photo credit: nyki_m

According to Newsweek, a four-year-old start-up called RecycleBank is trying to boost recycling rates (and, of course, make money) by rewarding recyclers with points, redeemable for discounts at popular stores and on brand name items.

RecycleBank’s program works much like the frequent-flier programs offered by airlines or reward programs offered by credit card companies. The more you recycle, the more points you earn–up to 450 points a month, worth $45 in discounts at places that include Amazon.com, Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy, Shaw’s Supermarkets, and more.

The company’s main focus is on curbside recycling programs. When the local waste management company comes to pick up the week’s recycling, a device scans the radio-frequency ID (RFID) tag embedded in your recycling bin, weighs your recycling, and then awards points to your account.

While some people express privacy concerns over third-party companies measuring and recording what you throw out, more seem to be swayed by free swag. RecycleBank says recycling rates in Wilmington, Delaware, for example, jumped from 3 to 32 percent in just one year.

Unfortunately, if you live in a community where recycling is a natural routine, you may have to be content with knowing you’re doing your part for the planet. For now at least, RecycleBank is skipping places like San Francisco, where recycling rates remain steady at 69 percent (residential and commercial). Instead, it’s focusing on growth markets, where recycling rates are low.

Read the full story, “Saving the World for a Latte,” here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/161230

More resources:

“Boston Recycling Rates Not So Hot,” The Bostonist, July 30, 2008:
http://bostonist.com/2008/07/29/boston_recycling_rates_not_so_hot.php

“RecycleBank Raises $13M (Recycle Rates 90%),” EcoGeek, March 19, 2008:
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1457/

photo credit: charles chan *

When I first moved to Los Angeles from New York City,  I was taken aback by the taste of the tap water.   After being spoiled by the refreshingly crisp taste of NYC tap water, I couldn’t bring myself to drink the water in LA, except under dire circumstances.  I resorted to purchasing bottled water - large jugs that I would refill at the Glacier water stand in front of the local supermarket or 24-packs of bottled water (yes, shame on me).

I’m not proud of the water habit I acquired in my new habitat and have recently opted to use a Brita filtration system at home in lieu of purchasing bottled water.  Little did I know, however, that while I was eliminating a large chunk of plastic bottle waste, I began amassing new plastic waste! 

I was unaware that Brita (owned by Clorox) does not have a recycling program in place in North America as it does in Europe, which means that every used-up filter cartridge across the United States and Canada ends up in landfills.  The amount of waste resulting from this cartridge pile-up seems quite staggering when you consider the fact that Brita has the #1 market share of pour-through filter cartridges in the U.S. and Canada.  It is also the #1 faucet-mount filter in Canada and the #2 faucet-mount filter in the U.S (according to Clorox’s 2007 Annual Report).

Since Brita filters are recycled in Europe through its own private collection and recycling system, it should be possible for Clorox to implement a similar system here, right?  So, what can we do?

For those of you that enjoy Brita-filtered water, but are hesitating to throw your filters away into your trash can, check out this organization I found - TakeBackTheFilter.org - and join their campaign to urge Clorox to develop a take-back recycling program.  You can sign their petition; write a letter to a Clorox executive; or send in your used filter cartridges that they are collecting to deliver to Clorox en masse at some point in the future.  How cool is that!?!

Extolled for its taste, as well as its health benefits, tea is more popular than ever. And, whether you prefer your tea black, green, red, white, hot or iced, loose or bagged, this primeval beverage of conspicuous consumption is also “greener” than ever.

photo credit: BotheredByBees

Taste Not Waste

The fundamental maxim of many tea purists that whole loose leaf tea trumps tea made with tea bags is hotly debated. Purists claim loose tea releases the full flavor and benefits by allowing the tea leaves to brew “unfettered” in the pot, whereas the traditional paper tea bag, filled with “tea dust,” or the dregs of the leaves, results in an inferior cuppa.

Recently, the flavor debate has taken on an added dimension with growing environmental concerns about the waste associated not only with tea bag use but also with tea packaging in general.

According to Culinate blogger Mark Douglas, “More than one million tons of excess waste could be eliminated each year by not having the following three items associated with an average tea bag: the paper wrapping around the individual bag, the string attached to the bag, and the little paper tab attached to the string.” Douglas learned that astounding fact in a 2006 “Tea Education” episode of The History Channel’s Modern Marvels series. As a prime example of waste prevention, the episode featured the tea company Celestial Seasonings, which manufactures its tea bags without strings, tags or individual wrapping, and consequently saves over 3.6 million pounds of waste each year.

If the potential for waste alone causes you to rethink your tea bag use, but nevertheless lament the loss of convenience the tea bag provides, take heart. Reusable stainless steel tea infusers like the Teastick and teapots with built-in infusers or plungers may be an option. Furthermore, Mighty Leaf Tea, Numi Organic Tea and Seattle-based Choice Organic Tea all offer something called a “T-sac filter,” made with chlorine free, unbleached filter paper from manila hemp, which, according to Choice Organic, is “an environmentally-safe and convenient alternative for perfectly brewing loose leaf teas or herbs.”

For diehard tea bag users, other green options exist. Besides using unbleached paper tea bags, reusing and recycling are key. In a novel approach, artists of the South African company Original T-bag Designs take used tea bags (with the leaves removed), dry and iron them and then paint the bags, transforming them into greeting cards, notepads, journals, ornaments, candles, coasters, trinket boxes, and tea light holders.

Old tea bags (sans the staples) make good compost too, providing nutrients and acidity to your fertilizer mix. The U.K. company Teabagbin markets a nifty way to collect your used tea bags for compost. Its self-proclaimed “stylish little container made from high grade steel or plastic sits happily next to the kettle and swallows up used teabags keeping your kitchen mess free,” and answers the proverbial question of “What do you do with yours? [tea bags that is]”

Traditional paper tea bags aside, the newest and hottest trend on the market is pyramid-shaped tea bags made from silk, muslin or nylon. The science behind these “gossamer mesh” objets d’art is that they allow the whole leaf tea leaves—not the “tea dust” usually stuffed into a compact paper tea bag—room to brew. Companies such as Tea Forte and even Lipton have developed their own versions of the triangular-shaped bags, thus bringing quality (though more expensive) tea to the masses.

Despite the hype, the nylon versions of these bags have come under fire from environmentalists who claim that they are not biodegradable. There are biodegradable corn fabric pyramid bags but questions of quality and environmental friendliness remain (some of the bags are apparently made from genetically modified corn).

Naysayers will rightly point out that all tea—bagged or loose—comes in containers that create unnecessary waste. However, companies such as Republic of Tea sell their tea in recyclable tin canisters. Los Angeles-based eco-chic designer Dana Morgan of Green Carpet Event suggests another way to reuse old tea tins: as vases. And, in October 2006, the specialty tea and coffee shop Oxalis in Bath, England, urged customers to bring their own bag or container from home in order to reduce waste. As an added incentive, customers who brought their own containers received a discount of 15 pence (about 25 U.S. cents) per 100g of tea.

Sustainability, Fair Trade and Organic

Cups of tea are also greener as a result of sustainability initiatives across the globe. For those who like a little sugar in their tea, 2007 saw the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) launch a project to use waste from the East African sugar industry to generate electricity across the tea-producing region.

In an effort to replenish the resources it uses in packaging, tea company Good Earth donates a portion of its profits to tree-planting projects sponsored by American Forests, a nonprofit conservation organization. Tea giant Lipton has pledged that its Yellow Label tea bags on the European market will be certified by the Rainforest Alliance by 2010 and on the global market by 2015. And in May 2008, British tea company PG-Tips announced its partnership with Rainforest Alliance, unveiling a plan to supply 1,200 McDonald’s outlets with tea certified by the environmental nonprofit.

Moreover, the popularity of Fair Trade Certified and organic tea products has skyrocketed in recent years. Launched in 1997, the Fair Trade movement promotes free trade and “the use of sustainable farming methods that are safer for humans and the environment.” There are now a wide variety of brands that the environmentally friendly consumer can choose from, thereby making saving the environment and enjoying your afternoon cuppa mutually inclusive.

For more on tea and the environment, see

Boughton, Ian. “Cuppas with a Conscience.” Caterer & Hotelkeeper 198. 4527 (15-21 May 2008): 50-1.

Budgar, Laurie. “Has new tricks.”Natural Foods Merchandiser 27.12 (Dec.2006):22-3.

“Making a difference.” Bath Chronicle (26 Oct. 2006): 14.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Its-All-in-the-Tea-Bag—How-to-Be-Environmentally-Responsible-with-Your-Tea-Bags&id=202998

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1568610/Nylon-teabags-set-to-let-the-flavour-flood-out.html

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/the-tea-bag-basks-in-its-moment-to-simmer/

photo credit: lumaxart

Paper, plastic, aluminum… sounds simple, right?  The general population has grown accustomed to recycling at home and even at work (hopefully).  But when my boyfriend threw an empty cigarette pack into my bag full of recyclable items that I was gathering for the week, it made me question the common recycling knowledge I thought I had acquired over the years.  The truth is, outside of soda bottles, beer cans, and newspapers, there is a plethora of items are questionable. 

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind the next time you question whether or not something should be dumped with your trash or sent out to a recycling center.  I recommend checking out your city’s guidelines for additional clarification on which items meet the requirements for curbside recycling programs. 

PAPER:

All Clean Dry Paper: computer, ledger, wrapping, arts and craft paper, unwanted mail, flyers, telephone books (separate the spine from the pages), note cards, newspaper, blueprints, magazines, file folders, paper bags, Post-it notes, catalogs; and all envelopes including those with windows.

All Cardboard Boxes and Chipboard: cereal, tissue, dry food, frozen food, shoe, and detergent boxes; paper and toilet rolls; and corrugated boxes broken down and flattened.  These should not be recycled:

1. Pizza boxes (grease contamination) - consider composting methods if you are a Pizza Hut junkie!
2. Boxes that have not been flattened and emptied out
3. Wet Boxes

METALS:

All Aluminum, Tin, Metal, and Bi-Metal Cans: rinsed if possible, soda, juice, soup, vegetables, and pet food cans; pie tins; clean aluminum foils; empty paint and aerosol cans with plastic caps removed, and wire hangers.

GLASS:

All Glass Bottles and Jars: rinsed if possible, soda, wine, beer, spaghetti sauce, pickle jars, broken bottles, and etc.  Note - most recycling programs will only accept glass containers because products such as drinking glasses, light bulbs, mirrors and Pyrex have been treated with contaminants when manufactured.

PLASTICS:

All Clean Plastics 1 Through 7
Empty Plastic Containers: rinsed if possible, soda, juice, detergent, bleach, shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, dish washing liquid bottles, milk jugs, tubs for margarine and yogurt, plastic planters, food and blister packaging.

All Plastic Bags and All Film Bags: grocery bags and dry cleaner bags, and all clean film plastic.

All Clean Polystyrene (Styrofoam®): Styrofoam® cups, containers, and packaging such as Styrofoam®   egg shell cartons, Styrofoam® block packaging, and Styrofoam® clamshell packaging.

Miscellaneous Plastics: Plastic coat hangers, non-electric plastic toys, plastic swimming pools, & plastic laundry baskets.

HAZARDOUS WASTES AND ELECTRONICS:

Automotive Products: motor oil, brake and transmission fluid, antifreeze and car batteries, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, car wax with solvent, and windshield wiper fluid.

Home Improvement Products: paint, varnish, stain, paint thinner, paint stripper, caulk, adhesives, primer, rust remover, turpentine, mineral spirits and glues.

Household Cleaners: drain cleaners, oven cleaners, toilet cleaners, spot removers, silver polishes, furniture polishes, window cleaners, bleach, dyes, tub and tile cleaner, and ammonia.

Pesticides: insecticide and insect repellant, weed killer, rat and mouse poison, pet spray and dip, flea collars, mothballs, ant/roach killer, garden fungicides, slug poison, wood preservative, and banned pesticides.

Other household hazardous products: certain electronics, batteries, aerosol products, air fresheners, smoke detectors, shoe polish, cosmetics, pool chemicals, lighter fluid, prescription medicines, and arts and craft materials.

In addition to donation centers and municipal programs, many manufacturers and retailers have begun their own recycling programs for electronic goods.  The EPA’s website has a ton of resources to assist you with “e-cycling” as well as disposal of hazardous waste.

And for those of you that were wondering if cigarette packs are indeed recyclable, the answer really depends on your local municipal waste center’s regulations.  I did find out that most cities in Rhode Island do not accept cigarette packs in their recycling programs.  The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation’s website did not specify. 

Additional Resources:

Earth 911 - http://earth911.org/

City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation - http://www.lacity.org/SAN/index.htm

photo credit: naama

Two years ago last month Israel and Hezbollah went to war.  To some in the outside world, and many Israelis, the 33-day battle was seen as an Israeli defeat.  Just last month Israel agreed to exchange Hezbollah and Palestinian prisoners (considered by Israel to be terrorists) for the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers whose capture in 2006 sparked the original crisis.  Immediately following the exchange, Hezbollah celebrated in the streets of Beirut showing off its power.

Seen by some in the outside world as the end of a once-legendary reputation for avenging the deaths of Israelis killed by terrorists, this most recent trade has drawn considerable criticism to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (six months before the 2006 war, Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke, and his authority was immediately transferred to Olmert, then Israel’s Vice Primier and Sharon’s protégé).  Still, some see Hezbollah victorious on the propaganda front but not the Israel/Lebanon border.

For the past two years the Israeli Knesset has investigated the handling of the war against Hezbollah, including the establishment of a special commission.  Recently announcing his resignation in September, Olmert never really recovered politically from the war with Hezbollah.  And while the future of Israel’s military dominance in the Middle East may face additional challenges from Hezbollah and more recently Iran, the overall political turmoil in the region has eclipsed some very important and seemingly unnoticed significant Israeli advances on a non-military front, namely the environment. (more…)

photo credit: House Of Sims

Heralded as the epitome of sleek and modern, the idea of the paperless office or even the paperless society has been around since computers first appeared on the scene. And yet, we are still using paper—and a lot of it. According to Lyra Research, about 15.2 trillion pages are printed worldwide, a number that will reportedly grow 30% over the next ten years.

For its proponents, going paperless means less clutter, improved efficiency, lower costs and environmental benefits. Indeed, the idea of eliminating the mounds of papers that inevitably accumulate as we go about our daily lives certainly sounds appealing. And, electronic junk mail, while similarly distracting (and generally more pornographic), seems more easily discarded than traditional paper junk mail that often requires a thorough going-through before tossing it into the trash or recycle bin. So, too, the technical capabilities of document management systems and flash drives have made it easier to store and manage large and numerous files rather than have hard copy printouts. This rings true in business and private life, as anybody with a digital camera can attest. Electronic technology is also faster—no more “snail mail” or worries about the ever-increasing postage rate.

As for the environmental benefits, going paperless means the ultimate in waste and natural resource prevention. According to the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), the U.S. alone manufactures 90 million tons of paper each year, and the annual consumption rate is about 100 million tons. Most of this paper production—an estimated 25% of the annual U.S. timber cut—remains virgin fiber, with only 35% of current consumption using recycled fiber.

Despite all of these advantages, the paper just keeps piling up. Why? (more…)

photo credit: clurr

Merely hours after our trash, recycling and compost bins hit the curb, a distinct rustling can be heard outside our building. The clink-clang of someone shuffling through the blue recycling container lasts only moments, but somehow I feel like we’ve done a small part to help someone in need.

Apparently, I may be mistaken.

(more…)

A recent notice from the local Public Utilities Commission highlighted Food & Water Watch’s Take Back the Tap campaign. While this isn’t the only program of its kind—Corporate Accountability International has a similar campaign called Think Outside the Bottle—the goal of motivating individuals, businesses, campuses and restaurants to give up bottled water is gaining merit and seeing success across the country.

Take Back the Tap has inspired half a dozen San Francisco restaurants to serve tap water only. These include the finer dining experiences of Incanto, Delfina, and Nopa. An impressive list of others have agreed to forgo serving “still” bottled water, including happy-hour hotspot Thirsty Bear and Giants pre-game fav Acme Chophouse.

Think Outside the Bottle notes locations in Philadelphia and New York are doing the same—and provides a map of participating restaurants throughout the nation.

In response to these campaigns, the US Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in June 2008 calling for bottled water to be phased out by municipalities and to redirect tax dollars to other city services, as well as to promote local water sources.

But the International Bottled Water Association feels that bottled water doesn’t deserve the bad rap. They point out that bottled water is a healthy alternative to artificially sweetened or carbonated beverages, not to mention a necessity in times of crisis, such as floods or other natural disasters.

Take Back the Tap contends that the federal government maintains “rigorous and frequent safety testing” of tap water, while many bottled waters pass under the radar. In fact, two of the biggest sellers, Aquafina (by Pepsi) and Dasani (by Coke), both came out in 2007 as being filtered water from municipal sources, rather than from the mountain streams of (insert location here.)

Meanwhile, the cost difference is clear: “$0.002 per gallon for most tap water to a range of $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon for bottled waters.” (Take Back the Tap) And as for the much argued taste factor…on April Fool’s Day 2008, the campaign challenged people to taste the difference. The video of this event is available on their website.

Both Take Back the Tap and Think Outside the Bottle have pledge pages where visitors can sign up and commit to the cause, and pick up schwag like T-shirts and stickers. Since I saw the “I Heart Tap Water” tee featured in a pregnancy mag just this morning, it’s reasonable to assume these campaigns are quickly gaining momentum—and possibly becoming downright trendy. 

For more info, check out: www.takebackthetap.org and/or www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org

Compared to Bounty, this brand from Whole Foods won’t win on performance or softness. But next to other recycled paper towels, 365 Everyday Value is a contender true to its name.

First off, they are pretty inexpensive—two rolls for less than $2.00. Second, they are surprisingly durable. They aren’t going to be able to do any of those neat tricks we used to see on paper towel commercials, but I was able to wet/soap one, clean sticky kid hands, rinse same towel off and use for last wipe on fingers. And they are somewhat absorbent, removing a moderate amount of Grape juice (purple not white) off of the floor in a flash. Not bad for a recycled product.

Another bonus: 100 percent recycled materials, with a minimum 80 percent post-consumer content, and bleached without chlorine—that’s enough to make you feel downright good about yourself.

While they sometimes tear in half when you need them whole, and don’t immediately instill confidence that one, maybe two sheets will do the job, they do pretty well. Still, I may not be completely converted from my beloved Bounty. But this may also be because I don’t live all that close to a Whole Foods. Were there one next door, I may opt for this all the time. For now, I plan to stock up when I’m near Whole Foods and try to rely on Bounty as an option between trips. We’ll see how it goes.

PS- Liking the toilet paper, too. Go Whole Foods!

To help consumers make educated choices, the National Resources Defense Fund created a Shopper’s Guide to home tissue products. (This chart is replicated on many other sites.) Check it out, along with some stats on how changing old habits can help the planet, here: http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp

Greenpeace also has a tissue products guide with similar suggestions here: http://tissue.greenpeace.ca/