Saying Goodbye to Plastic and Paper...

If you're reading this blog, chances are you have no problem with environmental protection and conservation. It's not something you're actively involved in but, still, you're the sort that recycles beverage containers and only buys compact fluorescents to replace light bulbs. You would never willingly litter, buy styrofoam cups, or run out the door with all the lights on and the television running full blast. But beyond that? The task of saving the environment seems so monstrous, where would you even start?

Here. Start with making two simple lifestyle changes that can really make a difference for the environment. This entry is the first in a series that will walk you though, step-by-step, the process of eliminating disposable items from your life. For now we'll focus on store bags and paper towels. The best part about this series (Econduct's Moving Toward a Disposable-Free Lifestyle) is that anyone can do this! A couple months after you make a change you'll be surprised how easy it is to live without these so-called necessities. All you have to do is decide you'll start here and now.

First, a very brief overview on disposable bags. Plastic bags are made from oil. Only a fraction of them are actually recycled and so they take up space in landfills or pollute our ecosystem. Paper bags aren't much better; they require more energy to produce and are manufactured from trees. There are dozens of reasons why disposable bags are harmful to the environment, so I'll move on and cover how to go about avoiding them.

The BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) Guide

1. Invest in reusable bags. This step won't be difficult in this day and age. You can find reusable bags sold at major grocery chains for only $1 each. At that, these bags are designed specifically with groceries in mind and they can each carry the equivalent of 2-3 plastic grocery bags. You can also find canvas and tote bags sold in many retail stores or may find them given away as corporate freebies at fairs and events. If you still find you're need of reusable bags, here's a list of manufacturers to consider. (Look for companies based in the U.S. and who manufacture in the U.S.) A economical option would be to double-bag used grocery paper bags and use these until they fall apart. (Then recycle in a mixed paper bin.)

2. If driving is your mode of transport, designate a small area of your vehicle to store these bags. This might be the trunk or the backseat. I recommend finding a basket or container to keep your bags in order.

3. Designate a spot in your home to place bags after you've unloaded your groceries and goods. A logical location would be a coat closet near the front door. Or perhaps a shelf in the garage near the door. It should be a place that you'll notice when you are on your way to your vehicle, so you can easily grab them. This will help keep all your bags in your vehicle, not at left at home at times when you need them.

4. Remember to bring the bags with you to ALL stores! For most people, remembering the bags will be the biggest challenge with this lifestyle change. For the first month, make a conscious effort to equate walking into a store with bringing a reusable bag. You could write a reminder on your shopping list or leave a bag in the passenger seat to remind yourself. Soon enough, it will become habit and you won't need to think about it at all. If you are someone who is always on the go, you might consider taking one compact bag with you everywhere!

5. Inform your cashier you won't need a bag. Do this immediately after the greeting. Most cashiers are on auto-pilot and won't notice you have your own bags unless you tell them. It's very easy to forget this step and before you know it, half your groceries are in plastic bags.

One tiny bonus to bringing your own bags is that many grocery stores offer 5 cents per bag off your total purchase. It's not much, but it will certainly cover the cost of the reusable bag in the course of its lifetime. And the real benefit here is for the environment. If you need a little motivation, check out this slide show on the impact of plastic bags.

The second half of this post will cover how to get along without paper towels. The production of paper towels contributes to deforestation and the exacerbation of global warming. That's not to mention the pollution of air and water, energy use, and the increased pressure on landfills. Several major paper towel manufacturers design their product to try to be as strong and tough as towels, so why not use the real thing?!

About two years ago, I decided not to buy paper towels ever again. Since then I have developed a system using cloth rags and towels to keep my kitchen and home clean and sanitary. I will gladly share my system so that Econduct readers need not go through any trial and error process! And please feel free to modify this so that it fits your needs.

The LWPT (Living Without Paper Towels) Guide

1. Invest in cloth dishrags, towels, and napkins. You'll need different sizes and textures for different purposes (see step two for more info). Before running out to the store and buying cheap dishrags imported from China, there might be eco alternatives. A worn bath towel can easily be cut into smaller pieces to make dish rags. See if you can find some at thrift stores or yard sales that are in sturdy condition.

2. Designate particular types of towels with specific functions. This is to avoid situations like using cleaning products on a towel and then later accidentally using the same towel to dry your hands. One reason paper towels are popular is the concern of cross-contamination, but this system is designate with that in mind. Over time, you might collect cloth towels for the following purposes:

-Hand drying: Chose one the size of a bathroom hand towel. This should be in the range of 16x27". Texture and thickness can entirely based on preference. Have them available close to the kitchen sink. Toss in the wash basket if food accidentally gets smeared or them. (1-3 in quantity)
-Counter/surface wiping: These dishrags will be the smallest in your collection, about the size of a washcloth or smaller. Mine are 10x10". I recommend low to medium thickness. The thicker the cloth, the longer it takes for them to dry, thus the higher the likeliness they will grow mildew. At the slightest hint of smell, dry and discard in the wash basket. (4-6)
-Counter/surface drying: Choose towels/rags for maximum absorption, thicker and with looped fabrics such as terry cloth or herringbone. Find towels/rags approximately 15x15" in size. (8-10)
-Drying clean dishes: Designate one towel for the sole purpose of drying clean dishes. Select this towel based the the qualities listed above for surface drying.
-General purpose: Have low-lint towels/rags on hand for purposes such as dusting or cleaning mirrors; this will minimize fabric particles left behind during these chores. You might use cloth napkins when they get older and stained. Variable sizes. (8-10)
-Big spills and miscellaneous: If you have any old worn bath towels, instead of tossing, keep these around to use in case someone knocks over a beverage onto the floor. They can also be great for drying if you're mopping the kitchen floor or washing your car. You'll want these to be big in size. (1-3)
(Numbers in parenthesis refer to recommended quantities, given for every 2 individuals in a household, with a laundry cycle of every 2.5-3 weeks.)

3. Find a place for all these rags. I store all my kitchen rags in one drawer. When in use, I keep my wiping dishrag on the kitchen sink (thoroughly ring after each use!), the hand towel hanging right below the sink, the dish drying towel on the oven rack, and my surface drying towels (usually I have 1-2 out at any time) out of the way hanging from a cabinet handle. Each kitchen is different so find placements that work for you and your household. Another tip, when I clean the bathroom, I use the drying rags that I had been using for the kitchen and replace fresh ones for the kitchen.

4. Use a small basket container to store dirty rags. I have a small trash bin that I keep under my kitchen sink. Make sure the rags are DRY when you toss them in. If they are sopping wet, they can develop an unpleasant smell because of mildew growth.

5. When you do your laundry, add these rags to your whites load. For efficiency only run when you have a full load. I recommend using hot water and adding a small amount of bleach to disinfect. For best results do not add fabric softener into this wash load. It will reduce the absorption power of your towels (until they are washed again).

6. Use the rags until they develop holes and begin to fall apart. And even then, you can use them once for a particularly tough grease or dirt mess, and then just toss them after that.

If the above towel system sounds complicated, let me assure you it's actually very simple and easy to stick to. And get creative with this and modify it to work for you. Econduct creater Heather has her own ingenious color system, developed based on the colors of rags she already had:

1. White is for water (drying dishes and surfaces)
2. Green is for gross (cleaning up biospills)
3. Clay is for cleaning (using cleaning sprays)
4. Blue is for you (hand drying)

The savings are surprising significant; you may save $50 or more per year by not buying paper towels. Now, if you are clean up bio-hazardous messes, like pet accidents, you might feel more comfortable dealing with these situations with paper towels. One roll should suffice for several years if you limit your use. Also, consider using newspaper for such clean-ups.

Good luck! And please feel free to leave comments here if you have any tips we might have overlooked.

Get to Know Your H2O (Inside Edition)

Water, water everywhere, but don't use before you think. Water is a precious commodity. Whenever I turn on the faucet, I like to imagine pennies flowing out of it and into the drain. Here are a few tips on how you can easily conserve your water usage inside the house:


 

1. Take a cool shower at least twice a week using the Navy shower method. This method will not only conserve water, but also reduce your heat energy usage.
2. Brush your teeth and wash your face in the shower while you are scrubbing the rest of your body.
3. Make sure you are using a water efficient shower head. Talk to an associate at your local hardware store for brand recommendations.
4. If you insist on brushing your teeth over the sink, don't let the water run. Same goes for hand-washing and shaving.
5. Fix every appliance and fixture so that they do not leak.
6. Try using the "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down," mantra when it comes to toilets at home.
7. If you absolutely need hot water from a faucet, use a container to collect the cold water that comes out of the tap with a bowl or bucket. Use this water for watering houseplants or put it in the fridge and use it later for drinking water.
8. Don't use running water to wash fruits and vegetables. Wash them in a small tub of water instead.
9. If you find that you just can't finish that glass of water, use the rest to water houseplants.
10. When using the clothes washer or dishwasher, make sure they are filled to capacity.
11. If your dishwasher was produced in the past five years, don't bother with pre-rinsing. These models can take care of most caked on stuff.

Did you know going green can help save you green? Many local governments offer rebates on water-efficient appliances and fixtures. Go to your county's website for more information.

For many more tips, check out this link: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php

Turning Down (Or Off!) the A/C...

It's summer. Throughout most of the country it's hot and humid. Like an outdoor steam sauna. So why on earth would we consider going without air conditioning?

If you look at the environmental implications, though, air conditioning is difficult to justify - even in warm, humid climates. Stan Cox has a new book out, Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World (and Finding New Ways to Get Through the Summer), which provides statistics on just how much of an energy hog A/C is. More than that, Cox details how it has shaped Western society - and not for the better. Once bustling neighborhoods are now vacant of people in the summertime. We've replaced the sound of children playing with loud hum of the air conditioner.

According to Cox, A/C is responsible for generating more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This is equal to the amount of CO2 that would be "produced if every household in the country bought an additional vehicle and drove it an average 7,000 miles a year." And if the cost to the environmental isn't enough, air conditioning accounts for one-fifth of the national energy bill in the United States.

In the work space, we can't always adjust the thermostat, but we all have full control of doing so in our homes. Here are some practical tips from AlterNet on how to keep comfortable indoors without the aid of A/C:

Bring the outdoors in: During the day, direct sunlight is the enemy, so keep the windows shut tight and block the light with blinds and drapes. If your house is oriented along the points of the compass, you can close the eastern windows in the morning and leave the western windows open. Reverse the process in the afternoon. Or just close all windows around noon. But at night, let the outdoors in. Pay attention to the outdoor temperatures and throw open the windows every evening to let the cooler air in. Open the doors to your porch or patio and let your indoor life flow in and out. Spending time on the front porch or patio is a nightly relief and strengthens connections to the neighborhood. A fan should keep you cool, and night sounds can be very relaxing.

Move the air: Your body is constantly producing heat, in amounts comparable to what's put out by a 100- to 300-watt light bulb. In hot or hot/humid weather, your body has a harder time ridding itself of that heat, creating discomfort. Air moving across your body is highly effective in helping you shed heat; indeed, the mass production of electric fans in the early 20th century probably made a bigger difference in people's comfort than did the later introduction of the air-conditioner. Attic or whole-house fans, when turned on in the evening after the outdoor temperature has dropped, replace hot air that has accumulated inside during the day with fresh, cooler air. Keep the air moving at night. If there's no natural breeze and you don't have an attic fan, use box fans to blow air in through a window on one end of your house or apartment and out a window on the other (and take that out-blowing fan seriously; it is equally, if not more, important). Sliding glass doors can provide a wall-sized breeze. Remember that the coolest temperatures occur just before sunrise, so capture as much cool air as you can before the sunlight returns.

Get wet: Use water strategically. Drink plenty of it to stay hydrated. When you shower, turn the temperature way down to cool off your body (and for extra energy savings, consider shutting off your hot water heater; you'll probably still get warm water out of it when you want it). And respect the power of evaporation. Spray yourself with water every now and then, and you will quickly appreciate it. When going to sleep, spray yourself a few times and lie down under a ceiling fan or in front of a box fan, and you might even feel chilly. If it's not feasible to hit the lake or local swimming pool, but water supplies are sufficient, set up the lawn sprinkler. If the vegetable garden is getting dry, set the sprinkler to overshoot the sides of the garden a little and send the kids (or yourself) out to cool off in it. Lying in a few inches of water in the tub can cool your entire body, especially if you splash it on yourself or turn your body in the water. Try plugging the drain during a shower, then lying in the collected water for a few minutes. Then rinse off before getting out of the shower.

Use other appliances strategically: The goal may be to save energy, but don't let it stop you from using other appliances to help you stay cool. You will easily see in your electric bill that turning off the A/C more than compensates for extra use of these other appliances:

Portable and ceiling fans: These are essential.
Portable swamp cooler: Quite effective in dry climates.
Refrigerator: Keep a large supply of water in the fridge. Also keep an eye on any perishable food. In especially hot homes, most breads and fruits will quickly go bad unless refrigerated.
Freezer: Be vigilant about refilling your ice trays. Also, don't be afraid to use the freezer for more creative uses. At some point in the summer, cold foods and beverages won't stay cold for long once you take them out of the fridge, so consider keeping a few cereal bowls or drinking glasses in the freezer. That way, they'll keep your food cold as you enjoy it. And, hey, if you're getting dressed up for any reason, try putting an undershirt or other clothing in the freezer for a few minutes before putting it on. It will keep you cool as you finish dressing and get out the door.

But unplug anything you don't need. Any household device that runs on energy in the form of electricity or gas also releases much of that energy as waste heat. The fewer things you have turned on, the less heat you have to deal with. There's a reason that around the world, kitchens traditionally have been separated from the main house. Cut back on boiling and baking especially. Try grilling outside to keep the kitchen cool. Grill enough food on the weekend to provide several meals, then warm it up in the microwave during the week. Keep any unneeded lights turned off. Energy-efficient light bulbs and refrigerators pump out less heat than conventional ones. If you haven't turned off the water heater, take tepid, not hot, showers, to avoid filling the house with a big load of humidity. And use advanced solar technology -- the clothesline -- to dry the laundry. You'll find clothes drying faster in the warmer temperatures, even if hung indoors. And as a bonus, pets love the drying rack because of its evaporative cooling effect.

Adjust your schedule: Don't plan on spending much time inside your un-air-conditioned home in the afternoons, the hottest part of the day. It will be coolest in early morning and late evening, so plan your home time to take advantage of it. Try to spend your afternoons doing other things: work, running errands or even just being outside in the shade. People in two-story houses can move downstairs in the afternoon when the second floor becomes hot with rising air. And of course, you can migrate from there to the basement if you have one.

Set a concrete, realistic goal: Don't try to give up A/C cold turkey. Work your way up to it with intermediate goals, and stick to them. And once you shut off the A/C, consider ahead of time which conditions, if any, would prompt you to turn it back on -- and for how long. Don't make up excuses to turn the A/C back on, but don't set yourself up for failure by setting overly aggressive goals. For example, in the first summer that you've shut off the A/C, if you have great difficulty sleeping for three consecutive nights, maybe you allow yourself a few hours of A/C usage to help you fall asleep on the third night (or, hopefully, you'll come up with another way to fall asleep before the third night). But decide on exceptions like these ahead of time and you'll be more likely to hold out and meet bigger and bigger goals.

Many thanks to AlterNet and Stan Cox for the advice borrowed for this blog post. For more tips on living without air conditioning, please visit http://www.alternet.org/environment/147495/air-conditioning_is_terrible_for_the_earth_--_here's_how_to_live_without_it/?page=entire.

Feel free to post comments on your own efforts and any challenges faced. We're all in this together! Good luck!

How to Reduce Junk Mail: A Comprehensive Guide

I see it all the time at apartment complexes. A well-meaning individual walks up to his mailbox and unlocks the box. He pulls out a stack of letters, fliers, and advertisements. He sorts through it, taking out only one (maybe two) items of import. The rest is dumped into the trash (or recycle bin, in certain places). This continues for years, decades. Over a lifetime, one individual's passivity can have devastating consequences for the environment.

According to NoJunkMailSigns.com, "In the USA, an estimated 100 million trees a year are cut down to produce paper used for junk mail, and 28 billion gallons of water are used in the process." Not only that, the energy required to produce America's junk mail and then dispose of it is equal to that of 2.8 million cars. And for what? So that you can throw the mailings away without even looking? Even if you recycle the damage has already been done.

Okay, so what can you do about it? Here's my DIY plan for reducing the amount of unwanted unsolicited mailings:

1. If you haven't already, fill out a form to opt-out of pre-approved credit card offers. The website to do so is www.optoutprescreen.com/. I recommend the option where you print the form, sign, and then mail it in, which makes your choice permanent at your mailing address. (The online option is good for 5 years.)

2. Go paperless with your bills. Most all banking can be done online.

3. Add your address to the following websites, if you get mail from them:
http://app.bedbathandbeyond.com/prefs/dmunsub.cfm (Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons)
http://www.traderjoes.com/soapbox.asp (click on "unsubscribe by mail," this is for the Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer)
(If you come across any more, let us know and we will add the link here.)

4. Likely you receive a weekly flyer that uses as much paper as a magazine, with color advertisements for many stores. The recycle bin is always full of them. Look at the label to see who is sending you the flyer. In my case, it was Redplum, by Valassis. If Valassis is mailing yours, visit the website http://www.valassis.com/1024/Contact/MailingListRemoval.aspx. If it's another company, a little internet sleuthing will be required.

5. Register with DMAChoice at www.dmachoice.org/. DMAChoice is a company that operates both way; it allows individuals to remove themselves from catalogs and mailing lists, as it does allow individuals to join such lists. Don't be tempted add a catalog from a favorite store. It's all online, after all. There are three mail categories: catalogs, magazine offers, and other mail offers. Change your status for all three to no mailings. After 90 days of being registered, you can login to DMAChoice and report any company that is still sending you unwanted junk mail.

6. DMAChoice is good for mailings sent in your name, but what about when you're receiving mail for previous residents? This is common if you rent. And what about requests for money donations from organizations that may not work with DMAChoice? Here's what you do:

-Over the course of one month, save every single item of mail that arrives addressed to a previous resident. Save it even if you see "Or To Current Resident" also on the label. Just have a little stack next to your usual mail pile. (Also add mail from smaller organizations you think might not remove you through DMAChoice.)

-After one month, set aside a small chunk of time and call every single organization or company in this pile of mail. Do this during business hours on a weekday, if possible. You can almost always find the company's phone number on the catalog or in the letter. If not, you should be able to find a customer service number online. All you have to do is tell the representative you're receiving mail for a previous resident and it's pretty easy to get off the list. If you can obtain an email address for customer service, that could work too, so you're not spelling out your address every single time. (Especially when you live on a street like Rengstorff.) At the bottom of this post, I have a sample email form you can copy and paste.

-Repeat. Do this once a month for 3-4 months and you will be on your way to a junk mail-free life! You will likely then have to repeat this a couple times a year in case you've been added to another list. You'll also want to be protective when you give you address out and ask if they sell your information to other companies and organizations. You can also give out slight variations of your name (like A. Middle Last, etc.) so you'll know who gave out your info if you get mail with that particular variation.

Be patience with this process. It can sometimes take up take up to 10 weeks before you start seeing the fruits of your labor, because mailings are printed way in advance. But soon enough you'll only be getting love letters and party invitations! What fun!

Some helpful links:
http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/junkmail.htm
tp://www.obviously.com/junkmail/
www.41pounds.org/
www.stopjunkmailkit.com/faq/
(Or Google "stop junk mail" to find many more...)

Sample email:
I'm hoping to reduce the amount of unsolicited mailings I receive and I'd like to unsubscribe from your advertisements.

Please remove this name and address from your list, this is how it appears on the label:
ID1234567890

The Happy Family
or current resident

5555 Happy Lane
Happy Town, US 98765-4321

Thank you for your time.

The First of Many

Hello and welcome to the first post on Econduct, a blog about going green! Since this is the inaugural entry, it will be quite lengthy. The rest of the entries on this blog will go more in-depth about the finer points of going green. For this entry, I have broken down some tips by using the three R’s: Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. You will notice that the Reducing section is the longest. That’s because I feel it is the most important. This initial method nips environmental harm in the bud.

Reducing (replacing all disposables and shrinking your carbon footprint overall)

1.      Stop using paper towels! Use hand towels instead. Afraid of germs or mixed contamination? Let me share my tried and true color system for hand towels:

a.       White is for water (drying dishes and surfaces)

b.      Green is for gross (cleaning up biospills)

c.       Clay is for cleaning (using cleaning sprays)

d.      Blue is for you (hand drying)

This method helps avoid contamination. If you are still concerned with real disgusting messes, like cleaning out a litter box, use newspapers in lieu of paper towels.  Also, replace paper napkins with cloth napkins.

2.      Don’t use disposable plastic or paper ware. Here are a few tips on avoiding use of these:

a.       Keep a plate, bowl, coffee mug, water cup, and set of metal utensils at the office or in the car

b.      Put together what I like to call a “Traveling Triple R” kit (Three Rs are for Reduce, Reuse, you get the idea).  This kit consists of the following:

                                                              i.      A set of collapsible utensils, like the ones seen here

                                                            ii.      A handkerchief

                                                          iii.      A small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s, as seen here

Take this kit with you everywhere you go. Use the soap to clean the utensils in a public restroom.

c.       Bring a food storage container with you if you plan on eating at a restaurant. Use this if you have leftovers.

3.      Don’t buy bottled water! Not only is this a tremendous waste of money, its havoc on the environment. Buy yourself a stainless steel water bottle and carry it everywhere.

4.      Buy in bulk (and within reason). Buying in bulk reduces packaging. But don’t buy anything you won’t use.

5.      Don’t use paper if you don’t have to.  If you have a mobile device, use it for notes and directions. Like to send letters and notes? Generally, an email can be just as heartfelt.

6.      All of these sound like everything you’ve heard before? Try this: instead of buying DVDs or books, use Netflix or the library. It will save you money, and you won’t have to sacrifice entertainment. Think of these as the Zipcar for movies and novels. Speaking of which…

7.      Get rid of your car, if you can. If you live and work within walking distance to a subway system, you don’t need a car. Look into using Zipcar.

8.      Consider going vegetarian. I will be posting several delicious recipes on this blog that will help smooth the transition.

9.      Make your own cleaning products. I will be posting some formulas on this blog in the future.

10.  Unsubscribe from all junk mail services. I will post more later on how to do this.

11.  Turn out the lights when they are not needed.

12.  Unplug all appliances when they are not in use.

13.  Finally, check all your utilities to make sure they are working efficiently. Make sure the faucets aren’t leaking, make sure the stove is working properly, and replace all light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.

Reusing

1.      Think twice before disposing glass. Glass jars can be reused for all kinds of storage

2.      If you must use paper, think twice before disposing any of it. Paper can be used for cleaning or scrap.

3.      Have old clothes or textiles that are too ratty to give away? Consider using them for crafts! Unravel old sweaters and reuse the yarn! Turn an old t-shirt into a satchel! I will be posting craft ideas here in the future.

4.      Don’t throw away bags or non-recyclable plastic containers! You can use these for non-food storage or for gifts.

5.      Don’t throw away cardboard boxes. Use them for mailing or storage.

6.      Donate before disposing! Need to get rid of stuff? ALWAYS donate it before disposing it.

Recycling

1.      Contact your local waste management about obtaining a recycle bin.

2.      Look up recycling rules on your local government’s website. Learn them, love them, live them.

3.      Compost all non-animal food items. I will talk about composting at a later time on this blog. Don’t have a garden? Some cities collect compost, and you could always try donating or selling it to a community garden. Contact your local government for answers.

More to come! Stay tuned!