Pet Peeve: Unnecessary Packaging

I have to vent. If you don't want to hear another rant on plastic, move on. It's OK, I understand.

Last weekend I finally got a membership to Costco. I spent 3 hours on Sunday browsing the store. I was surprised by the selection of organic foods, and eco-friendly products. However, some of the packaging just killed me. Really Costco, is it necessary to package your fruits and vegetables in plastic? Seriously? I was so angry, I didn't buy apples... even though they had a great selection and good prices. Buying in bulk is a great way reduce packaging, I'm all for it... and then I see this and it makes me want to scream.

I was also disappointed that I bought a bag of frozen chicken breasts, to get home and realize that each breast was individually wrapped. :(

So here I am, trying to figure out how I can convince Costco (and other retailers) that they don't need to package their apples in plastic. For now, I will just not buy them. Next time you see something ridiculously packaged, please consider a different brand, or store to purchase such items.

OK, stepping off my soap box.

Ready for Spring

Meet my new lovely plants!

It was hard to get a good picture with the sun coming through the window... but here they are clockwise starting at the top left: Cilantro, Basil, Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Peppermint, Shamrock (don't remember official name), Jade, and Rosemary. Hello my lovelies! They aren't quite settled yet, I just stuck them in pots to figure out what goes where.

While I'm really excited to have a windowsill herb garden again... I am most excited about my shamrock plant. Did you know that at night, the leaves close up?

Oh, and check out those brown planters. They are made of 100% biodegradable bamboo by Rosso's International! They will last for 3 years indoors before breaking down (2 years outdoors). If you start plants in them indoors, you can plant the entire thing (plant with container) in the ground, which is supposed to be better for the roots anyway. If they happen to be thrown in the trash, they will decompose within 3-6 months. No nasty plastic. LOVE them! They come in all kinds of colors, I just really liked the brown. I should point out that yes, they are resting on plastic trays. *sigh* I don't like it, but you can bet I will keep those forever to be reused again and again.

Ranking of the 3Rs

I thought this cartoon was worth sharing here... The 3 Rs are ranked by order of importance Reduce in first place, Reuse in second, and Recycle in third.

Waste To-Go

I love the convenience of food to-go, but I HATE all the waste that goes along with the food. I was ecstatic to find out that the company I work for is finally making changes to become more eco-friendly in our cafeteria. They've stopped using evil Styrofoam and clear plastic to-go containers in 2 (grill and deli) of the 5 stations, possibly more but I didn't scope out the other lines. Instead they are using paper baskets which I hope are made of recycled paper. Today I happily waited in the deli line, trying to crunch the numbers of this change - how many to-go containers are prevented from going into landfills, how it impacts the to-go container industry, etc.. So then, I ordered my chicken wrap with side salad. I take my chicken wrap wrapped once in paper, and I almost said, no paper basket but then I thought oh well, the salad will have to go in there... um, wrong... she handed me a clear plastic fancy cup of salad topped with saran wrap. Seriously? Before, side salads were spooned into the container from a large bowl. So really, they traded the waste for another kind in a different shape? UGH. Oh well, baby steps right? I really hope this is just the beginning. I do have to give them props for selling to go mugs offering discount refills, and making a major attempt to reduce the amount of waste - but they have a ways to go.

I still try to pack and bring most of my lunches from home, use SS flatware and my cloth napkins. Curious? You can check out my previous entry about waste-free lunches here!

Waste-Free Lunches

Now that I'm eating clean and going green, I've become more conscientious of what is going into my "lunch box" each day. Not only am I more concerned about the nutritional content of my food, but of the amount of packaging as well (it's all because of the domino effect).

Just six months ago a packed lunch and snacks for me would be something like this,

• Lean Cuisine or leftovers in a plastic #7 container
• plastic baggy of baby carrots
• plastic baggy of grapes
• flavored yogurt in single cup packaging
• granola bar
• plastic fork (for the times I forgot to bring a stainless steel one)
• paper napkin

I can't believe I mindlessly produced this much waste! Not to mention the processed food packed with ingredients I can't recognize or pronounce... My lunch box, or rather my cooler (carrying 3-4 meals is more than just lunch) has completely transformed over the last few months. I now bring meals/leftovers to be heated in glass containers vs. plastic #7 polycarbonate containers that contain BPA. I pack veggies, fruit, and homemade trail mix in #5 plastic (BPA-free) containers vs. disposable plastic baggies. I also keep a set of flatware in my desk at work, and take a cloth napkin (kitchen washcloths work great too) that can be used a few times before bringing back home to be washed. My husband is doing all this too.

We also make a point not to buy single serving packaged foods. We buy in bulk and then pack them for our coolers in reusable containers to reduce the amount of packaging and waste. These simple changes in the way we pack our "lunch boxes" are easy to make, and have great benefits. We are greatly reducing our consumer waste, and by not eating pre-packaged processed foods we are eating healthier, more nutritious meals! It may not seem like waste-free lunches would make such an impact, until you look at the big picture... The next time you pack your lunch, or lunch for your kids, think about how many people bring lunch to your work, and how many kids bring lunch to school every day... Chew on this from wastefreelunches.org,

"It has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school."

Packing a waste-free lunch is also more economical. The cost of all those disposable items add up! For more information and number crunching check out wastefreelunch.org. Also, Laptop Lunches has great ideas for reusable lunch box containers. 

Battle of Detergents

In our effort to rid our household of toxins, and use cleaners gentle on the Earth, we have started experimenting with more eco-friendly products. My first lesson was that just because a product says it's Earth friendly, doesn't always mean much. Consumers need to read the labels, learn the ingredients, and follow the printed instructions... but I'll save that rant for another post. Moving on to the comparison... The battle of the green automatic dishwasher detergents - Seventh Generation vs. Shaklee's Get Clean (as shown in the picture, click to enlarge). Just by looking at the packaging I'm more impressed with Get Clean because it is a refillable plastic container. The concentrated detergent is sold in a separate plastic pouch (ugh plastic), but in the end it's less packaging.

We first tried Seventh Generation (SG) Automatic Dishwashing Gel because it is a highly praised brand for being green, and it was available at our grocery store. We followed the directions closely, and experimented with various amounts of detergent by filling the dishwasher's detergent holder 1/2 full, then completely full, then 1/3 full, then 1/4 full. The results each time were disappointing and unacceptable. Even though we pre-rinsed and scrubbed all the dishes, they would come out of the dishwasher DIRTY, with little remains of food on them, and a film of detergent. Each time we ended up having to wash them by hand, or rewash the entire load... I felt like what was the point of using a green detergent if you have to waste so much water to get the job done?! In the defense of SG, I do think it may have to do with our water... I read several reviews from people who swore the product worked well. We have hard water, this may work better for people with softer water.

The second product we've tried is Shaklee Get Clean Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate. I first heard of this brand when Dr. Oz raved about it on Oprah (yeah, yeah), then I stumbled across it on the internet around Earth Day. It has to be ordered from a distributor (which I'm considering becoming one) and seems expensive, however all their products are highly concentrated so they last a long time (H2 seemingly forever), and the packaging is much less because you add the water. In the end the cost balances out and is comparable. OK, so to get back to the comparison... The instructions call for 2 scoops (it comes with a tiny scoop that holds less than 1 Tbsp), but 4 scoops for hard water. For the first load I tried 3 scoops. I was a little nervous that we would find dirty dishes again, but no, the dishes came out squeaky clean!! We were very impressed. The next load we used the recommended 2 scoops, and again they came out shiny and clean!

Now lets compare the ingredients. Both brands have no chlorine or phosphates (which are harmful to the environment) and are made of biodegradable ingredients. Here's the details taken right from the labels:

• Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwashing Gel
• Ingredients: Cleaning agents (non-toxic acrylic polymers and alkoxylated linear alcohol, a biodegradable, low sudsing surfactant for cleaning, dispersant action, and water spot prevention), Water softeners for enhanced performance (soda ash and sodium citrate), Dishwasher and china protection agent (sodium silicate), Viscosity control agent (xanthan gum), Fragrance (lemon), Preservative (less than 0.05%). [whew that is one wordy ingredient list]
• CAUTION: Keep out of reach of children. In case of eye contact, flush with water for at least 15 minutes. If swallowed, drink a glassful of water.
  
• Shaklee Get Clean Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate -
  
• Patented phosphate-free formula (meaning not all ingredients are disclosed). Power enzyme-activated cleaner removes tough stains, leaving dishes and glasses sparkling clean.
  
• CAUTION: Concentrate causes eye and skin irritation. Avoid eye and prolonged skin contact. Wash thoroughly after handling. Harmful if swallowed. Do not taste or swallow. Contains sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash). FIRST AID: EYES: Flush eyes with water for 10-15 minutes. If irritation persists, contact a physician. SKIN: Rinse with plenty of water. IF SWALLOWED: Give a cupful of water or milk and immediately call poison center or physician. Keep out of reach of children.

In conclusion - though the Seventh Generation detergent is non-toxic, I'll take the Shaklee Get Clean to have squeaky clean dishes and be careful to keep it out of the hands of children!

Resources:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/how_to_green_your_dishwasher.php
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/99/cleaners
http://www.bravenewleaf.com/environment/2008/01/green-or-clean.html
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/automatic-dishwashing-detergents.html

Live Like You Love the Ocean

Yesterday, June 8th was World Ocean Day. I'm disappointed that I missed it, and didn't have the opportunity to blog about it on the actual day. Those that know me personally know how much I love the ocean. I love being on the water, or even better underneath SCUBA diving. By nature, I am an observer and love to hover and watch (avoid touching at all costs) marine life in their habitat. I am always fascinated by the behavior of different species and how they interact - this goes with animals on land and water.

A handful of scientists are researching one of several gyres in the ocean called the "ever expanding" Great Pacific Garbage Patch (more like a bowl of plastic soup, reported to be twice the size of Texas or larger). Here they have found six pounds of plastic for every pound of algae. Considering that the ocean determines our food, and our climate... this is devastating. According to the U.S. Commission of Ocean Policy, 80% of plastic in the ocean is not from ships but from land. The improper disposal of consumer waste eventually travels from beaches and rivers to the ocean... to be pulled by currents and accumulate in ocean gyres. So... what can we do? I think Wallace J. Nichols, a senior scientist at the Ocean Conservatory said it best - "live like you love the ocean." Simply put less in, take less out, and protect the edge.

To commemorate World Ocean Day, people were challenged to make June 8th a day without plastic. I'm glad to say that without even realizing that it was WOD - I did it... I used my Klean Kanteen water bottle, my new reusable cotton produce bags (see my previous post), and my totes. Even though World Ocean Day for 2008 has passed, I challenge you to make your own "day without plastic" day. Then tell me about it!

For a list of articles about the impacts of plastic in our lakes and oceans click here. The article that brought the significance of this issue to my awareness is called Plastic Ocean, by Susan Casey.

Zero

Tonight we went grocery shopping... Number of plastic bags we brought home? ZERO. Whooohoo! We used our new reusable cotton produce bags for the first time, and they worked great. The cashier was able to read the produce numbers through the cotton, and he didn't seem flustered by it.

Bag the Bag

The one small change that everyone can make to help the environment is to stop using plastic bags. We are finally into the habit of taking tote bags to stores... and really, I have no idea why we didn't start doing this YEARS ago! The totes carry 3-4 times as much as 1 plastic bag which means we only have to take 1 (sometimes 2) trips from the car to the kitchen! It rocks. Plus, we don't have a huge bag of saved plastic bags taking over our pantry anymore.

I just ordered some reusable produce bags that I recently discovered. They are super light weight cotton that can be washed and reused for produce, bulk grains, and nuts. Since they are cheaper the more you buy I asked around and ordered some for my friends too. I'm so excited because we finally don't have plastic store bags coming into the house anymore (we're getting better at actually remembering to use our totes), and NOW we have a solution for all the crappy thin plastic produce bags. I can't wait to start using them!

Check out this video hosted by Edward Norton.

Need some more convincing? Take a look at the facts here. Seriously, no more excuses... bag the bag. Thankfully, many stores sell their own reusable bags now. Here are some links for where you can find reusable bags online:

www.ecobags.com
www.reusablebags.com
www.greenconceptonline.com (super cute but pricey)

I can go on and on about the impact plastic has to our planet, and our own health... but I will save that for another post!

Go for Bulk

I love the look of classic glass jars filled with spices and grains. I have admired a friend mine's drawer full of spices in little labeled containers for the longest time (3 years!), and intended to make a spice drawer of my own. Well I finally found jars that I like and decided to actually get the project done. I purchased spice jars as well as a range of other sized jars, and put my label maker to use! I'm so excited! I can now buy spices in bulk and not have to buy containers each time and waste all the packaging - and it's literally pennies for the amount of spices you get in one of those jars that you buy for $2-3. We've had a spice drawer for a while but it was stuffed with those McCormick bottles that had to lie on their sides. Now my spice jars are easy to read and get to, no searching and picking through the drawer! Here's a picture of my finished project (click to enlarge).

Now that we've gone all natural with our foods, I also purchased a bunch of glass containers to hold all our grains (labeled of course, I heart my label maker!) - rolled oats, steel cut oats, cream of wheat, whole wheat couscous, brown rice, raw nuts, etc.. We have containers of pasta (whole grain of course) on our counter top, and then the rest in the pantry. I imagine having them all lined up on shelf in our dream kitchen.

Buy in bulk to save money and the environment!