Mom Goes Green

My recent post about avoiding antibacterial products actually got me thinking more about the issues of antibiotics, medications and even “superbugs”, as well as the proper disposal of unused medications. While we certainly want to avoid the products containing Triclosan (that can accumulate in our bodies and decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics), there are other important points about using antibiotics and medications that I want to be sure to share, so here goes…

When antibiotics ARE needed, it is very important to complete the dosage prescribed by your physician because failing to do so can also help create “superbugs”.  New term to you?  Well, by stopping antibiotic use BEFORE you have completed the full course means that the “stronger” of the bacteria can remain present in your body and they have the potential to rapidly multiply and cause you the same symptoms again.  This “survival” means they are more likely to become resistant to the drug and these “superbugs” are created.  (Kinda gives you the chills, huh?… me too!)

Along with this discussion it seems logical for us to remember about the proper disposal of unused drugs and medications.  In a post quite some time ago I talked about all the dangers of the common “flush factor”… those of us who flush medications down the toilet.  Baaaad practice!  This means they end up in our water sources since most water treatment facilities don’t have the ability to remove them.

That original post offered suggestions including contacting your local pharmacy to see if they have a program to properly dispose of medications or checking Earth911 to locate a drop-off in your community.

But, if you MUST dispose of them yourself, consider the greener, safer way to do it… to keep drugs out of our water sources and prevent soil contamination from landfills too:

• Keep them in the original container so they can be identified if they are found (but remove your personal information and identification).
• Add water to pills to start dissolving them.
• Add coffee grounds, sand or kitty litter to liquids to help absorb them.
• Put the original container in a secondary container and securely tape the lid closed.
• Put them deep in your trash.

The absolute best option is to find a safe disposal option, and as much as I dislike the idea of adding this trash to a landfill, it is certainly the option safer than adding them to the drinking water of you, me and… our kids!

Mom Goes Green is now also “Upcycle Mom” to 400 kids… the kids at our daughter’s elementary school, that is!

We’ve finally joined TerraCycle in their “Drink Pouch Brigade”.  If you know TerraCycle you probably know all about their products, but if you don’t know about their brigades, let me give you the rundown…

First of all, keep in mind that each year literally BILLIONS of non-recyclable drink pouches get tossed in the trash and wind up in landfills… fortunately, along came TerraCycle.  They upcycle this otherwise worthless trash and convert the used drink pouches into fashion bags, tote bags, pencil cases, and a whole slew of other items for kids and adults.  All you have to do is save the drink pouches, send them to TerraCycle and earn a little cash for your school, organization or charity of your choice.

Sure the financial part is a little incentive, but more than that (to me!) is the idea of all the trash that is being salvaged, upcycled and put to use.  Anytime something DOESN’T go in the trash can (thus the landfill), I’m one happy green momma!

These programs are perfect for schools, community groups, Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops, youth groups, churches… you name it… any group can do it and make quite a contribution to the planet.  

And it’s not just drink pouches… they also collect yogurt cups, candy and cookie wrappers, chip bags, glue sticks and glue bottles… there is a list of 25 brigades, so something is sure to fit.

I’m ready to go and lead my little troops in the Drink Pouch Brigade.   Now, if I suddenly stop blogging, could someone please come over and rescue me from under the mountain of drink pouches where I’m likely to be buried?!?

I received a great response to my recent post about recycling paper.  Recycling always seems to be a great mystery, as so many cities and municipalities have varying rules.  When you consider that the average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash DAILY (75% of that IS recyclable), we certainly want to make the right decisions.

It’s often hard to compile a “grand list” of everything you can and cannot do, but the best resource I can provide is earth911.  Simply enter your area code on the homepage and you will (hopefully) find your city or recycling resource to answer specific questions.

But, in the broad sense, I hope to help dispel some myths about the “real” answers for recycling… some may be a big surprise…

• Paper – refer to my prior post… I think I covered it all!
• Glass – rinse out the original contents as best you can.  Don’t worry about labels since they’ll be removed in processing. You CAN recycle the metal caps(!)… most recyclers will accept them.  Do NOT attempt to recycle treated glass, like plates, drinking glasses, windows, etc.  This glass is, unfortunately, contaminated due to the special “treatment” they have received.
• Metals – every can should be hitting the recycling can!  Soup, soda, veggie cans (even the top you’ve removed)… they’re all recyclable.  Even wire coat hangers, aluminum foil, pie tins… include them all!  And a new revelation to me… aerosol cans, as long as they have not contained a hazardous waste.  I sincerely never knew they could be recycled, but just be sure they are EMPTY.  That is the key.  If your recycler does not accept them, they will be quickly weeded-out, but it’s worth a try!
• Plastic – most plastic bottles and jugs (with necks narrower than the body) can be recycled, just be sure to remove the plastic caps.  They are a different type of plastic and can cause contamination in the recycling process.  Number 5 plastics are often questionable.  This is one where you should definitely refer to your local recycler, but remember that there is a use for Number 5’s!… don’t count them out and send them to the trash can too quickly!  They are also good candidates for the reuse category, although maybe not for food items, due to the plastic-leaching issues.

Take these tips, memorize them and soon your 75% of daily trash will find its way to the proper destination… the cherished land of “Recycleville!”

Yesterday was only the second day for our daughter being back at school after what felt like an all-too-short summer and, after once again taking the position of Recycling & Environmental Programs Chairperson at her school, I’ve already found myself with Mission #1 for the year… yea, in all of TWO DAYS!

It seems that our children are actually being forced to be wasteful in the lunchroom and my head is just spinning.  The situation was brought to light by a close friend who volunteered to help new students become accustom to the cafeteria line process and when her story began with an “oh, let me tell you about THIS!” I knew it wasn’t going to be good.

The problem?  All students purchasing a lunch are forced to take all items on the lunch menu, even if they don’t want them!  My friend told me I probably would have choked at how many unopened single-serve applesauce containers met the trash can.  My heart just sank.  Not only is this horribly wasteful, but can you imagine how many food pantries could benefit from all of the unused foods that are thrown away daily?!?

I can’t imagine what policy is in place that literally makes this waste a “rule”, but I certainly intend to find out!  Maybe it’s so the school can say that, while they can’t control what the children eat, it was at least given to them… but if this is the case, it’s a lousy standard.

My hope is to find a place that would accept these unopened foods and allow them to benefit.  With so many regulations, it may be hard to do.  And then I will need to get the school on board, so that will likely be another huge administrative hurdle, but this one ladies and gents, Mom Goes Green is taking on!!! I never knew about this before, since our daughter is a daily waste-free lunch girl(!), but now I NEED to try to make something happen.  It WILL be my first mission.

If you have a similar story to share and ideas of how to resolve this dilemma, please let me know… I would love to hear it!  And if this story sounds similar to a situation in your own child’s school, consider joining me and see what you can do to make a positive change!

Less waste means less trash, and food for those who need it… in that situation everyone wins!

As summer seems to be dwindling away, it’s time to put vacations and free time into the memory books.  Sad as it may be, it’s time to get back to business and and start thinking schooltime for the kids.  (Boo, hiss… this means Mom Goes Green will need to get back to plenty of “homework assistance” too!)

One thing I don’t need to brush-up on, however, is how to send our daughter to school and keep her as waste-free as possible.  I’ve talked about all the best ways to keep 67 pounds of trash out of landfills when I send her off with lunch… ideas like a lunchbox, reusable bottles, thermoses and silverware, cloth napkins and plenty of reusable containers.

She is already equipped and ready to go with her “Waste-Free Lunch Kit” from Kids Konserve.  It includes a recycled cotton lunch bag, a stainless steel bottle, two stainless steel food containers, a food cozy (for wrapping foods) and a cloth napkin!

… and it just so happens, I have one to share! Are you interested?  To enter this contest, just leave a comment and tell me who you’d love to win this kit for… (maybe even yourself)! You can also send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog or write about this giveaway and link back.

A random winner will be selected one week from today’s post (US residents only, please… sorry!… and as a side note, the kit is exactly like the one pictured in the photo, so it does include lots of pink butterflies!).

So don’t sweat the “litter” stuff, just enter to win! Good luck!

Summer is in full swing and sadly, to me, it feels like it’s half over.  I always consider summer a brief 10 week experience (now that we have kids in school), but that’s my own issue.

Anyhow, while I’ve been out and about with my family enjoying the “first half”, one thing keeps catching my eye… Styrofoam coolers.  I almost can’t believe that these things still exist.  I understand that they are a matter of convenience, but with some forethought, it’s easy to be prepared and no one should ever need a ‘single use’ cooler. It pains me to see them sitting next to garbage cans and knowing that they’ve become trash.  And I imagine that after purchasing a few Styrofoam versions, you could probably own a decent cooler of your very own.

My mom actually taught me the amazing insulating ability of newspaper.  Layers of newspaper, wrapped around whatever you need to keep cold in transit, does an incredible job of holding the cold.  This trick even works to keep items hot.  I used newspaper to keep our kids’ baby food warm when we went out to dinner, so they could have their food right along with us.  And the best part is that afterward, it can be recycled instead of thrown in the trash.

I just really want Styrofoam coolers to disappear! The problem is this… even if they disappear from store shelves, they still won’t disappear – they’ll live on in a landfill for about 500 years!

I’ve always been a huge advocate of recycling.  It’s one of those practices that I honestly find inexcusable when most communities make it fairly simple to participate at home… not all, but most.

It’s not always as easy when we’re away from home but, 100% of the time, if a recycling option isn’t made available to me, my recycling comes home with me (as proven by last year’s vacation to Myrtle Beach!).  I feel even more committed (and sure that I made the right decision) after I see images like these to put it all into perspective.

If it doesn’t feel like a critical issue, just consider the numbers:

• TWO MILLION – the number of plastic beverage bottles used in the US every 5 minutes.
• 1.14 MILLION – the number of brown paper supermarket bags used in the US every hour.
• 15 MILLION – the number of sheets of office paper used in the US every 5 minutes.
• 106,000 – the number of aluminum cans used in the US every 30 seconds.

It’s shocking to think that, if we DON’T recycle, they all become landfill. What a waste… literally.

Sometimes it’s good to get back to the fundamentals… recycling is certainly fundamental when it comes to “being green”, but its importance is immense.  This month consider helping a non-recycler “get started on the road to recycle-ville” or get a recycling program set-up at work. Every little bit makes a difference.

Take a look.  It’s simple math… the numbers sure add up!

Over the past six days, while I have been spending an unfortunate amount of time at the hospital visiting my stepdad, I have also noticed an extraordinary amount of waste in every practice and every function.

It’s been mind-boggling (albeit nice and distracting too, to occasionally think about something else) but everything from all of the paper and disposable/single-use supplies, to unused but illuminated rooms, to plugged-in equipment with ’no one attached’, to the cafeteria (a haven for Styrofoam) all adds up.  While some of the waste is hazardous and toxic, I was surprised to discover that 85% of the waste that exits hospitals is actually non-infectious waste.  Now, there’s room for improvement …

U.S. Hospitals generate more than 2 million tons of solid waste per year… that’s 15 pounds of waste per patient every day. But I was also surprised to learn that 53% of the waste is actually paper!… now there’s an opportunity!  Additional percentages (between 15-17% each) exist for food and plastics.  Sounds like every hospital needs a big compost pile and a massive recycle bin! If the cafeterias alone would stop stocking Styrofoam and go back to reusable serveware and utensils, that savings alone would be amazing.

I’m sure the other issues are a lot more complicated than I’m making them and someone will take a shot at me for not knowing what I’m talking about, but that’s okay.  Educate me.  Because the way I look at it, there are approximately 6,000 hospitals in the alone and that a whoooole lotta trash…

There aren’t simple ways to select green hospitals (and often, in emergencies, you don’t really care), but if you’re in the healthcare industry, there are so many ways you can begin helping to create greener changes and that will hopefully come soon.

For now, dad’s getting quality care and I’m absolutely at peace with letting them create his 15 pounds per day.

I have been on a “plastics kick” recently.  Not with overusing them or anything crazy like that, but just in the way that I’ve been thinking about them lately… a lot.

It’s a love/hate relationship.  They’re everywhere and they’re supposedly here to simplify and make products affordable.  They’re a part of our lives.  We can look in every corner of our homes and see unbelievable amounts of plastic. It’s inevitable.

But consider this…

• Think about some of your favorite childhood toys… and all of the toys and trinkets you’ve ever purchased since childhood…
• Think about every hairbrush, comb and toothbrush you’ve ever used…
• Think about the disposable serveware and utensils you purchased for a party you hosted or used at an event you attended…
• Think about all the water bottles and beverages you bought while you ran errands…
• Think about the thousands of plastic bags you’ve accepted…
• Think about the buckets, containers, wastebaskets, pitchers, shower curtain liners and scrub brushes that you’ve throw away because they looked overused…
• Think about the packaging of anything you have ever purchased…
• Think about the electronics and appliances you’ve purchased and replaced for an upgrade…

Now think about this…

They STILL EXIST ON THE PLANET.  Every single piece of plastic ever manufactured is still here.  It has never gone away.

The idea of this is ovewhelming. I am clearly not without fault, because I’ve certainly used my fair share right along with you, but it is just astonishing to know that every plastic we have ever touched is STILL HERE… and they are polluting, poisoning and contaminating every landfill where they eventually come to rest.

It is simply inevitable that we will always use plastics, but every time I make a purchase I’m going to remember that statement and hopefully make better choices.

The other day I talked about my frustration over seeing an excessive amount of ‘plastic bag trash’ littering one of our favorite Cleveland lakeside parks.

I feel I would be remiss without mentioning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  I was honestly surprised by how many of my friends had not heard of it before, but it’s something I cannot stop thinking about.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is essentially seven million tons of floating plastic waste, roughly twice the size of Texas (and some say, twice the size of the entire US).  It swirls through the ocean between the continental US and Japan, and contains everything from plastic bags to Legos to footballs.  One fifth is believed to come from trash dumped from ships and oil rigs, and the rest comes from land and all of the plastics we discard on a daily basis.

Take a look, and see if you can keep from feeling just a little bit unsettled.

And if you want to know more detail…

The problem is this… the plastics break down into small pieces of debris, pollute the ocean and beaches, disturb the eco-system and literally become food for marine life, because they can’t distinguish between what is “real” food and what is our trash.  In fact, the amount of plastic trash in this area is six times greater than the amount of plankton (this area’s most abundant food source).  This “mistake” costs them their life.  And think about what happens if you consume a fish whose diet consisted primarily of plastics… it makes me shudder.

The next time you think of tossing away some plastics… stop… and “really think”.