The Low Down On Low Waste 2024
It’s a wrap, Re-WRAP, and No More Packaging Wrap
We hope you had a restful holiday season and are enjoying the New Year!
This first newsletter of 2024 is all about cleaning house - yours, the states and our Mothers’.
You’ll find info on:
Circulating what you can’t use to those who need it
Legislative actions you can take to reduce plastic and paper packaging and
Creating a waste-free kitchen
Re-gifting and Donating Post Holidays
Regifting unwanted gifts: We’ve all received gifts of things we either already have or that we simply don’t want. After thanking the gift giver, think about who would truly enjoy and benefit from it and re-gift it to them! Remember, one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure. For gifts you can’t return or can’t
find a good recipient, consider the following local organizations to donate to:
New toy donations: Ronald McDonald House, Shriners hospital, Sacred Heart Children’s hospital, or shelters that service families such as St. Margarets, Sally’s House, Family Promise, or organizations that support children in Spokane County’s Foster Care system.
Catholic Charities will accept 2024 calendars, school supplies, art supplies, baby supplies, bedding, towels, hats, socks, gloves, and reading glasses. Items can be dropped off at the administration office on Division and 5th Street.
Project Beauty Share is a Spokane-based non-profit who partners with other organizations to distribute beauty and personal hygiene products to women living in shelters or are otherwise in need of some assistance. They accept items like make-up, hair care products, and styling tools at their drop-off locations around town.
Furniture, appliances, outdoor/yard items, and home improvement items are accepted by Habitat for Humanity
World Relief accepts new bedding and household items that are then distributed to refugees and other immigrants.
Before heading over, contact these organizations to make sure they will accept the items your offering.
Our Legislative Priorities and How to Support Them
Since 2021, Spokane Zero Waste has been a part of the Plastic Free Washington Coalition. We collaborate with other organizations to grow grassroots support for bills that reduce waste, which in turn reduces harm to local ecosystems and the life they support. Below are the bills we’re working hard to pass this year. Visit us on Instagram and Facebook for ACTION ALERTS; simple actions you can take to see these important bills pass into law.
The Re-Wrap ACT (HB 2049): For the third year in a row, an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill will be heard. This bill implements top recommendations in Ecology’s Plastics Study (October 2020) to address our recycling crisis and the increasing amounts of plastic pollution. If you're like most people you want to recycle right, The Re-Wrap Act helps us all do that as it includes: standardizing recycling throughout the state, holding manufacturers of packing responsible for the full lifecycle of the materials they use, including paying for their collection, recycling and disposal. This incentivizes using less and materials that are truly recyclable. And this bill increases recycling collection to rural areas. Here is an excellent primer on this important piece of legislation. This fact sheet outlines the benefits of EPR for Washington residents.
Right to Repair (HB 1933) Right to Repair increases consumers’ ability to repair items by requiring manufacturers to provide the tools, parts, and information needed. Electronic devices, home appliances, electric wheelchairs, and equipment used in agriculture are the main focus of the bill. Currently, five
other states have passed Right to Repair and many other states are working on it.
Beverage deposit aka Bottle Bill (HB 2144) If you have visited other states, you may be familiar with a deposit/refund system for beverage containers. Consumers pay 5 or 10 cents per bottle “deposit” when buying a beverage, and then get that money back when the bottle is returned. States with bottle deposits have a recovery rate of about 60% vs 24% for those who don’t have them.
Speaking of Repair…
Meet Kent Larson founder of Repair Cafe Spokane
With the Right to Repair Act on deck, we thought it timely to get to know Kent Larson, founder of Spokane’s Repair Cafe, and learn what motivates him to fix things and extend their life. Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
SZW: Tell us a little about your background
Kent: I grew up in Spokane in a little house on the South Hill. I learned early on that if something broke, we fixed it; we didn’t just go out and get a new one. I watched my parents build stuff, a garage, a cabin, and I was involved in that process as a young kid. I went to college, got a degree in mechanical engineering, got a job then eventually an MBA. I’ve worked in the engineering field for over 40 years for a variety of tech companies designing and manufacturing electro-mechanical things. That field involves building prototypes, testing, redesign, more testing and fixing. It has been a rewarding and sometimes humbling career.
SZW: What inspired you to start a Repair Cafe in Spokane?
Kent: A couple years ago I learned of the concept of the Repair Café from a neighbor who knew of one in the Seattle area. I live in a neighborhood with like-minded individuals who fix things, build things, share tools, and most importantly, knowledge. About a year ago, I saw an article in the Northern Lights (power co-op) news letter/magazine that had an article about a Repair Café in Moscow, Idaho. My wife encouraged me to look into it as a possibility of starting one in Spokane. After some research, talking to neighbors and connecting with the founding Repair Café organization in Amsterdam, we started the Repair Café Spokane. My wife reached out to the Perry Street Farmers Market manager to see if they might be interested in having us be a part of the market and they said they’d like to give it a try. I’d say it’s been a big success there.
We have had generous support from The Perry Street Farmers Market, Eclipse Technical Graphics in Spokane Valley, and The Bike Hub on the South Hill. To them I say thank you! You have helped make this a success.
SZW: What items have you repaired for people? What has been the most unusual request?
Kent: We’ve repaired (or tried to repair) lamps, clocks, fans, coffee makers, electric garbage cans, Teddy Ruxpin, small tables, chairs, handbags, jewelry, waffle iron and some others items. It’s hard to say what the most unusual thing was – people hang onto stuff when it breaks, and it’s always fun to have people bring it in to see if we can help them make it work again.
Kent Larson at Farmer’s Market Repair Cafe
SZW: What kind of feedback do you get from your "customers"?
Kent: People are very appreciative of our time, knowledge, tools and skills to try to figure out what’s wrong with something and try to repair it. Even if we can’t fix it, they usually say they feel good about giving it a try.
SZW: What do you see for the future of Spokane's Repair Cafe?
Kent: I’d like to see our group of volunteers grow a bit so we have a longer list of people to help staff each event. I don’t want to burn out the people we have. Many of us are retired and have other commitments. For 2024, we are planning to be at the Perry Street Market the 2nd Thursday of every month beginning in May. We also have some repair workshops set up at the Spokane County libraries in March and April.
SZW: How can someone get an item repaired? Do you charge a fee?
Kent: I can be reached at RepairCafeSpokane@gmail.com
We do not charge a fee. We have a tip jar at each event if people want to donate any money for supplies. We bring our own tools and supplies. If there is something that needs to be ordered to repair an item we will discuss that with the person who owns that item.
Zero Waste Kitchen
by Shenandoah Marr
Let’s start this new year talking about some simple things we can all do to help reduce waste in our life. We’ll start with one of my favorite rooms in the house…the kitchen! With so much time spent preparing food or cleaning up, it made sense for me to closely examine waste in this part of my life and try to reduce it.
One easy switch I made was to start buying spices, lentils, flour, rice, nuts, and oats from bulk bins. This reduces packaging material, allows me to buy only what I need and saves money. When buying bulk you can bring your own bags or containers to fill. A couple years ago I was given bags similar to these that I use so I don’t need a plastic bag.
If using glass or metal containers, be sure to get them weighed before filling, referred to as the tare weight. This is so the cashier can deduct the weight of your container so your only charged for the ingredients your purchasing.
Tip: If you like the convenience of Keurig for coffee, choose the reusable or the compostable cups.
Simple Plastic-Free Swaps:
Invest in a wood or bamboo cutting board instead of plastic, and avoid chopping bits of plastic into your food.
Use existing “tupperware” containers or silicone bags to store vegetables and cheese. Silicone bags can also be used to season and toss vegetables in, or even meat, and are dishwasher safe.
Wrap leafy greens, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower) even carrots in a damp dish towel and place in the crisper for longer freshness.
Use cotton dishcloths instead of paper towels for cleaning.
Purchase refills of dish soap at the Spokane Refillery or at Huckleberry’s
on Monroe
Tip: Make a zero-waste lunch kit with reusable bags, glass, metal or “tupperware” containers you already have, and metal or bamboo flatware.
The most difficult thing for me to eliminate has been single-use plastic food containers. I love dips, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and other foods packaged in plastic. However, I have found a few tricks to minimize these containers. I started buying blocks of cheese instead of small bags of shredded cheese. In addition to reducing packaging, it is much more economical. When I have time, I make my own hummus and salad dressings. I have nearly eliminated “convenience” snacks such as single serving yogurt by buying a large tub and taking a few seconds to spoon it into a reusable container to take to work with me. Every bit helps!
And then there’s food waste
Reduction of organic waste in landfills and incinerators has been identified as the number one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. If you have a green bin, getting your food scraps in it is a massive positive contribution. Worried about smells or pests in the Winter? Don’t be, the cold freezes the contents and diminishes smells that can attract rodents.
Don’t want to haul scraps out to the bin? There are countertop options. I was the lucky recipient of a tabletop mechanical composter this year. All of my food scraps go in there and by Spring, I will have a nice amount of compost for my garden. You don’t need a fancy contraption like mine, counter top or under-the-counter collection containers are easy to find.
By making relatively painless changes, I have gotten our household of two down to one bag of trash per week, (not including the bags of used kitty litter from the two cats. Maybe the next cats will learn how to use the toilet!) Check back next month when we take on reducing bathroom waste!
Well I am telling you there is hope. I have seen it. But it does not come from governments or corporations. It comes from the people. - Greta Thurnburg
