So it’s just a thing that happens. I have an idea or pick up a new craft and suddenly it’s all I think about. But in this case it could actually be going somewhere.
Earlier this month Catlord celebrated his birthday. It’s a big birthday for him, so I got him a real big gift [and I’m usually shit at gifts so…was about time I did better], a 3d printer. As I am researching 3d printers and filaments, my brain says “but like…what happens to the 3d print failures? what is 3d printer filament? must be an easier way to get it.” I somehow stumbled in to small scale plastic recycling as an attempt to mitigate the filament waste [filament is expensive yall].
This later turned in to an immensely huge project.
The “peaches starts a business” project.
I made my way to the precious plastic site and there it was. The answer to my question. The answer to many questions. Precious Plastic is a NFP collective type thing, they share everything they have learned about small scale plastic recycling in easy and inclusive ways *for free* – including machine blueprints, business plans, workspace suggestions etc. I think my main purpose is to take something that is literal garbage and create a conversation around how great this resource is when it is applied to it’s full potential, rather than trinkets and plastic spoons. This post isn’t sponsored or like…an ad. I’m just genuinely excited that there is a way for me to positively impact my physical environment by removing plastic from the landfill. If you’re a likeminded human, I suggest checking out the website, if nothing else, just to see what can of magic can happen when you’re forced into the crunch line of global warming and armed with a bunch of Captain Planet type nerds.
So now I’m starting a business with a friend and I’m extremely excited for it. I love my current job [like so much, you have no idea] but I feel like I could take on the work [and like holy shit I need a creative outlet that gets me out of my house I swear to fuck). I have lots of ideas, and I can’t wait to share them, but until then, I just leave you with an invitation to chat about plastic recycling with me and how you can take literal trash and turn it in to amazing things.
And yes, I know – we need to be encouraging less consumption of plastic all together, and like, yes. But also – only 9% of the global amount of plastic is recycled, which means there’s a shit load of it all over the damn place. I think I will always be someone who advocates for the greener choice, someone who says yes to reusing jars and tupperware for a zero waste option, and genuinely doesn’t want anymore plastic created. I would love to get to the point where I can no longer recycle plastic into products because there is a shortage. Here’s hoping.
Anyways, we had a community meeting for PP folks in the city, and I’m really hopeful that something cool will come out of this for all of us. I’m trying to turn my brain off and it’s hard. Hoping the word vomit helps. And the tea. And the drugs.
Category: low waste
get out of my swamp
It has been so sunny this week. Like +15. Daisy and I have gone on so many good walks and out to the park. The vitamin D life is great, but the giant firey ball of sunshine really knocks me out.
Kinda funny, that I’ve been dreaming of longer days and the bliss that is literally anything other than -30, and now that it’s here I gotta take an old lady nap to celebrate.
I’m getting pretty excited about spring. I’ve joined r/wishlist on reddit, which is a group of weirdos that get real jazzed about sending presents to strangers on the internet. I randomly won two contests this week, and have 15,000 heirloom seeds and a heat mat coming in the mail. Which is bonkers. I’m thrilled to be able to help my seeds thrive, and not get all leggy and die 2 days after I replant them. I’m more so excited about starting all these veggies so I can share them with friends. (Although this means I’ll likely have to find some new friends to give all my zucchini to.)
Now I just need my backyard to stop being disgusting.
Also, wtf. Guys, I’m getting married in less than 7 months and my brain melts every time I think about it. I feel like there’s still so much to do, but I can’t think about what needs to be done.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~
Remember last week when I taught myself how to sew? I legit have made like 50 produce bags, and have sold almost half of that. Feels good to be contributing to the reusable life, yanno? I should…figure out how to set up an etsy or something.
CatLord and …CatRoom-mate? are both getting sick. Hopefully I can stave off catching the illness for a few more days. I hope you guys are doing well.
xx
The magic of a zig-zag
So it’s not like you literally don’t already have 5 other projects right now (crochet CatLord’s christmas present, crocheting a baby blanket, cross stitch, planting seedlings for your garden, learning macrame, becoming the entirety of pinterest, etc) but like, let’s do a thing.
Remember when you were in 8th grade, and you sat beside your super crush (and other future ex-boyfriend) and you barely learned how to sew because you were so focused on how adorable crush boy was? But somehow you managed to sew a pair of boxer shorts that you wore until you were 27 and the crotch wore out? And you swore you would never sew again?
And then you made these bad boys and it was frustrating as fuck, but you like…relearned how to sew.
WELL HOT DIGGITY. You somehow accumulated a lot of lace fabric. Because being a hoarder is in your genes. So…you better do something with it. Here’s a (non) tutorial of how to make (cheap af) produce bags out of shit you snuck into your house.
First set up the sewing machine you borrowed 7 months ago from your sister-in-law and have only used once.
Then be un-showered and model all of the lace you’ve accumulated like a habit while drinking cold coffee.
Decide on sewing the red lace you scavenged out of the Reuse centre because you’re too lazy to change the bobbin in the sewing machine from black to white.
Literally don’t measure anything but somehow make two square type pieces of lace and then pin 3 sides together. Feel pretty damn good about yourself for not fucking up the basics.
Sew that bitch together. I used a zig-zag stitch cause this fabric is a bad boy that is barely held together on a good day (aren’t we all?). Remember the wisdom of your 7th grade sewing teacher who explained how to sew the top bit. Whatever it’s called. Do that.
Ponder why you never went into fashion. Sewing is barely hard. This is great. Curse 8th grade sewing class and sitting next to your super crush. Decide you are going to learn how to make a shirt next because fuck, sewing is easy. It’s fine.
Weave a free-cycled piece of elastic through the top bit so you can close your avocados in the bag. (You fucking millennial) ((Also LOL millennials are 30-40 years old now. Suck on them avocados)).
Be extremely thrilled that you didn’t fuck up something simple and call your fiance over facebook chat to model the bag you made out of free shit.
Now go shower. You stink. I can smell you from here.
Love,
crafts & spaceships
It was a long weekend for CatLord and I, for Family Day. I miss my family back home in BC, but enjoyed spending Family Day with my little created family of misfits.
I’m on this new medication and it’s working really well, I have a lot more energy and am extremely motivated. I have 3 business ideas that are brewing around in my brain, words for blogs that have been stewing, and am crafting like it’s going out of style.
One of the things I did this weekend was re-teach myself to use a sewing machine. I was determined to make myself some reusable cotton rounds for my toner. It took me a good 2 hours to relearn how to set up the sewing machine and figure out why it kept jamming, and another 45 minutes to cut out circles of t-shirts (left over from my t-shirt rugs and dog toys!) and a thrifted receiving blanket. Some of the pads are pretty janked up, but I got the hang of it eventually! A coworker said they looked like nursing pads, and I mean, I guess you could use them for that…lol.
I also got a hankering to make some more beeswax wraps for my bestie. I had this super cute fabric that I wanted to use, but I think it’s too thin. So I ended up using this fabric. I need to find some pinking sheers I think, but once I’ve trimmed some of the sides a bit, I’ll be mailing these over to her.
I also crocheted a bit more of CatLord’s Christmas present. I started this blanket in November, and have been working on it since. I have to take breaks, otherwise my hands and arms get all crampy and gross. I am trying to keep the pet hair from being weaved into the blanket itself but crocheting out of a plastic tub, but as you can see, it’s not working very well. I also need to go to Michael’s to get more yarn. I’ll post a full picture of this blanket once it’s completed. 🙂
Finally, I became a plant-grand-parent this weekend! My giant aloe vera plant Muyo II (after the anime Tenchi Muyo, that I never watched, but that hair tho) had a little baby aloe plant that needed to be repotted. What do you think we should name the little baby?
I also am trying to propagate some new snake plants. Plantsplantsplantsplants.
Long post is long. Other than craftin’ and plantin’, I haven’t been up to much. CatLord and I rewatched season 1 of The Expanse, I’m stoked to start season 2 this week. I think I’ll likely be decluttering and doing some more repurposing, if you’re into those kind of posts.
Have a great week my friends. ❤
not perfect
CatLord and I went to the Farmer’s Market, on my quest for a low waste grocery shop adventure. I left the Farmer’s Market so incredibly disheartened. “Chris, there is *so* much plastic. Why are these carrots in bags?! Why would any one bother to bring their reusable produce bags to the market if everything comes pre-packaged?” We left with some leeks, some maple syrup, some broth bones for Daisy, and a real strong sense of responsibility.
Every day I get closer to opening a low waste wet/dry bulk store. It’s going to happen, I can’t keep bringing all this plastic into my house.
But I did. I brought more of it in, because there just wasn’t anyway around it during our grocery adventure.
So I started making EcoBricks. What’s an EcoBrick, Phaidra? Well, kindhearted reader, lemme tell you. EcoBricks in it’s most basic form, is a plastic bottle stuffed with more plastic. Neat right?
…
No it totally is. So on a surface level, maybe not so neat. Just garbage stuffed with garbage. But, think about plastic. Plastic will take centuries to fully breakdown. The Earth is completely plastered with it, it’s going to be around forever, and we have all this single use crap just floating around.
If we can remove the plastic from our environment, and purposefully compact it into these bricks, we have a building material that we can create cool things with, AND keep plastic waste from taking over the universe. AND it’s like…entirely reusable as more bricks if the project is demolished. (The website explains it better)
Folks across the globe have been making EcoBricks as a way to take responsibility of their plastic usage, and I think it’s really cool. Communities have come together to build houses, benches, art, walls, etc with these bricks.
But what if I don’t want to build anything with these stupid plastic bricks?
Hey that’s okay! Lots of areas have EcoBrick drop sites. Except my area. Come on Edmonton, what could we build?
ANYWAYS, I almost have completely stuffed one 710ml gingerale bottle with plastic. Plastic that I have been putting in a different can for the last 4 weeks so gauge my plastic usage. I’m not like..thrilled about the amount of plastic, but knowing that there’s this transition phase, I’m like…okay with it. The next bottle will take much longer to fill up! I’m not perfect, I’m just trying to do better each day. That’s all we can ask. 🙂
my take on the low waste “trend”
I’ve been reading/listening to some responses to the low/no waste movement becoming trendy, here’s my piece.
I’m glad. I’m glad that people are able to finally look at the waste they are creating and /make an effort/ to do something about it. If that means they’re “No Straw” campaigners and KeepCup users, I’m fucking thrilled. Every straw that’s refused, every coffee cup retained, every shopping bag not purchased, keeps it out of the landfill.
I’m a firm believer in babysteps, god knows I started nose dive into low waste living by guilt purchasing a reusable bag, and maybe that’s all it takes. Maybe it’s being confronted by the amount of straws one uses, or the amount of clothes in their closet. Maybe it doesn’t take an entire garbage audit for someone to start to make better choices.
What makes me uncomfortable about the “trendiness” is the gate keeping that leads to consumerism. I don’t think there is any “one way” to reduce your waste. I think there’s a lot to be said about plastic, it’s done some great shit. Straws are amazing for folks who might have not have full mobility. Plastic bottles are accessible to folks on a low income. If I didn’t have my CatLord here with me, you bet your ass I’d be using disposable plates when I managed to muster enough energy to eat (although I hope I’d go for something like palm leaf plates or something).
I think there are folks who forget the places of privilege that they come from. Sure, some folks on a low income, or with disabilities or illness are able to make changes to reduce their impact and I’m so fucking happy for them, but there are a lot of people who don’t have choice or the ability to make those changes.
I have privilege, I have support, and financial ability to go out of my way to try to make better choices for me and my family. And I am making the effort to make those changes because I can. I am putting the effort into upcycling, making due, and refusing, because it is something I believe in. I’m purchasing things that I think will help me and my family reduce our carbon footprint in the long run because it’s what makes sense to me.
I think that each person who joins the low/no waste movement will have to decide for themselves how it fits into their lives. If it’s just a fucking straw or reusable bag, I’ll take it. It might not be perfect, branded, or instagram worthy, but it will be their step towards a smaller carbon footprint and really, that’s all I fucking care about.
catladyriot 