greywater, anyone?

While I don't know a ton about greywater and sustainable water systems, I think whatever we can do to conserve water, keep polluting substances out of our lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans, is an a-plus idea! A friend of mine just passed this link for the Greywater Guerillas on to me, encouraged by a friend to begin focusing on water reclamation strategies.

Essentially, greywatering is simply recycling water and is akin to what those of you who've lived out in the country in old days may be familiar with-- saving dish and bath water for things like watering plants, flushing the toilet, etc. The website gives a lot of easy examples and explanations and even hosts workshops (mostly in California, it seems). They also discuss rainwater reclamation and composting toilets.

Maybe greywatering isn't for you, or isn't feasible just yet, but think about other ways you can support healthy water ecology and conserve water in general:
- Get a grip on leaky faucets and running toilets.
- Install a water-saving shower-head.
- Take shorter showers and limit the amount of baths you take.
- Don't let the water run when you wash your face or brush your teeth.
- Instead of keeping the water running while you wash dishes, fill a bowl or pot (ideally one that needs washing) with warm soapy water, and dip your dishes and sponge in there, getting all of the dishes rubbed down and then doing all the rinsing at the same time with cool water. I like to save the greasier or dirtier dishes for last so that I don't have to change the water.
- And I know not everyone is down with this, but when I can, I'm down with 'if it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down.' Just keep the lid down, geez, it's no big deal.

If you have some more tips, by all means, post them in the comments!

happy earth day!

I've had a button since I was a kid that says 'Every Day is Earth Day'. I really believe that. Just like any other celebratory or memorial holiday, it's good to have a day to focus on the Earth, our environments, and the repercussions of our actions, it's also important that every single day is an opportunity to make a difference. And I defy you to tell me that one person can't make a difference.

So as we are often inclined to make New Year's Resolutions, let's take this Earth Day opportunity to make some sort of green or environmental resolution(s) for ourselves. Need some examples?
- Carbon offset your travel, and electrical and gas usage
- Switch to eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaners, soaps, and detergents
- Install your home with CFLs
- Start a compost pile. Plant a garden. Plant a tree.
- Resolve to cut your plastic bag usage in half (at least!)
- Recycle everything and buy recycled goods.

Let me know what you come up with and keep me posted with how it's going.

Hug a tree today and enjoy the springtime!

recycle plastic caps at aveda - get free samples

You know the hard plastic caps that top your water bottles, detergent bottles, hair product bottles? Well, you may know to recycle the bottle, but you may not know this: the lids are not widely recyclable -- please don't include them in your curbside recycling bins! Recycling plants generally cut them off or, I've heard, thrown whole bottles away. These lopped off lids have been finding their way into rivers and oceans and into the mouths and bellies of sea animals.

But, from now through May 10th, Aveda is collecting these caps to be re-purposed in the release of their limited edition Clove Shampoo bottles this fall. Bring in 25 caps, get a free hair or body product sample. (Even if you don't scrounge up that many caps, they will take however few or many you have). Sounds good to me.

If you don't have an Aveda store near you, you can also mail them in here (though I don't know if you'll still get a free sample): Aveda Re-Cap Program, ACA Waste Services, 40 EADS Street in Babylon, NY 11704

I'm also happy to take the lids in for you, if you don't have the time! Let me know.

See the article in Shape Magazine, here.

being a greener shopper

Sometime last year I read this fact on a wall at grocery store: “Every year the U.S. produces enough plastic film [in the form of plastic grocery and produce bags, etc.] to shrink wrap the state of Texas.” Quite frankly, that freaked me out. While it’s not exactly surprising, to hear it put that way was pretty impacting and got me to thinking about more ways we can be ‘greener’ shoppers. And not just at the grocery store, where we might think about it most, but also in our runs to the general stores, clothing stores, and anywhere where we leave with more than we came with.

We are a culture obsessed with over-packaging (as evidence by the photo above, taken at the corner deli), everything come pre-packaged for our convenience, in tissue paper, a box, and a bag with more tissue paper. We haul around over-sized carrier bags from shops, each yielding small items that could easily be fit into one bag. And what happens when we get these things home? Things get thrown away, or maybe reused once or twice. If we’re really on top of our game, they get recycled. But would it be better to avoid having all the excess bags in the first place?

In the post-An Inconvenient Truth days, it’s especially chic and sexy to be green, so use that social trendiness as your inspiration to incorporate more
earth-friendly habits into your routine. Many of us recycle, but beyond that, you
can make your trips to the grocery store and beyond more environmentally friendly.

bring your own bags
Reuse bags from what you’ve hoarded over the past few months, or purchasing reusable bags made of canvas or other material. Most grocery stores sell inexpensive bags near the checkout, or you can have some fun shopping around for bag that reflects your personality. Keep them in your car or day bag so you always have them handy. And even if you’re just quickly popping into any store, refuse the extra packaging when possible- stores always appreciate you saving them time and money by not wasting another bag or box. You’ll generally find you can live without having another bag to carry around. And if you’re just going from store to car to house anyway, the bags are hardly necessary.

Websites like ecobags.com and reusablebags.com sell a lot of neat bags made from materials like organic cotton and hemp, and other recycled material.

don’t bag your produce
As a country, we use and waste a lot of plastic bags (among many other things). And for a product that does not biodegrade and is not commonly recyclable, we certainly abuse them. Several countries across the world have banned their use (incl. China, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Taiwan) or imposed per-bag taxes (Ireland). Plastic bag waste, and plastic waste in general, has detrimental effects on wildlife, and the environment, not to mention the petroleum used to manufacture (and import/export/ship) them.

Many produce items come wrapped in their own packaging, courtesy of Mother Nature. So, with the exception perhaps of fragile, wet, or especially dirty produce, do your best not to put everything into plastic bags. It’s simply not necessary. For the short trip from the market to your kitchen, where the bags will only be discarded.

For stores like Central Market where the customers weigh and price their own produce, I like to print the stickers and adhere them all to one plastic bag or a piece of paper for the cashier to ring up as I checkout. Having done this several times, I have been commended on the idea by the cashiers.

ask for support, be encouraging
While cities like San Francisco and Austin have imposed mandatory or voluntary no-plastic bag actions, you can make a difference in your home town or local shops by talking to store owners and managers about reducing their waste, recycling, and encouraging customers to bring their own bags or to use fewer bags. These are the people who have the power to make a difference, and one of their main motives is to keep the customers happy by giving them what they demand. And by encouraging your friends and family to be greener shoppers, the word will spread further than your initial reach, and as far as shopping green goes, that can only be good news.

austin to phase out blue recycling bins in favor of sortless carts

The City of Austin just announced its plan to expand what's currently recyclable through the city and a new plan to phase out the small blue bins put out weekly in favor of using 90-gallon carts to be put out every other week. In these large carts, recyclables would not need to be sorted.

While this decision presents a concern small households and seniors living alone, as the large carts are bulky and heavy, even when empty, I think it's will encourage increased recycling in many households, and it will also save the city money on fuel for the trucks. And because the trucks will have the ability to mechanically lift and unload the carts, it will better protect the physical health of waste management employees.

El Paso and San Antonio are already using systems like this.


Read the whole story in The Austin American Statesman here.