How A City in Germany Made Me Very Happy

Let me just say, I know I'm sort of beating a dead horse with this one, but one thing that particularly just drives me up a wall is pod coffee. These things drive me CRAZY.  Pod coffee is the definition of single use, and they  just take it way too far. The coffee out of them isn't even good! *Deep Breath* I don't want to rant, but believe me I could, I really could. 

But instead of raving on about pod coffee I'd rather write about a city that decided it was just so completely illogical to use them that they banned buying them with tax-payer money for use in government-run buildings. 

In 2016 the city was on a mission to reduce waste and energy consumption throughout their government functions, and made the very logical determination that the pods were a great waste.  As an explanation for the ban, their Department for the Environment and Energy argued that coffee pods create "unnecessary resource consumption and waste generation," and "often contain polluting aluminum."

Spokesman for Hamburg's Department of the Environment and Energy,  Jan Dube, explained that the city just couldn't justify buying "6 grams of coffee wrapped in 3 grams of packaging" with taxpayer money, which just made me smile.

But Hamburg didn't stop there! As a part of the same effort, they also now prohibit taxpayers' money from being spent on other single-use/non-eco friendly items like non-refillable plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, plates, and cups, chlorine-based cleaning products, and air fresheners. Hamburg is aiming to cut down on all packaging waste, whether or not it's recyclable.

So here's to you Hamburg, for committing to zero waste goals within your government over two years ago, and for giving this zero waster a reason to smile! 

Zero Waste Baby Shower Gift Ideas

1. Second hand

Always check if this is ok with the parents. Some people may not want used baby gear, and that should always be respected! But if they are OK with used equipment, find out if they have any qualifiers (i.e. can go in the washing machine, non-smoking household, etc).

Next, checkout their registry. You want to get them something they want and will use because a secondhand gift can't be returned to the store. I would also generally make sure that your items are cleaner than average and clean them yourself before gifting it.  You can see how I did this successfully with a used baby backpack I got off of Nextdoor.

I have had success both on craigslist and Nextdoor, though I have come to prefer Nextdoor because it has a more neighborly feel to it, and people generally aren't too heckley. 

2. Plastic Free

As a fun plastic free gift, I got my brother and his wife some Klean Kanteen baby bottles, food canisters, and bottle nipples. I referred to them as "adventure bottles" because, knowing the parents, these kids are going to be outdoor adventuring a LOT. Here are the links to those and some other zero waste baby ideas:

1.  Klean Kanteen Baby Bottles 
2. Klean Kanteen Food Canisters
3. Organic Cotton Nursing Pads 
4. Organic Cotton Teething Toy 
5. Organic Cotton Snack Packs  
6. Soft Hairbrush 
7. Wool Changing Pad 

3. Baby Clothes

Baby clothes are not only a classic, but generally something you can guarantee your parents are going to use. There are lots of brands that carry organic cotton and operate sustainably!

1. Under the Nile - Under the Nile has an amazing assortment of not only clothes, but toys and other baby accessories. They also have really cute gift sets that basically scream baby shower!
2. Patagonia - Patagonia has lots of sustainable made baby and toddler clothes for whatever price range you're looking for! I love their cute live simply shirts and their organic cotton onsies.
3. PACT - Pact has lots of reasonably priced, organic baby basics!
4. Joobles - if you want something a little more unique check Joobles out, there collections are not only freaking ADORABLE but the company is also incredibly ethical.
5. Penguin Organics - Similar to pact, organic baby basics like onsies, blankets, bibs, and hats. 
6. Spunky Stork - Are you funnier than you're friends think? Do you want to get an awesome novelty onsie that makes the parents laugh out loud, but also want it to be on the eco-friendly side of things? Spunky Stork has your back! They have cute, funny onsies to fit that gaping hole of novelty that most organic, minimalist clothing companies have left.

How to Clean Your Tub Naturally - Even When It's Really Gross

Bathrooms are a places that are easy to get dirty, and sometimes feel hard to get clean. I've found the zero waste bathroom cleaning routine to actually feel more effective than traditional, harsh chemical methods! 

I've been cleaning our tub with a vinegar spray, but recently we had an incident when we had to go through a lot of headache to unclog the drain in our bathtub/shower. Unfortunately this process brought up a lot of not so savory stuff from the drain and really dirtied our tub.  I was questioning if my all natural methods were actually going to cut it. 

Luckily for me, they totally did! The simple combo of baking soda and vinegar did way better than I ever could have hoped! So whether you're just looking to give your tub a quick scrub, or you're needing to take care of some real nasty stuff, I've got you covered! 

BEFORE

AFTER

Ingredients:

1. Water-Vinegar Solution - 1:3 Vinegar:Water
   • you can add a few drops of castile soap if you want!
2. 1 Box Baking Soda

Instructions 

1. Spray your vinegar solution all over the tub so that it is thoroughly covered
2. Dust the tub with baking soda, go a little heavy in dirtier areas
3. Let sit for 20-30 minutes
4. Spray again with vinegar solution
5. Let sit for another 10-30 minutes
6. Scrub with a rag until all the grime has been wiped from the tub.  This sometimes takes a little elbow grease!
7. Throw out leftover baking soda if there's a lot, otherwise rinse it down the drain and let the tub run for a few minutes to clear it.
8.  Repeat if needed, though one round is usually enough.

Super Gross Tub

Spray Vinegar Solution

Sprinkle Baking Soda

Let Sit

Scrub, Scrub, Scrub!

Rinse, and Relief!