How to Recycle Your Old Books

by Danielle on August 4, 2010

booksWe all have old books lying around the house, some of which we probably don’t need and might get rid of at some point. The great thing about books is that someone could always use them. If they are outdated, than that means they are a collectors item or are on their way to becoming one. If you have a bunch of old books in your home, there are plenty of ways that you can try to recycle them.

8 Ways to Recycle Your Old Books

  1. Donate your old books to a local shelter, hospital, or senior center. These places could always use new reading material.
  2. Sell the books on Amazon. Set up an account (it’s really simple) and list your books for sale. Price them to move and you’re sure to get some money for those books.
  3. Sell them on Ebay. Sometimes Ebay fetches more (sometimes less) money than Amazon. Check the recent completed items to see recent ended items.
  4. Give childrens books to friends that are having babies. You can never have too much reading material for knowledge hungry minds!
  5. Use old comic books to wrap Christmas presents for your family. A unique, eco friendly touch kids will love!
  6. Donate them to a local library.
  7. Sell them at a yard sale, where you could also get rid of other clutter that’s been driving you nuts.
  8. Call a local school to see if they need books. School libraries and classroom libraries are always in need of books.

Why Should You Recycle Your Old Books?

Books will end up in a landfill, like most everything else that’s thrown into your trash. While pages of books are usually biodegradable, sometimes they aren’t. Glossy pages take longer to biodegrade, book bindings take a long time, and magazines contain printer inks that shouldn’t be thrown into the environment. Whenever possible, you should use the above 8 steps to get recycle your old reading material. If you cannot reuse them in those ways, then try recycling them by ripping the pages out of the book and recycling those pages with the rest of your paper recyclables. The binding might be tough to find another use for, but at least you’ll be recycling the biggest part, the paper itself.

Recommended Recycling Resources from A Million Ways to Go Green:

{ 0 comments }

How to Recycle Water Filters

by Danielle on August 3, 2010

water filterWater filters are great for the planet, indirectly. While they may be disposable, you’re doing a great thing by conserving water and resources which are used to make plastic water bottles. A world without recycling would spell possibly irreversible consequences like rising sea levels, a lack of livable space, and contaminated drinking water. That’s why making the switch from bottled water to tap water is of the utmost importance.

When you make the switch away from bottled water, you’re going to be using water filters. Most of these filters are disposable, and are not widely recycled. This page is going to answer the question of how to recycle water filters, so you can start reducing your impact on the environment today!

Why Drink Tap Water Instead of Bottled Water?

Bottled water has enormous consequences for the environment. Every plastic water bottle that is produced is made with petroleum in part. They also contain BPA and other potentially harmful chemicals. Bottled water also isn’t held to the standards that public tap water is held to. In most places of the United States, it makes sense to use tap water over bottled water.

What are the Effects on the Environment of Plastic Bottles?

Plastic bottles never biodegrade. They only break down into smaller and smaller plastic pieces, making them actually more toxic than when they were produced. This makes plastic one of the most important things to recycle. The other factor to consider when drinking bottled water is how far it traveled to get to you. If the bottle travels 2,000 miles to get to you, how eco friendly is that? This transport energy will also add to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

How Using Water Filters Will Help the Environment

Water filters clean tap water and prevent the use of bottled water. That means less plastic created, less greenhouse gases, and less plastic bottled thrown away into landfills (or polluted).

How to Recycle Water Filters

Water filters are easy to recycle. When you’re done using them, set them aside, because there are different recycling programs for different filters.

BRITA

From the BRITA water filter website:

  1. Dry the filter by shaking off excess water and setting it in a dry place for at least three days.
  2. Wrap the filter in a plastic grocery bag, then pack it in a box. (Boxes and bags will be recycled.) If possible, send multiple filters at a time.
  3. Mail filters via ground shipping to: Preserve Gimme 5, 823 NYS Rte 13, Cortland, NY 13045

Visit the Brita Filter Recycling page for the entire details.

PUR

PUR does not at this time have a recycling program for their water filters. It doesn’t make sense that a huge water filter company that touts the benefits of using water filters over bottled water to not even acknowledge requests for a PUR filter recycling program. What should you do with them? You can try to set them aside until or if they ever do initiate a recycling program, or you can switch to BRITA instead. That leaves the dilemma of having an old water filter system, but int he long run, the benefits may outweigh the negatives.

TerraFlo

TerraFlo water filters can also be recycled by sending them back to the company. Once they receive them, they will separate out the materials to be recycled, excluding the used carbon. It’s probably best to send them back in batches to use less packaging and energy. Visit their website for details on how to recycle TerraFlo water filters.

Ways to Recycle Other Water Filters

If your water filter company doesn’t have a recycling program, check to see if the filter is a #5 plastic filter. If it is, it could be recycled using the Preserve Gimme 5 program. This program accepts all #5 plastics to be recycled at participating Whole Foods. If there isn’t a Whole Foods near you that is participating, you can send the #5′s to Gimme 5 to be recycled.

{ 0 comments }

The Best Eco Friendly Baby Diapers

by Danielle on August 2, 2010

When it comes to the planet, one way we can substantially change the amount of things we throw away into the environment is through diapers. By switching to eco friendly diapers instead of disposables, you’ll be lessening the impact on landfills. There are many biodegradable options for diapers today, as well as chemical free and organic cotton varieties of diapers. This page will review some of those diapers, based on reviews from consumers.

Seventh Generation diapersSeventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Diapers, Stage 4 (22-37 Lbs.), Case of 120 Diapers
One of the most popular diapers on the market in terms of an “eco friendly” variety, Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers are at the top of the best sellers for this brand. Over 500 customers have rated the product, giving it a respectable 4 star out of 5 ranking. Seventh Generation describes their product as having a “cloth like comfort and exceptional performance.” Reviewers though don’t exactly see it that way. While most people like the product for babies with sensitive bums (isn’t that all babies?), there have been a lot of complaints of leaks in these diapers. If you have to constantly change your baby because they are leaking through onto the clothing, then that’s not only bad for the environment (you’ll be washing extra clothes), but it’s embarassing for you and your child. These diapers also contain many of the same ingredients as regular diapers, not putting them very far ahead of the competition. It sounds like this product needs some work. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of other good products out there to choose from.

Nature Babycare Eco Friendly DiapersNature Babycare Eco-Friendly Diapers, Size 1, 176-Count Package

If you didn’t consider at all which diapers were good for your baby but best for the planet, then Nature Babycare Eco Friendly Baby Diapers would win the contest. While a lot of people really like these diapers because of their environmentally friendly design, they have had a few performance issues. The first issue is the leakage factor. These ones leak often, with many complaining about urine soaking through to sheets and clothing overnight. The second issue is the “chemical smell” reported from many users of the product. Third, some have complained about an improper fit and chafing due to the closure tabs. While apparently the smell is fixed for now, these other issues are something to consider. In terms of environmental benefits though, Nature Babycare has done an outstanding job. These are 60% biodegradable, while being completely chlorine free, unbleached, and hypoallergenic.

Earth's best diapersEarth’s Best TenderCare Chlorine Free Diapers, Size 3, 16-28 Pounds, (Case of 140)
Earth’s Best Tender Care Diapers have a good overall 4 star rating out of 5 out of over 50 reviews. These diapers are environmentally friendly for their lack of dyes, latex, and bleaching. They are also super absorbent, and are very easy to tell when they need to be changed. The fit of Earth’s Best is also just about as close to perfect as you can get. The seal created when the diaper is strapped on is very leak proof and tight, yet still comfortable on the skin. While Earth’s Best might be slightly bulky, it wins for overnight absorbency. As for downsides, some babies have had diaper rashes as a result of these diapers, but that is not unusual. Different brands and different cuts of diapers may irritate certain babies. Sometimes, it just comes down to trial and error. It might be a good idea to sample all of the diapers and find out which ones are the right ones for your baby.

huggies natural diapersHuggies Pure & Natural Diapers, Size 4, 46-Count Packages (Pack of 2)
Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers boast that they are latex free, fragrance free, and hypoallergenic. With a solid 4.5 star rating on Amazon, customers have liked the fact that they have no smell, are soft, absorbent, and are virtually leak-free. Huggies Pure & Natural also have a stretchy waist and fit that allow you to get them on easily. Chances are, you’ll love these diapers because of their high quality and lack of chemicals. The downsides of this diaper are that it isn’t completely biodegradable and as you would expect, compared to regular diapers, these are more expensive. The positives though, outweigh the negatives. There aren’t many organic cotton diapers available today, and these ones are also well reviewed and really work well.

If you were to choose just ONE eco friendly diaper on this page, Huggies Pure and Natural would probably be your best choice. Some of these products also qualify for Amazon’s frustration free packaging, which is a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional packaging.

{ 0 comments }

How to Green Your Online Shopping

by Danielle on July 30, 2010

green online shoppingLessen the Impact of Your Online Shopping

Online shopping has delivered one of the greatest conveniences ever made. Can you imagine having to hunt down that rare part for your computer in a physical store? And, remember when you had to head to 8 different stores to shop around for prices on that big ticket holiday item? Online shopping changed all of that. While it can be argued that online shopping is greener than buying from a store, there’s a counter argument, too. Waste from online shopping does add up quickly, and there are some wasteful elements of shopping online that aren’t incurred from shopping in a physical location.

  1. When you shop online, you’re getting a box. Most people don’t recycle those boxes.
  2. Packaging like peanuts and bubble wrap are included in every box.
  3. Items are often shipped in separate small boxes that could be combined. Amazon.com has a bad habit of doing this.
  4. An item that normally was shipped from a local location may be shipped from the opposite coast when purchasing online, increasing shipping costs and energy use.
  5. Additional brochures, packing slips, and sales material are included with the item.

When you shop in a physical store, there are some differences that might be less resource intensive.

  1. The only packaging you often get are the brand’s packaging if the item comes in a box, as well as a shopping bag.
  2. There are no packing slips, just a receipt.
  3. The item could be traveling less to get to you than if you purchased online.

Online shopping can also be a much greener alternative to buying in a retail location as well.

  • Buy locally online when possible to save on shipping energy and costs.
  • Combine shipments into one box. Leave a note for the company to combine all items into one box instead of shipping separately.
  • There are no plastic bags used (usually).
  • You are responsible for recycling any of the packaging (which otherwise may not have been recycled if you had bought from a retail location). Recycle the cardboard and put the interior packing on Craigslist for free, or drop by a UPS store location to see if they could reuse it.
  • You’ll have less chance to impulse buy from in-person attention grabbers that you don’t need.

So which option is the more eco friendly of the two? It’s up to you and what you buy. Either can be an earth friendly way to shop, but it depends on what you’re buying as well as who you are buying it from (and where they are located). Which do you think is the more earth friendly option?

{ 0 comments }

What are the Most Important Things to Recycle?

by Danielle on July 29, 2010

recycled soda cansAs much as we would all like to recycle everything, not everything can be recycled. With limited space, limited facilities, and a lack of technology to recycle certain materials, it limits what we can recycle and how we handle our waste. Since only certain things are being recycled, it raises the question, what are the most important things to recycle?

Size

You could start by sorting items by size. If the amount of space something would take in a landfill is the issue, then items like:

  • Couches
  • Fridges
  • Ovens
  • Cars
  • Furniture

Toxicity

If you sort by the toxicity of an item, then some electronics, light bulbs, and computers would be of the utmost important to recycle. Other items would be:

  • Cellphones
  • Batteries
  • Ink cartridges
  • Laptops
  • Video game systems

Biodegrading

Sorted by how long an item will take to break down into the environment, plastics and metals never truly biodegrade, and would top the list of most important things to recycle. Most metals oxidize and rust, but never start to break down. Plastics break down in a way, but into a more toxic form than when they are whole. These items include:

  • Plastic bags
  • Plastic utensils
  • Metal car parts
  • Plastics used to make electronics (casings, etc.)

The real question we might need to ask, is where are our priorities? Are they with the amount of space in a landfill, the toxic elements that could potentially be leeched into the environment, or the composition and ability of an item to biodegrade?

If we prioritized by making items by size the most important thing, then we would have much more room. Bigger things could be reused and recycled into equal size items. For example, if a couch were refurbished into a new couch, that’s saving landfill space the couch would have taken up, plus preventing new materials from being produced. On the other hand, lesser priority to toxic items and non-biodegradable items would leave us with a bunch of toxic junk that would harm wildlife and our water supply.

If we chose to make sorting toxic items the biggest priority, then we would have a cleaner water supply, less of an impact on wildlife (who can ingest toxins and materials, absorb it into their bodies, or breathe in gases), and less of an impact on the environment. On the other hand, we may run out of space if too much priority is given to toxicity over the actual size of an item.

If we decided to make the recycling of plastics and metals our biggest priority, then those non-biodegradable items could be reused again. Giving them another life will prevent them from entering a landfill, and prevent new materials from being produced. On the downside, priority over this could mean less landfill and livable space.

Which of these are the most important things to recycle? As you can see, there are repercussions of not recycling these items. While the obvious answer is that we need to recycle everything, most people cannot, or will not. That makes choosing the more important ones over the less important an imperative duty.

Paper, plastic, and aluminum are easy things to recycle and are also very important. Paper can be easily put into a stack to be recycled down the line, while with plastics, they are contaminating our oceans and environment. The cleanup down the line for plastic pollution could be seemingly endless, so we have to stop today. Aluminum is very easy to bring to your local redemption center to get back a nickel per can, and it doesn’t take up much room. It uses far less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make new aluminum (and at the rate Americans drink soda, we need that aluminum!).

{ 0 comments }

Dangerous, Toxic Chemicals Found in Dryer Sheets and Fabric Softeners

by Danielle on July 28, 2010

chemicalsThere are a number of harmful chemicals found in traditional household dryer sheets that you should avoid. To soften clothing, a number of harsh agents are added to dryer sheets and fabric softeners. Here you can find a list of some of the common chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets, and why you should avoid them.

PENTANE
Pentane is a component of some fuels, so why would you want to add it to your clothing? This chemical if it comes in contact with the skin can cause dermatitis. If inhaled, the vapors can cause dizziness, nausea, headaches, and other irritations.

LINALOOL
Linalool is a narcotic that can cause CNS disorders. It can reduce motor activity and cause depression.

LIMONENE
Limonene is a carcinogenic found in dryer sheets and fabric softeners. The chemical is an irritant and sensitizer that should be avoided.

ETHYL ACETATE
Ethyl Acetate is a narcotic that should be washed thoroughly after handling. It is on the EPA’s hazardous waste list, and just happens to be in some dryer sheets and fabric softeners.

CHLOROFORM
This dangerous chemical, Chloroform, is an anesthetic, carcinogenic, and overall, nasty chemical to be around. Inhalation of chloroform can cause a lot of symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea, vomiting, and dizziness (and in extreme cases, death). Chronic exposure to the chemical has been known to cause kidney disorders and liver problems. In other words, why should it be in your dryer sheets?

CAMPHOR
Camphor can cause central nervous system disorders. It is often synthetically produced from oil of turpentine for its aroma.

BENZYL ALCOHOL
Benzyl alcohol is irritating to the upper respiratory tract. A drop in blood pressure, vomiting, dizziness, and other extreme symptoms can be the result of this chemical found in many dryer sheets.

BENZYL ACETATE
A carcinogen linked to pancreatic cancer, there’s no reason you would want to come into contact with Benzyl Acetate. The chemical has adverse affects in laboratory mice like irritation of the eyes and respiratory passages, and systemic affects.

ALPHA-TERPINEOL
Causes central nervous system disorders and is highly irritating to the mucous membranes. Respiratory depression, hypothermia can be the result of overexposure to this chemical.

So what should you do to avoid these chemicals? First, stop using fabric softeners and dryer sheets. They can ruin your dryer and lessen the life of your clothing.

For an eco friendly alternative to dryer sheets and fabric softeners that don’t contain any of these chemicals, try soap nuts for your laundry washing and reusable dryer sheets. You can also opt to simply hang your clothes to dry outside instead of using a dryer (which is also far better for the environment).

This article contains information from the following source:
Compiled by Julia Kendall*, Co-Chair, Citizens for a Toxic-Free Marin. Phone: (415) 485-6870. Reference: Lance Wallace, Environmental Protection Agency; Phone (703) 341-7509 Excerpts from “Health Hazard Information.” References: Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Provided with permission by Barbara Wilkie wilworks@lmi.net of the Environmental Health Network (of California). [*NOTE: Julia Kendall died July 12, 1997 from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Leukemia caused by pesticide poisoning.]

{ 1 comment }

How to Plan an Eco Friendly Baby Shower

by Danielle on July 27, 2010

eco friendly baby showerThrow an Organic, Green, or Eco Friendly Baby Shower – Environmentally Friendly Options

The big day is coming soon and you have been tasked with organizing an eco friendly baby shower for your best friend, sister or loved one and you don’t know where to start! It can be overwhelming at first to plan around the organic theme or green theme baby shower, but after you sit down and think about it, the shower can be very easy to organize. If you break it down into categories you will be on your way in no time to the perfect green baby shower! This page will help give you some ideas on organic baby shower party favors, how to find (truly) recycled paper invitations, where to hold the baby shower, green baby registry suggestions, and more helpful hints for easy setup.

Photo of baby shower flowers by herkie on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons 2.0.

Where to Plan Your Eco Friendly Baby Shower

green baby showerFirst things first! A date is the first thing to select when planning a shower. Depending on whether the shower is a surprise you may want to work with the parents to be to select a mutually agreeable date. You don’t want to pick a date where the couple will be out of town or have a prior engagement. After picking the date you then have to decide where the shower will be held. Traditionally they can be held at someone’s home, a restaurant or a hall. For the perfect green event consider hosting at someone’s house-this will make it much easier to use reusable utensils when it comes time for the actual party. If the baby shower will be during the warmer months, you can plan on having the shower outdoors to enjoy the fresh air.

Here are some other ideas on places you could have your green baby shower:

  • Rent a home by the ocean for the day (or week). It may wind up being cheaper than renting a hall.
  • Use a sunroom or brightly lit room to give the room a more “natural” feel during the winter.
  • Decide to have the baby shower at the parent’s or grandparents home. Nothing beats convenience!
  • The Godmother’s house – less clean up for you, less environmental waste, too.

Be Up Front!
There’s nothing wrong with telling guests what you’d like! Don’t be afraid to remind people in an insert with the invitations that you have enough of a certain size of clothing, or to avoid buying certain things. They want to get you the gift you want, too.

Recycled Paper Baby Shower Invitations

Look for 100% post consumer recycled paper invitations to be even greener

recycled paper baby shower invitationsOnce all of the details have been ironed out, it is time to select the invitations! For a green organic shower, you should look for invitations made from recycled paper. You should look for the highest percentage of post consumer recycled paper as possible, because post consumer recycled paper is paper that has actually been used previously and then was recycled.

100% post consumer recycled paper invitations would be the greenest option, but is also sometimes hard to find. If you’re looking to go completely paperless, you can use evite to coordinate your guest list (though expect some old school people will not respond unless its paper!).

I used this for my own eco friendly baby shower invitations and was quite happy with how they came out. I’d give them a recommendation!

Setting Up a Green Baby Registry

convertible cribIt is likely that because the mom to be is having a green, organic shower she has taken the time to set up her registry with organic clothes and organic crib sheets, BPA free baby bottles, eco friendly cribs, baby safe dishes, and everything earth friendly for her baby. Therefore you do want to be sure to include information with regards to the registry on the invitation.

You may want to suggest that if people would like to purchase something other than what is on the registry that they keep in mind the mom to be’s wishes of giving her baby organic and BPA free items. When in doubt, a gift certificate may be the best option, as then the mom to be can pick out the things she still needs after the shower that she will be comfortable using with her baby.

organic crib sheetsAs this is a green organic shower you may want to put a gently reminder to the guests that gifts do not need to be wrapped, and if they would like to wrap them provide some suggestions. For example some smaller items might be able to be wrapped in reusable diapers with diaper pins. For larger items you could suggest using an organic sheet or two to wrap the gift again closed with diaper pins. This eliminates wasting the wrapping paper and also gives mom a few extra sheets for the cradle or crib which she will certainly need. For items that are a medium size you could suggest organic receiving blankets-which always come in handy with a little one.

eco friendly chocolateEco Friendly Baby Shower Favors

Green baby shower favor ideas

Next on the green baby shower to-do list would be the green party favors! There are plenty of green options out there. Some people prefer to make a donation for each of the guests attending the shower to a green organization. Others prefer to have something that the guests can take home that is organic. For example, organic mint chocolate favors, or small bags of organic coffeewhich you can make yourself if you buy a larger bag and separate it out into reusable containers.

Why Ballons are a Bad Choice for Green Baby Showers

What to use instead of traditional baby shower decorations

Two Dry Pine Cones Sitting on a Gray Boulder
Balloons are something you definitely would not want to have at the baby shower. Not only are they a waste only item, because after the party it is likely they will end up in the trash immediately or shortly after if one of the guests takes them home. You also run the risk if the balloons are filled with helium that someone may let one go outside (accidentally or on purpose) and the harm that one balloon could cause to a marine animal is substantial. Balloons tend to look a bit like jellyfish when they land in the water and could be eaten by an unsuspecting sea turtle or whale. Streamers are another decoration which may seem nice for the few hours it is up, but you can find natural items to decorate the room so that you can pass on the streamers. The streamers are something else that will be thrown away right after the shower and will be a waste of paper. The dye in the paper will also start to leak out after it has been thrown away and it starts to break down. Read more about what balloons do to our environment here.

Natural Decor for Baby Showers
Three Gerberas
There are some even more beautiful, natural alternatives you can use for shower decor. If the shower is in the winter time, you may think about using pine cones, pine boughs and other natural items. Spring and summer would be a great time use potted flowers and spices as mentioned above. Fall, especially in New England, you have the colored leaves which have fallen from the trees. You could hand pick some large multi color leaves to decorate each table, or you could make you own potpourri style basket for each table complete with a colorful sampling of the best that fall has to offer.

Creating a Green Baby Shower Menu

Recommended themes and foods for your eco friendly baby shower menu

Menu Outside a Cafe in Ravenna, Italy
When creating the menu, though it may be hard to offer everything organic-consider making the food offerings fair trade, organic or locally grown. This is especially easy in the spring, summer and fall when farm stands and farmer’s markets are open. If this proves to be too challenging, you could offer special items noted as fair trade-such as the coffee. Or perhaps make a dessert such as brownies with an organic chocolate. The mom to be will appreciate your efforts! As this is a green, organic shower you will want to be sure that you have reusable plates and utensils. This is easily done if the shower is held at your house as you can use the plates and utensils and then put them in the dishwasher for an easy clean up. Paper or plastic plates, plastic cups and plastic utensils all just cause extra trash from the party. The mom to be will appreciate your go green efforts and thoughtful planning!

Another great gift for Mom:
The Reusable Bamboo Utensil Set is perfect for work, school, and any woman on-the-go that would like to be prepared (and green!).

A Better Choice Than Disposable Gift Bags

Reusable bags – use them over and over!

love the earth reusable tote bagRight: Love the Earth Reusable Tote Bag

Why throw away a paper bag, only to have it end up in a landfill? If this is truly a green baby shower, the new Mom will love that you’ve used a reusable bag instead of a plastic one to give their gifts in! This bag is made of 100% cotton canvas, and is easily machine washed or hand washed. This will hold approximately 3 x as much as dispoable plastic grocery bags, and is the size of a medium sized gift bag. It’s a gift in itself!

More reusable tote bags from EcoGreenBags.

P.S.: The author of this page is a Mom, and tries to lead the greenest lifestyle possible, whenever possible. Whether it’s natural baby products or the use of soaps that won’t cause damage to our rivers and streams, there are small things you can do to help the environment and yourself. You’ve probably heard the expression, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” This expression applies well to leading a green lifestyle. Too much change at once can be overwhelming, so take it slow, do what you can, when you can, and never stop learning!

You can find the eco friendly products the author sells and recommends on this page, including the reusable paper towels, reusable dryer sheets, earth friendly soap nuts, organic lotions, and our entire organic spa line at TheGreenerEarth.com. You can also read more earth friendly advice from the author right here at A Million Ways to Go Green.

{ 0 comments }

Reusable Produce Grocery Bags

by Danielle on July 26, 2010

reusable produce bagsWhen it comes to going reusable, there aren’t just reusable grocery bags anymore. Nope, now you can also eliminate plastic waste in the grocery store by bringing your own reusable produce bags.  It’s important to note some of the advantages of using reusable produce grocery bags, and what’s in it for the environment.

First of all, for you, there actually are a few small benefits. By going reusable, you’ll be able to store your vegetables inside the bags for a couple of days (longer periods of times aren’t recommended since all fruits and veggies release gases that start to decompose the fruit/vegetable in a matter of days). A fabric bag will let the produce breathe, instead of keeping the produce confined in a chemically created plastic material. These can be easily stored in your purse or inside one of your reusable bags.

Where the true benefits kick in are with the environment. The cons of using plastic bags have been blogged, chronicled, and have even been on your local news station. In case you missed those points, in a nutshell, it’s that:

  • Plastic bags kill animals. They suffocate by swallowing the bags (they cannot pass the bags from their system), or birds become entrapped within bags.
  • Plastic uses petroleum, a limited resource. Every time a plastic bag is created, oil needs to be refined and created first.
  • They keep us dependent on foreign oil.
  • Plastic bags use energy in the production process to create them. That’s more energy, oil, water, and transportation energy.
  • Plastic bags release harmful contaminants and pollutants into the air every time they are created, increasing greenhouse gases and contributing to climate change
  • Plastics have been ending up in our oceans, lakes, streams, rivers, and water supplies. They never truly break down, and will be with us forever. Plastic bags have already taken a huge toll on ocean wildlife in an offshore man made trash island called the Pacific Garbage Patch.

If you’re ready to take the jump to reusable produce bags, then visit TheGreenerEarth.com today to pick up a bundle of them for you (and maybe one for someone else in your family). One more thing: these bags don’t add any weight to the scale.

If you’re looking for other ways to reduce your dependence on plastic bags, be sure to read this page on an alternative to plastic trash bags and this post on how to reuse things.

{ 0 comments }

A World Without Recycling

by Danielle on July 23, 2010

When we recycle, we often think about the good things that we are doing, but what if we never did them at all? If the world cared nothing about recycling and the environment, we’d be in a much worse position now, and a far worse position in the future. Would mankind be surrounded by junk, rotting food, toxic substances, old soda cans, and piles of vintage Apple IIe computers?

A world without recycling is a scary idea, if you really think about it. As the population rate increases at a rate of about 1.17%, we cannot sustain the amount of people brought into the world based on the amount of resources that the planet has. Think of it like interest on a savings account. The initial amount isn’t very much, but once it gets rolling and interest starts compunding, things really start to grow. The same can be said for population. As we grow and the growth rate remains the same, the actual number of people on the planet is going to compund tremendously in the coming years. Now, where are all of these people going to live? Well, they can’t live in that trash pile over there… or that landfill over there… or that pile of vintage Apple IIe’s over there.

What if We Didn’t Recycle?

If we didn’t recycle at all, and we stopped recycling today, the future is going to be a messy, horrible place to live. The population of the planet is beyond its peak right now, and as we continue to exceed that number, resources are going to also continue to be depleted at a negative compound rate.

Let’s just imagine the scenario:

It’s the year 2080. Once mankind gave up on recycling, it was a much more convenient way of living. That only lasted for about three years, and that’s when the new landfills had to be created to deal with the new waste. Landfills were bulldozed from forests and fields, taking up living space and wildlife habitat. As more wildlife lost its habitat, the their numbers decreased. At first, only some species were affected, but the missing piece of the food chain puzzle caused a ripple effect. Soon, population numbers of hawks, squirrels, songbirds, moose, and turtles were in decline.

The Pacific Garbage Patch

The ocean wildlife were soon affected by the increase in trash as well. When recycling stopped, it was almost a checkered racing flag for polluters to dump trash into the ocean. The Pacific Garbage Patch, which was before twice the size of the state of Texas, grew to the size of China, then to the size of the Russia. It was literally a large floating trash island that was gaining mass and depth. There was practically a trash land bridge between Asia and North America. After sitting in the water for so long, the chemicals from the plastics were leeching into the ocean.

Besides the death caused at the hands of the garbage patch, it was now affecting the wildlife in new ways – by poisoning them. Chemicals like phtalates, BPA, and tiny bits of digestable plastic made the entire ocean a thick, sludgy soup, not just the Pacific. You couldn’t swim at beaches, and fishing had long since become a part of the diet of man. With the fishing industry gone, a large segment of the world population was without food. People started dying at a faster rate than before, and the population growth rate finally slowed, and reversed.

And that’s when mankind hit rock bottom. There were no places left to fish, no beaches to swim at, and no places left to build new homes (and that’s not even including the consequences of global warming). Was it too late to undo the harm that was already done? Yes. But the good news is that mankind figured out they could stop the problem from getting any worse, just by recycling what they use, or better yet, reusing it.

Is it Too Late to Change?

There’s no fairy tale ending here, just a good lesson learned. Is it too late for us to learn this lesson today? If you read back through the hypothetical story, you’ll notice that it’s much like the conditions of today. We’re at rock bottom right now. We already have a great patch of toxic, degrading plastic junk that’s killing ocean life, we are already running out of room for homes, and the food chain has already been affected by our own trash.  The scariest thing of all is that these are just a few of the consequences of not recycling.

Hearing about all of these potential and current consequences probably makes you want to change something in your life.  What are you going to do change the way you live? Will you start recycling more, reusing, or buying less? Maybe you could tell someone that you know just by sharing a link. The only thing better than one person making a change is two, or five, or a dozen people instigating change. You can start by emailing this post to a friend.

Intro photo of of North Pacific Gyre Garbage (photographer unknown).

{ 0 comments }

Proper Paint Waste Disposal

by Danielle on July 22, 2010

paint disposalPaint has come a long way since the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s, when lead paint was a common occurrence in apartments and homes across America. Today, paint is much less toxic, but still needs to be disposed of properly to avoid any adverse affects on the wildlife and environment. This page will summarize proper paint waste disposal, and give instructions on what to do to with your old paint.

The first thing you need to do before disposing of paint is to identify what kind of paint you own. If the paint you have is acrylic based paint, that means it is safe to dispose of without having to use any hardeners or bring to a recycling station. To dispose of acrylic paint, use up all of the paint within the can contents. When it’s used up, allow the paint to fully dry. Once the paint has dried, the can is now ready to be disposed of. The can cannot be recycled because of the dried paint, though you can ask your local recycling station if they will take the can for scrap metal.

For oil based paint, you will need to take greater care in disposal. The oil based paint must be used up entirely (which makes it imperative to buy just the right amount of paint, see guidelines using the interior paint calculator here). If you cannot use the paint up, you can sometimes bring the paint back to the place you purchased it so they can properly dispose of the paint or even recycle it. The side of the can or the company website may have more information on what to do with leftover paint.

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries