The idea of reusing, repurposing, restoring, ect has been a concept as long as man has been hunting and gathering on this planet. Maybe not in the modern sense, but pre-historic peoples worked extremely hard for every calorie they needed to sustain themselves, therefore, it only made sense to use every part of what was found, hunted, butchered and collected.
When we moved to a more sedentary lifestyle and began to farm our own food, it was still of utmost importance to make use of everything that was available. Recipes including the "offall" of butchered meat are still used in many cutltures around the world today, even though many western cultures turn their nose up at this concept. Seeds collected from spring crops were utilized the following year to populate the new farm growth and this continued year after year, creating the heirloom seeds we see today.
Around 1000 AD, the Japanese began recycling waste paper and the first recycling paper mill in America was built in 1690, recycling cotten and linen rags. During almost every major conflict or war in this country over the last 300 years, people have turned to recyling and resusing, due to lack of typically enjoyed supply chain resources.
It wasn't until after the depression, during the mid 1950's that western culture was introduced to the concept of "Throwaway Living". This became the mantra of society for they next 20 plus years, why waste time cleaning, mending, fixing, when you can just purchase a new one? It has even been proposed that, in response to this, many manufactures reduced the quality of products, because "eventually it will just get thrown away".
It wasn't until the mid 70's, the concept of "Global Warming" (now know mostly as "global climate change", termed during a UN conference in 1995), that people started to really consider the future of our planet and how reducing waste needed to become a priority.
Speeding ahead to today, there has been a huge move towards homestead lifestyles and a more sustainable way of living. This concept moves past just simply buying an electric vehicle and turning the lights off at night, it has become in many circles, a complete way of life.
This idea of complete utilization of collected resources and reusing existing resources has had a renaissance. It is hard to say if this has been a concept driven by supply and demand, as the Covid era was the first experience many people had ever had with a limited level of supply chain resources. Or if the constant, unavoidable barrage from media, influencers and celebrities has taken a hold on society.
That being said, there is still A LOT of work to be done.
Random fact: chickens and pigs will eat almost anything (yes, we know you are currently considering that mean boss or that angry ex).
But in all seriousness, this has been a part of farming for thousands of years. Chickens and other fowl generally considered as livestock birds are omnivores. They will consume almost anything provided for them to eat. And in return they provide protein packed eggs and delicious meat. One chicken can consume up to 1.5 lbs of food and kitchen waste per week, thats almost 84 lbs of food waste per year. AND, if you consider the average backyard chicken breed needs only about 4 sq ft of living space (some farmers would say less or more, but this is the commonly held opinion), and approximately 8 ft of run space, that really packs a punch in reducing waste in the local community. One little town in Belgium was so excited by this idea, that they actual gave over 2,000 households 3 chickens each, in hopes of combating the huge problem of overflowing waste facilities. Side note, chickens are also excellent at getting rid of almost any creepy crawlies in your yard, so if you dislike crickets, they are definitely for you.
Pigs are also natural omnivores. Free range pigs eat a large variety vegetables, fruits, insects, worms, mushrooms, eggs, and occasionally small mammals (well the slower ones of course). They are also excellent "fertilizer" factories, taking the grain and greens they are fed (or whatever they forage) and turning it onto nutrient dense manure for gardens.
This brings us back to sustainability and our title "Waste Valorization".
What does this concept mean exactly? Quite simply it is "any industrial process that involves the reuse, recycling, or composting of wastes, useful products or sources of energy". Large corporations around the world are beginning to see the benefits, not only to the planet but also to their bottom line, of exploring this concept in a mutltitude of production processes.
So, HOW can we, as consumers, with zero access to industrial processes, possibly affect changing the mindset of our "throwaway" society?
1. Shop Small, Shop Local
How does this affect sustainabilty? Most small producers of goods use age old processes to manufacture, grow, butcher, raise, ect, the items they are purveying. This helps cut down on waste material because everything is done on a much smaller scale and with a more hands on approach. And if you have ever seen a small farm or had the pleasure of working one, then you understand completely. If you have not, check out some of the processes used by Joel Salatin. He is, by far, one of the most influential farmers in the current self-sustaining farm movement. His processes are facinating and he is basically putting the methods of the past back in to place, but with a modern twist.
2. Buy Bulk
A package of pre-measured quickoats (you know, the one with all the sugar and that friendly looking puritan) is about $.30 an once, depending on where you live in the country. But, when buying in bulk, you might be looking at around $.05 an ounce. Plus you will have one large bag that is most likely paper and might even be compostable, versus 52 little paper sacks and a large cardboard box. So, not only can you save money, but you can cut down on waste. And this applies to everything from meats, to dairy and everything in between. A great website for this is Azure Standard. They sell tons of carefully produced, non-gmo and organic products in bulk for sometimes as litle as a quarter of grocery store chain prices.
3. Compost
This is probably one of the easiest ways to cut back on food waste because you just pile it in the corner of your yard and forget it, the bugs will do the rest. If you are super industrious, you can turn your pile a few times a year, but it really is not necessary. Read labels on any packaging you are using. You may be surprised to see how many companies are starting to use packaging that will actually decompose.
4. Try Going Natural, Our Personal Favorite!
While we are very proud to bring you some of the best all natural skincare products around, we are very aware of other companies selling natural products that in fact have a ton of chemicals that are not only bad for you but bad for the planet. This goes right back to reading labels. Take the time to learn what is in the things you consume. If we stop buying the things they make, they might actually stop making them. Or at the very least, take better note on what we as consumers are demanding they provide. Safe, clean, earth safe products that are good for us and our planet.
Supply and demand is what makes the world go round, but if we just take a small bit of time to learn and to try, we might be able to change the world.
