Posts
USDA Uncovers More Organic Fraud
6 years ago
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Black Friday @ Green The World
BLACK FRIDAY @ Green The World
| Host: | |
| Type: | |
| Network: | Global |
| Start Time: | Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00am |
| End Time: | Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 6:00pm |
| Location: | 4171 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Utah 84405 (next to Best Buy) |
Description
TEEZ SPORTSWEAR will be having her CHRISTMAS FLEECE SALE this year at Green The World on Friday 11/27 and Saturday 11/28. Teez Sportswear is a local business woman who has sold at the Farmers Market for 20 years and offers Fleece Pants, Shorts, Mittons, Scarves, Bags, Neck Gators and much more including toddler and baby pants and hats. She has a huge following in the Ski and Outdoor World so please stop buy for all your Christmas Shopping.
FROM THE EARTH JEWELRY will be hosting a Jewelry Party at Green The World on Friday 11/27 from 10am to Noon. You can earn FREE Jewelry, have lots of fun and see the new Winter line and Colors.
Green The World will be having several items on sale and will be giving away a FREE Reusable Christmas Shopping Bag with every Gift Certificate Purchased. Free product samples and refreshments will be served. Custom Gift Baskets available and several new items to check out.
FROM THE EARTH JEWELRY will be hosting a Jewelry Party at Green The World on Friday 11/27 from 10am to Noon. You can earn FREE Jewelry, have lots of fun and see the new Winter line and Colors.
Green The World will be having several items on sale and will be giving away a FREE Reusable Christmas Shopping Bag with every Gift Certificate Purchased. Free product samples and refreshments will be served. Custom Gift Baskets available and several new items to check out.
Black Friday @ Green The World
BLACK FRIDAY @ Green The World
| Host: | |
| Type: | |
| Network: | Global |
| Start Time: | Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00am |
| End Time: | Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 6:00pm |
| Location: | 4171 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Utah 84405 (next to Best Buy) |
Description
TEEZ SPORTSWEAR will be having her CHRISTMAS FLEECE SALE this year at Green The World on Friday 11/27 and Saturday 11/28. Teez Sportswear is a local business woman who has sold at the Farmers Market for 20 years and offers Fleece Pants, Shorts, Mittons, Scarves, Bags, Neck Gators and much more including toddler and baby pants and hats. She has a huge following in the Ski and Outdoor World so please stop buy for all your Christmas Shopping.
FROM THE EARTH JEWELRY will be hosting a Jewelry Party at Green The World on Friday 11/27 from 10am to Noon. You can earn FREE Jewelry, have lots of fun and see the new Winter line and Colors.
Green The World will be having several items on sale and will be giving away a FREE Reusable Christmas Shopping Bag with every Gift Certificate Purchased. Free product samples and refreshments will be served. Custom Gift Baskets available and several new items to check out.
FROM THE EARTH JEWELRY will be hosting a Jewelry Party at Green The World on Friday 11/27 from 10am to Noon. You can earn FREE Jewelry, have lots of fun and see the new Winter line and Colors.
Green The World will be having several items on sale and will be giving away a FREE Reusable Christmas Shopping Bag with every Gift Certificate Purchased. Free product samples and refreshments will be served. Custom Gift Baskets available and several new items to check out.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Green Element Clothing
Check out the article on The Green Element. This is a local company that makes Organic Cotton T's, hoodies, and beanies and you can buy them at Green The World. These are wonderful, stop by and check them out.
http://www.inthisweek.com/view.php?id=1906757
http://www.inthisweek.com/view.php?id=1906757
Monday, November 9, 2009
Green Your Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and there are several things we can all do to help "green" it up....
Go vegatarian or at least buy an organic, local turkey. Buy your squash, potatoes and vegies at your local farmers market.
Use your best table service and linen or organic cotton tableclothes and napkins. No thow aways.
Use soy based candles and dim your lighting.
Decorate with fall flowers, pumpkins, gourds, and squash.
Suggest your quests carpool and email your invitations.
Serve Organic Wines and Juices.
Turn off the Game and have your own outside, weather permitting.
Send leftovers home with guests or donate, do not throw away.
Recycle, and give thanks.
Go vegatarian or at least buy an organic, local turkey. Buy your squash, potatoes and vegies at your local farmers market.
Use your best table service and linen or organic cotton tableclothes and napkins. No thow aways.
Use soy based candles and dim your lighting.
Decorate with fall flowers, pumpkins, gourds, and squash.
Suggest your quests carpool and email your invitations.
Serve Organic Wines and Juices.
Turn off the Game and have your own outside, weather permitting.
Send leftovers home with guests or donate, do not throw away.
Recycle, and give thanks.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Throw a Green Holliday, forwarded from Sara Snow
THROW A GREEN HALLOWEEN
This year, more so than in recent years, people are looking for alternative ways - both healthier and cheaper - to celebrate Halloween. People are increasingly more aware of their health, of cancer and diabetes rates, and as a result they're looking healthy treat alternatives to M&Ms and Candy Corn. And more and more people are pinching pennies, no longer able to afford the luxury of spending $20 or $50 on store-bought costumes. This has me, I have to be honest, excited! What I'm hoping we're going to see is a throw-back to the days when we all used to make our costumes from mom's or dad's clothes, old sheets, and random household items. And though we can't go back to the days of making cookies or muffins to hand out to trick-or-treaters, we can all find healthier alternatives. Here are three easy steps you can take.
Have a Litter-free Holiday This October, teach your kids to protect our planet and have them put their trash where it belongs: in the trash can or the recycling bin. Each year on November 1st people wake up to sidewalks and streets littered with candy wrappers, discarded costumes and so on. Let's break that cycle this Halloween!
Piece Together a Greener Costume The best place to shop for a greener Halloween costume is in your own home! Raid the linen closet for old sheets and towels (think capes, little ghosts, and 50's style poodle skirts). Look in your closet for old clothes that can be pieced together for a look sure to bring a laugh (imagine a little business girl in your old navy suit, tie-dye a t'shirt and put panels in the bottom of old jeans for a hippie costume, or pair a frilly dress with your best costume jewelry for a modern day princess). Don't stop until you've rummaged through the kitchen, the wrapping paper cupboard and the craft drawers for aluminum foil, feathers, buttons, ribbons, and glitter. Remember how easy it is to make a fairy wand out of a dowel rod and an aluminum foil covered star or a light saber from a foil covered flattened wrapping paper roll.
Find Better Treats Instead of sugary treats, hit the dollar store for pocket games, bubbles, whistles, or stickers. Shop the grocery store for packs of gum or snack sized packages of popcorn, crackers, and healthy cookies. If you are going to hand out candies, choose Fair Trade chocolates. By buying fair trade you can ensure that the people who farmed the cocoa and made the chocolates were paid fair wages, and given fair and safe working conditions. It's a great way to show you care about the people who share this precious planet.
Happy Halloween!
This year, more so than in recent years, people are looking for alternative ways - both healthier and cheaper - to celebrate Halloween. People are increasingly more aware of their health, of cancer and diabetes rates, and as a result they're looking healthy treat alternatives to M&Ms and Candy Corn. And more and more people are pinching pennies, no longer able to afford the luxury of spending $20 or $50 on store-bought costumes. This has me, I have to be honest, excited! What I'm hoping we're going to see is a throw-back to the days when we all used to make our costumes from mom's or dad's clothes, old sheets, and random household items. And though we can't go back to the days of making cookies or muffins to hand out to trick-or-treaters, we can all find healthier alternatives. Here are three easy steps you can take.
Have a Litter-free Holiday This October, teach your kids to protect our planet and have them put their trash where it belongs: in the trash can or the recycling bin. Each year on November 1st people wake up to sidewalks and streets littered with candy wrappers, discarded costumes and so on. Let's break that cycle this Halloween!
Piece Together a Greener Costume The best place to shop for a greener Halloween costume is in your own home! Raid the linen closet for old sheets and towels (think capes, little ghosts, and 50's style poodle skirts). Look in your closet for old clothes that can be pieced together for a look sure to bring a laugh (imagine a little business girl in your old navy suit, tie-dye a t'shirt and put panels in the bottom of old jeans for a hippie costume, or pair a frilly dress with your best costume jewelry for a modern day princess). Don't stop until you've rummaged through the kitchen, the wrapping paper cupboard and the craft drawers for aluminum foil, feathers, buttons, ribbons, and glitter. Remember how easy it is to make a fairy wand out of a dowel rod and an aluminum foil covered star or a light saber from a foil covered flattened wrapping paper roll.
Find Better Treats Instead of sugary treats, hit the dollar store for pocket games, bubbles, whistles, or stickers. Shop the grocery store for packs of gum or snack sized packages of popcorn, crackers, and healthy cookies. If you are going to hand out candies, choose Fair Trade chocolates. By buying fair trade you can ensure that the people who farmed the cocoa and made the chocolates were paid fair wages, and given fair and safe working conditions. It's a great way to show you care about the people who share this precious planet.
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Ogden Independent Green Living Article - September 2009
Judging by the increasing popularity
of farmer’s markets and organic foods,
many of us are trying to step away from
processed foods and are paying more
attention to what we put into our bodies.
But how many of us have looked as
closely at what we put on our bodies?
Take a look at the labels of your daily
antiperspirant, shampoo, body lotion,
cosmetics and sunscreen. How many
of those ingredients can you even
pronounce? Any idea what even half of
them do?
Me neither.
According to information from the
Environmental Working Group, a nonpartisan,
nonprofit organization that
researches and monitors environmental
hazards -- including health product
ingredients -- if we can’t pronounce it,
we probably shouldn’t be using it on our
skin.
“So many people care about what they
eat, but I think this is just as important,”
says Beth Bell, owner of Green the World
store on Riverdale Road (located near
Lowe’s).
She is correct. All living organisms
(human beings included) are “open
systems” susceptible to absorbing that
with which they come in physical contact.
As Bell, a vegetarian for about 30 years,
learned more about organically grown
foods, her curiosity led her to question
the types of chemicals that people were
placing on their skin and hair in the name
of hygiene and beauty.
She began gradually culling the more
toxic items from her daily regimen,
but discovered that most of the organic
products she wanted were available only
online. So with only her administrative
bookkeeping experience to go on, Bell
decided to open a store offering such
products. Green the World’s doors opened
in July 2008.
At Ogden’s main library last March,
Bell handed out a list of “red alert”
ingredients that people may want to avoid
because these items have been linked to
cancers, neurological disorders and other
health problems. They are:
“fragrance” or “parfum”
parabens
triethanolamine
iodopropynyl butylcarbamate
triclosan
1,4-dioxane
formaldehyde
p-phenylenediamine
diethanolamine
hydroquinone
toluene, DPA and formaldehyde
(typically in nail polish)
(Another good test might be to see how
many of these come up on spell check.
Even my computer doesn’t like them.)
Bell gleans much of her information
from the Environmental Working Group
Web site, www.ewg.org. The site has a
search engine that allows consumers to
type in the name of a product and see
Green Living
by Susan Snyder
how it fares. Type in the names of some
of those “natural” products you currently
use -- including long-trusted names in the
natural products industry. You might be
surprised.
Certainly, the items without harmful
chemicals can cost two to three times as
much as the usual brands, but they also
last longer. Bell says one cylinder of
her preferred beeswax-based deodorant
($8.99) has lasted a year. Still, she says
replacing all of the products at once can
be expensive and suggests that people
simply replace their old products with
better ones as they run out.
For people interested in making their
own products from natural ingredients,
Cheyenne Herland, an Ogden Nature
Center botanist (and my a friend and
coworker) is teaching a class about
homemade herbal bath products on Nov.
18 at the Ogden Nature Center. Call 801-
621-7595 for information or to register.
Susan Snyder is certified environmental
educator and freelance writer who lives in
Ogden. Contact her at susan@ogdenindie.
com. Her blog: naturescall@typepad.com
of farmer’s markets and organic foods,
many of us are trying to step away from
processed foods and are paying more
attention to what we put into our bodies.
But how many of us have looked as
closely at what we put on our bodies?
Take a look at the labels of your daily
antiperspirant, shampoo, body lotion,
cosmetics and sunscreen. How many
of those ingredients can you even
pronounce? Any idea what even half of
them do?
Me neither.
According to information from the
Environmental Working Group, a nonpartisan,
nonprofit organization that
researches and monitors environmental
hazards -- including health product
ingredients -- if we can’t pronounce it,
we probably shouldn’t be using it on our
skin.
“So many people care about what they
eat, but I think this is just as important,”
says Beth Bell, owner of Green the World
store on Riverdale Road (located near
Lowe’s).
She is correct. All living organisms
(human beings included) are “open
systems” susceptible to absorbing that
with which they come in physical contact.
As Bell, a vegetarian for about 30 years,
learned more about organically grown
foods, her curiosity led her to question
the types of chemicals that people were
placing on their skin and hair in the name
of hygiene and beauty.
She began gradually culling the more
toxic items from her daily regimen,
but discovered that most of the organic
products she wanted were available only
online. So with only her administrative
bookkeeping experience to go on, Bell
decided to open a store offering such
products. Green the World’s doors opened
in July 2008.
At Ogden’s main library last March,
Bell handed out a list of “red alert”
ingredients that people may want to avoid
because these items have been linked to
cancers, neurological disorders and other
health problems. They are:
“fragrance” or “parfum”
parabens
triethanolamine
iodopropynyl butylcarbamate
triclosan
1,4-dioxane
formaldehyde
p-phenylenediamine
diethanolamine
hydroquinone
toluene, DPA and formaldehyde
(typically in nail polish)
(Another good test might be to see how
many of these come up on spell check.
Even my computer doesn’t like them.)
Bell gleans much of her information
from the Environmental Working Group
Web site, www.ewg.org. The site has a
search engine that allows consumers to
type in the name of a product and see
Green Living
by Susan Snyder
how it fares. Type in the names of some
of those “natural” products you currently
use -- including long-trusted names in the
natural products industry. You might be
surprised.
Certainly, the items without harmful
chemicals can cost two to three times as
much as the usual brands, but they also
last longer. Bell says one cylinder of
her preferred beeswax-based deodorant
($8.99) has lasted a year. Still, she says
replacing all of the products at once can
be expensive and suggests that people
simply replace their old products with
better ones as they run out.
For people interested in making their
own products from natural ingredients,
Cheyenne Herland, an Ogden Nature
Center botanist (and my a friend and
coworker) is teaching a class about
homemade herbal bath products on Nov.
18 at the Ogden Nature Center. Call 801-
621-7595 for information or to register.
Susan Snyder is certified environmental
educator and freelance writer who lives in
Ogden. Contact her at susan@ogdenindie.
com. Her blog: naturescall@typepad.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Candy Wrapper Purses
Check out the Cute new Candy Wrapper Purses just arrived today. Limited supply so stop by, they are sssoooo cute and made from recycled wrappers.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Great Garbage Patch
Much of our waste today is comprised of plastic that does not biodegrade. This waste accumulates in swirling seas of debris, where plastic to sea life ratios are 6:1; where birds and mammals are dying of starvation and dehydration with bellies full of plastics; where fish are ingesting toxins at such a rate that soon they will no longer be safe to eat.
The largest of these garbage swills is known as the Pacific Gyre, or The Great Garbage Patch.
It is roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco.
Amazingly, there is no effort underway to clean the mess. Explore this web site to learn more, but most importantly - join the movement to address this problem!
The largest of these garbage swills is known as the Pacific Gyre, or The Great Garbage Patch.
It is roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco.
Amazingly, there is no effort underway to clean the mess. Explore this web site to learn more, but most importantly - join the movement to address this problem!
Please join the cause on FACEBOOK
Monday, July 27, 2009
Green The World One Year Anniversary
A big thanks to all my family, friends, and customers who helped celebrate Green The World's One Year Anniversary, it was a huge success. A special thanks to Cyclelogical and all their wonderful biking gear and Organic T-Shirt Line, the Ogden Bicycle Collective, and Sargent Steam who spent the day cleaning and checking bikes for safety and offering information on what they provide. A big thanks to all my customers who donated to the Ogden Bicycle Collective, the donations were much appreciated. Thank you also to my vendors that donated for the give-aways; Happygreenbee, Caffe Ibis, Bubble and Bee Organics, Laylee Bead, and Nature's Indulgence Granola, you all helped make some very happy customers.
Thanks to Fawne and Pat Adams and there boys Jericho and Nayden, Fawne was one of my first customers and has become a great friend. Thanks so much for helping with chairs, ice, errands, and coke duty, your help and support are greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Green The World 1st Year Anniversary
One Year Anniversary Event
Green The World located at 4171 Riverdale Road will be celebrating its first year in business on Saturday, July 25th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Please help us celebrate with hourly drawings, refreshments, and much more.
Cyclelogical – Will be on hand with their full line of Organic Biking T-Shirts and Gear. All customers who ride their bike to Green The World will receive free spoke reflectors. Free Spoke Reflectors will be given away with any Cyclelogical purchase.
Ogden Bike Collective – Ogden’s new Community Bicycle Shop will have a trailer available and taking donations of any bike, spare parts, and any item that can be used in opening their location at 2404 Wall Avenue. The Ogden Bike Collective will be offering Free Bike Safety Checks and Valet Bike Parking.
Any customer who brings in a food item for the Utah Food Bank will receive 1% off per item donated (10% limit).
Sargent Steam – Will be on hand to demonstrate how to clean with steam using no harsh or toxic chemicals that are polluting our planet. All commuters who ride their bikes can get them steam cleaned while they shop.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
New Product at Green The World
Check out the below link, wonderful new Organic Clothing Line by 2 local Utah Girls now available at Green The World
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sltrib.com%2Fci_12764528%3FIADID%3DSearch-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com&h=cb5d03bcd1875c4fa6f304dc621c4575
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sltrib.com%2Fci_12764528%3FIADID%3DSearch-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com&h=cb5d03bcd1875c4fa6f304dc621c4575
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY
I love the 4th of July. Growing up in Plain City, Utah, this was my favorite holiday. My sister Jacki, my friends and neighbors, Sally, Janet, Lana, and Joni would all sleep out. My mom would get us new "baby doll" pajamas and we allways had a new 4th of July outfit. In the morning the local cops would drive around town at 6:am broadcasting for everyone to wake up and come have breakfast at the Square. We would all go eat and then take part in the fish scramble. I cannot believe I used to do this, but you would jump in an irrigation ditch and catch fish that were dumped in right before. For some reason we loved this year after year. We would then go home and clean up and put on our new clothes. Back at the square, they would have activities all day and booths, food, and best of all snowcones. The afternoon would bring softball games followed by a movie in the church gym and then fireworks. To this day, I still go to my parents in Plain City and go to the square. There is no longer a movie in the church but everything remains almost the same and I still get my boys, age 20 and 15, new outfits, they are no longer cute red, white and blue shirts and shorts but I still get them something.
This 4th of July let's try to green it up just a bit. For your bar-b-que try and buy local and/or organic produce. It would be great if you could go vegetarian for the day but if you must have that grilled hamburger, buy grass fed, organic, and hormone free burgers and chicken. There is also a Natural Wood Charcoal available that is much better for the environment but still gives the the bar-b-que flavor. Use compostable plates, utensils and cups or try the Preserve line of recycled Plastic Plates, Cups and Utensils. These are BPA free, made from recycled plastic and are recyclable. If you enjoy the fireworks, forgo the backyard and take part in your cities display, this will help clear the air of the harmful gunpowder residue. Have a Save, Fun, and Green 4th of July.
This 4th of July let's try to green it up just a bit. For your bar-b-que try and buy local and/or organic produce. It would be great if you could go vegetarian for the day but if you must have that grilled hamburger, buy grass fed, organic, and hormone free burgers and chicken. There is also a Natural Wood Charcoal available that is much better for the environment but still gives the the bar-b-que flavor. Use compostable plates, utensils and cups or try the Preserve line of recycled Plastic Plates, Cups and Utensils. These are BPA free, made from recycled plastic and are recyclable. If you enjoy the fireworks, forgo the backyard and take part in your cities display, this will help clear the air of the harmful gunpowder residue. Have a Save, Fun, and Green 4th of July.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Another Way
Another Way
Many people who have seen The Story of Stuff have asked what they can do to address the problems identified in the film.
Each of us can promote sustainability and justice at multiple levels: as an individual, as a teacher or parent, a community member, a national citizen, and as a global citizen. As Annie says in the film, “the good thing about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention.” That means that there are lots and lots of places to plug in, to get involved, and to make a difference. There is no single simple thing to do, because the set of problems we’re addressing just isn’t simple. But everyone can make a difference, but the bigger your action the bigger the difference you’ll make. Here are some ideas:
10 Little and Big Things You Can Do
1. Power down! A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less. Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace….the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues. At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus…A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, “First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” “No,” said the student, “how do you organize?” Chavez answered, “First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard. Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let’s get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today’s consumer products – from children’s pajamas to lipstick – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you’re not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let’s demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH! Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you’re pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products – for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less. Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like “all natural” to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.
Many people who have seen The Story of Stuff have asked what they can do to address the problems identified in the film.
Each of us can promote sustainability and justice at multiple levels: as an individual, as a teacher or parent, a community member, a national citizen, and as a global citizen. As Annie says in the film, “the good thing about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention.” That means that there are lots and lots of places to plug in, to get involved, and to make a difference. There is no single simple thing to do, because the set of problems we’re addressing just isn’t simple. But everyone can make a difference, but the bigger your action the bigger the difference you’ll make. Here are some ideas:
10 Little and Big Things You Can Do
1. Power down! A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less. Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace….the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues. At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus…A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, “First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” “No,” said the student, “how do you organize?” Chavez answered, “First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard. Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let’s get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today’s consumer products – from children’s pajamas to lipstick – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you’re not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let’s demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH! Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you’re pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products – for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less. Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like “all natural” to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.
Friday, May 22, 2009
2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo
Thanks to all who came out and supported the 2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo. Green The World along with Local's Have More Fun Shared a booth. Local's are a company out of Park City, Utah and have a line of eco-friendly t-shirts promoting all Utah local activities while giving 1% back. The weather was in the 80's and it was a perfect day to bring the family out and help celebrate the Marathon. Live music, give-aways, food, local and national vendors, all helped celebrate this wonderful event. Thanks to all my customers who came out and helped Green The World and Ogden.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Ten products you should ban from your home forever!
You would never cross the street without looking both ways, walk alone down a dark alley alone at 3am, or tell your child to accept rides from strangers. So why let hazardous, toxic, and even carcinogenic chemicals into your home everyday? Below is a list of ten products you should ban from your home - forever -
1. Non-Stick Cookware. The coating that makes Teflon pans non-stick is polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE for short. When PTFE heats up, it releases toxic gasses that have been linked to cancer, organ failure, reproductive damage, and other harmful health effects.
2. Plastic bottles. by now you've heard of danger of BPA in those ubiquitous neon water bottles. BPA mimics the effects of hormones that harm your endocrine system. Single use plastic bottles are even worse for leaching chemicals, especially when you add the heat of the sun.
3. Conventional Cleaning Supplies. These routinely make the top ten lists of worst household offenders. They contain toxic chemicals that negatively effect every system in the body. All purpose cleaners often contain ammonia, a strong irritant that can cause liver and kidney damage. Bleach is a powerful oxidizer, which can burn the skin and eyes.
4. Chemical Insecticides and Herbicides. Since the purpose of thee products is to kill pests, you can bet that many of them have ingredients in them that are also harmful to humans. For example, the active ingredient in Round-Up - is known to cause kidney damage and reproductive harm in mice.
5. Antibacterial Products. The widespread use of antibacterials has been shown to contribute to new strains of antibiotic-resistant-"super bugs". The Center for Disease Control says that antibacterials may also interfere with immune system development in children.
6. Chemical Fertilizers. These are notorious for causing damage to our water supply and are a known major contributor to algal blooms. Whenever it rains or a lawn is watered, the runoff goes straight into storm-drains and untreated water is dumped into rivers, streams, and the ocean causing an imbalance in our water ecosystems.
7. More Bulb for your Buck. A Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulb uses just a fraction of the energy regular light bulb uses. When your current bulbs burn out, swap them with CFLs.
8. Air Fresheners. Just like cleaning supplies, these are incredibly toxic and can aggravate respiratory problems like asthma.
9. Flame Retardants. The flame retardant used in mattresses, in known to accumulate in blood, breast milk and fatty tissues. The chemical is linked to liver, thyroid, and neuro-development toxicity.
10. PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS. Remember: Like diamonds, plastics are forever. Ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It's a giant mass of plastic twice the size of Texas that's floating 1000 miles off the coast of California.
1. Non-Stick Cookware. The coating that makes Teflon pans non-stick is polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE for short. When PTFE heats up, it releases toxic gasses that have been linked to cancer, organ failure, reproductive damage, and other harmful health effects.
2. Plastic bottles. by now you've heard of danger of BPA in those ubiquitous neon water bottles. BPA mimics the effects of hormones that harm your endocrine system. Single use plastic bottles are even worse for leaching chemicals, especially when you add the heat of the sun.
3. Conventional Cleaning Supplies. These routinely make the top ten lists of worst household offenders. They contain toxic chemicals that negatively effect every system in the body. All purpose cleaners often contain ammonia, a strong irritant that can cause liver and kidney damage. Bleach is a powerful oxidizer, which can burn the skin and eyes.
4. Chemical Insecticides and Herbicides. Since the purpose of thee products is to kill pests, you can bet that many of them have ingredients in them that are also harmful to humans. For example, the active ingredient in Round-Up - is known to cause kidney damage and reproductive harm in mice.
5. Antibacterial Products. The widespread use of antibacterials has been shown to contribute to new strains of antibiotic-resistant-"super bugs". The Center for Disease Control says that antibacterials may also interfere with immune system development in children.
6. Chemical Fertilizers. These are notorious for causing damage to our water supply and are a known major contributor to algal blooms. Whenever it rains or a lawn is watered, the runoff goes straight into storm-drains and untreated water is dumped into rivers, streams, and the ocean causing an imbalance in our water ecosystems.
7. More Bulb for your Buck. A Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulb uses just a fraction of the energy regular light bulb uses. When your current bulbs burn out, swap them with CFLs.
8. Air Fresheners. Just like cleaning supplies, these are incredibly toxic and can aggravate respiratory problems like asthma.
9. Flame Retardants. The flame retardant used in mattresses, in known to accumulate in blood, breast milk and fatty tissues. The chemical is linked to liver, thyroid, and neuro-development toxicity.
10. PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS. Remember: Like diamonds, plastics are forever. Ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It's a giant mass of plastic twice the size of Texas that's floating 1000 miles off the coast of California.
Monday, May 11, 2009
2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo
2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo
Friday May 15th @ 10am to 8 pm
Union Station on Historical 25th Street.
Please bring the whole family to this fun event. There will be live music, give-aways, food, activities for the whole family and much more.
Green The World will have a booth so please stop by and say hi.
The Marathon starts Saturday at 7am and will finish up at the 25th Street Park.
Please come out and help celebrate and support Ogden! :)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
KSL Studio 5
Hi all, check out the attached Video. Green The World was featured on Earth Day on KSL Studio 5 as one of 3 Green Utah Companies. Bubble and Bee Organics is also featured and you can find there products at my store. Let me know what you think. Thanks
http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=6231113
http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=6231113
River Clean Up & Simple Shoe Sale
Thanks to all who supported Green The World and helped with the Ogden River Clean Up. It was cold and wet with everything from rain, sleet, hail, and sun but we had the biggest crowd yet. Special thanks to my customers, Katey, Jill, Hazen, Bryton, Randy, from Simple Shoe, Sarah, Tab, and Fawne and her family, you guys were wonderful. The Ogden River looks great and please take your family along the 9 mile open trails to appreciate all it has to offer.
Special thanks to those customers who later joined me at my store for the Simple Shoe Sale. Simple rep, Randy Worster, was on hand with the full Spring and Fall Shoe line. Congratulations to Sarah Shupe, Lim Marie, SueAnn Thomas, Trevior Runions, Kyle Rasmussen, and Charlene Sorensen who all won a FREE pair of shoes.
Both events were a huge success and helped celebrate Earth Day.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Earth Day Celebration
Hi all, according to legend, the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. Since that date nearly 40 years ago, people across the country have claimed one day as theirs to celebrate the earth and make endless promises to protect it. I hope you all will do the same. Earth day is April 22nd, please plan on doing one thing to help protect the Earth. Green The World is helping by supporting the Ogden River Annual Clean Up, please help us if you can. Thanks...
Sponsored by the Ogden Group of the Sierra Club in
partnership with the Ogden Canyon Club, the Utah Rivers Council,
and Green the World. Join with us from -
9am-noon Saturday
April 25th
3 R D A N N U A L Ogden River
Clean Up
MEET at the BIG D SPORTS PAVILION on the OGDEN RIVER
PARKWAY. (Located just west of the Dinosaur Park parking lot.)
We’ll work until noon and then enjoy a provided lunch at The Oaks
where there will also be door prizes drawings! Bring gloves and wear sturdy
shoes or boots along with weather appropriate clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
Contact Ranee Johnson at 801.985.0158 for more information.
Sponsored by the Ogden Group of the Sierra Club in
partnership with the Ogden Canyon Club, the Utah Rivers Council,
and Green the World. Join with us from -
9am-noon Saturday
April 25th
3 R D A N N U A L Ogden River
Clean Up
MEET at the BIG D SPORTS PAVILION on the OGDEN RIVER
PARKWAY. (Located just west of the Dinosaur Park parking lot.)
We’ll work until noon and then enjoy a provided lunch at The Oaks
where there will also be door prizes drawings! Bring gloves and wear sturdy
shoes or boots along with weather appropriate clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
Contact Ranee Johnson at 801.985.0158 for more information.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hi all, sorry I have not blogged for a while, I have been busy setting up E-Commerce on my website. It is oficially open but is definately a work in progress. I will be adding to my store constantly and changing the format at times until I get the look I want. Please tell family and friends who do not live close to shop at my store they can now shop online at www.greentheworldstore.com.
Also, there seems to be some confusion on the various "recycle" symbols. Below please find information that will hopefully clear up if something is recyclable or made from a recycled product.
Recycled
Recycling programs are increasing across the nation and around the world as a means of reducing the amount of landfill space needed for waste. But collecting papers and bottles is only half of the process. Consumers need to purchase products made of recycled materials to complete the cycle.Because Nature recycles everything-100 percent-every blade of grass, butterfly, fish, leaf, bird, all degrade back into the soil-every life form is made from recycled material. Even our own bodies are made from recycled food, broken down into basic nutrients and reassembled into cells.In the world of manufacturing consumer products, a "recycled" product is a new product made from materials that would otherwise have been waste, broken down (melted or pulped) into a basic substance from which a new product can be formed. Even though the word "recycled" is commonly used to mean reusing something in any way, legal definitions require the old product to be broken down into its basic material and a new product formed for it to be called "recycled."Recycled products have an almost universally-recognized symbol-the three "chasing arrows." It was originally developed in the 1970's by the American Paper Institute (API) for use on recycled papers, but is it now widely used on products of all kinds and has become the unofficial national symbol for recycling of anything and everything.The recycling symbol appears on products in two forms. API suggests that solid chasing arrows within a black circle represent "recycled content" in a product or package and that the arrows appearing in outline signify that a product or package is "recyclable". Permission to use the API chasing arrows symbol is given freely to any manufacturer without a fee. However, many products use the symbols without permission or guidance as to their meaning. Many people-consumers and manufacturers alike-do not understand these fine distinctions and either use the symbols incorrectly on the label, misunderstand the intended meaning of the symbol, or both. Look for other descriptive words explaining the meaning of the symbol for clarification.
There are three general levels of recycled products that can all be called "recycled".The first (appropriately called "primary recycling") is the reprocessing or remanufacturing of discarded materials into the same product which can then be recycled again, such as a glass container into a glass container or a steel product to a steel product. The second level ("secondary recycling") is the reprocessing or remanufacturing of discarded materials into a different, but similar, product which is technically recyclable-old corrugated cardboard boxes into cereal boxes, for example.The third level ("tertiary recycling") is the reprocessing or remanufacturing of discarded materials into a product which is not likely to be recycled, such as recycling mixed office paper into bathroom tissue. There is much controversy among manufacturers, distributors, regulators, and consumers over what constitutes a "real" recycled product. There are two kinds of recycled material that can go into making a recycled product. Post-industrial waste" or "pre-consumer waste" is that waste generated by industrial manufacturing processes that would have otherwise gone to a landfill (not included are wastes that have customarily been "put back in the pot" in the factory). "Post-consumer waste" or "PCW" is the bottles, cans, plastic milk jugs, and newspapers we collect and recycle after we are done using them. There are those who believe that only products made from post-consumer waste should be called "recycled." Considering that for every pound of consumer waste there is twenty-five pounds of manufacturing waste, pre-consumer waste has it's place in products called "recycled," too. Products just need to be labeled correctly so consumers can make their own choices.
Recyclable
As recycling programs are increasing across the nation and around the world as a means of reducing the amount of landfill space needed for waste, more and more products are becoming part of the goldmine of raw materials from which new products can be fashioned.A "recyclable" product is, simply, one that can be collected and made into a new recycled product. But when considering the recyclability of a product there are two separate and distinct issues: 1) Can a product or material technically be recycled? 2) In real life, can a product or material practically be recycled?The difference between these two definitions of "recyclable" is the subject of hot controversy in the product/packaging labeling world. Some say that any product or material that can technically be recycled should be labeled "recyclable." Others say that the attribute "recyclable" should only be used on a label if, in fact, it can really be recycled in the community where the product or package is sold. While recyclables such as glass or newspapers can be recycled almost everywhere, other recyclables like plastics or motor oil can only be recycled in the limited number of areas where programs have been set up.Because of inconsistencies in labeling laws and guidelines, consumers who want to buy a product or package they can recycle can't rely on the label to indicate what can and can't be recycled. Many manufacturers have removed the word "recyclable" from their products and packages altogether. Other manufacturers call their products and packages "recyclable" regardless of the availability of a local recycling center.Recyclable products have an almost universally-recognized symbol-the three "chasing arrows." It was originally developed in the 1970's by the American Paper Institute (API) for use on recycled papers, but is it now widely used on products of all kinds and has become the unofficial national symbol for recycling of anything and everything.The recycling symbol appears on products in two forms. API suggests that solid chasing arrows within a black circle be used to represent "recycled content" in a product or package and that the arrows appearing in outline signify that a product or package is recyclable. Permission to use the API chasing arrows symbol is given freely to any manufacturer without a fee. However, many products use the symbols without permission or guidance as to their meaning. Many people-consumers and manufacturers alike-do not understand these fine distinctions and either use the symbols incorrectly on the label, misunderstand the intended meaning of the symbol, or both. Look for other descriptive words that indicate the intended meaning of the symbol.Whether or not is economically feasible to recycle a product is yet another question. Often, virgin raw materials are cheaper than recycled materials (thanks to government subsidies and policies). Transportation issues can also come into play-is it better for the environment to use a local raw material or recycled material transported from a great distance? The shipping costs of moving collected recyclables to a distant processing plant can eat up all the profit. And, recently, there have been gluts of recyclable material-especially newspapers-that become worthless when there are not enough buyers of recycled products. All these problems can be worked out. It's important now to support the market for recyclable material by buying recycled products, and not simply give up on recycling as impractical.The primary markets for recycled materials right now are aluminum and other scrap metals, glass, paper and plastic. These are easily recognizable even without the word "recyclable" on the label.Because recyclability of any product is so specific to your local community, it's important to know which products technically can be recycled, and which can practically be recycled where you live. Take an hour or two to find out how and where your recyclables can be recycled, then make convenient arrangements in your home for collection, and take recyclables to the collection center (or put them out for pick-up) on a regular basis.Now that we are faced with the need to conserve resources and limited landfill space, recycling will become as normal a part of our lives as taking out the garbage. In the last few years, the collection of recyclables and the manufacture of recycled products has becomes a multimillion dollar industry. We are beginning to see that recycling is the most effective and economical way to handle the waste we produce in this country.A very large portion of our waste is recyclable or otherwise reusable. If we recycled all of our paper and paperboard (40%), all of our metals (9%), all of our plastic (8%), and all our glass (7%), we would reduce our total garbage by 64 percent! If, in addition, we reclaimed our wood (4%), rubber (3%), and textiles (2%) for other uses, we would be down to only 27 percent of our current garbage. By composting yard wastes (18%) and food wastes (7%), we're left with only two percent of our current solid waste to place in a landfill or otherwise dispose of. Of course, this is idealistic, but it's an sustainability goal worth pursuing. Though the national recycling average is only 13%, some individual states have higher recycling rates: Washington 28%, New Jersey 25%, Oregon 25%, Vermont 18%, Illinois 18%, and Maine 17%.
Also, there seems to be some confusion on the various "recycle" symbols. Below please find information that will hopefully clear up if something is recyclable or made from a recycled product.
Recycled
Recycling programs are increasing across the nation and around the world as a means of reducing the amount of landfill space needed for waste. But collecting papers and bottles is only half of the process. Consumers need to purchase products made of recycled materials to complete the cycle.Because Nature recycles everything-100 percent-every blade of grass, butterfly, fish, leaf, bird, all degrade back into the soil-every life form is made from recycled material. Even our own bodies are made from recycled food, broken down into basic nutrients and reassembled into cells.In the world of manufacturing consumer products, a "recycled" product is a new product made from materials that would otherwise have been waste, broken down (melted or pulped) into a basic substance from which a new product can be formed. Even though the word "recycled" is commonly used to mean reusing something in any way, legal definitions require the old product to be broken down into its basic material and a new product formed for it to be called "recycled."Recycled products have an almost universally-recognized symbol-the three "chasing arrows." It was originally developed in the 1970's by the American Paper Institute (API) for use on recycled papers, but is it now widely used on products of all kinds and has become the unofficial national symbol for recycling of anything and everything.The recycling symbol appears on products in two forms. API suggests that solid chasing arrows within a black circle represent "recycled content" in a product or package and that the arrows appearing in outline signify that a product or package is "recyclable". Permission to use the API chasing arrows symbol is given freely to any manufacturer without a fee. However, many products use the symbols without permission or guidance as to their meaning. Many people-consumers and manufacturers alike-do not understand these fine distinctions and either use the symbols incorrectly on the label, misunderstand the intended meaning of the symbol, or both. Look for other descriptive words explaining the meaning of the symbol for clarification.
There are three general levels of recycled products that can all be called "recycled".The first (appropriately called "primary recycling") is the reprocessing or remanufacturing of discarded materials into the same product which can then be recycled again, such as a glass container into a glass container or a steel product to a steel product. The second level ("secondary recycling") is the reprocessing or remanufacturing of discarded materials into a different, but similar, product which is technically recyclable-old corrugated cardboard boxes into cereal boxes, for example.The third level ("tertiary recycling") is the reprocessing or remanufacturing of discarded materials into a product which is not likely to be recycled, such as recycling mixed office paper into bathroom tissue. There is much controversy among manufacturers, distributors, regulators, and consumers over what constitutes a "real" recycled product. There are two kinds of recycled material that can go into making a recycled product. Post-industrial waste" or "pre-consumer waste" is that waste generated by industrial manufacturing processes that would have otherwise gone to a landfill (not included are wastes that have customarily been "put back in the pot" in the factory). "Post-consumer waste" or "PCW" is the bottles, cans, plastic milk jugs, and newspapers we collect and recycle after we are done using them. There are those who believe that only products made from post-consumer waste should be called "recycled." Considering that for every pound of consumer waste there is twenty-five pounds of manufacturing waste, pre-consumer waste has it's place in products called "recycled," too. Products just need to be labeled correctly so consumers can make their own choices.
Recyclable
As recycling programs are increasing across the nation and around the world as a means of reducing the amount of landfill space needed for waste, more and more products are becoming part of the goldmine of raw materials from which new products can be fashioned.A "recyclable" product is, simply, one that can be collected and made into a new recycled product. But when considering the recyclability of a product there are two separate and distinct issues: 1) Can a product or material technically be recycled? 2) In real life, can a product or material practically be recycled?The difference between these two definitions of "recyclable" is the subject of hot controversy in the product/packaging labeling world. Some say that any product or material that can technically be recycled should be labeled "recyclable." Others say that the attribute "recyclable" should only be used on a label if, in fact, it can really be recycled in the community where the product or package is sold. While recyclables such as glass or newspapers can be recycled almost everywhere, other recyclables like plastics or motor oil can only be recycled in the limited number of areas where programs have been set up.Because of inconsistencies in labeling laws and guidelines, consumers who want to buy a product or package they can recycle can't rely on the label to indicate what can and can't be recycled. Many manufacturers have removed the word "recyclable" from their products and packages altogether. Other manufacturers call their products and packages "recyclable" regardless of the availability of a local recycling center.Recyclable products have an almost universally-recognized symbol-the three "chasing arrows." It was originally developed in the 1970's by the American Paper Institute (API) for use on recycled papers, but is it now widely used on products of all kinds and has become the unofficial national symbol for recycling of anything and everything.The recycling symbol appears on products in two forms. API suggests that solid chasing arrows within a black circle be used to represent "recycled content" in a product or package and that the arrows appearing in outline signify that a product or package is recyclable. Permission to use the API chasing arrows symbol is given freely to any manufacturer without a fee. However, many products use the symbols without permission or guidance as to their meaning. Many people-consumers and manufacturers alike-do not understand these fine distinctions and either use the symbols incorrectly on the label, misunderstand the intended meaning of the symbol, or both. Look for other descriptive words that indicate the intended meaning of the symbol.Whether or not is economically feasible to recycle a product is yet another question. Often, virgin raw materials are cheaper than recycled materials (thanks to government subsidies and policies). Transportation issues can also come into play-is it better for the environment to use a local raw material or recycled material transported from a great distance? The shipping costs of moving collected recyclables to a distant processing plant can eat up all the profit. And, recently, there have been gluts of recyclable material-especially newspapers-that become worthless when there are not enough buyers of recycled products. All these problems can be worked out. It's important now to support the market for recyclable material by buying recycled products, and not simply give up on recycling as impractical.The primary markets for recycled materials right now are aluminum and other scrap metals, glass, paper and plastic. These are easily recognizable even without the word "recyclable" on the label.Because recyclability of any product is so specific to your local community, it's important to know which products technically can be recycled, and which can practically be recycled where you live. Take an hour or two to find out how and where your recyclables can be recycled, then make convenient arrangements in your home for collection, and take recyclables to the collection center (or put them out for pick-up) on a regular basis.Now that we are faced with the need to conserve resources and limited landfill space, recycling will become as normal a part of our lives as taking out the garbage. In the last few years, the collection of recyclables and the manufacture of recycled products has becomes a multimillion dollar industry. We are beginning to see that recycling is the most effective and economical way to handle the waste we produce in this country.A very large portion of our waste is recyclable or otherwise reusable. If we recycled all of our paper and paperboard (40%), all of our metals (9%), all of our plastic (8%), and all our glass (7%), we would reduce our total garbage by 64 percent! If, in addition, we reclaimed our wood (4%), rubber (3%), and textiles (2%) for other uses, we would be down to only 27 percent of our current garbage. By composting yard wastes (18%) and food wastes (7%), we're left with only two percent of our current solid waste to place in a landfill or otherwise dispose of. Of course, this is idealistic, but it's an sustainability goal worth pursuing. Though the national recycling average is only 13%, some individual states have higher recycling rates: Washington 28%, New Jersey 25%, Oregon 25%, Vermont 18%, Illinois 18%, and Maine 17%.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Cross Post From Green America 1/20/1920
Solutions from the Green Economy January 15, 2008
Everyone now understands that the economy is broken.
While many name the mortgage and credit-default-swap crises as culprits, they are only the most recent indicators of an economy with fatal design flaws. Our economy has long been based on what economist Herman Daly calls “uneconomic growth” where increases in the GDP come at an expense in resources and well-being that is worth more than the goods and services provided. When GNP growth exacerbates social and environmental problems—from sweatshop labor to manufacturing toxic chemicals—every dollar of GNP growth reduces well-being for people and the planet, and we’re all worse off.
Our fatally flawed economy creates economic injustice, poverty, and environmental crises. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can create a green economy: one that serves people and the planet and offers antidotes to the current breakdown. Here are six green-economy solutions to today’s economic mess.
1. Green Energy—Green Jobs A crucial starting place to rejuvenate our economy is to focus on energy. It’s time to call in the superheroes of the green energy revolution—energy efficiency, solar and wind power, and plug-in hybrids—and put their synergies to work with rapid, large-scale deployment. This is a powerful way to jumpstart the economy, spur job creation (with jobs that can’t be outsourced), declare energy independence, and claim victory over the climate crisis.
2. Clean Energy Victory Bonds How are we going to pay for this green energy revolution? We at Green America propose Clean Energy Victory Bonds. Modeled after victory bonds in World War II, Americans would buy these bonds from the federal government to invest in large-scale deployment of green energy projects, with particular emphasis in low-income communities hardest hit by the broken economy. These would be long-term bonds, paying an annual interest rate, based in part on the energy and energy savings that the bonds generate. During WWII, 85 million Americans bought over $185 billion in bonds—that would be almost $2 trillion in today’s dollars.
3. Reduce, Reuse, Rethink Living lightly on the Earth, saving resources and money, and sharing (jobs, property, ideas, and opportunities) are crucial principles for restructuring our economy. This economic breakdown is, in part, due to living beyond our means—as a nation and as individuals. With the enormous national and consumer debt weighing us down, we won’t be able to spend our way out of this economic problem. Ultimately, we need an economy that’s not dependent on unsustainable growth and consumerism. So it’s time to rethink our over-consumptive lifestyles, and turn to the principles of elegant simplicity, such as planting gardens, conserving energy, and working cooperatively with our neighbors to share resources and build resilient communities.
4. Go Green and Local When we do buy, it is essential that those purchases benefit the green and local economy—so that every dollar helps solve social and environmental problems, not create them. Our spending choices matter. We can support our local communities by moving dollars away from conventional agribusiness and big-box stores and toward supporting local workers, businesses, and organic farmers.
5. Community Investing All over the country, community investing banks, credit unions, and loan funds that serve hard-hit communities are strong, while the biggest banks required bailouts. The basic principles of community investing keep such institutions strong: Lenders and borrowers know each other. Lenders invest in the success of their borrowers—with training and technical assistance along with loans. And the people who provide the capital to the lenders expect reasonable, not speculative, returns. If all banks followed these principles, the economy wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in today.
6. Shareowner Activism When you own stock, you have the right and responsibility to advise management to clean up its act. Had GM listened to shareholders warning that relying on SUVs would be its downfall, it would have invested in greener technologies, and would not have needed a bailout. Had CitiGroup listened to its shareowners, it would have avoided the faulty mortgage practices that brought it to its knees. Engaged shareholders are key to reforming conventional companies for the transition to this new economy – the green economy that we are building together.
It’s time to move from greed to green.
--Alisa Gravitz
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
HAPPY 2009!
Happy New Year from Green The World. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is ready for a new prosperous New Year. A resolution everyone can make, and keep, is to "go green", do one new green thing each day. Do not buy that bottled water, bring your own bags when you grocery shop, buy organic, shop local, unplug all unused lamps, appliances, that are not in use everyday, and allways remember to reduse, reuse, recycle, and rethink. Let's make 2009 a year to go green.
For those of you who received new phones, IPods, computers, cameras, appliances and T.V.'s please be responsible and recycle your old. On this month's newsletter I have stated several locations that will accept all of the above at little or no cost. If you are unsure where to take your items go to http://www.local.com/ and enter your zip code to find a location nearest you.
I have listed below several commonly used items and how long it takes for them to biodegrade, let this be a reminder to us all to please recycle and dispose of waste properly.
· Cotton rags 1-5 months
· Paper 2-5 months
· Rope 3-14 months
· Orange peels 6 months
· Wool socks 1 to 5 years
· Cigarette butts 1 to 12 years
· Plastic coated paper milk cartons 5 years
· Leather shoes 25 to 40 years
· Nylon fabric 30 to 40 years
· Tin cans 50 to 100 years
· Aluminum cans 80 to 100 years
· Plastic 6-pack holder rings 450 years
· Glass bottles 1 million years · Plastic bottles Forever
Thank you for your interest and lets all help to Green The World.
For those of you who received new phones, IPods, computers, cameras, appliances and T.V.'s please be responsible and recycle your old. On this month's newsletter I have stated several locations that will accept all of the above at little or no cost. If you are unsure where to take your items go to http://www.local.com/ and enter your zip code to find a location nearest you.
I have listed below several commonly used items and how long it takes for them to biodegrade, let this be a reminder to us all to please recycle and dispose of waste properly.
· Cotton rags 1-5 months
· Paper 2-5 months
· Rope 3-14 months
· Orange peels 6 months
· Wool socks 1 to 5 years
· Cigarette butts 1 to 12 years
· Plastic coated paper milk cartons 5 years
· Leather shoes 25 to 40 years
· Nylon fabric 30 to 40 years
· Tin cans 50 to 100 years
· Aluminum cans 80 to 100 years
· Plastic 6-pack holder rings 450 years
· Glass bottles 1 million years · Plastic bottles Forever
Thank you for your interest and lets all help to Green The World.
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