Green living: recycling plastic grocery bags

I really can’t stand the sight of those … unsightly … plastic grocery bags that seem to be ubiquitously lurking in our world today. Stuck in trees. Littered on the side of the road. Blowing in the wind like the new modern tumbleweed.

What can we do to get rid of them? Well, you could always throw them away, which I suppose is better than littering. But there’s a better way for getting rid of anything, and that’s recycling. I know, I know. Another thing to recycle. But these statistics are staggering.

I found this website for the “Zero Waste” government campaign in California that has some reasons and stats relating to those darn plastic grocery bags that need a way to find a better use in recycling centers. I’ll give some of those stats for readers here at VegLiving. All five of you. Lost four again. Ugh. This is getting kind of sad, no one reads the blog. And losing subscribers at the podcast. Before you finish reading this article — anyone out there — leave a comment for poor me who writes here every day hoping I’ll get some readers. I do enjoy it, don’t get me wrong. Just hoping for more of an audience.

Anyway, back to the statistics. These are just for the state of California — imagine how big the numbers are for the entire country and the entire world. Thank you to the site, located here.

• It costs [California] $25 million annually to landfill discarded plastic bags.
• Public agencies in California spend more than $300 million annually in litter cleanup.
• Southern California cities have spent more than $1.7 billion to restore clean water in trashed waterways such as rivers and lakes.
• Cities and recyclers spend enormous amounts removing plastic bags from other recyclable materials at the facility; plastic bags jam machinery and add to the manual labor costs of recycling.

It’s kind of disgusting the amount of waste created. And it’s not just plastic grocery bags — other plastic bags and wrappers, for example from produce or Ziploc bags can be recycled. So, to help this, it’s a great idea to help reduce your environmental footprint to recycle them. It’s really easy; just collect them and drop them off at your local supermarket. As it said in the quote and probably the same sitch in many states, it’s a regulation to have facilities readily available to recycle them for consumers. Here’s some more information from the Californian site, here, about how to take action.

1. Use reusable canvas or cloth bags.

   Reusable bags are more environmentally friendly than paper or plastic. Most grocery and big box stores now offer reusable bags for sale to customers. Keep them in your car for the next time you have to run out for groceries.

2. Say “No thank you.”

   Not all items require a bag so tell the clerk, “No thank you.” Carry small purchase items like a magazine, one piece of candy, or drink to the car instead of in a plastic bag.

3. Recycle!

   California requires large supermarkets or pharmacies to offer free recycling of plastic bags. This is an easy and convenient way to do the right thing. Bring those plastic bags to the car and recycle them next time you go to the store.

4. Reuse them.

   There are many great uses for plastic grocery bags such as trash can liners in the home or for doggie waste. Get creative and find new ways to reuse those bags.

5. Tell a friend.

   Get others to recycle and use reusable bags. Let them know where they can find them or turn them on to recycling opportunities at their nearest grocery store.

Really awesome ideas. As I always say with all my Green Living articles, even a little bit can make a huge difference.

Try it out and see what you think. Please, please, if you like the blog, drop a comment here or email or tweet me or subscribe by email. Thank you for reading.

Be well,

Brian

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Thank you to these sources:

Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags – Zero Waste California –link–

PlasticBagRecycling.org –link–

Green living: some helpful tips about efficient lighting

Tonight’s topic is a quick post about a topic that was found in a little pamphlet we got from our local trash company actually, that featured in the “Conservation Corner” a little about efficient light bulbs and lighting. I thought this would be good as a green living feature here at VegLiving. So, I won’t write much, but I want to quote what I found on this pamphlet as it think it is valuable information to take into consideration when choosing eco-conscious lighting.

Thank you, A.J. Blosenski Disposal Service.

“Conservation Corner”

• If every American house replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for an entire year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

• ENERGY STAR-qualified bulbs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. This saves about $30 in electricity costs of over a bulb’s lifetime. And, they produce 75% less heat, so they’re safer to operate and cut home-cooling energy costs.

See, I always say — just one can make a huge difference. Even if you’ve always thought that those new CFL light bulbs are weird and stupid and don’t work, give it another try; they’ve come out with a lot of new designs that are really improved from previous ones. I hope this information is useful and helpful!

Be well,

Brian

Green living: recycle that receipt!

Interested in recycling? Cool. But here’s something often forgotten…

You know that receipt on the bottom of the shopping bag? Or in the grocery cart? Those little slips of paper that are given with practically every purchase sure do add up. It’s surprising but almost not to hear that 220,200 tons of paper at about 17 trees per ton (that’s 3.74 million trees!) is used exclusively for producing receipts. I’m thankful for finding one writer, Sue Stock at NewsObserver.com, finally realized this eco hazard and mentioned it in an article here, from which the facts are found.

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Q. How can this waste be reduced?

A. For those who don’t file receipts, next time you’re about to throw out that shopping bag or (…hopefully recycle) your grocery bags, see if you can find the receipt crumpled up inside. Whether in the home, office, school or public place, recycling facilities are often easily available next to trash bins. Take a second to toss it in with the papers and we can all make a difference for the environment. Seriously, don’t be lazy.

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Q. What else can be done with the receipts?

A. For example, the article here at NewsObserver.com that I noted mentions a service that shreds and recycles receipts for you easily at no cost. Besides recycling at home, that’s a great way to help reduce the paper waste. Or, try out something that both benefits the environment and the community by starting a fundraiser at your local school, workplace or community center. The YMCA near me offers a fundraiser for the swim team if members bring in ACME supermarket receipts that raises money while recycling, too.

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Q. “But it’s so annoying to recycle everything!”

A. It often seems like that. But, remember, what goes around comes around, and each little bit can make a difference. Think — you’re helping to save almost four million trees. And, yes, it isn’t for everyone — but whatever is done is one less portion thrown away.

Oh, and did I mention those post-its, little paper gum wrappers and tags for things? Paper, too…and it adds up! Make it fun and see how much you can recycle.

Let us know what you think and share the message!

Be well,

Brian

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Thank you to this source:

Recycle your receipts… – The News Observer –link–

Green living: water conservation

I received an interesting article today about water conservation and think it to be a good topic to share here on VegLiving as part of the Green Living category. I haven’t done much with this portion yet and hopefully readers will find information for an eco-conscious life helpful.

We’ve all heard about water conservation, and we all know we should do it. But why? What difference does it make? In this post, I’ll share some quick facts — the who, what, where, when, why and how — about all the hulabaloo around saving water and not wasting.

 

1. Who should conserve water?

 Well, everyone of course — the amount of water wasted can have an effect on everyone’s life.   However, especially those who garden or are into maintaining a lawn should be aware of the water used as gallons and gallons of water are used in this aspects of life specifically. Nearly half of all water used is for irrigation and lawn maintenance. 

Also, those involved in local policy-making, large business or people with management positions that can and should enforce that water be conserved to reduce both waste of money.

 

2. What will be affected through the conservation?

The quality and quantity of water available for use is directly affected if water is wasted. The expenses for local water treatment plants rise when more water needs to be managed. Why does that matter, you might ask? Well, your water bill too rises if consumers if the water company is affected by carelessness in limiting water usage.

 

3. Where does water need to most focused on for conservation?

As mentioned, lawns and gardens are major users of water. From the article my mom sent me here on FineGardening.com, it is stated that “a 1000-square-foot yard [in a typical climate] uses more than 60,000 gallons of water a year.” Unbelievable, isn’t it?

Besides that, the bath, toilet, washing machine and dishwasher are common household sources for water use. The diagram located below is from the Department of Ecology in Washington State and gives an overview on household water usage.

Courtesy of the Washington Dept. of Ecology

There are many easy ways to conserve water in the house. An easy reference can be found on WaterUseItWisely.com at their page here. C’mon. I know you’ve heard how to save water all the time. But this time, really try it — it CAN make a difference.

Taking a second look…

Is that “leaks” that I see that take away 13.7% of water in the house? It’s amazing how much is wasted with leaks. A positive and sensible step forward to take for water conservation.

 

 

4. When is the most critical time to focus on water conservation?

Because of the hot weather and increased energy usage, the summertime is crucial when focusing on water conservation. Seemingly obvious, this is the season for gardening, swimming, playing in the sprinkler — you name it.

 

5. Why does it matter to save water?

Though this was somewhat addressed in the “Who” section, it’s important to reiterate it. Save water for the health of your family, your community, your wallet, your environment and the world’s environment. All of these things are affected if water is wasted. How is the community affected? How are you affected directly? Think about again. The more water wasted, the higher the bills are. And the same for the community. And then there is less to go around for everyone… I know; I know. I don’t want to make you feel guilty but do you catch my drift?

 

6. How can water be saved?

From the slightest turning off of the sink while brushing teeth (a famous one :D) to a replacement of a more effective shower head or faucet (future post) to an even bigger alteration in the usage of your company’s water, each can make a difference. Maybe just seeing if you can squeeze more into the washing machine or waiting until breakfast dishes are in to wash the dishwasher. Or did you really need that second shower? I know; I’m guilty too but we all really need to get more with it if we aren’t already concerning water conservation. See the link here if you missed it for some tips and a handy PDF file here for some cool tips. 

 

Hopefully this posts makes the whole deal on water conservation a bit more clear. Remember, it really does make a difference and just think how much could be saved if we all gave it a try. 

Let me know what you all think and feel free to comment. Spread the word about the blog!

Be well,

Brian

 

Thank you to these sources:

It’s like Road Rage, Only Wetter – Fine Gardening –link–

Water Conservation Tips – WA Dept. of Ecology –link–

Water Conservation – Texas Groundwater Protection Committee –link–

Water: Use it Wisely –link–

Cool vegetarian clothing alternatives

 The question surely comes up, “What can I wear as a vegetarian that’s not made of animals?  What if I need dress shoes or a belt?“. So, I’m here to the rescue! There are tons of options for affordable and accessible veg clothing — need it be stylish, comfortable, dressy, whatever the occasion. In this post, as a continuation of a previous post on animals for clothing, I’ll show some awesome alternatives for cruelty-free clothing (alliteration :D). 

 

There are many alternative made of materials such as cotton, pleather (plastic-leather), flax, hemp, faux leather, and even recycled materials (I’ve seen bottles, tires, anything!). Not only are they cruelty-free; they’re often cheaper, more environmentally-friendly and way cooler!

Here are some resources/companies that offer clothing products not made from animals.

 

1. Leather Shoes Alternatives

Check out AlternativeOutfitters.com for some awesome vegan clothing and acessories, especially women’s and men’s shoes, for dressy, casual or in-between occasions.

 

2. Alternative Accesories: Cool Belts, Bags, Wallets and even Guitar Straps!
 VeganEssentials.com has a whole array of vegan products, especially some cool accessories here. The site also includes shoes, clothes, and some cool cosmetic products (later post).

 

3. Animal-Free Athletic Gear: Skiing equipment, Jackets, Skates, and more
 It’s not just exclusively-vegetarian companies that have animal-free products; look around and you might find some awesome products in a place like The North Face. Lots of options to serve your athletic-wear needs.

 

Check out some other common companies for their animal-free products; just check the material label. Skechers, Aerosoles, Delia*s and a really cool company for your inner-rocker specializing in vegan shoes, MacBeth. Look around some other cool all-vegetarian stuff sites like TheVegetarianSite.com or VeganChic.com. 

Hopefully this post has opened up some options for affordable, stylish and vegan-friendly clothing products. Be smart; buy vegan!

Be well,

Brian

 

Thank you to these sources:

Guide to Compassionate Shopping – Peta –link–

Vegan Clothing – At What Cost Do We Look Good? –link–

“So, why are you a vegetarian?”

Without a doubt, the question asking the reason(s) for being a vegetarian comes up fairly often. Though I and many others could write an essay on the topic, usually the reasons to be found below are main constituents in the decision to live a veg lifestyle. Note: I am not including being a vegetarian from birth or from religious reasons in this post; they will be discussed in a later post.

 

 1. Health and well-being that can be gained from a properly carried out vegetarian diet is a reason that many make the switch. It is often said that reducing or eliminating meat and animal products can be beneficial in cleansing the body and sustaining health.

 

 2. Animals that are mistreated in today’s factory farms with inhumane living conditions can be saved through the refusal to purchase or consume meat products and live a vegetarian lifestyle. To have compassion for animals is another common and significant reason for the choice.

 

 3. Environment conservation that can be achieved through not using animal products is a third common reason for being vegetarian. It is without a doubt that the meat industry is responsible for much of the greenhouses gases which cause global warming, as well as the high usage of water resources, etc. To reduce these problems, many boycott meat.

 

The reasons mentioned above constitute the three factors which I’ve noticed to be most prominent in making the choice for a veg lifestyle. There are certainly many more; for example, I’ve heard many just don’t like the texture or taste of meat. I’d love to hear from any ‘veggies’ out there to see if I’ve missed any important reasons. 

Feel free to comment or add.

Be well,

Brian