Portland

The first ZW store that I visited was Way of Being, it was in a nice downtown-ish area where there were other businesses as well as restaurants. I came here by bus from my Airbnb, it was around an hour bus drive. The store was one of the biggest ZW stores that I've been to, it was one of those long floor planned newer retail store buildings. They had a lot of things, but this one was more of a sustainable store and not necessarily ZW as there was no bulk section. Here everything was packaged in primarily paper packaging if it needed any packaging. The store was bright and colorful, not monochromatic like some minimalist ZW stores, I think the common vibe for ZW stores is usually minimalist aesthetic. It was a nice store, very pretty, and smelled really good like natural products. The store owner, Alex Gamboa Grand was working behind the counter and I asked her for an interview. Interview notes:

• "If we all contribute, we can meet the Paris Agreement"

• she cared about sustainability since high school

  • thought that sustainability was just not littering and recycling when available

• Her husband shared her love for low waste living

• They started to support eco-conscious brands

• She realized that the US recycling system is really bad and not efficient

• She saw how individual consumers have so much power and the capacity to change things with where and how they purchase their basic items

• She read a book called Zero-Waste home

  • look into that

• She has a business partner

  • look into that

• She slowly started to shop more sustainably as it was a lot more sustainable (no pun intended) than doing a crazy entire life switch in a blink of en eye.

  • 8-9 years ago was when they started to switch to a more sustainable lifestyle

  • She also realized that she couldn't be so strict with herself as that wasn't the healthiest lifestyle so she started to slowly be less religious in avoidance of plastic things or other 'unsustainable' things. Less-waste is also much more approachable for people compared to the hard word of 'zero'.

• Lauren singer

  • big zero waste influencer

  • they started lowering

• She thinks that zero-waste is not realistic, only less waste is achievable with the right mindset

• Portland is a lot more conscious about waste

  • there are lots of recycling bins for separation

  • goal for restaurants to be humane, organic, and locally sourced

  • sustainability is much more integral

• She studied business 6 years ago and also started with a farmers market stand like me and my families small business

• There is a big psychological element, she thinks that less waste culture is very finger-pointy and hypocritical

  • for example, if you use a tissue pack that had a plastic wrapping or a paper straw, people who watch over you closely to see if you are living your ZERO waste life, they might start to talk about how your fake and talking crap about other people or policies but when you do this one simple thing 'incorrectly' they will hold this to you forever.

• The education part is hard, there needs to be really thorough online education as well because most people are online, and with said increase in sustainability education in general there will be a better understanding as to why make these choices

  • An easier was to get people to change their way of thinking or 'way of being', no pun intended, is through 'organic' ways. By this, she means through the natural flow of people about and around in the area of where her brick and mortar store resides that wonder into her store because it looks interesting to them or any other reason for them to go inside and take a peak at her ZW items. In-store shopping also reduces shipping waste and emissions. Portland reminds me of a Claremont Village sort of vibe where there are lots of little restaurants, retail shops, cafés, and that sort of thing, but here in Portland, there are these sorts of areas everywhere. From the things I have heard from friends is that Portland loves supporting small business like mom & pop shops over big corporations like Walmart or the such. I believe that this might be a sustainable choice in terms of the environment as each neighborhood here in Portland is designed as small communities that each have the basic necessities and more that they need. I feel like this would greatly reduce the amount of transportation that the residents of these communities will need as they can simply walk to get the things that they require instead of having to make a long trip to the local mega market thats who knows how far of a walk from them. This same concept that I am thinking about could also work with local retail stores, restaurant's, and cafés. If I wanted to walk from where I live in Pomona to Downtown Pomona(the closest stores and such) it would take me roughly one hour. I don't know how this compares to the average Portland household, but maybe it was just my romanticization of Portland as an eco-consious liberal teenage Southern Californian/Pomonian.

• The customer demographic for her store is roughly 40% tourists to Portland and 60% locals. I feel like this number makes sense as its more locals than tourists, which for this city of the US, seems very reasonable for 'ZW's' target market. This is still sort of sad though as its almost a half and half split of locals to tourists, meaning that most of the locals in this area don't shop ZW in-store in their local ZW store as much as a regular store in a neighborhood would, at least I think. This might be due to many factors including a lack of knowledge or access to ZW products such as poor environmental education, a lack of financial ability, or other.

  • She did however mention that she has a strong returner rate, which is lovely as that means that that people like her ZW products in this customer pool.

• One hardship that she said she faces is the constant competition with mega competitors like Amazon and big box stores. I have resorted to Amazon time and again due to the ease and efficiency of shopping with them compared to almost any other seller of most tangible non-edible foods. Including, shipping, price, variety, speed, and more. Amazon is not a good company overall, but it is a damn good, probably the best, one in terms of retail and how they work on the consumers side.

• She consolidates orders on more than six bulk items

• Generational differences

  • people associated with elite white wealthy

• Portland designed for walkability and cycling. Neighborhoods are designed for this

• Peoples upbringings in nature(by which I mean organic, wilderness, greenery like environments) are so important into ones mentality, people surrounded by more nature and that grow up with it are more likely to be connected to it emotionally.

  • Compared to LA, Portland has a lot more nature, so maybe that is also a reason as to why more Portlanders like the idea of sustainability compared to Angelinos.

I went to a local park in Portland, Washington Park, to relax for a little as all the traveling was trying. Washington park was near my Airbnb and it was gorgeous, so much green all around you and only around a 15 minute car ride. The park was huge and featured rose gardens, Japanese gardens, tennis courts, a gift shop, and a historic mansion atop the hill.

I headed back to my Airbnb and on my way there I took a picture of a very vegetated Portland home that looked one with nature. Almost all the homes here were so green, with many trees, bushes, and many plants, this is also due to the climate here which I have talked about previously. I can't compare the results of the climates in different regions just because I think that they are prettier as trying to bring the results of one climate, like Portland's many trees, rain, and such to LA as LA is a dessert. Trying to make LA like Portland is environmentally unsustainable as it impedes on the native life and ecosystem balance of the region. I think I should just move to a place like Portland eventually haha.

The next day I headed to another ZW store near me, ain't that lovely to say, because there is only one ZW store near my area in a large radius. I stopped by a local coffee shop, Rose City Coffee, to grab breakfast with a friend that lives in Portland and it was a very nice place filled with a small gift shop near the front of the store. The items sold there were handcrafted things like mugs and such which are a cool way to keep shipping costs and emissions low for small retail things like these in ones own community. Handmade things like this by local artisans are usually also more sustainable to produce as they are more conscious of the things they do because they are in full control of their business and production compared to large corporations overseas where companies have less care for the production of mass exported goods.

• On the way over, I also saw a sign on the bus stop that I was at that were stickers on the floor pointing to local shops near this stop in this neighborhood of Portland. The shops included cafés, restaurants, retail shops and more. I feel like this is a way to make people go around more and feel more connection to public transport in getting them to places in their city.

I made it to the The Realm Refillery. It was a very nice place, a ZW store with both retail and grocery sections. I love these dual ZW stores as they are truly one stop shops for sustainable living. This store also fostered that ZW minimal vibe that most ZW and sustainability stores go for. I'd love to find out more about the psychology behind why this is the popular vibe for ZW and sustainability to the masses. Don't get me wrong, I personally love it, but maybe some people feel differently. I got took a look around, talked to the employee working in the front and asked if the owner was here and if I could interview her along with my whole spiel. He directed me to the owner who was actually in the back of the store, we met, and she invited me back there to do our interview. It was cool, I had never been in the back of a ZW store, there were very tall shelves filled with so many ZW products and groceries, I really do love small businesses like retail shops like these and how they function so this made me very happy! Interview notes:

• Brittany Snipes is the person I interviewed, co-owner

• She had a very cool and warm vibe to her! Very suiting for a ZW store in Portland in a great way

• She said that they strive to be very transparent in all that they do

• They opened shop around three years ago

• Started off with 600 items and now have over 1,500 SKUs!

• Says that there are not many all-in-one shops for low-waste living in the US and she thought that they needed one in this area so she started one, I can relate to this.

• The bulk model which allows people to get just a little if they so please, makes low-waste living more accessible to the general public. I also think that this is such a great way to shop because if you only require a small amount of something for a recipe, then you can get that exact amount of something rather than having to waste the rest of a large-buy item at a traditional grocery store in regards to food and drink.

• She thinks its very cool to get people to learn about this type of practice, low-waste/sustainable living, I do too! It's so cool when people realize that they can make a difference and how they can do simple things in their lives to mitigate the waste that they create, sometimes unknowingly. Furthermore, lots of people are equally as conscious of the ingredients or materials that compose the items they are buying with the scare of microplastics, carcinogens, non-organic things and more.

• Believes that in the current food market, the system is poorly planned as the government gives massive subsidies to companies that aren't good for planet and people, as they often use unsustainable farming practices and harsh chemicals. She sees the solution to such problems as a redirection of these funds to more sustainable farmers and companies. This would allow for more accessibility in prices and more for such goods. I agree with this as almost everything relies on money and where money flows to is often what prevails in the long run.

• Observes that the nuance of low-waste living is big in communities

• Thinks that lots of people are intimidated by the ZW shopping style, of which I believe she means bulk bins and liquids to be specific. This makes lots of sense as its something new and new is often scary for most people. To combat this fear, she also sells pre-packaged/bottled items like soaps, facial products, cleaning products, and more to get people started.

  • Similarly she, her co-owner, and employees create a friendly welcoming into her store to make ZW shopping more comfortable

• She's anti 'the customers always right'

• Argues that business doesn't always have to be a-political

  • Such as having to cater to everyone just for the sake of generating more sales, and says that they wouldn't want those types of people in the store anyways. I respect this way of thinking

• Believes

  that you can be good to your employees

• Views that the system wants things to stay unsustainable

• They are also trying to give back to underrepresented communities that were pushed backed from being able to easily and readily achieve low-waste lifestyles

• She's involved in local politics because she holds that there is where change happens

• Supports that policy is a policy choice

• Maintains that there is still not a lot of support for small businesses

  • they had a break in not too long ago and the local community was willing to help, they came and had one of the busiest days in their businesses lifetimes in support for their post-break in

• I asked about money, and she was willing to share that they are still not profitable in the current moment, but they forecast that they will become so in a little less than a years time

  • She says that they don't really have to make money right away, this really shows that they care for their community and the sustainability movement over just profits

• Views that the US is so individualistic which makes us want to consume more for serotonin boosts

  • this is very real, when I and many people I have talked to shop, we love buying things, for me especially if they are new. I feel like buying new things is satisfying physically as well as probably entertaining mentally with the ideas that we have lots of things so we are better off than if we were to be empty in our belongings along with other psychological qualities that I would love to learn more about

• Holds that modern society in the US is very disconnected from 'real' life, a void, in taking care of ourselves

  • I reckon in regards to how food is grown, how its processed, the labor that goes into every single step, how it ends up packaged in plastic, where plastic comes from, the emissions that go into transport, the billions on advertising and so much more.

    • I have had many conversations with people explaining to them how some simple things work like farming and or what most of their clothes is made out of and they are stunned to learn such things which I believe is a result of the lack of education that is important such as how our environment(s), food, manufacturing and supply chains work.

• "It's all about the mindset"

• She says that mutual aid will save the world

  • not charity

  • food pantries

  • a pooling of resources

  • "our own government isn't going to save us so we have to do it ourselves"

• "Your dollar is your vote"

  • I have never heard this said before, I have heard something similar but this is a great way of thinking as how Mr. Kawaratani said in Japan, mass consumption:mass production

  • A lot of the people that I talk to including my friends have said that they don't bother being more sustainable in every day life as they think their difference won't benefit the problem at large. I would also like to add some data to this as I am genuinely curious as to what is correct and incorrect in this common thought

• I purchased some trail mix at this store as a snack, I really love trail mix if I haven't said it before and it seems simple enough to me, I hope that ZW shopping becomes more popular in the future so that more people can enjoy the happiness and peace of mind that it brings me and our planet.

As I was walking back to my place, I saw a bike path, SW Naito Parkway Bike Path, that was enormous, it had two big lanes in either direction on this large very transited street. This is so cool as it very much encourages people to partake in cycling as a mode of transport, at least it does to me as I would feel safer in these cycling-only spaces compared to the 2 foot lanes that are found in LA, specifically Pomona, which they have recently started to 'install'(paint on the ground). These are sandwiched between. the parked cars on the curb and the traffic on the street. I have yet to ride in one of these as I would be scared for my life being a couple inches away from a door slamming into me and/or a car crashing into me. It's also really hot in the LA area, again specially Pomona, so I would not enjoy long bike rides to get to the store or previously high school in 100 degree blazing SoCal heat.

I had left my water bottle in my place so I had to buy water when I got thirty, but thankfully canned water(Liquid Death) is in more places than ever and I was able to get my hands on some over their plastic counterparts

In the places that I was walking past in downtown Portland, I only really saw lots of trash cans, this would seem like a good thing to the average person but where is the recycling and compost, nonetheless the many types of recycling sorting that could take place when consumers dispose of their waste? I hoped that Portland would be at least slightly better at having say a recycling bin next to every public trashcan.

I stopped by to get ice cream as I saw an ice cream shop, Salt & Straw near me and they had metal tasting spoons! How cool is that, I hadn't even given a thought to how many plastic tasting spoons ice cream shops around the world discard each day because almost everyone likes ice cream and most love to try many flavors when they get some at a shop.

I had to do my laundry again so I went to the nearest laundry mat and this one also said ECO, Belmont ECO Laundry, like the one in Canggu. I wonder what they mean by that and if they might also be greenwashing or if they are actually water efficient, energy efficient, and soap sustainable or whatever makes a laundromat 'ECO'.

I walked by a climbing gym on my way back from the Laundromat and I quickly purchased a chalk bag before they closed because I found out that there is no sales tax in Portland! As I was checking out, I heard some music coming from outside and I turn around to around 100 bikers blasting music with lights and cool set-ups. I had never seen such a thing before so I asked the employee what this was and he said that its the Portland eRiders Friday Night Ride. I find that cool, the community of bike riders, that prefer to cycling over cars, at least I think and hope so, as this is more sustainable and possibly fun!

At the Airport, I noticed that their parking garage is also a 'green' one, like the one in Bali. This comes as no surprise for Portland as they are a pretty 'green' city. It featured live plants on the side of the structure which was a nice touch of nature to this massive infrastructure that is the Portland airport.

I also came across a Pendleton store in the airport, I've heard of this brand before and seen it in some retail stores. From my knowledge they are a sustainable brand catering to outdoorsy people with long lasting, well-built items, I think this kind of purchasing is better than other options but still, its at an airport which stores at airports give me overconsumption vibes as people are usually hurried at these places and I imagine many impulse purchases happen at airports. In the airport food court, they had recycling for plastic and cans as well as another bin for glass and another for other waste. I think this is better than just the one 'trash' can that is found in most places. I forgot to take one in LAX to see how theirs are.

Other Portland notes:

• Alex did a Ted Talk! Look into that

• My friend Jenna from CMC who is from Portland says:

  • theres a lot of art and stuff in Portland because when its raining ~80% of the year, and your stuck inside, what else is there to do

  • people in LA are much more career focused and brand focused as well as focused on how they look or are perceived compared to Portland where people thrift a lot and don't focus on such things.

    • When she came to CMC she bought a whole new wardrobe because she thought that she wouldn't fit in. Such social expectations or norms could lead to unnecessary spending and habits that aren't sustainable for mind, spirit, body, wallet, or earth.

• People are nicer here than in LA, they say hi and thank you to the bus driver when they get on or off and they also drive more nicely

• There’s lots of ppl who moved from La to Portland like the barista at rose city coffee from east la

• The bus services accepts bank card tap how convenient like Singapore, but Maybe that’s more common in the us. I just never use public transportation at home so I don't know how our system is like

• There is a good amount of vandalism like graffiti around the area and I’ve seen a couple of homeless people but Jenna said that people mostly over emphasize this in areas like Portland or Seattle because of political reasons, where they might say Portland is on fire but Jenna’s like "I’m fine"

• Everything is just gorgeous here in Portland but I don’t know how I would live with so much constant rain, Jenna also said that when she moved to cmc she really did notice her seasonal depression and said that she felt so happy in California haha, I don’t think I could go from California to Portland if I have to deal with constant rain but it is so green!