I see quite a few examples around us that live by zero waste principles, but Yizhe (Patricia) Li (referred to as Yizhe in rest of article) takes it to a different level. Today, I’m going to tell you about Yizhe and her Ecohouse in Dali.
我一直关注周围的零浪费实践者们，而李艺哲则将零浪费提升到一个新的高度。今天，我就来说说李艺哲和她在大理Eco House(环保屋)的故事。
Yizhe Yi, Founder of Ecohouse Dali
李艺哲 - 大理Eco House的主人
The idea of a sustainable house was hatched when Yizhe left her successful corporate career overseas and decided to simplify her life and live in Yunnan. She found an old Bai-style house in a village in Dali, and started renovating it according to zero waste and minimalist principles. In the process she realized that she could reach more people by opening up the renovation project to those interested. Hence the numerous waves of volunteers that contributed to the renovation throughout 2018.
在艺哲放弃成功的海外企业生涯那刻起，她就萌生了建立一座可持续的房子的想法。于是，她决定搬到大理，开始一段简单的生活。在大理的一个白族村落里，她找到一座老宅，准备遵循零浪费和极简化的原则将房子进行翻新。而在此过程中，她发现翻新工程可以让许多感兴趣的人参与其中，于是2018年招募到了很多志愿者加入了翻新。
Who is Yizhe?
李艺哲是谁？
“Some things are such that once you meet them, it becomes hard to go on living pretending you’ve never met them. Zero waste has such magic for me.”
-Yizhe Li
“有些事情是这样的，一旦你遇到了，就很难继续假装你从来没有经历过。 零浪费对我来说便是如此一种神奇。”——李艺哲
A backpacker-turned-ecowarrior, Yizhe had a successful corporate job and was living large with her paycheck. After she’d accomplished her material and professional goals, she still felt a nagging dissatisfaction. One thing led to another, she started pursuing zero waste after learning about it from Bea Johnson’s book ‘Zero Waste Home.’ In 2017, these ideas crystalized into the prototype of Ecohouse Dali, where Yizhe envisioned she could share what she’d learned traveling the world and inspire like-minded individuals.
艺哲是从背包客变成的环保战士，她一度拥有成功的企业生涯，生活富足。在她达到物质和职业目标后，却仍感一丝不满足。这让她重新思考，从Bea Johnson的书“Zero Waste Home”中她了解到零浪费并受到启迪。2017年，她这些想法融入了大理Eco house的原型，她想，如果可以将她学到的东西分享给世界，激励志同道合的人就更好了。
What’s the big deal about Ecohouse Dali?
大理Eco House有什么特别的？
It’s ecological- The renovation started with repurposing the existing old house and the objects inside to maximize their use. Throughout the renovation, materials were sourced (clay, wood, etc.) locally, and second-hand objects were brought in and put to use. It’s also equipped with solar panels and a natural water filtration system that ensures the outgoing water meets the standard for fish to live in it.
首先，Eco House尊重生态 – 翻新改造以最大限度利用原来的旧房子和里面的物品。 在整个翻新过程中，材料在当地采购，包括粘土与木材，也使用了不少二手物品。 房子还配备了太阳能电池板和天然水过滤系统，确保出水符合鱼类生活的标准。
Ecohouse Dali and its volunteers
在大理Eco House的志愿者们
It’s communal- Yizhe’s idea was for Ecohouse to become a hub for exchanging ideas on reducing our environmental footprint, reconnecting with nature and its healing energy, and living minimally and simply. Thus guests are welcome to stay at Ecohouse while learning new skills such as making your own toothpaste, cooking vegan food, and farm work, and exchange with others there.
共享空间 - 艺哲想让Eco House成为交流思想的枢纽，讨论如何减少我们的环境破坏，重新连结人与自然，以及自然的治疗能量，讨论生活的简化与纯粹。 因此，客人们都可以留在Eco House的同时学习新技能，比如：自制牙膏、烹饪纯素食品和农场工作，并与他人交流。
It’s about a lifestyle- zero waste and minimalist ideas permeate the daily activities at Ecohouse. Guests are tasked with going to the village market to make the daily grocery run, without plastic bags of course. Alternatively you can share and exchange ideas and stories at the nightly dinner hangouts. And guess what? You’re going to share the bed with several others on a large tatami at night. More importantly, it’s about decluttering life and reconnecting with the simple joys of community, creating, and living.
零浪费和极简主义是一种生活方式，渗透到环保屋的犄角旮旯之中。 客人需要自己去集市购买食物，并且不能使用塑料袋。 此外，客人还可以在每晚的晚餐聚会上分享和交流自己的想法和故事。 猜得到吗？ 晚上大家都共用一个大大的榻榻米睡觉。 更重要的是，这个整合生活的理念便是重新与社区、创造和生活的简单乐趣联系起来。
I’ll leave you with a quote from Yizhe that resonated a lot with me:
艺哲的一句话，引起了我的共鸣：
“I hope to change the world, even if just a bit. If I cannot do that, I’ll start with myself.”
“我想改变世界，哪怕只是一丁点儿。如果改变不了世界，那我就从自己先做起。”
You can follow Ecohouse’s wechat account and book a stay with them here.
欢迎关注环保屋的微信公众号预订房间！
