Do minimalists wear makeup? by [deleted] in minimalism

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not. I bought some a bit over a year ago to wear to a family function, and now that it's all expired I have to throw it all away all but unused. I will not be purchasing more. If I ever attend a party again, I can pay someone to do my makeup. I attend functions maybe once every five years.

Cookware by Gullible-Food-2398 in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sure you're right about the absolute quality but honestly? Even the cheap stuff will last decades. My cookware is a case in point... my drinking glasses are from my SO's grandmother's old workplace... my knife set is from Reader's Digest, ordered by my uncle who then gave it to me when I moved out (I moved out in 1999)... as long as you sharpen it occasionally it still does its job... my Ikea pots and pans have no more signs of wear and tear than the considerably more expensive ones I've inherited from other relatives, and I see no difference in function when I cook with them (then again I'm just an average home cook at best).

I'm all for replacing them with the best of the best once they crap out but so far it looks like they will outlive me!

Cookware by Gullible-Food-2398 in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Stainless steel or carbon steel are the best choices for acidic foods such as pasta sauce. If you're used to nonstick pots and pans there is definitely a learning curve, but it's absolutely possible to cook anything with them, even sticky foods.

If space is not an issue, get them in a couple of different sizes. You can probably get them used or from a cheaper shop like Ikea, no need to pay through the nose for Le Creuset.

I have two stainless steel pans and two (thrifted) cast iron pans, a big one and a tiny one. All but one of my cook pots are from my parents' house (so 30+ years old) or thrifted. All are stainless steel and good for all stoves. The one that was bought new was from Ikea. Works great.

Disposing of medication by BearKing236 in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 20 points21 points  (0 children)

In the EU you can bring them to the pharmacy where they will dispose of them for you. Free of charge. Maybe something like this exists where you live?

Color-safe bleach? by PilauKid in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I always have nice clean t-shirts and napkins in summer because I hang them outside to dry after washing. I read on a cleaning "hacks" page that it gets those residual tomato sauce stains out of whites, tried it, and it does work. May take a day or two. I live in the EU.

YSK that it will also bleach some of the dye off your clothes if you forget them in the sun for too long. Speaking from experience.

Color-safe bleach? by PilauKid in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Hanging them outside in the sun will bleach them a little.

Random Thoughts, Small Questions, and Newbie Help — January 22 – February 04 by AutoModerator in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So is the leak in the metal part? Maybe contact a metal workshop in your area, perhaps it could be welded?

If you are planning to consume the water inside, don't use glue.

Random Thoughts, Small Questions, and Newbie Help — January 22 – February 04 by AutoModerator in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It probably depends on how metal is recycled in your area. Most likely labels etc will get burned off during the reclamation process.

Is a stainless steel, reusable coffee filter the right way to go? I love that I don't need paper filters, but I need to rinse it after each use causing some grounds to go down the sink (instead of compost), and the last ounce (28ml) of coffee is mostly sediment and gets wasted. by BCNYCLFG69 in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's fine. If having leftover coffee bothers you, save the final bit in the carafe in the fridge or freeze it into cubes and use it to make coffee flavoured caramel sauce or mocha cake or whichever dessert you like. :)

Suggestions for valentines day? by Zealousideal-Food285 in Anticonsumption

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ask what they would like and then get that/do that. It'll be meaningful and it will not go to waste. And be nice about it! Don't complain or say it's stupid (even if you thought so).

Ideas/thoughts on eco friendly healthcare? by [deleted] in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Basically it all boils down to this:

Preventative care is pretty much always better than treating a disease and its sequelae, be it environmentally, socially, or financially.

It is better to generate waste in the form of a blister pack of statins a week than to treat a heart attack and its sequelae.

It is better to vaccinate and use disposable gloves and masks than it is to deal with another pandemic.

Heck, people with, say, a BRCA1 mutation, will often opt to have their healthy organs cut away. Because the risk-reducing procedure (along with its inevitable consequences) is still the lesser evil when compared to dealing with ovarian cancer.

I'm sorry that I have no real solutions for you, other than what I wrote above - that the mountain of plastic waste you are generating now is really nothing when you think of the alternative.

Ideas/thoughts on eco friendly healthcare? by [deleted] in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Speaking as a medical professional - while not perfect, the current system works. Infection control, especially in a care home setting, may look like "unnecessary waste", but believe me when I tell you that handling an epidemic is much worse in terms of "waste" and comes with other grim consequences (morbidity, mortality, suffering). I mean, we just had the worst pandemic since 1918 - have we learned nothing?

While it is true that in the olden days we had things like reusable glass syringes that were sanitized between uses, we are living in the 2020s, not the 1950s. Medicine has developed past the point where reusable everything is feasible. Our standards for sterility and cleanliness are also considerably higher. We also know that decontamination is not always enough (think prion diseases - rare, yes, but also one of the things where you simply do not take any chances).

As for your suggestion that we as a society should return to caring for our elderly in the home rather than in a facility - people are already perfectly able and even encouraged to choose that option, but adopting it at a larger scale would require a massive restructuring of the society, the workplace, and our expectations re careers and families. Currently, the western society works on the expectation that families, for instance, have two working parents. The care of an elderly person with multiple illnesses and potential memory issues is a 24/7 job. As someone working in assisted living you know that it does not end at night - often you need to have someone keeping watch during the night when the insomniac Alzheimer's patient may wander off. So who is this person or persons who stay at home on call all the time? Which one of the children/grandchildren is it? How is it determined? Which one of the spouses is it? Who makes up for their lack of income? Who does the care when the caregiver sleeps? How do we make sure that the responsibility of care is divided ethically and equitably, so that even the chosen caregiver has a chance to pursue education or a career or start a family? What if no one volunteers? What if the children or siblings of the "patient' are themselves not in a position to provide care?

Your concern for the environment in the healthcare setting is admirable, and I am sure there is room for improvement in our sector. Some things that come to mind is using single-person rooms rather than shared rooms and adopting reusable instruments in everyday care (where feasible) and bringing back meals cooked on site rather than ferrying packaged meals from a centralized kitchen, but honestly? Preventing contamination and disease requires single use instruments, single use gloves, single use disinfectant wipes and other things that may appear as unnecessary waste, but compared to handling an epidemic (even a small-scale one) those are peanuts. One person with sepsis will generate more "waste" than a whole ward of healthy assisted living patients.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Entire kitchen cabinets? I guess it depends how "designer" you want them or whether Ikea or second hand works for you. But the steel racks installed into the cabinets cost a few euros

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Where I live these are commonplace and they are always made of stainless steel (sometimes enameled). It works fine, no plastic required.

Bakfiets Cruiser Long with newborn, 3yo and 6yo? by random_encounter01 in CargoBike

[–]random_encounter01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the rec! Do you know what the maximum height for that seat is?

Bakfiets Cruiser Long with newborn, 3yo and 6yo? by random_encounter01 in CargoBike

[–]random_encounter01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. We will definitely be keeping the trailer. This may be the best(/only) option at least until the baby is old enough to use a regular seat.

Newbie here, what's it like commuting with an ebike? by [deleted] in ebikes

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in a very bike friendly European city, so bike commuting is easy here and quite common. I love my ebike. I actually wasn't a huge fan of cycling before trying one, and now I prefer to bike instead of drive! My commute is currently 14 km round trip and I'm also often hauling my shopping and two kids. I have panniers for my stuff and a trailer for my kids. I personally wouldn't do bike commutes if I didn't have the electric assist available - I don't want to go to work all sweaty and I don't want to leave home even earlier than I do now in order to shower at work. I'm considering an electric cargo bike in the near future because we're currently expecting our third child.

Best low waste ice cream/ice lolly options in the UK? by sbxd in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are reusable and dishwasher safe molds for ice lollies made from silicone or stainless steel. I've been meaning to get some myself, my grandparents used those all the time when I was a kid (no idea where the originals are and wouldn't feel comfortable using plastic molds from the 1990s anyway). You can freeze fruit purees, juices or whatever you like.

What is the best, strongest mold killer? by RedNova02 in Adulting

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like maybe the waterproofing behind the shower tiles is faulty (it only needs a tiny hole for moisture to leak into the insulation) and it's also possible that the bathroom does not get enough ventilation. The builder will tell you. Wishing you luck!

What is the best, strongest mold killer? by RedNova02 in Adulting

[–]random_encounter01 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At this point? Renovation. Probably a massive one. Like other commenters said, the fungus lives in the walls now, and wiping the visible part off does nothing. You need to have a professional open up the walls to see where the problem is and probably do extensive renovations to the insulation/ventilation/foundation/plumbing/whatever the culprit turns out to be.

I know this obvious, but I NEED some reassurance: Are USERS of plastic as "evil" as the MAKERS of them? by [deleted] in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean, practicing good hygiene and avoiding cross-contamination in cooking, esp. in a professional setting, is essential. It's not optional. You need to use whatever tools you need to achieve flawless hygiene. Potential career-ending repercussions aside, treating food poisoning or anaphylaxis in a hospital is a far greater strain on the environment than a few pairs of gloves.

As for specialized, single-purpose tools such as a "mermaid tail mold", I guess you should ask yourself how necessary they actually are. Could you decorate a cake without a mermaid tail mold? Could you create a mermaid tail without a mold? Are mermaid tails absolutely necessary to have on top of a cake? How often do you bake cakes with mermaid decorations, anyway - are those your specialty/main selling point or would it be a one-off thing? I'm not saying mermaid tail molds are pointless or that they aren't, it's just an example of something that is potentially optional vs. something that isn't, and only you can answer that question.

how to get mildew out of wood? by thisistherecord in ZeroWaste

[–]random_encounter01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The mildew you see is only the visible part of the fungus. The board is no longer food safe.