Sustainability Sunday: From Designer Suits to Zero Waste

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Whether you’re new to sustainable living or a seasoned eco-warrior, we’re here to help you on your journey to Going Green in Beijing. Every week, we’ll bring you China-centric eco-friendly news and tips in our column, Sustainability Sunday!

The Bulk House Origin Story

Joe Harvey graduated with a law degree from Nottingham Law School and worked at a law firm in London. He wore designer clothes from Hugo Boss, shoes from Ralph Lauren, suits from Jaeger, and was well on his path to ever bigger paychecks so he could buy more of these so-called “I’m successful objects.” Then he looked around and wondered, “WTF am I doing?”

The answer was clear: he needed to stop consuming! So he began shedding all the material excess he had accumulated. Likewise, it was while living in Beijing that he realized once and for all – looking at the pollution from his apartment on the 16th floor, unable to see the buildings opposite – that his overconsumption was contributing to a much bigger problem. And by the time he met Carrie Yu at a mutual friend’s party, he was already an avowed minimalist.

As for Yu, after an adventurous youth that took her from Wuhan to Beijing, she stumbled upon Bea Johnson’s zero-waste teachings after having an epiphany while moving apartments and drowning in stuff. She shared the philosophy with Harvey and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now in their fourth year of operating The Bulk House, Beijing’s resident zero-waste store, Yu and Harvey have earned a reputation as “China’s eco-activists” and are basically the de facto faces of the minimalist, zero-waste lifestyle here. We asked them to share their story and a couple of their favorite zero-waste products that have made their lives better.

Watch the video below to hear how they got started on their zero-waste journey or scroll to read the most quotable moments from the sustainable duo!

#01

Harvey: “Be selfish and start your zero-waste life by getting what makes your life better.” 

To elaborate, “If you’re spending RMB 50 every day on a cup of coffee in a single-use cup, you’re going to buy a bag of coffee for the home or office and a reusable mug to make your own coffee, and you’ll save RMB 900 a month!”

#02

“Then you’re going to think selfishly about how to be healthier, and that means eating a better diet. So you’re going to have to go to a market and buy whole foods, fresh vegetables not wrapped in plastic. To do that, you can use a tote bag (which you probably already have) and you have to get some smaller grocery bags.”

#03

Yu: “This is my favorite hairbrush! It’s so good and so satisfying. It even feels like a head massage.”

#04

“These dishcloths are super absorbent made of wood fiber and cotton, so you can use it again and again – about 250 times. When it’s done, you can cut it up into small pieces and place them in your compost bin, or just dig a hole and put them there!”

Scan the QR code below to visit The Bulk Store, or swing by The Bulk House’s storefront at 70 Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng District (东城区北锣鼓巷70号).

Images: The Bulk House 

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