Cleenland Community Connections binder

We love meeting all the cool people who shop at Cleenland and we thought maybe you’d like to as well! To that end, we bring you: the Cleenland Community Connections binder. An experiment for the transition from hibernation season to a time when we’re all maybe a bit more interested in making some new connections out in the world. We’ll keep it going through the summer at least and see how it goes. Use this resource to find love, friendship, language partners, protest buddies, whatever type of connection you’re seeking!

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Sarah Levy
sign up for 2024 Hannan Healthy Foods CSA !

We’re excited to partner with Mohammed at Hannan Healthy Foods for a fourth summer CSA! This is your chance to enjoy fresh, local, organic veggies all season long with convenient pickup at Cleenland AND support one of our Central Square neighbors, Mohammed Hannan. See all the size and frequency options here and sign up for a share today!

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Sarah Levy
Monthly Mending WEDNESDAYS at the shop

2/28/24 Update: Monthly Mending Mondays Wednesdays are back on and starting earlier!! Read on for the details.

Hang out once a month and make progress on your mending pile at Cleenland! We find the hardest part of fixing our clothes is actually sitting down to do it. This way, we can be accountable to repairing our stuff, learn/share/improve mending skills, and enjoy each other's company while we're doing it.

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Sarah Levy
Gallon Pricing Program!

For those of you who prefer to stock up, we’re excited to offer bulk pricing on our most popular items. When you pre-order one or multiple gallons, receive 20% off our current price per oz.

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Sarah Levy
the Cleenland guide to shampoo and conditioner bars

Shampoo and conditioner bars are a super sustainable way to care for your hair. With no bottle and no water, they are more resource-efficient than traditional products. Use it just like bar soap: you can either rub the bar directly on your hair or lather it in your hands, then apply to your hair. There are a ton of options out there for different hair types and preferences and not all are created equal. Continue reading for the rundown on the ones we’ve selected, organized by hair type and scalp needs.

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Sarah Levy
Introducing: Puracy, our new cleaning product supplier

VERY jazzed to introduce Puracy who will be filling the shoes left by Biokleen when they were acquired by a less sustainable company this past fall. We now have Puracy dish soap, laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner, hand soap, and once we’re out of Bac-Out, we’ll have their stain and odor remover too. Why are we so excited about Puracy? Read on.

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Sarah Levy
Gift Guidance Winter 2019

It’s here. The holiday season. Let’s focus on the positives, shall we? I love twinkly lights in the trees, fireplace-y smell on a neighborhood sidewalk, parties, and slacking off at work. Plus more chances to visit Cleenland. Read on for lots of high-quality, low-waste gift ideas.

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Sarah Levy
quality vs. quantity: why we carry KOOSHOO hair ties

When I first heard about KOOSHOO plastic-free hair ties, I was excited — I hadn’t even realized hair ties were plastic! Another step on the path to see past the function an item fulfills in my life (e.g. the thing that holds my hair) and become aware of its material makeup and lifecycle (e.g. polyester and synthetic rubber that will stay in the environment forever). KOOSHOO’s hair ties are made of organic cotton and natural rubber and decompose completely. But then I saw the price… $15 for 5 hair ties. That’s waaay more than I’m used to paying. And I got cynical about “green” brands being shi-shi and exclusive. And I got similar feedback from our community — why are they so expensive? Read on for the explanation that convinced us to stock them.

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Sarah Levy
why Cleenland will be closed September 20th: Global Climate Strike

On my high school senior yearbook page (lol), I included the well-trodden Albert Einstein quote, “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” 10+ years of existential angst later, Cleenland is open. I’ve learned different thinking is fantastic, but mostly when it leads to different action because that’s what creates change. What is “the way things are done” other than a series of actions done by enough people that everyone else thinks it’s “normal”

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Sarah Levy
How to prep jars for refill

Let’s say you just housed some pickled okra and think to yourself, “this jar would be perfect to refill with face scrub or bath salts from Cleenland! But the label is stuck on and the lid smells like a BBQ joint..."

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Sarah Levy
Cleenland visits the recycling center: here’s what we learned

I visited Casella’s recycling center in Charlestown, MA to see firsthand what happens to the waste we put in the recycling bin. I was also curious to learn how the changes China made last year to its rules about what post-consumer material it will import are impacting our local waste management systems. Spoiler alert: it’s not all sunshine and cute green triangles of arrows pointing at each other.

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Sarah Levy
Suuuper abbreviated economics of recycling: why more and more recycling is actually trashed

Since recycling programs began in the U.S., they have been run as a business. Rather than a charitable activity to protect the earth, recycling programs have made money for towns and cities by selling recycled materials to people who want to make new stuff from them. As with all ventures under capitalism, when market conditions change, the business can go under — and our beloved recycling is no exception.

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Sarah Levy