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[JRmom]

Oh, and her house drives me nuts. All that white, completely lacks personality.

Even the dog was white :/

I totally understand where the family is coming from, but I couldn't go that far, even though the wasteful amount of packaging drives me nuts. I don't feel bad about our garbage though - one very small bag a week.

I wonder where they buy toilet paper that doesn't come in a wrapper?

 

[lwheelr]

Said in the article they buy paper wrapped TP. I've seen that, but usually the paper is plastic coated.

 

[Marianne]

More power to her, I say.

Ditto! Because of recycling, gardening and cooking from scratch, etc, we don't generate much trash at all. I just have a waste basket in my kitchen and use plastic grocery bags instead trash bags (I get them from friends that don't recycle) . Sometimes I can go a full week before I have to haul it out.

I asked my husband if he felt deprived in any way. After some thinking, he said no, the change in our lifestyle was so gradual that he didn't notice...and we sure eat a lot better.

As far as her house, some people just do the 'white is right' thing. I like color, texture and some clutter, but I decided some time back that I didn't need any more stuff.

If everyone had to deal with their own trash instead of having it hauled off to some invisible place (to them), we'd all be doing something similar to what she does.

 

[Marianne]

Makes me wonder though, what would you do with the bones of leftover meat, and so on? Have a seperate compost bin for it? That makes me think it would be smelly and rodent attracting, so short of buying everything boneless (not aloways practical or cost efficient) you would have to generate some kind of trash.

I used to wrap bones in newspaper or a plastic bag, put them in the freezer until we burned or hauled it off. Now I make bone broth, so nothing goes to waste, food wise. If we don't eat it, the chickens, cats or dogs get it.

 

[Denim Deb]

OK, I didn't watch the video, but if they don't throw anything out, what do they do w/old toothbrushes?

 

[Marianne]

OK, I didn't watch the video, but if they don't throw anything out, what do they do w/old toothbrushes?

In the video, it looked like they had the ones with the bamboo handles so they could actually be recycled or composted.

 

[Wannabefree]

I couldn't/wouldn't want to do ALL of that, but it's neat someone has proven that it CAN be done. I have reduced a lot of our waste by simply composting everything that is compostable. They just took it several more steps ahead I see nothing wrong with it. I DO see something wrong with the lady at the end saying "We can all learn from their example" when I bet she doesn't. Most of the folks who SAY things like that DO the opposite :/ I'm glad this family has found a way to reduce waste. The real napkins, and fresh foods, no junk food etc. ....isn't that how a lot of us live? I know I try to for the most part just not for the same reasons. I was green before it was so cool

 

[sparks]

I found it to be interesting and gives us more to think about. Information never goes to waste. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Very cool information, not just in the article/video but also hearing that so many people here don't produce much trash either. Thanks for posting it, Neko-chan.

 

[abifae]

It's not usually possible for stores to put meat and cheese directly into your containers. Not even bread. I've asked them to and they said they are required by store regulation to put it in their bags or containers and then give it to me to put in any container that I want.

I reuse my bags and containers for bulk and grinding my peanut butter, and some stores are set up to allow it. Like Mountain Mama in Colorado Springs let me weigh all my own jars first, and then fill them, and then they'd subtract the weight for me. But King Soopers won't allow that. You CAN reuse cloth or paper bags for bulk though, and use any bag you like for produce.

It's the meat and cheese into jars I don't think anyone here would allow.