02
Jul
Posted by Djuna Woods as Recycling, go green
Talk about a simple way to help. Replace your paper coffee filters with a permanent filter. Considering landfills are approximately 40% paper, we can help reduce that volume by not purchasing paper filters. Chlorine bleach, which releases toxic dioxins into the environment, is used in the manufacture of white coffee filters so by making the switch we are helping the environment on two fronts.
There is some debate in the coffee connoisseur community about the taste of coffee when a permanent filter is used. I personally think a gold filter makes the coffee taste better although some people complain about too much sediment leaking through. If sediment is a deal killer for you, another green option is to use a French press which does not use a filter at all. Not only does a French Press not use paper filters but it also doesn’t use electricity. One concern with a French Press, however, is that oil on ground coffee beans has been linked to increased levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. French Press coffee makers do not filter out the oil at all. Paper filters in drip coffee makers remove most of the oil but metal filters are not as thorough.
So what is the solution? Hemp. I know it sounds a little green extreme but hemp cloth coffee filters effectively strain out coffee bean oil and since they are washable are great for the environment. The tightly woven hemp fabric produces a slower and finer filtration than paper thereby producing a stronger, richer cup of coffee. One filter will last for many years and will pay for itself within 3-4 months.
26
Jun
Posted by Djuna Woods as Environment, Going Green, Recycling
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Would you rather have a root canal without Novocain or fall down a flight of stairs? Would you rather breathe second hand smoke or get an X-ray without the lead protective vest? Would you like paper or plastic?
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There is no good answer to any of these questions. When the perky cashier at the local grocery store asks if we want paper or plastic bags, she might as well be asking us about a root canal or second hand smoke. Yes, shopping bags come with a lot of …baggage. There is no good answer to the dreaded question of paper or plastic bags. If you choose paper you are killing trees. If you choose plastic you are using petroleum and contributing to the depletion of a scarce natural resource. Not to mention that the plastic bags will end up in landfills where they will never decompose. Sigh!
The manufacture of both paper and plastic bags consumes large amounts of natural resources and both can be recycled to some extent. Paper bags consume more natural resources to produce but they are more recyclable than plastic especially since paper bags can be composted. I always thought paper was the more eco-friendly friendly choice but apparently plastic bags are the clear winner at the cash register. In California, we are using 600 plastic bags per second. So many that a California law has been passed requiring implementation of a statewide plastic bag recycling program.
Now I must admit that I have seen those plastic recycling bins and I have never taken the time to take my plastic grocery bags back to the store to recycle them. I guess I am in good company since only 1-4% of plastic bags in California are recycled. My local curbside recycling service does not accept plastic bags which I did not know until recently. The last time I went to Safeway they must have given me 10 plastic bags for about 25 items. I felt sick with guilt.
So the next time you are asked, “Paper or plastic?” the best answer is, “Neither.” The greenest choice is a reusable bag. The biggest challenges I have found with reusable bags are:
1. not bringing enough bags to fit all of my groceries
2. forgetting the bags in the car (which is how I ended up with 10 plastic bags the other day.)
I would recommend buying a set of six bags right from the start to avoid falling short at the checkout stand. For example, you can purchase The Planet Bag Set of Six (6) 100% Cotton Cloth Grocery Totes from Amazon.com which are 100% cotton and can be machine washed. If you are going to purchase a reusable bag you might as well do it right and get a bag that is naturally cotton rather than one made with synthetic fabric or synthetic polypropylene (plastic.) I have not figured out a good way to remember to bring the bags into the store. My new strategy is to make sure my bags are in my line of vision at all times so that when I am climbing out of the car I see the bags. If they are buried in the back of the car under a mound of sweaters I always forget.
What strategies have you devised to remember to bring your reusable bag into the store? I have found setting up a system is one of the most important parts of going green.
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18
Jun
Posted by Djuna Woods as Environment, Recycling
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I received the following question from Ritu in Connecticut:
“I am a mother of a newborn and time is a luxury! I have purchased paper plates to cut down on dishes. But, after reading your blog I was wondering if it is better to use paper plates and save the energy by not using the dishwasher or would I be better off using a regular plate and thus using the dishwasher. Please note: doing the dish by hand is NOT an option right now!”
Thanks for the question, Ritu. The best choice for the environment is to use porcelain (reusable) dishes and wash them in the dishwasher. Dishwashers use energy and electricity but at least the water can be treated and reused. Although convenient, paper plates require trees to be cut down and will eventually end up in landfills where they will never fully degrade.
If you are going to a picnic or find yourself in a position where you really need to use paper plates, purchase products made from recycled paper or better yet potatoes. EarthShell produces plates and bowls made from renewable corn and potato starch mixed with abundant limestone. Both Wal-Mart and Target offer EarthShell products at select stores.
This may surprise you but hand washing dishes is worse for the planet than using a dishwasher. Hand washing a pile of dirty dishes can require up to 20 gallons of water which is more than five times the water used by most Energy Star certified dishwashers in a single load. Rinsing your plates before putting them in the dishwasher is just as bad and can waste almost as much water. If your dishwasher is not strong enough to remove the food from the plates, use the dishwasher rinse cycle which remarkably still uses less water than hand-washing.
What green questions do you have?
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16
Jun
Posted by Djuna Woods as Going Green, Humanity, Recycling, Weekend
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Every pair makes a difference. Let your worn out shoes play on!” Nike ReUse a Shoe Campaign Slogan.
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At one time, recycling was a pipe dream. Anything you purchased you threw out when you were done with it. Glass, tin, paper, etc all were shipped to the incinerator every trash day. Then, the concept of recycling was discovered and in time it was popularized. Yes, there were a number of people who shook their head at the notion of recycling bins. In time, however, people began to realize the benefit of this and recycling started to become extremely popular. In fact, so popular we are recycling many things we never thought could possibly be recycled. One such area is the world of shoes.
Currently, one of the biggest promoters of shoe recycling is the Nike Corporation. Nike has developed a Reuse-A-Shoe program that does with shoes exactly what bottling companies have done with bottles and cans. Well, almost…you see the shoes are not recycled into new shoes. They are actually “converted” into materials earmarked for other purposes. How does this work? Basically, the material in the shoes is first melted down. Then, they are shaped into new material for reuse in athletic surfaces such as basketball courts, tennis courts and athletic field. Yes, after trampling on these fields the shoe will suffer the poetic justice of becoming the surface.
Best of all, this Reuse-A-Shoe program takes discarded sneakers out of their original destination: landfills. Nike has locations throughout the USA, Europe and Australia. Clearly, the Reuse-A-Shoe Program is a huge plus for the environment. Nike really deserves a pat on the back for its efforts! |
31
May
Posted by Djuna Woods as Environment, Recycling
As I have been admiring the efforts of the Princeville Resort to recycle plastic bottles, it has made me think about the bigger issue of plastics and the environment. I think most of us know that plastic products are prone to abuse the environment because they are often not recycled. It is also important to realize that in certain instances it is not even possible to recycle certain plastics.
This is problematic because if the plastics are not being recycled then they must be replaced with new plastic products. That means more plastic manufacturing. Keep in mind, one of the core ingredients of plastic is petroleum. As such, when more and more plastics are produced more and more oil is required for production. This creates further scarcity in the oil reserves which, of course, raises the prices of fuel. Needless to say, we are experiencing enough of high prices as it is. Why would we want to contribute to escalating these prices?
Plastics are broken down into various numerical categories. Categories 3 – 7 are among the worst offenders. This is because they are the most difficult plastics to recycle if they can be recycled at all. Certain recyclable plastics are restricted to certain geographies. For example, #2 plastics can not be recycled in certain geographic locations. You can find the number on the bottom of the plastic bottle in very small print surrounded by arrows. They look like this. The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1.
Yes, plastic comes with a number of problems. Choosing our plastic products carefully is one simple way we can all help the world.
21
May
Posted by Djuna Woods as Recycling
Recycle your old cell phone and help the world
I love my iPhone. It makes me happy every single day. With my iPhone in my palm the world is my oyster. However, peeking out at me from under a pile of papers on my desk is my old Treo. I feel guilty every time it catches my eye. My Treo was my compadre for many years. We had some good times together. I sent my first text message on my Treo. (You never forget your first.) But, alas, my needs changed, we grew apart and I upgraded to an iPhone.
So what am I supposed to do with my beloved Treo sitting on the shelf? I am green enough to know I am not supposed to throw it in the garbage and pollute our already toxic landfills. I would love to give it a new home but it has always seemed too complicated to figure out how to do that.
Finally, I found an easy and environmentally responsible solution to the old cell phone dilemma. CollectiveGood is a mobile devices recycling network. They take donated phones and attempt to put them into reuse in developing countries often offering third world families their first form of modern communication. Through CollectiveGood cell phones can be donated to any one of fifty charities. The process couldn’t be simpler. There is an easy submission form on the CollectiveGood homepage. You select the charity you want to help, submit your information so you can get tax credit and send them your phone. Three easy steps and you’re done.
I must admit, however, the thought of packing up my phone, finding a box and packing materials and going to the post office made me pause. Even though it is for a good cause it sounds like a hassle. So I found an even better solution. CollectiveGood has a partnerhip with Staples and Fedex/Kinkos. You can drop off your old cell phones at one of these stores and they will take care of the rest. That I can do.
Box checked on old Treo disposal. Have you found any other good cell phone recycling solutions?
Talk about a simple way to help. Replace your paper coffee filters with a permanent filter. Considering landfills are approximately 40% paper, we can help reduce that volume by not purchasing paper filters. Chlorine bleach, which releases toxic dioxins into the environment, is used in the manufacture of white coffee filters so by making the switch we are helping the environment on two fronts.
