Go Zero Waste in 2018: How to Work Environmentalism Into Your Routine

Though pledges for self betterment can often be daunting and go unattained, Carrie Yu is working to help make it an easy part of your daily routine. The founder of The Bulk House sells reusable products at the weekly Farm to Neighbors (F2N) market, where she also puts on regular seminars for composting, waste reduction, and other topics, all as part of the Zero Waste Movement, a conservation project that is quickly becoming trendy around the globe.

Together with F2N founder Erica Huang and F2N Zero Waste Project Manager Geng Chao, Yu hopes to help Beijingers adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

“We want to get people thinking: ‘Ok, today I can make a really small pledge to myself to bring my own cloth shopping bag, instead of a plastic shopping bag. Then later I can start bringing my own water bottle everywhere, instead of buying bottled water at shops,’” Yu says. “We want to encourage people to just take everyday small steps, and slowly move into the Zero Waste lifestyle. None of us are perfect, but we can each do a little bit and a little bit more every day.”

Huang agrees, saying: “I think this is a great way for individuals to reduce the waste that is harming the environment. It’s really simple to start on your own, it doesn’t take a lot of time, and it’s enjoyable because there’s a place like Farm to Neighbors where you can shop, live out this lifestyle, interact with people, and make a lot of friends.”

The interactive aspect especially comes into play during Yu’s seminars, which she coordinates both with Geng Chao at F2N and at other events and engagements around town. For attendees who are new to the Zero Waste initiative, Yu starts off by introducing them to the core principals encompassed in the movement’s “6 Rs”:

1. Refuse (say no to single-use or disposable items)
2. Reduce
3. Reuse (reuse items that you can use again and again)
4. Repair (fix things rather than turfing them)
5. Recycle
6. Rot (compost your food and waste paper)
How to Make Your Own Compost

Composting

You’ll need four things: greens, browns, water, and air.

Greens (aka hydrogen): Vegetable peels, fruit peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, grass clippings, plants, plant cuttings, and so on.
Browns (aka carbon): Fallen leaves, twigs, sawdust, paper, cotton fabric, cardboard (without any waxy/slick paper coating).
Water (aka H20): Beijing is suffering a drought but you should have some of this at your disposal.
Air (aka O2): This can also be in short supply, but it’s getting better!

Compost Assembly

· Section off a small part of your garden (one square metre will do) or acquire a decent-sized bucket.
Throw down a layer of browns, chuck some greens on top, shovel some soil from your garden on top of that.
· Spray with a little bit of water.
· Then, repeat one or two more times. That’s it!

In about two months you’ll have some lovely nutrient-rich soil. Better still: this method helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills each and every day. The secret to mastering composting is to be patient and not to worry about becoming a master even before you start.
Additional Tips

1. The smaller the better – chop or tear up your greens and browns. That way they will break down quicker.
2. Add worms to speed up the process (optional, but definitely makes the pile more fun).
3. If the pile starts to smell or attract flies, first: DON’T PANIC, and second: add some more browns to the pile.
4. You want to keep the pile about as damp as a sponge.
5. Keep the pile in the shade.

For more tips, and to partake in The Bulk House’s next event, join their WeChat account by searching thebulkhouse.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Uni You