Event Recap: “The Clean Bin Project” Screening

“Wow, wow, wow.”

That’s what was going through my head when Marimar and I took the stage on Thursday.  I can’t believe how many of you showed up for our documentary screening!

It was truly humbling to look out at the sea of faces and know every single one of you is passionate about taking care of this planet.

The film was everything we said it would be - funny, refreshing, educational.  The reason we loved this particular documentary so much is that it shows the raw, everyday challenges we face - trying to get as much life as we can out of those last few ziplocks we still have, trying to grow a garden in the Pacific Northwest that isn’t all greens, avoiding those impulse buys.

Plus, the couple dynamic always makes me laugh.  My partner Jarod and I are always in a competition.  I repeat, always.  (We first got to know each other racing sailboats at a big competition up in BC.  We were racing against each other.  We are still on opposing teams.).  It got me thinking - making low impact living into a fun challenge is a great way to jumpstart your process.

We also loved the part about the kids who were giving their 2 cents on the Clean Bin Project.  The next generation is so much more aware about the environment and the dangers of single use plastics than we ever were growing up.  It was very moving to see them understand the spirit behind the film and reiterate it in the simplest, most obvious way.

One of the most poignant parts of the film was the clips they showed from old movies, highlighting how plastic came to be so popular.  Whenever I talk to my grandmother about our business and tell her about the products we’re selling, she says “Well that’s what we always did.”  Low impact living truly is a return to simplicity, a return to the way our grandparents did things.  Frugality, simplicity, and resourcefulness are pillars of the zero waste movement, and we have our grands- and greats- to thank.

After the movie, we held a Q&A so you all could reflect on the film and ask for ideas and solutions to challenges you are facing in reducing your footprint.  We’ve included some of our favorites below:

• “One expert in the film said that all compost bio bags are petroleum based.  I had no idea!  What would you use instead?”  This was a great question, because most people don’t realize bio bags are petroleum based.  When we’re trying to reduce waste, why continue to use liners that are contrary to that goal?  Personally, I’m going to stop using the compost bags altogether.  Our compost bin is stainless, and it has a nice lid and a handle.  It’s just as easy to carry it up to the compost pile, dump it, and rinse it out with leftover dish- or rainwater.
• “Are you going to carry bulk items?”  We most certainly are!  We’re planning to focus on hard-to-find bulk items.  Things like laundry detergent, dish soap, lotion, ingredients for DIY cleaning and cosmetic projects.  To read more about how we’re planning to use our storefront, take a look at this article.
• “What about environmental injustice?  The film didn’t really touch on how environmental issues are integrally intertwined with racism.”  This was SUCH an important question!  Issues of environmental injustice are huge.  Did you know that landfills are placed based on which zone has the lowest median income?  Yep.  This lowers the value of the homes in that area and causes issues with air quality for people who are already at a disadvantage.  Down the road, we’d like to partner with schools and organizations to combat this, especially right here in Washington.
• “How can we get involved?”  This question seriously made my heart swell.  We LOVE that you all want to be involved in what we’re doing.  Here’s a few ways you can help:  1.  Talk to us about leading a workshop or class on something you’re knowledgeable about.  We love being a platform for the community.  2.  Get on our mailing list so you can come to our upcoming events.  3.  Look into writing a guest blog for us or sharing our blogs and social media posts.  The wider our reach, the better we can serve you.

If you’ve ever wondered about our shop’s name, all of YOU make up the Collective.  Building an engaged community of like minded eco warriors is what we’re all about.  And goodness, have you made it easy!

If you really wanted to see the film, and didn’t get the chance, we are working on doing another screening with the local group, Meaningful Movies.  Stay tuned for that.

What was your favorite part of the film?  Tell us in the comments below!

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Missed this one?  Experiencing a little FOMO?  Join our collective at one of our next events!  You can view our entire calendar here.