Man's Best Friend - Can We be Zero Waste With Our Pooch?

Exciting news from our home... We got a puppy!  Our sweet old cat passed away some weeks back.   Our house had a sad emptiness in it.  We've talked about adding a dog to our family for a long time, and decided it was time.   Meet Onyx - our new puppy!

In an effort to keep our dog in line with our Zero Waste options, we have made the following decisions.
1.  Purchase a used crate on Craigslist to crate train her.
2.  Purchase food in bulk so we are minimizing packaging for waste.  
3.  Do not go crazy buying every puppy related toy / bed / gadget for her.   We got two toys for her, both chew toys because she is a puppy and needs to chew right now.  We looked for toys that would endure and not just fall apart and cause us to buy her more toys.
4.  I will research making out own pet treats when she is a bit older.

The lowdown on doggie doo-doo.  The poop is one area where we will research and try to find the best solution for being pet owners.  Pet waste needs to be dealt with.  You can't just take your dog to a public (or private!) place and let them do their business and leave it.  Pet feces has bacteria, microbes and possible viruses that if left untended can end up in our ground water.  YUCK!

So, in my quick and dirty research I have found a few options for handling pet waste.

Option #1.  Bag it and dispose of it in the garbage can.  I know from my research that plastic bags that end up in the landfill can sit there for 1,000 years - they just don't decompose easily.  BUT, there are bags you can get that are plant based and bio-degradable.

Option #2  An At home pet poop composter.  There are compost bins specifically suited for handling dog poop.   We are currently researching this, and will get back to you on our findings.   Here is one article on how to make your own.  


Option #3  In the future there may be large scale digesters for handling dog poop.   Recology in San Francisco has been toying with this idea since 2006, but thus far has not launched a pilot program.  The thought is to use the methane generated by the poop into power.  I hope this gets off the ground.

Option #4  Flush it.  Some people suggest flushing the poop along with human waste.  It seems to me like this would waste a bunch of water, and eventually waste from the waste water treatment ends up back at the landfill... so this doesn't sound like a great solution to me. 

We will let you know what else we learn along the way!

Upcycling Challenge 2013!

I am so excited to announce this!  Time to roll up your sleeve and get busy!  
POST your best upcycle project pictures here:
 

Win Valuable Prizes from

ReCreate &  Beverly’s Fabric and Crafts.

Upcycling (v):  to convert something considered to be worthless or waste, and reuse it to make something of better quality or for better environmental value.  Upcycling is rethinking the notion of waste, and repurposing something to give it a new and better purpose.  Upcycling saves natural resources and money, by creatively reusing what already exists.   For examples of upcycling, you can look here.   (http://pinterest.com/recreate/upcycled-goodness/)

You know who you are. Your mind is filled with ideas on how to repurpose that empty cereal box, milk jug or pallet.  Instead of tossing that t-shirt with the impossible stain, you reconstruct it into the cutest dress ever, for your daughter.   Your first stop is the thrift store (or dumpster), not the mall, when you need something “new”.   You are an upcycler – creative, inventive and eco-friendly!

reCREATE Eco-Art Center and One Big Bin have partnering to hold the 2013 Upcycling Challenge.   Valuable prizes  from ReCreate and Beverly’s Fabrics and Crafts will be awarded, as well as bragging rights will go to the most inventive and design savvy projects.   

Categories for Upcycling projects are: 

·         Art

·         Functional (furniture / household items/tools, etc.)

·         Fashion / Jewelry / Wearable Upcycle

·         Kids Category – All entries by the under 18 crowd.

WHEN:  The contest begins May 1^st, 2013 and ends at midnight on May 31^st, 2013.   Prizes will be announced no later than June 7^th, 2013

RULES: The contest is open to individuals in Placer County / Sacramento Metro DMA.  All participants and parents / legal guardians of children participating, must sign a consent form for a minor to participate in the contest.  All entries must fill out the online entry form, and follow instructions for entry into the contest.  The contest is to use something that would otherwise be thrown away, and upcycle it into something “new”.  You must submit at least two photographs, one showing the item in its original state, and a second photo of the finished product.  You are encouraged to write a description of the item.   Contestants may enter more than one project in the contest.  Photographs must be original and unretouched.   Submission of an entry grants reCREATE and OneBigBin the right to publish, use, adapt, edit and/or modify such entry in any way, in any and all media, without limitation, and without consideration to the entrant. Photos must be entirely original, created solely by entrant, unpublished, may not have been submitted in any other competition, and cannot infringe upon any rights of any third party including but not limited to copyright, trade name, property rights, and rights of privacy or publicity.  Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry it deems to be inappropriate, offensive or not in keeping with Sponsor’s image, in its sole discretion.  Any entry that is deemed not to be original or is deemed to be inappropriate for publication may be declared to be ineligible, at the Sponsor’s discretion.  Sponsors are not responsible for computer error, system failures, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions, or other errors, failures or delays in computer transmissions or network connections that are human or technical in nature.

JUDGING:  All projects will be posted to an online photo gallery.  The top three projects in each category, with the highest votes will be reviewed, and judges chosen by the sponsors will declare the winners. 

PRIZES: 

Over $500 in prizes. 

Grand Prize $200 Value  (One Grand Prize)

($100 gift certificate for ReCreate,  $100. Gift certificate for Beverly’s Fabrics and Crafts.)

Category Prizes for runner up (3 other categories) prizes $75 Value  (Three Runner Up prizes)

($40 gift certificate for ReCreate,  $35. Gift certificate for Beverly’s Fabrics and Crafts.)

Honorable Mentions (Five Honorable Mention awards.)

($25 gift certificates for ReCreate)

GENERAL CONDITIONS: No cash redemption, substitution or transfer of prize permitted. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize in whole or in part if an advertised prize should become unavailable. All federal, state and local taxes on prize are the sole responsibility of the winner.  Potential Grand Prize winners will be notified by email. Return of prize or prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification. Unclaimed prizes may not be awarded. Acceptance of prize constitutes winner’s agreement and permission for Sponsor and their agencies to use winner’s name/likeness for advertising and trade purposes in any and all media without further notice or compensation, unless prohibited by law. By participating in the Contest and/or accepting prize, Contest entrants agree to: (a) be bound by these official rules and the decisions of reCREATE and OneBigBin, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

Sponsors:  reCREATE and One Big Bin. 

Cleaning Up Our Waste by Making Household Cleaner

Some weeks back we made laundry detergent.  It was incredibly easy t o make, and ended up washing our clothes just as well as store bought detergent.  So we declared that experiment a success, and we are about due to make a second batch.

This weekend we were able to try out the household cleaner we whipped up about a month ago.   We ran across this idea on Pinterest - orange and vinegar based surface cleaner.   No icky chemicals, and something that is both easy and should work well, because of it's vinegar base.   I took my directions from a post on the blog Around the Supper Table.  Since I didn't have a big jar handy, I just used a jelly sized jar to try my first batch of cleaner.  It is really easy:

1.  Stuff orange peels into a jar
2. Pour white vinegar over the top
3.  Wait for at least two weeks to allow the orange essence to get into the vinegar.
4.  Pour into a spray bottle (I reused an old empty one) and use!

This could not have been easier, and it smells like orange - yum!  It cleaned up our counters quite nicely.  I have a new batch brewing already, I liked it that much.

So this little project will save me from tossing empty plastic bottles that were once filled with chemical based cleaners.  A win for us and our environment!

Drinking from a Straw Doesn't Have to Suck

For me, Earth Day is every day, But since Earth Day is "officially" in April, I wanted to celebrate  by giving away some reusable items that helped me create less waste.

I'm a mom who runs a small nonprofit, has two kinds in elementary school and a husband who travels at times for work.  Sometimes, I don't have the time / energy to cook at home so we do eat out a few times a week.   That said - I hate how much waste gets generated at restaurants, and if there was a less wasteful way to eat out, we'd probably eat out more often.  If you set aside all of the packaging for the food, and just look at the waste from drinks - it is CRAZY.

If you just take the single largest fast food chain, McDonald's - you will see they serve over 64 million meals each day.  That means that if each meal had a drink, with a straw, over the course of a year, McDonald's generates about 23,360,000,000 plastic straws in their waste.  That number is too big for me to even try to say.  Perhaps only a portion of the people get a drink, but if you add the drinks for Subway, Burger King, Wendy's and the other fast food chains - the amount of waste is overwhelming. 

A while back, I had a chance to hear Beth Terry, the Author of My Plastic Free Life, speak.  She shared a number of reusable products that helped her reduce her plastic consumption down to practically nothing.  I was intrigued by her Glass Dharma Straw, so I ordered one for each person in the family, and we all love them!

If you are already a pretty eco-minded, minimal waste person, this is for you.  If you already have your reusable cup and bring your own shopping bags/containers to the store, this could be your next step for reducing waste.

We have a gift pack of three Glass Dharma (an amber shorty straw, a smoothie straw, a beautiful bend straw, as well as a cleaning brush)  glass straws you can win.  These straws are sustainable, reusable, durable, easy to clean and suitable for hot or cold drinks.    Glass straw - but will it break?  I can tell you we have accidentally dropped one on our tile floor, and it didn't break.  They are made of glass, but they are incredibly durable!

To be entered to win the prize, please leave a comment below.  Tell us how you try to reduce the amount of plastic waste you generate in your day-to-day life, and one thing you already do to make less waste.    Be sure to leave me an email/contact if you win!  Winner will be announced on April 22nd!  You must be a resident of the U.S. to participate.

Sorry for the late announcement for the winner... The Random Generator chose #2  - Congratulations Annette - you win the prize pack!!

Relish Reusable Blog Hop Giveaway

Welcome to the Relish Reusable Giveaway Hop hosted by Measuring Flower and Eco Crazy Mom! I have teamed up with a group of other green bloggers to bring you a bunch of fun, eco-friendly, and reusable giveaways worth a minimum of $25 each. So, after you've entered our awesome giveaway below, be sure to "hop" on to the next blog to enter their giveaway as well. You can find a list linking to all the other blogs towards the bottom of this post. Don't forget to enter the event's big grand grand prizes, including $200 of reusable products donated by Reuseit.com!

Restaurant packaging used for take-out and left over food is a waste problem.  According to Californians Against Waste, only about 5% of California communities require restaurant packaging to be recyclable, which translates into a lot of waste that enters our landfills.  

A few simple ways you can make less waste is provide your own packaging:

• Bring your own coffee cup to your favorite coffee spot.  The way I got into the habit for doing this, was that if I forgot my cup, I didn't stop for coffee!  Since I love coffee, this was a habit I learned very quickly. 
• Plan ahead for taking food home.  Before I found our giveaway,  We pack our own containers to take our food home.  An inventive woman, has made it easy for you, with her  Go Green Doggie Bag. 

Talking (a little less) Trash is giving away a Go Green Doggie Bag. This is the perfect reusable 'take it home' doggy bag to help eliminate Styrofoam containers.  Now, when you are headed out to a restaurant, grab this reusable shopping bag.  It includes four reusable storage plates, two soup bowls and lids.  

This picture shows 5 plates.  Our version has 4 plates and two soup bowls.

The divided storage plates have snap-on lids to let you easily and conveniently store and/or freeze your 'take home.'   They work well in the freezer, microwave and dishwasher.   The sturdy plastic plates come in different translucent colors, letting you see what's inside.  Lids feature closeable vent holes and easy-lift tabs.   These containers are BPA free! 

To learn more about Go Green Doggie Bags, go here.

Our prize is valued at over $28.00.  We will randomly draw a winner from the comments posted below.  We will close the contest to entries at midnight on April 15th, 2013.  You must be at least 18 years old to enter.   Be sure to give us a way to contact of you if you win!  Extra entry for posting one way you pledge to make less trash in the future.

Be sure to check back throughout the month.  We have other giveaways to celebrate Earth Day, and encourage reuse, including a gorgeous Glass Dharma straw pack, and yummy body products in compostable packaging from Organic Essence.  We will also be offering up creative ways to reuse/upcycle common materials to make art!   Please take a minute and follow our blog.

Disclaimer: This event’s hosts and the participating bloggers are not responsible for any sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes, but will do their best to ensure that each winner receives their winnings.

Congrats auntietina - You won the drawing for the Go Green Doggie Bag!

Happy Green Easter!

I was unplugged for much of this week, hiking the beautiful central coast of California.  Today, my kids and I are catching up on our green crafting for Easter.  Here are some fun projects you might want to try at home. 

Egg Carton Art from Red Ted Art

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

This image is from MarthaStewart.com

Here is an excellent how to link.  

From the incredibly talented michele made me

Egg Carton Flowers

More green Easter craft ideas can bee seen on my Pinterest Board. All images and links above were sourced from Pinterest.

In honor of Earth Day in April. we will be having some great giveaways, be sure to subscribe to our blog, and you might win a great eco-friendly prize! 

Reduce, Reduce, Reduce, Reuse and then Recycle

In my position at reCREATE, we visit thousands of kids and talk to them about waste reduction.  As part of the presentation, we show them a video that explains how our garbage is processed here in Western Placer County at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF).    

Did you know, if we took all the materials recovered for recycling at the Western Placer MRF, and placed it on a football field, for one year, it would go from one end zone to the other, and be about 200 feet high.  (If a building is over 200 feet, it is officially considered a skyscraper.)

No football fields were "trashed" in the making of this image.

While these materials will be used again, it does take resources to convert these materials into new paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal or aluminum.  Some materials recycle "better" than others.  For example, glass can be recycled forever, countless times.  Paper and cardboard can be recycled several times, but eventually it is an end product (no longer recyclable).  Aluminum cans can find their way back onto a store shelf in as little as 60 days, quick and easy!  To see how plastic is recycled, here is a video from Recycle Bank. 

It is interesting to note, that recycled products often take fewer resources to make than new products from virgin resources.  I will talk more about this in a future blog post!

That said, I still feel a responsibility to make less waste, recyclable or not.  What about you?  Want to help shrink that skyscraper a bit?  

We encourage the idea of Reduce (make less garbage) first.  
Reuse (use things over and over) second,
And Recycle as the third option. 
Ways everyone can reduce and reuse: 

• Buy snacks in bulk, and pack them in reusable containers
• Invest in a reusable water bottle
• When shopping, look for options with minimal packaging 
• Shop thrift or reuse stores
• Need something short-term?  Borrow or rent it. 
• Take your own shopping bags.
• When you are out eating, do you need a plastic lid and straw or can you forgo them?  

All of these ideas help make a little less trash.  Thanks for stopping by!  I'd love to hear how you reduce your waste.