Active Discard

Friday is housekeeping day in the Johnson household. The day is usually marked by hidden treasures emerging from my kids pockets.

This is how I discovered a non-recyclable one this week:
Max: "Wow, we really don't have that much trash."
Bea: "What did you throw out to notice what was in there?" ;)

As Max was putting his dirty laundry in the machine, he found the plastic wrapper of RealD 3D glasses in one of his pockets. In our previous life, we would have discarded it and never thought about it again (...and repeated the same disregard for our discards, each subsequent viewing of a 3D movie). But today, that wrapper (and others going into our trash container) calls for further investigation and one or more following actions:

-Finding an ALTERNATIVE: In the future, Max will keep the 3D glasses for reuse instead of placing them in the dedicated recycling container at the theater.

-Contacting RealD by PHONE (888-334-3577): Their sales representative explained the company's operation. Movie goers use the glasses, theaters collect them, and send them back to RealD. RealD then sanitizes and re-packages them. Talk about "cleanliness standards" needing revision... I suggested that her company reconsidered its impact on the environment.

-EMAILING RealD (support@reald.com):
Hi: I am a simple movie goer, who also strives to live a zero waste lifestyle.
I found out that you reuse the 3D glasses which is great, but I do not support the plastic sleeve, which is meant for the landfill. So here are some questions that you might want to consider:
-Is sanitizing really necessary, are plastic sleeves necessary? It seems that our society has gone germaphobic; Sanitizing and plastic sleeves only supports that unnecessary fear of germs and subsequent unnecessary waste.The last time I visited Disneyland, their reused 3D glasses were neither sanitized nor wrapped in plastic.
-If you truly feel that the sleeve is needed, how about using paper instead? It would not only be recyclable but also biodegradable/compostable.
-How about adding a note on your wrapper that would encourage viewers to reuse their glasses? I doubt that 3D is going away, so might as well encourage people to keep their glasses for next time. (Your receptacle in movie theatres could be used for extras.)
-or better yet: "How about selling longer lasting glasses (real glass lenses in metal frames) to users instead? as a one time fee option to a movie ticket?
I thank you for your time. I applaud your reusing efforts, you are going in the right direction. I look forward to seeing your environmentally caring improvements.
Sincerely yours,
Bea

-MAILING to RealD (100 North Crescent Dr., Suite 120, Beverly Hills, CA 90210) the plastic wrapper with a note such as the copy of the email above or just a few words: "are these really necessary?" or "Please reconsider wasteful practices".

The most common email that I receive from newcomers interested in Zero Waste is about the lack of bulk in their town and their loss as to what to do beyond it. My advice to them, apart from adopting reusables, is quite simple: Let your voice be heard! (I can't stress it enough).

We all have a choice: We can throw it in the "can" time after time, and therefore condone wasteful practices - or we can actively do something to make change happen in our communities. Don't wait for change. Ask for it. Make it happen. Speaking with the grocery store manager to request bulk, suggesting an alternative or no packaging to a manufacturer, or calling a junk mailer, might be time consuming. But a weekly email, call, or letter, is manageable and is a powerful way of pro-actively supporting Zero Waste beyond bulk shopping.

In the comment section, I invite you to share your examples of constructive, to the point letters. Please no rambling :) I hope to make it easier for our community to send or re-purpose our constructive feedbacks. Remember, positive feedback is welcome too. Last week, I contacted Rayovac (800-237-7000) to congratulate and thank them for their innovative cardboard rechargeable battery packaging.

Do you have some letters to share with others?

PS: I hope you remembered to vote today ;) http://www.THEGreenAwards.com/Default.aspx?v=221

Sammy's Surgery!

We have heard from Cincy and Sam has his surgery dates! 

I have been praying about this and putting it in God's hands. With so much going on, I knew I could never plan it all out! His timing is perfect timing!

I want so much to leave now and get Luke and Mia but we are still waiting on our LOA... we are on day 33 right now, which is already longer than our wait with Sam and Ava.

Waiting is so hard...


But, since we have to wait we might as well get a few things done before this crew of 6 littles becomes 8!

The Colorectal Center in Cincinnati is number one in the country for pediatric gastrointestinal repairs!

Sam's fist surgery is scheduled for November 2nd! We will be gone for 5-6 days and will return again 2 weeks later for a recheck. We head back to Cincy for his last surgery on January 26th. They will take down his colostomy and Sammy will "go" just like the other kids! Of course we have to be careful with what he eats and it will take time for everything to work correctly!

We are hoping/planning that we will go to China in December between the surgeries.

Anna will also have a surgery coming up but we are unsure of the timing right now. It will be a lip and nose repair along with necessary dental work (meaning taking care of 7 cavities-yikes).

The following pics are for your viewing pleasure! 

These two are absolutely crazy about each other!

Happy 5th Birthday Sam!

This is Sammy's first birthday at home and probably his first celebrated birthday EVER!

We spent the day at the zoo!!

The two new sites were the Penguins and the Amur Leopard!

The leopard was incredible and came so close to us!

He looked at the children as if to say LUNCH!

After the zoo we went home for our family party!

Sammy's balloon were waiting for him!

Along with his birthday cake!

This was such an exciting day for him!

Presents, presents, presents!

Here is a pic of the children that were invited to the party! 

;-)

Sam asked for boy toys!

He didn't really know what that was but that's what he asked for!

(I think his older bros may have influenced him!)

So he got jerseys!

Pretty cool!

Legos and duplos! 

Trucks!

And a scooter!

Katie cleaned her closet and gave the girls her dresses for "dress up"!

Singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out candles were a huge hit!

So was eating the chocolate off the real cars on the cake!!

Our little boy had a GREAT day!!

He is such a blessing to us!


Oh my, we love him so much!

Adopting 2 From Different Provinces?

I thought this may be the case BUT was hoping it wasn't going to be. We heard from our agency that because our children are in two different provinces we will have to be in China for 3 weeks or splitt up for the first week.

Gulp!

I don't want to miss out on the gotcha moment with either of the children and I don't want to split from hubby. I am also sure that hubby cannot leave work for 3 weeks.

Of course, I do know that we don't always get what we want... I am guessing this is going to be one of those times...
Oh my- I am so weak in China and will so need God every moment of the day!

Luke is looking at his family photo album!

He should be getting another one soon! Can't wait for that package to get in the mail!!

She should have her gift by now! Hoping they send me a pic or five or ten!

I feel like somewhere I have read about other families adopting from 2 different provinces and it seems to me that didn't have to stay for 3 week? But I may be wrong?

Does anyone know of others that adopted 2 from different provinces? How did the handle their China time? Is there any way to cut it back a little?? Is there anyway to be at both Gotcha Days?

I would love to hear some ideas or others experiences!

Thank you

BTW

Thank you for all your input on my last post! I could feel your prayers and woke up the next morning knowing God is in control and this IS a spiritual battle. I am praying for our neighbors! And waiting for God's perfect timing to someday talk again with them or her.

The dog/safety issue has been resolved. He is no longer running the neighborhood and the owners have been reminded of the local pet laws.

Thank you Jesus!

Praying that the Lord will put HIS words in my mouth and that everyone in their home is safe right now! Praying that the Lord touches his heart with tenderness and a desire to change the direction he is going in.

Abuse... comes in many forms...

I am contemplating posting this...

I have mention before that our little neighborhood has had challenges but for the most part I have not shared the details with you. I don't share them with you because I felt like it was tacky. God places these challenges before us and I knew that with His help HE would win over evil.

But once again evil has reared it's ugly head and once again I bring my offerings to the Lord and pray for this person for his family. Especially his family... I am concerned for his wife and children.

When I pulled up into our driveway our 6 treasures got out of the van and joyfully ran over to their little friend! She is 3 yrs old and was delighted to see the children.

Childrens' heart are so pure, so beautiful. I think that is why I love them so much. The radiate an innocence that is like no other.

They are so different from adults...

Our neighbors have a doberman puppy- about 9 months old. Sam and Ava do not always no how to behave around dogs and ran from the him. He chased them and leapt and nipped at their faces. I quickly went over to tell them not to run from the dog and to let our neighbors know that we all need to be careful. I had no anger, no attitude, no other agenda.

The wife was fine with everything but the husband was not. I did not even open my mouth and was immediately verbally attacked. I was completely shocked and dismayed-I had no idea he harbored so much anger. Jim and I make it a point to be nice to everyone.

In all the years we have been married never have I been talked to this way. It was very sad... I said his name a few times and told him to stop. The children were standing there listening to him and their jaws were dropped. His own child loves our children and yet right in front of them... he went on and on.

He complained about the children, he said things that were so untrue, he attacked us personally and he wasn't correct with anything he said. He went on and on and then when I said stop he mocked me saying stop.

Friends there were so many things I could have said but held my tongue. I knew anything I would have said would have fallen on deaf ears and this was not just my personal battle but much more- this was a spiritual battle.

His wife was teary eyed. I was in shock and finally told him that he was being verbally abusive and he needed to stop right away. I immediately sent the children inside.

And then he verbally attacked our children. He said they were not normal, they were weird. Of course that wasn't all he said but does it even matter.

How can any adult say anything like that about a child? Any Child? It makes me sick...

Evil rears itself in many ways and many forms and today I came face to face with it...

Please say prayers!

He's Back!

So, so thankful our Mark is home from Fiji! It went well and it was very interesting... in many ways!

Not quite what he thought it would be science wise BUT he had a great experience!!

He wore a sulu while he was there- basically a clothe wrapped around like a skirt, when he was in the villages. He did not stay at the vacation spots but instead lived on the islands like the Fijian's!

He learned a few common words and snorkeled amongst the MOST beautiful coral reefs you can imagine!

He shaved his head before leaving and didn't bother with his hair the rest of the time hence the beard!

Everyone was surprised!

I think he looks like honest Abe!

Mark was our "manny" for 2 summers! Therefore he is very popular with the younger children!
I love how much the younger children love the older children!
It was definitely a highlight to have him come home!

We are so thankful he is here! Safe and sound!

 He will only be home for 2 weeks and then he goes back to college...

The French Way

I have come back to the US and am feeling good.

Stepping away from routine, computer, and interviews while adopting a new life and ZW in another place, has cleared my head. I feel refreshed and zen (I even feel voluptuous with the few pounds gained from my mom's cooking;). I want to feel this way all year round and wonder if my passionate nature makes it at all possible... I make the same resolution every August but always find myself stressing out by mid-September. I can only hope that the yoga classes that Scott gave me for my birthday (Groupon), will aid my goal this time around.

Now enough about my "état d'âme", here is what you really want to know about my ZW experience in France: It was easier than expected.

And here is why:

1- With no more preparation than the jars and totes that I borrowed from my mom, and the bulk bags that I brought with me from CA, I was able to buy most of our groceries from the FARMERS MARKET.

• The summer makes for fantastic, ripe, tasty produce which I purchased in great abundance. The melons for example are out of this world and their freshness compensate for the heat of the region. The tomatoes, zucchinis, bell peppers, eggplant, peaches, plums are ripened to perfection before being sold at the market, and their taste is incomparable to those I purchase at home. I even saw veganism as a possibility... until I saw the ravioli stand.

• The farmer's markets, not only sell produce and eggs, but also unpackaged fresh pasta, bread, fish, meat, deli (especially salami), cheese, olives, tapenade, anchovies, anchovie paste (makes me hungry just writing this), capers, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, spices, cookies, and even creme fraiche. Every market is, of course, different, but with a little investigating, one can find "le marché" that best fits ones needs.

• Jars and cloth bags are very well accepted. The vendors are more than happy to fill a jar in order to save (the cost of) one of their wrappers. Not that I asked, but I was told that other customers occasionally brought their Tupperware to the market.

• Some stands weigh their produce in tared baskets thus reducing the need for produce bags (I would love for my farmer's market to do that).

2- In the South of France too, bulk is unknown to most and hard to find, but I found a few ORGANIC STORES that carried it. I only used the store to complement my farmers market finds with: Dry staples (bulk flour, sugar, salt, coffee, dry pasta, cereal), a few condiments sold in glass, and packaged hygiene necessities. I could see myself only needing the store for a monthly run, if I lived there. All it would take, is a little investigating and planning.

•  The bulk was not very fresh (the oatmeal from one place even "spawned" a swarm of moths into our apartment), but the selection was decent (half a dozen types of cookies for example).

• The stores I visited did not have bulk bags for sale (paper bags are available), nor had they ever seen anyone use them until I showed up. Tare was therefore not deducted, but I was fine with that.

•  French people are green more out of financial concerns than environmental ones, at least in the rural area, where I stayed. For that reason, consumption is lower than that in the US, and the plastic bag has been effectively "banned". Grocery stores sell their plastic bags but rarely did I see someone buying one. People simply remember to bring their totes to the store.

•  I did purchase more recyclables than usual for 2 reasons: (1) I was starting from scratch and did not yet have all my bulk sources figured out; and, (2) Besides alcohol, bulk liquids could not be found in stores. Items that I purchased in plastic included: Shampoo, conditioner, white vinegar and liquid "Savon de Marseille" soap (not as good as castile soap I found out, but I made do with it). Items purchased in cardboard packages: Baking soda, and laundry detergent, in glass: olive oil, mustard, cornichons, and pate. And finally, items purchased in cans: Cod liver ("foie de morue", a family treat).

• The trick when buying at the store is to find out about the: (a) Subtleties of the available products (e.g., an eco dishwasher detergent might hide plastic packaging in a cardboard box); and (b) Recyclability of the available products. In France for example, plastic recyclables are not separated by number #1, #2, etc...as we do here, but rather by form (shampoo bottles OK for example). Glass bottles and papers in my village are recycled manually in city containers.

• I only found toilet paper in the throw-away plastic wrapper and used it to collect meat bones and cheese crusts, meant for the trash where we stayed (city compost not available). Maggots got into it though...and earned me the title of the "crazy American" by my landlord;) (in the US, I would be the "crazy Frenchie";)...

3- In most VILLAGES:

• SPECIALTY SHOPS sell loose products and welcome cloth bags, if needed. These shops include the bakery (for bread and the occasional breakfast croissants), but also shops where we could buy cookies, candy, chocolate, and soap. Bread, for example, is typically tied in the mid-section by a small piece of paper for transport, but refusing it is completely acceptable.
• Home harvests are shared amongst NEIGHBORS (tomatoes, zucchini, apples) and usually come presented in a wooden crate. That's what I call an un-refusable freebie;)

4- Along the COUNTRY ROADS:

• Many signs indicate FARMS or crafters, who are always happy to fill a reusable container or bottle and strike up a conversation about it. This is how we purchased goat milk (a family first, where we had no idea the taste of goat would be so discreet!), cheese and bulk wine. The co-op where I refilled my wine in support of the village where my mom resides, required the purchase of a five-liter plastic jug. At "home", I would transfer the wine into empty flip-top lemonade bottles.

• And there is always the package-free items of the WILD: Figs, plums, snails, dandelion, and blackberries.

5- OTHER logistics to consider:

•  I was told that some towns offer city compost, but my mom's does not. The compost available to us was her very successful aerobic bin, which digested fruit and veggie scraps. Due the high lime content in the area's soil, my mom did not allow egg shells in her compost, I simply buried ours.

•  Some grocery stores sold individual package-free Le Parfait jars. But I also used empty condiment jars for storing or simply stored leftovers in their cooking pot as I often do at home.

• Upon our departure, I cleaned the whole house with white vinegar and a couple microfiber cloths I had brought along to give to my mom.

CONCLUSION:

If I go back next year, I'll work on reducing our recycling by finding more bulk options (e.g., a place to refill olive oil). Each year, we can only try to be more informed than the last, as we learn our way around the local ZW options. Ultimately, it is a learning process wherever we go, just as it was at home, until we make the discoveries that allow us to automate our ZW efforts.

Here is an overview on how we approach ZW away from home:

1. Bring a few cloth bags (we use them for snacks on our trip to the travel destination), a tote (maybe use a travel backpack instead?), and a couple of jars (if traveling by car).
2. Find a local farmer's market or at least the freshest produce available.
3. Learn about the local recycling program and compost options (dig a hole?).
4. Find a store that sells bulk, and if bulk isn't available, focus on purchasing glass (great for reuse) or cardboard packaging, both more eco and widely recyclable than plastics.
5. Be on the lookout for specialty stores and local crafters.
6. Take advantage of the local foraging opportunities.

Did you discover new ZeroWaste ways this summer?