Guest Editor: Claire Watt-Smith - Recycling: What you can do…

Posted by: Guest Editor

There has been ample news in the press over these past few weeks about the effects of recycling and the benefits that it has on the environment.

However, all this being said, it is important to think about the necessities of all this extra packaging. I once read an article not that long ago about a lady who was asked to give up plastic for a week. She found this incredibly difficult and indeed with a family, it proved even tougher! With all good intentions she tried her hardest to avoid purchasing items which were encased in plastic wrapping. As a result, she bought:

• Loose fruit and vegetables from her local market (using brown paper bags as opposed to the plastic ones that are provided in supermarkets)
• Tinned goods which could then be recycled
• Meat and fish from the butchers and fishmongers
• Long life milk (which she soon found was cheating as the flip-lid is plastic)
• She had to avoid jam jars as the lids are plastic
• She made her own bread as the packaging in bought bread is not biodegradable

All in all, it was a very challenging experience and one which I think we should all try and emulate. It may be difficult to buy a tooth brush as it comes in plastic packaging, DVDs as they have plastic film around them and margarine as it comes in a plastic container. However, all is not lost! Despite the local councils in the UK still being stringent on collecting plastic in the recycling collections, it is possible to at least reduce your consumption of plastic and to re-use any plastic containers where possible. Unfortunately in the UK we consume over 100 tonnes of plastic every year, increasing five fold since the 1950’s. At present, only 7% of plastic in the UK is recycled, with the rest going to landfills. How can we reduce our usage of plastic, glass, paper and recycle more? Here are a few ideas:

Support your local specialist shops and buy only what you need over the counter. The quality of the meat and fish is much better and it does not come in unnecessary plastic!

Reject unnecessary plastic packaging such as small plastic bags in the supermarket for fruit and vegetables. Instead, where possible, pop to the local market and pick up your fresh apples there.

Use recycled paper for your printer where possible, and don’t forget to print double sided!

Recycle pots and tubs where possible. Ice cream tubs and bath salt holders, jam jars etc can all easily be re-used for storing all sorts!

Buy from the milkman - If you are fortunate enough to still have a milkman, use him! Get your milk and orange juice delivered and recycle the glass bottles!

Make sure you keep a couple of plastic bags on you so that if you pop to the shops on a whim you do not need to take a new one from them to carry your purchases.

Re-fill your water bottle so that you do not need to buy another when you are out. In addition, at work, take your own mug and glass so that you do not use the plastic ones that are often available at the vending machines.

Choose eco-friendly websites who take recycling and looking after the environment seriously. For example, at BoBelle www.bobelle.co.uk we gift wrap items in acid free tissue paper (which of course can be re-used and is un-bleached), we send items in 100% recyclable packaging which is filled with biodegradable filler.

Recycling is not always easy and unfortunately in our country recycling is not as readily available as it should be. However, often writing to companies expressing your concern about their packaging, or indeed refusing to buy from companies who do not take their ethical stance seriously can be beneficial. There are plenty of fabulous companies out there who supply wonderful products which are environmentally friendly and readily-available. Checking out directories is a good way as they often have unbiased opinions and plenty of companies to choose from.

Claire Watt-Smith
CEO BoBelle
www.bobelle.co.uk
cws@bobelle.co.uk

Filed under Guest editor, Recycling | Comment (1)

Guest Editor: Elaine Dutton - Why Craft is for Keeps…(and naturally eco..)

Posted by: Guest Editor

Nearly all of us have an object at home whose sentimental value far outweighs its worth in cold hard cash. And despite what some may say, savouring your precious object doesn’t make you a ‘Gollum’, and I think it is a really valuable characteristic; one that will help us all to make the most of what we have, and keep it that way for the future.

Most of us are already questioning how our lifestyle impacts on the planet; in particular our consumption of resources such as fossil fuels, food, clothing and household goods. I propose that one of the best ways to reduce our rate of consumption (particularly of personal and household goods) is to invest in objects of quality that last, that we can keep, and that we can share with others.

Having worked in the craft sector for 4 years now, opening Pure Design, an eco-design gallery earlier this year, I regularly visit craft fairs to scout for new eco-design talent. This week I met Amy, a maker who has set up an alternative luxury knitwear brand called ‘Keep & Share’. Her mission is to create a sustainable ‘slow fashion’ label, which seeks to reverse the effects of throwaway fashion by creating ‘best friend’ pieces that will transcend short-lived trends and age gracefully. I thought this was right on the money.

And the great news is, there are many more makers and designers who have a very similar outlook to Amy. Susiemaroon, a Scottish eco-designer takes leather otherwise destined for landfill and creates chic floor hides and cushions. An Alleweireldt from Oxx uses old floppy disks, vinyl records and lollipops she has hoarded over the years to create cutting edge jewellery. What many describe as a labour of love (41% of UK earned less than £10,000 in 2002) drives these artists to create unique and beautiful pieces of design that we can buy and admire every day. Craft also satiates our desire to collect, with individual pieces acting as souvenirs or memories of a person, place or time.

AND as craft is small scale production, designers are able to keep tabs on exactly what goes into their ‘product’. They can source greener, sustainable materials, often using locally sourced, found or reclaimed materials. They can control production techniques, using non-toxic dyes and chemicals. And with so many artists working from home – they can keep their own carbon footprint right down. Weaver, Angela Morley talks about her passion for nature and natural materials in BBC’s Made in England

With these positive eco aspects to craft, and not forgetting the fact that craft can suit all budgets, shouldn’t we all need to take a little more time to measure the true worth of products before we pay out? And with all the economists telling us we need to watch our spending, I think craft for keeps could be a very sound investment…

Elaine set up Pure Design, a social enterprise and online eco-design gallery in October 2007. Its mission is to promote sustainable design and designers in the UK. Pure Design does this largely by providing a platform from which designers can show and sell their work, and encourages exchange of eco-design knowledge between established and emerging eco-design talent. To find out more visit our Pure Design website. www.puredesigncompany.co.uk

Filed under Guest editor, Art, Recycling, Shopping, Fashion | Comment (0)

Guest Editor: Trish Smith - Green Thrift Store Shopping Tips

Posted by: Vicky

Instead of spending your paycheck on an expensive new outfit or gadget, how about saving some cash and helping out the environment by shopping at a thrift store.

Thrift store shopping is just another form of recycling and regulating CO2 emissions. Not only do you get to reuse a unique or vintage item, but you also stop factories from making more items and creating pollution, and that greatly reduces your carbon footprint.

Make the Most of Your Experience
If you’ve never been to a thrift store, then you may not know what you’re getting yourself into. Most thrift stores are disorganized and crowded, which may overwhelm shoppers and cause them to turn away in disbelief.
But if you’re willing to take some time to poke around the store and ask employees questions, then you may find that special something you’ve always been looking for.

Here are some tips to follow when thrift store shopping:

Go Through Your Personal Belongings
First, decide which items you are willing to donate. People don’t realize how much waste is created from items that were thrown away but could have been reused. You’ll not only make some extra space in your home for your newly bought thrift store items, but you’ll also provide someone with a reusable item. Once you have a bag of donations, then you can see what needs to be replaced.

Make a List
Know ahead of time what you’re looking for so you won’t be scrambling to remember amidst a sea of shoppers. If you’re getting something for someone else, like clothes, write down their sizes. (To reduce paper waste, write this down on a scrap sheet of paper that has already been used).

Choose a Location
Look up the locations of the thrift stores so you don’t get lost trying to find them. There are usually Salvation Army and Goodwill stores in most cities, so they should be easy to locate. (The best thing about these two organizations is that they give their proceeds to humanitarian efforts.)

Bring Cash
Even though almost every store in the world accepts credit cards, there are many thrift stores that only accept cash. So go to the ATM or borrow some cash from a friend before you head out to go shopping.

Transportation
If you live close enough to a store and the weather is nice, you can walk or bike to it. That will save you gas money, reduce CO2 emissions and save you time from trying to find a parking spot. But if you have to drive, know exactly how to get there so you don’t waste gas driving around.

At the Store
When you’re searching for items, think green.

• If you don’t find the perfect shirt you’re looking for but you find a few that have certain elements you like, look for ways you can recycle the elements. You can find cool fabric from one item to add to another, or you can make something completely original from a mix of fabrics. And if something isn’t exactly your size, it can be easily altered and hemmed.
• Try not to choose items that need to be dry-cleaned. Dry cleaners often use perchlorethylene (PERC), which is a man-made substance that can damage the central nervous system, liver and kidneys. You can read more about the dangers of dry cleaning here.
• Don’t buy things you’ll never use. That means don’t buy something just because it’s super cheap and you think it’s too great of a deal to pass up. Buying a stack of books you’ll never read, some pots you’ll never cook with or a record you’ll never listen to will only wind up in a landfill later, and then you’ll just be contributing to our land pollution problem.

Also, don’t forget to check for price tags and correct sizes. Sometimes a price tag is missing or the clothing item doesn’t have a size label, so ask an employee if you need help. The more that you get to know the employees, the more you’ll be aware of cool sales or future shipments.

Back at Home
After you’ve returned from the thrift store, you need to wash any clothing that you purchased. If there are tough stains on the clothes you can use a mixture of water and baking soda to get them out. You can also add a ½ cup of vinegar in the wash cycle to help kill bacteria and other germs on the clothing.

You can find a whole list of homemade cleaning products here.

Thrift store shopping can be a fun, green experience for everyone. Finding cool items that can be recycled will not only help the environment, but they might just help you brighten up your eco-lifestyle.

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform

Filed under Guest editor, Recycling, Shopping | Comment (0)

A hand-made, eco wedding update

Posted by: Vicky

Well, Jez and I are now back from honeymoon and back to reality and our wedding day, although only two weeks ago, now seems like a distant happy memory. Wow, it flew by so past but that’s probably because we had such a fantastic time!

This post is just going to be brief but after so many good luck wishes from everyone I wanted to give a quick update on how it all went. My original post, ‘Planning a hand-made, eco wedding‘, gives more details about what went into preparing our big day.

I suppose one of the things about planning an ethical wedding is that many people are curious about what it will be like. I think quite a few of our guests were really expecting something unusual but in fact it was traditional in many ways.

It was great for us that people entered into the spirit of the day so happily, some of our older guests said they enjoyed it because it reminded them of the simple, family weddings they used to go to when they were children. One of our friends even recycled part of our invitation to put into her wedding card.

The maypole cake and chocolate cupcakes looked beautiful and went down a treat. Everyone loved the food and organic wine and nothing went to waste!

On the morning of the wedding we picked up the flowers and took the hall keys to the caterer. Our caterer was excited that she’d bought so much local food from the market that morning and the florist made a point of writing down where the flowers had been sourced - “Flowers and foliage from Leiston Suffolk, Spalding Lincolnshire, Penryn Cornwall”.

For our honeymoon we went to Brussels on the Eurostar and then on to Amsterdam on the Thalys train. We hadn’t travelled on the new Eurostar from St Pancras before and I have to say I was impressed that there was organic and fairtrade food and drink on the menu. Their information also says that they are constantly reviewing their environmental performance, reducing waste and increasing the use of biodegradable packaging. OK, so this statement isn’t quantifiable but its a start, right?

It’s strange to think that after so many months of planning, preparation and creating your day is over in a flash. Of course it isn’t really because it’s just the foundation of a new commitment you’ve made to each other for many, many more days to come.

Filed under Families, Recycling, Love & Relationships, Holidays, Food | Comments (2)

Guest Editor: Trish Smith - 10 Ways to Make Your Work Area Green

Posted by: Vicky

Enjoying an eco-lifestyle means living greener in all areas of your life. You may be taking environmentally friendly steps at home, but are you also doing it at work?

People spend almost 90% of their lives indoors, and for those people who work inside that equates to about 40 or more hours at your desk, office or cubicle. Whether you’re a student interning at a major corporation, a marketing associate making phone calls all day or an office assistant handling paperwork, you’re going to spend a majority of your time in one place all day.

So don’t you want your work space to be eco-friendly and energy efficient? It can be if you make some simple changes in your life.

1. Computer Conservation
For many people with desk jobs the computer is absolutely necessary to get things done. It is estimated that people waste over $1 billion in electricity every year just in computer use! To help conserve energy for your computer you can:

• Invest in an energy-saving computer, monitor and printer
• Switch to energy-saving settings
• Turn off your computer whenever you’re not using it
• Set it to sleep mode when you are away for short periods of time

2. Paperless is More
Do you really have to print out every email and handout? You can reduce paper waste by going paperless wherever possible. You can try to:

• Keep copies of important emails, files, manuals and more on your computer
• Don’t get any extra catalogues or magazines mailed to your office
• Get your check directly deposited instead of a waiting for a hard copy
• Send company updates through email instead of on paper
• Review any documents online instead of printing them out

3. Prioritize Your Paper Use
If you do use paper on a daily basis then you can make eco-friendly paper choices. Here are some things you can do:

• Buy recycled and chlorine-free paper
• Try paper made from organic products like bamboo, cotton or hemp
• Print on both sides of the paper
• Shred old paper to use as packing material
• Save and reuse old boxes
• Use old sheets of paper for scrap paper or note-taking

4. Recycle
There are many things in your office that you can recycle. If you don’t have a recycling station at work, start one on your own! You can get a few bins and post recycling guidelines above them. Some of them may include recycling:

• Paper products like copy paper, envelopes, magazines, etc.
• Cardboard boxes from shipped supplies
• Soda cans and plastic bottles
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic bags
• Ink cartridges

5. The Power of the Printer
The printer is one of the most used office items. Every day it cranks out tons of important faxes, emails and other documents. Here are some ways you make your printer use greener:

• Try not to print in color
• Use a printer that does double-sided copying
• Print in draft mode
• Use old paper with extra space to print small documents
• Recycle ink and toner cartridges

6. Air You Can Bare
It’s already bad enough that you have to worry about air pollution every time you walk outside, but it’s also a big priority when you work inside. Here are some ways that you can maintain a healthy air flow in your office:

• Use non-toxic cleaning products
• Open your windows to increase air flow
• Don’t smoke in or near the office
• Never bring any type of aerosol can to work
• Use an air purifier to get rid of contaminants

7. Travel with Care
The first part of your work day starts with you getting to work, and for many people that means driving. Cars emit tons of carbon dioxide gases into the air, contributing to global warming. Here are some things you can do for a green ride:

• Join a ride share group
• Take the train, bus or subway
• Ride a bike or walk if you live close enough
• Invest in a green car like a hybrid
• Reduce your travel by working from home whenever possible

8. Green Your Desk…Literally
Get a plant and place it on or near your desk. Or, even better, buy plants for all of your neighbors. They will not only see this as a friendly gesture, but they’ll also have cleaner air to breathe! Plants absorb indoor air pollution and increase the flow of oxygen, so get a green accessory to compliment your desk!

9. Food For Thought
Everyone looks forward to their lunch break. If you manage to save money by not going out to eat every day then you probably pack your lunch. You can follow these lunch tips to have healthier eating habits:

• Pack your lunch in a reusable lunch bag or box
• If you bring your lunch in a paper or plastic bag, reuse or recycle them
• Use plastic containers and silverware that can be washed and used again
• Switch to organic food and drinks
• Drink from the fountain or a water filtration system instead of brining water bottles
• Recycle your soda cans, bottles and aluminum foil
• Use a washable napkin instead of paper towels
• Walk to a lunch eatery if you forgot to pack it

10. Spread the Word
The best way to stay involved in the green scene at work is to get others involved. Share your practices and wisdom with your boss and coworkers. You can do this by:

• Encouraging the office to join or start a recycling program
• Purchasing company carbon credits
• Buying eco-friendly office products
• Setting up a carpool calendar
• Getting everyone to pack their lunch and eat together

Your work environment has a great impact on your personal and professional happiness and your emotional stability. If you enjoy how greening your life makes you feel, then there’s no better place to keep the tradition alive than at work!

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.

Filed under Pollution, Guest editor, Education, Recycling, Health, Power & Energy, Food | Comments (2)

Planning a hand-made, eco wedding

Posted by: Vicky

As mine and Jez’s big day approaches and most of the preparations in place I thought I would steal a little time to reflect and share my experience in planning our eco and ethical wedding.

Right from the start we wanted our wedding to reflect our everyday values and beliefs, how we live and work. Although we didn’t tell anyone until the summer, our plans started last spring, looking for all of the main wedding necessities - a place to have the ceremony, a place to celebrate and someone to provide food.

Ceremonies & Celebrations

Finding a place to have the ceremony was easy, neither of us wanted to get married in church and the cost of using a hotel or other licenced venue ruled that out immediately. So, register office it was to be. We didn’t choose the one in Nottingham city as it isn’t very pretty and would be further for our families to travel so we chose one in a nearby town which has a walled garden and is just as easy to get to via public transport.

Party Venue
Looking for a place to celebrate and a caterer went hand in hand because of course the venue needed the facilities to prepare and serve food and the caterer had to be happy working in the chosen venue. It took me a little while to catch on to the idea of having a celebration in a village hall, I don’t know why but I think I originally got the idea from an Ethical Weddings blog post. I had spend days and days scouring the internet for a suitable place in Nottinghamshire, again hotels were just too expensive and many places wanted to provide their own food but I was determined to find an ethical caterer of our own.

Ethical Caterer
Luckily after the great realisation that a village hall would be just right for us, I narrowed it down to two possibilities, visited them both and chose one immediately, a charity run hall not far from the register office. In-between times I was glued to my computer searching for a suitable caterer and in Nottinghamshire that isn’t easy. I think in total I found 3 caterers that could provide local, organic and fair trade food but when I called Cate from C8TER I need look no further. Right from the start Cate reassured me with her friendly, professional and flexible approach and her attention to detail. She’s knowledgable about sourcing local and organic food and after sampling her cooking I’m really looking forward to the meal on the day!

Dressing Up

Luckily, finding a dress happened quite quickly, although I expected it to be difficult. In fact initially I didn’t see myself with a traditional wedding dress and thought I would buy a pretty organic cotton dress or something similar. However, wedding fever soon took over and I got carried away with the idea of having a bridal gown. At this point I can’t say too much as Jez hasn’t seen the dress and I don’t want to give anything away.

Oxfam Bridal
Once I knew I was going to get a wedding dress I also knew where I wanted to buy it - Oxfam Bridal. So, last July my mum and I excitedly set off to Leicester where the nearest Oxfam Bridal store is. Unfortuntaly I didn’t find the dress for me on that first trip but I was heartened and encouraged by how nicely they had set up that separate part of the shop and the variety of gowns. The next nearest Oxfam Bridal shop is in Bradford and that shopping trip was the ultimate in making the most of public transport - All tied in with a business meeting and a visit to see some friends I managed to get from Bradford train station to the Oxfam store, pick a dress, try it on, buy it and get back on the train all in about 30 minutes! I was so pleased that I’d found something that was just right and was really impressed with the choice and facilities in the Oxfam shop. The staff there were excited and fussy which made it even more special.

I realise that for some people the thought of buying their bridal gown from a charity shop sounds terrible but its probably the single item that I’m most pleased with and I’m so happy that I did manage to find it at Oxfam.

Bouquets and Posies
I had a mixed experience trying to find a suitable florist for my bouquet. Initially I was going plant some tulip bulbs in the garden, ask our families to do the same and make my own bunch of flowers nearer to the time. Then I came to my senses and realised I know absolutely nothing about keeping or arranging flowers once they’ve been plucked from the ground and decided to seek professional advice.

I spoke to a few different florists, some of whom were sympathetic to the idea of having a green and ethical wedding and others who just looked baffled when I asked about locally sourced flowers. I’m not picky, I think all flowers are beautiful and so I wasn’t going to dictate exactly the type of flower I wanted as long as it was grown as nearby as possible and were roughly in the colours I wanted. I chose a florist called The Rose Bower in the end because they were the most helpful and were willing to find out what seasonal, locally grown flowers would be available at this time of year before I’d even decided to use them. I can’t wait to see mine and Beth’s (my bridesmaid, niece & guest GGG editor) tulip bouquets when I go to collect them on the morning and they will have only travelled from the next county, Lincolnshire.

Invitations & Decorations

After organising the food and venues the rest of the planning was quite easy. I love making things and wanted something individual, so I decided from the start that I would make the invitations, menus, favours, name places and decorations myself.

Bunting!
The village hall is quite typical in that it really needs a lick of paint and looks quite grubby in daylight but I like a challenge and so last September Jez, his mum, my parents and I went off armed with notepads and tape measures to figure out how we could transform it into a beautiful place to celebrate. From then on I spent months finding large pieces of fabric and sheets to drape around the room, some from charity shops and some from ebay. I also bought some pink, yellow, green and white cotton to make my own bunting. I have metres and metres of the stuff and my friends at our craft group, Stitched Up, found it quite amusing that this cotton bunting never seemed to end!

I love bunting, it always seems to cheer me up. I’ve even had a small piece hanging up in the house for a few weeks.

RSVP
Because the venue is near to a maypole (which I used to run around and around when I was little) we’ve ended up with a maypole theme and the spring colours lemon, pink and green. So, I was very lucky when I asked my graphic designer friend if she could design me a motif for invites, menus etc using that theme. What she came up with was beautiful and I just what I wanted. I bought all of the recycled card, paper and envelopes I needed from Eco Craft who delivered it very quickly.

We asked our guests to RSVP via a website we’d built. The website also provides details of transport, directions, local hotels and so on to save from using up any more paper than necessary.

Tables, Favours & Name Cards
Aside from card for invites and menus I bought some lovely recycled paper which has confetti embedded in it. From this I made little origami boxes (which I talked about in my ‘Origami Genius!’ post) and will put in each of them a bulb from my Dad’s garden - these are our guests’ favours.

The name places are hand made, natural fruit lollipops with no artificial colours or flavours from sweetstall.com and I have added little labels to each one for our guests with a little picture. Jez and I have a house rabbit so our labels have loved-up bunnies on them, ahhhh. The others have butterflies, hearts and flowers.

Also, to decorate the tables we painted some plant pots white and decorated them with our colours and theme and soon I will be planting in them primroses or another spring flower which have been grown by a gardener just a few miles down the road.

The day before the wedding myself, Jez and an army of sisters and nieces and my mum and dad will spend the day putting all of these decorations together, hopefully creating a lovely room for eating, drinking and dancing.

Cake, Wine & Water

One of the nicest things about planning a wedding is that people really want to help and be involved. Jez’s mum is brilliant at making and decorating cakes and there was no question that she would be making ours. We decided to go for a traditional fruit cake (with organic ingredients) as well as Fairtrade chocolate cupcakes. Jez’s mum and I spent a lovely weekend making all of the little white sugar flowers for the main cake and hearts and butterflies for the cupcakes.

Guests will will take home slices of cake in pretty white recycled card boxes from The Tiny Box Company. Rachel at The Tiny Box Company was so obliging, helping me to choose the right size box and keep within my budget - This was the very last thing I bought and so I didn’t want to spend too much. It was a very speedy delivery too so I didn’t need to worry about any last minute hitches.

The bubbly and wine is all organic and Fairtrade and one of the types we have chosen is an English wine from Pennard Organic Vineyard.

I’m also extremely happy that we even managed to find eco friendly bottled water thanks to our Green Guy Gareth’s post ‘Bottled Water: Environmental Disaster?‘ . In that article Gareth mentions Belu Water, a carbon neutral company whose profits go towards clean water projects. So, I contacted Belu who very helpfully found me a local supplier, Lee & Fletcher, who delivered the water to my door in just a couple of days!

I Do!

The rings are the last thing I’m going to talk about although I’m sure I must have forgotten something. I’ll probably give an update afterwards anyway so I can show pictures of the decorated venue and my dress, which won’t be a secret by then.

Looking for rings was quite a strange experience. We wanted to get antique or second hand rings because that is the greenest option available - I always work on that principle and used it throughout the wedding planning. I guess we were a little niaive thinking that we’d be able to pop into one of the many antique shops in Nottinghamshire, pick up two gold wedding bands and be on our way. Apparently this isn’t the case.

After going into a few shops, looking at every other type of antique ring but finding no wedding rings one lady told me that they just don’t sell them because people are too superstitious to buy them. She said that if a wedding band was brought to the shop it just got sent for scrap! What a waste! I was so disappointed. However, the internet is a fantastic thing and after a quick search I not only found John Clive Jewellers but two perfect second hand rings in exactly the right size!

When I look back I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. Not everything is 100% green, we’re having a fancy car to take us to the register office and a disco in the evening but all-in-all I think we’ve done really well.

I’ll be in touch again at the end of April to let you know how it all went!

Filed under Families, Gardening, Recycling, Events, Love & Relationships, Fair Trade, Food | Comments (9)

Guest Editor: Trish Smith - Tips for an Eco-Friendly Move

Posted by: Vicky

Moving on and off campus after a stressful semester is never fun. The idea of lugging tons of boxes, spending hours cleaning your old dorm or apartment and driving miles away from school with a jam-packed car, only to do it all again next semester, is more than enough to make the average student cringe.

Not only is it not fun to move, but it’s also very harmful to the environment. You accumulate excess waste from throwing out old possessions and packing boxes, and you release carbon dioxide into the air making several trips in your car to get everything home.

If you practice living green there are several steps that you can take to make your moving experience less stressful and more eco-friendly.

Give to a Good Cause
College students acquire more stuff in their tiny living space than most average people do in a lifetime, and when it’s time to move it takes triple the effort just to get everything packed! Here are some green ways to lighten the load:

• Donate – You can donate any items that you don’t use to a thrift store such as Goodwill Industries or the Salvation Army, who will sell your items to raise money for good causes. You reduce your carbon footprint because many of these places pick up your items from your front door.
• Sell – You can sell your stuff online through such sites as eBay and Craigslist. By doing this you not only get some extra money, but you also get to reduce paper waste because everything is done online. You can also have a yard sale (if you live in a house), which also saves you from spending gas money and driving to a new location.
• Recycle - Don’t forget that many items you may want to throw away, including old notebooks, metal tins and computers, can be recycled.

Post-Consumer Packing
Cardboard boxes are the standard way to pack up your items. Even though they are recyclable, an even better way to reduce your paper waste is to use an eco-friendly recycled container.

The people at Earth Friendly Moving created the RecoPack, which is a series of stackable moving containers made from plastic containers that were salvaged from U.S. landfills. You can rent them for $1 a week, and the Earth Friendly team will drop them off and pick them up for you!

Get a Helping Hand
If you need help moving you can always hire a moving company. I don’t mean the kind of company that releases tons of greenhouse gases in the air with their huge tractor-trailer trucks, but an eco-friendly moving company. A company like Go Green Moving uses biofuel to power its trucks and earth-friendly moving pads made from recycled cotton.

A Green Clean is a Great Clean
Once everything is packed up and shipped out, you still have one more thing to do: you get to clean up the messy spills and dirty corners. The best way to do this is to use eco-friendly cleaning products that are made of all-natural and organic ingredients. These are safe to use because they don’t release any toxic fumes and won’t irritate your skin. Some great places to get these products are Heather’s Natural & Organic Cleaning Products and Simple Green.

Moving may not be a fun experience, but it can be a green experience that will help you reduce your carbon footprint and save the environment’s natural resources. It just takes a little time and effort!

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.

Filed under Guest editor, Climate change, Pollution, Education, Recycling | Comment (0)

Guest Editor: Trish Smith - How to Control Your College Trash

Posted by: Guest Editor

It’s not hard to see why college students are notorious for accumulating tons of trash both in and out of their dorm rooms. There wasn’t a week that went by when I was in college that I didn’t see fast-food containers, packets of ketchup, empty paper towel rolls, soda cans, half-empty bags of Doritos, plastic CD wrappers or Chinese take-out containers lying in random piles in someone’s room.

It not only proves that college students will take anything for free from the cafeteria, but they’ll also spend money on things that they don’t even need! And the more junk that they take or buy, the more trash that will accumulate. That’s exactly why a proper waste management and recycling program needs to be implemented on campuses across the nation.

Now it may seem cliché, but the old “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” term can be applied to waste management and garbage removal practices in your very dorm room. If you follow these easy tips then you can have a waste-free dorm that is sure to impress and influence others around you.

Reduce…

• Your lunch trash by using a washable bag or lunchbox instead of paper or plastic bags (Check out my post on How to Green Your Lunch)
• Post-it note or scrap paper piles by writing reminders on a wipe board
• Paper use by printing on both sides of the paper or sending documents through email
• The items you take from the dining hall or fast-food restaurants (if you don’t need 12 packets of sugar or 10 tubs of barbeque sauce, don’t get it!)
• Printer ink cartridge consumption by proofreading and spell-checking papers before you print them out
• Unnecessary trash by buying items with little or no packaging
• The germs in your room by using environmentally-safe cleaning products
• The amount of money you spend (and receipts you accumulate) by borrowing items whenever possible!

Reuse…

• A bandanna or washable napkin instead of paper towels
• Food boxes and plastic containers to store personal items
• A thermal mug when you go out to get coffee
• Plastic silverware in your dorm room by washing it after every use
• Plastic grocery bags for lunch if you don’t have a washable lunchbox
• Binders, computer disks, file folders and notebooks
• Handkerchiefs instead of tissues
• Cloth rags to clean up spills rather than using paper towels

Recycle…

• #1 and #2 plastic items
• Cardboard boxes
• Magazines and newspapers
• Aluminum cans
• Glass bottles
• Cell phones
• Computers
• Ink cartridges
• White and color paper
• Batteries

It really isn’t hard to follow proper waste management and recycling practices. All college students have some sort of unique routine, whether it’s drinking a cup of coffee every morning before class or playing guitar before they go to bed, so if you make eco-friendly waste management your routine, you’ll actually be doing something good for you, your neighbors and the entire campus!

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.

Filed under Guest editor, Climate change, Education, Recycling | Comments (2)

Looking at the environment – contact lenses or eyeglasses?

Posted by: Anna-Lisa

About one year ago I completely stopped wearing contact lenses as my eyes had become so sore and sensitive that I was unable to wear them without being in pain. It was at first difficult for me to feel comfortable / confident socialising in my eyeglasses (spectacles) as I had become so used to wearing contact lenses every day.

I first started wearing contacts aged 11 as I competed in lots of sport and eyeglasses were not suitable – especially for gymnastics.  As I got older (and unfortunately less sporty) I mainly wore contact lenses for vanity reasons, however I am past vanity these days and I now feel good and attractive when wearing my eyeglasses.  

(Images above: Glasses can be cool just look at Johnny Depp and Lisa Loeb) 

As I stopped using my contact lenses I started to think about all of those lens cases that I had used over the years, the large bottles of solution and the general production waste and energy used to create contact lenses.  It then occurred to me: 

“Are contact lenses bad for the environment?”  

Whilst I have been thinking about this for awhile I never researched into it, until now! However whilst searching the oracle (the internet) I struggled to find relevant information other than a few people raising concerns about whether they could recycle their contact lens solution bottles and lens holders (no answer discovered). 

For those of you who have never worn contact lenses, then let me tell you there are quite a few different types these days, ranging from lenses that you can sleep in, to daily disposables (throw away each day), to monthly lenses and to contact lenses that can last a year.  

How much waste do they create? 

Now you may think that the daily disposables will create more waste as each day you throw them and their packaging away. However with daily disposables you tend not to use cleaning solution so the waste material may be lower compared to monthly lenses where you will have a new pair of lenses each month, a lenses case and then bottles of cleaning solution. But then the energy put into creating the daily lenses could require further energy consumption? Hhmmm like my vision, it’s not all perfectly clear!  

If anyone has researched into this and has any quanitative data about the impact of contact lenses and the environment I would be very interested.  However as mentioned I am now back to wearing my eyeglasses and I doubt that I will wear contact lenses again due to the sensitivity of my eyes. My question now is: 

“How eco friendly are eyeglasses?” 

What I do know is that since only wearing my eyeglasses I have not produced as much waste in the form of solution bottles etc. But what about the material and production used to create eyeglasses? Are they eco friendly? Again I consulted the oracle and really struggled to find information on any eco friendly glasses with the exception of a post titled “Gold & Wood Spectacles, the Green Option for Eyewear?” written by Petz Scholtus at Treehugger.  

They featured a pair of eyeglasses by Gold & Wood which were made out of precious and exotic woods, taken from authorised and supervised plantations from different African countries, Brazil and Canada. I am a little sceptical as was Petz as to whether taking exotic wood from such countries is very sustainable. The company also make eyeglasses from buffalo horn which is a definite NO for me.  

So now I am going to ask the same as what Petz asked: 

“What material has the lowest environmental impact when it comes to making eyeglasses?” 

Petz suggested frameless glasses, however they are not suitable for everyone for many reasons, including if like me you have a strong pescription then the frameless glasses lend up looking like jam jars.

I personally think that recycled waste would be the best material for the frames of eyeglasses; however I could not find any companies which do this.

So all of you budding entrepreneurs, it looks like there is a niche in the market for eco eyeglasses. I challenge someone to research this and set up an ethical, eco friendly eyeglasses range.

 

I promise that whoever sets up such a company that I will buy at least one pair from you – though they better last as I probably will not change the frames (though I have to change lenses as my eyes get worse) for a long long time! Next question… 

“Can you recycle your eyeglasses?” 

Yes you certainly can, as Arcadia has previously pointed out in America (and Australia and the UK) you can recycle your old eyeglasses through local Lion Clubs. In the UK there are a few other places that you can recycle your eyeglasses too including Vision Aid Overseas and the Second Site Project. 

There is another interesting way to recycle the lenses from your eyeglasses and that is by turning into a chandelier (pictured below) as did Salvage pioneer Stuart Haygarth.

Filed under Recycling, Shopping, Fashion | Comments (10)

Guest Editor: Trish Smith - College Coffeeholics: Go Organic

Posted by: Vicky

College students are addicted to a LOT of things, from playing video console games and chatting online into the wee hours of the night to downloading music and ordering from the Wendy’s Super Value Menu at 2 a.m. Every student has his or her own unique addiction, but one thing that I realized was that probably 4 out of 5 people I knew did share one common dependency: caffeine.

I would say that soda was pretty high at the top of the caffeine list, but it could not compete with the wide-awake goodness that coffee offers. Whether you drank it on your way to an early class or brewed a whole pot to keep you awake for an all-night study session, coffee became the buddy that was always by your side.

Go for Organic
Since coffee is such an important staple for college students, the brand that you purchase should also be a top priority. I know that many students are on a tight budget, and it doesn’t leave much room for extra spending money. But if you have your own coffeepot and brew coffee every morning or night like I did, and you know that you’re going to be spending money on a pound every other week anyways, then why not go organic?

Organic means that the product you are buying was grown with no pesticides, fertilizers or other harmful additives. So, organic coffee comes from coffee beans that were grown using renewable and environmentally-friendly practices. You can read more about organic coffee at the Organic Trade Association website.

Eco-Friendly Brands
Now I have nothing against huge coffee corporations like Starbucks or Caribou Coffee, but I think that smaller family-owned organic coffee companies can offer good, or even better, coffee products than the more popular brands. Plus, many of these smaller companies grow the coffee right on their home land and sell it locally to keep their family business alive.

Almost all of these companies promote sustainable growing practices, and some even donate a portion of their funds to eco-friendly organizations.

Here are a few organic coffee companies that I discovered, as well as some things that they do to help protect the environment:

• Bean Trees - Works with the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council), whose mission is to stop corporate companies from destroying clean air and water.
• Café Bom Dia- Uses recycled shipping pallets to reduce carbon footprint.
• Café Mam - Member of the Northwest Shade Coffee Campaign of the Seattle Audubon Society, which promotes the preservation of healthy forest habitats.
• Elan Organic Coffees - Supports programs like Coffee Kids and Cup for Education, which help to improve the lives of coffee farmers’ children.
• Jim’s Organic Coffee - Joined with Sterling Planet and the EPA to become 100% powered by renewable energy.

Coffee may not be great for your health, but it’s evident that college students, and half of the world, drinks it every day anyways. So why not support society’s caffeine addiction by buying a brand that tastes great and helps the environment?

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.

Filed under Guest editor, Education, Recycling, Food | Comment (0)