tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34024658817674465012024-03-07T14:33:58.470+11:00owletAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038992332864003462noreply@blogger.comBlogger890125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-25738758408554130972021-06-10T15:10:00.003+10:002021-06-10T15:29:43.602+10:00How one nappy can create positive change<p>I<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">t started with a folded pile of fluffy, white nappies. We remembered our mothers folding them for our siblings, back when disposables were new technology but not normalised yet. We considered the cost and the rubbish pile that would result from all the disposable nappies our baby would need, compared to our pile of fluffy white fabric squares. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The parenting books warned us not to be martyrs about washing nappies, that we had bigger things to worry about and that the environmental harm probably wasn’t that big anyway. We researched and de-bunked this pretty quickly. New mums at the mothers group raised eyebrows. The health nurse worried that it’d be too much work. We set aside the free sample disposable nappy the hospital sent us home with and did what felt right. We hung those cloth nappies on the washing line, in the sunshine, all beaming and fresh, and knew we were on the right track.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="640" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0879/7906/files/ACS_1225_480x480.jpg?v=1623299633" width="480" /> </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">One day, a work colleague handed us a big bag of baby clothes for our growing babe. Amongst the hand knits and grow suits was a nappy cover. I googled the name on the label and discovered the world of modern cloth nappies. Next came the parenting forums - such a great support in those isolated early-parenting days. Before long, we’d found a circle of supportive families who shared clothes, nappies, cups of tea and stories of other ways of doing things. Friends who also researched and questioned things, acknowledged (and sometimes rejected) what had become normalised in the industrial shift away from ecological processes. We felt encouraged to look into the home-birth and water birth we’d felt discouraged from last time. And so our next two babies were born at home, in water. Then we decided the industrial education model wasn’t right for our kids, and we embraced unschooling.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">We realise now that we’d begun a lifelong process of research, analysis, taking responsibility for ourselves and doing what feels right for our children and the planet they’re going to inherit. We studied permaculture and realised we’d been implementing the permaculture principles in our home for some time. From there, waste-free living was a no-brainer. It felt straight forward and simple. To this day, we can’t imagine why it took us so long to arrive at living waste-free, but we’re glad we did as we can see that reducing our waste encapsulates climate solutions. Waste is an indicator of the work to do on climate.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Now, making choices that challenge norms seems much less daunting. We’ve avoided the waste of tens of thousands of disposable nappies. We’ve diverted tonnes of waste from landfill, avoided recycling waste, dispensed with education waste and transport emissions (all those trips commuting to kinder became long mornings at home and walks around the neighbourhood). We’ve converted our suburban lawn-filled backyard to food growing plants, and we’ve made ripples beyond our own home, encouraging others to make choices for positive impact. We’ve also normalised this way of thinking and feeling, and the practices that come with it, for our kids. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Sometimes that one simple choice you make is just the beginning. It’s where you learn the value of following your own head and heart; exercising your decision-making muscle. It might seem benign, but it just might change the direction of your life, and your impact on the planet, for the better. Then the next time a choice presents itself, to do what’s right for the planet and the people you love, you can dive right in. <br /><br />With our own simple beginnings in mind, we’ve decided to join our friend Erin, The Rogue Ginger, in requesting our council introduce a rebate on cloth nappies and reusable menstrual products, for local residents. This has the potential to reduce at least 4% of landfill waste generated in our municipality, and clean up kerbside recycling streams. Once food and organic waste composting is implemented later this year, that percentage will rise. A rebate will mean babies born in our area won’t leave a legacy of waste, contaminating the soil where they live, for generations. It’ll also be much more affordable for more people to access reusable options, which will save the council and residents money in the longer term. It’ll mean a clean, fresh start for all of us. Who can tell the positive ripples of change that will happen beyond that.<br /><br />As for that pile of nappies of ours, we can report that 18 years later, they’re still in circulation, dusting and cleaning up spills, mopping the floor, cleaning up muddy puppy paws. As each cloth gradually wears out, we place it in the compost, or as sheet mulch in the garden and it finds a new use as worm food, enriching our soil and leaving a positive impact in more ways than one.</p>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-49217858223437611772021-03-05T15:24:00.001+11:002021-03-05T15:24:28.207+11:00Zucchini, Chocolate + Olive Oil Cake<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hB0FfAf-AzjLmfknuwTOOpj-vwjKo5v9X9sC6V8o5VWUEaob5zdwdM0gww0D9WpClWUaoju0mTA-5nKy2xysqOQcPSO-n6uOrh7isWnn4gn_Cp5Y47Jm9zvMRpmckiKq5zPsR9VMAE3l/s2048/ACS_1133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hB0FfAf-AzjLmfknuwTOOpj-vwjKo5v9X9sC6V8o5VWUEaob5zdwdM0gww0D9WpClWUaoju0mTA-5nKy2xysqOQcPSO-n6uOrh7isWnn4gn_Cp5Y47Jm9zvMRpmckiKq5zPsR9VMAE3l/w674-h506/ACS_1133.JPG" width="674" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><span><br />We<span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">’</span>ve been knee-deep in zucchinis for a while now. The glut began before the tomatoes ripened, and it continues to surprise us with over-sized veggies most days. It’s a nice problem to have.</span> Only about half of us actually like eating zucchini on it’s own, so t<span>o stay on top of the glut, we’ve been experimenting with zucchini kasundi recipes - we’ve not found a total favourite yet, but have a couple that will clear your sinuses if you’re brave! And we’ve returned to old favourites like pickled zucchinis, <a href="http://www.owlet.com.au/2009/05/spiced-zucchini-soup.html" target="_blank">spiced zucchini soup</a> (fabulous with fresh bread on autumn evenings, and a great glut-buster), and our favourite, zucchini chocolate cake. </span>
</div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6qvIX1h5Ln9lBreUFD-ByJ0bKupvaB9LjFO5WQkAZjm-84RzvMYMeZclLgZmLnRUm38ThM-Rt5Ej-CmFVR-aC2n0PiQ8etdXplr6m_yzLTAhU74rimOWk8iNRINQqcn585WqDrRdWAaO/s2048/ACS_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2047" height="666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6qvIX1h5Ln9lBreUFD-ByJ0bKupvaB9LjFO5WQkAZjm-84RzvMYMeZclLgZmLnRUm38ThM-Rt5Ej-CmFVR-aC2n0PiQ8etdXplr6m_yzLTAhU74rimOWk8iNRINQqcn585WqDrRdWAaO/w666-h666/ACS_1144.JPG" width="666" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br />This is our go-to zucchini chocolate cake recipe. It<span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">’</span>s a quick mix recipe that makes a large amount of cake to share for a group, or to supply hungry kids with snacks for up to a week (it may depend on how hungry!). The cake keeps moist in an air-tight container on the bench for a few days, or can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen if longer storage is needed.<br /><br />The olive oil adds depth of flavour that prevents the cake from being overly sweet. If you prefer a milder flavour, another vegetable or seed oil like sunflower oil might be a good replacement. The cake is dairy free and can be made gluten free with the alternative mentioned below. We haven’t tried an egg replacement so it’s not vegan, but let us know if you find a method that works for you! You can also add your favourite nuts or seeds to the cake, and ice it if you like.<br /><br />Like all our recipes, we recommend you experiment and have fun finding what works best for you! <br /><br />2 cups (250g) plain flour</span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">1.5 cups organic raw sugar (coconut sugar or rapadura also work, but can change the texture slightly).<br />3/4 cup cocoa powder (or raw cacao) <br />3 teaspoons baking powder <br />1 teaspoon bicarb<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />4 eggs, beaten<br />3/4 cup olive oil<br /><div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">2 cups grated zucchini, firmly packed</span></div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br />1. Preheat oven to 180°C</span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">2. Grease and flour a lamington tin.<br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">3. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a</span> <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">large bowl, then stir</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">.</span><br />4. Add the eggs and oil to the bowl, and mix well.<br />5. Add the zucchini and mix together evenly.<br />6. Pour into the prepared lamington tin.<br />7. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour. <br /><div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">8. Cool the cake and slice it into squares. </span></div></span><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">Gluten free version: Use a gluten-free flour mix and add one extra egg. </span></div>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-67372041003646060232021-02-05T16:42:00.005+11:002021-02-05T18:34:01.066+11:00Marvellous Mulberries :: Our favourite cordial recipe<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV1654sKhBy65S2He7gI58uk3vC1oe4IZK-hpXL27BpOK1OeqiWlHnDXq-haJxrdIJG1dmwMjq40YXPiBTeoqLQPAAyjwU9x4QL84NkJVrE2adrHXlPCaHor6QVZCA3UypnPtiodlFR6w/s1080/Instagram+Landscape+%25284%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1080" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV1654sKhBy65S2He7gI58uk3vC1oe4IZK-hpXL27BpOK1OeqiWlHnDXq-haJxrdIJG1dmwMjq40YXPiBTeoqLQPAAyjwU9x4QL84NkJVrE2adrHXlPCaHor6QVZCA3UypnPtiodlFR6w/w677-h354/Instagram+Landscape+%25284%2529.jpg" width="677" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our very favourite garden tree is our mulberry. It's the biggest in the food forest, planted 9 or so years ago, over Tiny Owlet's placenta. It grows generous amounts of fruit, provides cooling shade, juice for ink-making, leaves for tea and silk worm fodder, and a stunning autumn display as it's leaves turn yellow where the sun lands on them. <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Actually, all the plants in our perennial food forest are wonderful. They’re super low maintenance, and feed us huge amounts of food each year. We’re so glad we planted them when we did. If you’re strapped for time, but have some space in your garden for perennial food plants, throw some in and feed your family (friends and neighbours), for years to come. It’s well worth the investment. But back to the mulberry. </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Last year, we made the mistake of not throwing a net over our mulberry tree. The tree had grown so much in the year prior, it outgrew the nets we had, and we naively thought there would be enough fruit for us and the blackbirds to share. We didn’t pick a single ripe mulberry. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, this year we were prepared. And the extra rain we’ve had meant mulberries as far as the eye can see. The laden tree’s heavy branches are sweeping the ground, and every leaf has berries waiting underneath to be picked. Unfortunately the combination of wind, rain and heavy fruit mean the tree is almost lying horizontal at this point. It won't be the same beautiful upright tree, and the food forest is somewhat changed, but that's the adventure of gardening and tending to an ever-changing ecosystem. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve still been sneaking out to the garden to scoff and slurp on juicy mulberries all month - bright magenta juice staining our fingers and toes... And, of course, we've been putting some aside for winter. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgvg4MQAx9RdULfEqT_LrNX70FOrNhxu3SOMvqvDuKYEedADy2u62h0ZgqRBZK1QZOQbcV6Vz-mV4zlJzjGIT79XnLCGsP7Rg0OxfLZ3AQe1n8TU4pvC5K0Olz5Uek-rpBCARG9chUN2S/s1080/Instagram+Landscape+%25285%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1080" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgvg4MQAx9RdULfEqT_LrNX70FOrNhxu3SOMvqvDuKYEedADy2u62h0ZgqRBZK1QZOQbcV6Vz-mV4zlJzjGIT79XnLCGsP7Rg0OxfLZ3AQe1n8TU4pvC5K0Olz5Uek-rpBCARG9chUN2S/w669-h351/Instagram+Landscape+%25285%2529.jpg" width="669" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bottled mulberries for the cupboards for winter guzzling. Fresh berries and mulberry cordial to enjoy right now. We'll make some cordial into jelly and some fruit into jam. We've been playing with mulberry cordial recipes for a few years now, and here's our ultra-simple favourite. We make a habit of simplifying things, because we find we're more likely to find time for an easy recipe we can remember by heart.
<u>Mulberry Cordial</u></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1kg mulberries
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1L water
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">750g sugar
2 lemons
1. Place the mulberries in a large saucepan, with the water and sugar.
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Add the zest and juice of the lemons
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Place the pot over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, continuing to stir when you remember.
5. Line a large bowl or jug with a fine mesh bag, cheesecloth or strainer while you wait for the pot to simmer.
6. Remove from the heat and pour into the mesh bag/strainer/cloth lined bowl. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-Dpg7iDpWKUktTEco4rPWIovixeQD9wHGy-QpGkQ55sUJQz55gfD5cKVJT_zeKkxteUD8z-kOIFIT3YTX7lECdozWLrTTp-g7qTOAbTsVabk4PLRsK7SmnGqKHLlZmNeI-YmUPOXNBi0/s1080/Instagram+Landscape+%25283%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1080" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-Dpg7iDpWKUktTEco4rPWIovixeQD9wHGy-QpGkQ55sUJQz55gfD5cKVJT_zeKkxteUD8z-kOIFIT3YTX7lECdozWLrTTp-g7qTOAbTsVabk4PLRsK7SmnGqKHLlZmNeI-YmUPOXNBi0/w680-h357/Instagram+Landscape+%25283%2529.jpg" width="680" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
7. Allow the liquid to drain from the fruit pulp. We like to use a mesh bag and suspend it from a kitchen cupboard handle over the bowl. Set the fruit pulp aside.
8. Use a funnel to pour the cordial into clean bottles. Sterilise the bottles first if you're going to store the cordial for a while.
9. Seal with lids and move to the fridge when cool if you're planning to enjoy the cordial over the next couple of weeks. Pasteurise the full bottles in a large pot of boiling water if you plan to store them for up to 12 months. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBt7nHo6YZLAVheYfivVvEXesq-OF0qleAxizyNUAtWIo4Sk5USvR1zCKvYHm2T8rWvUv6G1TGItwTqq-WoXVnE1IR3rmjbjip4d-Cxwm7Hrry2ptQqVbNTn5dXfAvMI5zxffSM6aFJRR/s1080/Instagram+Landscape+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1080" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBt7nHo6YZLAVheYfivVvEXesq-OF0qleAxizyNUAtWIo4Sk5USvR1zCKvYHm2T8rWvUv6G1TGItwTqq-WoXVnE1IR3rmjbjip4d-Cxwm7Hrry2ptQqVbNTn5dXfAvMI5zxffSM6aFJRR/w672-h353/Instagram+Landscape+%25282%2529.jpg" width="672" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Enjoy your cordial mixed 1:4 parts water. Mulberry fizz is lovely if you have a Sodastream, and mulberry mixes well with alcoholic drinks, too. Use the fruit pulp (and lemon zest) in your favourite crumble, pie or muffin recipe. It's delicious added to an apple base filling. Alternatively, freeze it for smoothies or nice-cream, or for baking another day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happiest Mulberry season! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>~ Lauren. xx</i></span></p>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-11941142248795955262021-01-17T20:13:00.005+11:002021-01-17T22:46:27.721+11:00Ode to a worm farm :: How to make a pet poo worm farm<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0Bm1r3_3CcDUN6ifY3RJLi9LUFau2VYzmHw3ytyfkmd4-ki4vajZDXcfYAC52Mr03d6PVZHv1KnHuSzRTHDSMpAoZO5LbG09SR29BdEpph64TApgqv071yQm0td8wQt2yDv7QS7SCQxx/s2048/ACS_1082.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2047" height="679" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0Bm1r3_3CcDUN6ifY3RJLi9LUFau2VYzmHw3ytyfkmd4-ki4vajZDXcfYAC52Mr03d6PVZHv1KnHuSzRTHDSMpAoZO5LbG09SR29BdEpph64TApgqv071yQm0td8wQt2yDv7QS7SCQxx/w679-h679/ACS_1082.JPG" width="679" /></a><br /></p><div style="-en-clipboard: true;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">If there’s something we didn’t expect pet ownership would make us grateful for, it’s poo. Growing up, there was always lots of it - dog poo, cat poo, picked up before school, tied up in two plastic shopping bins, and flung into the bin for rubbish day. It was taken away so we didn’t need to think about it, or smell it anymore. When we both moved out of home and adopted pets, we continued the same daily tradition of double-bagged poo-flinging, into the stinky bin, and away.
</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">But then we started living waste-free, and we stopped shopping at supermarkets, so there were no smelly bins, no plastic bags, and no more away. So along came our worm farm, and the piles of poo (just poo), and the re-used brown paper bags we use to pick the poo up on dog walks, land in there. Our worm friends turn all those stinky piles into incredible compost - black gold for our fruit trees. There’s absolutely no smell. And very minimal need for us to do anything other than dig out the amazing compost, tickling the worms out of it as we go, once a year or so.
</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">This is what’s normal for our kids now. A life where everything is a valuable resource, and we take responsibility for what happens to it, right here, where we are. A life where we’re all part of an interconnected system, even our pets (both dogs and worms). And that’s a lesson that will last our kids their whole lives.
</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><u><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;">How to set up a pet poo worm farm*</span></u></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">It is possible to use the waste pets </span>create as a resource in your garden. You can convert their poo to compost in a dedicated worm farm and use the compost to feed ornamental plants and fruit trees (we’d keep it away from veggies and edible herbs so as to avoid any immediate toxins). A worm farm can fit in a garden, a courtyard or on a small balcony, and when working well will produce no smell. Just luscious compost for your garden. </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQQwOVHXKKzzSKoMI7o_FzWv_DP1wC7WDyIMMXbbKd_rtxbShA-A2uIM5OMuycu4nLZBs3ze216fO3n9xSkya43-Ni6KSW14tUpm8p3ztv1NTuYQWswQhYJsvCF0R0ZJaDikzMbTkwYKB/s2048/EA61AC08-25EA-4E63-AD0F-4723A59D8ABC.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQQwOVHXKKzzSKoMI7o_FzWv_DP1wC7WDyIMMXbbKd_rtxbShA-A2uIM5OMuycu4nLZBs3ze216fO3n9xSkya43-Ni6KSW14tUpm8p3ztv1NTuYQWswQhYJsvCF0R0ZJaDikzMbTkwYKB/w674-h674/EA61AC08-25EA-4E63-AD0F-4723A59D8ABC.JPG" width="674" /></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;">WHAT YOU’LL NEED:</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">•</span> <span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">A container to keep your </span>worms in. Some ideas include an old bath, Styrofoam boxes, an old bin or barrel, old car tyres, a purpose-built box or a kit from your local nursery.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">•</span> <span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">A piece of mesh to cover </span>any holes and keep the worms in. Fly screen or shade cloth are ideal.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">•</span> <span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Some bedding material. </span>Some ideas include mushroom compost, </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">garden soil, coconut fibre </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">or garden compost, or </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">lightly dampened shredded </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">paper (this is ideal if you’re </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">planning on composting </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">pet poo).</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">•</span> <span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Worm food. For composting </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">pet poo, don’t feed them </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">other food along with the </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">poo as they’ll just eat the </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">food and ignore the poo </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">(who wouldn’t!). If you </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">want a regular worm farm </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">for your veggie scraps </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">instead of poo, make sure </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">to stay away from citrus </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">and onions. Worms love </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">soft food scraps, hair </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">clippings, crushed egg </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">shells, vacuum cleaner dust, </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">coffee grounds, tea bags, </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">sawdust, soaked cardboard </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">and shredded paper.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">•</span> <span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Worms! You’ll need about </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">1000 worms specifically </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">bred for farming. Look for </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">tiger worms or red or blue </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">wrigglers. Common garden </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">worms are great for soil </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">improvement, but not so </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">effective in a worm farm.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 1</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">If you’re creating a layered box system to </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">collect worm tea, you’ll need something </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">watertight for your bottom layer. In a bath, </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">you might choose to place a bucket under </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">the drain hole. If you’re using a Styrofoam </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">box, place a watertight one on the bottom. </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Grab the box or container where your </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">worms will be housed and make sure there </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">are holes in the bottom for drainage. Place </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">it on your watertight, tea-collecting bottom </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">layer, if you have one.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 2</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Place mesh over the holes. If you’re using a </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">bath, cover the plughole.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 3</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Place your worm bedding material in the </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">box or container.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 4</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Add your worms to the middle of the box. </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">If you’re using a bath, place them at one </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">end.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 5</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Add some poo for the worms to eat. Use </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">your worm farm when you’re cleaning </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">up your kitty-litter tray or dog poo, in </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">conjunction with carbon matter like </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">shredded paper or recycled paper kitty </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">litter. We collect dog poo in re-used paper bags when we take the dogs for a walk, and this feeds the worms well. Try and keep a good balance </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">between the carbon and nitrogen based </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">matter in your worm farm, as you'd do when </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">making compost. If you’re using a bath, </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">just feed the worms up the end where the </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">worms were placed.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 6</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Make sure not to overfeed your worms. </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Start with a small amount of food and </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">watch to see how quickly they can break </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">it down. Keep an eye on them as you add </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">more.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 7</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Don’t feed pet poo to your worms if you’ve </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">recently wormed your pets – worming </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">medication may kill your worm farm! Technically the medication should be benign when it leaves your dog, but if you want to be sure, leave it for a few days before adding it to your worm farm. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 8</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Place a doubled-up sheet of dampened </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">newspaper on top of your worm farm </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">to retain moisture and keep your worms </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">comfy. Then pop a cover on your worm </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">farm – a layer of hessian, or the lid your kit </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">came with will work.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 9</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">In a few weeks you’ll be able to collect </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">worm tea to feed your garden! Stick to </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">ornamentals and fruit trees if your worms </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">are eating pet poo.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 10</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">As your worm farm fills up, you’ll be able </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">to place another box or layer on top </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">and fill it with bedding and food for your </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">worms to migrate to. If you’re using a bath, </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">start feeding the worms at the other end </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">of the bath and they’ll move along to their </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">new feeding place.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">STEP 11</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;">Harvest the beautifully broken-down </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;">compost from the previous nesting/feeding </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;">box and use it on the garden. If you have cats, you might like to bury it under some soil and mulch to keep native wildlife safe, while making valuable nutrients available to your plants and out of landfill or waterways. Happy </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;">farming!</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px;"><i>*This is an excerpt from our book 'A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living', published in 2019 by Plum. You'll still find it at most good bookshops and libraries, or signed copies in our <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/" target="_blank">shop</a>. </i></span></div>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-64501775812861029262020-04-06T07:30:00.000+10:002020-04-06T07:30:09.205+10:0025 Ways to Holiday at Home<div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
<i>This post appears in response to this week's theme for our #52climatesolutions series on Instagram. You can <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spiralgarden/">pop over there</a> for more information on how holidaying at home can be a useful skill to learn for the future. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-_Fl0ct_axTPBEtCGyzh0axBjP9k0EpyotZ8ED8FXyoz7yYxxDvGBhnXfICt4ArYVvhM_tax75g6cQl72gb_AH-ACVsO4jubaXvFevrQA2rq28feZeQQEzWU8-DObnbevB04XXhAWrl7/s1600/ACS_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-_Fl0ct_axTPBEtCGyzh0axBjP9k0EpyotZ8ED8FXyoz7yYxxDvGBhnXfICt4ArYVvhM_tax75g6cQl72gb_AH-ACVsO4jubaXvFevrQA2rq28feZeQQEzWU8-DObnbevB04XXhAWrl7/s640/ACS_0295.JPG" width="640" /></a>It may seem a little strange to be sharing this list while none of us really have much choice but to be at home. Those of us who are fortunate to have a home, that is. We’re in the midst of a stressful situation that’s shifting our priorities, bringing forward anxieties and rewiring our brains and how we see ourselves moving forward. Business is anything but usual. Giving ourselves a little space to just be where we are and appreciate our surroundings (like we do on holidays), may be just the ticket. Particularly if you’re self isolating with kids (never was there a clearer oxymoron). Shifting to learning at home full-time isn’t easy, so focusing on spending time together and strengthening relationships can be very important. Perhaps the school holidays came just at the right time.
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When this period of time is behind us, will we go back to our old ways? Will we ignore the impacts travel has on the environment and holiday like there’s no tomorrow? Perhaps we’ll take some lessons from our period of time at home and holiday at home intentionally again. Whatever you choose in the future, here are some suggestions for now. We hope they help:</div>
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Camp out - in the backyard or your lounge room. Pitch a tent and sleep under the stars, or under twinkle lights by your tv. We can’t guarantee you a good night’s sleep but your kids (and pets) will love you all the more for it.
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Cook with fire - if you have a wood heater or space for a little outdoor campfire, toast some marshmallows, bake some damper, enjoy the warmth and gaze into the coals.
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Stargaze - If you have a backyard or a balcony, a little stargazing can be a wonderful way to connect with nature, and observe what’s happening around you. If you’re in the city and can’t see the stars to clearly, perhaps try an app like Sky Safari, or a sky map to help you work out where the constellations are.
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Nature walk in your street - what seasonal changes are you noticing? What sounds and scents? Try taking some photos and draw from them when you get home. For extra fun, go after dark, with torches and spot nocturnal wildlife. </div>
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Start a holiday diary - perhaps a nature journal, or just daily observations of the world around you.
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Move your furniture around - Swap bedrooms, look at your home and how you use it, in different ways. A change is as good as a holiday!
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Give your bedroom a deep clean - Change the sheets (there’s nothing better!) and put a chocolate on the pillow if you like!
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Bring the outdoors in - Plant some pots up with herbs, indoor plants or flowers that make you happy, provide food or freshen the air a little.
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Send postcards or letters to the friends you’re missing - Tell them what you’ve been up to. There’s something special about receiving a note in the mail.
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Send a gift - whether it's a bunch of flowers or a favourite book you’ve been reading, find a small and local business to support and have them send a gift on your behalf, if you’re not able to attend the post office in person.
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Learn a new skill - Learn to bake bread, knit, grow food, play an instrument. Emerge from your holiday at home with a skill you can share with your friends and family when you see them next.
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Find out about a different culture - learn the history, language and perhaps try the foods of the place you’d like to learn about.
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Visit museums, galleries and zoos, virtually - webcams and virtual tours are happening now in facilities all over the world. Go exploring and learn all the things!
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Write to a pen pal - reach out to people in other parts of the world and look for a pen pal (perhaps through friends of friends or someone you know online?). Send them a lovely message telling them about what it’s like where you are, and ask them to describe their day-to-day. There’s solidarity and connection to be found in the written word!
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Learn the history of where you live - Find out about First Nations people, the geological formations, famous landmarks, favourite buildings.
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Read all the books! There’s never been a better time to catch up on the books you’ve been meaning to read. If you don’t have an unread stack and prefer not to buy books, you might try borrowing ebooks and audio books through your local library. Some subscription services are offering freebies now too.
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Splurge on a take-away meal - give yourself the night off and support a local hospitality business who makes great food. Many are struggling right now and have opened up take away and delivery meal options. Look for restaurants who cook using local ingredients and ask about compostable packaging!
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Eat local food - be a locavore and experience what your local diet really tastes like, whether it’s bought, foraged or both.
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Go dancing - well, maybe just in your lounge room, but have a dance party and truly let your hair down. </div>
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Initiate new routines - perhaps you’ve been meaning to maintain a sourdough starter and bake regularly, do a little yoga or walk each day, or you’ve been meaning to reduce your family’s waste output? Now’s a good time to start incorporating new things into your daily rhythm so they’ll be second nature when life’s feeling more normal.
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Get some sunshine - If you have a little sunny space to sit or stretch out, take time to rest in it and enjoy the sun's warmth and a bit of Vitamin D.</div>
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Catch up on watching old movies - or nature documentaries you haven’t had time for. You’ll have a family of film buffs and nature lovers in no time.
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Play games - board games, card games, do the crossword.
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Take a nap - The sign of any restful holiday. Nanas of the world will agree!</div>
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Slow down - Remember how to slow down and take each day at a time. Be gentle with yourself. These are unusual and uncertain times we're living through. Know that while you stay home, you're currently supporting front line workers and the broader community, <i>and</i> significantly reducing the impact your family has on our changing climate. </div>
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And when the hardest of this is behind us… holidays at home might include visiting local museums, galleries, ecosystems, restaurants, and hotels. You might try camping not too far from home or bushwalking somewhere you’ve never been before. Support your local businesses, keep carbon emissions low, and your local community resilient. </div>
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Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-27935294566693487492020-02-27T14:38:00.002+11:002020-02-27T14:40:05.837+11:0080 Life Skills for Kids to Learn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnOqpHgUvzYCuUth_qnm5InVznI6_Chq5G_d8g9YBD3zhL5jOUvpGj1h63ysU0TeHWX1DudHgm3hyjqwesklx6buvdrZJqqS-Wqh5Xm2c9IYOhsvfzLiuqopF4oaQXTfpw7vEOfKgbxfz/s1600/Untitled+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnOqpHgUvzYCuUth_qnm5InVznI6_Chq5G_d8g9YBD3zhL5jOUvpGj1h63ysU0TeHWX1DudHgm3hyjqwesklx6buvdrZJqqS-Wqh5Xm2c9IYOhsvfzLiuqopF4oaQXTfpw7vEOfKgbxfz/s640/Untitled+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We've spoken <a href="http://www.owlet.com.au/2019/06/educating-our-kids-for-future-theyll.html">before</a> about how the way we've educated our children over the years (at their request!), has shifted to incorporate more of the practical. The life skills they'll need in the future, whatever that future might look like. Skills for resilience so they can care for themselves and their community. We're also educating them for the present, so that they can contribute to household life, but also so they have the skills they need to help avert climate change right now. <br />
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Over a year ago, we all sat down together and wrote up a list of skills we wanted our kids to have, or that they wanted to have, and some us adults needed to work on ourselves - because we reckon learning and sharing skills is important for everyone, and there's always more to learn!<br />
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Our list has columns for each of us to tick off as we get to doing each task, or mastering each skill. There were 80 skills listed originally, and the kids have added more as they've thought of them. The list is now pinned to the fridge, and we've slowly ticked of skills as we've completed them after the list was hung - so there are some skills us adults have learned in pre-list days, but we're not ticking them off until we've done them again since hanging the list. It's proving motivating for all of us, and interesting to see how many are covered in our day-to-day. And it's been lots of fun learning and sharing skills!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT3DF6fKAHZoeZUJtbXyQflsr1oVNsP2OHdyxOnctEwtw-fsDjtS7NOG7ZgZSbq4lDYeyVtd0rv78JTLjc3yirQZkn6MvHZ4ZMbmke0FdzcUMQfgbTAnYX9G459jro4I_Jq2r_hqTKoee/s1600/ACS_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT3DF6fKAHZoeZUJtbXyQflsr1oVNsP2OHdyxOnctEwtw-fsDjtS7NOG7ZgZSbq4lDYeyVtd0rv78JTLjc3yirQZkn6MvHZ4ZMbmke0FdzcUMQfgbTAnYX9G459jro4I_Jq2r_hqTKoee/s640/ACS_0747.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After a few requests on our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spiralgarden/">Instagram</a> last week, we've shared our list, with blank columns for family members, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VI8Nd7t63FXHdGpIY5JYbE2MQMObcHI8/view?usp=sharing">here.</a> You might like to use it for a base list for your own family, adding and removing skills as you like. Let us know how you go!
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<br />Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-61510273502365740872019-07-12T18:33:00.000+10:002019-07-12T21:50:57.141+10:00How To Start a Community Food Co-op<div style="text-size-adjust: auto;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK1ZGhjViq1v-p4t2pyqEt1mskdaGmNp1jRjbRK7SdipODqKn_tfuM9nB23bs3X7NJrcNvBfsF0-IrYH5VGGqsktXMT150UN5vymXMMQk19Z6k_yAn_aVLSzaOi8djR2N5ZG2bS9Oj-cI/s1600/bruny+coop2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimA5OmkE3935RzxxP6FJNzVgkiKqDX6ob6dLuVVB_4OFdVSF80NEntocMoRs-XkZEsEmLBX-t-ITMgedl14R5CeZWq1s9gREMBPnkRLXGN7f02Fotd6Tf4OKKePlG9UftG5ETkCrjF50qL/s1600/Facebook+Cover+Collage+4+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="975" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimA5OmkE3935RzxxP6FJNzVgkiKqDX6ob6dLuVVB_4OFdVSF80NEntocMoRs-XkZEsEmLBX-t-ITMgedl14R5CeZWq1s9gREMBPnkRLXGN7f02Fotd6Tf4OKKePlG9UftG5ETkCrjF50qL/s640/Facebook+Cover+Collage+4+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic Free July is rolling along along, and we've been chatting with people about their experiences with it, and waste-free living in general. As always, there are a few issues that come to light, and we'll be sharing our tips for a couple of the big ones shortly (budget, time...). But for a great many people, the main issue in reducing household waste is easy access to package-free foods. In the greater Hobart area, we have a high number of bulk food options, ranging from small supermarkets to dedicated wholefoods stores where everything is available package-free. Although where we live we're technically in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert">food desert</a>, we're very fortunate to be a short bus ride away from some amazing resources, and have access to homegrown foods through the community garden and local sharing network. But what do you do if you live even further away from shops and food outlets? You need to find creative ways to bring food closer to your community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were fortunate to visit the Bruny Island Food Co-op at the beginning of winter. We were invited to talk to their members about waste-free living and have a look around, and what we saw was more than a little inspiring. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruny_Island">Bruny Island </a>(lunawanna-allonah) sits on the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, with a population of 600 residents and tens of thousands of visitors each year. It only has a couple of small shops for basic groceries, and seasonal food producers and cafes that appeal mostly to the tourist demographic. It's accessible via ferry from mainland Tasmania and most residents need to shop for fresh food off the island.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXcoPAWoFrSLph4xCAohJ5pHH32VCPfHOjOYMcI8ir62hxd5FyAUn_d441P6ddUrXZbrHkikcXk2MSLfXIohHUS6KFKsSKFHvRpO09KxbotUqOHsHCaSNTsyXaFHwsrhB-suPfPSrRr8o/s1600/Facebook+Cover+Collage+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXcoPAWoFrSLph4xCAohJ5pHH32VCPfHOjOYMcI8ir62hxd5FyAUn_d441P6ddUrXZbrHkikcXk2MSLfXIohHUS6KFKsSKFHvRpO09KxbotUqOHsHCaSNTsyXaFHwsrhB-suPfPSrRr8o/s1600/Facebook+Cover+Collage+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="975" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXcoPAWoFrSLph4xCAohJ5pHH32VCPfHOjOYMcI8ir62hxd5FyAUn_d441P6ddUrXZbrHkikcXk2MSLfXIohHUS6KFKsSKFHvRpO09KxbotUqOHsHCaSNTsyXaFHwsrhB-suPfPSrRr8o/s640/Facebook+Cover+Collage+4.png" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br />Our friend, Liz, noticed a shortage of access to good food in the Bruny Island community and helped establish a food co-op there. The co-op is run in the community hall each month and you can buy most of the basics and some special luxuries there, without packaging! They're able to keep costs fairly low, helping more people in the community access package-free food. Alongside the co-op, they run skill shares and workshops and a space for members to swap and share food, with future plans and ideas for strengthening this inspiring community hub. We asked Liz about her experience with establishing a community food co-op and she has very generously shared her thoughts with us below. If you're living somewhat remotely, perhaps there's some inspiration here to help you build a co-op of your own. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><i>How did the idea to start a food co-op come about?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After doing the <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/products/seedlings-e-course-winter-weekends"><i>Spiral Garden Seedlings Permaculture eCourse</i>, </a>I really started to think about the waste we were producing in the kitchen. I'd always thought of ourselves as buying little processed/packaged food, but when I checked our bins I was surprised at how many of the plastic bags could be avoided if we bought in bulk. So I joined a food co-op off the island which was not too far away, and started buying lots of food from a bulk wholefoods store also off the island. When talking with a couple of friends in a cafe on Bruny Island one day, we were envisaging how great a food co-op could be on Bruny Island. What we didn't realise is that a local couple on the next table were listening to us dreaming and before they left the cafe, they came over to wish us luck and offered us a very generous donation to get started!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK1ZGhjViq1v-p4t2pyqEt1mskdaGmNp1jRjbRK7SdipODqKn_tfuM9nB23bs3X7NJrcNvBfsF0-IrYH5VGGqsktXMT150UN5vymXMMQk19Z6k_yAn_aVLSzaOi8djR2N5ZG2bS9Oj-cI/s1600/bruny+coop2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="975" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK1ZGhjViq1v-p4t2pyqEt1mskdaGmNp1jRjbRK7SdipODqKn_tfuM9nB23bs3X7NJrcNvBfsF0-IrYH5VGGqsktXMT150UN5vymXMMQk19Z6k_yAn_aVLSzaOi8djR2N5ZG2bS9Oj-cI/s640/bruny+coop2.png" width="640" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Was it easy to find support in the community?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes, we put a post on the community Facebook page asking for expressions of interest and got a handful of people who were interested to come along to our first meeting, where we just brainstormed ideas and what people wanted. We then set up a Facebook page asking people what they wanted to order and put an ad for the first meeting in the community news. As we didn't have any money we couldn't buy products up front to sell, so we had to take orders and try and make sure that a bulk product was already sold out before we even bought it. The most difficult part of it all was finding a location to hold meetings. While this could have been at someone's house, we had a vision of what we wanted to achieve and it was more like a shop and none of us had the space for that at home.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How many members are involved?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We have about 70 names on our email list, over 150 members on our Facebook page, and about 50 paid members. We have been open about 3 years and over that time the numbers have been steadily growing. The tricky thing is trying to find an opening time that suits as many people as possible, so while we have the numbers who support us, not everyone turns up to every meeting. When we first started there were 3 of us running it, but over time that has reduced to 2 with a couple of people who are often free to help us as needed. We are now at the stage were we need to think about asking volunteers for their help in a more formal way. We are thinking of having "active members" who volunteer their time for reduced prices. However we need to think carefully before implementing anything as we have been advised that managing volunteers is often more time consuming that just doing it ourselves!!!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How often do you meet in the community hall?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We meet once a month - the last Tuesday of every month from 2 - 5pm. At the beginning of the year we were open from 3 - 5pm, but this was just too busy - being open 1 more hour just eases the pressure when lots of people arrive at the same time! We are happy to open more often if we think we will be supported, and this is something we are working on at the moment.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Does the co-op have a formalised structure? Memberships?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we first started we needed to have a bank account and the only way we could do that was to become a Not for Profit incorporated business. So that's what we did. I guess we are really running it a bit like a small business. Membership is $20 per year, per household and for that members get products at good prices, non-members pay 20% more. Members are also able to bring their excess fruit and veg or jams, pickles, bread, cakes etc etc to swap or sell. We also hold workshops and members pay $5, non-members $10. The money for the workshops goes to the speakers (80%). This is to encourage members of the community to come forward to run a workshop, We think of the workshops as more of a skill share kind of thing - I don't like the idea of "teaching" each other, more sharing what we know. We really want to encourage community involvement and think of co-op as a community hub as opposed to just being a place to buy food. Nicola Hubbard and I work together behind the scenes to organise the workshops, products etc and for that we are now able to get paid a nominal fee - it is a lot less than the work we do, but it's a start!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Did it require much financial investment to get off the ground?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had nothing but the $400 donation, which we used to buy our first products. Over the 3 years we have made enough to gradually buy buckets, scoops, a very expensive set of scales, a POS system, a computer and insurance. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How much time does running to co-op take each week?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now that we are organised and in a routine, it doesn't really take much. At the end of each meeting we have a rough idea of what we need more of for the next meeting, so it's a matter of putting in an order, updating the POS and product list and going to pick it up. We also sent out a monthly email with our workshop details for the following month and our latest product list. We put an ad in the local rag and that's about all. The most time-consuming part is the banking - we are happy for people to pay via a bank transfer as we don't have a card payment system yet, so we have to go through the sales and check them off as the money gets deposited then message anyone who has forgotten - this is a bit time consuming. We estimate that we spend about 10 hours a month between the two of us, then of course there's the time that co-op is open, but we think of that as the fun part!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How have you decided on the product range?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're always open to new product ideas. Initially we just bought what we wanted as we knew that if we were left with it, we could buy it ourselves!!!! As time went on, people have suggested products they would like. The difficult part is keeping it simple. We are not in a position to have heaps and heaps of products yet and we have to keep in mind how long things like nuts stay fresh as we're only open once a month. We did get products from a variety of suppliers but that proved time consuming - more ordering, more time picking up etc, so now we mainly buy food from one supplier with a big range and a just a couple of other places occasionally. We aim for package free bulk foods, as local as possible and if possible organic. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How has having access to food in this way impacted on the community?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Initially most of our members were people who were already thinking about waste and organic healthy food etc etc, but over the 3 years the range of types of people who are joining is widening, as they hear about the co-op so come to take a peep.. As both of us (organisers) work at the local school, and the hall is opposite, we are able to reach a broad range of people through the school newsletter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There has recently been some discussion on Bruny Island as to how to move forward within the community with the number of tourists etc. and one of the ideas is for the community hall to become a bit of a hub. We are trying to set that in motion by opening co-op at the same time as the community library, and the online access centre and encouraging people to pop in for a cuppa, bring the kids and say hi - building a bit of community spirit! </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Any lessons learnt or anything you'd do differently?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is a commitment, but it is something that we both love, so that's no problem. I think if we had thought too much about it, we might never have started it as it can be quite daunting at times, so I guess my advice at this stage would be that if you are thinking of setting up something like this, to just do it! Buying a POS system has been a huge time saver (before that we were using an excel sheet and neither of us could understand excel!) and I'm glad we started properly from the beginning with our own bank account etc, rather than using our own bank accounts, then getting in difficulty with tax etc. As I mentioned before we need to really look at the way we run the co-op now as a business - we might find that we wish we had set it up differently, I'll let you know! Also, we never borrowed money or got into any debt etc, so actually there's no pressure - if it doesn't work, we can stop!!!! But for now that's the last thing we want to do.<br /><br />*****************<br /><br />Are you tackling <a href="https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/">Plastic Free July</a> this year? How are you travelling with it so far?<br /><br />We'll be talking in a few places in Hobart and Melbourne throughout the next month. You can find all dates for talks and workshops updated regularly, <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/pages/workshops">here.</a><br /><br />We talk about food co-ops and other solutions for making waste-free living possible, and communities stronger, in our book 'A Family Guide to Waste-free Living', published by Plum. Signed copies are available<a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/family-books-1/products/pre-order-a-family-guide-to-waste-free-living-signed-copy"> in our shop</a>, or you can find it in all good bookshops. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you should have luck finding it at Book Depository, or in eBook format, available <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760785055/">here. </a><br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">~ Lauren. x</span></i></span></div>
Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-25199189896789745892019-06-24T18:49:00.001+10:002019-06-24T19:52:48.873+10:00Plastic Free July: Why a commitment works for waste-free living<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Four and a half years ago, I decided I wanted our family to make some changes so that we'd be living more harmoniously with nature and utilising the knowledge we'd gained in our permaculture learnings. One of the ways we were going to do this, I'd worked out, was to reduce our family's waste. I made a list of how to approach it, and the slow, incremental changes we might need, to get there. We'd already mastered composting, and had a dry bin, so food waste was pretty much taken care of. Our focus for the next part of this journey would be on reducing packaging waste and specifically plastics. It didn't seem too overwhelming, but we didn't know quite where to begin, and the list was long and would take some time and persistence to make sure we got to the end of it. Then life got busy and I forgot all about the list.<br />
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Later that same year, I'd gained some knowledge about how damaging plastics are in our environment, and the realities of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downcycling">downcycling</a> and recycling. I wanted to do more. And surprisingly, an <a href="http://www.owlet.com.au/2015/10/sustainably-challenged-waste-free.html">opportunity</a> to challenge ourselves to commit to living more sustainably, arose. Focusing not just on waste, but on water, energy and other habits, we had two weeks to challenge ourselves to live more sustainably. I knew we needed to aim to live waste and recycling free. We made a family pact, knowing it was only for two weeks and we could change back to our old ways if we wanted, at the end of the challenge. We put away anything in the pantry that was plastic and prepared to pretend that for two weeks that it didn't exist. And we made the leap. It was exciting. Something we could problem solve as we went along. It felt a bit like a game, and because we'd committed to it, any decisions we faced had a clear cut answer, for us and the kids.<br />
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After the second week, we realised how easy the shift had been for us, so we decided to keep going for as long as we could. By the third week, new habits were well formed and everything became quicker and easier within our new normal. Then we started seeing all the plastic everywhere and were horrified that we hadn't really seen it before. It's been nearly four years now, and we haven't looked back. The slow nature to detangling ourselves from the evidence of our pre waste-free life is where baby steps were used, but that happened naturally as things broke or were used up and became legacy waste, and we learned not to choose them again.<br />
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We often consider the approach we took in shifting to waste-free living, and for us, the only way it was achievable for us was a time-based commitment. The long drawn-out baby-steps approach, using arbitrary time limits, would have led to fatigue and confusion about what was acceptable and what wasn't. It would be difficult for a child to understand why we might buy rice crackers in plastic, for example, but choose not to buy chips. Instead, we looked for alternatives together, and had fun doing it. We've found that when making a change as a group or family, a strong and simple commitment is best. And setting a time limit makes it not too daunting.<br />
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In one week, <a href="https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/">Plastic Free July</a> will begin. It's a fantastic opportunity to commit to making change as an individual, family, or workplace, with an achievable timeframe. Although we reckon the simplest and most powerful place to start reducing waste is with food, to really take it to the next level, you'll want to look at packaging and plastics. For many excellent Zero Waste advocates we know, their successful commitment began with Plastic Free July, so it's a proven path towards waste-free living, and one we'd been aware of before our challenge. We might have saved tonnes more waste by committing sooner! By committing to living plastic-free for a day, a week or a month, you'll be examining how your food and household products reach you, and how you use single-use products when you're out and about. You'll be creating new habits and learning what resources are around you. You may be surprised where it leads you!<br />
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Plastic Free July have a fabulous new <a href="https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/">website</a> full of helpful information, so hopefully you're now convinced and can pop over there to sign up and read more. But you might like to use this week to have a chat with the people in your household, make a pact, look at the plastic in your home and think up some solutions for avoiding it. Then leap in and have fun! <br />
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If you need more ideas and inspiration for July, there's always <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760783051/">our book!</a> It's bursting with them! We're also planning to offer a few workshops for Hobart locals, like this <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/waste-free-masterclass-in-july-tickets-64151475791?fbclid=IwAR0E1LRMwm0TCiYm0F24M718EgSqmLpj1cYGBEpcKjnalG7KQFeAtFeqRjY">Waste-free Masterclass at the South Hobart Tip Shop</a> and blogging and chatting about waste-free living online. Also, stay tuned for an extra special and exciting thing we've collaborated on, in the next week. We're looking forward to sharing it with you!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-size: xx-large;">~ Lauren. x</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">The beautiful photos in this post were taken by <a href="https://nataliemendham.com.au/">Natalie Mendham</a>.</span></span>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-82883494680023358782019-06-18T18:32:00.001+10:002019-06-18T21:19:07.797+10:00Educating our kids for the future they'll inherit.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One month ago, we wandered around the corner for a democracy sausage and to choose the government to take us forward into an uncertain future. Voting that day, it felt like choosing the world our kids would inherit. We were full of hope. It felt like so much depended on it, in terms of our response to the climate emergency, and how we care for each other as a community. We were hopeful there would be at least a glimmer of positive change. But for most people I know, the results that day were hugely disappointing. Even my own mum, an eternal optimist, was quite distraught. Friends began looking for ways to create positive change, at a personal and local level. Something we’re all about, because we know the positive impact such changes can make.</div>
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For us, it meant taking a moment to think about what more we can do. And explaining to our kids what had been chosen for them. Re-evaluating how we’re living and fighting harder to protect this beautiful planet. But also making sure our kids are prepared for what may come. For us, that also meant examining our home education program and making sure it addresses climate emergency and the consumption crisis. And suddenly the curriculum resources we’d been utilising didn’t seem so necessary any more.<br />
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In the same year we began to live waste-free, and after many years unschooling, the owlets asked for a plan. Something mapped out that they could use semi-independently, that would tell them exactly what they “should” be learning. We chose a secular curriculum, and loosely followed it. For the most part they’ve enjoyed it. The history and science learnings reinforcing some things they already knew, and they felt comforted that they were learning the "right things", what their schooled peers were learning. But that shifted for us all last month.<br />
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Suddenly, how to write an essay didn’t seem quite as important as how to write a letter to the local MP. Learning things by rote didn’t seem as important as learning from experience. Keeping up academically seemed less important than creative and entrepreneurial thinking and being good humans. Learning about events of the past seemed less important than how to live in the future. We talked about whether university education would be relevant for them and the knowledge and skills they'll need. They're undecided. And although it may seem like a dramatic response, as a family, we decided to let go again and embrace the way of learning we started out with. To trust and keep talking, and working on our passions, and keep learning about nature and how to live as part of an ecosystem, with less harm. But also a long list of practical skills needed now and into the future.</div>
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So far, our list is full of skills like baking bread, chopping wood, mending holes in clothes, fixing things, pruning fruit trees, learning how government works, learning about local indigenous plants, animals and people, catching the bus, and finding out about alternative currencies. Each of the owlets has popped their own ideas down and they’ll all be working towards doing each these things independently. Some of them they’ve already mastered. Some of them are in our book! Some are in our Seedlings eCourse, which we're doing again. Some of them we adults are yet to master, so we’ll be working on them too, and adding to this list as we go on. This sits alongside their individual interests and passions, all the books they like to read, the things we like to do and learn about for fun or necessity. We’re making the most of every minute, but also slowing down where we can. Learning what matters, together. Learning from life, and for our lives, now and into the future.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">~ Lauren. x</span></i><br />
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Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-13783329375528253212019-06-05T16:29:00.000+10:002019-06-05T16:31:00.701+10:00Waste-free Sourdough Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I live with a baker now. In January, Oberon set out on a mission to learn to make bread, using our friend Bonnie Ohara's <a href="http://www.alchemybread.com/book">wonderful book</a>, and he did! This has meant lots of yummy warm and fresh bread, and an abundance of sourdough starter in our house again. And the owlets have a renewed interest in baking, and a new activity to enjoy with their Dad. <br />
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Also, unrelated to this, but since we started living waste-free, we haven’t bought crackers for almost 4 years. We haven’t really missed them too much, but they’re a nice snack to have on hand. Happily, our abundance of sourdough starter means we have a regular cracker supply once more! And a very quick and delicious savoury treat to snack on. And no waste, while we’re making our food stretch further. Hooray for new skills and new ways to be creative with turning waste into resources.<br />
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Sourdough Starter Crackers<br />
1 cup sourdough starter<br />
1 cup plain flour<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
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Mix all the ingredients together into a ball of dough. Dust your table surface with a little flour and knead the dough until it’s fairly smooth. Roll the dough flat until it’s only a few millimetres thick (thinner = crunchier). I do this on the back of a baking tray, lined with parchment or greased and dusted. Cut the dough into squares with a knife or pizza cutter, then prick each square with a fork. Drizzle with olive oil and spread the oil gently with a pastry brush. Sprinkle whatever flavours you’d like on top - things like sea salt, sesame seeds, seaweed salt, herbs like rosemary are all great. Bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool and eat with your favourite cheese or dip, or just as they are!Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-17098492430095740162019-04-22T08:36:00.000+10:002019-04-22T08:36:40.816+10:00Smell the Roses & Save the Earth
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We're enjoying the Easter long weekend and a few days to slow right down and take time out together with each other and with the world around us. We're always keen to go adventuring, whether it be to visit somewhere new or to revisit a favourite spot and observe changes there. Our most recent adventure was to the bit of land we can see from our kitchen window, on the other side of the river. A totally different landscape to the one we're on, and to many others we've visited. It's soon to be converted to a golf course, so it may not be so easy to visit next time, but I'm glad we made time to visit it this weekend. Days in nature always bring us closer together. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stopping and observing nature can be a great educator and motivator for change. And change is what we need! This <a href="https://www.earthday.org/">Earth Day</a>, with potentially a few days off up your sleeve, we reckon one of the best things you can do to get motivated to care for the earth and formulate a plan for how you're going to do that, is to get outside. In honour of Earth Day, here's a little excerpt from our book, where we share some of our favourite things to do in nature, and why. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">.................<br /><br />We think that one of the root causes of wastefulness in modern society is a </span><span style="font-size: small;">disconnection from nature. There is a tendency for people to feel (and often be) </span><span style="font-size: small;">apart from nature, rather than a part of it. But when we observe nature and see it </span><span style="font-size: small;">as something we are connected to and part of, we can begin to view it differently. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Research shows that a connection with nature promotes the adoption of pro-environmental </span><span style="font-size: small;">behaviours and the most effective way to form a connection with </span><span style="font-size: small;">nature is to get out in it. So, as far as we’re concerned, it’s absolutely vital for the </span><span style="font-size: small;">future of our environment that we experience nature regularly and we provide </span><span style="font-size: small;">meaningful experiences in nature for our children.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can bring yourself a little closer to nature very simply, by spending time in </span><span style="font-size: small;">your garden or backyard, or (if you don’t have a yard) at a local park or reserve. Your </span><span style="font-size: small;">children may already spend time interacting with nature, making mud pies, collecting </span><span style="font-size: small;">insects and climbing trees </span><span style="font-size: small;">– we hope they do! Or you can go on bigger adventures that take you into wilder </span><span style="font-size: small;">spaces. In any case, here are some ways to broaden your family’s interaction with and </span><span style="font-size: small;">observation of nature, by utilising all of the senses and having a little adventure.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Ecosystem Explorer </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Observing different ecosystems in nature gives us clues as to how we can keep our </span><span style="font-size: small;">own home systems in balance and it helps us connect with natural processes and </span><span style="font-size: small;">nature in general. Observing an ecosystem can be as simple as wandering outside </span><span style="font-size: small;">your back door, or going on an adventure further afield and it’s well worth doing at </span><span style="font-size: small;">any time of year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Go on a fungi walk</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fungi are the unsung heroes of native ecosystems. They’re the ultimate zero-wasters. </span><span style="font-size: small;">They help to decompose dead and decaying matter and many </span><span style="font-size: small;">species have mutualistic relationships with plants. However, it is easy to walk </span><span style="font-size: small;">through a forest and overlook these often small, but beautiful, organisms. The </span><span style="font-size: small;">easiest place to look for larger fungi is in a wet forest or rainforest, although </span><span style="font-size: small;">they occur in almost all ecosystems. You may even notice some in your garden. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Fungi can usually be found at any time of year, although autumn tends to be </span><span style="font-size: small;">the best time for viewing. Children tend to spot fungi easily, once they’ve got</span><span style="font-size: small;">their eye in for them, as their eyes are usually closer to the ground! Take a </span><span style="font-size: small;">camera along and see how many species you can find! Our philosophy is to </span><span style="font-size: small;">try not to pick or disturb fungi needlessly, so that the next walkers can see </span><span style="font-size: small;">and enjoy them!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our coastlines are a diverse and interesting place, where things can grow and </span><span style="font-size: small;">nutrients collect. They can also be where a lot of our waste ends up, both new </span><span style="font-size: small;">and old, so you might like to have a beach clean-up</span><span style="font-size: small;">. Otherwise, go for a stroll along a beach and see what treasure </span><span style="font-size: small;">you can find there! Children adore treasure hunts and while you’re looking, </span><span style="font-size: small;">you can check in with the balance and health of this very fragile and important </span><span style="font-size: small;">ecosystem.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our local areas can look completely different at night time and you may be </span><span style="font-size: small;">surprised by the wildlife that is living alongside you most nights, if you go for a </span><span style="font-size: small;">wander outside your door. Our neighbourhoods can come alive with possums, </span><span style="font-size: small;">bats, owls, cats, foxes, insects and so much more. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Urban environments especially, can be spaces where certain nocturnal animals </span><span style="font-size: small;">thrive and they can even have a hidden connection to us through the waste </span><span style="font-size: small;">we create, or the food that we grow. Make sure you’re warmly dressed, </span><span style="font-size: small;">grab a torch and some friends and go for a wander around your local </span><span style="font-size: small;">neighbourhood. Spend some time being very quiet and listen to the sounds all </span><span style="font-size: small;">around you and just observe what’s going on. How many animals do you see? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Is there anything you come across that is unexpected?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While you’re outside, flop on the trampoline or grass, rug up and spend </span><span style="font-size: small;">some time looking up at the stars. What do you notice? Do you recognise </span><span style="font-size: small;">any constellations? Try drawing lines between stars to invent your own </span><span style="font-size: small;">constellations! Consider your place on the planet and in the universe. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Remember that you are made of stardust. Tell stories, watch for shooting stars, </span><span style="font-size: small;">satellites, look at the moon and enjoy the space and peace of the evening sky.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">As this year's <a href="https://www.earthday.org/">Earth Day</a> theme is Protect Our Species, you might like to research local threatened species in your area an consider how you can help them. You might also like to spend Earth Day writing to local councillors, political candidates, or businesses to solve problems and create change. After all, Earth Day began in 1970 as a protest movement, and to tackle all the issues this earth faces, we need to create change quickly, and on all levels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">You can also read about change in our book, "A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living'. It's available in all good bookstores and libraries, or you can find signed copies<a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/family-books-1/products/pre-order-a-family-guide-to-waste-free-living-signed-copy"> in our shop</a>. Published by Plum Books. </span></div>
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</style>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-2783853618825132222019-03-08T10:53:00.000+11:002019-03-08T11:18:02.489+11:00Women and the mental load of waste-free living (+ a soap recipe)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0nsBFPLsqA992fDB2ZVMXzBLnor7eAAgpupOAr7dqYjslgQAza4YaGE854q0f5bW_yC7iq24lbGXzD9SvsFmmTx8hIQ7xkwHVYMtd5TWUKasvIVpRtbfjHDtpSd1lEQeHnA1VhPVRGZ6/s1600/PLACE-HOLDERS-Waste-Free-Family-natalie-mendham-646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0nsBFPLsqA992fDB2ZVMXzBLnor7eAAgpupOAr7dqYjslgQAza4YaGE854q0f5bW_yC7iq24lbGXzD9SvsFmmTx8hIQ7xkwHVYMtd5TWUKasvIVpRtbfjHDtpSd1lEQeHnA1VhPVRGZ6/s640/PLACE-HOLDERS-Waste-Free-Family-natalie-mendham-646.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's an elephant in the room, when it comes to waste-free living. In the majority of households attempting to reduce their waste, it is still largely the work of women. Women often have the desire to make change in practical ways, and carry the burden of researching and strategising ways to implement waste-free shifts in their households. Women and children worldwide are also <a href="https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/95/8/16-171736/en/">most likely</a> to suffer the impacts of environmental issues and poor waste-management. It's been <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/43/4/567/2630509?redirectedFrom=fulltext">well documented </a>that <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/13/opinion/la-oe-polakovic-gender-and-the-environment-20120613">women</a> are at the forefront of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/05/real-men-dont-recycle-how-sexist-stereotypes-are-killing-the-planet">actual </a>day-to-day <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/dec/29/single-men-rubbish-at-recycling">work</a> of environmental change. Anecdotally, Oberon and I have seen it in the Facebook group we run (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/zerowastetasmania/?ref=bookmarks">Zero Waste Tasmania</a>), where more than 80% of members are women. And across social media, the majority of accounts devoted to the practical business of zero waste living are women. Women are the ones buying our book, although hopefully the men in their lives are reading it and trying things, too, and we've addressed this in the book. Waste-free living doesn't have to be burdensome. In fact, it can be joyful and enriching as you find a closer connection and care for nature. It's even fun! But in our home, it's fun, and not burdensome, because it's shared.<br />
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Women carry the mental and physical load of waste-free living, and we need to see that shifted. It has to shift for more of us to be able to make space to take more waste-free living practices on. It was the manufacturing of plastic packaged products and 'convenience' foods that simultaneously gave women freedom from their homes and created the huge environmental problem we face today. Meanwhile, men have, for the most part, carried on as usual, embracing 'convenience' products and being left somewhat off the hook. This has to change, for all our sakes, but especially for our children who will discover the full effect of choosing 'convenience' over responsibility.<br />
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But for today, on International Women's Day, I'm going to leave the mental load of pushing for that shift to the men-folk (thanks, Huz), and recognise and celebrate the women who have done so much practical work to care for their families, their homes and our planet. I'm often drawn to think, on such days, of the people who lived on the patch of land where I live, before me. First the muwinina women who cared for it so very well that only a midden and stone fish traps by the foreshore remain as evidence that they'd impacted this land. And then the farmer's wife, who possibly seldom made it to our patch of the orchard while she tended her home and garden. Or the housewife who lived here before us, who saw fit to install lots of small cupboards for their preserves, which inspired me to think about filling them with preserves of our own.<br />
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While we were in the process of compiling recipes for our book, I visited my Mum's place and she pulled out a couple of notebooks she'd had stored away. Simple notebooks featuring beautiful handwriting, on plain, lined paper, yellowed now from age. The pages were filled with recipes and notes, taken by my two grandmothers, who began them as young, newly married housewives. They began writing them towards the end, and immediately after WW2, and both notebooks reflect how they were striving to stretch their resources further when they were required to keep their homes running, and families fed, on very little. It was a time when food was rationed, Victory gardens were encouraged, and wasting food was illegal or very much frowned upon. And women bore the brunt of that work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIFSCThyphenhyphenikgtTFHn_4M29d0JuQamNZtkK9TcDUS5RzQeILcwDhIWGSSYgRhwiZTgyQRkILC3bj-a6FkiUvb6pf6FndXhXltmfECswaWRLJtaEOs8pQmr8YkzEWH9eKkazpjyExtc8S-FY/s1600/Scrap+Soap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="975" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIFSCThyphenhyphenikgtTFHn_4M29d0JuQamNZtkK9TcDUS5RzQeILcwDhIWGSSYgRhwiZTgyQRkILC3bj-a6FkiUvb6pf6FndXhXltmfECswaWRLJtaEOs8pQmr8YkzEWH9eKkazpjyExtc8S-FY/s640/Scrap+Soap.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I turned the pages of hints & tips, so often shared by friends or in newspaper articles, government publications and magazines in a time before Google, I found many that looked like the handy hints we've come to know and love, in our waste-free living travels. But one of my favourites as I flicked through, was my maternal grandmother's method of using up all the old soap ends to make new soap. I snapped a photo so I could bring it home to try. I never met Doris, my mum's Mum. So having a little routine of hers in our own family rhythm seemed like a wonderful idea. So we saved up the soap ends, and gave it a try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0XioeE2H6j4cLLicRNqFLz5CamOgXzW839MQ6auC2z641my2AOvF1FMBLlQTh0vzqOFT_ECom4IGK0MySNFgdFiX_vnP0KHat9J4Tmjfg1W-QB1jgbDNJZEyE-hUFv124AXRiDr_-p7D/s1600/ScrapSoap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="975" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0XioeE2H6j4cLLicRNqFLz5CamOgXzW839MQ6auC2z641my2AOvF1FMBLlQTh0vzqOFT_ECom4IGK0MySNFgdFiX_vnP0KHat9J4Tmjfg1W-QB1jgbDNJZEyE-hUFv124AXRiDr_-p7D/s640/ScrapSoap2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had to do a little tweaking and estimating to quantify things like how many soap ends a family might make in 3 months, or how big a small cup or her pie dish might be. But we got there in the end. I was delighted to share the making of it with Little Owlet, and I'm happy to say it worked well. And so we have olive oil scrap soap in our home, stretching our resources further, and creating a beautiful product from old, as my grandmother did. Here we've shared the recipe, as you can find it in our book. It's one that's dear to our hearts. </div>
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MAKE THIS :: Olive Oil Scrap Soap<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>What you'll need:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1 cup soap ends</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">soap mould - a small glass baking dish works nicely<br />1 cup water<br /><br />STEP 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Grate the soap ends and place them in a</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7yzEAKMkqHT3XrKWk51EnDn9qDKxcWs526kDF9igZrIYrJGmrlRDLdRsFnj58fIEfGmeWz_9ndyFTVVIt9gn-b9U9ez1RbYQXZibPNMgIIPOgIh5SVch3cht0w8g_VTWWNH5uLjtcVrj/s1600/Wrap+-+make+olive+oil+scrap+soap8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7yzEAKMkqHT3XrKWk51EnDn9qDKxcWs526kDF9igZrIYrJGmrlRDLdRsFnj58fIEfGmeWz_9ndyFTVVIt9gn-b9U9ez1RbYQXZibPNMgIIPOgIh5SVch3cht0w8g_VTWWNH5uLjtcVrj/s320/Wrap+-+make+olive+oil+scrap+soap8.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">saucepan with water. Make sure the water just covers the soap. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">STEP 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Place over a medium heat and stir well until</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">STEP 3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Remove from the stove and add olive oil,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">stirring well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">STEP 4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Beat well with a whisk and, while the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">dish or mould.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">STEP 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">When the soap block is completely cold,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">turn it out onto a board and cut it into</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">STEP 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Leave your new soap bars to harden for</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">a few days before using. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">........ </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our book <i>'A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living'</i> is available in all good bookshops (<a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/new-favourites/products/pre-order-a-family-guide-to-waste-free-living-signed-copy">including ours!</a>), and libraries now. Published by <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/plum/">Plum Books</a> and featuring photographs by Natalie Mendham, who also took the first picture in this blog post. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>~ Lauren. xx</i></span></span></div>
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Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-11181127547142125822019-03-05T18:11:00.000+11:002019-03-05T18:33:36.195+11:00The one where we wrote a book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px;"> Last Friday, we held a very special celebration in one of our <a href="https://www.fullersbookshop.com.au/">favourite bookshops.</a> Family and friends where there, and the place was bursting with supportive folks. Then we answered some questions and signed our names... It felt a bit like our wedding day! Only, we both had headset microphones, instead of a celebrant, our friend Hannah (from <a href="https://goodlifepermaculture.com.au/">Good Life Permaculture</a>), led us in conversation under the watchful eye of our three children, and we signed our names several times over, in copies of our very own book! And so this rather large side-project we've been keeping to ourselves all this time, was launched and sent on it's way, with big hopes and dreams that it will help to make a difference in this world of ours.<br /><br /><i>How did it come about? </i>Two years ago, we were contacted by a publisher who suspected we might have a book to write about waste-free living. We agreed, and set to work (through a long winter and a flu season that has now become family legend), and we photographed, edited and finished the book, only to see our publisher fold in the week it was due to go to print. Fortunately, the very wonderful Plum Books rescued our project, and turned it into this magnificent book that arrived on our kitchen table just a few weeks ago. There was much whooping and cheering, and a r</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-size: 14px;">ound of applause because this little labour of love is just as much the work of our children as it is ours.</span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Why a book about waste-free living? </i>Because we want to take personal responsibility for the waste we create, the legacy we leave, and what we normalise for our children. In a world heading for environmental destruction, its vitally important that those who can, do. That we curb the trend of overproduction and waste. That we stop draining the earth's resources. And in a political climate where decisions are being made that hinder the protection of our environment, it's an act of hope to work against and outside the societal structure that creates wasteful systems. We're voting with our wallets, and with our time. It feels joyful and we (and our children) can sleep a little easier at night. Waste infiltrates every aspect of our lives, and working to live without it, as individuals and communities, can go a long way towards creating the kind of positive change this world needs.<br /><br /><i>‘A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living’ </i>is a collection of our favourite recipes, information and handy hints all in the one place. It’s the book our kids will take with them when they leave the nest. It’s filled with recipes from our mums and grandmothers. And it’s filled with hope. Beginning with tackling food waste, to packaging and household waste, and then how we approach waste in our interactions with friends, family and the broader community, the book has a gentle structure that can be followed (it's actually the process we followed when shifting towards waste-free living), or it can be dipped into as needed. We called it <i>'A Family Guide...'</i> rather than <i>*The* Family Guide</i>, because it's <i>our</i> process and what works for us. It isn't prescriptive. But it's our hope that readers will find their own path with it, personalise it and make it their own.<br /></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-size: 14px;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One happy <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Buio2GVBNi6/">reader</a>, who picked up a copy at the launch, said this about it: <i>".... Get the book. Get it. It's so wonderful- a cheerful little guidebook for regular folk (families and singles and couples) to ditch plastic and other packaging and by-products, connect with community and care for the environment. There's no preaching, there's no greenwashing. There's also no fear. So, it's really readable and the tips are doable. I'm going to share more of it this week because every time I find a moment to steal I read another random page of it and smile." </i><br /><br />Our book is available now in all good bookstores and libraries, and if you’d like a signed copy, you can pre-order one from our little shop, <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/new-favourites/products/pre-order-a-family-guide-to-waste-free-living-signed-copy">Spiral Garden</a>, and we’ll post it to you.<br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-size: 14px;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Huge thanks to all at <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/plum/">Plum Books </a>and Pan Macmillan for publishing our book and helping it make its way in the world. Thanks also to brilliant Tassie photographer, <a href="https://nataliemendham.com.au/">Natalie Mendham</a>, for the beautiful photos. And to Michelle Mackintosh for the beautiful design, Chris Middleton for the excellent cover photo, and to the always wonderful Costa Georgiadis for setting aside time to read the book and provide a beautiful foreword. We're still pinching ourselves that we've been given this opportunity, and that people are finding it practical and enjoyable to read is a massive bonus. Go well, little book!<br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>~ Lauren. xx</i></span>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-14919503570446755732018-10-09T08:27:00.000+11:002018-10-09T10:01:11.600+11:00Waste-free life: when the stove breaks<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the less talked about aspects of waste-free-living
is how to deal with large household appliances, and the waste associated with
them. Electronic waste from things such as discarded televisions, fridges,
mobile phones, dishwashers, ovens and small appliances all add up to a big
amount of ‘stuff’ to manage at the end of the life of those items (approx. 73kg
eWaste per year for the average Aussie household). The rise of eWaste has many
drivers; one being the planned obsolescence trend, encouraging people to buy
the new model and throw away the ‘old’ one, and the availability of interest free deals, as well as the trend in poorer
quality electronic items being made. Large whitegoods used to last for over 20
years, but these days new models will often have a much shorter life spans of
only 2 to 5 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />We've had the opportunity to really examine our e-waste this past 18 months, with most of our larger appliances slowly dying. It's been an expensive and thought-provoking time. Each time something has broken, the decision-making process has had a slightly different outcome, which reminds us that there's no one correct fit for every family and situation. <br /><br />Our flashy electric Euromaid oven stopped working properly in January. It was only about 5 years old, and the second one we'd had in that time, as the door fell off the first one while it was still under warranty. We watched, horrified, as they casually wheeled a new stove in to replace a small broken hinge. And so this time, we faced the dilemma of what to do next. As usual, we referred to the to the waste hierarchy (Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle...) to help us formulate our plan, and here's how it went:<br /><br /><b><i>Refuse</i></b> – We couldn't really refuse the oven in this case. We need ‘something’ to cook our food in/on. We <i><b>reframed</b></i> our thinking around cooking and energy use, and explored the option of buying a
sturdy wood-fired stove and oven (i.e. refusing a standard electric one), which
could be set up to heat our water and heat our home. The pros were low energy
bill, great heating, and having an appliance that was likely to last for
decades, avoiding planned obsolescence. And there's just something about a wood stove... The cons were the high initial cost, the increased time needed to
maintain a wood cooker, the difficulty the owlets might have in learning to cook on a wood stove and how that might translate once they left the nest, and the layout of our house meant a retrofit to wood
cooking was not ideal. There was also uncertainty around the efficiency (or potentially harmful
impacts) of wood, versus the availability of hydroelectricity (another renewable source) from the main grid. After much research and consideration (and a little sadness!), we decided against that option.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><i><b>Reduce - </b></i> In this
case, we couldn’t really reduce from one oven without not having one at all.
But, for these past 9 months we <i>have</i> reduced, to an extent. We
continued to use the tiny top oven/griller as best we could (as the main bottom
oven was broken), and we used the still-functioning stove top. This did mean that
we were a little bit hampered in what we could cook and in the amount of cooking we could do
at any one time. No homemade pizzas or big batches of biscuits. No baked dessert! Or if we did want to cook those things, we needed to have the oven on for longer to cook multiple
foods, which would be less energy and time efficient. In our waste-free day to day, the oven is an
important tool, as so many things are prepared from scratch. Not having a
functioning, large oven was making things not so easy. The final straw was
when the inner walls of the small working oven fell away!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">Reuse</i><i> (and repair)<b> - </b></i>When we had a repair person out to look at the broken oven and dishwasher (which we couldn't repair either and decided not to replace), the quotes we received for fixing the oven suggested that
the cost of repair would be almost as much as the cost of a new oven, with no certainty
of longevity even after repair. This was where we learned about the short
expected lifespan of many new models – most are made from cheaper-quality
components and not designed with repair in mind (or models where replacement
parts are only available if expensively bought from overseas). We were assured that 5-6 years is a decent innings for an appliance these days.<br /><br />After a little more research, we found a <a href="https://www.truelocal.com.au/business/second-cycle-appliances/north-hobart">local business</a> that takes broken second-hand kitchen
appliances and repairs them for resale. In the case of stoves, we discovered they only really
take Westinghouse ovens, as these are one of the few brands that can be easily repaired
in Australia. For example, switches on Westinghouse ovens have been known to
blow after some years of use, and many people discard the whole unit, instead
of paying the $70 or so for a replacement switch. Also, many units are
discarded when rental homes change tenants, or when home owners want to renovate or ‘upgrade’ the kitchen. So, we found a model that suited us and got it delivered and installed for less than half the cost of buying and installing a new model, and less than it cost to repair our old stove. <br /><br /><b><i>Recycle </i></b>- An
electrician came and took our broken oven away. The old unit will be used for
parts, and what’s left will go to scrap metal recycling
(Recycling being lower down on the waste hierarchy). The secondhand unit that we
bought even comes with a 3-months parts and labour warranty, so we've got a little time to see how well it works and test it out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><u>The Verdict</u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were happy that we could buy secondhand. It made sense
for us to support a local business that had established because the owner was
sick of seeing so many appliances go to landfill, and sought to address that. Sometimes
going to those superstores like Harvey Norman just feel so at odds with our
efforts to reduce waste. With our second-hand unit, we can avoid the waste
associated with the production of a brand new appliance. We avoiding the
transport waste (fuel) to ship a new appliance (or its components) from
overseas. We avoiding packaging associated with a new appliance (usually
polystyrene, flexible plastic, some rigid plastic tags or guards, and a big
cardboard box). That waste tends to be out of sight, until the new appliance is
inside your home.<br /><br />We chose a model that we understand to be relatively
fixable, that we could afford (and find). There are higher-end models that are
repairable, but then you have to weigh up the cost of the appliance with the
cost of repair (which might be expensive for fancy European models). We also chose a model that's a little smaller and more efficient to run than our previous model. It looks as if the oven and griller have never been used. It's sturdy, unlike many of the new stoves we saw available new, and like every stove we've ever cooked on in every rental property, and even this home for the first 5 years. It's cute and certainly a little bit retro (harkening back to the era when our house was built), and seems like a downgrade from the stove we had before. It's a little juggle to fit all the pots, but it's doable and the oven is the same size as before. It has fewer bells and whistles than most new stoves you can buy, but we see that as a good thing. No clock to struggle with at daylight savings time. No specialty settings. A light that turns on with a switch, and a timer that works when you turn it and doesn't require a full understanding of the manual. The owlets love hearing it go 'ding' when the cake is ready. And it's as clean as a whistle!<br /><br /><b><i><u>What We Learned</u></i></b><br />As usual, the waste hierarchy was useful in working through the
problem of replacing a broken appliance. Beyond the Rs, we find it also helps
to think about the hidden waste - the energy used and waste produced in getting the prospective item
to you, and what waste might result when you’re done with it. If you can, look for
secondhand, look for locally made, look for durability and repairability, look for good
energy-efficiency, and consider functionality (does it meet your needs?) – you
may not need all the bells and whistles! And, always look for recycling
services, if you have electronic waste that is beyond repair or reuse. Apparently the Victorian Government intends to ban eWaste to landfill by 1<sup>st</sup>
July 2019. We're hoping that Tasmania will follow suit. Ideally, we'd love to see businesses being more transparent about their products' planned obsolescence, so we can avoid so much waste in the first place. Until then, it's a task of assessing each situation as it arises and often making some compromises before finding a solution that works for your wallet and your practical needs.<br /><o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-size: large;"><i>~ Oberon & Lauren.</i></span>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-49117705755136557972018-06-23T16:41:00.000+10:002018-06-23T17:25:19.804+10:00No time for baby steps: Zero waste is not a journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWOWpgWOi8xAR_g7xr5V-0KsD-Zj6MVKh8nznQcgHTpE4qcRO2WytLFbnAFvQQZtwt5eoL5dVNYO8Qrx5ZOh6Q8ygrmhk0qCmaMfxjO34thP2bO66UP0GkP6TQcwS_ssZedO0MWlT0qAb/s1600/notajourney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWOWpgWOi8xAR_g7xr5V-0KsD-Zj6MVKh8nznQcgHTpE4qcRO2WytLFbnAFvQQZtwt5eoL5dVNYO8Qrx5ZOh6Q8ygrmhk0qCmaMfxjO34thP2bO66UP0GkP6TQcwS_ssZedO0MWlT0qAb/s640/notajourney.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Time and again we hear the shift towards a different way of living described as a "journey". Changes seen as something that might take months, or even years to work towards, with tiny changes in habits made each week, or within an arbitrary timeframe. Through the choices our family has made over the years, I'm pretty sure we've described a few different shifts in this way ourselves. But our experience of waste free living has highlighted for us why we feel like the baby steps, long, slow journey approach may not be the best way to tackle taking responsibility for the waste you create. The thought of moving towards zero waste living as a years-long, or even lifelong journey, is downright disheartening. It can make it seem like an unattainable goal, when really the shift is quite simple at its core. The earth needs us to speed things up a little, and we believe that's totally achievable for many people. Reframing how you approach it can make all the difference. <b><i><br /></i></b><br />
Towards the end of her life, my dear Nana gave up smoking. I suspect she already had advanced lung cancer by then, so it was the thought of breathing a little easier and not struggling through another winter cold with a raspy cough that convinced her. And possibly a stern word from her doctor. Nana was a force to be reckoned with, and when she decided to do something, she did it. Just like that. And so she quit smoking one day, cold turkey. She was almost 80 years old. It was somewhat bittersweet the day Nana realised how easy quitting would be. "Oh, I thought it would be hard and take months, and I'd have to join one of those program things. I'm not a joiner!" Nana said. But once she'd made the decision to quit, she found it quite simple, taking each day as it came, and she wished she'd done it decades earlier. Fear of the journey meant she missed meeting her first great grand-daughter (Big Owlet) by six months.<br />
<br />
I sometimes wonder if it's this fear of the journey that holds many of us back from committing to making straight forward changes, like reducing the plastic we've come to rely on in our homes. It alls seems too daunting. We don't want to deal with the length of time it will take to work out all of the things we'll need to do, and how hard it will be to learn and remember new habits. I know this is what had been holding our family back from making the leap. Not really understanding how best to approach zero waste living, or what our life would look like without the weekly supermarket trip or online delivery. It all felt like an expensive, uphill battle. And so we chipped away at it and thought about it slowly, still forgetting our cloth bags most times and still lamenting the things we felt we couldn't change.<br />
<br />
It took a little nudge towards commitment to get us to rip the bandaid off and try waste free living. We audited all our waste, spent a week researching, and then dived right into to two weeks of living waste free. That was one full pay cycle, and felt like enough time to get the day to day workings of it in place. We put all the things we couldn't buy at a bulk foods shop, butcher or green grocer on lockdown, and lived like they didn't exist for those two weeks. What we discovered, somewhat sceptically at first, was that our shopping budget remained the same, our quality of life remained (and was even better then before), and this thing we'd been putting off, or considered approaching in tiny increments, was actually achievable all at once, when we approached it wholeheartedly.<br />
<br />
<i><b>We discovered that zero waste living isn't a journey, it's a simple decision, made over and over again. </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
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<i><b><br /></b></i>
<br />
Every day you make hundreds of choices about where you shop, or what you consume, and how. You choose that single use straw, or you refuse it. You choose that single use coffee cup, or you bring a cup from home. You choose to buy a packet of biscuits instead of making them. You choose. We all do. If each time you choose to buy or consume something potentially wasteful, you ask yourself the simple question; "Am I willing to take responsibility for consuming this product, and the waste it creates?", the way forward becomes very simple and clear.<br />
<br />
There are times when the decision to consume that potentially wasteful thing is absolutely valid and justifiable, and there should be no guilt felt during those moments. We each have different situations and life circumstances where potentially wasteful products are necessary to keep us going, and if you're facing that situation, then your decision is obvious. Describing zero waste living as a "journey" makes the choices that seem contrary to a waste-free approach to be setbacks along a linear path. When really, they are not. They are just choices you need to make, that are right for you at that time. At other times, where there are valid alternatives you can access, those are the times where your choice to live waste-free guides all the little choices you make. And it informs all of your choices throughout the day, until your entire week can be counted in resources, compost and lived experiences, rather than who's putting out the bin.<br />
<br />
Possibly the biggest fear when it comes to leaping into zero waste living (and often a reason for the baby steps approach), is the perceived cost. It's an understandable concern. We hear: "Bulk food shops seem expensive! Oats cost $4/kg at the bulk foods shop and $1.50 at the supermarket! That's unaffordable!". On the surface, that seems correct. But in our experience, buying everything without packaging, and making food and household products from scratch means the costs even out. You're more likely to buy what you need, rather than surplus servings, and you're less likely to impulse buy those biscuits when the packaging and advertising isn't there to entice you as you wander the aisles. If you continue to buy that expensive deodorant or toothpaste, rather than making your own for a fraction of the cost, then spending more on oats does absolutely seem out of the question. But if your entire shopping approach has changed, and you're embracing waste free living in a wholehearted way, it's quite possible that you can afford more on certain products while spending less on others. You may not see how that balances out without doing some serious sums, or jumping right in.<br />
<br />
Many of the more successful zero wasters, those who have managed to embrace zero waste living effectively and for the long term, will tell you their change in lifestyle began as the result of a commitment. Either a challenge set externally, or by themselves. And they looked beyond the challenge to incorporate more change into their lives. It's that all in, wholehearted approach that helped them along. And then once they got started, the momentum propelled them forwards until there was no looking back. That's been our experience, and it could be yours too. The world can't wait for bans to take effect and for baby steps towards reducing plastic and household waste to catch up. It needs solutions now (most of them exist), and we are each of us responsible for those tiny choices we make every day. Are you ready to make the leap?<br />
<br />
<i>If you'd like to set yourself a challenge to help you leap towards waste-free living, we'd recommend joining <a href="http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/">Plastic Free July</a>. Tackling plastic will help you address one of the more wasteful aspects of modern living, while giving you the kick start you need to make the waste-free shift in other areas of your life. If you'd like to tackle the whole lot in one go, try joining our <a href="https://zerowastefamilies.com/">Zero Waste Families</a> eCourse, which could see your family move to waste-free living in four weeks. </i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">~ Lauren. xx</span></i>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-49205919892516766372018-04-20T15:33:00.001+10:002018-04-20T16:57:21.655+10:00Live well, without recycling<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /><br />Once a
fortnight in my street, and in many streets around the country, people roll out
their recycling bins for collection. Kerbside recycling is now the norm for
many people, despite only being introduced in most areas <a href="http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/recycling-info/history.cfm" target="_blank">during the 1980s or later</a>. People are generally well accustomed to paying attention to what materials
their waste is made from, and sorting into the appropriate bin. But situations
change, and I think it is time to rethink our attitudes and approaches to
recycling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />You may
have heard that from Jan 1<sup>st</sup> 2018, <a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/manufacturing/chinas-ban-on-foreign-waste-set-to-impact-australia/news-story/49e4ef9a585e76795fa75859c3016582" target="_blank">China stopped accepting</a> a range
of recyclable materials from Australia. This means that an estimated 619,000
tonnes of stuff that used to be shipped <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">away</i>
for China to deal with (e.g. China would recycle plastic into things like
rubbish bins), now has to be managed in some other way. Under the previous
process, recyclable material would have made a chunk of money for those in the
recycling industry – around $500 million dollars a year (for 600,000 tonnes). But
now the recycling industry and people within local councils (who collect, sort
and manage waste collection) are scrambling to figure out what to do next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />One of the
consequences of China’s import ban is that some municipalities might start
sending the contents of kerbside recycling bins straight to landfill. Blergh.
What a waste. All those jars, cans, bottles, paper and other recyclables that were
rinsed, sorted and put in the recycling bin by YOU – now sent to landfill with
the rest of the waste from regular waste bins. So far, Ipswich City Council,
southwest of Brisbane, has <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-19/queensland-council-recycling-dump-to-start-nationwide-reaction/9673370" target="_blank">stopped kerbside recycling</a> (although the latest news is that they may have <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-20/ipswich-council-backflips-on-dumping-recycling/9681682" target="_blank">reversed this decision</a>). There is a risk that
other councils will retract their kerbside recycling if costs become untenable (in the absence of the cheap, send-to-China option). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />Many
councils are stockpiling; hoping and waiting for a local solution to recycle or
manage recyclables in a way that avoids landfill. But stockpiling can get
expensive and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-15/coolaroo-recycling-plant-fire-victorian-laws-disgraceful/8711402" target="_blank">hazardous</a>, and local recycling solutions are few and far between.
Councils might start increasing household rate prices to deal with the increased
quantity of recyclable material that has to be managed locally. Others might beg
the state and federal governments for money to fill the gap. But that won’t
solve the longer-term issue of what to do with all the recyclable waste material
generated by people in Australia each year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />There have
also been whispers of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/could-incinerators-reduce-our-waste-glut-and-generate-clean-energy-20180329-p4z6xe.html" target="_blank">new ‘waste to energy’ schemes</a> being established in
Australia to deal with ‘residual waste’ (i.e. waste left over after recyclable
material is sorted out). Even the national environment minister is keen on the
idea. This might follow along lines of waste to energy plants in Europe and
elsewhere. But these, are, in my view, not sustainable long-term solutions.
Waste-to-energy plants do little to discourage consumption of harmful plastics
and other materials, because those materials are what keep the power plant operating.
Waste-to-energy systems do not reflect a closed-loop system, but rather, a
slightly elongated linear one. And they still produce waste (approximately 25%
of the volume of waste inputs are outputted as a toxic ash, for landfill). We
need to do better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />We CAN do
better! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />The
solutions are already all around us. Zero waste solutions, particularly those
that provide ways to refuse or reduce quantities of certain types of packaging and
waste, can empower you to avoid all this recycling (and landfill) malarkey
altogether. And you can start now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />You don’t
have to wait for your local council to act. You don’t have to ‘wait and see’ if
new recycling plants will be built in Australia, or wait for waste-to-energy
plants to be built to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deal with</i> all your
waste. You don’t even have to wait for some magic <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/16/scientists-accidentally-create-mutant-enzyme-that-eats-plastic-bottles" target="_blank">plastic-eating enzyme</a> product
to hit the shelves. There are actions that can be taken immediately to address
the problem of the millions of tonnes of waste going to landfill and recycling.
Try these:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;">Make
that decision to commit to avoiding waste. Not just for straws or plastic bags,
but for all the things you consume, including those items whose packaging you
were normally put to recycling. It’s not as difficult as you might think. Once
you’ve made that conscious decision to actively avoid waste (including excess
recycling), then many of the other answers you need are out there!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span>Get
informed! Join your local zero waste group. And if you don’t have a local
group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/zerowastetasmania/" target="_blank">Zero Waste Tasmania</a> (which we run), accepts people from all over.</li>
<li> Scout
around for alternatives. Think hard about what foods and ‘stuff’ you really
need to keep you well-fed and happy. Can you find packaging-free alternatives?
Or if you can’t find packaging free options, can you use your own packaging, or
only buy compostable packaging.</li>
<li> Get
composting – for many people, more than half of their waste comes from food
scraps and organic matter. If you can nail a good composting system that suits
your home context, then you might be able to halve your waste!</li>
<li> Get
talking! The solutions that work for one person don’t necessarily work for
everyone. So, talk with your family and friends, your local shop keepers, your
social network, and help each other problem solve ways to reduce or avoid
certain types of packaging. Think of refillable options instead of single-use,
look for home-compostable packaging over plastic, and consider home-made snacks
and sweets (or bulk bought ones in your own bags) over plastic-wrapped ones. If
you’re stuck, ask online – and the hive mind of your <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/zerowastetasmania/" target="_blank">zero waste group</a> will
respond, often with more ideas than you can poke a stick at!</li>
<li> Get activisty! Speak up and write to government representatives, businesses and product manufacturers and tell them what changes you'd like to see that help to reduce waste. What products do you think should be better regulated or banned, and what packaging needs to be replaced or eliminated? What other positive actions can you encourage?</li>
</ul>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
previous situation (sending our recycling to China) was not environmentally
sustainable. I mean really, how many plastic rubbish bins do we need in the
world? The current post-import-ban situation is also not good, but it is
prompting Australia to take more responsibility for its own waste – its own
mess. Let us not fall back on harmful, out-of-sight-out-of-mind solutions such
as stockpiling and waste-to-energy. Let us use this as a flag to pay more
attention to our own waste, and to look for ways to avoid it in the first
place. We live in such a geographically large country that recycling is inevitably <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-recycling-plants-have-no-incentive-to-improve-81336" target="_blank">limited in its efficiency</a>, due to long transport distances and hence, fossil fuel inputs, involved. All the more reason to reduce and avoid waste in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /><br />Oh, and the photo above, shows our little owlet holding the sum total of one year of our recycling. What is more significant is what you don't see - 26 recycling bins of recycling avoided, for each year that we have lived waste-free. This waste-free lifestyle has proven to be quite easy for us, and so we think it is totally doable for many other people in Australia to live similarly, by applying solutions that work for their own circumstances. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /><br /><br /><i>This Sunday
is <a href="https://www.earthday.org/" target="_blank">Earth Day</a>! This year’s campaign is around the mission to end plastic pollution. To support this
initiative, we are offering our <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/products/zero-waste-families-e-course" target="_blank">Zero Waste Families e-course</a> for only $10 (which
is more than 50% off RRP) between now and midnight Sunday. The course is
designed for you to do over a four-week period (or at whatever pace suits
you), and aims to provide many solutions for living without waste. Use the
coupon code EARTHDAY2018 at checkout, to claim your discount on our e-course. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~ Oberon.</i></span>Oberonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05795997017452732855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-19069739616330047612018-04-04T15:12:00.000+10:002018-04-05T07:43:41.596+10:00Waste-free pillows (and sweeter dreams)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLx1ZMD26o4eeUQA517g6mpXhOM5g4Yhg7p9gV3xyJJp3ATqYL6RjMYbMcLyNSrlXUAHTDSPEBpBqO-a7Ejj9uC_hbbQptOgyxa497tIDgQhIOgCzLmtEne8tpOAr2QHM9McWMSY0h6vP/s1600/IMG_2077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLx1ZMD26o4eeUQA517g6mpXhOM5g4Yhg7p9gV3xyJJp3ATqYL6RjMYbMcLyNSrlXUAHTDSPEBpBqO-a7Ejj9uC_hbbQptOgyxa497tIDgQhIOgCzLmtEne8tpOAr2QHM9McWMSY0h6vP/s640/IMG_2077.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
We'd been putting off the inevitable decision, and cost, around choosing a new pillow for quite some time. Huz and I bought curved foam pillows more than 12 years ago, and despite cleaning the cover and protector regularly, I'm sure that there were cities of dust mites living in them. Yuck. Probably not great for my dust-mite allergy, and possibly the reason I'd had recurrent sinus infections. And our pillows were starting to disintegrate, with tiny bits of foam flaking off. Gross. Apparently, you're supposed to change pillows every <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/when-to-replace-pillow-gross_n_5628180">three years</a>, or every six months if you have allergies, so we were well overdue! We started to look at what would be the best waste-free option for us.<br />
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Firstly, we wanted to find something home compostable, so we could avoid landfill. That discounted latex foam from our search. Organic cotton, bamboo, wool, and feather were all compostable options we considered. But, of course, there were ethical and environmental considerations to take into account with each option. Distance the materials would travel to reach us, water used in creating the fibre or filling, treatment of animals in animal-based fillings, treatment of fibres and chemicals used in production... And cost. These factors are going to be different for each person, depending on where you live, what you have access to, health considerations, and what you can afford, so one of these may already be right for you. But what was best for us?<br />
<br />
Where we live, in Tasmania, we're always happy to try local options to avoid products travelling by air and sea. So, after a hunt around, we were happy to find Tasmanian grown buckwheat hulls. These are a by-product of buckwheat farming. They're also grown by a supplier of our favourite organic grocer, so we asked her to order us a sack with her next delivery, keeping carbon miles relatively low. And as they're not generally a highly sought-after product, the cost was pretty low too (ours was about $10 per pillow). Buckwheat hulls are often used to make yoga bolsters and cushions. They've been used for sleep support in Japan for over 600 years, and you can actually buy ready-made buckwheat pillows in a few places online, so we didn't feel like we were planning something completely eccentric!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbSXJKl36zf17IkGMgGJZ64n_OpqIkuqsQlYC0zHU8hyphenhyphenWHh8umfdVW-VeRY23BM0dEPdzXgT62CsV8-dG4Q8-7t4sl9fjlTy7Ulr5K6MqHfsJB17ur3A4UiTCYZWBGM17zS3Ud-b6WHK3/s1600/IMG_2073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbSXJKl36zf17IkGMgGJZ64n_OpqIkuqsQlYC0zHU8hyphenhyphenWHh8umfdVW-VeRY23BM0dEPdzXgT62CsV8-dG4Q8-7t4sl9fjlTy7Ulr5K6MqHfsJB17ur3A4UiTCYZWBGM17zS3Ud-b6WHK3/s640/IMG_2073.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We had the sack of hulls sitting in a corner of our lounge room for almost a year while we wrote our book, so it's taken a little while to get to making the actual pillows, but making them was super easy. I wish we'd done it sooner! Here's how we did it:<br />
<br />
We already had zip-up pillow protectors, so we re-used those and filled them with a comfortable amount of hulls. I should add here that pillows are actually not a requirement for living and it may even be <a href="https://nutritiousmovement.com/your-pillow-is-an-orthotic/">better for our bodies to sleep without them</a>, but while we get our heads (and necks) around the concept of pillow-free living, we've started with about half a grain sack each of hulls. We will consider reducing the amount of hulls until we're sleeping comfortably without a pillow. Next we zipped up the pillow protectors and added a pillowcase. And that's it. So easy!<br />
<br />
To clean the pillow, unzip the pillow protector and pour out the hulls. Then give the protector a wash, and if you can find somewhere to spread out the hulls and give them a little sunlight (perhaps a clean bedsheet or flyscreen away from breezes), that should help to keep the hulls fresh.<br />
<br />
So, what are buckwheat hull pillows like to sleep on? Well, they're a little noisier than your average pillow! It's a bit like sleeping on a beanbag, or even a wheat bag/heat pack. They do take a little rearranging, and they're a bit firmer than we've been used to. But they're also super comfortable. The hulls are quite light and soft, hold their shape well, and when you get the right position, it's wonderful. They provide good neck support, and are low-allergy, chemical free, and unscented. The airflow through the hulls keeps them dry and, because they're non-nutritive, and the hulls have regular movement, they're not attractive to pests. I found the knot at the back of my neck disappeared overnight, and my allergies and sinus infection seemed to clear up right away. We did find initially that we tended to move more during the night, and even wriggle down the bed a little, but we actually felt better for that, and persisted. It took Huz a couple of nights to get used to the buckwheat hulls, but now he sleeps comfortably every night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYiDFxDK-W5KJCNj_ly-mmKNBrT_OqIBARNHN55Ccu_72HoLBlaqnt4GtV970gDx9GjV5GLNd1_armPcT0HGClk59ZYCG_BevItQUCUlF2rTrLfs-PA0iUBTlR0ZTBziERyOquHnbAys4/s1600/IMG_2080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYiDFxDK-W5KJCNj_ly-mmKNBrT_OqIBARNHN55Ccu_72HoLBlaqnt4GtV970gDx9GjV5GLNd1_armPcT0HGClk59ZYCG_BevItQUCUlF2rTrLfs-PA0iUBTlR0ZTBziERyOquHnbAys4/s640/IMG_2080.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
My favourite thing to try is turning buckwheat hull pillows into enormous dream pillows. Herbs that promote deep sleep and relaxation (such as lavender, rose petals and hops) are fab. The dried herbs can be added in a handmade sachet, or scattered through the buckwheat hulls, for a beautiful sleep. <br />
<br />
When it's time for us to replace our buckwheat hulls (in about 10 years), we'll take them out to the garden and compost them and source some new hulls... Great for our garden, good for our bodies, and gentle on the planet.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">~ Lauren. xx</span></i>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-29949893026106076742018-04-01T14:26:00.000+10:002018-04-01T14:26:29.584+10:00Should I leave my plastic at the counter?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFHPK19QuIluaCD_CPZnN-XiAfM73_h9htRdVVyADDy0lDwEnBFklW87TdxC2Uk7ItDKDu6PjHwmMI-ThVLwruVA2WadcFr-Qe66tyXvvj1VwQ-HW9iIpyZfdk4d2T7mNwKu-0lAeuQI/s1600/Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFHPK19QuIluaCD_CPZnN-XiAfM73_h9htRdVVyADDy0lDwEnBFklW87TdxC2Uk7ItDKDu6PjHwmMI-ThVLwruVA2WadcFr-Qe66tyXvvj1VwQ-HW9iIpyZfdk4d2T7mNwKu-0lAeuQI/s640/Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The other day, a few friends shared with me (Oberon) a UK viral
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bbcradiobristol/videos/1720447941345638/?hc_location=ufi" target="_blank">video</a> about plastic, and it got me thinking. In the video, a group of
supermarket shoppers collectively do their grocery shopping, but when they get
to checkout they all remove the plastic packaging from the bought items and
leave it on the counter as a sort of plastic protest. The video describes how
the group wants supermarkets to take more responsibility for the overuse of
plastic packaging in the products they sell. I find it interesting to think
about the issue of ‘who takes responsibility’ when it comes to packaging waste.
So, who is responsible for single-use waste plastic packaging? I thought I’d ‘unpack’
(pun intended) the issue a little.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are four main players (probably more) to
consider – governments, producers, retailers, and individual shoppers. You could
also add other players – media, insurance companies, packaging designers (note
the saying ‘Waste is a design choice’), oil companies, plastics manufacturers, waste
and recycling managers, industry regulators, and more – but I’ll set these
others aside for now.<br />
<br />
Let’s look at each of the first four players I mentioned:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">GOVERNMENTS<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Each level of government (local, state, federal, plus
international obligations) has different responsibilities and capacity to
influence single-use plastic packaging. The Australian Government regulates and
manages waste at a national level and administers the Australian Packaging
Covenant, which is a sort of ‘soft’ regulation, requiring big businesses to
report on the steps they are taking to reduce and better manage packaging. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">State Governments have responsibilities around
pollution and managing all sorts of aspects of community health and well-being
(and waste), but regulation around plastic packaging is not generally offered,
unless there is lots of pressure from elsewhere (e.g. peer pressure from other
states, or strong lobbying from individuals/communities/local govts). State
governments do have the potential to enact fantastic positive change around
single-use plastic packaging, but they have to have the will. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Local government is where (I believe) the greatest in-roads
can be made in terms of regulating use or sale of certain types of plastics,
but the sphere of influence is limited, to the municipality, and also to limited
certain business contexts – e.g. Hobart City Council are banning single-use
plastic packaging for takeaway food, but are unlikely to be able to ban all the
single-use plastic packaging that lines every aisle of a supermarket. <br />
<br />
<u>PRODUCERS<o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Producers (the people who grow the food and make the
supermarket products) vary greatly – some give attention to environmental
impacts, whilst others completely avoid them. Some will give the impression of
addressing environmental concerns, such as by calling something ‘eco’ or ‘natural’,
whilst continuing to sell harmful products. Producers often sit between a rock
and a hard place – they are bound by governmental regulation (e.g. food
packaging laws) as well as retailer contracts that may demand certain products
be packaged in plastic (e.g. spinach leaves or strawberries), in order for the
product to work within the long supply chain of a supermarket. Many foods in
Australian supermarkets have had to travel long distances, and with that comes
additional requirements for certain types of packaging to keep food fresh and
undamaged. Whilst producers can look for ways to avoid plastic packaging of
their products, the alternatives may be cost-prohibitive or a legal nightmare –
just look at the struggle Elgaar Dairy (both a producer and a market retailer) have
had to go through to provide milk in returnable glass bottles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">RETAILERS<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Retailers also vary enormously, from the massive
multinational corporations, down to little Jimmy selling lemonade on the nature
strip. But all retailers choose which products they want to sell, and this
includes choosing which items they will sell that are wrapped in single-use
plastic. Plastic is cheap, and so many retailers are reluctant to avoid its prevalent
use. Big retailers will run the argument that customers demand certain items be
wrapped in plastic, or they will say that they are simply offering customers the
variety of options that they desire. They have control over packaging of
home-brand lines, but rarely do anything to reduce the plastic in them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Big supermarkets now have automatic electronic checkouts,
(which, as an aside, cuts jobs), and (say they) require additional plastic
packaging to appropriately use the automated checkout system. This is partly
why you’ll often see the organic produce in supermarkets is plastic-wrapped. Big
supermarket chains will continue to sell what the customer buys, and are
strongly driven by their profit margin, with only tokenistic attention given to
things like waste and environmental impacts. They will continue to respond to
the dollar signs, and rarely to complaints to their social media walls. A
couple of years ago, I initiated and worked on a #PlasticFreeProduce campaign
to encourage supermarkets to reduce the plastic packaging of their fruit and
veggies – but it was like water on rock, as the supermarkets have strong
bureaucratic defences, sending out a lowly customer support person to respond
to our concerns, offering the same stock standard (weak) responses, and demonstrating
very little to no positive change at their end. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Fortunately, there are some retailers who prioritise packaging and waste –
these businesses deserve higher support and their business models encouraged.
They are not the focus of the viral video I mentioned above, but they are
relevant to the solutions to the problem.<br />
<br />
<u>INDIVIDUAL SHOPPERS<o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Individuals have more power than they know. Whilst we each
appear to be a mere drop in the ocean of customers that frequent big retail
stores, our influence (including our absence from those stores) is apparent.
When you abstain from buying a certain plastic-wrapped product from a major chain
supermarket, and choose instead to grow your own or support a small, ethical
and local producer, then you are sending multiple positive messages. You will
both reduce the sales of harmful items from supermarkets (which can lead them
to discontinue items or consider alternatives) and also promote local
businesses to flourish, or (if you grow your own) demonstrate self-reliance –
which is a fantastic way to reduce waste. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But what about the fact that it is still just a drop
in the ocean? Well, my family have limited out waste over the last two and a
half years to little more than would fill a medium-sized glass jar. We’ve also
stopped shopping at supermarkets and now source food from local, ethical
businesses, grow our own, and barter. The (roughly) $250 per week that we used
to spend at the supermarket each week is now supporting a healthy local
economy. That equates to around $30,000 that we have taken from the sales of
major supermarkets, and divested into businesses that prioritise or support
zero-waste approaches. Doing this helps to those smaller ethically-driven
businesses to offer items at more competitive prices. Also, supporting local is
also great, because it is generally easier to open up a dialogue about waste
and improved waste-management, because you can speak directly to the person who
can influence production and sales.<br />
<br />
That is not to mention the 5 tonnes or so of landfill that we have avoided
(compared to the average household over 2.5 years), and the numerous tonnes
that would have previously gone to recycling (which we now avoid, compost or
burn for heat). And then there is the influence of this ‘passive’ activism –
others have been prompted to make changes in their habits, upon seeing that
living with much less waste can be possible, cheaper and more convenient that
the supermarket trawl. There are now around 7000 people in Zero Waste Tasmania,
and other zero waste groups that have started in response to this group. Many
others are enacting positive change in their area and discussing ways to reduce
waste. Maybe it’s not a drop after all – maybe it’s the start of a wave.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It should be mentioned that neither individuals,
producers, retailers or governments, hold all responsibility for waste. But
each group have things that they have high influence over, that they could be
doing more about, especially when they are informed about the harmful impacts
of existing practices. I will also add that none of these four players act
completely independently – there is an interplay within and between all four –
and I believe that effective, positive outcomes are more likely if the dialogue
remains open, informed and courteous. But remember, governments don’t have to
keep single-use packaging legal, producers don’t have to keep wrapping
everything in plastic, retailers don’t have to keep buying plastic-wrapped
goods, and individuals don’t have to buy plastic-wrapped stuff. The
responsibility is indeed shared amongst all these groups.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
So, back to the viral video mentioned at the beginning of this rant. Those
shoppers who bought plastic-wrapped items, only to remove the packaging at
checkout? They want to absolve themselves of responsibility for the packaging
and put the onus back onto the retailer. My problem is that those customers are
still choosing to buy the plastic-wrapped products in the first place. The
retailer’s bottom line is unaffected. The cost to remove the discarded plastic
packaging is minimal (whether they landfill it or recycle it). Mountains more
plastic is used in the bundling up of goods on pallets at the back of the
store, and during other steps in production and transport. The plastic around
the product is merely the tip of the waste iceberg for most items in a supermarket.
And the customers have the option to simply not buy those plastic-wrapped
items. Most fruits and vegetables can be bought unwrapped at supermarkets, and
basic needs met by buying items elsewhere, from local grocers, shops, bulk food
stores, markets, community gardens, co-ops, butchers, delis, etc.<br />
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The viral video does not offer solutions, nor does it demonstrate willingness
by those customers to actually change their own behaviours. But many people CAN
change how they shop, get their food, and meet their own needs. The viral video
shows does have the effect of showing off just how much plastic is wrapped
around items that supermarkets sell. But just filming items on the shelves will do that, right? – you don’t need to buy and remove the packaging
to see what it is made from. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We can’t keep hand-balling responsibility around.
Seeing supermarkets argue that they are merely responding to customer demand
(by offering plastic options), whilst ignoring those who argue to remove
plastic, is simply exhausting. Conversely, demanding change from supermarkets
when there are perfectly valid and do-able ways to live without them (e.g. see
our book ‘Bountiful: A family guide to waste-free living’ to be released later
this year! *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*) by following any number of ‘zero-waste
approaches’. The short- and long-term solution is for individuals and local
communities (including businesses and governments) to adopt new, and
environmentally-much-less-harmful paradigms – ones that do not rely on
multi-national corporations who demonstrate little care for environmental
impacts. If they did care, the supermarkets would have stopped selling
single-use plastic products decades ago. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Good in-roads to broad, positive change (e.g.
community level and bigger) can be made in various ways. But first, we should
take a little time for self-reflection – what can we do as individuals and
households to reduce our own waste? Once we are informed about the waste we
produce, and take steps to reduce it, then the barriers to further
waste-reduction becomes more apparent. You may find that you can live without
supermarkets, but that you hit waste barriers when you start focusing on the
waste associated with clothing, electrical goods, or travel. For each wasteful
item, there can be a number of ways to address it. If you have the time, learn
about their production system, business ethics, supply chain, and their organizational
context. It may be worth writing to them to highlight a concern, but if you do
this, offer solutions as well. Refer them to other businesses who are leading
the way on a particular issue, so that they may aspire to improve practices.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, write letters and emails to your local
government aldermen or members of parliament – people who are in positions to
vote on motions for positive change. If you’re in the know on and issue and you
think the council member is not, then inform them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may also want to let retailers know why you’re
opting out of their products, but in the case of big multi-national
corporations, don’t expect to see much more than a scripted, copy and paste
response from them. In the case of the viral ‘plastic protest’ video, the
customers aren’t really opting-out of the products, so the argument for leaving
the packaging on the counter is confused. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Leaving plastic product packaging at the counter is, in my opinion, akin to
leaving a big steaming turd on someone’s doorstep – it is only going to incite
annoyance and anger, but does not offer any solutions to the waste problem. It
is an act of despair, of waving hands in the air and saying ‘What can we do, it’s
all your fault!’ At best, such action might prompt discussion, albeit confused
discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Activism can be a useful strategy to push for broader
shifts towards low-waste lifestyles and processes, but such actions will be
more effective if they are solutions focused and not simply buck-passing. A great
example the sort of positive activism that I mean, can be seen in Plastic Wise
Taroona, who approached local, medium-sized supermarkets and negotiated for
them to ditch plastic shopping bags, whilst offering reusable cloth bags
instead. This action was collaborative, co-operative and mutually beneficial to
businesses, customers and the local environment. I’d love to see similar,
innovative solutions and cooperative approaches put in place to address waste
problems elsewhere. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As parents, Lauren and I encourage our children to
take responsibility for themselves, and for their waste. We don’t want them to
feel helpless in the world, or to constantly pass the buck on issues that they
can actively control. We’d rather they problem-solve, and we encourage them to
be self-reliant. The goal posts of this planet are constantly changing and so
we want to equip our children such that they can adapt to changing times, with
novel solutions. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">~ Oberon</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Oberonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05795997017452732855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-42623240474811568162018-02-09T09:44:00.000+11:002018-02-09T09:44:56.488+11:00Educating without waste<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Ahh it's back-to school time here in Tasmania. Growing up, I remember fondly those years of booklists, new stationary and contacting books. As a teenager, I made it my job to see if I could find cheaper options of the suggestions on my school book list. It was one of my favourite times of year! As I was gathering up all the materials the owlets have chosen to learn with this year, it struck me just how many of them are now second hand. How inexpensive quality learning materials can be if we seek them out. How little waste we create in our education journey. One of the ways we reduce waste is by educating the owlets at home.<br /><br />As home educators, we receive no financial support from the government, and we sacrifice one full-time income to make the owlets' education possible. We're extremely fortunate to be in a position where we can make that happen, and we do supplement the full-time income I'm no longer making, with the teeny, part-time shop income we make through <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/">Spiral Garden</a>. Huz now works four days per week, as a measure for both his sanity, and mine, as a means we get to get all the things done, and spend more time together. We're certainly not making what most would consider to be smart financial decisions here, but they're decisions that keep work and life in balance for us all. Especially while the owlets are young.<br /><br />For all this, we've had to be super thrifty and a little extra creative about how we do things. One way we save money on educational equipment is to sell the things we love, through our shop, enabling us to access tools we need at wholesale prices - it's a lot of work and I'm not sure I'd recommend it if you're in it for that alone! But here are some of the other ways we's reduced waste and costs, while providing a quality education for our kids:<br /><br /><b>Borrow tools and curriculum: </b>We've been super fortunate to have been loaned books and curriculum materials when we've needed, by very generous and trusting friends. We're gentle on the books we use, and store them well, so can hand them back at the end of the year with minimal wear. Ask family for any helpful books, games and materials they might be able to share in the short or long-term. They may have something useful in their home, or keep an eye out for something helpful in their travels.<br /><br /><b>Buy secondhand: </b>We're big on searching out good quality second hand books, tools and materials. We've been lucky to have stumbled across gems we can use, for almost nothing. At present, the reader Tiny has chosen to work on her reading with, belonged to my Aunt when she was small. The book Little Owlet has next on her list came from the local community book exchange. One of the maths books Big Owlet is using came from a freebie trolley at the tip shop! And we always keep our eyes open at the tip shop, garage sales and op shops. Many home educating families I know have become expert second-hand buyers, through necessity. It's a wonderful skill and set of values they're passing on to their children. To look for second hand options when possible. To value the words and knowledge in older materials, and to care for belongings well so they'll last for generations. <div>
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<b>Use supplies that create minimal waste:</b> This year we've switched to writing on loose leaf paper, filed in folders for the different subject areas and projects the owlets are working on. It means there's no paper left unused, like there was in the main lesson books or exercise books they used previously. It also keeps everything together neatly. For writing and drawing <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/art">tools,</a> we use o<a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/art/products/filana-organic-beeswax-block-crayons-12pk">rganic beeswax crayons</a>, and <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/collections/art/products/lyra-pro-natura-office-hb">pencils</a> which can be sharpened, and their shavings added to the compost or fire. We're about to invest in some fountain pens for the older owlets, too. These can be refilled to use as they need (watch out for these in the shop). We use sturdy watercolour paints in palettes with replaceable paint blocks. These will last a lifetime. We use brown paper masking tape when we need to stick things, and when I've figured out a favourite option for glue (and we've run out of the old stuff we're still using), I'll be sure to update that. We're also about to dip into making art materials by hand, with some brilliant guidance by The Organic Artist, <a href="http://www.nickneddo.com/shop/the-organic-artist-book">Nick Neddo</a> (we'll blog some of that too). Basically, if it's compostable or reusable, we're all about it. </div>
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<b>Keep it minimal, and avoid plastics:</b> We look for plastic-free options for materials and resources. Have a think about whether you really need to print or laminate that material you're using. What will happen to it when it's no longer useful to you? Online resources can be a way to access what you need and print only what's useful, but if you do need to use a printer, look for one that requires fewer cartridges and less ink. Is there another way to explore that science project or craft activity without plastics? Or can you approach the concept in a different way? If you're going out for the day, pack a lunchbox and avoid buying plastic-wrapped convenience foods along the way.<br /><br /><b>Use the library: </b>Libraries are such great resources. It's surprising to me how many home educators I've observed will prefer to buy new books rather than borrow them from the library. Having said that, the kids non-fiction section at our local libraries has dropped by 75% in the past year, so if that's happening across the board, I'm kind of getting why you'd buy new books. Most libraries will take requests for new books to buy, so if there's something you're keen to read, try asking for it at the library so others can enjoy it too. </div>
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<br /><b>Learn in nature:</b> Nature really is the best teacher. Spend time learning real-life lessons, through observation. You can learn everything you need to know about reducing waste, through observing ecosystems. Make sure to leave a light footprint and take everything with you when you're done. </div>
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<b>Explore it together: </b>Work with your kids on ways to reduce waste in your home and include them in the process. Brainstorm solutions together. Use bulk foods shopping and cooking from scratch as an opportunity to explore mathematical concepts, social interaction, economics, science, geography, history... there's much to learn in the daily runnings of a household and the feeding of a family, and those real-life lessons are so important and valuable. Kids are often quite intuitive about this stuff, so you may learn a thing or two along the way, too!<i><br /><br />If your kids are learning in a school environment, many of these same principles apply. Chat to your teacher or school and see if you can help create positive change in your school community. You can hear Huz, and our friend Robyn, talking about back-to-school waste on ABC radio <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radio/hobart/programs/your-afternoon/war-on-back-to-school-waste/9397664">here.</a></i><br /><i><br />If you're keen to learn more about reducing your family's waste, whether you educate your kids inside or outside the home, you can find more information in our e-courses, <a href="https://zerowastefamilies.com/">Zero Waste Families</a>, and <a href="https://spiralgardenseedlings.com/">Seedlings: Permaculture for Families</a>. Both courses are self-paced, and ready for you to <a href="https://spiralgarden.com.au/">sign up</a> at any time.<br /><br />We've also written a book which covers all these things and so much more, and will be available at your local bookshop (eep!), later this year.</i></div>
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Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-44840795640736679582018-01-26T14:51:00.000+11:002018-01-26T14:51:00.820+11:00Back to life + rose petals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Suffice it to say we've been extraordinarily busy for the past year. The last six months were particularly intense and when the flu arrived at our home in September, followed by a hospital run, our manuscript deadline, photoshoot, the Spiral Garden end of year rush, and a house full of family visiting for Christmas, we abandoned more structured home educating days and embraced our unschooling ways again. Long days (and nights!) of work sat alongside owlets undertaking their own exploration and projects, meeting with us to discuss and reflect and assist as we were able, and peppered with the odd trip to the beach or play at the playground, while I frantically responded to emails on my phone. It wasn't what any of us felt was ideal. It was a slog. But we got all the jobs done and survived it in relatively good spirits. And now we're slowly creeping back to life as we knew it before. Slowly remembering there's a garden to feed us. Remembering the mending pile, the preserving season, the books to read, the wardrobes to reorganise, the tax to do, pictures we've forgotten to hang in their proper places as we've moved through a year doing only the basics.<br />
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This week the owlets requested a return to the more formal elements of their learning-filled days, that they've come to love. Workbooks and reading and discussion, art activities and exploration are where it's at for them. And the focussed time we spend together is dear to all of our hearts. It's still another couple of weeks before the Tasmanian school year begins, but we have the freedom to take holidays and end the year as we please, so we follow the enthusiasm when it arrives. On Monday at about 9.15am, we decided it was time.<br />
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We began with the regular milestone photo by the front door and a sprinkling of rose petals and cheers as owlets wandered back inside, filled with excitement and renewed energy. I gave myself a sprinkling of petals and owlets cheered loudly for me too, because we're all in this together. Then we gathered at our little round table, which was set with a jar full of flowers, a candle, and some new writing materials for the year. We've decided to use folders this year, because paper isn't wasted like it often is in the unused pages of exercise, scrap, or main lesson books. The owlets chose their favourite Lyra pencils to write and draw with, and we took a little tour through the books and subjects they've asked to work with this year. I'm a fairly relaxed planner, but I've been gathering interesting resources and making plans for the owlets for the past few months, checking in on their own plans and wishes.<br />
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Big Owlet has asked to spend time delving into science, art history and witchy things. She also wants to improve her understanding of mathematical concepts, learn to write academically, gently explore literature, and poetry. Little Owlet is so inspired by storytelling right now, so Ancient History is where we'll begin with her, alongside the shelf full of books she's likely to devour this year. She's keen for some scientific learnings too, with a Harry Potter inspired slant of potions, astronomy and herbology. Tiny is desperate to read, keen on maths, and into whatever her sisters are doing, with a practical focus, and lots of play.<br />
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This far along in our home educating lives, we know with some confidence, what works for us and what doesn't. We also know to be flexible, and that you often can't plan the greatest opportunities to learn, and that the most valuable lessons usually come from life. Tangents are meant to be followed. So we began with the plan of science and craft on Monday. Astronomy for Big Owlet, biology for Little, chemistry for Tiny. Then Little and Tiny set about painting some small cardboard tubes to create families of people, before looking through my grandmother's button collection to find her old earrings. Tiny learnt to crochet, and Big began making prototypes for her small business. Before long, the owlets were catching up with their friends via Skype, while I snuck in a couple of hours work, emailing customers and fulfilling orders, as dinner bubbled away on the stove. Tuesday was much the same, with english, herbology, and the hours of gardening and cooking that seemed to happen as part of that, including spontaneous ANZACs and jam making for Little Owlet, who made what is probably the greatest backyard apricot and vanilla bean <span style="text-align: center;">jam of all time! </span><br />
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Life is full, messy, busy and ridiculously lovely right now, and I'm so glad we're finding more time again to notice it. So glad to spend my days with these owlets. So glad they're choosing to spend their days here together. And I'm aware of how soon these precious days will be behind us. A beautiful blur of questions, cups of tea, conversation, love, pikelets, creativity, and rose petals.<br />
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<br />Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-4643826197568477492017-11-22T17:34:00.000+11:002017-11-22T17:49:42.026+11:00Our Zero Waste Activity Advent Calendar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello little blog! We've missed you! We've been busy writing a book all year and there's so much to catch up on. Today though, the serious business is this. Advent. Tiny Owlet informed me with a most solemn face this morning that "there's only 8 sleeps until advent". There are actually 9, but it spurred me into action and getting organised, even though I'm not feeling entirely ready or happy about the fact that it's late November.<br />
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If you've followed along with this blog for some years, you'll know that our Christmas tradition each year involves an advent calendar of activities, rather than gifts or trinkets. We begin on December 1st, as we welcome summer and start preparing for the end of the year and time spent together and with family. Activities can be a practical way to get things done in the lead-up to Christmas, or they can be moments to catch our breath and enjoy time together. They also keep excited small people busy, with small things to look forward to each day. And, as this time of year is usually our busiest, these moments, where we take time to connect and have fun together, are so important. <br />
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Some years we have given our advent calendar a theme, like the years where we followed Steiner-inspired <a href="http://www.owlet.com.au/2012/12/advent-stones.html">cues</a> and looked to minerals, plants, animals and people in each of the weeks. Some years we have reflected on the <a href="http://www.owlet.com.au/2015/11/our-permaculture-advent-calendar.html">permaculture </a>ethics of 'earth care', 'people care', and 'fair share', which has worked beautifully. <br />
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This year, while our heads are still fresh with all things waste-free, we figured we'd share with you a list of waste-free advent activities. We place our activity suggestions on small scraps of paper, inside origami folded paper cups we string up over the fireplace. After we've finished with them, we pop them away for reuse next year, or we use them for saving seeds from our garden, which they're perfect for! There are things to do at home, or out and about. Things to remind you of the waste around you, and things that just happen to be waste-free festive traditions you might like to adopt. We've included a few bonus activities so you can swap some around depending on what your days look like, how christmassy you are, or for if you'd just like to have something fun and waste-free to do all month long.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Waste-free advent activities:</i></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">go for a beach picnic - hello summer!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make a wreath with <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/search/pins/?q=natural%20christmas%20wreath&rs=typed&term_meta[]=natural%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=christmas%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=wreath%7Ctyped">natural </a>or <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/search/pins/?q=upcycled%20christmas%20wreath&rs=typed&term_meta[]=upcycled%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=christmas%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=wreath%7Ctyped">upcycled</a> materials - leaves, sticks old newspaper, fabric scraps.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">have a dance party in the lounge room</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ferment - make some <a href="http://www.pipmagazine.com.au/connect/mmmm-pink-fizzy-rhubarb-champagne-recipe/">christmas champagne</a>, ginger beer or kimchi</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">borrow a christmas book from the library</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">compost - start a <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s4439784.htm">compost</a> heap, seaweed or compost tea, or add compost to your garden</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">go out for ice cream sundaes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make an up-cycled or handmade gift</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">have a beach or neighbourhood litter cleanup</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make decorations from <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/search/pins/?q=natural%20christmas%20decorations&rs=typed&term_meta[]=natural%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=christmas%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=decorations%7Ctyped">natural</a> or <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/search/pins/?q=upcycled%20christmas%20decorations&rs=typed&term_meta[]=upcycled%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=christmas%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=decorations%7Ctyped">upcycled</a> materials </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">find a christmas tree - we usually pick a weed tree growing by the roadside</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">decorate the christmas tree</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">donate a gift to those less fortunate than you </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">plant - a tree, native flowers for the bees, or some food plants to feed your family</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">watch a christmas movie together</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">mend a favourite toy, or piece of clothing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">read books under a shady tree - aren't trees wonderful?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make christmas crackers - upcycle those old toilet rolls!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">go fruit picking or foraging - bring your own baskets or containers!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">bake something using local and seasonally available ingredients</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make <a href="https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2017/03/easy-marshmallows-honey-sweetened-natural/">marshmallows</a> from scratch </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">celebrate summer solstice - have a backyard campfire and toast those marshmallows!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make some gift wrap from fabric, ribbons, re-used paper, or drawstring bags</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make a food gift and give it to your neighbours - maybe rocky road with the leftover marshmallows!</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bonus activities:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">have a picnic dinner</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">donate - toys or unwanted clothing or household goods</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make beeswax candles for the dinner table </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make a gingerbread house</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">pamper yourselves with homemade masks, lotions, foot soaks and pedicures</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>Let us know if you decide to join in too and have a waste-free activity advent calendar this year. Yay for having fun, finding balance and doing all the things! </i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">~ Lauren. xx</span></i></div>
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Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-57664891898119548322017-02-19T18:05:00.000+11:002017-02-19T20:16:13.423+11:00Pigface Jam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of years ago, on the way home from the beach, I tripped over a runner of pigface stretching across the track back to the car. I picked it up and saw some tiny roots poking out, so I carried it home with me and popped it out in the backyard, beside the herb garden. I didn't expect it to grow, but grow it did, and it completely covered a large grassy patch quite quickly. It grew in heavy clay soil, in the shade and continues to cover as much of the garden as we let it. We use it for bee stings and burns, in the same way you'd use aloe vera, so it's spot near the back door is quite practical.<br />
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This year, the pig face patch grew dozens of beautiful bright magenta flowers, which the bees adored. These turned into amazing looking red fruit… and so we made jam.<br />
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We referred to <a href="http://pigfacepress.com/pigfaceJam.htm">this</a> recipe, but made a few minor changes, so here's our version…<br />
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1. Collect and peel 2 cups of pig face fruit pulp. The red fleshy skin peels away from the inside ball of pulp quite easily.<br />
2. Place it in a saucepan with 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of water.<br />
3. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze it a bit and throw it in, peel and all.<br />
4. Bring to a boil while sterilising a jar or two.<br />
5. Simmer and test the jam until it has thickened to a suitable jammy consistency - ours became really stretchy which is quite unlike any jam I've ever seen before!<br />
6. Strain the jam if you like (we didn't).<br />
7. Pour or ladle it into jars.<br />
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The jam is an interesting dark colour, but the flavour is amazing! Pigface fruit taste sweet and salty, with hints of strawberry and guava. The jam is all of that but sweeter… Delicious on sourdough with a little butter.<br />
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The entire plant is useful and edible. Leaves can be used in salads and wherever you might enjoy juicy and salty hints of flavour. Our chooks seem to enjoy a nibble, too! If you happen to trip over a little pig face on your way home from the beach, I'd highly recommend plonking it in your garden somewhere and enjoying this readily available bush food. Or perhaps, while you're at the beach, indulge in a little foraging? It's well worth the effort.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~ Lauren. xx</i></span><br />
<br />Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-55449888916268086722017-02-13T10:03:00.000+11:002017-02-13T10:26:40.066+11:00Beyond Unschooling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've been a reader of this blog for some time, you'll know that our main approach to owlet learning and living has been through unschooling. We've always followed their lead, since they were very small. Aside from that little moment of Steiner kindergarten for Big Owlet, we've just lived life and helped the owlets learn what they needed, when the needed. It's been beautiful and amazing, and a huge learning curve for us in observing and letting go and trusting that they will learn when and what they need. We wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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As we stepped into last year, however, the owlets asked for more. They felt they wanted a plan mapped out for them. They wanted to learn more, explore more. And they wanted to work. Big Owlet was particularly keen to see where she was at and if she was on par with the peers that she knew at that Steiner kindy so many moons ago. But she was also adamant that she didn't want to go to school. She loves the freedom we have at home. Loves the ease and convenience of being where everything she loves and needs is, all day. All the owlets do - who doesn't?</div>
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So we set about finding structure and work, but balancing it with freedom. And we arrived at <a href="http://oakmeadow.com/">Oak Meadow.</a> We've been using the Oak Meadow curriculum for Big Owlet for almost a year now. Little Owlet has also darted around the grades, then taken some time to focus on gardening, and she's now back on board and into her third week of a new year. Tiny began puddling around with her own "special books" (Oakmeadow Kindergarten) half-way through last year and is now into week three of Grade One. I spent the first three weeks of this year planning and finding extra resources and mapping out our year. We're all in and we have a daily rhythm and we're working hard on all the things every day. Who even are we? Essentially we're still following the owlets' lead... Unschooling with book guides? Haha! It feels like the same life, but with different hashtags.</div>
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So how <i>did</i> the owlets measure up? Well, there were a few new concepts that curriculum based learning introduced. We found that the writing component of the program was challenging - there's so much writing! So we've been working through slowly, picking and choosing. We began at a level that covered much of the history learning Big Owlet was after and she's now at exactly the same place as those Steiner kindy peers. Little Owlet needed a little extra time with hands on work before she felt like settling down to bookwork. Her spelling needed some help, so using a formal program has done wonders for her confidence. Both bigger owlets can read very well, despite very little input from us. It really has just happened with time, patience, lots of reading aloud on our part, and effort on their part. Maths… well there are quite a few concepts which the owlets hadn't encountered yet. But they learn new maths concepts extremely quickly, so with Khan academy and extra time chatting it through with Huz, we've got them covered. Science - well, the Owlets find all those unschooling years and the way we live, observing and exploring, mean they have a great grasp on nature and science.</div>
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The beauty of the Oak Meadow program is that from Grade 4 onward, it is written to the student, so the owlets can work somewhat autonomously. The program is rather extensive, so they pick and choose the projects that really appeal to them and we supplement with extra outings, books, films and performances. And some days we put it all aside because it's a perfect beach day and there's so much learning and living to be done there.<br />
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I'm so glad for our unschooling years. They mean we learn creatively and resourcefully. They mean that I don't stress over skipped days or push things that the Owlets don't find interesting or essential. They mean that I know we'll get to where we need to be eventually, trusting the process of living and learning, together <i>in partnership</i>. Whichever approach you take, and whatever you decide to call it, that's really what it should all be about, after all. That's where the real learning is.<br />
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<i>How's your year going?</i></div>
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<i>I'll be sharing a little more of our learning adventures, past and present, in weeks to come. </i></div>
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<i>Have a gorgeous week.</i></div>
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<i>Much love, </i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">~ Lauren. xx</span></i></div>
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Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-23668647247567156592017-02-12T17:11:00.002+11:002017-02-12T17:50:17.081+11:00Taking Stock :: Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">It's been months </span></span><span style="color: #242424;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">since</span></span><span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> our last post! We've been busy as ever, doing all the things. There's much to write about. But for now, I'm ripping the bandaid off and posting a simple <a href="http://meetmeatmikes.com/category/taking-stock/">stocktake</a> of where we're at now...</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Making: Pigface Jam. I'm hoping it's a thing. We have lots of pigface.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Cooking: </span><a href="http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/23524/best-chocolate-zucchini-cake.aspx" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Chocolate Zucchini Cake.</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"> It's zucchini season and this cake feeds hungry owlets well! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Drinking: Home made <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/21/preserve-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall">lemon and mint cordial</a>. So good!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">Reading: <a href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-women-in-black">The Women in Black</a> and <a href="https://www.magabala.com/culture-and-history/dark-emu.html">Dark Emu.</a> I read snippets when I can. Very slowly!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Wanting: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">S</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">o many more hours in the day and limitless energy. Yep.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Looking: Out the window to see when it's good beach weather. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Preserving: Tomatoes! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Considering: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">Sauce or canning whole toms for winter? I think whole. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Harvesting: Tomatoes, mulberries, cucumbers, strawberries, rhubarb, apples, beans… Blueberries!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Wishing: Straws and napkins at cafes were an opt-in situation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Enjoying: Hanging out at the beach on sunny afternoons. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting: For the rest of the tomatoes to ripen. And the corn to grow! I'm not sure it will. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Liking: Starting our days with yoga most days. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Wondering: Where the ducks have hidden the eggs.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Loving: Watching all the best 90's movies with Big Owlet. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Pondering: Moving to a cheaper house, far away, with more land for growing more things. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Foraging: Elderberries. Apparently I'm not the only one. If you see any, let me know!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Listening: To the rain pouring outside. Gotta love Tasmanian summer. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">Deciding: We're super happy living right where we are. Urban permaculture is where it's at. Remind me again in July. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Buying: Milk in bottles again at the farmers market! Woohoo! And fetta and halloumi. Sundays are the best!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">Watching: The West Wing and pretending its real life. Also Gossip Girl because it's the opposite of our life. Escapism can be fun!</span><a data-slimstat-async="false" data-slimstat-callback="true" data-slimstat-clicked="false" data-slimstat-tracking="true" data-slimstat-type="0" href="http://www.branchshop.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #828282; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">Hoping: We can afford a holiday this year. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Marvelling: At how much food three owlets can eat.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Cringing: At the news. See Watching. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Needing: Firewood. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Learning: As much as I can about herbs. This seems to be a sporadic, lifelong project for me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Questioning: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; line-height: 24px;">How I'm going to nourish our soil better this year. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Smelling: Basil. One of the greatest summer smells, I reckon.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Wearing: A new pair of <a href="https://www.softstarshoes.com/">Softstar shoes</a>. My last pair lasted for 4 years! These were a little Christmas splurge for me. Barefoot shoes make all the difference for me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Noticing: The light is definitely changing. It's a little more golden now. I see you there, Autumn.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Thinking: </span>That I'm glad we've taken our time to ease into this year a little gently and thoughtfully.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Knowing: The rest of the year will probably be full on. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Admiring: Fellow homeschoolers who plan amazing, incredible and super beautiful years for their owlets. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Sewing: Cloth pads. Practical, necessary and waste free!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Getting: Some immune system building remedies ready. All the garlic. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Bookmarking: <a href="http://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/fire-cider">Fire Cider</a> recipes. Tweaking and picking what works for us where we are. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Closing: My laptop any minute now. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Feeling: Excited about visiting my sister next month and giving my nephews a squoosh.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Celebrating: The long weekend in Hobart. Gotta love extra time with Huz. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Embracing: Big, scary, exciting challenges in the works. They're the best kind.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><i>~ Lauren. xx</i></span>Lauren Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972894739541459220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402465881767446501.post-88219168813296770122016-10-07T21:01:00.002+11:002017-02-12T17:13:50.264+11:00The legacy of our pre-zero waste life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We all accumulate "stuff". Some of us more than others. Anyone with a hobby, actually, anyone trying to meet basic needs, will at various times buy, make, inherit, borrow, create, and/or otherwise "get" things. Some of our stuff lasts a lifetime or longer, like great-grandma's ceramic hand mirror, or that wooden heirloom shoehorn, handed down for generations. But the trend towards things not being built to last, the trend towards planned obsolescence - means that things break, lose their function and become waste.<br />
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For anyone switching to a low-waste or zero waste lifestyle, there can be the warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing that you haven't created any new waste in the last week or month or more. But what about all that other stuff that fills your home; belongings from the glory days when ignorance was bliss, when we bought and wasted with reckless abandon and still have a legacy of "stuff" to show for it. What about when our nylon clothes fall apart, when the washing machine breaks, when those "sturdy" plastic storage tubs snap, when the dog chews the elastane out of your slippers, when you find that drawer of old mix tapes that no-one would ever want to hear again? How do we live a zero waste life when we still live in a house containing items from our past that will at some point lose all function and become waste?<br />
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Ahh, sweet regret. Why did we say yes to the crappy plastic toys that accompany those McDonalds happy meals for the kids? Why did we buy that plastic weed mat, that seems to attract weeds more than suppress them, only to create a hulking mass of plastic and unwanted plants? Why did we choose the cheaper plastic-handled frypan rather than the long-lasting cast iron one? Such is the benefit of hindsight. We can all lose our minds dwelling on past purchases, on our past adventures in wasteful frivolity. Or, we can be practical and do our best to deal with the mess we've made.<br />
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Our family of five have been trying to live without (new) waste for a year now. So far we haven't created enough to fill half a rubbish bin. Leading up to that one year milestone of sorts, we reflected on what waste we still had around the house from the pre-zero waste days. And it actually amounted to quite a lot! We've been in this house for nearly 10 very busy years and raised three children and a menagerie of animals and tried to be resourceful and generally survive through life, all the while accumulating 'stuff' to help us grow and learn and live.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” ~ Maya Angelou</i></span></h1>
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We already had a pile of 'junk' down the side of the house, long intended for a skip bin, and a bit of spring cleaning identified other odds and ends of waste around our home. As a sort of final transition of sorts, we agreed to collate our legacy waste and dispose of it as best we could - we sold some items, donated others and have retained some 'waste' items for later re-purposing (e.g. we've kept our old toilet to use as a garden plant pot, and a super-rickety cane chair to grow plants over).<br />
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We ended up filling a small skip bin (2 cubic metres to hold 10 years of legacy waste is probably not too bad!). What did we put in it? Well some of the culprits included: old degraded weed mat, perishing and torn sheets of plastic that had covered mattresses when bought, torn kiddies inflatable wading pool, cheap laminated CD stacking shelves that we'd intended to donate but had been left in the rain and rotted, a child's car booster seat (used by all our kids, but well past its safe use condition), the rusted and twisted metal parts of a cheap plastic green house that had exploded in our back yard in a strong gust of wind, some rusted parts of an old gas barbecue (we kept the main bbq unit for a potting bench!)… mostly degraded plastics that held their desired form for only a short time, when you consider that tiny little toxic particles of that plastic will be existence on our earth for centuries.<br />
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There were lessons learned as we (reluctantly) transferred our legacy waste to the skip bin - we acknowledged the relatively short life span of many items that we think should last a long time, and we realised lack of waste-free options for some items (e.g. the kids car seat), and the wastefulness of buying the 'cheaper' option (I'm looking at you, broken cheap plastic/metal green house). We talked and ruminated over it and felt some sadness and regret over the waste that we made before, but felt reaffirmed in our criteria for any new things that come into our home...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Where possible, buy to last, buy compostable, and remember to look after your 'stuff'. </i></span><br />
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That includes looking after stuff in that time between when you've finished with it and when you've found a new use or home for it - leaving stuff out in the elements to weather and rot is no good to anyone (except maybe the guys on American Pickers!). One big positive for us is that our owlets are now part of the decision making process and are well aware of the consequences of our past mistakes. Hopefully this means that their legacy will be minimal and conscious choices will be their normal.<br />
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Transitioning legacy waste is an important part of switching to a waste-free lifestyle. It is not necessarily something to feel guilty about, but should strengthen your resolve to 'do better' and shop smarter, and live with less waste. We now move into our second year of waste-free living, producing very close to zero new waste and with much less legacy waste. Over time, we anticipate that the legacy waste will drop too, as we switch away from most plastics, and clothes with nylon/acrylic parts, and stuff we realise we just don't need to live happy, abundant lives.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~ Oberon & Lauren.</i></span><br />
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