Category: Free Inquiry

It is no question that life has gotten a lot different over this past month, and the past few weeks especially. Although I have been working really hard to keep up with my Zero-waste tendencies, it is very difficult when dealing with the circumstances we are currently under. unfortunately, foods that have lest waste are perishable, meaning that they would not last long enough when stocking up for a few weeks at a time.

I understand that the health and safety of people at this time bypasses the need to lessen your daily waste. Because of this, I have also realized that one of the points I made in my earlier blog still stands: just do your best. There isn’t much we can do right now but take things day by day and do our best to be kind and caring humans. Kind to others, kind to the planet, and kind to ourselves.

It felt easy to beat myself up about things I was buying that I wouldn’t normally, but I also can’t afford not to at this time. I remembered my blog post and decided that I have to be kind to myself first right now, and then do what I can to be kind to the planet. Here is a list of ways to make eco-friendly choices during the pandemic:

• Choose items with less waste
• Choose items that come in jars or containers you can reuse
• Freeze your food
• Make recipes from scratch if you can (then freeze, if needed)
• Always recycle when you can
• Be conscious of everything you buy, but be kind to yourself, too!

Many of the resources that I have posted about previously, such as Bulk Barn, are no longer safe to the public for the potential spread of COVID-19. Although no one could have predicted this type of end to the semester, or my Free Inquiry for that matter, I am trying to see the good in a not-so-good situation. Here is a list of positive things in this uncertain time:

• More time with loved ones
• More time to read!
• More time to learn how to slow down
• More time for fresh air
• More time for exercise
• More time for hope

Thanks for a wonderful semester Rich!

Now that I am living on 10 acres, my mind has been opened to all of the gardening possibilities. I grew up in a house where we grew different veggies in the spring, and I loved the convenience of going out to the garden for things like kale or chives. Not only does it save you money, but the crops are sure to be free of nasty chemicals too!

Since I have been researching how to lessen my waste, I realized that growing your own veggies is a great way to cut down on the plastic and packaging as well. I was really excited that this all tied in together and began thinking about veggies that I would want to grow. The list I came up with includes things I buy often that are also relatively easy to grow:

• Kale
• Chives
• Herbs (of all different varieties!)
• Strawberries
• Snap peas

I felt that this was a great starter list to begin researching how to make a garden. My goal is to get the soil ready and designate an area to begin this process. I am lucky that my mom has experience and will be able to help me along the way. In setting this goal, I believe that I will be able to save money, reduce my waste, make healthier choices, and spend some bonding time with my mom. I am really looking forward to starting this project!!

One of the biggest things I have realized on this journey is that making your own is usually, almost always, better for the environment. With the exception of a few things, packages foods like soups and sauces always come in some kind of container. I wanted to explore how to cut down my waste on something that I eat often. So I came to the conclusion… soup!

I eat soup quite often and decided to start making my own for a few reasons:

1. It cuts down on waste (obviously)
2. You can make soups very healthy
3. They don’t need meat
4. They can be cost-effective
5. And you can freeze them for later!

All things considered, I thought this was a pretty good idea. During the process, I bought a slow cooker to help me save on some time!

The first soup I wanted to try was butternut squash. You can make it nice and thick (more filling!) and it is delicious! Trying to use up more ingredients in my fridge, I threw in things like carrots, green onion, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes, as well as the ingredients that soup called for (onion, garlic, coconut milk, salt, pepper, cayenne, yams, and of course, butternut squash)

After cooking it all up together and blending it down, I was left with a large batch of an inexpensive and delicious soup! I froze 4 portions that would feed 2 people each, and ate the rest for dinner. The real win was, my boyfriend loved it, and there was no meat or cheese in the recipe LOL.

Growing up in Metchosin was definitely something I feel lucky to have done. You are exposed to small community connections and spend a lot of time outdoors. Once I moved downtown, I knew that I would always want to eventually end up back out this way. After three years of being in town, my boyfriend and I found a great place at a reasonable price… on 10 acres! With an emphasis on my dog, we are all very happy out this way.

One of the additional bonuses is my mom living 5 minutes down the road. She has a small hobby farm and it is always great to get over there and see the animals. There are two very important animals, Thelma and Louise, who have been helping me out during this Zero-Waste free inquiry journey! Thelma and Louise are two pigs filled with personality and affection. Another one of their fine qualities is their appetites. They eat. A lot. Moving out here, I have become so much more conscious of the scraps I threw away and what can be salvaged for the pigs. This has often helped me make healthier choices (more vegetables, less junk) when keeping them in consideration, and has really decreased my waste overall!

I am very lucky to have a built-in composite system that is free of charge. These little things always make me feel a little more grounded to the things that matter in life – like family and caring for our environment. Although I don’t plan on having any of my own one day, I and very thankful to reap the benefits of my moms hobby farm that is now just down the road!

Here is a quick video of them enjoying the snow! (They like to give fist bumps)

One of the best ways you can go zero waste is by eliminating unnecessary packaging! At the grocery store it is so easy to purchase items that come double wrapped in plastic just to make poritoning easier. Oftentimes you will also notice that the amount of packaging to the amount of food inside is quite astonishing. We have made it normal in our society to accumulate heaps of waste and garbage for small portions of snacks.

So how do you end this plastic-waste-food-cycle? The answer is really quite easy – prepare! In order to eliminate your waste, you’re going to have to put in a few extra minutes before you run out to the store. You’re going to have to put in a few extra minutes to wash out your old jars once they’ve been used. And you’re going to have to put in a few extra minutes when you are making your grocery list so that all items can have as little waste as possible!

Bulk Barn is a fantastic solution because they are well known and fairly common. They have a wide variety of snacks, staples, and so much more! They allow you to come for what you need, and not waste what you don’t. Now you may be thinking, what about the plastic bags you put your bulk items into? That’s where the solution comes in!

BYOC. Bring your own container! When coming into Bulk Barn all you have to do is weigh the jars that you are bringing in and write their weight down. Then fill away and the cashier will take of the base weight at the till! This means you are bringing in jars that would have potentially been garbage themselves and saving a plastic bag! It’s really a win-win. The BONUS is, likely the jars would be what you would have stored your goods in anyways so they are ready for the pantry as soon as you get home! 🙂

This week I have had a few personal breakthroughs that have really encouraged me to keep trying to reduce my lifestyle waste! At times it can be very discouraging so I am happy to have had these small victories to keep things determined and positive.

A large part of approaching a zero-waste lifestyle has to do with what you eat and what you buy at the grocery store. In this day and age our food industry thrives on (over)packaged foods. It is know wonder why these products fly off the shelves — they’re easy! Additionally, whether we want to believe it or not, the meat and dairy industry are not great for our planets health. As someone who eats plant-based for a majority of the times, I wanted to look into how to make things at home at typically come in plastic at the grocery store.

My first culprits were a simple salad dressing, a tahini dip, and vegan mayo (yes, I said it). I am lucky to own a Magic Bullet, and found that I used it for all three dips. Each were made from products that came from glass jars/bottles (which I reuse for many different things!) and had 7 ingredients or less. Typically, in dressings, dips and sometimes even mayo, there are additives and nasty chemicals that hide inside. Often they are hard to understand because of their names and/or how the the nutrition label is organized, but for the most part we don’t need to be eating them. The best way to avoid unnecessary additives (that are also bad for the environment) and plastic waste, is to make your favourites at home!

For each recipe I searched options on Pinterest and had a great selection to choose from. I decided on ones that seemed healthiest and were made from products I had on hand.

The mayo was the most surprising. It’s main ingredient is something called aquafaba, which is the water form a chickpea can! I was able to make a soup with the chick peas and use every part of the can. Then I added apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, sunflower and/or olive oil (I used some of both), and chilli powder. It turned out just like the real deal but with amazing additional flavour! I used a mason jar with a canning lid to store it and it will now last for 2-3 weeks!

All-in-all, I think this was a very easy to make these dips and they ended up tasting great! And most importantly, I was able to avoid all of the additives and plastic in the process. This has inspired me to make more things homemade that are typically store bought, as I think it is a great way to reduce your waste and increase your health! 🙂

In becoming a teacher, I realize the amount of supplies that go into daily activities, lessons, and exercises. These are the tools that provide students with dynamic and hands-on learning experiences! In researching zero-waste lifestyle tips, I wondered if these were two roads that could merge together. Although somewhat skeptical, I was eager to find what was out there!

Right away I found a Buzzfeed article and thought “score!”. A popular name posting about exactly what I was hoping to find, which means this is a topic people don’t only have access to, but are also interested in!

The first tip already had my attention – slip plastic (yes, plastic) covers over top of paper and have students use dry eraser markers. This added element could increase engagement and of course saves paper!

Second to blow my mind, was the idea of making watercolour paints out of old dried up markers (which you can then recycle with the Crayola recycling program!). To do so you just need to group together same or like colours with an elastic band (about 5 or so) and then let them sit (tip in) in a glass paint pot with water! And voila, water colour paints.

I think this is a fantastic way to get children involved in the process and preparation, as well as getting them thinking about environmental impacts and how they can better make use of their supplies!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/zero-waste-classroom

Next I found the Zero Waste Classroom and discovered their 5 incredible tips in getting started:

1. Sub out wipes for wash cloths!
2. Have a classroom compost
3. Stop laminating everything! Yes this can make things last longer, but also uses a lot of disposable plastic in the process. Try using reusable plastic covers!
4. Build your collection of plates, bowls, and cutlery. In having these things on hand, you eliminate any waste that might come with eating! This includes classroom parties etc.
5. Recycle what you can. This may come as no surprise, but by being mindful and discussing recycling with your class, you’re bound to find new ways and keep up with old ones!

https://zerowasteclassroom.org/

As humans, we rely on the hundreds products that keep us clean, clothed, fed, housed, hydrated, and “normal”. Various contributors such as marketing, media, social media, social relationships, schools, and public relations, make us believe that we need these things to get by. Now although I do enjoy keeping a clean house, cooking, and looking presentable, the tools and/or products we use to do these things are most often disposable.

Disposable and single-use products have made a massive impact on our planet. They are easy to find, easy to use,  and are most often cheaper than eco-friendly alternatives – thus making them much more convenient and attractive to the buyer. When I dug a little further I realized that there are so many ways we can replace these things in our daily lives that we have grown attached to – such as paper towel – and find ways to decrease their use.

I must add that I am not completely anti-single-use products and I can appreciate that they have a purpose in health care and emergency situations etc. We must keep our  world safe AND clean. So there is a time and place for these items. Getting them out of your everyday routine – if unnecessary – is a great place to start.

Since blogging on the regular, I have come to appreciate other fellow bloggers more! Sure enough, I ended up coming across a blog thats title read “15 Tips For When You’re Trying To Be Less Of A Trash Human”. I was intrigued.

This blog focuses on how to reduce your waste or “trash” and has many creative ways to do so! Some of my favourites consisted of:

• Making a reusable paper towel rolls
• BYOB (bottle!)
• Reusable straw and cutlery set
• DIY reusable sandwich bags
• DIY cleaning solutions made with baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils!

All of these alternatives create much less waste for the planet and are healthier as well! A win-win!

https://diply.com/6872/15-tips-for-when-youre-trying-to-be-less-of-a-trash-human/amp

Zero-waste practices are something that I have been extremely interested in for the past year. With all of the media around us 24/7, it is hard to ignore the damage we are doing as humans by just living our everyday lives. Personally, I eat fairly healthy, love to get out doors with my dog, and genuinely care for the environment – then I began thinking, what kind of a negative impact am I making on the planet? From there, I realized that although I was making healthy choices, I wasn’t doing my best to get my eco footprint down, and my sustainability practices up.

When discussing environmental topics, it is important not to:

• Come off so extreme that you offend others
• Obsess over every small detail that you can’t control
• Judge others by their life choices

Instead, try approaching zero-waste with a mind-set that allows for:

• positive conversation with others to spread helpful information, tips, tricks, and resources
• Do your best! Any change is a change, big or small, and can contribute to the global movement that is desired. Zero-waste is a bit of an unrealistic mantra… just do what you can!
• Keep to yourself (for the most part). By spreading positivity and light on your own healthier life choices, it is inevitable that others will take note. Focus on remaining positive and gaining info/resources to share with others when they ask!

A few resources I found extremely helpful beginning my free inquiry journey are as follows:

• Local zero-waste/less-waste shops: 
• Zero-Waste Emporium, Bulk barn, bulk sections in grocery stores, and West Coast Refill are all great places to start for your everyday waste-free needs
• https://www.zerowasteemporium.com/
• https://www.westcoastrefill.com/
• Social media influencers/personalities that create zero-waste lifestyle posts:
• Kaitlyn Dickie (@kaitlyndickie on Instagram) is an amazing zero-waste advocate I follow for inspiration, tips, and information. She is extremely kind to others and to the planet, and is based out of Kelowna which connects to my BC roots
• Companies that allow for teachers to make a less wasteful impact in the classroom!
• One of the most interesting things I have came across so far was the efforts that Crayola (the most well known art suppliers I can think of) make towards recycling their old markers/products. This was an incredible first finding when looking into sustainability into the classroom and it gives me lots of hope for further research!
• http://www.crayola.ca/about-us/green-initiatives/crayola-colorcycle.aspx

All in all I found this starting point to be quite rewarding. I plan to go to Zero-Waste Emporium in the next few weeks to note how the business works, and any pros and cons I can see from a consumer (who is interested in Zero-waste) perspective.

One of our main assignments in EdTech is to create a free inquiry topic to explore, research, and create content about. I found the autonomy and freedom of this project surprising and so exciting! I have a huge interest in finding new ways to reduce the waste I accumulate in my everyday life and knew right away this is what I wanted to do my project on. In today’s media there is a very mixed opinion on climate change and sustainability, much of which can get a bit depressing if you read too deep. In my eyes, I want to create a lifestyle that is driven towards sustainable change wherever possible and kind to the earth at the same time. Since this topic can get fairly overwhelming, I am really looking forward to researching new zero-waste ideas and tips that I will be able to share with others in a way that everyone can understand and take part. Lastly, I cannot wait to look into zero-waste and sustainable classroom ideas! This is something that I have always wanted to incorporate into my future classrooms but have not yet put much time in to research further. Throughout this free inquiry project I am positive I will find a lot of useful information to share with colleagues, students, family, and friends, so that everyone feels like they have accessible resources to begin to make eco-friendly changes!