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The beauty of our ever-changing backyard doesn’t cease to amaze me 🍃🏕😎🌲🌿🏜🇺🇸🏔😍 . . . . . #nomad #tinyliving #airstream #zerowastehometour #ZWH #zerowastelifestyle #ZWHtour #zerowastehome #zerowaste #zerodechet #minimalism #minimalist https://instagr.am/p/CA8gILkJ8eo/

The chronological story✒️ of my life this past decade. A personal evolution📈 and revolution💥. 🌱 The three lifestyles are completely intertwined. As a matter of fact, they complement each other so well, I would no longer know how to live without one of them! . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream #tinyliving #nomad #minimalism #simplicity #minimalist #tinyhomeonwheels https://instagr.am/p/CA04jkjBdyZ/

With kids at 🏠 doing homework and crafts, they're going through glue like crazy! No need to go to the store to get more! Like @lesswaste_birdie 📸, make my book's glue recipe with a couple of pantry ingredients. It's #simple, #nontoxic and #zerowaste ! It dries clear and works on wood too! 🌱 . In a saucepan, bring 1/2 c water💧 to a boil . Whisk 1 tbsp flour ＋ 1 tbsp cornstarch, stirring to a paste consistency. . Remove from heat and dilute with 1 tbsp white vinegar. .Transfer to a jar, and apply with a brush🖌️. 🌱 Loving my book's tips too? Post📷 your favorite using #zerowastehometip in your caption, for a chance to be reposted here! . . . . . #zerowastehome #unpackaged #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #homemade #ZWH #zerodechet https://instagr.am/p/CAbBu7_hr3-/

Feeling incredibly grateful for my optimist fanbase sending messages of hope, love and encouragement🥰 and sharing how zero waste has made them more self sufficient in today's complicated world. I especially love seeing your crazy experiments🤪 and the recent popularity and revival of one my book's tips: Regrow! 🌱 This📸is what our Regrow Project looks like at the moment. We're keeping it secured in our #homeonwheels with (reusable) museum putty to keep it from tipping over on travel days. These have been (re-)growing and travelling with us since mid-March📆, through Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah... and they're still giving us an inch per day of goodness😋. After a few experiments regrowing all kinds of vegetable scraps, I downsized to just green onions, as I find them to be: . the easiest (in terms of speed and use), . the prettiest in my decor (celery being a close runner up, because you end up with something looking like an island topped with a palm tree 🏝). But you can try for yourself with radishes, carrots🥕, turnips, Romaine🥬, beets, onions🧅, fennel, garlic🧄, leeks, celery, etc. All you need is to remember to change the water (1inch) daily, so having them next to the kitchen sink is most practical (in our 188sq ft living space that means that it can be in the bathroom, the bedroom, the living/dining room😆). 🌱 While some veggie scraps can be regrown into a whole new vegetable👩🌾, my goal is to only use the tops (I don't have a garden): Each day, I hold and cut✂an inch off the top, and then smaller pieces straight onto a dish🍲 for added flavor and garnish. In an upcoming post, I'll show what a week's worth of dinners looks like in our #zerowastehome (something that a lot of you have requested) so you'll also be able to see how I've used these regrowths. So keep an eye out for it🧐! 🌱 What's your favorite tip from my book? Share it using #zerowastehometip: I'll pick and repost my faves! . . . . . #nomad #zerowaste #zerodechet #unpackaged #bulk #regrow #regrowyourscraps #zerofoodwaste #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #reuse #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream #tinyliving #zerowasteliving https://instagr.am/p/B_2-qPwJ3KK/

"How do you manage to continue with Zero Waste during this pandemic😷?!" 🌿 Many ZeroWaste-focused social accounts tell you that "zero waste is impossible right now". I put my foot down. IT IS POSSIBLE🌠. Do not let anyone tell you that it's not! It might look different than before, but it's NOT impossible. 🌿 Millions of people are using my book's 5R method to get to zero waste and they're proving that it is applicable anywhere in the world🌎 -and to any situation (incl. that of a pandemic). 🌿 Travelling through 80＋ countries has taught me that waste management and resources differ from one country to another (recycling being the trickiest), but regardless of location🗺, anyone can: . Learn to say no (Refuse) . Choose to live simply and let go of the things they don't need to make them available to their community (Reduce) . Swap disposables for reusables (everyone already has in their homes the essential swaps, no need to rush online to buy something: look in your home first!), Repair, Buy secondhand... (Reuse) . Have access to some sort of recycling♻ (Recycle); . Implement a compost system fit for their needs (Rot). 🌿 Every situation, every individual is different. Every part of the world has advantages and inconveniences in regards to zero waste. It’s up to each individual to make the best of what his/her/their region has to offer, to adapt this lifestyle to personal particularities and readjust when unusual circumstances arise: In a pandemic😷, you adapt the lifestyle just as you would if you moved to a new location. 🌿 You might have temporary restrictions on bulk where you live, but let's not forget that waste free living goes well beyond the sheer aspect of buying from a bulk bin -that Refusing and Reducing, i.e, voluntary simplicty is half the battle! 🌿 Let my 5Rs be your guide. Pay attention🧐 and solutions that you never saw before will jump at you. What you'll discover is that zero waste is possible no matter the situation. . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #bulk #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #refill #reuse #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream #tinyliving #nomad https://instagr.am/p/B_vJXhPJsnf/

Note to @safeway: Your bags are not being reused (as suggested on them), they're flying in nature and within a few feet of my home😤. 🌿 What can I say, I've been saying no to plastic bags since 2008, but no matter how much you try, you can't get away from them: They come to you!😬 . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #reuse #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream #byo #refuse #tinyliving #nomad https://instagr.am/p/B_syUKbpD77/

Where there is a will, there is a way! 🌿 We've been living full time on the road for 6 months now. When we left, the potentials of the road trip challenging our zero waste goals concerned me, but at the same time, I was excited to put 12 years of waste-free living experience to the test with new living conditions and variable home bases. 🌿 So far, I have not only learned that zero waste is achievable (and completely compatible) with a nomadic life, I have also learned doing this through a pandemic, that it's in hard times that our values are most tested. But if they are core to who you are, with adaptability, ingenuity and an open mind, you will always find ways to stick to them. 🌿 Have you found these qualities to also help you stick to your values through this pandemic? Or have other qualities been more helpful? . 📸: Our trailer fridge. . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #bulk #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #refill #reuse #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream #tinyliving #nomad https://instagr.am/p/B_niweIpUGr/

Out of necessity comes great discoveries! 🌿 This week, we ran out of jam. I made my last batch from foraged blackberries I found in Louisiana. No berries to be found here🌵right now -or at least none I could identify as edible, and I didn't want to go to the store for more fruit, so I used beets instead. And surprisingly, it came out delicious😋! Scott is loving it on his daily PBJ🥜. 🌿 Beet Root Jam: In a pot, combine equal weight of cooked beets and sugar. Add a little water. Blend with an immersion blender. Cook until thickened. Enjoy! 🌿 I love reading about how you too are #makingdo with what you have during your quarantines! As we show the world🌎 that zero waste makes us resilient, we're inspiring a wider community to join us!👏 🌿 Thanks for all you do sticking to your zero waste values during these challenging times! Together we'll beet😀 this and come out stronger💪 than ever! #zerowastenowmorethanever . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #ZWHtour #zerowastelifestyle #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream https://instagr.am/p/B_iYet5JpZn/

Getting kicked out of yet another state, but this time it's not from COVID-19 related closures, it's the Arizona heat! 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) is more than we can handle in a metal can. We're heading north! 🧭🗺 . . . . . #zerowastehometour #zwhtour #zerowastehome #tinyliving #airstream #minimalist https://instagr.am/p/B_fuEdeJBXw/

Soap manufacturers will have you believe that you need different types of soap 🧼 for different applications. 🌿 And yet, soap is soap. 🌿 The same type of #unpackacked soap that we use to shave, wash hair, face, and body -we now use to wash dishes, the dog, the leather sofa... and it works great🌟! 🌿 And with a solid bar, you're not transporting and storing, the water that liquid soaps contain ⚖🌎 🌿 #makedowithwhatyouhave . . . #minimalist #sosimple #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #tinyliving https://instagr.am/p/B_ajDPvJ6HV/

In confinement we spend more time online than ever before, and e-retailers are making a big push for "eco-friendly" products" today. 🌿 On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, let’s not forget that consumption is Earth's #1 enemy. Buying something just because it's said to be "eco-friendly" is an oxymoron. Instead, let's make today a #buynothing day: The most eco-friendly product is the one that you don’t buy! 🌿 Like if you agree! 🌿 #refusingtobesponsored #earthdayiseveryday #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #zerowastelifestyle #minimalism #tinyliving https://instagr.am/p/B_S7i3CBUaM/

"My store no longer allows me to bring my own totes! What can I do?" 🌿 You have a few options: .Ask the store if you can bag yourself; some stores do allow totes but only as long as their staff does have to touch them. or .Bring crates instead of totes like in the📸; baggers can throw your purchases straight into them. or .Have the bagger transfer your loose purchases from your shopping card into a different one. 🌿 I explained to one bagger that I couldn't use plastic bags because I was in a competiton to go the longest without them😄 and hadn't used one since 2008. She thought it was so cool, she put the items straight into my cart with a big smile😋 . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #bulk #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #refill #reuse #ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream https://instagr.am/p/B_LNF-BBPlI/

I had heard and read that supermarket chains had stopped selling loose, but with my grocery runs spaced out as far as I can, it is only today that I actually got to see it in person... Having shopped exclusively from bulk bins since 2008, the sight of them filled with plastic bags broke my heart... my throat swelled, my eyes filled... 🌿 What does this all mean? 🌿 While supermarket chains offering bulk have a wide reach, let's not forget that it is the small independent #unpackaged stores that have helped established the movement and supported zero waste lifestyles from the beginning. And their dedication and flexibility in adapting to the unusual circumstances to continue serving our values proves that THEY are the backbone of the movement and our hope for its livelyhood. 🌿 More than ever, please support them. Check out BulkFinder to find a location near you (see link in the profile or simply go to app.zerowastehome.com) -you can also share the unpackaged locations that you know so the zero waste community can discover and support them. 🌿 United, we'll get through this! . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #bulk #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #refill #reuse #ZWH #zerowastehometour https://instagr.am/p/B_IqISJh2Gm/

"Can you do video conferences?" 🌿 With 40 of my events cancelled and #zerowastehometour on hold until further notice, video conferences would seem like an obvious alternative. ...only if I did not live full time on the road, in a travel trailer. 🌿 As states, towns, and campgrounds close on us due to COVID-19, we have to keep moving and retreating as remotely as we can to social distance. That means that my connectivity is unpredictable, and scheduling video chats not possible. 🌿 As you wait for my tour events to be rescheduled though, my TEDx talks and full length keynote are on my website and YouTube. 🌿 Stay safe, Stay healthy.😘 🌿 📸: my office. . . . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #ZWHtour #zerowastehomebook #zerowastelifestyle #5Rs #refill #reuse#ZWH #zerowastehometour #airstream #tinyliving https://instagr.am/p/B_GGBNuJuzA/

"Go home!" 🌿 This is our home. . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #airstreamlife https://instagr.am/p/B_D507zhNir/

"Most restaurants have banned BYO cups. Do you have any suggestion on how to simultaneously follow this regulation while remaining plastic-free?" 🌿 My solution for this one is simple: STAY HOME and brew your own. . . . #zerowaste #zerodechet #zerowastehome #unpackaged #brewyourown #stayhome https://instagr.am/p/B_AyeURBmBZ/

📸 Last week's grocery run 🥑🍅🥔 🌿 Someone recently asked if I gave up zero waste given the recent bulk regulations related to the pandemic: As long as I am standing, it's gonna take more than a pandemic for me to put aside my values! 🌿 Since going into quarantine with some bulk necessities a month ago, I've shopped once. We were located in the middle of Texas. The closest store was 25min away, with no bulk aisle, so I bought: a large variety of roots🍠 and squash, lots of tomatoes (for making sauce), avocados, fruit, sugar and flour in paper (I currently bake cookies once a week; bread everyday), wine and PB in glass (plastic around the cap of the PB to go in our jar of trash!), a case of beer cans,🥚in cardboard. 🌿 Here is how I navigated the GROCERY STORE. You can do the same when you can’t get your BYO filled or can't buy from bulk bins: . Prepared meals are most wasteful and unhealthy (incl. canned food), so I stuck to whole foods/staples as I always do. . I spent most of my⏰ in the produce aisle selecting unpackaged fruits🍎/veggies🥕 . Roots/squash can last for months in a dry dark place: they're my go-to zero waste equivalent to canned foods right now. Just make sure they're dry before storing! . We live on the road, so I let the local recycling policy♻ guide my purchases: we were in a county that accepted glass and aluminum, so I bought wine and PB in glass, but beer in cans since we also need to watch our trailer's weight to be as fuel efficient as possible⛽ . I looked for paper (i.e, compostable) packaging for items like flour, sugar,🥚. . I bought butter wrapped in wax paper (i.e, compostable). Make sure🕵 that it's wax paper though: plastic look-alikes exist. . When I had to buy dog food in a bag (just like bulk shops do), I turned it into positive impact: to pick up litter (you could also fill it with donations). . I only go to the store when we run out of 🍷😁. You don't have to pick the same goal, but it helps to have one to space out outings further. . PS: We're still working on that wheel of 🧀! 🌿 Just do your best while staying safe 😘 ＋ be thankful to the people working in your grocery store🙏 🌿 #zerowaste#zerodechet#bulk https://instagr.am/p/B-7-ERZhs-v/