refuse to swim in a sea of single-use plastic bags

 

Creating another sustainable habit!

Reusable bags.

For Trader Joes runs.

For Target runs.

For everything and anything runs.

And here are some compelling reasons why:

The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.

It’s estimated that worldwide plastic bag consumption falls between 500 billion and 1 trillion bags annually.

That breaks down to almost 1 million every minute.

One MILLION.

EVERY minute.

Only 0.5% to 3% of all those bags wind up recycled.

A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade and remain toxic even after they break down.

1,000 years!

Not sure about y’all, but I’m just not alright with draping this planet in plastic.

Solution:

Reduce and eventually eliminate use of single-use plastic bags.

Gone. Goodbye. Out of my life.

There are a gazillion products in the world, however, that come wrapped in plastic bags; more on how I’ve been working to solve that problem by creating another sustainable habit in a future post.

For now, we’re talking those filmy plastic bags typically used for carrying out goods from the store to the car; from the car to the home. 

I have reusable totes that I carry around as often as I can, but it hasn’t yet become a habit to keep them easily accessible, at all times. When I forget them……….. And when feasible, I’ll shove purchases into my oversized purse (after paying of course!) to avoid walking out of an establishment with a paper or plastic bag full of guilt and my tail between my legs. But sometimes huge jugs of rice milk and boxes of Barbara’s (gotta love cereal for dinner) just don’t fit in the hobo-style over the shoulder purse.

But enough is enough. No more half a**ing the reusable bag use. I’ve got to make this a consistent habit.

I’m off to an alright start; I have two sturdy, reusable bags that serve their purpose each time I think far enough ahead to grab them before walking out the door.

Problem is, sometimes I forget them. And they’re a little stiff which makes keeping one in my purse pretty much impossible.

So here’s the action plan:

You see that bag above? The greenish-white one from Traders? The one that costs a whopping $0.99?

I’ve got two of them and they’re both going and staying in the trunk of my car.

Will be purchasing two more this week to add to my stash. Maybe in a different design to mix it up a bit. This will hopefully solve the problem of bringing bags into the house and forgetting to bring them back out which creates the ultimate problem; finding myself on an impulse shopping trip without bags and too much food to fit in my purse.

However. If I find myself without a car, without any of my four bags and in need of a carrying apparatus, I’ll be purchasing at least one of these bad boys:

The reuseit™ Bluesign Workhorse - it folds into its own mini-sack attached inside the bag. Once stuffed into its pouch, it measures only 4" x 3" x 2," easily fitting into the palm of your hand and small enough to stash in a purse or pocket. Weighing in at only 1.5 ounces, these lightweights perform like champs. Each bag opens into a heavy-duty, water- and mildew-resistant 19"x 16" x 6" sack and holds up to 25 lbs. With this Workhorse, you may never have to take a plastic shopping bag again.

That’s right! Never again.

Taking on the challenge with me? Live in the Ventura, California area and want to combine orders? Get a few Workhorses on the same ticket? Message me a.s.a.p.

Not ready for the challenge? Hold on to those plastic bags then.

Yes, all of them. Upcoming post will share some responsible, eco-friendly ways to be rid of them.

composting; more an experiment, less a science



Photo Credit: Sharon Smith



Woooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooo!



Finally.

Bought a compost bin. Only minor assembly required.

And attended a workshop for a little push / support.

The number ONE thing I learned and wish to share with you if you’re even slightly considering trying to compost:

It’s not a science. It’s an experiment.

Tend to it every day or leave it alone for a six month period and you’ll likely come out with about the same results.

Awesome.

Keeping a compost alive will be far easier with my green thumb than keeping a garden alive. My mom’s the expert at that one. 

So here’s the quick rundown; starter facts I walked away with:

1.     Get (or make) a bin. Purchase one through your city or just search for one online. They’ve got basic containers where you use your human strength to turn the soil with a good ‘ole fashioned pitchfork, drum-like bins that turn with a handle and some that aerate themselves, doing all the work for you.

2.    Set up your bin in a spot with half shade and half sunlight.

3.     Fill it up in layers. One third of the contents should be carbon material (brown leaves or newspaper) and two thirds should be nitrogen-rich (green grass clippings, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds AND filters, manure from non meat-eating animals). There are items you absolutely should NOT put in compost such as human/cat/dog feces, wet grass, meat, fats, bones, fish, dairy, cooking oil, anything with salad dressing…  

4.     Moisture and air are important! Keep your compost moist by watering it one to two times a week (not too much though as over watering kills the compost so you’ll have to start over)  as well as aerated by turning it frequently. Didn’t I tell ya? Not a science…

5.     If it's steaming, it's working! Just a good sign that bacteria and organisms are doing their job and breaking stuff down.

6.     That’s it! Can take as little as two months to see some finished product!

7.     Move your compost bin after each cycle. The bottom is open to the earth, constantly feeding it nutrients. So share the goods with as much of your garden as possible by moving it around.

8.     The part I’m not looking forward to most: bugs. I was assured that they will come. And potentially some other critters. Ants MUST be kept away; too many and you’ve got to throw it out. Worms that wiggle their way in are fine, as are those annoying gnats that are bound to frequent your compost spot. To lesson all these guys’ presence, however, chop up food scraps and cover with compost as opposed to just dropping them in. Then put a lid on it.      

There are millions of sites on the ‘how-to’ of composting but here are two that I like:

Composting For Dummies

Recycle now – Making Compost (I’m sure I’ll be visiting this one frequently)


And there you have it.

Now it’s off to compost. I’ll post progress every now and then, in between highlights of the other sustainable habits we’ve been creating around here. If you already compost or are looking to start, would love to hear about your tips and tricks or progress…

Alright. Time to get dirty.

composting – on our way to zero waste

Photo Credit: Cleanairgardening

Composting:

The recycling of organic material (food scraps, leaves, and grass) to be turned into a valuable soil amendment, used to enhance gardens, potted plants, and lawns.

Stats show that around 25% of U.S. municipal solid waste can be composted and used beneficially, rather than rotting in a landfill.


Putting it in perspective:

A typical household throws away an estimated 474 pounds of food waste each year.

That’s about 1.5 pounds per person, per day in the States.

These food scraps could theoretically be piled on a football field more than five miles high.

Five MILES high.

In a household of three women, we generate one 13 gallon bag of trash per week, down from nearly twice, sometimes three times that just a few months ago. I'd guess that about 10 gallons are food scraps.

Zero waste.

That’s the goal.

The next sustainable habit to start come Saturday:

Composting.

If you’re in the Ventura area and you too want to enter into the complex world of composting or just learn a bit more about it, hit up the

FREE Composting Workshop
Saturday, April 2, 2011
At Green Thumb Nursery in Ventura
1899 South Victoria Avenue
From 10 to 11am

Refreshments and prizes will be provided.

But everyone will have an opportunity to leave a winner because Green Thumb will be selling compost bins for over 50 percent off.

50 PERCENT OFF!

And those things full price can cost a pretty penny.

Here’s your coupon. Print it out and bring it in. It's pretty much good for forever.

What a steal.

Hope to see you there.

so right so smart; the power of one and the power of many influencing corporate environmental sustainability

This evening…

I left my comfort zone to attend a monthly meeting of the U.S. Green Building Council’s California Central Coast Chapter

and found myself in a room full of industry experts, some who have been in the business of sustainability since long before I could likely pronounce the word,

unknowing of the rather unique opportunity that awaited me.

So Right So Smart.

An amazing documentary available to few (unfortunately) about Ray Anderson of Interface Inc., a man who transformed his business, his industry, his life to be more sustainable and as a result, more profitable in exponential ways,

enriching, motivating, changing the world around him.

The film is a true testament that the transformative acts of

one

plus one

plus one

plus one

can literally change the way the world works.

A reminder that corporations have the resources and the capability to lesson our cumulative impact on the environment.

And that, through the power of OUR almighty dollar, through our purchasing decisions, we determine the directions in which big business head:

toward conservation

or

devastation.

The message is less, not more.

Demanding responsible products and practices from companies we choose to support.

Raise your brow, raise your voice.

Educate yourself and become more aware.

The waste we produce doesn’t simply disappear. Just because it’s out of sight and out of mind doesn’t mean it’s out of landfills and ground water and oceans and air.

For the future of our planet and our generations, we must be mindful of what lives our products and packaging will have when we’re through with them. If the purchase is necessary but can’t be recycled or reused, get creative by finding another brand or an alternative solution. No alternatives? Take a moment to contact the company CEO, demanding eco-conscious changes. Holler enough and they’ll listen because they need you and your dollars to survive. Ray listened. And took action, recruiting experts in the field and those in his circle of influence to help him create a powerful movement, one that continues to be recognized and emulated by businesses in every industry.   

In the end, we must never forget that this is a shared journey within a shared world that we will one day be leaving to Tomorrow’s Child.     

reusable cup both recycled and recyclable? sold!

Found it.

The sixteen ounce Transform Recycled & Recyclable Mug in Fern (read ‘funky lime green’) from Aladdin’s Sustain line.

Spent $9.99 at Target® last week for this snazzy mug. Truth be told, I haven’t put it down since.

Here’s why I like it… and no, I won’t be bashful about the fact that I’m a buyer attracted to color and cause-related marketing…

It’s bold.

I chose a vibrant green, but Target® had a few in ‘bubble-gumball blue’ (please don’t try asking anyone in a red shirt and khaki pants for a reusable coffee mug in this color - that’s just what it looked like to me) and one in brown, perfect for hiding proof you used your mug a few days prior and failed to wash it out.  

It’s recycled and recyclable.

            Yup, this is what did it.

‘Use it. Love it. Recycle it. Begin again.’ The mug is made with eCycle®, Aladdin’s proprietary mix of recycled plastics. Ninety-seven percent recycled food grade polypropylene containing twenty-five percent post consumer content makes this mug (sans lid) recyclable where number five plastic is collected.

Car-cup friendly.

            Tried it. It’s true.

Dishwasher safe.

            Sounds awesome.

Microwave safe.

Neat idea. Not sure how it holds up though; the insulation has kept my drinks hot for well over an hour or until they’re gone.

Leak-proof.

So far anyway. Have yet to turn the thing full of liquid on its head. If you want me to though, I will.

Because the above factors were all I needed to positively influence my purchasing decision (and I would allow them to again and again) I could care a little bit less about the one and only teeny-tiny little nuance in functionality that I realized recently was noticed by another user / reviewer. Thought it was just me. It doesn't deter me from my mug. Not a stitch. But I got a good laugh. You might too.

In the end, for ten bucks and not a whole lot of research on a quick buy, I’d say I made out pretty well…

first few uses of the reusable cup

On Saturday, I hit up Palermo’s on my way to Farmers’ Market downtown (getting a head-start on a future sustainable habit!) and stood behind a woman with my same tumbler in the ‘gumball blue.’ So interesting how we start ‘seeing’ the things we were never ‘seeing’ before they gained importance in our lives, for one reason or another.

Forgot to remove my lid but the woman behind the counter surprisingly did it for me. No big deal.

Palermo doesn’t offer a discount when you bring in your own cup, but that wouldn’t keep me from returning with it. I felt so proud taking this one small step; walking out with my Americano, knowing I’d be leaving nothing physical of it behind.

Walked around Farmers’ for a good forty-five. Drove home. Watered mom’s plants. Coffee was still surprisingly hot.

Sunday I stopped at Barnes and Noble to work on a massive homework assignment. Took my tumbler up to the Starbucks counter; remembered this time to remove my own lid. The cup was clean from the day before, but what do you know! The barista offered to rinse it out. Like magic.

And ten cents off my tea made it taste that much sweeter. 

Alright. I think I’ve dug the introduction of this reusable coffee cup habit deep into the ground, so it’s time to move on. I’ll return to the topic every now and then… When I slip up, am having some difficulty maintaining the habit or when something incredibly hilarious happens.

Habit number two to come very soon. And this one may be a little something for just the ladies...