More Hip Than Hippie #263 - A Zero Waste Home

Blogger Bea Johnson tells how her family has learned to live without generating household waste.

After moving into a smaller house, Bea and her family needed to simplify their lives. They began a quest to eliminate unnecessary packaging and other trash...and ended up with a Zero Waste Home! Bea regales the Hipsters with her tale of reducing, reusing and refusing waste. She also reveals her unusual alternative to chocolate.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Dori's boss ordered her to finish off half a growler of Silver Peak Brewery's Peavine Porter, one of the house brews from that Reno resort. It's a long story with a reasonably happy ending.

Chocolate: Our quest for a guiltless Mounds bar is over! Sunspire has created a Coconut Almond Bar that is rich, gooey and delicious. It's also full of natural ingredients that we could identify and pronounce. Win!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Val's Favorite Thing! It stirs, its scoops, it scrapes. The bambu Spoontula is actually a set of 3 different utensils, each designed to do a variety of kitchen jobs. Old Spoontulas never die--just compost 'em when you've worn them out!
• Let's talk about Rx. Just in time for summer, our friends at MNN present 5 first-aid essentials for the eco-friendly home.
• Want to be like Paul McCartney? Sign Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution petition!

Hip News

• Pulp friction. In a deal with environmentalists, paper companies in Canada agreed to keep their paws off 75 million acres of boreal forest for 3 years.
• Burning question. Is it still OK to use sunscreen? According to the Environmental Working Group, only 8% of current products are recommended, including TerraSport SPF30.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Grain of truth! The next time you get food stuck on your cast iron pan, try adding water and a handful of chunky salt. Bring it to a boil, then scrape away the schmutz!

 

A Zero Waste Home

18 months ago, Bea Johnson and her family decided to start cutting down on household waste. By tackling one item at a time, they were able to achieve The Zero Waste Home. Now she offers tips and ideas in her blog about dealing with everyday waste challenges. The fabulously French Bea poured a glass of rosé and shared her story with the Hipsters.

• Look at your trash. Pick one item to eliminate, figure out how to do it. Repeat.
• Find your staples. Take note of items you use regularly (rice, noodles, etc), then find a way to buy them in bulk. Shop with reusable containers.
• Use a pressure cooker to speed up meal preparation, so you won't be tempted to buy packaged food.
• Use furoshiki instead of gift wrap. Include a card with instructions so your recipient can pass it on.
• Pig's ears? Vraiment, Bea?

Listener E-mails

• Melissa in NC wonders if "eco" hair dryers are worth the money. Val's Silent HP is energy efficient AND comes with a lifetime warranty.
• Tommi in Iowa has a Teenie Weenie Greenie on the way (congrats!) and would love some Hipster tips for an eco-friendly baby experience. Cloth diapers and glass bottles are a good start.
• Patrick in NC shares good news: moderate drinking may protect the brain from Alzheimer's. Sorry pal, no new photo of Val's Double Dangs, but thanks for asking!
• Gary in Oregon sent the story of a squabble outside a strip joint, centering on suspicious swine. (We love alliteration!)

Twitter goes green on #EcoMonday! Follow Val on Twitter: GrnDiva, at your service! Add us to your friends on Facebook and MySpace!

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More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.