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Just Use Less!

 
pollinator
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Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Today I found out (again) that buying something cheap is only costing more money.
I was in the supermarket close-by (Aldi). I needed only one small thing. But I went through the whole store and saw all shiny new kitchen things they had (only this week!). For about 2 euros I had a small device (packed in a nice cardboard box) to cut vegetables in small strips or spiral. At least that was written on the box, with some photos to show the sliced vegetables.

At home I unpacked it. It looked very plasticky ... To use it I had to open it, I needed my nails to do so and it didn't go easy. When it was open I did not know where exactly I had to put the vegetable in and what to do next. There was no manual and the photo wasn't clear. Then I took the half celeriac I had in the fridge. I cut a part of it to try the little device. No matter how I tried, the small metal blades inside the plastic did not cut the celeriac. Maybe it works with cucumber ... but I want to use it for celeriac and carrot!

So this thing (about 5 cm wide and 10 cm high) will be in a closet, never to be used ... or even in the garbage. I can not bring it back to the store, because I used it :-(


Unfortunately what Inge Leonora experienced with her vegetable slicer is becoming exponentially more common. The quality of enumerable, durable retail goods started declining in the 1960s and has been rapidly going downhill ever since. Recently made products are often of low quality and workmanship and higher in  petrochemical materials. Many newer products we've seen we refer to as "landfill material", they come from the manufacturer with a limited or as in the case mentioned, a non-existent lifespan and go in short order to the landfill . If people would stop buying these inferior products manufacturers would be incentivized to produce higher quality goods. It always amazes me the low quality of merchandise presented at many of the big box stores, and the public actually puts up with it, however much of the public is not to blame as many people under the age of 50 have probably never had the opportunity to see let alone buy higher quality products . From our personal experience over the years we've found that unless you can afford industrial quality merchandise, which by necessity must still maintain high standards, your best bet when looking for yard and hand tools, household items especially kitchenware, your best bet is buying older items, they'll most likely end up being better economically and environmentally.
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steward
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As a young mother and housewife when I did not have much money I found a lot of neat cheap plastic stuff to use in the kitchen Like these:

https://permies.com/t/210696/permaculture-home-care-cleaning/purity/favorite-kitchen-gadgets#1766345

Taking the permaculture lessons from Wheaton Labs is not a bad idea.

Now my budget is a lot larger so I am buying stainless steel and glass for my kitchen.
 
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I think it'd generally true about old items being so much better made that they often outlast newer ones. I griped about can openers a few years ago, how I remember using the same simple metal can opener for many years as a child and now I kept buying new ones because they'd stop working well (I mean the hand tool of course, not that absurd thing, the electric can opener). My daughter showed me the Amnerican-made one she'd been using for a few years; I admired it so she bought me one, and I've now been using it three or four years and it still works just fine. It also has bright red plastic coated handles which makes it easy to find in the drawer. The brand is EZ-DUZ IT.
 
pollinator
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I am frustrated...in seeking to "use less" in industry, I have been receiving orders of vitamin supplements in zip-top bags instead of bottles, shipped in soft, thin boxes that often have a hole punched into them and which proudly state "made with less cardboard".  And yet, I will order once (Amazon...) and receive several of these boxes, on the same day...they are not "fixing it where it's broke".

Therefore, in order to use less, I have found myself saving and storing more: I have a hundred or so supplement bottles.  Hey, looks like I'll need them; and besides, what if I want to make some herbal pastilles or pills, or save dried herbs that way?

But (grousing aside) it comforts me that my chosen market eggs (yeah, no chucks right now) come in cardboard; we just ignore the Purity Question, and use it, along with the aforesaid boxes,  in the yard.  If I had a worm bin it would go in there as well.

We save tuna-type and other cans for reuse in painting and stuff (we paint a lot; and we don't use that many canned items; so it works for us)

I save any large (half to one gal.) plastic containers, large Folger's coffee "cans", etc., for the bottom layer in wicking beds, to which I am DEVOTED. (I adore wicking beds!! They take care of so many problems: your tomatoes never split!  You can leave for 3 or more weeks (depending on size of bed and local rainfall) and things will grow like made!)  I have been known to beg families for these, a we don't buy a lot of these items. Except the Folger's: we drink it, and since I am a cancer fighter, I use it for Coffee Enemas as well).

(Sorry if the above was TMI.  HAD to say it; it is such a beneficial practice, but much maligned...maybe we oughtta have a Home Remedies And Treatments Forum...)

 
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Location: Westborough, United States
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Betsy Carraway wrote:I am frustrated...in seeking to "use less" in industry, I have been receiving orders of vitamin supplements in zip-top bags instead of bottles, shipped in soft, thin boxes that often have a hole punched into them and which proudly state "made with less cardboard".  And yet, I will order once (Amazon...) and receive several of these boxes, on the same day...they are not "fixing it where it's broke".

I love your ideas but I'll have to look up "wicking" as this is new to me.

I used to work in corporate America up to ten years ago and was always trying to do "green" things in my job. And the company I worked for actually took notice in those days. But now - it's just waste waste waste everywhere one looks. It's very discouraging. The people who make the effort get no rewards. That means we do not incentivize people to do the right thing. So we who are conscious of our footprint, are really bearing the brunt of everyone else's profligacy.

The solution is actually simple and I'd love to talk about it. The solution is we set up an incentive system for people who "do the right thing". We could come up with some really great ideas. People need to be recognized for what they do otherwise it turns out that good deeds and efforts become equivalent to staying in inertia. Anyone who is interested in talking about this, hit me up - that is a subject close to my heart!

 
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Betsy Carraway wrote:
I save any large (half to one gal.) plastic containers, large Folger's coffee "cans", etc., for the bottom layer in wicking beds, to which I am DEVOTED. (I adore wicking beds!! They take care of so many problems: your tomatoes never split!  You can leave for 3 or more weeks (depending on the size of the bed and local rainfall) and things will grow like made!)  I have been known to beg families for these, we don't buy a lot of these items. Except for the Folger's: we drink it, and since I am a cancer fighter, I use it for Coffee Enemas as well).



I'm interested to learn how you make wicking beds out of folders cans!

I've been stockpiling a lot of our plastic waste for the purpose of seed starting. We get eggs in plastic containers (can't have chickens) and I can poke holes in the bottom of each egg cup, start seed inside, and close the lid to make a mini greenhouse. I'd rather just not have trash, but sometimes the trash can become a bonus product.
 
Posts: 164
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom
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If I'm ever in receipt of more serviettes (napkins) than I need, I take them home and use them as handkerchiefs.
 
Helen Butt
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Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Today I found out (again) that buying something cheap is only costing more money.
I was in the supermarket close-by (Aldi). I needed only one small thing. But I went through the whole store and saw all shiny new kitchen things they had (only this week!). For about 2 euros I had a small device (packed in a nice cardboard box) to cut vegetables in small strips or spiral. At least that was written on the box, with some photos to show the sliced vegetables.

At home I unpacked it. It looked very plasticky ... To use it I had to open it, I needed my nails to do so and it didn't go easy. When it was open I did not know where exactly I had to put the vegetable in and what to do next. There was no manual and the photo wasn't clear. Then I took the half celeriac I had in the fridge. I cut a part of it to try the little device. No matter how I tried, the small metal blades inside the plastic did not cut the celeriac. Maybe it works with cucumber ... but I want to use it for celeriac and carrot!

So this thing (about 5 cm wide and 10 cm high) will be in a closet, never to be used ... or even in the garbage. I can not bring it back to the store, because I used it



We somehow ended up with two of these things. They sort of work with cucumber, so we've kept them, though really one should find its way to another home.
 
Helen Butt
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denise ward wrote:I think it would be great if there was an incentive program where anything taken out of the waste stream and repurposed would receive points.
Every item could receive a point and certain points for weight (for heavy items). But it's best to not put more waste into the stream.
I have this vision of being in contests where people wash dishes and compete to see who used the least water and still came up with clean dishes.
I reuse plastic bags from carrots, bread and other staples instead of using plastic wrap and make sandwich bags that use velcro to close. Haven't used a clothes dryer in years, much prefer hanging clothes on the rack and I buy everything second hand. It's probably better too that all the chemicals have been washed out of second-hand clothes. That's one good thing about being broke - it really gets those creative juices going to figure out how to repurpose everything.



At my place of work (a university), there has been research into the possibility of carbon rationing. I'm not sure how it could be policed but your idea would work well as part of this 😊.
 
Helen Butt
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I'm loving this thread.

As a kid, I watched my grandparents repurposing, making do and mending etc. This must have influenced me to feel its normal to keep things as long as you can. But I also like the creative aspect of 'using less'.

I'd like to be better at visible mending (clothes). If I love an item, I want to mend it and wear it anyway - and then if it is an organic fabric, it can be composted at the end of its useful life. (I used to store old clothed for rags but the clutter got out of hand.)

I'm on the look out for kintsugi glue. Kintsugi is the art of visibly mending crockery but the glue needs to food safe if I'm going to be able to eat off the plate again. So, meanwhile I've now got bits of crockery laying around, waiting for attention.
 
Anne Miller
steward
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This thread reminds me of Building a Better World in Your Backyard so some folks might enjoy these:

https://permies.com/t/7008/building-world

https://permies.com/t/50881/angry-bad-guys-build-world

https://permies.com/t/208088/watching-Bricks-Building-World

The Book:

https://permies.com/wiki/122694/Building-World-Backyard-physical-books

 
steward & author
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I do like owning less and I adore a simple but well made tool. My sewing machine is simple,  with only one stitch and because it is human powered,  it works when the power goes out.  

But a big part of permaculture and sustainability is adapting to the situation and the needs of the people.

This video says it best.

 
Rich Rayburn
pollinator
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r ranson wrote:I do like owning less and I adore a simple but well made tool. My sewing machine is simple,  with only one stitch and because it is human powered,  it works when the power goes out.

But a big part of permaculture and sustainability is adapting to the situation and the needs of the people.

This video says it best.



Am I correct in assuming that you're referring to a treadle-powered sewing machine?
My wife has two old Singer treadle sewing machines,
One of which came with a zig zag and buttonhole attachment.  For us the human powered aspect is a necessity, as our power is always out😄, we live on a non-electric homestead.
 
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denise ward wrote:I think it would be great if there was an incentive program where anything taken out of the waste stream and repurposed would receive points.



To a degree we have this in Maine, but it is limited to drinking containers. Many states, and Maine included has a redemption bill so that when you buy a drink item like a soda, the consumer pays 5 extra cents per container. You get that 5 cents back if you bring the empty container back to a redemption center. In turn that owner gets 7 cents per container. It works great because it only harms the people who do not take back their cans. They end up losing 5 cents per can, and if they toss out their cans, people scour the roads and collect them and thus get money for their work. It also employs a lot of people at the redemption centers.

Maine is different in that almost every drink container now has this. So if you drink a bottle of milk from the store, that too is worth 5 cents for a return. So it really cleans up the waste along the sides of the road.

It just needs to be applied to more things.
 
Steve Zoma
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Melody Cain wrote:I am employed at a small town, once landfill, now transfer station. Over the years I have fought the system and governing entities. So much wasted good items. I was finally permitted to salvage usable items to the permies. Now as a transfer station it all goes into containers to be shipped to a central landfill. We are working to make a separate department where the customers can be directed to with reusable items that are separated. Green waste is separated, mulched and being used for a community garden at a separate but attached property. Most landfills can be permitted through you local Permitting agency.(s) Help yourselves by helping landfills become more accountable. Attend the local governing meetings and push to stop reusable goods from becoming waste.



I worked at a trash to energy plant for a while, and it was amazing the amount of stuff that came in.

The best recyclers were the employees, as if they saw something of value, they would stop and set it aside. Electrical cords were a big one. One guy who ran a loader pushing up garbage made on average $5000 to $7000 worth of extra money on scrap copper per year. Other big scores were scrap steel, clothing (believe it or not, a lot of clothing is brand new and unused), and yard equipment. I have seen completely working stoves, 2 snowblowers and numerous couches and other furniture. We would often put in our "order" for something, and they would often find it. My girlfriend's engagement ring came from it rolling off a conveyor which was destined for the boiler.

That was not uncommon. The place figured it melted down some $65,000 a month in just loose coins, and about a million dollars a year in precious metals it recovered. It also recovered melted down aluminum and brass.

A word to the wise on this though, NEVER buy black market prescription drugs. BY FAR, the biggest money maker for the employees picking the garbage was legal prescription drugs. Those they would set aside and sell, often at $2 a pill. These would be in pill bottles granted, but still in the garbage piles next to rotted food and nesting rats. Yuck!

People often think that as soon as it is in a garbage bag, it is never seen again. NOT SO! With cameras everywhere, and some 9 steps to render trash to get it to burn, several employees see what's being thrown away before it hits its final resting place, whether a boiler or landfill. A lady once lost her prized knife after accidentally throwing it away. She had worked in the restaurant business for 50 years and retired and really wanted her prized chef knife. We dug through the trash and found it for her! Numerous other times (sadly) the police needed to find thrown away evidence, and we found that like clothing from cases where people were "forced" (said delicately here). Illegal drugs were different, watched by the police, we thew that directly into the boilers.

It was a neat place to work though.
 
pollinator
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I have a friend who meticulously washes all the glass and plastic veggie containers and brings to the farmer’s market to see if anyone can repurpose it.  She brings egg cartons too.  Then another friend started doing it.   The vendors there love it, saves them from having to buy containers.  
 
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Steve Zoma wrote: But some items, like excess napkins from a fast-food restaurant may never be put into use at all, they are just included because a worker thought you needed all them.



I haven't purchased napkins in years bc of fast food. Extra napkins in the car were always welcome for "an emergency" ...let alone for mopping up a spill in the car. When they got too numerous in the car, into the house for whatever was needed. No reason to toss them just bc a fastfood worker put them in the bag bc if they don't they get reprimanded (at least in the states).





 
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One of my biggest "what do I do with this?" is baling twine. The heavier twine I use to prolong the life of metal pipe gates that have poor welded "mesh" panels. Wrapping the horizontal pipe and knotting the mesh for re-enforcement around the "mesh" and pipe, holds it together really well. I have gotten years more use out of these "built to fail gates".
The other life span hack I do on these pipe gates is to find wood dowels that can be pounded up inside the upright ends of the gate. This strengthens the hinge side and latch side.
In my construction projects I use heavy twine to help hang headers and beams. This is usually a 2 person job, but can easily be done with just one little scrappy woman. Drive a sturdy nail into the back side of the post a bit above where the beam goes, make a loop of twine, good knot, around the post and catching on the nail. For the other post , do the same but leave the twine untied, 2 dangly ends. Lift up the end of beam and put through the tied loop...this does not have to be way high, easier to lift this way.. Then go to the other end of the beam, lift as high as you can, balance it on a ladder or such or just press it against the post, tie the loose ends of twine around the beam. Beam should be hanging in two looped twines. Go to one end , push up on the beam and slide the bottom of the twine loop towards the center of the beam. Repeat on other end. Do this until you get the beam where you want it. As the twine loop is "moved further towards center", the beam rises.
The big round bales have snarfy light weight twine and lots of it. I am using my circular knitting loom to make dish scrubbers. The small twine knits really well. A "tube" about 6 inches makes an amazing, tough, scrubber pad. These might be a good market item? Twine is polypropylene.
I have also braided twine together to make lead ropes and halters for calves and alpacas. Adding metal rings and D rings where needed.
 
jackie woolston
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My grandmother grew up on a homestead in the Lakota Territory. The family had a small sod cabin. Water was scarce where they were. She told me that to conserve water, at the end of every meal, everyone would wipe their plates/bowls  clean with a piece of bread, then turn them upside down on the table. Ready for the next meal. She lived to be a sharp 102.  HMMM?
 
Betsy Carraway
pollinator
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Elizabeth Horsley:  "I'm interested to learn how you make wicking beds out of folders cans!"

You use the Folger's (plastic) cans with their lids on; make some holes in the sides and top; and place them in the bottom of your wicking bed container.  The cans are short so you can stack them.  These replace the bought items, like that black corrugated perforated drain pipe that was originally used.  No need for bought: you are just creating the area where (bottom 4 inches) the water reservoir is, and above it (inside the containers where they rise above high water line) where the air roots of the plants can breathe.  This is what keeps the plants from being "drowned".  When you use the found items, you can lay a piece of burlap over them before adding your dirt, to keep the soil from clogging up the irregular spaces.  You can leave the burlap out if you fill those spaces with wicking material like sphagnum, Spanish moss, old tee shirts, etc.  Thanks for asking, hope this helps!

 
Helen Butt
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jackie woolston wrote:My grandmother grew up on a homestead in the Lakota Territory. The family had a small sod cabin. Water was scarce where they were. She told me that to conserve water, at the end of every meal, everyone would wipe their plates/bowls  clean with a piece of bread, then turn them upside down on the table. Ready for the next meal. She lived to be a sharp 102.  HMMM?



I guess they all had strong stomachs 😊
 
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Jeremy VanGelder wrote:One of my forestry professors told a story of how people in Europe made manufacturers reduce their packaging. Maybe those of you who are in Europe could confirm?

Land in Europe is a bit more scarce than in America. So landfills are more rare and the cost to dump garbage in a landfill is quite a bit higher. Consumers looked at the things they bought, such as medications, and decided that there was just too much packaging that they had to pay to throw away. So they started a little protest. They would buy their items, and then strip off all the extra packaging and leave it in a little pile by the door of the store. They would take the bottle of aspirin out of the box, and then leave the box, the little information leaflet and the little cotton swab at the door. And that was just for a little bottle of aspirin. The retailers didn't like paying to dump that stuff, either. But since it was now their problem, they took it to the manufacturers. And the manufacturers took it to the regulators who were requiring them to have all that extra packaging and leaflet. And eventually the situation changed, and when you buy things in Europe it comes in far less packaging than when you buy it in America.


Well, let me start by saying that Europe is a continent not a country and thus shows a variety of reguations and lifestyles.
To specify for Germany:
* You are legally allowed to strip your purchased goods of all packaging and dispose of it in the supermarket. The manufacturers have to take it back (I seldom do this as I try to buy low to zero waste products anyway and for cheese etc. it would be a hassle).
* Fast food producers and other caterers/restaurants have the obligation (since 2023) to offer multiple-use containers for their food.
* All beverages that are not already sold in multiple-use bottles have an added deposit charge (which you get back when returning the bottles to the machine at the supermarket)
* In Germany there are no normal landfills anymore. Everything that can't be recycled goes to thermal power unit (where it gets incinerated)
* You will not find disposable cutlery or plates in any restaurant or home, they were more frequent maybe 40 years ago. There is a EU ban on plastic cutlery or plates since 2021. You will not find plastic drinking cups or red solo cups anywhere, we only see them in US movies
* There are organizations for consumer protection that look for the most unnecessary packaging and draws public attention to the product and manufacturer

All this is good, changes are doable if consumers and legislation work together.
Is it enough? Not even close. Germany is on the top of packaging goods for sale, but people are getting more and more aware and ask for change, like using produce nets, making scandals permies, supporting zero waste shops etc.
 
Helen Butt
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Anita Martin wrote:

Jeremy VanGelder wrote:One of my forestry professors told a story of how people in Europe made manufacturers reduce their packaging. Maybe those of you who are in Europe could confirm?

Land in Europe is a bit more scarce than in America. So landfills are more rare and the cost to dump garbage in a landfill is quite a bit higher. Consumers looked at the things they bought, such as medications, and decided that there was just too much packaging that they had to pay to throw away. So they started a little protest. They would buy their items, and then strip off all the extra packaging and leave it in a little pile by the door of the store. They would take the bottle of aspirin out of the box, and then leave the box, the little information leaflet and the little cotton swab at the door. And that was just for a little bottle of aspirin. The retailers didn't like paying to dump that stuff, either. But since it was now their problem, they took it to the manufacturers. And the manufacturers took it to the regulators who were requiring them to have all that extra packaging and leaflet. And eventually the situation changed, and when you buy things in Europe it comes in far less packaging than when you buy it in America.


Well, let me start by saying that Europe is a continent not a country and thus shows a variety of reguations and lifestyles.
To specify for Germany:
* You are legally allowed to strip your purchased goods of all packaging and dispose of it in the supermarket. The manufacturers have to take it back (I seldom do this as I try to buy low to zero waste products anyway and for cheese etc. it would be a hassle).
* Fast food producers and other caterers/restaurants have the obligation (since 2023) to offer multiple-use containers for their food.
* All beverages that are not already sold in multiple-use bottles have an added deposit charge (which you get back when returning the bottles to the machine at the supermarket)
* In Germany there are no normal landfills anymore. Everything that can't be recycled goes to thermal power unit (where it gets incinerated)
* You will not find disposable cutlery or plates in any restaurant or home, they were more frequent maybe 40 years ago. There is a EU ban on plastic cutlery or plates since 2021. You will not find plastic drinking cups or red solo cups anywhere, we only see them in US movies
* There are organizations for consumer protection that look for the most unnecessary packaging and draws public attention to the product and manufacturer

All this is good, changes are doable if consumers and legislation work together.
Is it enough? Not even close. Germany is on the top of packaging goods for sale, but people are getting more and more aware and ask for change, like using produce nets, making scandals permies, supporting zero waste shops etc.



In Britain, landfill sites are still used but due to lack of space, being a densely inhabited country, it is becoming increasingly expensive to use this method of disposal. And people are increasingly concerned about landfill as a concept anyway.

So, yes, one protest has been to give shops back packaging, such as plastic wrap round vegetables. The result of this is that far more produce is now sold loose.

Where I live we have an incinerator, which recovers energy for district heating. Anything that has been thrown in the landfill bin is searched for recyclable materials, which are removed, and the remainder is burned to produce this heat.
 
gardener
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I wonder what exactly is being burned, and resulting air quality.
 
pollinator
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Thekla McDaniels wrote:I wonder what exactly is being burned, and resulting air quality.




Indeed, Thekla things are getting better in Europe, but not here. Folks are addicted to the 'convenience' of fast food and all the 'paper' packaging that is laced with PFAS.
The problem, with burning this garbage in the states is that when heated, the PFAS become airborne, for all of us to breathe in.
And oh, did I mention that they are bio-accumulators?
We need to push as hard as Europe. Harder, in fact.
I will have to ask my sister in France what the rules are there.
 
Anita Martin
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Thekla McDaniels wrote:I wonder what exactly is being burned, and resulting air quality.


The waste is first shredded and sorted for any recyclable materials that might be left inspite of previous sorting, then the residue gets incinerated.

The air quality is not a problem as these plants have latest technology filters. There is one plant in the north of Munich which provides energy of an important part of the city district. There is no smell or smoke.
As much as I advocate for reducing waste, I would say that using the non-recyclable percentage for power generation is more sustainable than using coal or gas.

Here is a short description on the principle of the plants:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste-to-energy_plant
 
Mary Cook
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I question whether filters suffice to keep toxins out of the air when garbage is burned. Other than that, though, I'd like to see everything mentioned for Germany adopted here in the US. Sounds like things are still getting better there, too, whereas here any little advance is met with lobbying to reverse it, usually successfully. Looks like the key in Europe is pu nlic pressure, which means the difference is more effective propaganda in the US.
 
jackie woolston
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Please use natural materials, recycled old style furniture etc as much as possible. This is an amazing comparison, could be a matter of life or death in a house fire. WORTH WATCHING!
 
Helen Butt
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Thekla McDaniels wrote:I wonder what exactly is being burned, and resulting air quality.



That is a good question. At the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility near me, the gases are cleaned, neutalised and filtered for fine particles.
 
gardener
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jackie woolston wrote:Please use natural materials, recycled old style furniture etc as much as possible. This is an amazing comparison, could be a matter of life or death in a house fire. WORTH WATCHING!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87hAnxuh1g8



I have heard of that video, but I only watched it just now. That is scary, with the amount of smoke and the speed that the fire progresses. When things are made of oil they burn fast.
 
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There's a great website https://garbagefinds.com/
This person finds and sells items from garbage and posts his finds. It's amazing what people discard.
 
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Good point. Over here we are getting used to the use less concept as well. Here are some things that we do to make life easier. 1.have a bin that you put ALL useless burnable materiel in. 2. Have a bucket that all food waste goes into for animals (pigs, chickens etc.). 3. Have a bin that all cans and bottles go into. 4. Compost 5. reuse grocery bags. The rest is your choice, buy less use less.    
 
master steward
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Hi Camden,

Great ideas!!!  And, welcome to Permies.
 
gardener
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We have a few areas where we can't easily reduce our waste, but almost all our clothing, house and garden equipment/ furniture has all been bought secondhand for years now.
We recently moved and it's been great that even with having to set up a whole new place, we've mostly been able to rework and modify stuff we already had. So far, the other big needs have been able to be found through FB marketplace, thrifting and local auctions.

We follow a few local auction houses but there is a larger one called Maxsold. Their main business model seems to be clearing out homes so they can be sold. Having people pay to come and take everything away rather than paying for removal looks smart to me!
It shows what ones are active by a radius around any location you set. You can choose how far out you, want to look. Like all forms of secondhand buying, prices are going up and competition is higher, but there are still lots of good deals to be had.
Honestly, my mother sometimes uses it to basically gamble, since she gave up her once-or-twice-a-year casino trips several years ago. We pretty much always get at least one thing that is worth more than we paid for any lots and if we can't use everything, friends or family can, and we donate anything beyond that. I have a ludicrously good collection of high quality kitchen equipment and tools for pennies on the dollar compared to buying new. It does take effort to resist the hoarding tendencies however.

I also like that all these secondhand options keep what money we do spend mostly in our community as well.
 
pollinator
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Using less is pretty easy for me, since I have very little money and every purchase must be carefully weighed. in addition to that, I have to organise transport to my farm. The closest bus stop is 3 miles away and I only have a bike for transport.
No wonderful lightness of spending 😄
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master steward
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Dian Green wrote:I also like that all these secondhand options keep what money we do spend mostly in our community as well.

This is incredibly important. I think many communities would be helped if more people realized the importance of money circulating within ones "community footprint".

And wrote:

It does take effort to resist the hoarding tendencies however.

Absolutely! However, I remember somewhere... one of our members used to make up "gift boxes" for young Church members of all the kitchen basics for when they first moved away from home. Kitchens can cost a lot of money to set up the first time around, and if you're finding quality knives/utensils etc, gathering sets that aesthetically go together might help you put them to good use?
 
Mary Cook
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Kaarina--I has similar help in the 1970s when I was young. I did a lot of hitchhiking, including regularly between my friends in Connecticut and my family in California. Before crossing the country, I would mail a box of my stuff, then the rest of what I owned went into my backpack. That kept me from gathering too much stuff until I was permanently settled. And created permanent habits of frugality...
 
Is that almond roca? Did you find it in the cat box? What is on this tiny ad?
Easy Homemade Body Products eBook by Merissa A. Alink
https://permies.com/wiki/236574/ebooks/Easy-Homemade-Body-Products-eBook
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