Posting Drought

The current update drought is due to home remodeling. This house remodel is our most massive zero waste effort to date. We are converting an 800 square foot, two bedroom home into a three bedroom home without adding any additional square footage. We are accomplishing our commitment to make space for our growin family while staying true to our "live small" ideal by reconfiguring the entire inside of our existing house. As you can imagine, temporarily relocating a family of five plus dog, with two full time workin adults is rather like herding cats. The in-laws have been beyond generous in this process. Right now, our house looks like this:

It's going to be awesome when it's done. 

The Problem With Takeout

It's the busy time of year: BACK TO SCHOOL.

It's exciting; it's exhausting.  We don't always feel like cooking when we get home.  I love takeout, but what I don't love is this:

 

There is no horror greater than Styrofoam.  Alas, what's the alternative?  We are on pretty good terms with the taqueria closest to our house.  They *might* let us bring reusable containers.  But the others, not so sure.  Plus, part of what saves time is getting delivery.  We need to figure out how to do this.

Drought

I got this insert in the most recent water bill:

 

 

Really?  It takes a drought to prompt these measures?  Aren't these common sense precautions that anyone who understands the finite nature of natural resources would be practicing daily?  Ugh.  Still feeling cynical, perhaps.

 

 

We use about 6CCF of water monthly, on a pretty consistent basis.  That's about $43 worth of water every month. What do other people spend?  We are a family of five, who mostly all use the toilet and don't have any grass.  We keep the showers short.  Maybe there are other ways to conserve? We need to harvest the graywater.

All U Can Eat

Every Monday is trash collection day on my street.  Usually, I keep the zero waste efforts pretty positive, but lately, I have noticed that I get pretty cynical on Monday mornings.  Two of my kids go to a daycare about two blocks from our house, and I push them there in the stroller every morning.  On Mondays, frankly I'm horrified by the amount of junk I see pushed out to the curb just in the two short blocks we travel.  This morning, I found myself thinking about Ben Folds.

Ben Folds - All U Can Eat

No-Landfill Diapering

Everyone I know is pregnant! Or so it seems. Recently, I've received a lot of questions about our diapering methods. There are a lot of choices out there, and what we use is at the intersection of convenient and affordable. Hopefully this overview can serve as a way to navigate the no-landfill diapering landscape. 

Here's what we do:

When we are in the house, we use cloth diapers. We pair the thickest ply organic Gerber prefolds with Diaper Safari covers. Both products are available on Amazon. The Gerber prefolds hold up amazingly well over many, many trips through the washer, and the Diaper Safari covers have lots of snaps so they grow with baby from infancy to toddlerhood. We used to use Econobum covers, but they didn't have internal pockets. Internal pockets are key. 

We have two pails in the garage. The one for the dirty cloth diapering system elements has a laundry bag liner so the pail itself doesn't get too gross. We wash the liner every time we wash the diapers and covers. We have ten diaper covers and thirty cloth prefolds. We have to wash the diapers every few days. 

Note: You don't have to change the cover every time you change the diaper. Just change it when it gets soiled. 

We also have a wet bag that we use for the cloth diapers (if we do use them when we are out and about) as well as the compostable diapers, since they need to be disposed of properly. 

We put the wet bag in with the diaper load, too. 

We use our regular washing machine with a bit of mild, unscented soap to wash everything. No fabric softener. 

Note: Don't dry the diaper covers! They will not retain their waterproofing over time with too much heat exposure. Place them on a drying rack instead. Just dry the cloth prefolds. 

We always run the smallest cycle empty after we wash a load of diapers. We put about a quarter cup of vinegar into the empty load and it prevents the next load of regular washing from being gross. 

For naps, nights, and outings, we use Tiny Tots diaper service in Campell. We use Aleva compostable wipes and Bambo compostable diapers. We have tried a few different brands of compostable wipes and diapers, and this combination has emerged as the best quality. 

Tiny Tots provides a once-a-week pickup and drop off service. They have a facility that can process human waste. DO NOT TRY TO PUT SOILED COMPOSTABLE DIAPERS IN THE MUNICIPAL GREENWASTE BINS! The service is essential to properly compost the used diapers. The second bin in the photo above has a compostable bag liner (also available from Tiny Tots).  A bin that locks shut is key to keeping odors at bay between pickups. 

Some of the daycares we have used will diaper a child in cloth, and others will not. In the cases where we could not use cloth at daycare, we used compostables. We have only had one nanny experience, but she was willing to use cloth diapers. It's good to check in advance if you have a strong personal preference for cloth diapering. 

No matter which type of diapers you use, the good thing is that eventually, all kids learn to use the potty and the diaper issue fades away. Until you reach that finish line, happy diapering, all!

Journey to Ox Mountain

I had an opportunity to take a trip today that interested me both professionally and personally.

I received an invitation for a work "field trip" to visit the power plant at the Ox Mountain landfill in Half Moon Bay.  Ox Mountain is the sole landfill in San Mateo County.  Although Palo Alto isn't in San Mateo County, it has a special partnership with the landfill because Ox Mountain houses a gas-powered electricity generating power plant, fueled by methane released from the landfill waste. Two municipal utilities, in Palo Alto and Alameda, purchase this power.  In Palo Alto, it accounts for about 5% of the total electric power provided to all customers.

This was my first power plant tour, and I felt so lucky that what I got to see was such a nonstandard production model - useful and sustainable.

The methane is released from the landfill via a series of about 180 individual wells. Ameresco, the company that manages the power plant's production, takes a series of precautions to prevent fugitive gasses from escaping during the extraction process.

Here is the outside of the Ameresco facility, atop a beautiful hill on Ox Mountain.

Here is the view from the facility. In the second photo, the edge of the active landfill is visible.

It was super foggy!  When I left Palo Alto, it was about 80F outside.  Thirty minutes away, at the Ox Mountain site, it was 58F outside.  I probably should have packed a jacket.

Inside of the facility, a series of GE Jenbacher engines power the heart of the operation.  It was incredibly hot and incredibly loud (headphones required) in the engine room.

After viewing the power plant, the tour moved to the landfill, which was the most interesting element to me on a personal level.  Finally, after my years of zero waste efforts, I was going to see MY OWN LANDFILL!  The one I have worked so diligently to avoid sending any trash to (which is kind of ironic, but just a little bit, now that I see how the trash is being used to produce "green" electricity). 

I'll condense my reaction to seeing the landfill to a series of bullet points.  Otherwise, I might ramble on forever.

-Ox Mountain is beautiful

-Ox Mountain is really cold and really foggy

-The landfill is massive

-It costs $17,000 per month to keep seagulls out of the trash.  The methods are pretty interesting: a noise gun, dogs, and falcons.  I saw all three in action.

It was so gratifying to stand at the edge of the landfill and have a concrete image of why I have worked so hard to reduce the waste I produce.

As we stood at the edge of the landfill and looked down at it, the tour guide, who was a very pleasant but unexpected mix of Al Gore and ZZ Top, said "Look down there.  We're all in there together.  All of us." And he's right.

Zeroscaping the Backyard Continues

We made some improvements to the backyard recently. Still very low water, except the newly completed veggie garden, which is totally worth it!

Something New from SPUD

We are still getting the vast majority of our groceries delivered from SPUD.  We have been nothing short of delighted with the service, selection, and availability of TerraCycle via the grocery service. It was exciting to get this message during the most recent order:

All right! Under 500 miles! I was really excited to discover the raffle incentive for making local purchases. I'm interested to see how low we can get our weekly transit number, just for the sake of doing it. I've never been much of an "extrinsic rewards" type of person; however, I won't pass up any raffle winnings that come my way. 

Zero Waste Birthday

Ruby turned four last weekend and we had a small party in the park for her. Our goal was to have a zero waste event, and we were pretty successful!

A few key elements contributed to our success:

1. Reusable dishware and napkins

2. Large containers to serve water into reusable cups

3. A party basket (kind of like the one at the dentist when you're a kid) instead of individual party bags

Lastly, we brought our own compost bin from home because we knew the park only had a bin for recycling. 

We also brought a container to put all of the dirty cups, plates, forks, napkins and so forth into, and put it right next to the compost to make an easy and obvious connection. 

Judging by the birthday girl's experience, the party was just right. 

Happy TWO Year Anniversary!

It is May again,

...trumpeting fanfare...

which signifies the second anniversary of our efforts to become a zero waste household. This was supposed to be the end date by which we would have accomplished our goal; however, we have still a ways yet to go. I don't feel discouraged at all that we haven't met our zero waste goal yet. On the contrary, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished in these two years.

In May 2012, by my own accord, we were taking out the trash three times a week. Since the diaper-ordering snafu of April 13, 2014, I have NOT taken out the trash at all. That's right, we are in the SEVENTH week of not taking out the trash. That's nearly two months! This is kind of a big deal because the one month mark was a real plateau where we got stuck for a while. I peeked inside the outdoor can recently (hadn't done that in seven weeks!) and here is what we have accrued in there since...well actually, I don't know when was the last time we put the can put to the curb. A few months, most likely?

You can see some of the disposable diapers from THE notorious week there, a pair of latex gloves, and some sort of disposable packaging. At this rate, I'll say we won't have to roll the can out for a few more months, and that is a pretty good place to be on this two year anniversary. 

Warning: Icky!

I finally had an important conversation with my husband. I had been wanting to have it for quite a while, and although he is absolutely my partner in waste reduction, I feared he would dismiss this request immediately.

What did we discuss that I feared would be so controversial?  Family cloths. 

Family Cloth Wipes

I think I'm ready to make the switch. But, as predicted, Sergio was less sure about the idea. To his credit, he had a very minor freakout. He is possibly on board for a phase-in (yes, that does mean number one first, and number two once we're used to the idea).  I told him to sleep on it. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. And, I bet they used family papyruses or some such back then. 

Diapers Again!

Sometimes I miscalculate the amount of compostable diapers I need to order from the service. Gosh, with three kids and a full time job, I wonder how this could possibly ever happen! You can only get the diapers once a week, so if you miscalculate, tough luck for the next six days. 

Which is apparently enough time to fill up the trash can with disposable diapers. Ugh! How could I let this happen again?Here's what we generated in one week alone:

This is usually how much trash we make in a month, and to generate it in a week because of an avoidable mistake is really embarrassing. Here's to hoping this is the last time it happens!

Oil Pulling

About a month ago I read this and I can't stop thinking about it:

Design Mom: Oil Pulling

Oil pulling. At first I thought, "Ew! What a weird idea!" And then I found myself thinking "Gosh, I should really try this."

Now, I'm somewhere in between, which is where I've been for a while. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure if this is much less wasteful than regular toothbrushing. We use the Tom's toothpaste with very few additives and recycle the container it comes in. But for some reason, I really can't stop wondering if we should give oil pulling a try. 

The Amazing Expanding Project

The thing about owning a fixer upper is that every project you undertake has the potential to blossom into a project tenfold in size. Want to replace the bathroom floors? Surprise! The area around the toilet has water damage! And there's termite damage as a result of that! Suddenly, the one-day, $150 project involves installing a new toilet and tenting the entire property. For example. 

So, it was with both enthusiasm and skepticism that we approached the vegatable garden phase of our backyard project...and our expectations were not disappointed. We examined the yard and selected the best spot for the garden. Then, we realized a couple of fence boards could use straightening before we built the box. Long story short, we spent eight hours rebuilding the better part of the fence. Garden materials are purchased and waiting for us, but it wasn't in the cards for this weekend once the fence project was done. 

On the upside, we needed very little new lumber to fix the fence. We were able to mostly reuse what was already part of the fence, which was a good feeling. To be honest, it was a far better feeling than the physical feeling at the end of that eight hour day of fence building. 

Cue the photos:

Good thing the neighbors are awesome! Not everybody would be ok with ten minutes notice about having their privacy totally invaded, and their personal property tampered with. 

Dad was totally skeptical of Sergio's "loose tooth" approach to getting out the most rotten fence post. But, he triumphed!

I didn't get an "after" photo, but dad was able to sledgehammer this whole piece of  concrete. Not bad for a retired person. 

Let's be honest, the Evil Empire has great prices and convenient locations. Sigh. Fortunately, we didn't need a ton of lumber to fix the fence, and the boards for the garden are ready to go. 

This is the point where the neighbor realized her first instinct had been a good one, and she would have a fixed fence before sundown, and for free :-)

Beautiful fence! Restored to its original straightness. And, best of all, a perfect spot right beside it for a vegetable garden. Spring planting, here we come!

The Month in Review

Here's this month's trash. It's got an expired credit card, the wrapper from some stickers we used to make Valentines, the wrapper from the powdered cheese packet for making macaroni and cheese, and a pink ribbon that came on a package, among a few other things. 

Zero Waste Travel

I'm approaching the finish line of a three day stay at the Marriott in downtown San Antonio. In terms of zero waste, where to begin...

First of all, I'm realizing what a bubble we residents of the San Francisco Bay Area live in, with our No Plastic Bag policies and mandatory composting. 

Second, travel is inherently wasteful. Without a home base, I'm drifting in a sea of disposable options. 

Third, I'm honestly horrified at how little effort the hotel puts into providing any zero waste opportunities to its guests. 

Here is the waste receptacle for my room:

I'm including an "empty" photo of the ONLY waste bin in my room (not even a bin for recyclables, although recycling bins are out on the streets of San Antonio) because I'm too embarrassed to photograph it full of compostables, recyclables, and items I usually use a reusable version at home, such as these:

The hotel restrooms have no hand dryers. Instead, these are offered for hand drying, and go into the general catch-all waste bins:

Probably the clearest salute to selfish convenience over all is the "choice" provided at the beverage table in the conference room:

Disposable coffee and water cups, AND reusable ones? Ugh. 

More frustrating than the wastefulness of travel is the guilt involved in my realization that if I were to make zero waste travel my number one priority, I could do a great job of being mindful while away from home. But I let a million and one other details take precedence, and ultimately, my heart weighed heavily as my used q- tips thudded to the bottom of the trash can, surely destined for the lone star landfill. 

Upcycled Play Kitchen

Our girls received a wonderful upcycled gift this Christmas. They had been pining for a play kitchen for months and had feverishly hoped one would arrive under the tree. Their luck struck early, when their Tia delivered one on Christmas Eve. 

This is no ordinary, big box play kitchen. It is a beautiful, handmade, made-to-order play kitchen. And best of all, the girls' Tio Irving made it from an abandoned piece of furniture he found just a few houses up the block from ours!

The girls have been putting in some serious hours with this play kitchen since it arrived, and I don't imagine their enthusiasm will taper off anytime soon. 

Here's the upcycled play kitchen, ready for action:

You never know what might resonate with kids, and the most popular elements of this kitchen have been the "real" phone and the hooks for hanging pots and pans. 

As if an upcycled play kitchen weren't enough to win us zero wasters over, all of the accessories were thrifted. Wonderful!