You're the hero of Earth Day!
In celebration of Earth Day, we're featuring great member stories about how they are wasting less, supporting their communities, and helping our planet. Thank you for building a less wasteful future with us!
Marypat shows us how she sewed over 1,000 masks for early responders
Marypat, an inspiring Ridwell member, made face masks for our Community Supplies pickup and has continued to do so for other organizations since.
How many masks have you made?
I have now made and donated just over 1,000 masks to hospitals, senior care centers, pharmacists, and Seattle charities. I have also made some for immune-compromised households.
What materials do you use?
My washable masks are made from two layers of tight-weave cotton, with an opening at the top for the user to add a third disposable layer if needed. (For that, people are using something like a square of paper towel or dry disinfectant wipe. I’ve heard coffee filters are good too.) Mostly I have used elastic for behind the ears, and I have made a few batches with ties.
What inspired you to make them for Ridwell to donate to Mary's Place and other organizations?
The same week that Ridwell announced its special pick-up of medical supplies, I had been reading about hospitals and senior care putting out calls for homemade masks. I was inspired to try my first batch for the Ridwell assistance to Mary’s Place!
Can you share how you make one?
I copied a standard medical mask and made it double layered. My pattern is really for high volume. There are many good patterns out there now. Home sewists (a new word being circulated by mask makers!) should choose a pattern based on experience and equipment.
Lisa shows us her tips to keep her closet, pantry, and laudry room organized for good.
Lisa, an eco-conscious home organizer, shares her knowledge with others so they can organize while at home.
How can organizing cut down on the waste a house produces?
When you know exactly what you own and where it's located, you don't waste time looking for misplaced items. You don't waste money buying duplicates of what you can't find. Instead, you get to enjoy and use all the good stuff you worked so hard to earn. That's my best advice: enjoy your stuff!
Why is now a good time for people to organize their spaces?
There's a lot in life that we have no control over. But we do have agency in our own homes to create peaceful, comfortable, welcoming spaces for ourselves and our families.
What is the key to people keeping a space organized after an initial effort?
Less stuff means less to organize, maintain, clean, and keep track of. Decluttering is an essential first step, otherwise you just end up shuffling stuff around. Often it comes down to: do you want the stuff, or do you want the freedom?
Learn more from Lisa at lisaholtby.com.
Keanan explains why Ridwell is key to his waste-less lifestyle.
Keanan is dedicated to his low-footprint lifestyle and gives us an in-depth look at how he uses Ridwell to achieve these goals.
What surprised you most about Ridwell?
I joined Ridwell at first for the recycling capabilities. I was really surprised to hear about all the different partners they work with to make sure that all these different categories like electronics, corks, and pet food get to good places.
Which category were you most excited to learn more about?
Plastic film! It’s been the one we’ve used most often so was excited to see the background footage from the Ridwell warehouse that I was able to include.
How did you make this video? Can anyone do it?
Oh yeah! I used my MacBook and the app Teleprompter for recording, iMovie for editing, Canva for graphic design, and Envato for icons/graphics. It only took me about 6 hours!
What’s your next video going to be about?
I haven’t owned a car in 8 years, so I’m thinking of doing a car-free Seattle guide.
