What's that Garbage coming outta yo' Mouth?

All small changes can have an impact. I am on a quest to eliminate all single-use plastic from my life. This includes plastic wraps, bags, packaging etc. One area I have found particularly needling to my conscience is the life of take out garbage.

I wish I could stop myself from ordering take-out all together - but I'm far from perfect and sometimes I really want that burger/drink/sweet treat. I avoid contact with styrofoam at all costs - preferring to go without than contribute to that waste stream - but cutlery and straws have required a little more effort. Rather than accept that plastic utensil (sometimes wrapped in MORE plastic to keep it sterile in a take-out bag) with my order, I now say a polite "No Thanks, I have my own." This is my Reusable Bamboo Utensil Set that I bought from a company called To-Go Ware. The utensil holder is made from RPET - a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, and the utensils themselves are bamboo - an incredible renewable resource. The pack comes with a fork, knife, spoon, and chopstick set. It's great for tossing in my purse before I head out the door.

Another piece of disposable plastic that comes in contact with your mouth are straws. Usually they are also individually wrapped in paper or plastic and are tossed without a second thought. Me? I'm switching to stainless steel! Once again I went to one of my favourite online shops, Life Without Plastic, and placed and order for four stainless steel straws that come with their own cleaner. Unfortunately they were made in China and were incased in plastic packaging - but if they stop my straw garbage for the rest of my life (and my kids too) - I think they're worth it.

Now even though my work colleagues are pretty good at bringing their own utensils for lunch - I did get a bit of teasing about my set. (mostly because it looks like it could attach to your belt or fanny pack) That's o.k. - I feel better stopping my plastic consumption and decided to provide them the opportunity to avoid plastic consumption with me. I easily found extra stainless steel cutlery at my local re-sale shop. So I bought a bunch of forks and spoons and left them in the office for 'that day' when a person forgets their cutlery or we're having a particularly messy treat day. They are there for anyones use - and I'm not constantly promoting or tracking it. I really try not to harass people about environmental choices so as not to turn them 'off' or away. So - although I could continue this post with the sad impact plastic cutlery can have on one's self and the environment - I'd rather let you read that (if you wish to do more research) by clicking on this link to a great and comprehensive article by Andrew Bernier: Living the Life of a Plastic Fork.

I love this company

Have you heard about the company TERRACYCLE?

This is one of my new favourite institutions. I read about it in Amy Korst's "Zero Waste Lifestyle" and I couldn't believe my eyes! It's a company that strives to find uses for and/or recycle the pieces of waste that your local waste management department can't. Here's how it works:

1. Go to Terracycle's website and click on the subheading "send us your waste." A grid of brigades will pop up. Here you can scan for waste streams that you contribute to but can't recycle or repurpose in your own hometown. I currently am a member of the diaper packaging, cereal bag, and coffee bag brigades. I want to do more - but I'm trying to start slow so I don't bite off more than I can chew.

2. Sign up for the streams you wish and start collecting! I collect my own waste and some from my daughter's daycare as well as donations from my work colleagues. I set up some 'pink boxes' in the staff room and let my fellow workers know that they could put their 'junk' in the 'boxes' any time they felt like it. I was quick to let them know that the 'size of their junk' didn't matter - it's what they do with it that counts :)

3. Once I have enough 'junk' I just log into my account at Terracycle.ca and request a shipping label to be sent to my e-mail. They PAY for me to ship them my collection!

4. Finally - as if curbing waste isn't enough of an incentive to ship to terracycle - they credit my account with points that can be turned into a donation to a charity of my choice! Once I have enough I'm donating to the David Suzuki Foundation. The environmental benefits just multiply!

Magazines and Nature

This is a two-parter as I wanted to blog about both of these items while they're still fresh on my mind and in the air (ahhh spring!)
1. I've signed up for Canada's 30x30 nature challenge. I read about this last year when it was over already and I thought it was a great idea. It's organized through the David Suzuki Foundation - but I suppose anyone could start it on their own at any time. The challenge is to spend 30 min. for 30 days straight in nature. It starts on May 1st and the idea is to re-connect with nature while improving your mental and physical health. I'm going to try my best to do this - no matter what mother nature throws at me - and I'm going to drag my family along with me. There are so many benefits to spending more time in nature such as decreasing stress and anxiety as well as improving your vitamin D production and energy levels. Finally - I want my children to connect with nature so they wish to invest in nature and continue to be enthusiastic and curious about their natural surroundings. I will occasionally blog about our activities in May and participate in the photo contest the challenge is organizing.

2. I have become frustrated with something I used to enjoy. I liked magazines. I liked flipping through them at my parents to find recipes and fashion ideas, I liked perusing them at doctor and dentist offices to distract my mind while waiting my turn, I liked scanning glossy pages - folding down corners to keep track of my wish lists of consumption. However, now not only am I not interested in the type of consumption promoted in these catalogues of advertising, but I am also dismayed by the physical environmental impact these subscriptions create. The past THREE issues of each of my subscriptions were - not only printed on virgin paper - but also encased in PLASTIC! UGH! This plastic's only purpose was to contain extra bits of advertising that might fall out in the mail. I read an excellent paper by The Paper Project titled Turning the Page, Environmental Impacts of the Magazine Industry and Recommendations for Improvement which clearly outlines many issues an ecoconsumer is concerned about. It was written in 2001 - so some of the stats regarding amounts of energy, trees, water etc. used to produce magazines in the US have probably increased. UNLESS.....
Individuals (such as my 'late-to-the-party' self) have decided to go digital! I still was interested in one of my subscriptions so I just called to see if I could go completely online and - no problem! Thanks 'Today's Parent.' However, some of my other subscription providers were not so accommodating. So - goodbye subscription. I hope my cancellation (and explanation to the sales rep.) prompts these companies to think about their green options and start offering some to their customers.

Let's Dish the Dirt

O.k., I admit it, when I started this green initiative I had a very cynical and skeptical perception about my local waste management department. Instead of seeing them as supporters of green initiatives and programs, I viewed them as part of the problem. I am embarrassed by this as the more I research the more I realize that they are environmentalists as PART OF THIER JOB! They don't create the waste, they are trying to deal with the waste as responsibly as possible. There are so many initiatives underway in my area - such as a battery recycling pilot project, reuse days and e-waste pick up days, and most recently (today) free compost pick up!

Now I have a compost bin of my own which I use for my veggie scraps and yard waste - so I don't participate in the Green Bin program in my community. But I used to wonder where all that collection went and how it was used. Well - it is used to create wonderful black soil for the municipality AND its residents. Today I had the pleasure of dropping off some food for the food bank in exchange for some awesome dirt for my gardens! The friendly staff (David Metcalfe is on the right - gave me his card in case I had any more questions) seemed to be enjoying themselves, despite some snow flurries, and the pick-up location was hopping with excited gardeners. This give-away happens every year in the spring. My only regret is that I didn't bring more containers - I could have filled up to FOUR blue boxes worth! Oh well, there's always next year.

Amendment - I found out that the Green Bin program takes meat and dairy scraps! These are items that I couldn't put in my own compost and were going in the garbage. Thank you neighbour for letting me know about this. Now, off to get a bin :)

Eco Room Reno - Part 1

It's been a while since my last post (sorry - lots of cold and flu time) but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing anything green! Right now we are in the middle of renovating our spare bedroom/my creation space and I am trying to do it as green as possible. This blog entry will cover insulation and paint.
1. The first thing we did was actually drywall that hole I blogged about earlier - the one I had temporarily plugged with cardboard and duct tape. I got some great advice from my local Home Hardware guys and followed some instructional videos I found on Youtube and it wasn't so hard! So there was one draft taken care of - but there were many more! This room is in the basement and shares a wall with the garage, one with the outside, and one with the space under a staircase. ALSO it has a drop ceiling with beams that leave airy gaps to the outside walls. So we bought some of that pink panther insulation (PINK FIBERGLASS - Min. 70% recycled glass content, made in Canada, Ecotouch certified) and stuffed any gaps above the ceiling tiles. The last area of air seepage (for now) was the electrical outlets and switches. I was going to use some of that expanding insulation to fill in those spaces but was worried about electrical conductivity as well as mess. Instead I was able to place foam panels between the hole and the cover plate before I screwed it back on. Easy!
2. Another green area of improvement is the paint we used to lighten the room. My brother had extra paint left over from his home renovations so I was able to use product that was already in existence. BONUS - it was a zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint so I was being kind to the environment AND my respiratory system. VOC's are solvents that get released into the air as paint dries. Not only can they cause health reactions (dizziness, headaches etc.) but they are also carcinogens. VOC's also contribute to the formation of ground level ozone and particulate mater, which form smog. They are ONE of the things in paint that makes it hazardous waste. Currently a lot of paints out there advertise that they are low VOC or VOC free - but read the fine print. Many state that only the BASE is VOC free - but once the pigments are added - all bets are off.

You've got the whole world...

In your hands. You've got the whole wide world - in your hand wash :) (that's right - sing it with me)
I have currently made my own hand soap - successfully! This way I avoid harsh ingredients that get washed down the drain into our waterways, I limit my own skin exposure to chemicals that absorb and stay in my system (who wants to disrupt their hormones with phthalates), AND I save money by not shelling out for designer scents or labels. Finally - what started me thinking about creating my own soap in the first place - I limit my consumption of single use plastic. Each time I bought liquid soap in a pump to sit by one of the four sinks in my house, I used resources to create virgin plastic for the container. Also - even though the main part of the container was recyclable (though that takes energy as well) - the pump part gets tossed every time (too many plastics to separate for the blue bin program). So here is my recipe for you all to enjoy. I based it on one featured in Adria Vasil's book "Ecoholic Body" but had to adjust the measurements to get the right consistency.
1. Boil 2 Liters of water in a large pot on the stove. Turn heat off.
2. Grate a bar of gylcerine soap and add to the water. Stir until completely dissolved. *Try to look for a bar that is ethically sourced. I have been reading some terrible things about palm oil and how crops in Malaysia and Indonesia are growing at a crazy rate and are causing deforestation of tropical forest - home to many endangered species as well as part of the lungs of the world. If you want to learn more - check out this organization: Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
3. Add organic essential oils of your choice. I added a lot of lemon oil because I like fresh over flowery scents. Then let sit for a day. If consistency is too solid for you (the soap congeals) you can add more water with heat to make it runnier.
4. Warm slightly to scoop into a measuring cup with a spout and use a funnel to pour it into your reusable dispenser. Ta da! You're done! This recipe makes enough for 4 or more dispensers.

The Pen is mightier

When it's Green! What have I been writing with ever since I could hold a pencil? After graduating from the fat red ones we used in kindergarden I moved onto yellow HB and then - the pen. Or rather - MANY pens. I shudder to think how many I've used and discarded over my lifetime. Each pen was designed to have a limited lifespan in my fingers, never to be recycled as they are made of three to four types of plastic with metal and ink components. I am on a quest to stop this needless, waste-creating habit and will replace all my household writing utensils with environmental and ethical choices. Here's what I've done so far:
My first replacement was a bamboo ballpoint pen. This I picked up at my local Shoppers Drug Mart and it checked off a number of environmental boxes. The outer casing was made from a biodegradable and renewable resource - bamboo - and the outer plastics were corn plastic - another renewable source that is 100% biodegradable and compostable. Finally the cardboard backing was post-industrial recycled cardboard. These are three good things, however, the plastic on the front packaging is non-recyclable AND the inner components (ink, tube, rollerball) are all garbage. SO - good start (and a good price point to feel o.k. lending out to my students) but I think I can do better. Maybe I'll go old school and invest in a refillable fountain pen. An idea for my next mother's day?
This is a second attempt and it makes me happy! When I attended the Waste Management Information Session for my region (see my earlier entries) they gave out loot. One item I fell in love with was their recycled green (literally) pencils. Not only are they recycled (no virgin forests being raided for my writing) but they also promote my local recycling facilities - reminding any one who borrows it to think about the environment. At the end of the presentation I was able to take a number of these away to use in my teaching. I wish our school could buy them.
My third area of disposable writing implements are markers and highlighters. Being a teacher I use, and encourage the use of highlighters on a daily bases. But they usually don't last that long (esp. with lazy users not putting the caps back on properly) and all that colourfull plastic gets tossed. These awesome highlighter pencils are the answer! I ordered them through Life Without Plastic - an excellent online retailer that helps consumers go plastic free! They work great and all the packaging is post-consumer recycled fiber. They are going to last a LONG time and at $7.95 for 4 - that's a great deal! I have marked this boutique as a favourite and am going plastic free with tape and toothbrushes (maybe another entry another time)

Green Seal wrote a report in 1998 summing up the environmental crisis of single-use writing implements. The statistics at that time were that

"every year Americans discard 1.6 million pens. Placed end to end, they would stretch 151 miles—equivalent to crossing the state of Rhode Island almost four times!"

The report is a great read and covers the issues surrounding pencils (recommending ones from sustainable resources and/or recycled), pens (again recommending recycled but also re-fillable), crayons (look for recycled or ones made from soybean oil), and markers (refillable is better and watch ink toxicity). The report ends with and extensive list of recommended replacements for writing utensils and papers. So next time you reach for that pen to write down some of this amazing environmental information I'm blogging to you, look at what you're holding and join me with finding ethical replacements.