Zero Waste on Etsy, Part II: Wool Dryer Balls

I did some more shopping with my Etsy gift card, this time purchasing wool dryer balls. The purpose of these balls is to replace your dryer sheets. The main reasons to consider a change from dryer sheets are they are made from polyester (see my earlier post about plastic microfibers in your laundry) and people with allergies or fragrance sensitivities wanting to move to more natural materials.

How they work: the wool causes friction when rubbing against your clothes, acting as a fabric softener and reducing static. An extra benefit is the wool soaks up some of the moisture, reducing dryer time.

(Image from FiberFeltnMore)

I got my 3 pack from seller FiberFeltnMore for just over $11 including shipping. They are simple felted wool, 3" diameter balls. I went for the plain offwhite - there are tons of designs out there.  Some makers even put cute little sheep faces on them!

T and I do about 3 loads of laundry each week, so I was able to do some tests. I put one ball in per load (though some people put in multiples). Sure enough, the clothes came out soft and wrinkle and static free. And, our regular dryer time is 56 minutes; with the balls it dropped by 7-10 minutes. Woot!

T's biggest complaint? He likes the fragrance from dryer sheets. He associates it with fresh and clean. You are supposed to be able to add a couple drops of your favorite essential oils to the balls for a bit of frangrance, so I'm going to play around with that.

Without doing the math for how much electricity my dryer uses, here's the overall weekly impact: 25 minutes of time and electricity and 3 sheets of single use disposable plastic. Win!

Visiting Las Vegas: the Container Park

T and I took a much needed long weekend away to one of our favorite adult playgrounds: Las Vegas!

We love almost everything about Vegas: the sun, the food, the shows, the showgirls, the art installations and exhibits, and a wee bit of gambling. ;) One thing I don't love is the significant amount of waste and litter. For example, I'm not sure if they are concerned about drunk people throwing glasses or walking off with them, but anyone who sits on the sidewalk bars get plastic cups.

Ah, well, in the midst of all this crazy gluttony, was a happy find: The Container Park. This is an outdoor shopping center with a mix of boutiques, restaurants, a playground, a stage, and a laser show dome. Most of the boutiques are local small businesses, and it's refreshing to see goods that aren't the standard touristy t-shirts and shot glasses. The Container Park is made of 70 shipping containers, 43 of which are reused/upcycled.

At the front of the park is a 40' long praying mantis - an art car created for Burning Man on an old retired farm truck (creator Kirk Jellum).

We stopped inside for a lovely charcuterie plate and cocktail. Compostable disposables? Check.

Right next to the compost bin made from recycled milk jugs? Check.

Right next to the cool playground made from shipping containers?

What a cool experience this was, to get a small bit of more relaxing space in Downtown Las Vegas. Definitely aimed more at the locals that the tourists, the Container Park is a great place for a shopping, dining, entertainment, and letting the kids run around.

Online Thrifting: Reuse #10

Thrifting: Not just for musty stores anymore! For those of us who love online shopping, from the comfort of our own couches, and minus the harsh dressing room lighting, never fear, there are many an online option.

If you do a search for online thrift shopping or consignment, you'll come across a couple different business models. There are sites that acquire the clothing and manage the transactions (swap.com, thredUP), just like a thrift store, and others that are venues for clothing owners to sell their own clothes (Poshmark). Both are valid options for purchasing second-hand, or for making some money if you want to spring clean your own closet!

The "sell to" model will make you less money as a seller, but I find the sites a bit easier as a customer: The pictures are professionally taken at the company's studio and there are condition assessments and sometimes measurements posted. The "sell through" model results in more money and control for the seller, but also more work for the seller and less consistent experience for the customer.

I've shopped at both swap.com and thredUP with similar experiences: the prices were great, returns are easy, and the listings were accurate representations. It was so easy to shop too, with filters for size color, etc, like any other online store. No sifting through multiple racks of clothes.

For example, I searched for grey jeans, filtered for Women's and "Like New" condition, and I can go into this posting where I see exactly the savings I'll get compared to new, and great details.

Check out this cute top I got! Not seen as well in this pic are the fine gold threads going through it. :)

I got this shirt, a flirty going out blouse, and some gray jeans for just $23. The grey jeans didn't fit quite right, so back they go with a prepaid mailing label, leaving me with two tops for $13. Easy Peasy!

These are how the items came. While plastic wrapped, the packaging was at a relative minimum.

OK, ladies and gents - I've done a trial run for you. Happy thrifting! :)