This article is part of a collaboration with The Zero Waste Habit, who invited me to attend a workshop. Pictures by Alanna Ludt & The Zero Waste Habit.

Do you remember when, at the end of last year, I decided that my word for the new year would be LEARN?

Well, 2018 isn't over yet, and there's so much more I could learn, like how to sew my own produce bags, a staple in every zero waster's shopping kit!

Vanina and her puppy Bowie.

I met Vanina a couple months ago after about 3 different people told us we had to meet. Because Vanina is.. brace yourself... a Zero Waste designer!

Isn't this pair of mini-scissors so cute?!

She's the founder of The Zero Waste Habit, a brand that believes that living zero waste should be simple and effortless and that creates beautiful, well-designed products that you can use every day.

You'll learn what this plate filled with water is for during the workshop.

Her dedication and attention to detail is pretty amazing, from sketching with second-hand pencils, to sewing using 100% organic cotton, Vanina evaluated every step of her process to make it as low-waste as possible!

I am so happy to have learnt about the existence and usefulness of that metal thing you see on the bottom left of the picture.

And I couldn't have been happier when she invited me to attend her Make your own zero waste starter kit workshop here in Portland!

Over the course of the afternoon, I made my own organic cotton napkin (an effortless swap from paper napkins when eating out), and three organic cotton reusable bags with a tare weight label (as an effortless swap from plastic produce bags when grocery shopping).

It was such a treat to spend an afternoon talking about design, material sourcing and entrepeneurship with someone who's as passionate as I am about sustainability and learn a few tricks from the master herself.

I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who's as excited to learn basic sewing skills as to come back home with a me-made zero waste starter kit!

You can sign up for Vanina's Make your own zero waste starter kit workshop here.

Thank you so much Vanina for sharing your passion and industry secrets with me, and long live The Zero Waste Habit!

Have you taken any workshop lately? What did you learn? Please tell me in the comments below!