Things You Should Avoid Buying

I found this list of "Things You Shouldn't Buy. EVER!"

Many of the things are no-brainers and I am already doing my best to avoid. Some things have accidentally slipped into my life here and there, and I 'repent' as much as I can when this happens. I'm trying to think of others things to add to it - there are lots but I am having a bit of a brain fart at the moment. One thing I will add in right now is SODA. Diminishing soda from your purchases is a great way to reduce your plastic and aluminum waste - and you get to lose weight from not having as much sugar in your diet!

Things on the list that may be a bit tough for me is hair conditioner. Still working on making my own shampoo and conditioner. I will keep you posted on that mission. Same with make-up.

And I bring you the list (slightly edited here and there)

Things that you shouldn't buy. Ever.

Styrofoam products - Styrofoam isn't biodegradable and will stay in that landfill forever! Opt for reusable, compostable, or recyclable products.

Paper Towels - A waste all over the map. It's money that you don't have to spend, and trees that don't have to be cut down. Buy reusable and washable hand and dish towels instead.

Incandescent light bulbs - They're inefficient and waste energy in the form of heat. Try buying compact fluorescent light bulbs, which might cost a little more upfront, but last longer and can end up saving you $30 to $36 over the life of each bulb.

Conventional Household Cleaners - These products can contain hazardous ingredients Instead, look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradable cleaners or make your own green cleaning products.

Plastic Utensils - They aren't biodegradable and not recyclable in most areas.
Instead try using compostable food service items. Or always have spare reusable utensils on you or at work to use instead.

Disposable Batteries - Batteries contain heavy metals that can leach into the environment. Instead invest in rechargeable batteries and an electric- or solar-powered battery charger.

Bleached Coffee Filters - Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals. Look for unbleached paper filters or use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.

Industrially Raised Beef - Industrial cattle operations are energy-intensive, rely on antibiotics and an unnatural corn diet, and generate polluted runoff and large quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas. Limit your intake of beef and choose meat from sustainably raised, grass-fed cows.

Hair Conditioner - Many hair conditioners contain ingredients like sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol and tocopheryl acetate that can be toxic or potentially carcinogenic. Try using natural oils like olive, safflower or jojoba instead.

Chemical Pesticides and Herbicides - American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children. Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth.
Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management and plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.

Excessively Packaged Food and Other Products - Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around 33% of trash in the average American household comes from packaging. Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging or buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.

Cling/Saran/ Plastic Wrap - Many people don't realize that cling wrap may be made with PVC. #3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) leaches toxins when heated or microwaved and it is an environmental problem throughout its lifecycle. Instead store things in reusable containers.

Beauty/Body Care with Phthalates and Parabens - Phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects that are used in many cosmetic products, from nail polish to deodorant. Parabens are preservatives used in many cosmetics that have been linked to breast cancer though more research is needed. Phthalates are not listed on product labels and can only be detected in laboratory tests. To be safe, choose products from companies that have signed on to the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

High Octane Gas than You Need - Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car. Instead, buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual. You can also try making your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.

Teak and mahogany - Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen.Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. Try to reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.

Farm Raised Salmon - Several studies, including one performed by researchers at Indiana University, have found that PCB's and other environmental toxins are present at higher levels in farm raised salmon than wild salmon. Pregnant women, women of child-bearing ages, and children should be very careful when choosing fish due to high levels of environmental toxins including mercury found in many fish.

Anything Made with PVC - Polyvinyl chloride, used in everything from shower curtains to residential siding to toys and upholstery, sometimes contains phthalates (to make the plastic softer) that act as endocrine disruptor's, which interfere with normal hormonal development. Buy products made with natural fabrics and sustainably harvested woods instead.

High VOC Paints and Finishes - Volatile organic compounds or VOCs can cause health problems from dizziness to lung and kidney damage and are infamous for polluting both indoor and outdoor air. VOCs are found in products including paints as well as finishes used for wood, such a stains or varnishes. There are now a wide array of low or no-VOC paints on the market. Look for paints certified by Green Seal, or look for natural paints made by green businesses.

Rayon - Developed and manufactured b y DuPont as the world's first synthetic fiber, it is made by from liquefied wood pulp. Unfortunately, turning wood into rayon is wasteful and dirty, because lots of water and chemicals are needed to extract usable fibers from trees. Only about a third of the pulp obtained from a tree will end up in finished rayon thread. The resulting fabrics usually require dry cleaning, which is an environmental concern as well as an added expense and inconvenience.

Touring Alaska on Vegetable Oil

Stumbled upon this video on YouTube and thought I'd share it. These guys trek to Alaska on a bus powered by veggie oil. For those not familiar with the veggie-oil-running-your-vehicle-process here is a little insight on how it works:

For more info check out:

Veg Oil Conversion by Fossil Free Fuel
http://fossilfreefuel.com/


Here are the guys MySpace pages
http://www.myspace.com/MoseGiganticus
http://www.myspace.com/TheEmotron

Best Buy Free Electronics Recycling Program

Recycling electronics can be such a hassle sometimes. Trust me, I've got batteries and an old cell phone sitting in a bag on my dining table waiting to be taken to Staples or Kinko's. And bigger items like TV and computers can be somewhat of a pain to recycle...with all the searching for a local facility and such.

Well, Best Buy is now testing out their Free Electronics Recycling program! As of June 1st 117 stores in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota markets are inviting customers to bring in no more than two (2) units per day, per household, for recycling at no charge. Customers can bring items such as televisions and monitors up to 32”, computers, phones, cameras, and other electronics devices and peripherals in for recycling.

The following items cannot be accepted through this program:

• Televisions or monitor screens greater than 32”
• Console televisions
• Air conditioners
• Microwaves
• Appliances (customers are invited instead to use Best Buy’s appliance haul-away and pick-up programs)

Best Buy will work with its stores, recycling partners, and manufacturers to evaluate the success of the test and determine options for scaling it across the U.S. I hope this works out and that it makes its way to Los Angeles!

Meanwhile, Best Buy continues to offer these electronics and appliance recycling options, available in every U.S. store:

• Recycling kiosks: at the front of every store, ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CDs, DVDs, and PDA/smart phones can be dropped off for free recycling

• Appliance and television haul-away: Best Buy will remove an old or obsolete appliance or television free of charge from a consumers' home when a new product is purchased and delivered by Best Buy Home Delivery or Geek Squad Home Theater Installation Service.

• Appliance and television pick-up: For $100, Best Buy will arrange a home visit to remove up to two (2) appliance units and/or televisions for recycling, with $20 for each additional unit.

• Tech Trade-In: Visit www.bestbuytradein.com to trade in select gently used electronics for a Best Buy gift card.

ACE + CFLs

Ace Hardware have struck up an agreement with the Department of Environment Services and has announced that they will be accepting our old CFL lightbulbs for recycling! They will even take in broken bulbs as long as you put them in a seal container or zip-lock bag. How convenient for us and for them! Their profits had slipped from last year so not only can a customer dropped off a burned out CFL but they can purchase their new bulb from ACE hardware, too, while they are there. Win-Win sitch?

Click here or the ACE logo to find an ACE hardware location near you

One Woman's Trash...

...is MY treasure!

A co-worker friend of mine is moving into a new place and has started packing up her stuff and cleaning out her closet. While sitting in her living room she drags in a bulging trash bag full of clothes she doesn't want. Rather than toss them out, she let us have first dibs on her cast-offs (the rest would go to charity) and boy did I find some goodies! I made out like a bandit and left with an armful of "new" clothes.


If you're clearing out your closet, call your friends over and let them have the pick of the litter! You'll save still-functional clothes from landfills and you'll be responsible for your friends updated wardrobe and fashion statement! More closet space for you and you're friends save some green!

Movin' On Up!

We're moving offices and I love that the coordinators of this move have done their best to make this as green of a move as possible! One aspect that takes up a major part of a move are boxing up our goods. Anyone who has moved to a new apartment/home knows all about getting your hands on cardboard boxes. We're moving an office so I faint at the thought of how many boxes we'd have had to get! Moving companies were researched and we were lucky enough to find one that utilises reusable crates for their packing and moving needs!We just pack 'em, snap 'em and go. We're also using used cardboard boxes that we have lying around.

If you happen to be moving anytime soon or in the future for that matter, do what I did and get yourself used cardboard boxes from your friends, any that aren't being used at your work, or look for free ones on Freecycle or Craigslist. Once you are done with them, pass them along to friends, strangers, put an ad on these sites offering up the boxes to anyone who will pass them on, too, and have them pass them on, until the boxes are worn to bits and the remains have to be recycled! Saving trees and energy from production resources, gotta love it.

Green In The Face

Even in my sickbed I still managed to practice my green ways as best I could. Normally one pictures a sickbed to be riddled with tissue paper. Thankfully I avoided that path and used a hanky instead! It's quite an old fashioned way to blow your nose but it helps you avoid the paper trail! I wasn't able to find handkerchief, per se, so I dug up an old t-shirt (not pictured) and a clean mini rag to alleviate my nasal congestion.

My mom was nice enough to come to the rescue bearing orange juice, medicine, and soup. She was quite upset when I told her I wanted to ride the fever out au naturale and plopped 2 bottles of flu medicine by my bedside. Luckily, she indirectly made a smarter choice and bought medicine out of bottles instead of pills I'd have to pop our of the plastic/foil combo. Although the plastic bottles aren't the "greenest" thing because they contain petroleum based plastic, they can be easily reused or recycled while the plastic/foil pill containers are an enviro mess! I had some of those pills leftover from when my sister was sick during her last visit and as much as I didn't want to have to use them due to the waste I would be creating I took then anyway. Why? Because they are still good and I didn't want to have to toss out the pills.

If you have push-out pills in your medicine cabinet don't throw them out! And definitely don't flush them! Doing either will lead to them seeping into the our water systems somehow. We don't want that happening now, do we? Save them for your next sickday. No use wasting good medicine for no good reason.

adventures in grocery shopping

Grocery shopping is quite an ordeal for me. Not only do I like to thoroughly scope out every aisle for things I need but once I start making my way towards the store with my reusable bags in tow, I start to calculate how must more I can reduce my packaging consumption that trip. As you know, I've given up the produce bags because I find them ridiculous (although, I know the checkers find ME ridiculous). But I've been trying to up the ante by considering what type of packaging my potential food choice uses, if it is really necessary for me to have (find a non-packaged alternative), and if I do need packaging, is it readily recyclable/reusable?

I don't buy cookies or chips or candy so I'm good in that department. But what about my oh-so-convenient Lean Cuisines and its store-brand copy-cats? It's been really hard for me to let those go because they are so cheap and easy! But I am proud to say that I said 'nay' to them, just cold turkey, because since I've been monitoring my trash (even at work), I find myself tossing that black tray. So no more Lean Cuisines. My alternative for this week? Veggie sandwiches. I'm clear in the packaging front with veggies because I grab from the bulk bins and reach for unpackaged veggies in the produce section. But I faltered a bit in the bread department. Plastic!

It was annoying and moment like this I yearn for boulangeries so I can get my fresh baked bread from Mme. and slip it into my canvas bag. Sigh, indeed. But I figured I can just buy the packaged bread and reuse the bag for my next visit when I want to buy snowpeas! Yes, every trip I stare at the snowpeas, wanting to buy them to add into my delicious meals but knowing it would be a 'mess' at the checker because I forget to bring a smaller reusable plastic bag. So note to self: redeem myself by reusing that bread bag.

Faltered in the dairy department, too. Needed cream cheese to spread in my sandwiches and veggie cheese slices. I can easily reuse the cream cheese container as Tupperware. It's a "#5" plastic so a tough one to recycle. (Yes, don't get me started on the plastic types. You can definitely find me flipping over plastic containers to check for their number and hope for #1 or #2 plastics since they are readily accepted in curbside recycling programs). The plastic film on my veggie cheese slices, though, are a lost cause and will be noted in my personal trash monitoring.

Other purchases:

• cans of soup (I can recycle the cans)
• tofu (in #2 plastic -- readily recyclable)
  
• fake chicken nuggets and fake ground beef for my tacos (#7 plastic -- cringe -- but recyclable paper packaging)
• flour tortillas (I know, I know. Will have to visit a local tortilleria with my own packaging)
• pasta sauce (reusable & recyclable jar)

Did not do too bad for myself but definitely room for improvement.

Bye Bye Bunny Ears

Yeah, I sport the bunny ears! But alas, come 2009 I will have to part from my babies because the powers that be are phasing out analog TV's and digital is taking over the scene! You can find out more about the switcharoo and converter boxes here

Thinking about moving on completely and getting yourself a fancy schmancy flat screen / digital TV? Be sure not to leave your old TV out in the cold or down in the dumps (literally!). Billions of pounds of e-waste like computers, televisions, VCRs and walkmen (you remember those, right?), cell phones, and printers are sent out to pasture. This creates a significant burden on landfills because the toxins leach into the soil and our groundwater. E-waste recycling also harvests resources like the glass, copper, plastic, and aluminum. I happened to catch a news segment last night about how facilities make beaucoup profit from harvesting the copper from old TVs AND that they even harvest gold in the materials! I think I heard them correctly and if so then that is pretty insane! The really mean it when they say "one man's trash in another man's treasure" don't they?

Properly dispose your electronics through e-waste programs and facilities in your cities. You can Google "e-waste recycling" and find sites like this that can help you track down a facility near you or you can investigate further by visiting Earth911.org for tips on how to recycle your specific electronic device. The page I link to gives a list of different companies like Apple, Dell, Samsung, etc. and their very own sponsored recycling programs. Pretty snazzy.

Just Press No!

Rising gas prices making you cringe at the pump? I can't even watch the numbers tick away when I'm filling up anymore!

Next time you're at the pump just press NO when the machine asks if you want your receipt. You're going to crumple it up anyway once you get back into your car or forget about it when it's crammed in your wallet.

But if you encounter the inevitable receipt from restaurants or grocery stores be sure to reuse it as scrap paper and/or recycle it the first chance you get (after you shred the evidence, of course). Some merchants may use soy ink on their receipts. If so, you can toss that baby into the compost bin! And if you can, refuse the receipt altogether just like you refuse plastic bags at the store!

Frock Swap

Got a closet full of clothes that you want to get rid of? I sure do. I would show you my actual clothes piles in my bedroom but I am too embarrassed! Rather than chucking your threads into the trash think about the pounds and pounds of clothing that is already in landfills! I read somewhere that clothing/textile waste makes up 4.5% of residential waste created. Each American is responsible for approximately 35 pounds, totaling 8.75 billion pounds per year. Crazy! Plus, many of our clothes are made of synthetic fibers derived from oil. Don't want that leaching into our ground now do we?

My natural impulse is to donate clothes to charities and 90% of my wardrobe was bought used. But why not mix it up a little and make a little event out of your former fashion?

On one of my flights to/from San Francisco I was lucky enough to watch a segment on Current TV about Swap-O-Rama, an event where you pay about $5 at the door, bring in your bag of old clothing, and swap with strangers. There are also sewing machines at these events brought in by volunteers so that you can create new clothes along the way. Cool idea right?

You can check out the site for any upcoming events near you or why not create your own little frock swap? Invite a few of your friends over, serve lovely organic refreshments, and have them bring a few items from their closet that they want to do away with. Set them out and rummage away! Accessories like bags, hats, belts and scarves are also perfect one-size-fits-all items! You're bound to leave with something new and you'll be giving garments a new lease on life!

It should be fun. Who can say no to a theme party! I am planning one in the near future so I will keep you posted for those friends in the area who are interested in stopping by.

Got leftovers from the party? You can donate the orphaned clothing to a charity of your choice!

Check out a video of some gals who partook in a frock swap of their own

Put Your Undies Where?

To continue with the Spring Cleaning theme, I'm getting dressed and digging through my underwear drawer realizing that I should start getting rid of some and replenishing my supply with new skivvies. But I've been putting it off because you don't exactly want to add undies to your Goodwill pile because who wants to wear used underwear. So what to do? The trashcan is not going to be an option, that's for sure.

Lucky for me (and you) Patagonia has an underwear recycling program as part of their "Common Threads Garment Recycling" program.

The promo video featuring Agent Timmy is cute and gives you the jist of how this whole thing works. Rather than cramming our landfills with our old underwear factories take your undies, throw them into a machine, melt them into pellets, and turn the polyester pellets into new underwear! Neat right?

How To Recycle:

• Wash your undies (obvs)
  
• Drop them off at the Patagonia store near you
  
• OR you can mail them to the Patagonia Service Center at:

• Patagonia Service Center
  ATTN: Common Threads Recycling Program
  8550 White Fir Street
  Reno, NV 89523-8939

Spare your underwear from a boring and harmful existence in a landfill or an incinerator and help provide Patagonia with reusable garments rather than virgin ones to keep their products alive!

Green Sleeves

Lookie Lookie! The next time you stroll over to your coffee shop of choice why not slip these babies on for size! These reusable coffee cup sleeves are a perfect substitute to the cardboard sleeves we're used to seeing and getting.

The best part is that they are made of 100% recycled clothing (I love product reincarnation) and individually sewn with love.

Make other coffee patrons envious of your green ways and get your sleeves from the people at GreenHome

The #6

I always try to be conscious of what I purchase and its packaging, if any. I'll admit, I'm not perfect so the occasional Styrofoam take-out package or salmon fish tray slips into my possession. I know, I know. I should be better and avoid these products all together but when I find that I falter I do my best to recycle these plastics.

Did you know that you can recycle your Styrofoam material? From your coffee cups to meat trays to packing peanuts (and any other #6 polystyrene plastics for that matter) all are widely accepted by curbside recycling programs all over so don't throw them into the garbage! They can be made into cassette tapes and insulation. Or you can always reuse your packing peanuts or give them (along with your other Styrofoam material) to your local post office or shipping store so they can reuse/recycle them.

Check out the Earth 911 Website to make sure your curbside program accepts #6 plastics. If I'm going to have trash then I gotta be responsible about it, right?

A Sight To Behold

I had some time to kill before dinner with my mother yesterday so instead of hanging around her house I decided to spend the next hour and a half of downtime finishing my book (Life of Pi). The local Starbucks was packed, the library was closed, and although the peace and quiet of a church would serve perfectly for finishing off my book I just couldn't bring myself to go in and lounge about in the pews. So I decided to drive around the neighbourhood I grew up in and find a nice quiet street. Right by my old Elementary School seemed like a fitting place to read about a boy and his tiger. I parked my car, watched some young girls skateboard around the schoolyard, and lo and behold, what one of many changes did I notice at my old alma mater? Blue recycling bins in front of every classroom!


My eyes widened and my heart sang to see that the school was making it easier for the kids to recycle (and at such an impressionable age, too!) And they were even utilizing the blue residential bins. What a sight to behold on a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Trash, Recyclables, and "Other"

About a year ago I paused as I was about to toss my vegetable "trimmings". Wait a minute...green bin. It had been instilled in me since elementary school to separate my recyclables but why hadn't I been putting my fruits and veggie refuse into the green/yard trimmings bin? So when you enter my kitchen you will see 3 different receptacles: one for trash, a second for recyclables (it's the round one for those confused guests. Round...Recycle...Rrrrround....Rrrrecycle), and my lone blue bucket for, well, anything that is grown/compostable (veggies, fruits, tea leaves, coffee grounds, and the occasional eggshells). Every few days I just carry my bucket out to the green bin and toss everything in. The city of LA is going to turn the yard clippings and the like into compost and mulch anyway so why not re-route my rotting fruit and vegetables from the trash bin and turn it all into nutrients for someone's garden someday.

My bucket really is my more inexpensive (read: free) alternative to actually having a backyard composting bin (since I live in an apartment and have nowhere to put my it) or owning an indoor composter by Bokashi (for the urbanite who wants to keep a mini composter in their humble abode). I like it because I wouldn't have to deal with composting worms. It's funny how I've been ogling this item online lately instead of the usual cute dress or shoes. A green girl can dream...

In the meantime, I will continue to use my trusty bucket, eventually get a Bokashi, and ponder how to get my neighbours to join in on a communal backyard composting bin.

My bucket use is actually really fun for me because I like to monitor how much stuff I throw out in general. (I've got environmental impact guilt as powerful as my Catholic guilt!)
I feel good when I see my recycling bin and bucket overflow and I barely have any trash to take out ( find myself taking out my one trashbag every 2-3 weeks. This is good but not great). I would, however, like to get to a point where I have less waste all together and I only have to make bucket trips. Happy to report that I am getting there.

Run Responsibly

Spring is nipping on my heels and that means one thing: "Prep for Summer Body!"

I've been putting off/avoiding having to join a gym for a couple of reasons.
a.) I'd rather not spend X mount of dollars on a membership
b.) The amount of energy a gym uses is astronomical (powering equipment, keeping the A/C on, etc.)

So I opt for lifting weights and doing crunches at home, walking, taking the stairs, and I might even try to hula-hoop my way to fitness like this woman here.
Plus, running outdoors let's me enjoy the outdoors and I get to see my neighbours more often . And it's free and environmentally friendly!

Now I'm in need of new running shoes so I've been online trying to look for some made out of sustainable/recycled materials. It's easy to find sustainable sneakers but running shoes? So far I've come across "BioMoGo" from Brooks running shoes called Trance 8 shoes which feature a bioplastic midsole that will degrade in about 20 years (2% of the time traditional midsoles breakdown). The uppers will still feature traditional oil-based materials, though.
Unfortunately for me, the Trance 8 won't be out until July of this year! No instant gratification here.

Another cool shoe find that I've been ready alot about lately is from Nike and their Reuse-A-Shoe program. Nike doesn't have a sustainable shoe yet (I don't think) but they are taking in your old running shoes, turning them into "Nike Grind" and use this to make different parts of sport surfaces in communities around the world: cushion surfaces for basketball courts, synthetic soccer fields, tennis courts, running tracks, and even playgrounds for the little ones. Find a Reuse-A-Shoe recyling location near you here

If anyone knows about a sustainable/recycled material running shoe that's out now let me know. I'm on the hunt.

for the pearly whites

The time is coming up for me to switch out my toothbrush. If you're in the same boat then you should opt for a recycled toothbrush! One of the popular brushes hail from Recycline. Their "Preserve" brushes are made from 100% recycled plastics, 25 percent of which comes from Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. How awesome are reincarnated yogurt cups? They are only $2.50 each or 4 for $13. Pas mal. They even throw in a come in a convenient little travel case with little vent holes to help keep your toothbrush ‘fresh’.

When it's time for a new brush just place your old one into a convenient postage-paid Recycline mailer and your old brush will be reincarnated into plastic lumber. Brings a smile to my face.

Get your own recycled toothbrush from Recycline
Or check out Vegan Essentials
Or your local Trader Joe's