Mom Goes Green

I’m on the board of our son’s preschool and this year I got them to start recycling at his school for the first time.  I am also Recycling/Environmental Programs Chair at our daughter’s school and have started a number of programs this year, but I’m doing a lousy job.

Perhaps I’m being a little tough on myself, because I do believe I’ve done a lot of good, but I realize that there are a lot of opportunities that I’ve missed, or have been an afterthought, when I should have been more pro-active.  (So, yes… Earth to Mom!)

The reason for my own, harsh, self-criticism was from attending our daughter’s school’s Family Fun Night of bingo last week.  I wasn’t a part of the planning committee and for a change, I didn’t volunteer so I could enjoy the night with my family.  But in the process, I completely overlooked something that I was responsible for… recycling.

Fortunately, someone had the foresight to set up a bin for can recycling, but then I looked around at the tables and saw stacks and stack of used paper bingo cards that were destine for the trash can.  I was sickened that I never even though about this event and my responsibility.  So, I jumped up, went to the concession tables and asked for a box.  Then I asked the bingo caller to please announce that all used cards should be deposited in the box after the families were finished with them.  Everyone was so great to cooperate and we actually walked out with a large box filled with paper cards.

How did I overlook that?  What was I thinking?  (What WASN’T I thinking!!!)   Sure, it was remedied before it was truly forgotten, but we all have the opportunity NOT to miss these opportunities!  Whether you’re a parent at a school where you can encourage recycling, or work in an office that doesn’t recycle or belong to an organization that needs some help getting started, we can introduce practices that really make a huge difference in the long run.

Note-to-self:  Recycling opportunities exist in EVERY circumstance… don’t miss an opportunity!

This weekend we are celebrating our kids’ birthdays ONCE AGAIN… but this time with all of their friends.

What kid’s party would be complete without party favors.  Kids bring a gift, but they expect to leave with something a little fun for themselves too.

In past years, I think I have purchased every plastic, throw-away, China-made (potentially lead-laden!) trinket on earth. This year, my conscience wouldn’t allow me to do that.  I wracked my brain for something that wouldn’t eventually wind up in the trash some night, long after the kids have gone to bed, and mom thinks “okay, time to get rid of THIS junk!”  (I’ve done it and you know you have too!… followed-up with a “I don’t know where that went, honey!”)

This year I hit the craft store and bought a canvas tote bag for each one of our little party-goers!  Inside we’re putting a little ‘thank you’ note from our kids, a tube of fabric paint (that they can use to decorate the bag when they get home) and a message about why we chose to give them the tote bag… a message about considering the environment, obviously!  Cost of the tote – a dollar!  Cost of the fabric paint – a dollar!  Two whole bucks and we will have given the kids something that they can use again, and again, and again!… and isn’t likely to wind up in the trash.  (The little “eco-friendly” seal makes me smile too!)

We’re so excited to give all of the friends a really great favor and spread a happy little “earth message”.  Now, if we can just keep the moms from snagging the tote bag, we’ll have done a great job!

Okay, so who likes bills?  If they are currency bills… yes, I’d like to sign-up for a large pile, please.  But unfortunately I’m talking about the kind that arrives at our home telling us we have to dip into our own pile!  Not nearly as fun.

I have one day every month where I sit down and pay every new bill we’ve received.  This is usually a dark and gloomy day because wow, they add up quickly and the grand total is often earth shattering (especially that $400 heating bill that popped up, thanks to arctic temperatures this last month!).  But for at least the past four years I have been paying everything online through our bank and this got me to thinking… hey, this is actually a pretty ‘green’ practice and I never really recognized it.

When I looked further, this is what I learned…

By some estimates, if all households in the U.S. paid their bills online and received electronic statements instead of paper, we’d save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.

Again, WOW!  That really adds up.  Many creditors and utility companies will now offer electronic bills upon request.  If they don’t, at least you can shred the bill and recycle it, along with the return envelopes and other enclosures, to insure that they don’t become trash when they are returned to the company with payment.  Plus you save on the postage, so it’s a really economical choice too.

So sign-up for online banking, tell your creditors and utility companies to “email me” and almost one whole tree a year will thank you!

Well, wouldn’t that be the greeting of all greetings when you arrive at my house, but the more I learn, the more I realize this needs to become a new mantra in our home.

I never really thought about all of the horrible things that our shoes encounter (besides our stinky feet!).  Living in the seasonally leafy or snowy and often FREEZING climate in Cleveland my biggest concern was just tracking in dirt and “ick” and salt, but there is much more concern than just dirtyin’ up the joint… chemicals, toxins, pesticides, lead and just all kinds of things we don’t want to come in contact with are the issue.

Case in point… you were just at the gas station for a fill-up… or you trudge across a lawn just sprayed with chemical fertilizer… and DON’T remove your shoes… ugh.  Ugly picture.

I think about all of the time our kids spend playing on the floor, all of the time we ALL spend playing on the floor, and it can actually be like rolling around in a chemical dump if we aren’t careful.  Plus, when they get dragged into our home, these contaminants also become airborne so we actually inhale them too.  Top that off with a study I read about… it said that wearing shoes indoors was a larger source of children’s pesticide exposure than eating non-organic fruits and vegetables!  Okay, I’m convinced!

This weekend we are celebrating both of our kids’ birthdays with our families, and often times, when someone has asked, “do you need me to take off my shoes” I have been timid (yea, ME?  Timid?!) and said “no, you don’t need to” because I assume that question means they really don’t want to.  But this needs to change.

This time I will be parking a large rug right by the front door and hopefully that will avoid the question because it’s already suggesting the “answer!” Maybe, when I make my first million I can be like Tom Cruise and have slippers for everyone at the door.

I know the party is on a Sunday, but for now… come on in, take off your shoes and hope that you left your “holey” (holy?) socks at home!

The morning after the 2008 Presidential election I saw this video.  It made me want to jump up and dance with anticipation of all the great (and yes, green!) things that are on their way!

There is no better message today than this one…

Take it away will.i.am (click here to view)

Yes, we did!  It’s a new day!

Change has come to America. And I am unbelievably excited for the future.

And I’m so proud that the Obama Administration has already started… they have teamed up with the EPA to assemble an enormous group of volunteers that will clean-up the Mall and parade route during the Inauguration festivities.  Recycling receptacles will be made readily available and would you believe there will even be a squad to clean up behind the horses, to compost their waste!

Inauguration invitations and tickets were printed on recycled paper and the night’s festivities will include only recyclable and biodegradable products.  I can’t help but smile at all the environmental consciousness that they’ve put into effect!

But what would I say if I could have his attention for only a few moments?… Obviously something about a strong and stable economy, to ending the war in Iraq, to overhauling the health care system, but these desires are common – they are a given.   So I believe it would go something like this…

“Dear Mr. President,

I love my children and I know you love yours, but I also know that our planet is in trouble and this earth needs your help as much as our citizens do.  Your decisions are going to deeply affect our children and we need you to make a difference.

We need to invest in clean/alternative energy, protect public lands, wildlife and their habitats.  We need to preserve natural resources and the overall environment, and create policies that protect our health.  We need to ensure clean air and water.  We need to create green jobs, strive for energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We need to penalize industries that are polluting our world and create incentives for those that are protecting it. We need to educate the public about the importance of preserving our earth. We need change… because, as said in a Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”  Please, help us repair this planet, for them.

Your administration has the ability to make the most amazing changes we have ever seen.  You lead and we will follow.

This is my challenge to you, President Obama…. with you, I believe a change has come… our children are counting on you.”

Okay, big guy… now LET’S GO GREEN!!!

(Green mosaic by MasterSayder)

Recently, my husband was away at a conference for 6 days.  He was really missed by all of us, but it also opened my eyes…

Less husband = less trash.

That sounds like a real dig at him, but I don’t mean for it to be.  The reason this nasty equation came to mind is because, in his absence, I realized that we really do create less trash.

Maybe it’s because one less body means less waste.  Maybe the things he uses are really over packaged.  Or maybe it means that my well-meaning husband is sometimes forgetting the fundamentals of recycling.  It only occurred to me because during his hiatus, the rest of us only created one bag of trash in 6 days, and this wasn’t a large bag either.  Our under-sink trash can (which is actually only an 22 quart wastebasket) is relatively small compared to some in-home trash cans.

He was really proud to come home and tell me about all of the recycling efforts at the conference, but I wonder if I’m so busy telling others how to ‘go green’ that I’m missing something here at home that I should be doing to make it easier for him, and all of us for that matter.

It’s time for me (and maybe you also!) to assess our homes and our recycling practices.  I think simplicity and ease is the key.  And I might need to look closer at what I’m buying, what he’s using and what he’s trashing.  Or maybe he just needs a good “list!”

New mission… one bag per week!  Whoa, we’ve got a long way to go!

I have this tremendously long list of words that I absolutely hate saying. Not because they are taboo words or have a bad connotation, but because they sound ridiculous when you SAY them. (Try sounding smart while you say the word “doily”… serious, it should be followed with a “duhhhh”!)

Okay, so this is just one of my little “issues”, but one word that I love to say is bamboo! Isn’t it just a fun word?!?!? But more than that, it is an amazing resource. I’m discovering more and more about this fabulous grass (yes, it’s a woody grass).

There are some incredible facts about bamboo, but I was amazed to learn that it is literally the fastest growing plant on earth – on average, six inches a day, but in some climates… 4 FEET in 24-hours! That is amazing. Plus, it is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and hypo-allergenic, can be grown without herbicides and pesticides and is a critical element in the production of oxygen. It sounds like nature’s most environmental offering to all of us.

Bamboo products include: fabrics/clothing, furniture, building materials, flooring, housewares/tableware & utensils, medicine, paper, food… and the list goes on. And keep in mind these are really, really broad categories. I recently bought some kitchen towels made of bamboo and I think they’re great. They don’t get stinky and smelly, they dry faster than cotton towels and even hold more water. Add to it the anti-bacterial qualities and I think I’m in love!…

And get a load of this fact: “It is believed, if bamboo were planted on a mass basis, it could completely reverse the effects of global warming in just six years and provide a renewable source of food, building materials and erosion prevention.”  Wow.

My point is simply to say “give ‘bamboo’ a chance!” It’s readily renewable, sustainable and has a lot less impact on the environment.  

Bamboo, bamboo, bamboo…. what a smooth and (undeniably) environmental word… rolls off the tongue…. unless it’s turned into a doily (sheesh!).

I’ve always been interested in the green stories of other moms.  There is so much to be learned from each other and this is undoubtedly the reason Mom Goes Green was born!

Recently, supermodel (and mom!) Cheryl Tiegs was gracious enough to answer a few of my questions about her own experiences going green and provide advice for moms everywhere.  She is a lifelong environmentalist and health and wellness advocate, as well as the current sustainability spokesperson for Cambria, a producer of natural quartz surfaces for the home.

MGG: What was the event or turning point that caused you to begin recognizing the importance of being environmentally conscious?

Cheryl: I don’t know if there was an actual turning point, but I grew up on a farm in Minnesota so I think I’ve always had a lot of respect for the land.  I actually started recycling about 20 years ago. At that time I had to tie all my newspapers together, package up all the bottles and cans, put them in my car and take them to the recycling center. That’s how I remember starting and it wasn’t easy in those days.

MGG: How has being a mom affected your perspective on environmental issues?

Cheryl: I think that children and others are inspired by example. We want to positively inspire our children.  For instance, with my son, I know if someone comes to my house and throws a plastic bottle in the waste basket he will take it out and throw it in the recycling bin because he has been influenced by me when it comes to recycling. Mothers are a huge influence on the community and their families. It doesn’t matter if you’re a working mother or a stay at home mother.  In fact, I’m a little of both. As mothers we need to be role models and that makes our actions, in terms of the environment, even more important.

MGG: As a mom, what is your greatest environmental concern?

Cheryl: I see a lot of waste and I see that a lot of people simply don’t care.  It’s so easy to do little things, many of which are very simple and save money at the same time. It’s the only planet we’ve got – everyone needs to start taking better care of it.

MGG: What is your favorite story about “going green”?

Cheryl: I did a show with my dear friend Ed Begley, Jr. called “Living with Ed.”  I invited him to walk through my house and make suggestions on how to make it more “green”.  At the end of the show, I asked Ed whether, in a pinch, it was better to use paper or plastic bags.  He said “NEITHER” and he would not budge from that stance. For that reason, if I get caught at the grocery store without my cloth bags, I’ve been known to first fill my purse with groceries and then take off my coat or sweatshirt, tie up the sleeves and use that to carry the groceries out to my car. Someone once asked me what I would do if the paparazzi saw me carrying groceries in this way. I said “I hope they do see this.  I hope they ask me why I’m carrying my groceries this way and I’m not one iota ashamed of it either!”

MGG: What one thing should everyone do to combat our environmental issues?

Cheryl: Recycle, recycle, recycle.  No matter where I am, I recycle. If I bring the New York Times on a plane, or magazines, I do not stuff them into the pocket of the seat. I put them back in my bag and I recycle them, or carry them back home. In a hotel room I don’t throw them in a waste basket either. I make sure they are recycled. On a TV set, (including the current set of “True Beauty”) I always go to the producer and ask for a big garbage bin that says “Recycle”. They are always happy to supply one.  Whether I’m at home, traveling or at work I make sure I recycle everything I use, and encourage everyone around me to do the same.

MGG: What environmental initiatives are you currently working on?

Cheryl: Right now, I’m part of a campaign for Cambria to help raise awareness of things we can all do to keep the air inside our homes cleaner. Many people don’t know that indoor pollutants like radon and asbestos cause a high percentage of lung cancers, problems with asthma and other respiratory conditions.  Cambria felt that it was important to raise awareness that indoor air can be just as polluted as outdoor air, making it an important consideration when building, remodeling, decorating or simply cleaning a home. There are lots of easy, inexpensive ways to test for these toxins, and more people should be doing it.  Visit www.CambriaUSA.com to see a set of easy, inexpensive tips for keeping the air inside your homes safe and clean.

Mom Goes Green would like to send a big thanks to Cheryl!  I’m so grateful that she took the time to share… and she makes a whole lot of sense… it IS the only planet we’ve got!

(For more information about Cheryl Tiegs’ current campaign for better indoor air and for tips and advice on keeping pollution out of your own home, click here.)

Warning: This is a pet peeve moment!

I’ve told you about my annoyance with seemingly responsible restaurants and coffee shops serving up oodles of Styrofoam cups and how my own to-go cup solved that dilemma.  I shared my frustration with take home containers (yes, also often Styrofoam!) and my epiphany when I realized that we don’t need to accept them (when often times aluminum foil will do).

But now I have a new peeve in need of resolution… disposable kid’s cups in restaurants and this belief that, somehow, they need to be disposable so the kids can take them home.  Now, I ask you, as a parent… do you NEEEED more of these cups?  I’m betting ‘no.’  Do you choose your restaurant based on who’s dealing the coolest kid’s cup?  Again, I’m betting no.  Do your kids even care?  If they’re like mine, nope… they don’t.

So, why, why, WHY all the disposable (and often un-recyclable content) cups?!  Why don’t restaurants give kids cups that are left behind, WASHED and used again?  I mean I don’t remember the last time I went to a restaurant and they said “here lady… you keep the glass!”  (Unless of course it was one of those monstrous plastic tiki bowls with six paper umbrellas and a straw shaped like a palm tree, purchased during a happy-hour/ladies night frenzy!… okay, I’ve never really had these {too frou-frou for me}, but I’ve seen them!)

I don’t know the environmental impact specifically for these cups, yet we all know a lot of plastic is bad news:  resources used, energy to produce them, landfill space, gasses produced, etc.

So why am I picking on something as little as kids’ plastic cups in restaurants?  Well, it just seems like logical math to me. There are approximately 240,000 full-service restaurants in the US alone (these are the ones with wait-staff).  On average, if every restaurant gave out just 30 cups a day, that’s 2,628,000,000 in one year!  Imagine… over 2.5 BILLION cups?!? That’s SO unnecessary.  Little things add up to big problems, so when the problem could be avoided, I’m annoyed.

Since I don’t own a restaurant or know anyone who does, and it’s not likely their practices will change anytime soon, the only thing I’m thinking I can do is bring our own kids’ cups and ask them to fill it, right?  And that’s exactly what I think I’m going to do!

(And if anyone has a boatload of money they’d like to give me to develop a cup cover that I just dreamed up in my head {that will turn any reusable cup into a kids cup}, please email me!..)