The Zero-Waste Home

I just saw this article on Sunset.com and am highly intrigued.

A zero-waste home? Wow. You should see outside today for trash day. All of the bins (my neighbors included) are full. I am proud to say that my recycle bin and my green bin (composter and yard waste) are more full than my regular trash. But no where am I even close to what this family has accomplished and accomplishes each day. I don't know if I could get the entire family (read husband) on board so it would just be me doing this by myself. Not so much fun and WAY to much angst and effort on my part.

Here is a blurb from Sunset:

On trash day in Mill Valley, California, the Johnson home has no garbage. Nothing. There is a hefty compost bin and a teeny recycling bin—one that Béa Johnson is embarrassed exists at all. “So much recycling really goes to waste, so you need to try to reduce that too.”

Garbage, though, is something that happens rarely in this modern, minimalistically decorated house. That’s by day-to-day intention—to live simpler and lighter on the planet. Their quest started three years ago when Béa and husband Scott downsized from a 3,000-square-foot home to their current 1,400 square feet. But it had been on Béa’s mind ever since she’d nannied for a family that lost everything in a fire. Béa decided she wanted to truly love and use and know everything she kept in her home. “Even down to the vegetable peeler,” she says.

Yeah, so ummm... no trash on trash day. I'm no where close! I really find it interesting that this all started when she saw a family lose everything to a fire. It is all stuff in the end, isn't it? Here are some of her ideas that intrigue me the most. Their toy room:

The blurb that accompanies this photo:

In the playroom there are four bins of toys. The rule is simple: If the boys want something new to them, it needs to fit in the bins.

What’s missing?

• Lots of toys: If the boys outgrow something, it’s donated, sold, or re-gifted. Béa and Scott encourage friends and family to give gifts of expe­rience rather than things. This year, their 10-year-old’s birthday gifts included a weekend of skiing and gift certificates to a climbing gym and the local ice cream shop. 

 Love the gift idea... instead of giving more crappy toys that fall apart after a few uses they get a vacation or gift certificates to go somewhere fun. I have a whole tub full of toys that no one plays with anymore because either it's lame, a part is missing or it's broken after a few uses. It's so annoying. But I've spent so much money on them I still don't have the heart to throw them out. AND most of the Goodwill / Salvation Army places around here won't take children toys anymore due to lead content. So it's either use it or toss it. And I feel guilty throwing away lame toys I'd much rather give them away.

Oh yes, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF in your clothes closet? Take a look at the master closet:

The house closets are enviable for their lack of clutter. Shopping is done only twice a year at a thrift store and replaces items that are stained, worn, or outgrown.

What’s missing?

• A bulging wardrobe: Everyone has a set number of items. For example, Béa caps out at 6 pairs of shoes, 7 tops, 7 pants, and 2 skirts (1 also wearable as a top). Same idea goes for Scott and the couple’s 9- and 10-year-old boys (each has 7 casual tops, 1 dress shirt, 4 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes, and 1 pair of PJs per season).
• Shopping bags and shoe boxes: Secondhand items are preferred over new. Last April, for example, Béa spent only $40 replenishing clothes for her whole family (she even found nice $1 Abercrombie & Fitch tees for the boys). 

Okay, can we talk about not buying new clothes - not ever, never?? I think that's a bit extreme for me. I love sales and I love hand me downs, but there is something fun and lovely about buying a new outfit that makes you feel like a million dollars. That said we definitely don't need as much clothing as we want.... but a little shopping now and then is good for my soul.

The living room has only what they need: a sofa, a video player, blankets, and pillows.

What’s missing?

• A single-use couch: The sectional couch here expands to a queen bed; pieces separate for extra seats; and a mirror-top tray turns seating into a table. To buy something similar, Google “adjustable sectional sofa.”
• Books: All come from the library.
• Photos, art: Memories get stale when photos are displayed for too long, Béa says. To keep the past fresh, albums come out yearly around the holidays. As for art, she hasn’t found anything she likes and can afford, although Béa sees the living wall as an ever-changing art piece.

I love the single use couch idea. I love pieces of furniture that function as dual or triple pieces. No books, though? I'm an english major and have a major addiction to books. A room without books is like a room with no soul. I'm not into her NO books movement (books to keep I should mention). I love art on the walls, but how cool is her living wall? That is fabulous!

What I got out of this article is about doing more to reduce my waste but keeping it in balance with who I am and who I married. :) I try to compost any food waste, I use recyclable bags when out shopping, I belong to a CSA Farm for fresh fruit and veggies... but we watch TV, we buy clothes, we drive a mini van and I don't have a compost toilet. And I'm okay with it. I'll continue to do better and to try to reduce my waste in the world.