Tag Archives: eco-friendly tips

Earth Week Daily Action: Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

by OttoZJNgwyfunoo Posted on April 19, 2016

If you’re still getting lunch to-go when you’re at work, Earth Week is the perfect time to pick at least one day to start the habit of bringing lunch from home.

Why bother? Because bringing your own has so many environmental benefitsand usually tastes better, too.

Food packaging is a big source of waste. You only need to look at the pile of plastic, styrene, paper and cellophane to know this is true. A simple salad from a take-out bar may generate the following:

* throwaway carry out paper or plastic bag

* throwaway plastic salad bowl or tray

* throwaway plastic or aluminum foil lid

* throwaway fork, knife, spoon

* throwaway paper napkin

* throwaway plastic container for salad dressing

* throwaway paper wrappers for individual servings of salt and pepper

* throwaway straws if you get a drink in your…throwaway cup

And that’s just for one meal. Multiply this by the millions of people who take out salad (or sandwiches or soup) every day, and the impact is enormous. EPA estimates that 780,000 tons of plastic and polystyrene cups and plates were discarded in 2008, enough to circle the earth 436 times, says ReuseIt.com. “These cups are non-biodegradable, deplete the Earth’s ozone layer, waste enormous amounts of landfill, and are deadly to marine life.”

Even if you only consider one fast-food place, like McDonald’s, the impact is significant: The company claims to serve over 60 million people globally each day!!

Another advantage of taking your own lunch is that you’ll reduce food waste. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that most people waste about 30 percent of the food they buy because it spoils or expires. That’s not only a terrible way to squander food, it’s a foolish way to spend money!

Though there are plenty of ways to use leftovers creatively and deliciously in lunches, people just forget about themor don’t make the time to package them up. One way to make sure you’re making your lunch at home and taking it with you is to get yourself a nice lunch bag or box to take it in.

Mighty Nest sells a lovely assortment of non-toxic lunch boxes for kids and adults alike. They’re light, washable and may make exactly the kind of fashion statement you want. You can also find reusable lunch bags and boxes at Target, Wal-Mart and many other stores. Many models are either freezable themselves or come with a freezer compartment in the event you need to keep certain foods cold.

Also, keep reusable food containers with lids handy when you are cleaning up after supper. Rather than cover a bowl of leftovers and slide it into the back of the fridge, apportion the food into lunch-size jars so they’re easy to grab and add to a lunch box before you leave for work.

Better yet, pack your lunch at night for the next morning so all you need to do is grab and go. Keep your own silverware at work so you don’t need to take it in every day, and don’t forget a cloth napkin!

Related:
9 Make-Ahead Lunches to Carry in a Mason Jar
Waste-Free Lunch Tips

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Earth Week Daily Action: Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

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Daily Action to Celebate Earth Week: Restore Nature

by MaryannBlackwell Posted on April 16, 2016

The week leading up to Earth Day is a great time to focus attention on the individual steps we can each take to help protect the planet and ourselves. That’s why, throughout Earth Week (April 17 – April 23) we’ll be highlighting a daily action that can make a difference.

First up: Restore Nature

Nature depends on wilderness, wetlands, forests, prairies and even deserts to sustain the animals, plants and resources ecosystems need to thrive. But the natural world is quickly disappearing. Since the 1700s, the U.S. has lost over 50 percent of its wetlands.

Twenty-two states have lost at least 50 percent of their original wetlands, reports Environmental Concern, Inc., while in seven states over 80 percent of original wetlands have disappeared. The story is similarly grim when it comes to the loss of forests.

The United Nations Environment Programme reports that 13 million hectares of forests, an area equivalent to the size of Greece, are cut down around the world every year. And though over a quarter of the world was once covered by grasslands, much of that has now been turned into farms, energy development and even suburbs, says National Geographic.

Though you may not be able to plant a tract of prairie or singlehandedly restore a marsh, you can do the following to make a difference:

* Plant a tree in your own yard. Can this make a difference? I think of the neighborhood I grew up in as proof that it can. My neighborhood started off as a blank subdivision that had been clearcut so that every house could be easilybuilt on a small, treeless tract. One of the first things my parents and others did when they moved in was plant treesin their front yard as well as in the back. Today, that neighborhood is flush with mature trees that provide shade in the summer and wonderful habitat for all kinds of migrating birds.

* Fill your landscapewith native plants. Whether or not you plant a tree, you will probably have other flowers and bushes in your yard. As much as possible, skip the exotic species in favor of native plants that help restore nature’s balance to your community. Your local county extension agent will be able to tell you what’s native to your region, as well as what will thrive in your own yard given your access to sunlight and water.

* Get together with your neighbors to restore natural spaces. Convene a meeting with your city planning officials and other concerned citizens to identify parts of your neighborhood that you can replant. Connect with the Boy Scouts to stencil storm drains with messages that warn people that the drains connect to their watershed, so they shouldn’t dump oil, paint or other contaminants. Organize a stream clean-up.

* Stopinvasive species.Non-native plants and animals threaten native wildlife and ecosystems and wreak ecological havoc, says the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), which pushes many plants and animals to the brink of extinction. Next to habitat loss and degradation, invasive species are the biggest threat to biodiversity. They can also cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars because they can clog water pipes, decimate fisheries and propagate disease. NWF recommends setting up monitoring systems to detect infestations of these unwanted creatures, and, at home, eradicating invasives in favor of planting and maintaining a natural garden.

* Be water wise. Think about water in two ways: how you use it and how you keep it clean. We waste an enormous amount of water by letting faucets run; by watering grass; by ignoring leaks; and by running appliances like dishwashers and clothes washers when they’re somewhat empty. Save water in your yard by planting more drought-tolerant plants, tightening faucets, replacing toilets and shower heads with more water-wise models and running appliances when they’re full. Protect water quality by minimizing use of fertilizers, insecticides and other pollutants that can run off into streams, rivers and lakes. Buy organically grown food to help reduce agricultural water pollution. And stop using personal care products that contain plastic microbeads, tiny pieces of toxic plastic that wash down the drain and into our waterways.

What other ideas do you have for restoring Nature on Earth Day? We’d love to hear what you plan to do.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Daily Action to Celebate Earth Week: Restore Nature

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5 Easy Ways to Use Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning

by ShelliEbersbach Posted on April 5, 2016

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? It can be a daunting taskespecially when you know there’s dust, dirt and germs lurking everywhere!

Certain essential oils that have antimicrobial properties can help you get your entire home spic and span in a natural, chemical-free way. Best of all, you can choose what scents you like best and combine them to take advantage oftheir unique properties and make your whole homesmell better than ever.

Here are a few suggestions for some common household chores you may be planning to tackle this spring.

Combine eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon essential oil as a fragrant spray for your closets.

Spring is always a great time to go through your closets so you can toss what you don’t wear anymore and stock it with all your clothing for warmer weather. Since closets are one of those dark, crowded areaswhere the air can get kind of stale, you can grab a spray bottle, fill it with 1 1/2 cup of water plus eight drops each of eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon essential oiland then give your closet a thorough spray to freshen it up.

Useplain old water, vinegar and your favorite citrus essential oil to wash windows and window sills.

It’s refreshing to open the windows to let the spring breeze air into your home, but this can also bring your attention to how dirty and dusty they may be after a long winter. Mix 1 1/2 cup white vinegar with 1 cup water and eight drops each of lemon, grapefruit, wild orange, lime or a combination of these all in a spray bottle for a beautifully fragrant and effective solutionto wash and wipe down all your windows.

Create a mixture of wild orange, sandalwood and clove essential oil to wipe down doorknobs, handles, buttons and switches.

We all know that germs spread easily when infected people touch things that other people touch. It’s time to kill off any signs of cold and flu season for good by wiping down anything that’s regularly touched by multiple people with a mixture of water and bacteria-fighting essential oils. Eight drops each of wild orange, sandalwood and clove diluted in 1 cup of water will smell amazing and kill anything nasty that’slingering on stuff in your home.

Add lemon essential oil to some tissues or cotton balls to add to your vacuum cleaner’s canister.

Lemon essential oil is one of those super powerful oils that has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antibiotic properties. By sticking a few tissues or cotton balls soaked with 5 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil into the canister of your vacuum, the oil will diffuse throughout your home and eliminate that dusty vacuum cleaner smell.

Fill a bucket with water, vinegar and peppermint or lemon essential oil to mop your floors.

Believe it or not, essential oils are versatile enough to work on almost any type of flooring including hardwood, tile, linoleum, ceramic, vinyl and laminate. Since spring is when all the critters wake up and sometimes make their way into our homes, peppermint oil will be your best friend in helping you ward off mice, ants and other insects. You could also use lemon essential oil if you’re intention is to disinfect. Add 1 cup vinegar plus 15 to 20 drops of essential oil to a bucket of water and get mopping!

Before purchasing essential oils, make sure to do your research. The most inexpensive varieties are used for aromatherapy and aren’t nearly as pure as therapeutic grade oils. Find out more about what you need to consider when shopping around for essential oils.

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Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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5 Easy Ways to Use Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning

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10 Reasons to Eat Sprouts

by KimberlyPlume60 Posted on April 3, 2016

Sprouts truly are the best locally-grown food, yet not enough people eat or grow them. Considering there many health and environmental benefits, its time to consider adding sprouts to your diet. Here are 10 reasons to eat more sprouts:

1. Experts estimate that there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than uncooked fruits and vegetables. Enzymes are special types of proteins that act as catalysts for all your bodys functions. Extracting more vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids from the foods you eat ensures that your body has the nutritional building blocks of life to ensure every process works more effectively.

2. The quality of the protein in the beans, nuts, seeds, or grains improves when it is sprouted. Proteins change during the soaking and sprouting process, improving its nutritional value. The amino acid lysine, for example, which is needed to prevent cold sores and to maintain a healthy immune system increases significantly during the sprouting process.

3. The fiber content of the beans, nuts, seeds, or grains increases substantially. Fiber is critical to weight loss. It not only binds to fats and toxins in our body to escort them out, it ensures that any fat our body breaks down is moved quickly out of the body before it can resorb through the walls of the intestines (which is the main place for nutrient absorption into the blood).

4. Vitamin content increases dramatically. This is especially true of vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E. The vitamin content of some seeds, grains, beans, or nuts increases by up to 20 times the original value within only a few days of sprouting. Research shows that during the sprouting process mung beansprouts (or just beansprouts, as they are often called) increase in vitamin B1 by up to 285 percent, vitamin B2 by up to 515 percent, and niacin by up to 256 percent.

5. Essential fatty acid content increases during the sprouting process. Most of us are deficient in these fat-burning essential fats because they are not common in our diet. Eating more sprouts is an excellent way to get more of these important nutrients.

6. During sprouting, minerals bind to protein in the seed, grain, nut, or bean, making them more useable in the body. This is true of alkaline minerals like calcium, magnesium, and others than help us to balance our body chemistry for weight loss and better health.

7. Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food. When you grow them yourself you are helping the environment and ensuring that you are not getting unwanted pesticides, food additives, and other harmful fat-bolstering chemicals that thwart your weight loss efforts.

8. The energy contained in the seed, grain, nut, or legume is ignited through soaking and sprouting.

9. Sprouts are alkalizing to your body. Many illnesses including cancer have been linked to excess acidity in the body.

10. Sprouts are inexpensive. People frequently use the cost of healthy foods as an excuse for not eating healthy. But, with sprouts being so cheap, there really is no excuse for not eating healthier.

Check out my article: Grow Your Own Sprouts.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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10 Reasons to Eat Sprouts

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Are You One of the 7 Million Americans Threatened by Man-Made Earthquakes?

by ReaganMackness Posted on April 3, 2016

If you lived on the San Andreas Fault in California, where the earth’s crust shifts naturally on a somewhat regular basis, you would know that an earthquake could strike there almost any day.

But if you live in Kansas? Or Oklahoma? Or Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas and Texas?

Believe it or not, even if you occupythe middle of the country, you could be facing a future filled with damaging earthquakes, too. But that’s not because volatile tectonic plates are sliding back and forth and crashing against each other to create massive cracks in the continent’s surface.

It’s because oil and gas operations are sending enormous volumes of wastewater deep underground, where they can push the earth’s crust further downward, increase pressure against already existing fault lines and cause a great big rumble that will knock down your china cabinetor worse.

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assesses the risk of earthquakes or seismic activity caused by humans. The agency particularly looked at earthquakes triggered when wastewater from oil and gas operations is injected underground, as it is during the “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing occurring in the energy fields east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Mississippi River.

What they found has sent shockwaves across news outlets, social media sites and of course, the households in the paths of these operations: “The report shows that approximately 7 million people live and work in areas of the central and eastern U.S. (CEUS) with potential for damaging shaking from induced seismicity.”

“The chance of damage from all types of earthquakes is similar to that of natural earthquakes in high-hazard areas of California,” warns the USGS.

The conclusions are based on analysis of a “hazard model” that considers where, how often and how strongly earthquake shaking could occur anywhere in the U.S. in 2016 while taking into account seismic activity of the last six years. The USGS noted that the central parts of the United States have undergone the most dramatic increases in earthquake-type events, with 1,010 happening in 2015. Already through mid-March 2016, 226 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or larger have occurred in this part of the country. The largest occurrednear Prague, Oklahoma, where some of the most active wells injecting wastewater underground exist.

Sparking earthquakes is not the only concern that’s been raised related to fracking. Though the process has enabled access to enormous stores of natural gas, it has also been blamed for poisoning ground water and drinking supplies. Citizens and public health researchers have documented chemical spills around fracturing operations, reduced air quality, noise and night sky light pollution. The landscape is also destroyed as forests and wild lands are scraped clear to make way for drills, rigs and other industrial energy facilities. The award-winning film “Gasland,” which was nominated for an Academy Award, made a particularly striking point when it showed water that had been contaminated with fracking chemicals coming out of the faucet of a kitchen sink and catching fire.

The USGS and various state agencies will continue to monitor earthquake activity related to oil and gas activity, but that’s not going to do much to stop it. That’s turning out to be a state and federal decision. Already in the U.S., Maryland and New York have banned fracking statewide, while cities in Texas, Ohio and California have followed suit. U.S. federal agencies and President Obama are also being pressured to institute a moratorium on fracking, but those efforts have not gained much traction yet.

Meanwhile, if you’re concerned about both fracking and the rise in earthquakes caused by fracking, you can support organizations like Americans Against Fracking, a national coalition that includes Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, Breast Cancer Action, Democracy for America and 350.org.

You can also do your part to reduce demand for the natural gas that fracking generates. Start by saving energy at home, especially if your home is heated with gas and if you have gas appliances. Install a programmable thermostat to help cut down on how much energy you use. Insulate your attic and crawl spaces. Weatherstrip windows and doors. Have an energy audit to see where you can save the most energy the fastest.

Just as importantly, if not more so, explore your options to switch to solar panels or buy wind power. Increasingly, utilities make it possible for their customers to purchase wind-generated energy from independent sources. You can also buy or rent solar photovoltaics to get yourself off the utility grid.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Are You One of the 7 Million Americans Threatened by Man-Made Earthquakes?

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Best Drought-Resistant Plants for Your Garden

by LeeDartnell06 Posted on March 22, 2016

What should you plant in your garden in case we have a very dry spring, summer and fall? How can you beautify your landscape if you can’t water it?

The key is to plant drought-resistant plants that will do well on a minimum amount of moisture. Plants that don’t require a ton of watering make sense whether there’s a drought or not. Water for a yard or garden is expensive no matter where you live, so the less you need to create a beautiful yard, the better. Plus, watering takes time if you don’t have automatic sprinklers set up. You’ll end up wasting both water and time if you don’t choose plants that can get buy on a minimum of H2O.

Here’s a guide to choosing the least thirsty plants, along with some suggestions for flowers, bushes and ground covers that won’t require a downpour to do well.

How to Find the Best Drought-Resistant Plants

One approach is to fill your landscape with drought-tolerant specimens and save thirstier varieties for containers that can add a pop of color to a hill or bed without dominating the entire space.

But more importantly, choose the right plants for the amount of rain you’re likely to get. Contact your county extension service to get their recommendations; they will probably have a list you can download and use when you shop.

Browse the plant aisles at a local nursery as well. Big box stores will sell a lot of plants, but they won’t necessarily know anything about them. The local nursery will be more expensive, but you’ll get better advice there and probably a better selection of perennials that will do well in your region.

Shop for plants at farmer’s markets, too. Local farmers will be able to tell you how much moisture and sun a plant needs, as well as what pests it might be susceptible to. Remember that any plant you buy, you can propagate and turn into many more. Even if one plant seems expensive, it’s an investment in the future, as long as you care for it well.

Don’t forget to check out native plants. Natives to your region have evolved to do well in your climate. PlantNative.org offers this excellent guide to planning, planting and maintaining a native plant garden.

Finally, consider your soil. Does it retain moisture, so you can water it less and still keep your plants happy? Or is it sandy and dry and not capable of providing moisture to a plant’s roots when needed? You can often send soil samples to your county extension office for testing; they’ll also let you know what nutrients or soil amendments you need. Plan to add compost, which will enrich the soil and increase its ability to hold moisture.

Examples of Drought-Resistant Plants

As for plants to look into, here are some suggestions, depending on where you live:

Cactus – If you live in the American southwest or in another particularly dry but sunny part of the U.S., cactus has got to be on your list. These plants come in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, textures and colors. Many of them flower, and some of them even produce fruit. They’re gorgeous when planted in a bed that mixes up varieties to create visual interest.

Sedum – Sedum are considered a succulent; they store water in their leaves to help them survive dry spells. Sedum makes for a wonderful ground cover, especially on a slope.

Purple Sage – Purple sage is a member of the genus Salvia. It’s native to the western U.S., which historically is a dry habitat. Some varieties produce showy purple flowers. There are also shrub varieties. Flowers can be quite large and fragrant.

Joe Pye Weed – Eupatorium purpureum, or Joe Pye Weed, is a tall, majestic plant with airy pink-purple flowers that last from mid-summer through fall. While the plant does best in a moist environment, I have it planted in dry shade and never water it. It proliferates, but doesn’t get as tall in dry shade as it would if it were in moist sun. It attracts a bevy of insects and butterflies and is beautiful towards the back of the garden.

Sempervivum – This is a big group of alpine succulents. Their natural habitat is typically 3000-8000 feet above sea level in a cooler, drierclimate. There are about 50 species and over 3000 varieties, so you have a lot to choose from!

Echinacea – Also known as Purple coneflower, this plant is a native of the great plains of the U.S. It thrives in dry, sunny conditions, where its big beautiful flowers attract birds, butterflies and bees.

Lavender – It’s hard to go wrong with this beautiful plant. The flower is gorgeous and fragrant; it resists hot summers and cold winters, repels deer and resists most pests. It will add color and variety to your landscape for many years; you can also cut flowering stems, dry the flowers for potpourri or pulverize it and add it to your favorite lotion or liquid soap.

Russian Sage – Wayside Gardens describes this plant as having “super tolerance of heat, humidity and drought.” It will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and bloom all summer long. What’s not to love?

Related
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Best Drought-Resistant Plants for Your Garden

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What Are the Best Apps for Ordering Groceries Online?

by MichellD32 Posted on March 8, 2016

If you like to cook but don’t have time to shop for food, there are plenty of mobile apps that can make it easy for you to do your shopping online.

Why bother?You’ll save time driving to the store and strolling the aisles. You may get better organized about what you cook, since you can look at recipes while you shop to figure out exactly what ingredients you need. Maybe you’ll reduce waste, too, since you won’t be tempted by impulse products while you’re standing in the check-out line.

Plus, I found when I was shopping online for groceries that often, the food I got delivered was of better quality than what I found in the store.

A big disadvantage of online grocery shopping is that food comes in a lot more bags and containersthan I would use if I shopped myself. For example, I rarely put loose apples or oranges in a plastic produce bag, but if I order them online, they come in a bag that’s not very easy to re-use. Because groceries are packaged and then boxed up so an order is easy to deliver, it’s hard to avoid all that packaging waste.

WHAT APPS TO USE?

Grocery Store – Many grocery stores have their own apps so you can shop online but keep it local. For example, the Giant chain in the Washington, D.C. area calls its online service Peapod. You get a $20 discount on your first order if it’s over $100, and the first two months delivery charges are free. They offer “natural and organic” options as well as conventional ones. A mobile app means you can order from your phone if you’re in a meeting or on the go and realize you need food but don’t have time to shop.

Boxed – Boxed is a service that lets you order packaged groceries and household products in bulk. Delivery is free on all orders over $50 and there’s no membership fee. Boxed doesn’t deliver meat, fish or fresh produce. But for cereal, cookies, toothpaste, baby food, pet supplies, coffee and tea, you order online and receive your order in 1-3 days.

Instacart – This app allows you to shop from several stores in your zip code (if they’re working with Instacart). For example, where I live outside Washington DC, I could use Instacart to shop online at Whole Foods, Costco, Harris Teeter, Safeway and Petco. The first delivery is free; thereafter, delivery fees depend on when you want your groceries delivered. Within 2 hours, the cost would be $9.99; otherwise, it looked like it would cost about $5.99 for deliveries. When I clicked on Whole Foods, a number of discounts showed up, which was appealing. Otherwise, prices online seem to be about the same as in the store.

WeGoShop – Want a sort of personal shopper to take your order, do the shopping and deliver everything to your home? Take a look at WeGoShop. It differs from other services in that the shopper goes to the stores of your choice rather than a limited selection. For example, you might want items from a liquor store, grocery store, food coop, deli and specialty store. Your WeGoShop assistant could make all those stops for you without a problem. You pay for your groceries and a service fee upon delivery by cash, check, debit, credit card or by using a WeGoShop gift certificate. You need to call to place your order.

What online grocery apps do you use? Please share.

Related
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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What Are the Best Apps for Ordering Groceries Online?

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How You Can Be Green in the Office

by WendyWWQHcs Posted on March 5, 2016

I have a nine-to-five job, spending most of my day in front of the computer and far removed from any Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) property. I will likely not be doing hands-on conservation on any given work day. Sometimes, cubicle dwellers like me need to think hard about how we can contribute in environmentally positive ways in our workplace.

Recently, the NCC national office in Toronto opened a can of worms in hopes of closing the loop with our organic wastes. Up until November 2015, there had been no organic waste collection in our building. That all changed when a vermiculture start-up contacted NCC about composting our food waste through Green Bins Growing.

Owner and operator of WasteNot Worm Farms, Jocelyn Molyneux, is just about the most enthusiastic person Ive seen about red, wriggly worms. Over a lunch and learn, Jocelyn introduced our group to the important roles worms play in agriculture, the differences between traditional (hot) composting and worm composting and their fertilizer by-products. Of about a dozen attendees, only one had experience with worm composting and that was from the college she attended that had adopted this practice.

So whats the point of all this, and is it worth it?

Worms are the soils natural nutrient recycling squad and they are quite apt at this job. They eat decaying matter and produce nutrient-rich biofertilizer. By signing on for an office worm composting system, were looking to divert our organic waste away from landfill to a process that feeds back into our food system.

Jocelyn told us one pound of worms can eat up to one pound of food waste each day. The resulting manure material is called worm castings a dense, nutrient-rich humus that sequesters carbons, feeds soil with beneficial microbes that kick-start the soil food web and provides natural plant growth stimulators.

Compare this to conventional fertilizers, which are generally made from petroleum products: conventional fertilizers damage the natural soil ecosystem, reducing soil fertility by killing soil microbes and creating a dependency on further chemical fertilizer applications. Check out this fertilizer buying guide published by National Geographic.

Even when compared to traditional composting, worms come out on top. Traditional composting produces a low-grade soil mulch where the high heat treatment has killed most beneficial microbes and much of the carbon and other nutrients have broken down, Jocelyn says.

The price difference is telling, too. Worm castings weigh in at $400 U.S./cubic yard versus $30 U.S./cubic yard for compost.

A big incentive with WasteNot Worm Farm is that we receive 25 percent of our years castings to give out to employees or donate to a community garden. A good deal, compared to buying it at $5/lb, if you ask me!

Meeting our worms

Red wigglers are small but have a big appetite (Photo by NCC)

After receiving the 101 on worm composting, we had the chance to introduce ourselves to the red wigglers we had just employed. To our surprise, these are thin, spindly worms about two to four inches long; nothing like the big plump earthworms (night crawlers) some of us encounter while working in our gardens.

A brave few held their hand out to meet the worms, but were told not to handle them for too long as worms are photosensitive and can go into spasms under prolonged exposure to light.

We will not however actually have a worm bin in our kitchen, and for good reason! WasteNot Worm Farms collects our food wastes weekly, reducing the risk of fruit flies and limiting the waft of bad odors. Composting at a central farm facility (about 80 kilometres outside of Toronto) is more efficient for a small operation like WasteNot Worm Farms. Like the worms themselves, WasteNot Worm Farms is small but has a big appetite.

Ontario sends three million tonnes of organics to landfill each year, mostly because it’s cheaper to landfill in Michigan than it is to compost in Ontario.

Canadians are hungry for sustainable solutions, and worm farming is a simple, inexpensive biotechnology that recycles waste nutrients back to our soil. With early adopters like the Nature Conservancy of Canada leading the way, I’m confident that vermicomposting is on the verge of becoming a popular Zero Waste industrial recycling solution, says Jocelyn.

Trashing out then and now

Green Bin Growing (Photo by NCC)

It has now been four months since we started using the green bins and I can already see a drastic diversion of wastes. In the past without organic waste collection services, we had no choice but to dump our food scraps into the same bin as our non-recyclables. Since we signed on with WasteNot Worm Farms, our staff have been diligent in correctly sorting their organic, compostable items, recyclables and trash.

Our hope is that by paying a small premium for Green Bins Growing, we are supporting a waste management practice that promotes environmental sustainability. We are looking forward to seeing the volume of worm castings our wastes can generate over the year, ensuring were doing our part to cycle those nutrients back into our soil.

This post originally appeared on Land Lines and was written by Wendy Ho, editorial coordinator with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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How You Can Be Green in the Office

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Would You Like a Little Wood Pulp with Your Pizza?

by LeonBarszcz28 Posted on February 21, 2016

You wouldn’t normally sprinkle sawdust on your pizza. But what if it’s on the packaged grated cheese you use when you top off the sauce?

That doesn’t sound particularly appealing. But it turns out, it’s pretty common. Lots of companieseven some of the organic onessell pre-grated cheese in a plastic bag or tub that’s been dusted with something called “cellulose” to help keep the cheese dry and fluffy so it won’t clump together.

That cellulose, which is basically plant fiber, can be derivedfrom different kinds of plant materials, but the most common is wood pulp. Manufacturers grind up the wood, extract the cellulosic fibersthe saw dust, if you willand add it to the cheese.

This isn’t a particularly new practice. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration signed off on using cellulose to keep cheese loose in part because they say that the fiber passes through our stomachs and intestines without being absorbed.

However, now the FDA is investigating manufacturers who claim their product is, for example, “100% Parmesan Cheese” because it probably contains wood-based cellulose.

“Organic Valley does use cellulose in our shredded cheeses,” Elizabeth Horton of Organic Valley, told National Public Radio. “It’s a pretty standard anti-caking agent” that helps prevent the bits of cheese from clumping together. So does Lucerne. I have a package of grated Lucerne Parmesan cheese in my refrigerator, and the words “powdered cellulose” are clearly listed with the other ingredients.

Jon Bodner, who works for a company that provides cellulose to food companies, says that the cellulose isn’t really saw dust. But he acknowledges that the industry is looking for cellulose sources that come from plant foods, like corn stalks, leaves and husks or even sugar beets, rather than wood.

One problem that could arise in the event that non-wood plant crops are used to produce cellulose is that they could come from GMO plants. Consumers don’t seem to want to consume GMO-tainted foods, so adding GMO-derived cellulose to the cheese would probably not be too popular.

At least on my packaged cheese, the powdered cellulose was the second-to-last ingredient on the package, so the amount of dust is not huge.

But all things considered, I’d much prefer to eat just cheese without any cellulose added.

It’s easy enough to grate my own cheese when I need it, either using a metal hand-held grater or the grating attachment on my food processor.

There are threeother benefits of grating my own cheese.

First, it will be fresher. A regular brick of cheese usually expires long before packaged cheese. Why not grate your own for a fresher, more delicious taste?

Second, I can avoid the excess plastic packaging that grated cheese comes in if I grate my own. At my grocery store, grated cheese comes either in a plastic bag or in a plastic tub. Either way, that’s more plastic to have to throw away and add to the growing problem of plastic build up in the environment.

Third, buying non-grated cheese is usually cheaper than buying the grated stuff because you’re not paying for the packaging or the energy and labor costs of grating the cheese at a factory.

Here on out, I plan to buy bricks of cheese at my deli counter. Have them wrap them in butcher paper or even put them in a container I bring from home. That way I still get fresh cheese, but skip the plastic trash.

Related
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Would You Like a Little Wood Pulp with Your Pizza?

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Here are the Best Ways to Recycle Your Old Shoes

by GrantNiven Posted on February 14, 2016

A lot of time, energy, labor and natural resources go into making a pair of shoes. So don’t you think they should be used for as long as possible? And then repurposed into something else when their useful life as a shoe wears out?

Here are some creative ways to recycle old shoes so they keep on truckin’ rather than end up in a landfill somewhere.

Shoes That Can Still Be Worn

What should you do with shoes you just don’t like anymore, but are still perfectly good?

* Take them to the nearest thrift store. Shoes are a popular, in-demand item, whether they’re men’s dress shoes, kids’ tennis shoes or an exotic pair of heels.

* Donate them to a shelter that needs shoes for homeless or disadvantaged men, women or children, depending on the shoes you have. Contact the shelter before you drop the shoes off to make sure they’ll be used.

* Send them to a local affiliate of Dress for Success if they’re for women or Art for Humanity for men. Soles 4 Souls accepts men’s and women’s shoes of all kinds.

* Donate sports shoes toShoe4Africa.org, which helps people protect their feet from injuries and diseases like hookworm. One World Runningis another good resource.

* Donate kids’ shoes to The Shoe Bank. Though this group will take adult shoes as well, its primary focus is kids.

* Swap them with neighbors. Make sure you clean them well first; clean any shoes you receive in the swap as well. Tennis shoes, soccer cleats and other sports shoes are pretty safe to swap because people usually wear socks with those kinds of shoes.

* Pass them among siblings. This is easier to do with shoes that toddlers wear, since they usually outgrow the shoe before they wear it out physically. Also, shoe sizes for tots are pretty uniform because their feet are somewhat uniform in shape, unlike adult feet.

* Put them in the back of the closet. If you’re bored with your shoes or they’ve gone out of style,chances are they’ll be trendy againin a year or two. One or two pair of shoes don’t take up much room. Stow them on a high shelf or in the back of your closet and take them out next seasonmaybe you’ll like them better.

* Give them away on Freecycle.org or sell them on Craig’s List or Ebay.

Shoes That Can’t Be Worn Anymore

* If your shoes are so beat up no one can wear them anymore, send them to Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program, where they will be ground up and used to make into other products. You can find local drop off options here.

* If they still hold their shape, use them for planters, like the cute boots pictured above.

* If they’re a flat shoe, stretch a waterproof rubber bootie over them and wear them to garden or do yard work.

* Upcycle flip flops into door mats, baskets, artwork and even jewelry. You can get lots of ideas on this Pinterest page.

Related
13 Cool Things You Probably Don’t Know You Can Recycle
What Happens to Your Donated Clothing?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Here are the Best Ways to Recycle Your Old Shoes

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