Enjoying a More Sustainable Summer

As we head into the summer season we wanted to help share some ways to enjoy a more sustainable summer.

If you’re looking for ideas for starting a new hobby or activity, read on about the benefits of repair cafes and how you can learn new skills. To celebrate Plastic Free July with us, check out the sections on food packaging and joining litter cleanups, and definitely don’t miss out on our first Plastics’ Impact on Health & Climate training happening later this month.

Repair Cafes Are Getting Popular

Looking for a new hobby to start this summer? Join the trend! Repair cafes are free community-led events where people bring in their broken items to be fixed together with the help of knowledgable volunteers.

Maybe now is the time to learn how to fix that broken bike, watch, necklace or your favorite pair of pants that has a hole. Repair events are popping up around the world and are becoming both a way to fix things and build community. Getting things fixed instead of throwing them away also helps with rising living costs, reducing waste being sent to landfills, and breaking free of our throwaway consumer culture. Many people are also drawn to these events to gain a new skill by learning how to mend their own items.

Visit one of the over 2,500 Repair Cafés around the world or start one yourself! Think Zero also helps with planning and managing repair cafes. Please contact us if you need assistance at info@thinkzero.com.

Did you know that New York is the state leading the country in repair cafes? Below are links to some local NYC repair groups and events to check out (including one cohosted by Think Zero), a fun repair kit by Team Repair, and IFIXIT’s free repair guides.

• BPC Repair Fest - Battery Park City Authority and Think Zero have organized a repair fest on August 2 from 10am -1pm. Join us to give your injured items a second life!

  
  

• Repair Cafe El Barrio - The original Repair Café in NYC — born in El Barrio and still leading the way. Free, volunteer-powered events every month at @elbarriosartspace.

  
  

• NYC Fix It Shop - Their mission is to reduce waste, contribute to a sustainable economy, and bring New Yorkers together to learn, share, and repair. They draw inspiration from Sesame Street's Fix It Shop and are guided by the Right to Repair and Repair Café movements. They're currently laying the groundwork for a nonprofit brick-and-mortar shop in lower Manhattan.

  
  

• Repair Cafe BKLYN - Monthly community gathering in Crown Heights Brooklyn building a culture of care & repair by giving your beloved items a new life.

  
  

• Team Repair’s Adult STEM Kit - British company Team Repair recently launched a STEM learning kit designed for adults that uses a dummy object to teach people how to fix their own phones. These kits are rentable repair kits that provide a flexible, risk-free way to learn real technical skills while also reducing e-waste.

  
  

• IFIXIT - The Free Repair Guide for everything written by everyone. Check out the world’s largest online repair community that provides free step-by-step repair guides (vetted by experts) for thousands of different products.

Why Should We Avoid Food Packaging?

Earth Action recently released a new report that estimates 1050 tons of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are being ingested each year, approximately 131 mg per person annually. The report identifies plastic beverage bottles and rigid food containers as major sources of direct exposure. Packaging-related contamination is extra significant due to particles being transferred directly to food at the point of consumption. These findings add to growing evidence that link food packaging to microplastic exposure in humans and emphasize the case for upstream solutions that reduce single-use packaging.

So how do we avoid this ubiquitous addition to our foods? Here are a few tips to help:

1) Shop at a local Farmers Market to get some or a majority of your groceries. Support local farmers and reduce your exposure to unnecessary plastic food packaging.

• Here’s a map of Farmers Markets in NYC.

• Search Local Harvest for Farmers Markets around the US.

  
  

2) Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) if you’re ready to commit to something more regular.

• Members of a CSA pay for their share of a local farm’s harvest in advance, helping farmers cover upfront costs for things like seeds and equipment and in return, receive regular boxes of fresh, seasonal produce.

• Find CSAs and Farmers around the US here.

  
  

3) Shop at Zero Waste Stores which often offer bulk refills for household goods including pantry items. Shoppers usually bring their own containers to fill.

• Check out these 10 refill stores in NYC.

• Check out our blog post for refill stores around the country.

Join a Litter Cleanup This Summer!

As many of us know by now plastics are made from fossil fuels and are terrible for our environment & all living organisms. It is a highly persistent material that breaks down into microplastics that contaminate our food, water, and air. While we work on cutting down our use of plastics, we can simultaneously help keep them out of our environment by joining litter cleanups. It’s a great way to take action and participate in an outdoor activity with friends and family this summer.

If you’re located in NYC or nearby, check out:

• Sanitation Foundation’s upcoming Bronx Summer Cleanup Series

• NYC Parks Volunteer Events

• DSNY’s Volunteer Cleanup Program, if you’re feeling ambitious and want to organize your own cleanup.

• Sanitation Foundation’s Volunteer Hub, a great resource to find nearby cleanup opportunities or your neighborhood cleanup group.

  
  

If you’re located elsewhere in the US:

• Take the pledge and join the Greatest American Cleanup in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

• Join the Clean Earth Challenge and organize your own litter clean up.

  
  

Want to learn more about plastic? Be sure to register to join us during Plastic Free July in our first training on Plastics’ Impact on Health & Climate!

Reusable Tableware Sets for Your Summer Events

Trying to cut down on waste during your parties and picnics this summer?

Our cofounder Sarah bought these preserve reusable tableware sets to use during her children’s parties as well as multiple sets for her children’s school. While they occasionally have to replace a few pieces, by and large they’ve been using the same set for all parties and highly recommend them. Try them out and let us know what you think!

Precycle Bulk Snack Offerings for Your Office

Precycle brings its closed-loop grocery model to the workplace, helping NYC offices stock snacks and refreshments in reusable packaging. Teams can choose individually portioned 2 oz reusable jars or bulk gravity bins, and they handle the collection, cleaning, and refilling-making office snacking more convenient, sustainable, and locally rooted.

LEARN MORE

We hope you have a great summer and have the opportunity to spend time outdoors enjoying nature!