BYOB

This is an action I am proud to say I was doing before doing it was cool - BRING YOUR OWN BAG.

Plastic bags are an awful invention. The price of this convenience is incredible. They are made from ethylene (a byproduct of petroleum or natural gas) and create environmental havoc from the beginning to the end of their life cycle. The production of plastic bags emits environmental waste, the bags themselves leak chemicals onto food and people, and the bags never biodegrade sometimes trapping biodegradable material forever. Finally,

plastic bags are so lightweight and aerodynamic they are easily picked up and carried by the wind. They can escape from trash bins, recycle bins, garbage trucks, and landfills, and end up littering the landscape. (Beth Terry, Plastic Free - How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too,49)

Here they cause harm for a very long time and can be ingested by wildlife. I have been using cloth bags for my groceries for a long time now. However - there are three areas where I was still using plastic bags that I have recently replaced with great reusable substitutes.

1. My Credo Bag Ecoshopper.
This bag is made of nylon but I decided to invest in it as its strength and water resistance ensures it will last MANY years. It folds up to be stashed in its own pouch, the size of a wallet, so it fits in my purse ready to be used any time. Credo Bags are a Canadian company who produce most of their products in Canada (not the ecoshopper though) and have bags available in a variety of eco materials such as organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo.

2. Reusable Muslin Bulk Bag.
I bought two of these from a great etsy store called ThisChild. They are quite pretty and I use them when I go to the bulk barn instead of using those flimsy plastic bags you rip from a roll. I love the draw string and there's a ribbon tag to attach any stickers or hand-tags a store provides to mark the items encased within.

3. Reusuable Eco Friendly Cotton Produce Bags.
Another area where I was using those rip-from-a-roll plastic bags was when I bought produce from a grocery store. I hate unnecessary packaging - so I tried to not use these bags - but sometimes I cringed and had to keep food from bruising or falling out of the cart. Not any more! I got these beauties (as well as some with rabbits screen printed on them) from another etsian ohlittlerabbit. They took eccobags and screen-printed their designs on the front. I find the funkier my bags are the more proud I am to show them off. Maybe they will inspire others?

However, IF you live in my area and find yourself with plastic bags we do have a plastic bag recycling program. Of course it is better if you and I can eliminate bags all together, but nobody's perfect, and I still have a stash that needs to go.

One last bit I couldn't resist sharing: The MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO last week went well and my daughter participated in her first protest. Here she is chanting with me :)

March on Monsanto

This Saturday at 2PM I will be in Oshawa marching with my daughter (if she can stay awake) against one of the scariest companies on the planet - MONSANTO.
I first became aware of this company after watching the incredible film Food, inc. They are a seed and pesticide (among other things) company that have taken over corn, soybean, and cotton production crops - just to name a few. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are plants/animals created through gene splicing and merging DNA from different species. The concept of GMOs started out as a good idea with supporters touting how they could create bigger and better crops and be the solution to world hunger. Instead, bugs and weeds that were supposed to be blocked by GMOs and their partner pesticides and herbicides have evolved to super strength so farmers have to use MORE chemicals to beat them.

Another issue (that is more ethical than environmental) surrounding GMO seed is the idea of patents. Before GMO seed farmers would save seed from year to year to start their next crop. This is a practice that has been going on since humans started to plant anything! Now companies like MONSANTO own patents to their seeds and require farmers to sign contracts that prohibit saving and re-planting seed. This restricts biodiversity AND makes the farmers beholden to the company for their livelihoods. Since 2001 the price of Monsanto GMO soybean and corn seed has more than doubled. Cases have gone to court (like Bowman vs. Monsanto where patents have successfully been defended at the expense of the 'little guy.'

Finally, many companies that patent GMO seeds also "develop and patent the pesticides and herbicides to which the unique seeds are resistant. Monsanto is the largest seed company in the world and owns about 86% of GMO seeds sown globally. It is also the parent of Roundup." (davidsuzuki.org, Queen of Green, Understanding GMO) So once the farmer pays through the nose for the seed, signs the contract, and ensures that approximately. 70% of their inventory is from the same supplier (to avoid cross pollination), they then need to spray continuously with Roundup (what the seed is genetically modified to withstand) which is owned by the same parent company! I love farmers - especially ones who are independent and want to grow good food for me and my family. So not only am I marching for the environment and against big corporation on saturday - but I am also marching for that farmer who is trying to do a good job. Join me and find your closest march by clicking this link: occupy monsanto.

P.S. The Non-GMO Project is a great organization/site to visit if you want to learn more about GMOs and how to avoid them. They have an excellent search engine where you can verify products and see which ones have earned their third party verification seal:

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.