Don't Buy New When Trying Out that New Hobby!

Tags: Zero Waste; Minimalism; Health

Equipment rentals and used equipment purchases are a great way to try out a new hobby, exercising routine, or sport without having to invest in new equipment that you may use only a few times before it ends up getting “closeted” indefinitely. 

Places like REI rent out camping equipment and outdoor gear. Stores like Sport Chalet rent outdoor and sports gear. There is even a company that rents out gadgets. 

You can also buy used gear and gadgets at thrift stores or places like Play It Again Sports, that specialize in a specific used market. Check out these roller blades I got at Play It Again Sports for $30!

  

When purchasing used sports equipment, be sure to sanitize them before use. A rag and some rubbing alcohol should do the trick. For the roller blades I purchased, I found a video that demonstrated a good technique for sanitizing the inside of a shoe -- you just need hydrogen peroxide and a sock.

Now you too can be ZeWMin like me on my used roller blades!

Washable Cotton Rounds

Tags: Zero Waste

Disposable cotton balls, cotton squares, and cotton rounds are great to have around for wound care and removing nail polish, but for most other uses such as removing makeup, applying toner, and cleaning small, delicate items such as plant leaves and jewelry, they are just wasteful. 

There are so many options when it comes to ditching your disposable cotton balls, squares, or rounds. You can crotchet or sew your own cotton rounds, or face scrubbies as they are often called, you can buy them from Etsy crafters or other companies, you can just use a washcloth in many cases, or even use washable nursing pads.

I bought my reusable cotton rounds from an Etsy store, Soft and Scrubby.  I like these ones because they are soft, and come in a variety of colors and patterns. I tried some made from organic-cotton sewing-scraps, but I found them to be too rough. It seems that flannel-type fabric is the best.

I keep mine in an old glass container I have had since childhood. They add a bit of decorative charm to the bathroom. After using one, they go in a small camping pot I keep in the bathroom for small bathroom and bedroom washables. An alternative would be to keep a lingerie bag or reusable produce bag under the sink and to put the used ones in. 

When they are ready to be washed, they go in a lingerie bag or reusable produce bag and I throw them in the washing machine along with my bathroom towels. Because I wash my towels when I clean the bathroom, it is easy to remember to throw these in the wash at the same time. To dry them, I set them on top of my washing machine to air dry (I have a front loader).

I crunched some numbers and, generally, using purchased washable cotton rounds is not going to save you much money in the long run over disposables. The exceptions to this would be for people who use several each day, for those who make their own from already owned fabric scraps and sewing supplies at home (zero initial cost), and for washable rounds that will end up lasting more than a few years (I haven’t used them long enough to comment on their durability).

Buying cotton rounds:

Etsy Search Results

S.W. Basics, also on Amazon

Imse Vimse, also on Amazon

Crocheting face scrubbies or sewing your own rounds/squares:

Crochet Instructions

Crochet Video

Sewing Instructions 1

Sewing Instructions 2

Blog posts that I used in my research:

My Plastic Free Life

Total Beauty

Update (1/2/16): I suspect that washing alone does not kill bacteria on the cotton rounds and that they may be causing some acne issues for me. I've been soaking them in water with some drops of eucalyptus oil before washing them and that seems to be helping so far.

Weiler Deck Brush

Tags: Zero Waste; Minimalism

There is so much to love about this deck brush!

The handle can be attached or removed from the brush, which means that when the brush wears out, you only need to get a new brush, not a new handle. It is made from unfinished wood and Tampico fiber, so it is biodegradable. 

The best thing, though, is its versatility. With the handle attached, you can use it both wet and dry for outdoor sweeping and scrubbing on patios or decks. If you remove the brush from the handle, you can use it to sweep up piles of debris into a metal dustpan. I bought this dustpan at Ace Hardware, but they are also available online.

As a bonus, you can take the brush indoors and use it as a scrub brush. I use mine to scrub my shower basin. I use Wellness Mama's scouring powder recipe. The ingredients are salt, borax, and baking soda. I can get inexpensive salt from the bulk bins at Sprouts using my reusable bulk bin bags, and borax and baking soda come in recyclable boxes (also available at Ace Hardware for a good price).

Is there a place in your neighborhood where you can get these products or similar ones, or do you have any other thoughts, questions, or ideas? Please share in the comments.

Happy ZeWMin Cleaning!

P.S. Please note that this brush has NOT been certified for sustainable forestry practices or fair trade. Additionally, I don't know if any glues are used in its manufacture.

Introduction

Zero Waste

The zero waste movement basically revolves around reducing the amount of trash that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and the environment by recycling, composting, reusing, and reducing consumption. Although zero waste is not typically focused on water or energy reduction, it is a natural byproduct of the zero waste lifestyle, especially when considering the life cycle of products. Because most plastics are not compostable, and they cannot currently be recycled over and over again like metals, avoiding plastic products is a big part of the zero waste movement.

Minimalism

Minimalism is generally a big part of the zero waste movement. Originally, minimalism was borne out of a design sensibility for clean lines and lack of clutter – think Ikea, white backgrounds, and simple fonts. Today, minimalism is a movement that is more about the psychological benefits of refusing the West’s consumerist lifestyle. It is about taking stock of what objects you really need in your life and how clutter and too much stuff can weigh us down, psychologically, as well as take up a lot of our time. Minimalism and zero waste complement each other, but they are not the same thing. For example, owning a lot of reusable containers would not be considered minimalist, but would be considered zero waste.

Health

Although zero waste and minimalism generally have side effects of improved well-being and health, there are times when zero waste or minimalist solutions may not be the best choice for our long-term well-being. For example, one suggestion for zero waste oral hygiene is to use plain baking soda bought in bulk for toothpaste and a reusable gum stimulator to floss with. Because there are no scientific studies that I know of that explain how this choice might affect long-term oral health, I cannot recommend it. In our household, we still use electric toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste containing sodium monofluorophosphate (a low-hazard version of fluoride), as recommended by dentists.