ZERO WASTE is the recycling of all materials back into nature or the marketplace in a manner that protects human health and the environment.

 


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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DISPOSAL
& RECYCLING:

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CONSUMERS-
BUSINESS:


WHAT YOU CAN DO! This webpage is not high tech, it is geared to the average person. See: Great Video! http://storyofstuff.com and read President's Cancer Panel: Eat Organic, Avoid Plastics (May 6th, 2010)

August 26, 2010 -- Below is what I currently do. It's not a final list because I'm always experimenting and so should you!  

CAUTION: Our federal government has a flawed policy of little to no effective safety regulations or regulators to enforce these laws. They allow industry to do their own testing and reporting - to essentially self-regulate. Only a tiny fraction of the 80,000 chemicals used today are regulated and tested for safety in humans.  The result is that when dangerous products are discovered, if ever, it is only after they have been put on the market shelf.  

To guard against health hazards and environmental damage:

  • ELIMINATE what you don't really need.
  • SUBSTITUTE with organic, biodegradable, home grown, hand-made, clean energy, and LOCAL products. 
  • MINIMIZE consumption, avoid toxins, fossil fuel products, imports, and shopping (all of which produce a large carbon footprint)! 
     

IN BRIEF: I use white buckwheat flour and/or apple cider vinegar for lots of things!

  • CLEANING: buckwheat flour and apple cider vinegar - I use white buckwheat flour dissolved in water for many cleaning purposes (dishes, tub, sink, cars, furniture, floors, and windows). I add apple cider vinegar to the flour water for my skin, hair, teeth, and laundry.
  • HOME: I live in Center City Philadelphia, in a 1200 sq ft home, 1 bathroom, with my husband and son.  We walk or ride our bikes most places.
  • WARDROBE: I hand sew or knit most of my clothes.
  • SHOPPING: I avoid buying stuff as much as possible.
  • DIET: Mostly, I consume raw edible weeds (see WildFoodies.org), meat/fish (as raw as possible), nuts, and beer. Most of it is grown or made locally. I do not take vitamins or supplements, avoid all drugs and inflammatory foods. I also avoid peppermint because it makes my joints ache.  And I avoid wheat because, quite frankly, it makes my underarms smell worse.  Too much information? Moving on...

FOR MORE DETAILS...

ELIMINATE, MINIMIZE, SUBSTITUTE! 

CAUTION: I was using peppermint for all kinds of cleaning, but it made me feel arthritic so I stopped, see http://noarthritis.com/mint.htm.  It makes me wonder about all those people who have painful muscles and joints, because mint is in lots of food and drink products.

  • ELIMINATE!  I've eliminated the following, including but not limited to plastics and other petrochemical & fossil fuel products:
    • soap
    • detergent
    • deodorant
    • commercial cleaners
    • air fresheners
    • house or lawn chemicals
    • make-up
    • perfume
    • hair dye
    • hair spray
    • nail polish
    • tissues
    • vitamins and supplements
    • all jewelry, except a thin wedding band
    •  See a more complete list to AVOID below...
  • PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS: Do Not Put On Your Skin What You Wouldn't Put In Your Mouth!  
    • HAIR AND SKIN (I take baths, following by quick showers, as needed - usually every 3 or 4 days, otherwise I take 2-minute showers to rinse off, using only a hand cloth)
      • Hand soap: buckwheat flour in small cheese shaker
      • Baths are good for skin and hair -  use half tsp white buckwheat flour and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, soak, sponge, and rinse. Apple cider vinegar seems to be effective against many skin conditions, including: lice, scabies, shingles, and seborrheic dermatitis.  I would start with a teaspoon and go from there.  Egg yolk, oat flour and/or honey in the bath may also help heal your skin.
      • Extra skin and hair conditioner -  egg yolk in my bath for both my hair and skin.  Just work the yolk into your hair, comb through, then rinse off in the tub.  It makes my hair very soft, but not as manageable as when I use the amaranth seed water.
      • Hair styling jell:  raw egg white, although the four water makes styling my hair easier.
      • Hair dryers: let hair dry naturally, it's better for it, doesn't dry it out.
      • Food for your skin:  I know of people who bath in greens and other foods, thus allowing the skin (your largest organ) to absorb nutrition.
    • TEETH: white buckwheat flour and apple cider vinegar, then rinse (make sure it's organic!).  Sometimes I also use baking soda to get the stains off my teeth and remove plaque, although I'd rather avoid using it.
    • MOUTHWASH: diluted apple cider vinegar, then rinse
    • DEODORANT:   I've had a good response to scrubbing armpits with straight apple cider vinegar for several seconds, twice a day.  My underarm body odor seems to be gone although I still perspire.   I've also found that certain grains, particularly wheat, increases my body odor. And avoid synthetics because bacteria, which causes odor, loves anything plastic or synthetic.
    • For young women: cloth menstrual pads, organic cloth is best
    • For babies: cloth diapers, organic cloth is best
    • For everyone: cloth bottom (ass) wipes, instead of toilet tissue (actually I'm not doing this yet, but I should)
  • GENERAL CLEANING KIT (floors, sink, tub, dishes):
    • FLOORS AND WALLS: white buckwheat flour by itself, or add some apple cider vinegar
    • DISHES:  The white buckwheat flour by itself is working great.  I hand wash my dishes and dry with old t-shirts.  I don't use dish washer because it heats the plastic parts (very unhealthy), but you might try the flour water on wash cycle only.
    • SINK AND TUB -  Again, white buckwheat water by itself is doing well.  Also, 2 or 3 egg whites (undiluted) really work to cut through waxy gunk our bodies naturally leave behind in the tub. 
    • CALCIUM BUILD-UP -  vinegar (on faucets, pans, etc.:  wrap faucet in cloth soaked in vinegar for 30 minutes)
    • DUSTING: use gloves lightly wetted with amaranth seed water.
    • WOOD products, like salad bowls: use walnut oil to moisturize
    • TOUGH DIRT OR GLUE:  Try a little bit of oil or fat for tough spots.

  • AIR CLEANERS --  ODORS, like paint: cut a big onion in half, it absorbs the smell.  Certain houseplants are beneficial to remove toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde, benzene etc.  The best plants for removing these and other toxins are philodendrons, spider plants, aloe vera, English ivy, golden pothos, and Boston fern. To learn more, there is a really good book available called: "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office"by B. C. Wolverton. http://www.ourlittleplace.com/nontoxic.html

  • ANT PROBLEM? Might also work with termites, etc.  Pour (or use a paint brush) vegetable oil around the entire outside wall of your house.  Also paint the inside baseboards if necessary. Leave no gaps or else the ants will come marching through. Fill any holes in walls where ants are coming through. Make sure all food is in sealed containers - glass, etc, not plastic.
  • CLOTHES:
    • laundry - 1 tsp of white buckwheat flour in water and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (it cleans, softens, and deodorizes) Use a toothbrush and buckwheat on dirty collars, etc.  Eggwhite can also be effective on tough spots.
    • Avoid white clothes or mono-colored fabrics that will easily show stains and dirt. 
    • Also try hand washing, then line dry. Sunlight is a natural bleach and disinfectant.  If you use a machine, try a front loader - it's more effective. 
    • I hand sew and knit (often using local fibers and un-dyed yarn) in order to avoid toxic materials and sweatshops. I dye the yarn in combinations of beets, turmeric, and black turtle beans (use uncooked beans and only soak for two days, otherwise beans start to spoil)!  I haven't yet learned how to avoid dyes fading...stay tuned.
  • FOOD & DISHWARE -
  • LIGHTING: Use LED lights, not compact fluorescent (they contain mercury!).  I paint the cover with a little egg yolk to make the light look warmer.
  • HOME & TRANSPORTATION -- We live in downtown Philadelphia in a small 1300 square foot townhouse. We generally walk, rather than drive. We use public transportation a lot and have also joined phillycarshare.org/.
  • PLANT & LAWN CARE -- For excellent potting soil, go out in the woods and dig some up!  Do not use store-bought chemicals, even if the container says it's safe.  There's no way to know.  Make your own compost and plant fertilizer using ingredients such as: rotting leaves, egg shells, vegetable waste (no citrus or meat products). ALSO SEE: ZWA'S LAWN CARE KIT
  • MINIMIZE SHOPPING (including DRUGS/PHARMACEUTICALS), AND GIFT GIVING because they often involve the following: 
  • WHEN YOU GO OUT:
  • STOP JUNK MAIL! (I try not to use the mail at all.  Rather than send greeting cards or letters, I phone or email)
  • MISCELLANEOUS:
    • WANT FROSTED GLASS FOR PRIVACY?  Apply egg yolk (a couple of times or as needed) with brush or sponge. 

AVOID! NOTE: Despite the assurances of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many environmental health hazards are associated with the manufacture, use, and disposal of consumer products. (See Health & Wastes & Toxics)  "EPA Registered" on pesticide and other products does NOT mean that the chemicals were fully tested for safety by the EPA or are safe to use. Most products and chemical have not been tested for safety by the FDA or EPA. Both agencies continue to rely heavily upon research and reporting by industry.

  • Petroleum-tainted or treated products, including plastics and synthetics, most personal care products, household cleaning agents, lawn care chemicals, pesticides, pest strips, flea collars, plastics, and synthetics.  Even if the product is said to be "organic", changes are it comes in a plastic container.
  • Driving a car - try to live within walking distance of where you work
  • Wood fires to heat your home
  • Compact fluorescent (they contain mercury!)
  • Paper: tissues, napkins, towels, diapers
  • Fluoridated water and fluoridated dental products (see: Fluoride)
  • Chlorinated water and chlorine cleaning products (see: Chlorine)
  • Food additives, including anti-caking agents (found in salt and baking products):  http://www.oxymega.com/alzheimers_dementia_aluminum.html
  • Talc (see: Wastes&Toxics) and Fiberglass (including air filters and insulation) see: Wastes&Toxics)
  • Aerosol spays and Air fresheners / perfumes / scented candles (These scents are particularly harmful for the growing numbers of chemically sensitive, allergic, and asthmatic sufferers.)
  • Avoid synthetic clothes (they get static and retain body odor). Avoid wrinkle free clothes http://www.healthdiaries.com/ & http://www.safbaby.com/. Avoid dry cleaners
  • New homes: Most new buildings need a period of years to "out-gas" due to the use of toxic construction materials. In addition, old buildings may harbor lead paint and/or lead plumbing.
  • Dishwashers: The biggest source of indoor air pollution may be the dishwasher and its plastic parts. US tap water is laced with traces of toxic chemicals, including by-products of water-treatment with chlorine and fluoride. Environmental Science & Technology reports that the hot spray of a dishwasher liberates 96 to 100 percent of the toluene, ethylbenzene, and cyclohexane in the water within minutes and releases it into the surrounding air. Washing machines, showerheads and faucet taps also release toxins in lesser amounts. (The hotter the water, the more toxins are freed.) Chlorine cleansers compound the problem University of Texas researchers warn. Listed in Earth Island Journal Winter 1999-2000 Page 3, Earth Island Journal is published quarterly by the non-profit Earth Island Institute www.earthisland.org
  • Check-out your medications!  Many may be hazardous to your health and the environment, plus medications are not filtered from your drinking water.