Reddit reviews The Hands-On Home: A Seasonal Guide to Cooking, Preserving & Natural Homekeeping

First, I would love to say that I am very impressed. You have made great progress! The amount of making from scratch and DIY-ing is incredible!

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I would like to give a different perspective and some logistics of ZW.

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It is important to note that the term zero waste wasn’t supposed to be referred to as a lifestyle, it was meant as a structure for businesses. It is also important to note that we don’t live in a circular economy, we live in a linear economy; so there isn’t a way to create absolutely zero waste. https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/bsxixk/aim_for_a_circular_economy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

Zero waste is about finding ways to reduce your waste and be mindful of your choices and impact on the world. :) This includes the brands and companies you support such as amazon or lush cosmetics. Greenwashing is also something that is important to watch out for! The concepts of Refusing, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling and Rotting in that order help achieve a low-waste lifestyle. 

Starting Kit and concept of the term “zero waste” not possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD9KKUjwzdk&t=330s

Low-waste journey mistakes and zero waste concepts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R48k1W3QGVs

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In Bea Johnson’s book, Zero Waste Home she talks about her first few experiences with DIY things. She started taking up making butter, cheese, etc. She explained that she took zero waste too far, in that all of her DIY activities were very restrictive and time consuming. It gave less time to spend going biking, spending time with family, etc. 

Living in this way can be unsustainable, in the sense that some will most likely stop being zero waste because they associate it with so much work and time commitments. People are more likely to stick to zero waste if it is more convenient. Try finding a deli counter that allows you to bring your own container, buy cheese or meat there. Find a bakery that allows you to slip your fresh bread into a cloth pillowcase instead of a plastic bag. Buy yogurt in a larger container and spoon out smaller portions into storage containers for lunches. Etc, etc, etc. 

What I am trying to say is, it is possible to cut out the more extremes without letting go of the zero waste lifestyle. Everyone is on a life journey that should be exciting, rewarding, fun and fulfilling! Take time to figure out what you want from life and allow zero waste to intertwine with your life, not take it over. :)

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Some other grocery-related links:

Food waste:

https://www.wastewiseproductsinc.com/blog/food-waste/food-waste-an-economic-and-environmental-problem/

Reduce food waste https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uRTimUpNr0 - Sustainably Vegan

Homemade broth: https://www.reddit.com/r/soup/comments/bwxpit/homemade_broth_has_so_many_advantages_reduce_food/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

Try downloading an app that suggests meals based on what you have in your kitchen like this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/c8s6yl/i_found_an_app_called_plant_jammer_where_you_can/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

Yoplait Glass yogurt: https://www.wideopeneats.com/general-mills-fresh-yoplait-yogurt-design-is-a-new-path-for-the-brand/

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Here are some bulk-store locators:

https://zerowastehome.com/2013/04/16/our-bulk-locator-app-is-ou/

https://www.litterless.com/wheretoshop

https://zerowastenerd.com/us-bulk-locations/

Shopping without access to bulk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4lqZJ-oZBM - Shelbizleee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaPX2ZtPBjI - Sustainably Vegan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oO0eHutLjw - Sedona Christina

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Pick your own farms: https://www.pickyourown.org

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The 5 R’s are the best way to navigate a low-waste journey: https://zerowastehome.com/2011/09/28/how-to-get-started/

In case you are looking for more, I’ll link a few YouTube channels that have good zero waste information :) 

Shelbizzlee: *highly recommend* https://m.youtube.com/user/Shelbizleee

Sustainably Vegan: *highly recommend* https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkq2gEWE-i647M71bh7zDxA

Sedona Christina:  https://www.youtube.com/user/720tanner

Blue Ollis: https://m.youtube.com/user/SophsChoices

Eco Boost: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3pE1IqHqbdf3vqtaALL4nA

*Note: You don’t have to agree with all the influencer’s values and opinions to watch or support their channel. There is a lot of good content to be found on these channels! :)

It's worthwhile to educate yourself on different styles and alternative concepts to find the right compromise for your lifestyle. You'll probably find a solution for one person that is an impossibility for another; keep that in mind as you travel on your journey!

r/upcycling is also a nice sub for repurposing things.

r/minimalism is a good sub and topic for assessing your belongings and future purchases. 

/r/EthicalFashion offers resources on sustainable-wearing materials and ethical textile production that can help you make informed decisions about the items your purchase and wear. There's also information about sustainable care and cleaning of different fabrics.

Books:

Try checking books about reducing waste. Sustainable Home is good for beginners. Zero waste home, by Bea Johnson is amazing book!

The Hands-On Home is less zero waste and more seasonality and sustainability focused, which is divided into seasons and has recipes for cooking, preserving and home cleaning during each of those seasons. The author is based in the Pacific Northwest.

The wiki in the sidebar is a great starting place, and if you're on mobile, check the pinned post at the top of the subreddit to get there!

I've been checking out a ton of books from my library about reducing waste, and I'd say Sustainable Home has been my favorite so far for beginners. I think it covers the breadth of the home and gives a lot of ideas, though this is going off of my checking that book out a couple months ago. I guess I would call myself "intermediate" zero waste, so most of the suggestions were things I'd already done, but the book also had some good ideas for me and was a nice reminder of the things I've already accomplished in changing.

My other favorite, which is less zero waste and more just seasonality and sustainability focused, is The Hands-On Home, which is divided into seasons and has recipes for cooking, preserving and home cleaning during each of those seasons. The author is based in the Pacific Northwest like I am, so I really like that her kind of "seasonal" is the same as mine since that does vary by location of course. I've been making her laundry soap recipe since 2017 and not only has it not let me down yet, it costs me maybe 2 or 3 cents to run a load, which is absolutely mind boggling to me. (Note though that I don't have hard water where I live, so I know that it wouldn't work for everyone!) Also, her recipe for a grime cutting cleaner works very well even on my stove (I cook a lot so it gets gnarly), which was a very welcome surprise. As I mentioned, the book itself isn't exactly about zero waste, but it does have recipes for cleaning supplies that keep me from having to buy spray bottles which is awesome!