robot elephant made of recycled‑mater

waste if managed properly will produce something of high artistic merit and certainly will also deliver great dollars. therefore let us kelolah garbage and let's save the world from the dangers of garbage. EARTH ISOUR HOME AND WE LET'S TAKE CARE TO MAINTAIN our children HOW TO PARTICIPATEENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL EARTH.

Waste Management Recycling Solutions for a Healthy Life

Waste Management Recycling

To live in a clean and healthy environment is important to deal with the materials used or waste if not managed, they tend to destroy our peaceful environment and leads to serious problems. The best way to manage waste, recycling, recycling is the process that converts the elements of the waste in a new product is to reduce their harmful impact on the environment.
It is a simple process, from the collection of materials from various places, such as roads, houses and shops will cost him and other places. The second step is recycled to the classification of the material collected according to their shape, size, weight. This can be done manually or by electronic spectroscopy, the magnets are also used to separate the metals from waste collected. Then, these elements are for recycling. Typically, glass, paper, plastics, electronics, clothing, recycled envelopes.
Now the question is why recycling is important or the benefits? Here is the answer to the importance of this process is explained. In these rapidly developing countries is important to preserve our natural resources such as rivers, lakes, land, forests, metals, animals, birds, animals, water, etc. The recycling helps, air pollution and water creates a foreign body by minimizing plastic bags or other. Help consumers to save energy and recycling of products, 30-40% of the energy that is produced about two times less than products made from raw materials. It offers a clean and healthy environment and saves space that was formerly used for landfill. Also, recycling is a kind of business that people are busy. It helps save money with low load.
This process is an economic waste that can be easily removed. People should be aware and knowledgeable about this process is also significant benefits, the participation and cooperation. Particularly the knowledge about recycling should extend children to do on the recycling of their profession.
There are many companies around the world are working to recycle waste. You have to recycle more than 20 vehicles more than 50,000 tons of waste per year. Most of them are of great renown. To recycle paper, newspapers and plastics, cardboard and cans are also involved in the recovery of hazardous waste

12 Steps To Environmental Cleanliness

With the movie An Inconvenient Truth drawing record audiences last summer, and groups as diverse as the “Evangelical Climate Initiative” and the Pentagon sounding the alarm on the coming climate catastrophe, our country could be on the cusp of taking real action on a very real danger.

But how much action is enough to match the scale of the solution to the scale of the problem?  Based on the data — such as rapidly melting polar icecaps — showing that climate change is happening faster than anyone had thought, it is increasingly clear: Baby steps won’t do it.
We need a bold action plan that can evaluate corporate, government, community, and household plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – especially carbon emissions -- to levels we can live with.

Scientists at the Princeton University’s Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI) have taken up this challenge, and propose stabilizing carbon emissions by dividing this huge task into smaller, doable action “wedges” of equal size—each with the capacity to reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tons/year by 2054. CMI lists 15 possible “wedges,” out of which we need to achieve just seven to reach carbon stabilization.

Here at Co-op America, we added our own filters to this building-block approach. We screened out measures that are too dangerous, costly, and slow (like nuclear power plants, synfuels, and “clean” coal), and we beefed up those that are safe and cost-effective. (Wind energy is cost-competitive at utility scale, and has beaten natural gas in certain markets.  Solar energy will be cost-competitive within five years.)
With these filters, we developed a plan that uses current technologies; is safe, clean, and cost-effective; and is big enough to meet the climate challenge—12 “wedges” when we only need seven. Each of the following could reduce carbon emissions by at least 1 billion tons per year by 2054:
Here’s our 12-step plan:
1. Increase fuel economy for the world’s 2 billion cars from an average of 30 mpg to 60 mpg.

2. Cut back on driving. Decrease car travel for 2 billion 30-mpg cars from 10,000 to 5,000 miles per year, through increased use of mass transit, telecommuting, and walking and biking.

3. Increase energy efficiency by one-quarter in existing buildings and appliances. Move to zero-emissions plans for new buildings.

4. Decrease tropical deforestation to zero, and double the rate of new tree plantings.

5. Stop soil erosion. Apply “conservation tillage” techniques to cropland at 10 times the current usage. Encourage local, organic agriculture.

6. Increase wind power. Add 3 million 1-megawatt windmills, 75 times the current capacity.

7. Push hard for solar power. Add 3,000 gigawatt-peak solar photovoltaic units, 1,000 times current capacity.

8. Increase efficiency of coal plants from an average of 32 percent efficiency to 60 percent, and shut down plants that don’t meet the standard. No net new coal plants; for new plants built, an equal number should close.

9. Replace 1,400 gigawatts of coal with natural gas, a four-fold increase in natural gas usage over current levels — a short-term step until zero-emissions renewable technologies can replace natural gas.

10. Sequester carbon dioxide at existing coal plants. Sequestration involves storing carbon dioxide underground, an unproven technology that may, nonetheless, be better than nothing.

11. Develop zero-emissions vehicles, including plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles powered by renewable energy.

12. Develop biomass as a short-term replacement for fossil fuel until better carbon-free technologies are developed — but only biofuels made from waste, and made without displacing farmland and rainforests.

This framework can help us think big and fast enough to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. If we are to achieve each wedge by 2054, the next 10 years must see major action. Anything less and we’re kidding ourselves.

Problem of waste incinerators in developing countries

solid waste

In fact, if not because of medical waste, we can state categorically that the incineration of waste, the disposal of developing countries, particularly Nigeria. The reasons are obvious, requires great skill and combustion technology. The types of incinerators are very common in Nigeria are very different from those found and used in civilized countries.
In the city of Ibadan, for example, has no provision for the treatment of flue gas and combustion, largely with energy recovery. Perhaps one can only find electric drive incinerator at the University Hospital, Ibadan. Apart from the incinerators were not usually built tall chimneys to take care of gaseous emissions.
Although there is no other effective methods to reduce pathogens to health around the world that are not prescribed burning, alternative technologies to incineration in recent years, supported by several environmental stress groups. The reasons are the remains of toxic ash and air emissions are carcinogenic and unpleasant.
In addition, the type of waste that contains more organic products are not built by indigenous incinerators to be addressed to realize low temperature. Incineration is a process of high temperature oxidation drought, which reduces the organic and inorganic wastes fuel, flammable. Then, an incineration plant for kitchen waste is used, and mix the sludge with a low calorific value is very small. However, none of the incinerators manufactured locally really do this because of a lower temperature (usually less than 10000C). Worse, the clogged built, most of them without the supply of fuel and burned in the rule to cases or partially burned.
Finally, through technology, sophisticated and highly qualified, high interest, and the burning of normal, and also because of the threat it a threat to the environment and health through the usual procedure in some developing countries, including Nigeria, can the incinerators local manufacturing stage in these countries are now proposing.

Composting - a green solution to household waste

Waste management experts report that "food waste represents nearly 15 percent of the total waste sent to landfills each year, the largest type of waste material."
Composting can not be the most glamorous of projects for the renovation, but the name of another scenario where you can improve your garden, and do something for our planet by having less waste to enter our landfill sites each week. Starting your own compost is simple and has a huge performance. The compound is essentially layers of natural materials that eventually break to produce a soil rich in nutrients. This natural fertilizer and is ideal for your garden because it restores the missing nutrients in soil damaged. As any gardener will tell you: the success of your garden depends on the quality of their lands.
First Step - How to maintain your subscription here:
With more people in the compost-making, the choices of where and how to keep your battery has increased dramatically. Today you can buy a compost bin precompiled. These devices are made of plastic and are designed to eliminate odors, and therefore away from the creatures at bay!
The models vary greatly from what they seem and what they can do. Some containers are fixed, while others, for ships that can turn a handle. Personally, I like this option because it saves on the back of the work effort to turn the compost by hand with a shovel.
You can also create your own bin, you can build an open design of wooden pallets, mesh and more. Just know this: a compost pile naked can smell and attract insects and animals. If you go this route, make sure it is outdoors and not near the window of his room. For a home composting container attached to an idea I found in my research is to become part of a giant plastic container normally used for storage. Just poke holes in the bottom and the top and you have a compost bin very simple and cheap.
Second Step - Add the food and garden waste.What not to bring:
What you should avoid putting in your compost is almost more important than what happens Certain chemicals may be toxic and therefore harmful. feces of dogs, cats, birds and are a good example. Also, avoid any green material treated with pesticides. Do not compost the others:Files oror meat or fishBone or fat,waste or catPaper or plastic laminateor diseased plants or decayingor large stems or roots (or shred them first)or treated wood
What you can put in your compost:
It must be both "brown" (carbon rich) and green (nitrogen rich) ingredients in your compost pile. Most of the items - about two thirds - the ingredients should be brown.
Brown or components are rich in carbon and leaves, pine needles, spoiled straw, straw and paper.
green ingredients are rich in nitrogen. You want to create a thin layer of green ingredients between thick layers of brown ingredients. Remember that two thirds of the pile should be brown. You can create a 5-6 cm layer of brown, covered with two inches of green, then another layer of brown, and so on. Include common elements of green grass clippings, refuse to seat (old plant stems, stalks of flowers last fall), coffee grounds, manure and kitchen waste from fruits and vegetables.
Layers is where to start (if you use a glass, the layers are not necessary. Mix only!)
one or more layers that are composed of brown substances. The key is to have good circulation to the bottom or in the fireplace, not very thick pile of pieces 1-2 inches should be enough.
The following material layers alternating between brown and green. Each layer should be 2 inches thick and a thin layer of manure can be placed between layers of green and brown. A trick of the trade, the decomposition of the material that is in large pieces before adding it to your compost pile, but it decomposes rapidly.
Step Three - Keep your compost
Or rule of thumb: the more you manage your compost pile, the faster you will be rich compound, black. management tracks that are limited to the battery (it breaks all the time, but this method can take a year or more) to convert the compound once or twice a week with a shovel in the cold outside the battery is low. This is where the compost bins to keep your rear window.
Keep the compost moist. Depending on your time, it can be easy to achieve, of course, a few seasons ago. You can check the moisture, turning the compost with a shovel - the center of the pile should not be left to dry. Depending on the weather, you may need to water your compost pile occasionally to keep it moist, put a tarp or cloth to avoid regularly.
Place the container in a location that receives lots of sun, and you need the container to warm to start working. The interior of the battery should be hot. This indicates that the decomposition of organic matter occurs. Your subscription should begin to heat up in a day or two to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If not, there's enough material green. Some of the compost bins come with thermometers, but you can buy one if it is not. Just paste in the center of the stack to see if the mixture is correct.

Biodiesel an ideal alternative

Biodiesel has been getting its share of interest from people looking for alternative fuels. The steadily rising cost of oil on the world market and many believe it is time to find other sources of sound in any way increase the cost of using gas and fuel oil. One of the alternatives that are on the promise that is the production of biodiesel.
Biodiesel refers to a type of fuel that can be derived from biological sources. Can be readily used in diesel vehicles. This distinguishes them from the use of vegetable oil (SVO) or waste vegetable oils that have changed (UVA) as the chosen alternative, vehicles with diesel engines using these fuels must be installed.
What makes biodiesel an ideal alternative, which is biodegradable and nontoxic. Biodiesel is also significant emissions from the incineration of low compared to petroleum diesel.
Since biodiesel can be changed easily in existing diesel engines without using it, they have to fulfill the potential of using fuel oil as main source of additional power, the need for global transportation sector. Not only that, the promises of biodiesel fuel used as a cheaper alternative to domestic and commercial boilers.
Biodiesel can be used in pure form or blended with petroleum diesel. There are a number of advantages and benefits with their use. Biodiesel is one of the best features is the high level of lubricity. Greater than pure petroleum diesel, this excellent lubricity of biodiesel significantly extending the life of a fuel injector of the engine.
Biodiesel is a better solvent than regular diesel and has been shown to break down deposits of residue in fuel lines, since products with conventional diesel. Therefore, the fuel filter clogged with debris, such as biodiesel always does his job to clean the engine is so common. The filter change after running 600-800 miles on biodiesel is recommended to resolve this problem.
There are environmental advantages in subsequent elections of biodiesel compared to conventional diesel use petroleum-based. results of its use in biodiesel significantly reduces emissions of carbon monoxide. Biodiesel also contains less hydrocarbons and particulate emissions from the exhaust pipe can reduce up to 20 percent.
Biodiesel also has a low sulfur content, viscosity and no natural lubrication is often the case when using ultra-low sulfur variety of diesel. It is also nontoxic and biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly alternative.
It is considered by many lawyers suggested that the excess biodiesel or vegetable oil may be the best source of oil to produce this alternative fuel. But the current available supply is, unfortunately, less than the amount of petroleum-derived fuel that is burned for transportation and home heating throughout the world. Gallons liters of waste vegetable oil are produced by U.S. restaurants every day.
But that may not be sufficient to meet the need for more fuel and more. The production of biodiesel from animal fats may not be viable enough to replace petro-diesel for the limited supplies. However, research is underway to find solutions and systems that make biodiesel more available and they can develop to meet the growing needs of the alternative was

Aeration is a common treatment process

In regard to aeration, there are many different process configurations depending on the specific application. Waste Solutions has experience with suspended growth, biological nitrogen and phosphorous systems, fixed film systems and also with modelling facilities such as GPS-X to test and refine treatment plant design performance


Traditionally, rule of thumb methods have been used for the sizing of aeration requirements and hence aeration equipment.

Waste Solutions uses a more fundamental approach based on a thorough understanding of microbial and physical processes to design aerobic treatment systems.

Variability in the aeration characteristics of wastewaters from plant to plant are often not accounted for using traditional rule of thumb methods for sizing aeration equipment. This often results in a large safety factor which is expensive. Optimisation of aeration efficiency can be achieved by evaluating aeration characteristics of a wastewater and the efficiency of aeration equipment in a particular wastewater.

Waste Solutions has developed procedures for testing both the aeration characteristics of a wastewater and the aeration efficiency of aeration equipment in a particular wastewater. This results in aeration equipment with least life cycle cost.

Waste Solutions’ knowledge of the fundamental processes involved in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastes means the company is able to deliver optimum and cost effective solutions to customers.

Where it is necessary, on-site pilot trials or pilot plants are used to develop effective solutions with lower life-cycle costs.

What Do Jewelry and E-waste Have In Common?

This week in our environmental epidemiology class one of the main topics of discussion was lead. Our instructor brought up a very interesting source of exposure: lead jewelry. The discussion included a talk about how e-waste is contributing to this problem.

I came across two well-known stories from the United States that demonstrate this issue. In 2003, in Oregon, a 4 year old boy died after swallowing a piece of jewelry bought from a vending machine. Later it was discovered that the toy medallion consisted of 38.8% lead [CDC report, 2004]. More recently, in 2006, another child died from acute lead poisoning in Minnesota, after ingesting a metallic heart-shaped charm. The charm was a gift with purchase from Reebok, which was almost entirely made from lead (99.1%) [CDC report, 2006]. In both instances, the product responsible was imported from abroad. The Consumer Product Safety division of Health Canada, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the US, are responsible for ensuring that tragedies like this never happen but evidently things are missed.


How this relates to e-waste:
In my literature search I came across a paper by Weidenhamer and Clement looking at e-waste as a possible source for lead contaminated jewelry. These researchers took note of the movement of e-waste from North American to Asian countries, and hypothesized that recycled circuit boards were being used to produce these heavily leaded jewelry items sold in the US. They took sixteen jewelry items that were previously known to contain 20-80% lead, and analyzed the items for lead, copper and tin content. In addition, lead-tin solders (what's used to join two pieces of metal together) from workshops in China were looked at, which are typically 60% tin/40% lead or 63% tin/37% lead by weight [Geibig & Socolof, 2005]. The main source of lead in electronic goods is in these lead-tin solders and also leaded glass of cathode ray tubes (the big tubes found in older computer screens and tvs) [Ernst et al., 2003].

Eight samples of the solder used in workshops in Taizhou, China (a major e-waste recycling area) were retrieved for a comparison to the contents found in the jewelry samples. After analyzing and comparing the lead-tin content in all 16 jewelry samples, 6 samples contained suspicious amounts of tin, and 5 of these samples contained suspicious amounts of copper. Because copper is normally only a trace component of electronic solders, the heating of circuit boards in molten solder, as observed in e-waste recycling workshops, has the potential to transfer a significant amount of copper into the solder. This supports their hypothesis that at least some of the leaded jewelry may be manufactured from scrap solder materials.

This study did not look at heavily leaded jewelry (>80% lead by weight). So the question of where these highly leaded jewelry items are coming from still remains a mystery.

Here are some things to look out for when purchasing jewelry, as recommended by Health Canada:
Pure lead is heavy, soft, dark bluish grey in colour and has a dull surface.
Jewelry with a very high lead content tends to be: thicker and leave a greyish mark when wiped on a white piece of paper.

Check with the retailer before buying an item. If they cannot provide assurance, don't buy it.
For Children: don't allow them to wear adult jewelry, suck or chew on jewelry, and if items are swallowed contact emergency medical services if you think the item may have contained lead.

Assembly

I promise the last Joy Division single is coming. To be quite honest, both myself and Mr. Analog Loyalist are suffering a little burnout. While the work we're doing is both rewarding and necessary, spending so much time on one project/band has dampened my enthusiasm. I haven't even assembled my own CDs of the New Order singles yet, which brings me to today's entry.

My OCD doesn't like interrupting the sequence of singles, but I had to share these. A couple of readers have sent photos of their finished singles sets:

Fedge is storing his in mini poly sleeves just like LPs.








Chris took this several steps further and I'm just really impressed. The fluorescent green and orange of the box are the colors of the inner sleeves for Round & Round/Round & Remix. Alongside the artwork for each single the book uses stock photos similar to the artwork used for Republic and it's singles. Bizarre Love Triangle and Touched By The Hand Of God have been tweaked to be gatefold sleeves like the their 7" and CD singles respectively, and he used a unifying titling/color scheme across the CDs instead of the labels I made, which are kinda haphazard since they're based on the labels from the vinyl singles.

What I'd always envisioned in my head was using a prefab plastic CD flip file to store the singles (plastic=recycle). I was going to print and mount Saville's original Recycle "waste painting" to the top, and craft a booklet to go inside, but I'd like to open this up to all of you. Have you put together your own set yet? Do you have any ideas for housing the package? Please share your ideas and photos with us.

The Kitchen Composter

The Kitchen Composter allows 100% home composting to be achieved by tackling the elements of organic waste that cannot be put into a traditional composter.

All food waste can now be turned into nutrient rich compost. This includes meat, fish and dairy products as well as cooked foods. The process does not produce smells or attract flies.

The Kitchen Composter is an air-tight container which the food waste is placed in. Bokashi is added as a compost activator. This is a bran-based material that has been prepared with EM, a mixed culture of naturally occurring friendly microorganisms. After a few days the contents can be placed in a traditional home composter or dug into the ground. Liquid feed can be drained off during the fermentation process. This is alive with beneficial microbes and can be diluted as a plant feed or poured down drains to prevent algae build up and odours

Organic Biowaste Resource Recovery

Waste Solutions offers innovative "zero discharge" process technology that adds value to solid organic waste, food residuals and industrial waste. We have extensive experience and expertise in development and application of customised waste treatment processes including fermentation technology to add value to waste materials

Examples of processes for industrial scale recovery of valuable products from waste are:

• High nitrogen content certified organic fertiliser from fish processing residue
• High value fish oil from fish processing off cuts
• Potable water from processed food residuals
• Microbial metabolites (antibiotics) from liquid waste fermentation
• Environmentally friendly road salt (Calcium magnesium acetate)
• Slow release Nitrogen/Phosphorus fertiliser (Magnesium-ammonium-phosphate)
• Water recovery solutions

The Zero Waste Closet

 

Last week was April 15th! For most it meant tax day. For me: Biannual clothes shopping day. The day I refresh my worn out basics and add some zing to my wardrobe. I wait and prepare for it for months at a time. I love fashion and I only shop twice a year: April 15th for spring-summer, and October 15th for fall-winter.


Before each spree, I visit the library and go through magazines to get inspired and educate my eye. This is a system that I have lived by for the past eight years.
But, please... don't blame me for being tempted by fashion, symbol of a disposable and ephemeral closet: I graduated from the London School of Fashion, and still enjoy expressing myself through dressing. And as long as my shopping habits follow my sustainable ethics, isn't it alright to be fashionable? What can I say: I do care about my looks, regardless of the Zero Waste lifestyle, sadly associated with careless / carefree clothing. Did I mention that one does not need to conform to a certain fashion style to be a Zero Waste advocate?…My personal fashion sense is rather about wearing exciting, one of a kind, USED pieces to make my everyday more exciting.

I can see some of you cringing at the idea of thrifting already. "I can't find anything in that mess", or "Oh! I can't take the smell in thrift shops", people tell me... It's true that the items in the shop have lost their smell of off-gassing plastics and that these shops don't have perfume in the air (department stores) to cover it up. Isn't it sad that most people prefer to shop in a store that reeks of plastic because the smell is associated with new things, the high of shopping and consumerism? You know what I am talking about if you have practiced department/new store abstinence before. It is like discovering the true smell of your house after a long absence... Well the true smell (or is it the phtalates?) of those new stores actually makes me nauseous. And if the term "used" bothers you, call it "vintage". Somehow vintage stores, although they also only carry used items, have a better reputation.

But what I love most about thrift and vintage shopping is the hunt for the unusual clothing, the minimal price tag (where I shop they use a piece of paper stapled to the garment as a price tag), and the carbon footprint redemption, of course… This is where you choose a garment for its fit, not its tag or brand.

Here is my system:

I stick to minimal closets: My boys, for example, have a set of 4 pants, 8 shirts, and a dressy outfit for each season. I'll spare you my wardrobe list.

I keep a minimal shoe closet: I have paired it down to just 6 pairs of shoes: slippers, boots, ballet, medium heel, high heel sandal, and sandals. For the kids, I buy athletic shoes second hand, and when worn out I take them to Nike "Reuse a Shoe" program. (At the rate that my little one goes through sneakers, we wait to fill a bin before taking them in). They also own a pair of dress shoes, flip-flops and slippers.

I own only a small selection (3) of purses: 1 everyday/evening wrist wallet, 1 small foraging messenger bag and 1 work bag (to fit my computer).

I keep an updated inventory of my closet, made up of neutral colors and exciting season-less essentials. On that same excel file, I highlight the items that I wore out (holes, tears or stubborn stains) and need to replace on the next shopping trip.

I shop twice a year: it avoids compulsive buys, keeps us out of the mall. (We actually only shop once a year for my husband).

I shop at second hand stores mostly: I believe in reusing before buying new organic clothes. This season, the new items I purchased were a pair of sandals (could not find a basic secondhand pair) and a bra. The rest I bought at the thrift shop for $40 (I can proudly say, it is a record low)

If I do get a new piece, I make sure that it is good quality, and only carries minimal tags (I leave the shoe box at the store). Patagonia, I hear, recycles some of their garments to make new ones.

I am ruthless on fit, it is as simple as: "If it doesn't fit, I must acquit!"

I bring a basket: Too often we think about the reusable bag at the grocery store, but don't apply it to other stores.
I put it back on the market before it goes out of style: If, for some reason, I do not wear a specific piece of clothing for a month, I give it to a friend or Goodwill. Otherwise I end up with a closet full of nothing-to-wear. Keep it on the market and share it while it's hot!
I keep some of my worn out clothes for rags (duh), but I label the rest as "rags" and take it to Goodwill for recycling. Call your local Goodwill to confirm their participation in the program.
With sewing, I have been able to save many outfits, with only a few stitches (shorten a hem, add an elastic or change buttons...)
I take it to the tailor, if something is out of my technical expertise (I recently had to take a coat in, the fabric is too thick for my machine)
I keep handkerchiefs handy in my closet and purses.
TMI: I keep vitamin E balm next to my sandals to add shine to my polish-free toes.And you know what the bonus was on this last thrifting spree? Finding a two liter Le Parfait jar for only $2. Yoohoo!

Pacific Ocean Toilet! When will it stop?

Pacific Ocean. Plastic garbage so thick, so large an area. A dead zone, deadly, ominous, growing. Plastic makes up a huge percentage of the cess pool searing our precious oceans. This state size patch is located off Hawaii between North/South America and the beautiful tradewind Islands.

Out of site - Out of mind.

Electronics waste container

The Poly-Trux 54P-20R eWaste cart features a rugged, 20-bushel capacity container with a wide-mouth safety rim set on top of premium, industrial-strength casters. These units are designed to accommodate heavy, unwieldy computers, televisions, microwave ovens, fax machines and other electronics waste collected at municipal events and other collection points. When filled, the rigid eWaste cart rolls easily onto a truck or trailer for transport, while an optional canvas cover stretches around the container rim to keep waste inside the cart and deter theft. The rigid Poly-Trux 54P-20R eWaste cart is rotationally molded in a single piece of 100 percent waterproof polyethylene for high-strength, durability and resistance to bumps, scratches and scrapes. A choice of 16 standard colours plus optional custom colours and permanent, molded-in lettering, tracking numbers and graphics are available.

Climate Change, Mixed Messaging & Superfreakonomics

 

A really important comment was brought up this week in my environmental epidemiology lecture on climate change. I wanted to speak to this point a bit more after coming across a series of writings about a recently published book called Superfreakonomics by Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner.





The comment in class was about the difficulty of sorting through the mixed messaging surrounding climate change, and the role that health promoters need to play in order to address this issue at the individual level. This was a really important point to bring up because it is difficult to know what our role as individuals is when we speak about climate change. This point is particularly important not only because lifestyle changes need to be made, but also because political will needs to be generated.




I came across a prime example of this mixed messaging after watching a CBC interview of Steve Levitt. One of the chapters in his new book is about climate change and why he thinks that the current climate change efforts are flawed. This peaked my interest, and so I tried to track down his chapter online. Instead I came across an interesting series of blog posts between the author and a climate change economist. Thankfully, the chapter doesn't refute the current scientific consensus about climate change, but rather argues that the "solution" isn't in changing human contributions to the problem (adaptation strategies). I don't fully understand what aerosol geo-engineering is, but the authors present this as a harmless and cheap quick fix for global warming. Skeptics have highlighted that the authors ignored readily available literature detailing the severe risks associated with aerosol geo-engineering and reasons why emission reduction is the dominant strategy chosen. Even though I have not read the chapter myself, I remain quite uncomfortable with the thought that if this book was even remotely as successful as the first Freakonomics, 4 million people could potentially be mislead by the message in this chapter.

Waste Plastic Burner 2010

Waste Plastic Burner 2010

Zero Waste Dining and Entertaining

By now, you already know that we have chosen a simple life, free of unnecessary objects. I truly believe in the 80-20 rule. In a regular home, only 20% of household items actually get used. In ours, we have evaluated those 20% and have let go of the remaining 80%.

Thru my simplifying business, I have noticed that most kitchens are filled with unused kitchen gadgets that are supposed to make cooking and entertaining easier. But are the sorbet maker, waffle iron, or panini press really being used? What about the specialty cake pans, the cookie cutters, the dozen placemats, the fancy wine stoppers, the wine basket, the wine cooler, the champagne bucket, the 2nd or 3rd set of china, the stem glass charms, the shot glasses, and the tablecloth weights? Oh! And the candle that is too pretty to be lit? Think of the drawer filled with hot pads (aren’t a couple enough?), the drawer filled with matches (can’t the refillable lighter do the job just fine?), not to mention…the junk drawer (what is in there that you can’t live without?). These items take precious space, make it harder to find cooking essentials, create stress, and clutter our lives, not to mention waste time and valuable resources. There is a really good chance that most of the items mentioned here can be forgotten, simply donated, and their use replaced by something else (the grater plane works just fine as a zester). Clearly, the more accessories you have, the more you take out, the more needs cleaning (individual measuring cups are a great example).

Of course, you can zero waste dining and entertaining with a packed kitchen, but honestly, the simpler the kitchen, the simpler it is to get there.

Here is how we dine and entertain with zero waste in mind:

-Zero Waste Grocery Shop: Make sure you bring extra jars to the grocery store when shopping for company (including take-out).

-Make finger foods for larger parties (more than 10 people at our house, because 10 is all we can sit at our dining table): Finger foods are a fantastic waste buster for larger parties (no store-bought party trays here).

-Instead of fizzy water, consider serving tap water with lemon slices in it.

-Forget about disposables (duh): Use ceramic dishes, cloth dinner napkins and cloth appetizer napkins (sooooo much nicer than paper).

-Avoid the use of serving platters/dishes: When serving straight onto dinner plates, it simplifies, saves water from extra cleaning, and it allows for a plate presentation.

-Find creative ways to decorate your table: I personally do not use tablecloths or placemats, I find that both get dirty too fast, are a waste of physical and electrical energy, and detergent. I also have more fun decorating it with a few napkin folding tricks, discarded leaves/branches from the yard, designs drawn in some scattered flour, fuzz of a seeded dandelion flower, or just seasonal fruit… For a recent buffet, I set small fern branches in water glasses and covered them with different size Le Parfait Jars so that these “cloches” could set the serving plates at different levels.

-Reuse empty votive tins (and the wick base) to make new votive candles for company: Super fast and super easy. Locally, I can find beeswax in bulk at Rainbow Grocery, and lead-free wick by the yard at Ben Franklin. I have about 20 rotating votive tins.

-Transfer your music onto your iPod: Donate your CD player and CD’s for others to enjoy, use your iPod connected to your home sound system instead. (THIS is my birthday wish, Scott!)

-Use rechargeable batteries for those remote controls!

-Try no TV/gaming for a while: We cancelled ours about 1½ yr ago and I love it. We finally have time to read the books that we wanted to read, and watch movies, commercial free. We rent and watch one PG movie with the kids on Friday nights, Scott and I watch another more mature movie during the week. Sunday night is game night!

-Lucky to be invited somewhere? Need a hostess gift? Bring a jar of a homemade consumable, or your favorite bulk item (we love the Whole Foods chocolate malt balls).

-Need wrapping? Consider Furoshiki (the Japanese art of cloth gift wrapping).I think it’s so cool, I have become an addicted “furoshikier” I have wrapped presents in 24x24” piece of curtain, or French antique kitchen towels (I had a stacks of them in my previous kitchen). A zero waste present is a great opportunity to let your friends know about your waste reduction efforts and inspire them to follow lead.

-Educate your friends about your zero waste efforts: so that they don’t show up at your door step with a large pastry box (full of pastries wrapped in throwaways… speaking from experience, here). Remember that Zero Waste Home starts outside the home.

-Lastly, please don’t forget to bring your own container for leftovers, when dining out!

What are we doing for Easter? This year, we’re invited to a brunch. I will bring bulk wine wrapped in a French antique towel. But before we go, the kids will enjoy their Easter “egg” hunt of bulk candy: Chocolate malt balls, organic jelly beans, and chocolate covered peanuts. I just have to decide before tomorrow whether to wrap them in paper or get refillable plastic eggs (stainless yet to be found) from the thrift store… It all depends on the weather and where the Easter Bunny will decide to hide them… Inside or out?

Zero Waste Holidays: this time for sure ;)

No, no. I am not crazy: I do not support holiday decorations being displayed at my local hardware store since September...

Nonetheless, the holidays are around the corner and my hardware store did remind me that last December, I vouched to be pro-active for this year's gift exchange. And that included letting those who will be exchanging with us know that we prefer experiences vs. more stuff. It seems early, but letting them know before they even had a chance to gather/buy objects for us, is key and all part of the “master plan” ;).

Here are some ideas, worth considering this holiday season:

GIFTS

-Offering "Experiences" in the form of a gift certificate or actual ticket, such as:

Classes at the local community college to develop a new interest

Movie ticket

Theme park season pass

Museum pass

Bowling night

Hotel night

Meal at a new restaurant

Treat to an ice cream parlor

My favorite for our kids: A year long subscription to a monthly surprise family activity (activities that I have in mind for the year, depending on our finances, include: kayaking, overnight at hotel with pool, ice skating, hiking to an overnight refuge, trampoline or indoor climbing center, science museum, gold panning in the mountains, crabbing, fishing, overnight on a houseboat, backpacking and overnight in the wilderness, fruit picking, sledding, overnight in a fire lookout, etc...)

-Offering Services (your time) in the form of coupons, such as:

Professional expertise (I can offer simplifying and decluttering services for example)

Hand labor (planting a tree, painting a room for a new baby, fixing a deck, lawn mowing)

Babysitting

Services are great for kids to give (one sibling could take another sibling's chore for a period of time)

-Offering consumables in a reusable jar (to simplify, pick one project and make a large quantity):

Homemade cookies, cake mix, herbal tea, jam, pickles, sugar/salt scrub, balm, lemoncello, toothpowder (with recipe attached)

Or a bulk item (cornichons, olives, maple syrup, toffee pecans, chocolate malt balls).

Homemade candles, soap, and paper are also great “out of the jar” alternatives.

-Shopping your home: Regifting (and there is nothing wrong with that!) or giving something you already own when you know for a fact that the recipient will appreciate it. I have a dedicated drawer for that purpose, it gets filled and used all year long.

-Buying used at a thrift store or on Ebay. For the latter, make sure that the item is used by checking the “pre-owned” option in your Ebay search.

-Using the smallest gifts and bulk treats to fill stockings instead of stuff-ers.

-Selecting gifts that tighten family bonds (family “experiences” or used board games for example).

-Greening Santa: Santa brings only one gift per family member. It comes unwrapped because Santa cares about the environment and his gift is easily spotted among the other (family) wrapped presents. The benefits of the “one special present” go beyond the obvious...equality among children of different financial background, modesty, smaller wish lists, less stress on Santa!

-Avoiding the mall until January: Not only better for your carbon footprint (driving, new stuff purchased), but also your sanity, stress level, creativity and wallet. Challenge yourself to do without!

GIFT WRAPPING:

-Purchasing or making reusable gift bags from fabric scraps (or redesigned lone socks and pillowcases) sends out a green message to your recipient. The attached tie also eliminates the need for a loose ribbon.

-Purchasing or making Furoshiki squares (28x28) and learning some easy-to-follow tricks on how to artfully wrap in fabric. The elaborate knots and tucks also eliminates the need for a loose ribbon

-Using a gift to wrap another. A t-shirt, a sweater, a kitchen towel can wrapped just about anything and serve a double duty (a gift and wrapper in one).

-Reusing what you already have, if lacking the previous wrapping alternatives: papers from your recycling bin (your kids can quickly paint some designs on them), children's artwork, a washed meat wrapper, newspaper or paper bag if you are still allowing these into your home ;).

-Using leaves as gift tags or anything in your recycling bin that can be cut into a small rectangle.

DECORATION:

-Reusing a potted plant that you already have or purchasing one that can become your yearly alternative to the Christmas tree. I use a tall topiary. The first year, it seemed odd (an adjustment), now we can't imagine going back to regular trees.

-Vouching to not buy yet another ornament. We rediscover our holiday decorations every year when we unpack our dedicated crate, and we always have enough!

-Making consumable decorations such as a homemade gingerbread house (with treats available in bulk) or a string of popcorn as garland (feeding it to the birds after the holidays, thanks to Dori and Val for the suggestion) for as long as the kids enjoy participating in the making.

-Using seasonal whole fruit, whole vegetables, yard clippings or leaves to adorn the table.

CARDS:

-Emailing your holiday wishes. Last year, I made plantable cards (it took me a week of work and lots of stamps), this year I will email our wishes. It's the thought and the content of the message that counts.

-Sending the cards that you do receive for reuse (as mentioned last year) to St. Jude's Ranch Card Recycling, 100 St. Jude Street, Boulder City, NV 89005. It supports a good cause too!

-Choosing recycled and recyclable materials, if you do choose to send out a card. Keep in mind that photo paper is not recyclable.

TRADITIONS:

-Supporting your Zero Waste efforts with meaningful traditions vs. the wasteful, stressful and complicated activities of the season (Zero Waste not being just about stuff management).

-Being kind to yourself by simplifying your traditions: consider less cooking, using your everyday china and glasses if your fancy set requires handwashing, eating out, going for a hike if weather allows.

-Being kind to others by


1- being kind to yourself,
2- freeing a parking spot by avoiding the mall ;)
3- applying “Acts of Kindness” to your holiday season: participate in a homeless soup kitchen, sing carols in your neighborhood, write a Thank You card to someone whose services you appreciate (your friendly baker for ex.?)...


To hear more about Zero Waste Holidays thru a thick french accent (I hope Santa will think of getting me an accent reduction class), you can check out my recent podcast on More Hip than Hippie.

I dream of having more than an "almost Zero Waste" Christmas. With simplifying and adequate preparation, I truly believe that my dream can come true. Last year, I dreaded the season, this year I feel ready and excited to face it! Bring it on!
Any more ideas to reduce waste during this coming holiday season?

3 Ways Cities Go Green

By now you’ve probably seen at least one study ranking America’s “greenest cities.” It could be based on recycling rates, the number of green buildings or even engagement from local residents.
From San Francisco to Charlotte, these cities typically have one thing in common: a strong emphasis on environmental investment and communicating these programs to the public. Here are the key attributes that make up the nation’s most eco-friendly cities.

1. Acing waste management

When it comes to handling waste, recycling is just the tip of the iceberg. Many cities now have separate staff and programs for curbside recycling, compost/yard waste recycling and the collection of hazardous products like paint and batteries. But some will go the extra step.
Did you know in San Francisco, you can recycle food scraps and other organic waste at the curb? In fact, participation is required by city law. Other cities like Chicago and Seattle are beginning to follow suit, and since the EPA estimates organic and yard waste makes up 25 percent of our total solid waste, there’s definitely a demand for other disposal methods.
For other cities, the way to reduce waste is to simply make it illegal to throw things away. Take the case of Charlotte for example. The largest city in North Carolina enforces 15 different state landfill bans.
This includes everything from beverage containers to motor oil and filters to electronics, and did we mention oyster shells? If something is banned from landfills, you can bet that the city and county will do everything they can to make sure that material is recyclable.
An additional option is to change the way that recyclables are prepared for better collection practices. Earlier this year, Minnesota passed a law that all yard waste must be contained in compostable bags.
This means the bags themselves can be added to the compost process and break down. While Minneapolis has until 2013 to comply with the law, its Twin Cities-neighbor St. Paul already enforces it for any yard waste collection.

2. Efficient public transportation
In case you didn’t already know, cars have a high environmental footprint. We’re talking carbon emissions, air pollution and non-renewable energy being pumped at the gas station.

Honolulu's TheBus system has also been awarded America's Best Transit System twice by the American Public Transportation Association. Photo: Flickr/duluoz cats

Meanwhile, public transportation helps keep cars off the road, and many times these buses and trains are powered by renewable energy. Some are so recognized that we know them by name (e.g. BART and the L train), but other cities are doing their part to promote riding the rails.

In Orlando, the Lymmo bus line offers transportation all over downtown…for free. It runs every day from City Hall to the Centroplex with 11 spots in between, serving both commuters and those who want to enjoy downtown nightlife.

Another way to measure public transportation effectiveness is how often it is utilized. According to 2005 figures from the Federal Transit Administration, New York is by far the leader with 9.6 percent public use.
As for the city came in at No. 3?
That would be Honolulu, which despite still relying on only a bus system has 3.7 percent public use. Its TheBus system has also been awarded America’s Best Transit System twice by the American Public Transportation Association.
According to the most recent State of the Union, public transportation is no longer just an inner-city phenomenon. The U.S. is spending $8 billion to improve high-speed trains in 31 states and three Canadian cities, and more than 25 percent of that money will go to California.
So, those looking to travel between the three largest metro areas of the Golden State (San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles and San Diego) can do so at up to 220 miles per hour. It should also reduce airline and highway travel, and trains have the lowest carbon footprint of all transportation for long trips.

3. Green-collar job availability
One indirect way to green up a city is to increase the availability of green-collar jobs, with many focusing on energy efficiency that can be applied locally. Plus, an eco-minded company is more likely to enforce eco-friendly policies, such as promoting conservation.
So, where are the green jobs located? In Mother Nature Network’s recently released top 10, three were in California, but a handful of those listed may come as a surprise.
This includes Detroit, where the electric car is transforming the auto industry and clean energy jobs are abundant. Another listed city was Houston, which may have one of the lowest national recycling rates but it’s the third highest green job market, according to Forbes.

MediBurn - diesel fired medical waste incinerator

MediBurn is the safe and simple solution for the disposal of up to 8 cubic feet / 0.22 cubic meters per load, of infectious and pathological waste for the small medical facility. Portable and easy to operate, MediBurn incinerates everything from laboratory waste to animal remains. The MediBurn runs on diesel fuel and therefore only needs minimal setup. Now available in two sizes.

• Ready to use upon delivery.
• Minimal training.
• Easy to operate with state-of-the-art controls.
• Automatic, pre-set cycle control for startup and shutdown.
• Dual chamber combustion and high exhaust temperatures in excess of 1000ºC (1832ºF).
• Thermostatic temperature control for efficient fuel consumption.
• Quick setup - only needs connection to power supply and fuel for onboard tank.

MediBurn 30
The MediBurn 30 is the latest model with new modulating burners and under-air technology to provide up to 50% fuel savings over the original MediBurn. It also has 1/3 more capacity per batch load. The electronic controls are easy to use and have been updated to provide greater safety and control of the system plus multi-language support.

Twitter and Facebook is waste of Time : Seth Godin

Seth Godin, one of the Most successful personal bloggers and the writer of great marketing book “Permission Marketing” and “Marketers are liers”, says Social Networking is a big waste of time. He feels the relationships that remains in Facebook and Twitter are fake, and they don’t turn into business.

At the time when companies are built on Social Networking and new trends in people behavior are arising, this old thought of Mr Godin is a clear indication that his time is up. He could not succeed much with Squidoo, and he could not understand the power of Social Networking.

Few questions and instances to prove why he is wrong:

1. Dell has done business of more than 1 M Dollars through Twitter.

2. Mashable becomes the World’s No. 1 Technology Blogs by Marketing actively on Twitter, and writing hugely about Social Media.

3. Zappos.com become a big online seller and sold itself to Amazon for close to Billion Dollars.

4. Facebook becomes Top 5 Site by number of unique visitors, and Twitter becomes 42nd this year.

5. Google owns Youtube and Orkut, and it has started connecting all Google Account users. Yahoo starts connecting friends thro Msgr and Mail. Google Wave coming to make Web more Social Friendly.

6. Microsoft invested in Facebook for ultra high valuation of $15 B and took 1.6% stake. All done to stop Google’s takeover of web through Orkut.

7. Barack Obama wins elections by efficient use of Web 2.0 and Social Media. He is believed to bring out 1800 videos in Youtube; Obama had one of the largest Twitter followers and active using it for election campaign.

8. Aston Kutcher, Britney Spears and many other US Celebs joins Twitter; market their movies and albums. BollyWood joins the race with Priyanka Chopra, Karan Johar and Gul Panag taking the lead.

Can all these people be wrong? Is there no real motivation in Social Media? I would better take side of these facts than accept the thought of Mr Godin. He got wrong today.

UN Warns Developing Countries of Growing Elecronic Waste

In a study released by the UN this Monday, it has been reported that developing countries need to prepare themselves for a deluge of electronic waste in the coming decade. The waste is supposed to be generated by personal computers, electronic equipments and appliances.

Electronic waste, or e-waste as it is commonly called- is on the top of the list of UN Environment Program’s most pressing issues right now. The study forecasts that by 2020, e-waste levels from old computers will jump by 500 percent in India and by 200 percent to 400 percent in countries like South Africa and China from the 2007 levels. Also, E-waste from mobile phones will rise to seven times higher than 2007 levels in China and about 18 times higher in India.

United States currently tops the chart of electronic waste with 3.3 million tons per year, with China hanging in there with 2.6 million tons a year. The total electronic waste produced in the world at present is around 40 million tons annually. The problem is far more serious than it looks since developing countries currently have no proper e-waste recycling infrastructure.Unorganized recycling and random e-waste disposal methods could seriously affect human health and environment.

UNEP (a materials testing laboratory in Switzerland) Executive Director Achim Steiner said: “The world is now confronted with a massive wave of electronic waste that is going to come back and hit us, particularly for least-developed countries, that may become a dumping ground. China is not alone in facing a serious challenge. India, Brazil, Mexico and others may also face rising environmental damage and health problems if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector.”

Many consumer electronics companies have taken an initiative to reduce hazardous substances used in PCs and electronic devices. Apple and other PC makers have made commitments to completely cut off the use of chemicals like brominated fire retardants and polyvinyl chloride in components and circuit boards. U.S. is planning to promote responsible recycling of consumer electronics, with recyclers, nonprofits and companies like Waste Management creating a certification program to promote safe and ethical e-waste disposal.

What about Halloween?

I received a few emails and comments asking how we plan to celebrate Halloween. Frankly, I really have a hard time with Halloween. I like the activities, but in a perfect world, the celebration would be a non-commercial, waste-free, treasure-sharing (see “treasures” below), costume festival, that I would fully support. Until then...

Our kids are still at an age where they want to share the fun with their friends and join them in trick-or-treating. And yet, I want to keep the tradition as sustainable as possible. But how? When in doubt, I apply the obvious rule: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot. After discussing an approach with the kids, here is the plan that we came up with:

REFUSE:

-Plastic toys or favors when trick-or-treating, the kids will pick recyclable or compostable items instead.

REDUCE:

-Instead of doing a whole neighborhood, we plan to trick-or-treat one street. It helps being invited to a party before or after to reduce time spent going door to door.

REUSE:

-Costumes: Coming up with a homemade outfit is our first choice but it is also a challenge in a minimalist home (probably the only downside of living with less). When we strike-out of ideas, we go to the thrift store, and on the spot choose or make up a costume. I expect thrift shops to be most busy this time of year!

By the way, I am not crazy about dressing up for Halloween: I have enough fun reinventing my wardrobe everyday of the year ;)

-As you would expect, we keep our decorating minimal (What can I say: I did not grow up with this tradition), with just a few tiny pumpkins that I make into a soup the next day and serve sprinkled with its roasted seeds.

-We plan to participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back for the non-recyclable treats, this year for the first time. This is the most motivating program I have found for my 2 boys to give away their candy;)

RECYCLE:

- When possible, the kids will choose treats in cardboard: Dots, Milk Duds, Nerds or Raisins (but I doubt that we'll run in many of those).

COMPOST:

-To state the obvious, the rinds of our pumpkins used for making soup will get composted.

-I made a watermelon brain for a potluck buffet tonight. Hopefully, it will get completely eaten. If not, and if it gets too picked on, I'll take the leftovers home to compost.

In case you were wondering, our front door is 36 steps from the street, so by nature we do not get trick-or-treaters (sometimes, life just simplifies itself;). If we did, this website gives some good alternatives to candy. Here is the revised list with my waste-free favorites, in alphabetical order:

Food items ("treats"): Boxes of organic raisins, Fruit (like mandarins), Licorice Root Stick (I loved to chew on these as a kid).

Non food items ("treasures") are also a great alternative to treats: Bracelets made with a natural fiber or yarn, Coins (US or non-US: I know my kids would get exited about getting a penny), Feathers, Lavender sachet, Polished rocks or skipping stones, Printed items (jokes, word games, word search or cross word puzzles), Seashells, Seed packets or plantable paper, Soap (unpackaged of course), Stamps from foreign countries.

How do you celebrate Halloween with your kids?

Recycled Products Fashion Show

Wakeboard Chair

Description:
The Wakeboard Chair is perfect for indoor and outdoor use and comes complete with an ottoman. Chairs are made entirely of recycled products and utilize recycled boards.

Wakeboard Chair $374.95

 

Recycled Magazine Home Goods

Water Ski Bench

Description:
Benches are made entirely of recycled products and utilize recycled skis. The legs are made from recycled plastics and weigh 25lbs each. The legs are black in color. Water Ski Benches are available in sizes 65" through 72". Bench Size: Length 48"-60", Height 36", Width 26", Seat Height 18", total weight with two 25lb legs is 55-60lbs.

Water Ski Bench $249.95

terra, not terror

Dog waste is hard to get rid of because the plastic bags aren't exactly biodegradable. Some say they are (here's one), but as I've learned, our landfills are designed in such a way that nothing really biodegrades. We walk our dog every day, and she usually dumps on the walk, but sometimes does it in the backyard, which is where a waste removal system would be most beneficial. There are a couple of ways to design a backyard dog waste remover: a Doggie Dooley, a home-made dog waste compost, or a flushing system.

The Doggie Dooley is a pre-built waste disposal system that you put in your backyard. You add enzymes to get the stuff to compost, and the rest is history. It seems pretty simple, and you don't have bad smell, bugs, or garden contamination.

Visit the City Farmer.com for a step-by-step guide to making your own dog waste composter. All you really need is a garbage can and a shovel. Cut out the bottom of the garbage can, dig a deep hole, bury the garbage can, dump the poop inside, and cover with the garbage can lid. You can add enzymes to start the composting process. Since this method reaches the soil, make sure you bury it away from food gardens.

This site, Pet Habitats, designed a dog waste flusher that may work for you. It connects to the sewer line and uses your outside hose to flush the waste down, bags and all. They say it doesn't clog the pipes. Pet Habitats offers these environmental facts about their product.

I like the home-made composter and the Doggie Dooley. They're both good options for people who want an easy set-up and low cost. Pet Habitats attempts to meet the needs of dogs like mine, who "go" on walks instead of in the backyard. They are all interesting options for getting rid of your dog waste in a environmentally friendly way.

The Smiffs

Hey kids,

How's life? Mine is busy. In two weeks I head off to New Zealand and Australia for some DJ gigs, followed by one in Los Angeles over Thanksgiving weekend.

I just wanted to poke my head out and remind you that we're far from finished here. After the holidays I'm going to keep my schedule wide open until Coachella. I plan on working normal 40-hour weeks and spending my evenings and weekends at home, so I can finally focus on some fun projects like this blog.

There's still a lot to come: expanded listening bundles for each of the five Factory albums, Substance live, some previously uncirculated soundboard recordings, and sometime down the road there'll be Recycle part 3 covering the London years.

In the meantime, you might want to keep an eye on Extra Track for a makeover of The Smiths' complete singles, from the same production crew that's been at work here. They'll start going up sometime in the next 48 hours...

Is the Zero Waste Home only about waste reduction?

I received a long angry comment this week.

The commenter implied that our household was single minded... “Your lifestyle seems to be very austere” he or she wrote . “I'm wondering if you have a viewpoint on what we are all supposed to be doing here on planet earth? In addition to counting the band-aids in our trash cans, I mean”. Do you think your children find that it's a good trade off... you know for them to become social pariahs in exchange for you indulging your obsession.”

Boy! How did this commenter even get to this blog? Why did "anonymous" even spend time reading it if he or she did not understand the subject of it? How can he or she insult our kids so freely, not knowing them or their social life.

I replied that not every blog is for everyone...

And yet, what sticks in my mind about this comment is: Who does this person really think we are? Does this person really think that we ONLY care about waste?

In other words: Is the Zero Waste Home only about waste reduction? As I mentioned before, if it was not for this blog, I would not even think about waste on a daily basis. No seriously, beside the frustrating unavoidable trash bits, zero waste has become a no-brainer and a natural, unconscious part of our life, it has become automatic. We take our bags / jars and try to make good buying decisions when we shop once a week, refuse the occasional freebies, send an occasional email of complaint, and ask our friends and family to respect our lifestyle when they come. That's it. That's as much time as our family would think about zero waste... had I not started writing (and thus elaborating) about it.

I personally love art, fashion, foraging, homemaking, organizing, volunteering, simplifying,... I could have written a blog on any of these. And yet I chose zero waste. Why? Because in my mind it sums it all up. It has made my art more focused, my foraged miner's lettuce tastier, my thrifting more acceptable, my minimalism more understandable, my homemaking and volunteering more purposeful. For once in my life, it seems that all my interests and talents are connected. Plus, wouldn't it be selfish not to share my trials (Lush deodorant), failures (vinegar hair rinse), successes (baking soda toothpowder) and finds (local bulk stores) with others?

Let's face it. Zero waste is not just about waste: it's about enjoying simple pleasures, eating local and seasonal foods, living a healthier lifestyle, enjoying the outdoors more, getting closer to the Earth, finding fulfillment in volunteering activities, and simplifying your life to make room for things that matter most to you. If it was not for the latter, I would have never found the time to write this blog.

The commenter went on to criticize my refusing laminated school work last June. “Did you know that a lot of parents don't judge their children's artwork on whether it will biodegrade easily?”, he or she asked. “Actually a lot of parents would treasure their childrens' artwork and want it to last forever. But you rejected your childrens' artwork because it had become the wrong kind of trash.”, the commenter wrote.

Is this comment supposed to make me feel some kind of guilt for the laminated work that I refused? I am sorry to disappoint the commenter even further, but I don't. Through my simplifying business I witness numerous homes filled with “heirloom guilt" and I could not agree more with this quote from a New York Times article: "Barry Lubetkin, a psychologist and the Director of the Institute for Behavior Therapy in Manhattan, who has observed this [heirloom guilt] in a number of patients [...]. It’s an unhealthy setup, in which people become "slaves to inanimate objects,” he says. “Once you’re defining it as something you can’t get rid of, you’re not in control of your life or your home.”"

Let's say I had succumbed to the heirloom guilt: Was I supposed to bring the laminated piece home (no matter its quality) and add it to a bin full of other laminated school stuff, which would then be passed on, along with the same guilt, to my kids children and grand children? Our life is not about stuff and we're teaching our kids that life is not about stuff. So why should I allow teachers to fill my house with stuff? Shouldn't parents and children have the right to choose what to keep? After all we receive a ton of artwork from school all year long, so why should the one that is laminated be kept? What if your child, was sick and not in the mood or simply botched that particular project? Yet it would get laminated for a whole family branch to keep forever? Does not make sense to me at all.

Let's say my great grand kids felt liberated enough to discard it later: Do I want my kids laminated art to contribute to the great pacific garbage patch? Of course not.

I really don't think I am being “very austere” here and I don't think it was wrong to reject lamination. Quite the contrary, I think it would be more wrong NOT to reject it and allow this wasteful school practice to get out of control.

Accepting is condoning - just like shopping is voting. I cannot ignore (the easy way in life) the negative environmental impact of lamination, not to mention its expense. I would rather our public school money be better spent. If I don't do anything about it, who will? Obviously not the commenter. So, I say it once again: “Be the change you want the world to be” - Gandhi.

The commenter also implied that my son was deprived because he loved band-aids and we ran out... mmm.

Can one really be deprived of Spongebob band-aids? The Merriam Webster defines “deprived” as “marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or of healthful environmental influences”

Are Spongebob band-aids “a necessity of life or a healthful environmental influence”? Maybe to the commenter, but our son does not seem to think so. He has not asked for them since we ran out. Luckily, his livelihood does not rest on band-aids, but rather on more important activities (like playing football with his dad).

And if one dares to say that my children are deprived because we don't have band-aids, can you say that my children are deprived because they also do not have video games (they play outside, build Lego's, or learn to bake or paint instead)?

Can you say that my children are deprived because we don't buy junk food (they eat healthy bulk or homemade meals instead)?

Can you say that my children are deprived because we don't drive them to school in a warm/or air conditioned car (they get exercise and fresh air by riding their bikes instead)?

Can you say my children are deprived because we don't give them vitamins (we believe in a healthy diet and outdoor activity instead)?

Can you say that my children are deprived because apart from a few french comic books they don't have books (the local library has made thousands of books available to them and turned them into avid readers instead)?

Can you say that my children are deprived because they don't have TV (they prefer to watch a commercial free Netflix movie instead)?

Can you say that my children are deprived because we do not keep ALL their artwork (together, we select and store our favorites)? By the way, our staircase is filled with them. See picture above.

Can you say my children are deprived because we don't have trash cans in the house? Seriously.

I guess the answer to the questions above depend on the personal health and life standards you have set for your family.

We are not perfect and we are not 100% waste free. But we love what the zero waste lifestyle has done for our family beyond waste reduction. We hope that many more families will get to discover it for themselves. This is what this blog is really about. Sharing an on-going life changing experience. But my words will only make sense to you if you're ready and willing to accept change. The commenter obviously is not. Are you?

Or if you started already, what has Zero Waste done for you beyond waste reduction?