Environment

Supersize your Shampoo, Reduce Plastic

I stopped buying drug store variety shampoo many years ago because of the questionable ingredients (in particular sodium lauryl sulfate, which is also used as an industrial degreaser). After much searching, I found a natural shampoo that I was happy with. Trouble is, 1) it’s expensive and 2) it comes in a ridiculously small container. Each plastic bottle holds just slightly more than a cup of shampoo. As I was tossing yet another of these plastic containers in the recycle bin it occurred to me to see if I could find this shampoo in larger container. And I did! Even with shipping costs, the gallon sized container costs less per ounce than the small bottles and will generate a lot less waste. If you’ve got a similar dilemma, I suggest that you use Google or Bing and search for your shampoo’s brand name along with terms like “bulk” or “gallon.”

Win a PlanetBox Lunch Box!

By Kris Bordessa

If you send kids off to school every day, you know just how hard it is to pull together a zero-waste lunch. And if you’re trying to skip plastic? That doubles the difficulty. Enter PlanetBox! Made of stainless steel, the hinged lunch box opens to reveal five individual compartments of various sizes. It kind of resembles an institutional food tray (or, to date myself, one of those old fashioned TV dinners!). The raised compartments in the lid allow you to fill the bottom tray generously and still close the lid. When closed, each food is sealed into its separate compartment, keeping the sandwich from touching the fruit for finicky eaters. The one drawback to the compartments is that the space where a sandwich would fit is pretty small. The grainy bread we eat comes in slices too large to fit in there. Slip the latched PlanetBox into an insulated carrying bag and kids are all set for a zero-waste, environmentally sound lunch break. The carrying bag has two pockets – one will fit a water bottle and the other has a flap that closes with velcro. The simple styling of the PlanetBox will last a kid through years of...

May Challenge: Give up Drinking Straws

By Kris Bordessa

It seems like a silly thing. Can a simple plastic drinking straw really make much of a difference? But take this into account: One Virginia manufacturer makes four BILLION drinking straws each year. Imagine how much plastic that uses. Imagine how much waste that produces. What if for the month of May, we gave up drinking straws? Sure, many of us may not use drinking straws much. But if you dine out, whether it be at fast food restaurants or nicer establishments with glass and silverware, you get a plastic straw by default. If you’re not bringing your own reusable mug to Starbucks, you’ll get a straw if you order a cold drink. My challenge to you this month: tell your server in advance that you DON’T want a plastic straw. If they are flummoxed by your request and give you a straw anyway, hand it back to them. You’ll make a statement, and possibly recruit a new no-straw convert. It’s all about being aware of what we consume. I don’t think your dining pleasure will be diminished by drinking without a straw. However, if you really love your straws, please considering investing in a glass straw or one...

Postal Waste

By Kris Bordessa

While it’s not going to make you any more self-sufficient, here’s something to be aware of. If you toss your paper trash into a receptacle at your United States Post Office, it might be going straight to the landfill. Not all offices recycle their paper waste, due to privacy issues (mine does not). Ask; if yours doesn’t, bring the junk mail home with you and add it to your recycle bin.

How do you Bag It?

By Kris Bordessa

I watched Bag It over the weekend. The movie begins as a “regular guy,” Jeb Berrier, wonders about the plastic bag he uses to carry a yogurt home in. As he researches and learns more about the environmental impact of choosing a plastic bag, his questions lead to more questions. What about plastic bottles? How does buying plastic impact the earth and our health? And what about the new baby he has on the way? I found the movie to be reminiscent of a Michael Moore documentary. The horrifying facts presented are balanced with a sense of humor (which I think helps viewers refrain from freaking out over the content). We particularly enjoyed the exchange between Jeb and the fast food restaurants as he tried to convince them to put his order in containers he brought from home rather than the disposable ones. The restaurants wouldn’t do it, due to cross-contamination issues. Jeb noted that they didn’t mind the cross-contamination that happened when money (is there anything dirtier?) to pay for the meal came through the window. As someone who’s trying to avoid BPA in our diets, I found it really interesting when Jeb strayed from his usual...

Celebrate Earth Day!

By Kris Bordessa

If you’re here reading this post, you’re likely aware of your impact on Mother Earth and are trying to lighten that impact. By depending more upon ourselves for our needs and less on big business, we are eliminating unnecessary fossil fuel use, pesticide use, and chemical use. We’re not, any of us, perfect, but we’re all trying. And I thank you for that. We all know the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra by heart. On this Earth Day, I’d like to suggest that you add precycling to your efforts. Precycling is the practice of saying no to unnecessary stuff. It’s the environmental movement’s version of the Just Say No campaign. Say no to the plastic bag at the store. Say no to the vegetables that are wrapped in plastic and sold on a Styrofoam tray. Say no to single serve packaging. Say no to paper plates and napkins. If you don’t bring this stuff in to your house, you won’t have to figure out how to reuse or recycle it. And that is a beautiful thing.

A More Sustainable Easter Basket

By Kris Bordessa

If your kids are expecting a visit from the Easter Bunny, now’s a good time to alert the rabbit to the fact that your household would appreciate a little less waste than usual. The “Basket” Sure, we call it a basket, but it’s just as common nowadays to see a plastic bucket or toy stand in as a container for the Easter eggs. If your kids are in need of a new basket, get ‘em a real live basket made of wicker (not plastic!). Not only are these made from natural materials, but they last forever (truly, I still have mine from when I was a child), and will decompose if they become unusable. Look for one with a natural finish instead of a shiny, varnished one. The Filler For goodness, gracious sake. Whatever you do, do not buy plastic grass. You can get biodegradable Easter grass. You can use raffia. Or tissue paper. Or, in a pinch, the tax papers you just ran through your paper shredder. But don’t use plastic grass! The Goods As with plastic grass, may I also insist on no plastic Easter eggs? If, in a misguided moment prior to the greening of your...

Save Energy, Water, and Time by Using Towels More than Once

By Kris Bordessa

Less laundry = more time for other activities, plus it saves energy and water. Instead of getting a fresh bath towel every time you shower, hang your damp towel up to dry and use it several times before you toss it in the laundry pile. Bonus: your towels will last longer meaning you won’t have to replace them as often.

Deep Watering in the Garden

By Kris Bordessa

I’ve mentioned before the fact that my soil has a hard time holding on to moisture. Between that and the fact that some of my veggies are planted on a slope to utilize as much of our space as possible, getting water to the roots of my plants – and keeping it there for a moment – is difficult. By deep watering with a container sunk into the soil, I can direct the water right where it needs to go instead of wasting it as it runs off down the slope. To try this method, you’ll need a container of some sort. I used a 1.5 liter plastic bottle (cut in half) but you could also use a 1-gallon plastic plant container, a large tin can (the oversize kind you’d get at Costco or a big pineapple juice can), or a half-gallon milk jug. Poke three or four small holes in the bottom of the container. Dig a hole alongside the plant you’d like to deep water, being careful not to disturb its roots. Sink the container in the ground, leaving only about half an inch above ground level. Fill around the container with soil. When your garden is...

Switching from Boxed and Canned to Homemade

By Kris Bordessa

Basing my assumptions on a trip through the grocery store, it looks like much of America begins the process of “cooking” with something that comes in a box or a can. Mother Nature does not produce food that comes contained in a box; this is purely a human invention to a) speed up the process of getting dinner on the table and b) make tons of money for the company that produces the product. Cooking from scratch is really very easy, and I’ve found that once I learn a new recipe, it doesn’t take that much longer than using the store bought shortcuts. The deal is, you have to make a recipe several times before it becomes as second nature as opening a box or can. Wondering what recipe you can switch to homemade without losing hours of time to prep work? I’ve eliminated these convenience items from my cupboard with very little trouble. Pancake mix: I grew up on Bisquick and Krusteaz pancakes, but started making my own from scratch twenty years ago and never looked back. Following the recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook, it might take me a full minute longer to follow the recipe than...

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Environment

Supersize your Shampoo, Reduce Plastic

Win a PlanetBox Lunch Box!

May Challenge: Give up Drinking Straws

Postal Waste

How do you Bag It?

Celebrate Earth Day!

A More Sustainable Easter Basket

Save Energy, Water, and Time by Using Towels More than Once

Deep Watering in the Garden

Switching from Boxed and Canned to Homemade

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