Resource for the Responsible Recycler

Ever wonder what to do with those old phones, single-use batteries, wire hangers, extra materials from some building project, anything that you know doesn't belong in the garbage? Well there's a resource that can lead you to the answer, and it may be right in your neighborhood.

Earth 911 is a search engine that helps you find recycling resources in your state, city, and zipcode.

Now there's no excuses for not recycling and leaving all those pounds of reusable things in your trash. Get to it!

Earth 911. Enjoy.

Singing the praises of the Klean Kanteen

My 17-month old daughter has been using the same cup for about six months now.

You might think of it as gross, neglectful even, but I beg to differ. I think it's one of the smartest things I could do as a mother.

This cup is free of hormone-changing BPA, doesn't break down or leach chemicals when warmed or washed, and it is virtually unbreakable.

She uses the Klean Kanteen, and no I'm not getting paid for this post. (I wouldn't mind it, though.) The APEX sippy lids are swappable so if they get gross I can get new ones, but I am pretty thorough when washing it, so I don't have to do that.

I am writing this post because as soon as I get a chance to shimmy on down to Park+Vine (because I just found out they have them) and I am going to get myself one, so that I may avoid even being tempted to buy a bottle of water. What a waste.

Maybe I'll even get my coworkers a Kanteen for Christmas/Kwanzaa... Hmmm...

Books I've been meaning to get around to.

My brother once told me this story about something called a 'Roundtoit.' He said one day while at his childhood friends' house they were in the garage playing and they showed him one; a 'Roundtoit.' His friend explained to him, just as he explained to me that it was a very special item, very hard to find. A lot of people would never see it.

Get it?

I know I'm corny. LOL. Well, the point of the story is, is that I have several books that I'd recommend/love to read based on their reviews and topics and if anyone has read them I would love to hear their takes. Here's my shortlist:

Green Collar Economy by Van Jones
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Slow Food Nation, by Carlo Petrini
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
Hot Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman

So this is just a shortlist, but once I get a 'roundtoit' reading one of these, that is, (or scanning the pages as my daughter screams to use it as a coloring book) I will definitely post a review.

In the meantime, have you any recommendations? Reviews?

I wish I was a little bit greener...

Anybody remember that song, "I wish I was a little bit taller?" That was my jam way back in the day.

In the song, the rapper talks about all the things he wishes he could do or have. When I think about transitioning my life to being green, I start to wonder if the little baby steps I take (recycling, reducing energy use, changing light bulbs) make a difference. Many environmentalists would say, yes. Honestly it just makes me feel better to do certain things.

Anyhow, I always think about what my life would be like if I were 100% green.

Each morning I would get up, from the sound of alarm --powered by an outlet in a home powered by solar and/or wind-- untangle myself from my organic cotton sheets and blankets and take a very short shower using my low-flow showerhead.

I would clothe myself in organic cotton (and/or other sustainable material-clothes) from the underclothes to the fancy scarf that would grace my natural shea butter-moistened hair. Business casual dress, of course.

I would then proceed over my bamboo floors to my recycled-material countertop to pick up some goodies and then to my bamboo kitchen/dining table and chair to eat my breakfast made from seasonal fruit from my own garden. Before tossing the scraps in the compost I'd pack a lunch of fresh veggies from my garden tossed with homemade pasta (If I go all the way, I gotta go all the way).

Next I'd be off to work on my bicycle, (no driving!); burning calories as I frolic through traffic and I'd arrive at my destination rejuvenated. (or exhausted)

Then I'd fulfill work duties on recycled paper. Whether I be a professor or a writer in my green life, I haven't decided, but I'd be sure to cut any unecessary carbon emission.

Going home would also be rejuvenating. On the way I'd think about the fresh homemade bread I'd bake from all organic ingredients. (No meat, because that's not green! It takes loads of carbon emission to slaughter animals).

I'd read by the fireplace used to heat my home. Listen to radio, perhaps and then get some peaceful rest in my no-voc painted, nature-ally decorated, organically insulated home.

Wouldn't that be nice.


Am I forgetting anything? I wish I were a lot greener. I'm like one thousandth (.0001) of the way there.

Does anybody watch '60 Minutes' or am I just old school?

Anyhow, whether you (my fictional audience) watch 60 Minutes or not, last night I watched a horrific investigative news story on there about where some of our E-Waste really goes.

If you do not know what E-Waste is, it is basically the electronic junk (tvs, phones, cpus) that's too old, broken or simply out-of-date that nobody wants. The reporter referred to this place as the innovation age's dirty little secret. As I stare at my iphone waiting for quitting time to pop up, I would agree. I didn't know.

Any guesses?

The answer is some place called Guiyu, China. A little town where all the water is contaminated with toxic chemicals formerly in your Dell, where the women struggle carrying children to full-term, and where the men run gangs to maintain the wasteland and jump reporters and crews who try to expose them.

In addition, what bothered me is that my fear of being green for nothing has come to be. My father, who is the skeptic of all things green, claims that the recycling company doesn't recycle. He thinks they just dump the stuff they collect somewhere in the trash. Well in essence, this is exactly what happened in the story.

A company called Executive Recycling basically held an E-Waste event in some neighborhood and made people think they would recycle these goods, which I do believe they were paid to host.

Long story short, when 60 minutes followed the crate of stuff that was supposed to be recycled, all the stuff ended up in China. This wasteland of a place is only there because people thought they were doing the right thing and someone lied to them. I hope the green movement isn't all about lies. I know some of it makes me feel better as a person because I am less wasteful, but this is a little discouraging.

Read the story, here.