Wool dryer balls. I’m on my same set of 10 that I got 8+ years ago. No crazy chemicals from dryer sheets.
3) I’ve found that dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar are all you need to clean just about anything. Forget all the crazy bottles with warning labels.
4) Menstral cup for the win. So amazing - so much less waste. 🙌🏻
5) Buy a 1/4-1/2 cow from a local farmer and stock your freezer. It’s all wrapped in butcher paper - no plastic or styrofoam in sight.
I totally second the not needing all those cleaners though I have been known to make orange cleaner with orange peels and vinegar.
For reducing the coffee waste we got an Italian coffee maker (moka pot), which is actually the norm in our home country, Spain. Coffee grounds can be composted for your raised bed garden, used as a natural exfoliating product, as an antiaging mask, pest repellent, and deodorizer for shoes. We also like to prepare coffee with paper filters, but some brands make them with recycled paper and you can compost the paper too (and you can make them with kitchen paper towels). A French press is another option, I don't like the flavor so much but it's better than the one-time-use capsules. In Ecuador, they use cloth sifters which you can easily diy and it is washable.
I gave up caffeine, for me my addiction was soda. You can’t not buy that in plastic and I couldn’t find a replacement so I’m just drinking water now. My recycling bin was cut down by 3/4. I couldn’t believe it the first week I was convinced I missed a bin! Crazy how 1 think can change so much. If Aldi stopped plastic wrapping produce, have my landfill bin would be empty!
We buy whole beans loose from the store. We use the recyclable brown bags. We fill at store, bring home to store then SAVE the brown bag to take back to the store to refill when needed.
You do know the easier it is to see biscuits the easier it is to eat them! You could use the k cups as pots for planting seeds or seedlings with the children. Plastic isn't an issue if we keep reusing it instead of throwing it in the trash.😷😘
Minimalism and sustainability are not always hand in hand. It is a personal choice! My husband and I still use k-cups but compromised by getting San Francisco Co. Coffee k-cups at Costco. Cheaper actually than us getting coffee beans and cups are designed different. The box is goesin recycling and everything else is industrially compostable (toss in yard waste container with food scraps)
Don't worry too much about the current circumstances. One thing at a time and go forth with self-compassion. ☺
I grind my own coffee. A two pound bag last me about a month and a half. When buying the ground coffee the same amount would only last me a month. I have a little 5 cup coffee maker. In the warmer months I dry out the grounds and use them in my flower beds and garden. I read that coffee grounds are good for fertilizing the soil and getting rid of slugs. I also don't buy paper towels and I drink the water out of my tap.
You are doing good. My opinion would cut back on all the message signs around your home. They may be adding to the clutter for selling your house.
In our home we use glass storage containers, reusable silicone storage bags, mesh bags for produce, reusable shopping bags, mason jars. I don’t drink coffee so I can’t relate. But I’m growing my own herbs and use that to make tea.
I agree, Much better! Looks great
Thank you for reminding me of my reusable kcups. I’ve been bad about waste and want to change that. Love your channel!
I hope these small changes add up for you and me!
@@EricaLucasLoves They will!!! Small changes always add up. 💯💯💯
I am reusing glass jars that food cones in and invested in some mason jars. (Difficult to find now days)
Invested in white cloth napkins. Wash with peroxide to remove stains. If stubborn stains...use bleach tablets.
Good quality wash cloths replace paper towels
Wooden handle scrub brush to wash dishes. Disinfect in dishwasher. No more gross sponge.
Use beeswax wraps and reusable, washable plastic zip bags.
We have been composting for a few years now and put cardboard, paper, green waste, fruit, vegetables and tea leaves into it and have had beautiful compost from it.
Try finding a local cofee bean roaster. Sustain local business as well. They sell it to me in paper bags and burlap bags. Both can be composted. Helpful not eliminated.
We seem to be buying a lot of ziplock plastic bags with different foods in them. Like dried cherries, shredded unsweetened coconut, walnuts, cheese which finally caused a lightbulb moment to wash those out and use as baggies. Led to a funny moment on a trip to a cabin when I boiled the coconut stored in one bag instead of the rice but it really has cut down on buying bags. I also cut the tops off makeup tubes, lotion and toothpaste to get the very last out.
Here in the uk we have multipul bins, wheelie bin for rubbish, another for recycling..you cant put soft plastics (that you can scrunch up in your hand like you can with paper), then we had a food pod (all food waste) and a chargeable wheelie bin for garden waste :) here in the three rives district council we have the best recycling rate, out of other local council wards :)
I used bulk bins for a while, but I found that a lot of things went stale too quickly at the store, before I had even purchased it. Now I try to just buy the biggest bag (that I could use before expiration), more food per plastic. I buy 50lb bags of beans, rice, oatmeal, white sugar, popcorn, etc (and many of those are actually compostable paper bags). I keep them in the 3 gallon buckets that the bakeries throw away - the icing buckets.
This is also how I keep 3 months of food storage rotating. #emergencypreparedness
If others are looking for lower waste (not zero waste) there is a brand of coffee pods called “San Francisco Bay” available on amazon and elsewhere. There is no plastic and they’ve fully compostable. Obviously there’s some waste with with shipping, etc. but it’s a great start to lower waste and alternative to the plastic cups.
I love my little purple refillable k-cups!
Roses love the coffee bean after they are cook :) or have a in your garden compost