Blog
Not buying it: 5 tips for buying less stuff
The world doesn’t have a recycling crisis, it has an overconsumption crisis. These words (by my friend Oberon, author of the book The Family Guide to Waste-Free Living) ring true to my ears. Sure, we need returnable packaging and reusable products and fixable items, single-use items that compost, products that are designed to last, and […]
How to start a Grow Free Cart (+ share surplus produce with your community)
A Grow Free cart is simply a cart (or a stand, or a table – any surface really) where home-grown produce, preserves, seeds and seedlings are placed and made available to anyone in the community. It’s the ultimate answer to “how can I share my surplus with my neighbours”, or on a more basics level, […]
5 ways the zero waste / plastic-free conversation is changing in 2021
How we think and feel about and take action with zero waste and plastic-free living has certainly changed over the years, and 2020 was no exception. But despite all the change and uncertainty and distractions of the last 12 months, I do think that the zero waste and plastic-free movements are here to stay – […]
37 ways to use less plastic in 2021
One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions, or goals, that I’m hearing for 2021 is people wanting to use less plastic. It’s such an insidious material, plastic, seeping into every aspect our lives and causing litter, pollution, health issues, harm to wildlife, environmental damage… and using up valuable fossil fuels in the process (99% […]
5 simple (and free) things you can do to have a more sustainable 2021
2020, I think we can all agree, has been a year unlike no other. The best-laid plans (no… wait… all the plans) went out of the window, and for many of us it was tumultuous and unsettling and a bit (or a lot) of a struggle. But if you’re reading this, you survived the year […]
Keeping chickens: an Omlet Eglu Chicken Coop Review
This post is a collaboration with Omlet. If there is one thing that’s unexpectedly brightened up my 2020, it’s chickens. Adopting chickens back in February was (probably) the best decision I made this year. These adorable, quirky little birds are just bursting with personality, and I really can’t imagine being without them. And now I’m […]
5 steps to a productive food garden (progress in pictures)
It’s been just over a year since I moved into my “new” (1970s) house, and just under a year since my garden transformation began. (The transformation from lawn to productive food garden, that is.) And this last month, things have really (finally) taken a big leap forward. There is still so much to do, but […]
Where to shop online for sustainable Christmas gifts that isn’t Amazon
Someone on my local zero waste Facebook group recently asked the question, “what are some good zero waste stocking fillers?” and my favourite response was this one: “air”. When it comes to living zero waste, the less stuff we buy the better. I’m all for cancelling Christmas altogether, in fact. But we all like to […]
