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Is anyone here into the zero waste movement?
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 7:39 am
Quote:
Times have changed. The globalisation and the Internet have made it cheaper to buy something new than to fix it- from hoovers to beds to clothing. The internet has made life faster - an email has to be answered the same day, a letter could take a week. So one could argue that this movement is a healthy reaction to an unhealthy world.


One of my biggest pet peeves:

Planned obsolescence, or built-in obsolescence, in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete (that is, unfashionable or no longer functional) after a certain period of time. The rationale behind the strategy is to generate long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases (referred to as "shortening the replacement cycle").


It is getting harder and harder to find things that are built to last, or repairable in any way.
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amother
Coral


 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 8:30 am
[quote="newbie"]
zaq wrote:
Hmph. I grew up doing all this, minus the composting. We didn’t call it “environmental responsibility” . We called it “saving and making ends meet”. Waste not, want not. I’m not as good at it as my parents because my dad could fix anything and I can’t. Anything he threw out had lived nine very useful lives and deserved it’s final rest.[/quote

Times have changed. The globalisation and the Internet have made it cheaper to buy something new than to fix it- from hoovers to beds to clothing. The internet has made life faster - an email has to be answered the same day, a letter could take a week. So one could argue that this movement is a healthy reaction to an unhealthy world.


So while I do use disposables, and don't always put things in the recycling bin, I do do my bit by buying much of my clothes and accessories resale, don't live in a McMansion (though I wouldn't turn down the offer), and living fairly frugally.
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Frumwithallergies




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 8:57 am
It is so nice to see other Imas sharing the same values as me. In my heterogeneous community, one unifying theme is 'disposables' (plates, utensils, aluminum, etc). It is so depressing. I'm trying to help the school move away from styrofoam!

On a different note, I've been interested in exploring more environmentally friendly feminine hygiene products but am not sure where / how to start. It seems like a huge leap.
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syrima




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 9:57 am
Yay! Like this thread! Am definitely with y'all in spirit, and I also try to

-reduce use of plastics,aluminum and recycle
-buy only recycled toilet paper, napkins, paper towels
-eliminate use of plastic straws
-stay away from styrofoam
-buy environmentally friendly detergetn/soaps
-do not generally use bleach

Yasher koach to all of you for every baby step!
Especially with our added responsibilities as Jewish mothers...very inspiring!
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 10:06 am
Please look up a fine organization called Canfei Nesharim founded by Ora Sheinson, a Frum woman. Its mission is to educate frum society and especially school children about environmental responsibility from a frum perspective.
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 10:15 am
FranticFrummie wrote:


It is getting harder and harder to find things that are built to last, or repairable in any way.


Ugh, don’t talk to me about appliances built with plastic housings that are either heat-sealed or assembled with self-tapping screws. To even look at the item to diagnose a problem you must either break the housing or remove the screws, which strip the plastic on the way out. Either way you have destroyed the appliance so it can’t be fixed. (The screws will no longer fit once the channel is stripped) This is deliberate on the part of the manufacturer. It’s cheaper to make, and once it malfunctions it must be replaced.
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A_Mother_First




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 2:39 pm
zaq wrote:
Please look up a fine organization called Canfei Nesharim founded by Ora Sheinson, a Frum woman. Its mission is to educate frum society and especially school children about environmental responsibility from a frum perspective.


Thanks very much for that! The rest of my family is not into environmental ideas, so perhpas
this would help them relate better.

Any thoughts as to why is it that the frum community (with some notable exceptions) does not seem to care about such causes? When recycling, it is done mostly to avoid a ticket etc.
I find it upsetting.
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amother
Aubergine


 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 5:25 pm
Frumwithallergies wrote:
It is so nice to see other Imas sharing the same values as me. In my heterogeneous community, one unifying theme is 'disposables' (plates, utensils, aluminum, etc). It is so depressing. I'm trying to help the school move away from styrofoam!

On a different note, I've been interested in exploring more environmentally friendly feminine hygiene products but am not sure where / how to start. It seems like a huge leap.


This is the easiest area. Reusable sanitary towels are easily found if a bit expensive for a full set - can't remember where I got mine - maybe a seller on etsy? Google or search on here. Menstrual cups (mooncup, diva cup) are much cheaper if you can get the hang of those. (mine leaks a bit on heavy days so I own a few reusable towels for those days)
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 5:27 pm
I like to think I do my bit for the environment by having so many children we can rarely afford to fly to exotic locations.
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 03 2018, 8:47 pm
Newbie: my point is that the "movement" is nothing new. Before the affluence that started in the 1950s or so, and certainly before the explosion in plastics technology, people didn't have to have a "movement". People conserved as a way of life, both because more people lived closer to the "land" as it were, technology was simpler so one didn't need a PhD in electronics to fix things, and because most people couldn't afford to replace their belongings as often as they changed their socks. If people only continued to honor the thrifty common sense principles their grandparents lived by, the whole "zero waste movement" wouldn't be necessary because people would already be conserving.
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finallyamommy




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 05 2018, 3:01 pm
I'm an environmentalist, or at least I try to be. I have heard this idea of environmentalism being avoda zara, and I just don't buy it. I think it depends on your kavana: yes, you could argue that trying to save the world yourself at the cost of everything else in your life lacks emuna, but on the other hand, Hashem DID give us the earth to take care of, and b'derech teva it's going to be destroyed c'v. And I do think that nowadays, in the generation of disposable everything, it takes some work and, yes, leaving your comfort zone. So? Hashem didn't necessarily put us here for an easy life.

Here's what I do:
Rarely use disposables. Pretty much only if someone's in the hospital (so I'm either postpartum or running back and forth in a high stress situation). Except disposable baking pans, and I try to reuse them whenever possible.
Cloth diaper my daughter. This is mostly for frugality, but I appreciate the green side of it as well.
Buy the vast majority of our clothes used. Same as above.
Have a small family. This is, unfortunately, not by choice, but at least I have that little bit of solace. I will likely never have more than 3-4 kids.
Return bottles and cans for a deposit.
Buy in bulk wherever possible. One huge bag of pasta to last six months rather than a whole bunch of plastic bags, for example. I don't know whether this actually makes much difference.

Here's what I don't do, but would like to.
Menstrual cup. Can someone give me a crash course? I hear there are different kinds, and people swear by one but not another, and there are different sizes, and I wouldn't know which kind to buy, and I don't know how to clean them, but I would LOVE to use a menstrual cup rather than pads or tampons every month.
Save waste water from dishes or shower and use it to flush the toilet. We used to, when we were dirt poor, but bh we don't need to do that anymore. And I'm not willing to have buckets of water around with a toddler in the house.
Compost. I wish I could, but not sure how to on the top floor without a porch. And you can really put coffee grounds in compost? That's awesome.
Buy/wear only natural fibers. This came up a few months ago in a group I'm in, and I had no idea until then that synthetics were bad for the environment, although I suppoe I should have known.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 05 2018, 6:34 pm
Small families are not necessarily better for the environment. Kids from small families generally get a lot more toys, clothing, expensive overseas vacations then kids from larger ones.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Fri, Dec 14 2018, 3:24 pm
amother wrote:
This is the easiest area. Reusable sanitary towels are easily found if a bit expensive for a full set - can't remember where I got mine - maybe a seller on etsy? Google or search on here. Menstrual cups (mooncup, diva cup) are much cheaper if you can get the hang of those. (mine leaks a bit on heavy days so I own a few reusable towels for those days)


there are lots of great sellers on etsy for zero waste products.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Fri, Dec 14 2018, 3:30 pm
dee's mommy wrote:
This last is probably the most controversial, because I find the hard part of this is combining kosher with "zero waste." It isn't always compatible, but I do try. There is a local "Zero Waste" grocery store that opened about a year and a half ago, and we have a great relationship. They are very understanding to my needs, and are always very helpful.


I find this the hardest part too and frustrating too, I wish I'd be able to do more. Buying in bulk, bringing my own containers etc.
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newbie




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Dec 15 2018, 3:06 pm
I’m using reusable sponges in the bathroom and kitchen- just wash them after one week at 60 degrees with your towels and they’re ready again! I can’t find the ones I’m using on amazon US but these look good too:
https://www.amazon.com/Natural.....49AH4

I also use bamboo toothbrushes and find they are no different to the plastic ones- plus they cost the same on amazon like the normal ones.
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amother
Yellow


 

Post Sat, Dec 15 2018, 4:41 pm
we are in the End Of Days.
Moshiach/the apocalypse is coming very soon to a theater near you.
I have limited energy, I use it to try to be a good person. I can't worry about landfills.
Hashem has got it covered.
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newbie




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Dec 15 2018, 4:55 pm
zaq wrote:
Please look up a fine organization called Canfei Nesharim founded by Ora Sheinson, a Frum woman. Its mission is to educate frum society and especially school children about environmental responsibility from a frum perspective.


Just found the website, thank you so much!! Very useful!
http://canfeinesharim.org/
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newbie




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Dec 15 2018, 4:59 pm
zaq wrote:
Newbie: my point is that the "movement" is nothing new. Before the affluence that started in the 1950s or so, and certainly before the explosion in plastics technology, people didn't have to have a "movement". People conserved as a way of life, both because more people lived closer to the "land" as it were, technology was simpler so one didn't need a PhD in electronics to fix things, and because most people couldn't afford to replace their belongings as often as they changed their socks. If people only continued to honor the thrifty common sense principles their grandparents lived by, the whole "zero waste movement" wouldn't be necessary because people would already be conserving.


I see what you mean. The problem is that today, as someone above already pointed out, the whole economy is build on the idea that we buy more things more often- and that products are created in such a way that they won’t last long and can’t be repaired. So even if everyone would use common sense it wouldn’t solve that problem- I see that in my daily life all the time: it’s harder to find recycled toilet paper than normal one, more expensive to buy reusable things that cheap tat etc etc. But you’re right, we need to change our way of thinking as well.
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newbie




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Dec 15 2018, 5:01 pm
For Europeans: There is a great shop called Manufactum which only produces and sells things that last, from kitchen towels to letter boxes to clothes. You can find it online.
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Geulanow




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Dec 15 2018, 11:40 pm
If you make most of your food and other items yourself, you are doing the opposite of zero waste. When you buy prepared food, you are helping the store that sells it, the middle business that sold it, the place that manufactured (and/or labeled it), etc. So you are stimulating the economy, maybe helping a fellow Jew in business, and contributing to food that is already manufactured not ending up in a dumpster.
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