Grocery Delivery

I’ve been working on a Trashless Kingston page and wondering whether or not to include organic grocery delivery services. There are many.  Some try to be mostly local and all claim to be making a smaller impact on the earth.  Even David Suzuki talks  about the benefit.  I agree to some extent. If everyone usually drives to the grocery store alone, a delivery truck doing a whole route would be better. Plus the food is better for you and for the environment. But if you are someone who already walks or rides a bike to the farmers market to get your groceries-it may not be the best solution except in the winter.

My main beef (uhh carrot?) with these services  is they are not conducive to being Trash Free (neither is David Suzuki though- his daughter is constantly pestering him about using Styrofoam coffee cups” bring a reusable mug Dad, come on!”) For the winter in Toronto, we had Front Door Organics. We liked them a lot at first and then it just ended up being too much surprise packaging (onion bags, carrot bags, sprouts in plastic clam shells )and they changed from being a friendly little company to a big mean company who left threatening emails if you forgot to put your box out, so we stopped. Then we went to Mama Earth organics who we loved even more. They were all the sweetest people on earth and the food was good. They tried really hard to be garbage free, and they gave me free chocolate and goodies because I left baking and notes in the box. I was sad to move away from them…. but there was still garbage created now and then.

Now we are in Kingston and we have started getting Desert Lake Gardens delivery. We got Styrofoam in the first batch, and this time the crackers I ordered come in a plastic wrap over cardboard and then inside that each 6 crackers is in plastic. I wish they had to say on the website exactly what the packaging was. On that note I wish packages is the store had to say on the package what the packing is (how much you can’t see, what the materials are etc. And again on that note (laaaaaa) why can manufacturers get away with labels like <natural butter flavour, and spices” What is that exactly? And why is there no label on grocery store bakery bread? I am very suspicious of it and wish we could make our own bread all the time. We have been trying but sometimes, like tonight, we just run out of time, so I pick up a loaf (in a plastic bag) and wonder, what the heck are we eating?
Getting back to the discussion (rant?) about grocery delivery services,
I realize It’s really hard to run a low impact business. If you look at it as a whole, they are doing really well. The soil and air are better for having grown organic. Our bodies are better for eating it. There is less packaging than you would have in a grocery store situation. They are focusing on local farmers as much as possible and cutting down carbon emissions by driving less. BUT if you focus on just garbage like we did for this project, delivery services fall short (so does focusing on just one thing, I admit). They are just not garbage free. I think the best bet would be a CSA but most of those don’t happen in the winter and that’s when we would need it. In the spring summer and fall, I can walk to the farmer’s market. It’s an enjoyable ritual for Aurora and I We can always see exactly what we are getting and talk to the farmers about it. Plus we can play in the fountain and buy a cookie. I think this year will be especially fun because now Aurora likes to ask what things are “this is?”

More on Tetra Paks

I was thinking more about my complaints of the tetra pak being less recyclable with the little plastic spout because Tetra pack recycling is a bit of a joke anyhow. I knew that I guess my selective amnesia kicked in to allow me the convenience of buying juice and rice milk. Perhaps my next action should be petitioning the companies to put their products in glass, and even better to have a deposit return system like Harmony Organic Dairy, Organic Meadow or Pine Hedge Farms. Or I could go back to making my own (in my spare time-ha ha ha).

Garden Woes

Once we found out there was no way we could use the land beside the apartment to garden in, I started searching for a community garden and found FRILL right by our home. A few days after I joined, they lost their land. Undaunted I expressed interest in helping to find find new land and being involved with the new garden. Unfortunately I can’t always do what I think I can because I have a toddler. I’ve already missed a planning meeting and a moving party (moving all the garden tings off the previous land and into storage) because Aurora didn’t want to go. So I’m asking for your help.
1. If you live in Kingston and have time and interested, please contact FRILL about being on the planning committee.
2. If you have or know of land in downtown Kingston that a community garden could go on, contact FRILL or myself
3. If you have a yard at all, plant a garden to feed yourself or your friends.
4. If you own an apartment building, and the tenants want to have a community garden and compost in the side yard, let them. If they haven’t expressed interest, encourage them too or start one yourself, please.
I will try to add a list of community gardens to both Trashless Toronto and Trashless Kingston (trying to come up with a better name) ASAP>

It’s not easy being Green (a Confessional)

If you don’t know us, you may have guessed it anyway…we are broke. We are living off a student loan which would be hard for a single person to get by on. We are doing OK, but we have been finding it difficult to afford some of the  “green products’ that we previously purchased regularly, and we are constantly looking at our buying habits to see what can go. One of the items we used to regularly by was Organic Essentials Cotton Swabs. They cost more than other “regular” brands, but I always insisted they were worth it. The packaging always bugged me a bit because the box is wrapped in plastic, so I pay twice as much for something that is biodegradable but it comes in packaging that is not. Anyhow, we couldn’t find them here in Kingston and ordering them online was looking to be too expensive, so I broke down and bought LIFE Brand cotton swabs with paper sticks. I wondered why they were not biodegradable. I mean if they were, wouldn’t they want to advertise that on the package? I have done some research and I can’t find an answer. It seems that because the sticks are paper, they should be biodegradable unless some chemical treatment makes them not so. I will have to call the company and then post an update.  If you can afford it, I  would still argue that Organic Essential are better because they are organic, and the farmers are treated and paid well. But for the time being, unless I discover some pernicious property about them, we will be using LIFE brand cotton swabs.
The other big problem we have come across is our apartment. We had to find somewhere cheap and fast at the busiest time of the year for apartment hunting, so we are in an apartment with no yard or balcony (for growing food or hanging laundry) and no ventilation. That means we have to keep the windows open even in the winter (please don’t tell the energy efficiency police) and we can’t hang laundry to dry because our apartment is so humid that any added humidity causes major mold problems.
Also, we are not always buying organic or even local-we still try, but when things are really tight, we close our eyes and go to the supermarket.

Garbage!

It’s been  3 years since we did this project hardcore. Wow, time flies. Happy New Years! It looks like I am now a monthly blogger and though I hope to post more frequently, I’m not going to make a resolution about it.  I am posting now though-aren’t you glad? Yippee!

Kyle and I finally watched Garbage! which was made around the time we finished our own project.It was a great documentary-it comes highly recommended by me. The premise, in case are not familiar with the movie, is that Andrew Niscar (the film maker) ropes friends into agreeing to keep all their garbage for three months, and also to allowing different experts into their home to explain what their consumption was doing to the world as a whole.I loved how each action was followed to it’s source-it un-abstracted the concept of cause and effect. I wanted the city wide composting segment to spell things out a bit more though. They explained that all the plastic gets sorted and put into landfill, but they didn’t go further to say what that means for diapers-they aren’t compostable at all. They are just getting a detour to the composting centre to help the waste diversion numbers.

I can understand why he wanted the family to try and continue their regular output, so viewers could see what an average person is doing to the earth and our health,  but I don’t think I could have done it. The project was different from ours and I think perhaps more accessible to people because the protagonists were regular people, rather than “Weirdy Beardy’s” like Kyle and I (the same person who introduced me to that phrase also called us side show freaks, but that’s kind off of topic). I also had a few questions, like Why didn’t Andrew Niskar keep his own garbage for three months instead of roping his friend’s into it, and what are they doing to change in their output now?

Most of the facts in the film were very familiar to me, but I did learn one thing that shocked and disappointed me, but at the same time fueled me opinion that recycling is not the answer. Tetra Packs with the little plastic spout will not be recycled unless that spout is cut of first and thrown out. I am going to write the company that makes Yu rice milk and ask them to change the packaging. The old style of Tetra Pack is just fine. Even better, maybe I should go back to making our own rice milk….with the amount of cheese and yogurt we have been consuming we probably don’t need the calcium enriched beverage anymore.

Hip Hip Horrah!

I have a really good excuse for not blogging for a month and here is the photo evidence! I have been crafting like crazy to get ready for the Mulberry School Winter Fair.

All of these things were inspired by a need/want to reduce trash and have a creative outlet. I started making deodorant, toothpaste and cream for me and my family as a way to avoid getting containers every time, and also so I knew exactly what was going on and in our bodies. Unfortunately, now that  I am selling it, I am creating trash again. I ordered containers and some raw ingredients for New Directions Aromatics. Each little tin had a small Styrofoam circle in the top and everything came in bubble wrap! Almost all my other products are in mason jars, which only come in cardboard, but labels (that I don’t use) come with them in little plastic sleeves. I am offering a dollar off if you bring your container back to me, but I’m not sure how else to solve the problem. I have had people ask for the bubble wrap for felting,  so at least it will be used again. To be honest, I let Aurora dance on it and she loved it, but it feels like it’s a bit of a waste.

The sewn goods are made from a combination of new materials and up cycled clothing, curtains etc. I am never going to make hankies again because I don’t have the patience, but the gift bags are easy and fun and can also be used as produce bags at the market or grocery store.

I sold out of most things at the Mulberry School Winter Fair and I made more to sell at Made 4 You. If you are not in Kingston and would like something,  please e-mail me.   I can’t sell the owl pillows here because there is another crafter already doing so and everyone is afraid to buy mine, so if you want some owl pillows, let me know! If you are in Kingston, buy stuff from Made 4 You and talk about how great it is. I am sort of on probation for the first month, and I really want to stay on there!
Here are some recipes for some of the most popular items, if you are so inclined to made them for yourself.

Cocoa Velveet (1 jar)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons beeswax
2 teaspoons water
4 oz. cocoa butter
4 tablespoons oil (olive or almond)
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Melt the beeswax over low heat with the water. Spoon in cocoa butter and blend. Gradually blend in oils. Pour into glass jar.
Will thicken as it cools.

Mint Toothpaste
Approximately equal amounts of Vegetable glycerin and baking soda, a very small amount of salt, about a teaspoon of organic peppermint extract(to taste). Mix well will hand blender or whisk.

Sanchouli Deodorant
Use a mixer, like a kitchen Aid to mix 1.5 parts baking soda to 1 part coconut oil. I adjust the amounts until the constancy is like a thick cream. Add 1 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil, and a few drops of both patchouli and sandalwood essential oil. The sandalwood I get is mixed with jojoba oil because it costs $10 that way as opposed to $50 for pure sandalwood.

That’s all the time I have, but I have about 5 other posts brewing so stay tuned!

Wade in the water….

I have to be blunt here. Kingston water is not as good as Toronto water. You can very clearly smell the chlorine, and there is another smell as well. The first week we were here I cleaned the toilet 4 or 5 times a day thinking that was the problem, but it’s just the water. Aurora and I got used to drinking it (not from the toilet, of course), but Kyle didn’t and he was starting to have headaches and such from not drinking water. We won’t buy bottled water, so I caved in and agreed to buy a Britta. We didn’t have one before because I worried about the disposable filters and the packaging they come in. Unfortunately, even after going through the Britta, the water tastes bad. I’m not quite sure what to do now.
The other water issue is simply that there is too much in our apartment. We noticed it was taking laundry forever to dry when we hung it, and we started putting fans on it. Then we discovered….THE MOLD.We gave it the Hydrogen peroxide and borax treatment, but it keeps coming back. ICK!!!! So, for the first time in years we are using the dryer again. I’m not happy about it at all, but we have no outside place to hang laundry and this apartment is simply too damp to hang things in here. Sigh
The landlord did fix the drip in our bathtub, and to do so he had to change the whole faucet so we got a more efficient shower head. It’s amazing! We still have nice pressure but we use about 25% of the water we used to . I know this because I stand in a large container while having my shower so the water is collected to later flush the toilet with. Even though I am a very fast shower-er (5 minutes tops), I usued to fill the container. Now it is only about 1/4 filled, if that. Pretty cool!
I am really looking forward to the day that we can have our own home with a backyard and a composter and clothes line. Sigh. While I am dreaming, we will also have a grey water recycling system. I think Kyle is even going to learn how to do that in school. Wooo hooo!

Someone’s in the kitchen I know o o o

I have started making my own bread! A few weeks ago, Aurora and I went over to a fiend’s and he let her poke the dough of the bread he was making, to deflate it. She loved it. I had always wanted to make bread but it just seemed like too much work. It’s not really and if you have kids, it’s something they can do too. My first loaf was Spelt bread and it was probably the best I’ve ever had. It was a bit crumbly after the 2nd or 3rd day but that’s par for the course with Spelt flour, I think.
Next I made whole wheat bread, but I couldn’t find any recipes without milk and we usually don’t have milk in the fridge…so I used this fancy recipe and it turned out great.
Actually I didn’t really follow either recipe to the mark. I ran out of honey and used more molasses plus I didn’t put any instant coffee in because that seemed too weird for me and I don’t like coffee.
Then I found a whole wheat recipe that was very simple so we made that too. It was good but a bit dense.

I finally made ketchup! I’m not sure if I’ll do it very often as it is quite time consuming considering the amount that ends up being made. I will make it at least one more time though because I want to try it without sugar, but this time I just “followed” a recipe. I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. I’m not sure what we will do with it as it is too sweet and even Aurora dislikes it. I will try again with no sugar!
I’ve also been making cookies and pies and cakes and personal products but I have to go make supper now so I’ll have to tell you about that in the future!

More Inspiration

I really miss my garden. Our compost problem hasn’t been fully solved but we did buy the special bags so if we continue to guerrilla green bin, we can at least be sure it will be taken.
Anyhow I came across this the other day and wanted to share. It’s very similar to Path to Freedom and very inspiring. If I had a yard at all, I would plant in it. We do have many plants in pots around the house. I guess I could do a “how much food can I grow in my apartment?” experiment. So far it’s just mint, basil, rosemary and lemon thyme. We will have a yard soon enough though (I keep telling myself that).

Maggots or Landfill?

We have still not found a place to properly compost in Kingston. So far, when anyone comes for dinner, we send them home with all of our compost from the freezer to put in their composter. Also the building next door has green bins and does not seem to use them often so we have put 3 bags there.
We noticed no one was taking the green bins out so we pulled them so the curb. Then we noticed the garbage collection people did not take the bins, so we asked why, and were told there should be a tag explaining why.
The tag said biodegradable bags are unacceptable and it wouldn’t be taken until we took the items out of the bag and put it in a special paper bag available at local retailers. Ugg. I was ready to go out and do so, but Kyle is worried because it is not all our compost so we have no idea what is inside and it could be a health hazard. So now we either have to put all the bags in a garbage bag and send it to landfill (which I really don’t think I can do) OR cut open the bags and put them in the special paper bags (which I am also unsure if I can do now that Kyle pointed out the health hazards). Part of me is afraid of finding body parts or dead animal or poo, but mostly I am afraid of maggots. I really really don’t like maggots.
When I was teaching in Korea, I was carving pumpkings with my class for Halloween and one of them was filled with maggots. I was trying to calm the shrieking, knife wielding children down and reassure them, but every time I got close to said pumpkin, I involuntarily shuddered and the shrieking and jumping resumed.
I suppose in this situation, at least there would be no knives (hopefully) and no children involved…..