More Benefits of Reusable Food Containers

Many people use tupperware or similar items to store their food as well as to transport it to school, work, etc. Kids also use lunch boxes to take their lunches to school. But did you know that if you use such containers, you’re basically only paying around $10 per year to store your food? Imagine the costs that are saved when you don’t have to use utensils and one-time use containers when you’ll have sit-in meals. This site lists a number of different containers and their prices. The problem with reusable bags is that the construction of them will be of poor quality, which means that you’ll be spending more to buy more in the long-run. Reusable containers such as those made out of aluminum are the most sanitary and will last the longest. Here are more misconceptions that will highlight the benefits of reusable food containers:

Who’s making the bag and where?

Perhaps the most important question to ask a retailer when considering whether to add a free or cheap reusable bag to your collection is: How are the bags being produced so inexpensively? Fair Trade and Fair Labor practices ensure that employees get a healthy work environment and living wages, and that the goods are produced in a manner that protects natural resources. Such practices usually mean a higher bottom line, which makes inexpensive reusable bags suspect at best and a harmful contradiction at worst if people or natural resources are being exploited to produce them.

Will the bag last?

Even if a cheap or free reusable bag is made according to Fair Labor practices, chances are, the materials and/or the construction of the bag are of poor quality. Cheaper construction may include using toxic or unsafe materials. Or, the bags simply may not last. A cheap reusable bag will break after a few uses – bags that are more flimsy than sturdy will start to give way as you load them up with gallons of milk, cantaloupes and other weekly essentials. Soon, they end up in the garbage can or the recycling bin, minimizing the number of uses and, paradoxically, increasing bag consumption.

A high quality reusable bag eliminates hundreds of cheap reusable bags, and thousands of paper and plastic bags, over its lifetime.

Remember all of those free t-shirts?

When something is free, we tend to take it, whether or not we need it. Then it sits in the back of a closet or cabinet, taking up space and contributing to more wasteful consumption. Cheap reusable bags run the risk of becoming glorified one-timer bags. Soon, you could have a cabinet or closet full of cheap reusable bags that aren’t being used, which ends up rivaling your former plastic and paper bag collection – and adds more trash to landfills.

Does Trader Joe know you’re cheating on him with Whole Foods?

Many cheap reusable bags have a design or logo, usually the company’s name. It’s there for a reason – in addition to providing you with a feel-good reminder of where the bag came from, the company also hopes you’ll spread the word by donning their bag all around town. Are you comfortable being a walking advertisement for the company that gave you the bag?

Perhaps more importantly, would you walk into one store with another store’s logo-emblazoned reusable bag? Many people feel uncomfortable using a Wal-Mart bag at Whole Foods, for example, and end up collecting bags according to store, which defeats the spirit of reusability.

Quality, not quantity.

Instead of more bags, our advice is to own a handful of attractive, practical, high-quality bags that you really like, and will really use. Durable bags from a trusted source will minimize waste and minimize headaches. Instead of choosing from a heaping pile of cheap or free reusable bags, you’ll have your tried and true favorites and be on your way to reducing consumption. Simple and efficient.

source:

Why I’m getting fed up with recycling

While doing research and trying to figure out reasons why recycling rates are so low in the Lower Mainland. On Wednesday, as I was picking up my recycling bin from the curb after the trash had been collected, I noticed a few items that were left in the blue bin: a couple of yougurt containers and a few smoothie bottles. I wasn’t too pleased because I could have just thrown those things away in the first place and I would have avoided picking up the trash the second time. It’s really frustrating because I feel like I’m trying to do something good for the environment, but the trash companies are making the decisions on what they want done and it’s kind of troubling having to worry about what will go and what won’t….it’s almost easier to throw it all in the trash and not have to worry about it. This may be a personal beef, but it could be a reason why people fail to recycle…they just may not care…..

Population Problems

Today, I went to my sister’s provincial soccer championships in North Vancouver. As I stood atop the mountain-like soccer field, I was amazed by the view as I could see most of Vancouver and the water- so beautiful. Until, my sister informed me that “Inter River Park” (the location of the game) was built on top of a landfill! What does this mean? Are we running out of space? Is this even safe?

The population of Vancouver already stands at 2.4 million, a 159,000 increase since 2005; the city continues to grow and so does the garbage. Each person will generate approximately 1.5 tonnes of waste in their lifetime; as Vancouver’s population increased from 2 million to 3 million, waste generation’s anticipated to rise from 3 million to 4.5 million tonnes per year.

Vancouver is known for their beautiful parks, landscapes and forests, “however the shortage of grass sports fields to meet growing demand has become more of a concern in the District of North Vancouver, particularly given tight fiscal budgets, and a limited land base to expand upon. Over the past 15 years, to meet recreational needs, Inter River Park has been converted from a closed landfill site to an active sports field park.”
“All garbage is bad garbage. There is no effective way to rid the environment of our trash. The only real answer is to not make it in the first place.” Read on to learn more about how you can be active in reducing your garbage!
Sources:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=202251
http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/solidwaste/zerowaste/Pages/default.asp

http://www.sitelines.org/sitelines/archive/2006/OCTOBER06.pdf

Why should you care about recycling and waste reduction?

Benefitting both the economy, and the environment, here are just a few of the many positives about recycling:

	Recycling and composting diverted nearly 70 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2000, up from 34 million tons in 1990-doubling in just 10 years.
	Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.
	The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb for four hours.
	Recycling benefits the air and water by creating a net reduction in ten major categories of air pollutants and eight major categories of water pollutants.
	In the U.S., processing minerals contributes almost half of all reported toxic emissions from industry, sending 1.5 million tons of pollution into the air and water each year. Recycling can significantly reduce these emissions.
	It is important to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Recycling helps us do that by saving energy.
	Manufacturing with recycled materials, with very few exceptions, saves energy and water and produces less air and water pollution than manufacturing with virgin materials.
	It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. These savings far outweigh the energy created as by-products of incineration and landfilling.
	In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings equal to the amount of energy used in 6 million homes (over 660 trillion BTUs). In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save the amount of energy used in 9 million homes (900 trillion BTUs).
	A national recycling rate of 30% reduces greenhouse gas emissions as much as removing nearly 25 million cars from the road.
	Recycling conserves natural resources, such as timber, water, and minerals.
	Every bit of recycling makes a difference. For example, one year of recycling on just one college campus, Stanford University, saved the equivalent of 33,913 trees and the need for 636 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone.
	Recycled paper supplies more than 37% of the raw materials used to make new paper products in the U.S. Without recycling, this material would come from trees. Every ton of newsprint or mixed paper recycled is the equivalent of 12 trees. Every ton of office paper recycled is the equivalent of 24 trees.
	When one ton of steel is recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.
	Brutal wars over natural resources, including timber and minerals, have killed or displaced more than 20 million people and are raising at least $12 billion a year for rebels, warlords, and repressive governments. Recycling eases the demand for the resources.
	Mining is the world’s most deadly occupation. On average, 40 mine workers are killed on the job each day, and many more are injured. Recycling reduces the need for mining.
	Tree farms and reclaimed mines are not ecologically equivalent to natural forests and ecosystems.
	Recycling prevents habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion associated with logging and mining.

…What we can expect if we don’t reduce waste…

With the ongoing garbage strike in Toronto, one has to wonder what would happen if we saw a repeat of what we saw a couple of years back, here in Vancouver. In fact, Canada Day celebrations were cancelled across many part of the Greater Toronto Area due to the high amounts of garbage on the streets. It’s pretty sad that our country’s day to shine was cancelled on account of some differences between people….but that’s beyond the point. The city didn’t want people exposed to the filth that was accumulating on the streets. Many cans were overflowing with garbage after just one day of the strike. The point here isn’t to admonish Toronto for what is happening, the point is that if we do not reduce our waste, we increase our reliance on infrastructure….it usually works, but what happens when things like strikes affect service? The more waste we generate, the less options we give ourselves when it comes to saving our planet. In case you haven’t seen it already,the video can be seen here.

If we realize the results of what could possibly happen if we let ourselves rely too much on others (we’ve already seen it once in our own home town), we might just be able to look ourselves in the mirror and say that enough is enough with regards to creating so much waste. So what are the solutions? The Trashbusters will soon find out!

Laptops, and Blackberries, and Phones – oh my!

Does the instant a cool new gadget hit the market send you straight to your nearest FutureShop? Well for many it does, and it’s creating quite another environmental challenge. Not only are we left with thousands of tons of electronic waste, but the landfills also pile up with our styrofoam, cardboard, and plastic packaging used to sell it.

Much of this waste is shipped to developing countries where citizens pick apart these goods for their materials. The downfall:  the leeching of dangerous chemicals like lead and mercury!

In an article by Allison Cross, she interviews Ifny Lachance, one of the Free Geek (a grassroots organization that accepts old computers from people and businesses, wipes their hard drives and either recycles the materials or rebuilds machines for volunteers who put in a certain number of hours) founders. “If we can’t re-use our technology,” he says “we must ask where the computer parts go after they are dismantled.”

Bojan Pudah, director of Electronics Recycling Association, notes two key issues associated with the development of waste: 1. “People want the latest and greatest thing.” and 2. “People are very lazy. If it’s easy to take it to a landfill, they will take it wherever is the closest. It really has to be convenient.”

Just like the Trashbusters, Pudah agrees that while recycling is great, it needs to be re-used first!

So where does all of your recycling go?

Have you ever stopped to think, “Once I bring my blue bins to the curb, where the bottles and cans go from there?” Well some people have, and reports have been developed worldwide to uncover the truth about the recycling process. Trashbusters takes you in depth to see just where your carefully sorted bin contents end up!

1. E-WASTE & CHINA

Concerns have arisen in recent years that some Canadian companies are illegally shipping used electronics to such countries as China, India, Nigeria and Ghana, where they are broken down in unsafe conditions for their raw components, many of them toxic. The process poses a severe health risk and environmental damage.

CBC News recently exposed that shipments of Canadian e-waste were being sent to China from two British Columbia companies that tout safe disposal, Technotrash and Electronics-recycling.com. Ironically, howver, Technotrash is a member of the Western Canada Computer Industry Association (WCCIA), a non-profit society that oversees a voluntary industry certification program to safely dispose of electronics.

Free Geek Vancouver, a non-profit e-waste recycler, estimates that Canada produces 140,000 tons of electronic waste per year, the equivalent of 5.6 million computers. Eighty per cent of this waste is making it overseas… The kicker: Canada is a signatory to a 1992 United Nations treaty that made it illegal to ship e-waste overseas…

Source: (http://www.thethunderbird.ca/index.php?s=encorp)

Where does all your recycling go?

In recent years, governments across the world have been implementing compulsory recylcling programs, and some are even leaning towards a “pay as you throw” campaign. But with these increasing recycling policies, comes an increase in interest among people as to where it all goes. A UK study proves that many of the recycled waste travels miles and miles just to get to the plant. “We put everything we think is recyclable into our recycling boxes – but were recently told that much of what we do put there ends up in landfill sites in China.”  notes one reader.

Fellow recyclees are now wondering: If we don’t have our own recycling plant in B.C., where does  all of our recycling go?

So while Trashbusters continue to investigate where, in fact, it all does go, recycle this thought in your head for a few minutes: Even if you are saving space in the dump by putting out one box of recycling, your other one bin of garbage takes 70 other garbage cans of waste to make. (The Next Effienciency Revolution: Creating a Sustainable Materials Economy)

The Story of Stuff

 The Story of Stuff is a presentation conducted byAnnie Leonard about the sources and destinations of our “stuff.” Leonard has spent the last 10 years researching the flow of materials and the problems that have risen throughout the cycle.

Leonard explains that our resources essentially go through five steps: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption, and Disposal; she calls this order the materials economy. Leonard then goes on to explain each step, elaborating on the people involved, the statistics publically known, and the hidden facts that many do not know. 

Throughout the video Leonard also mentions other social problems that have arisen because of the choices made by the government and large corporations. Our system is in crisis, and it is because that is how we abused it. When a country runs out of resources, it takes them from other countries; in turn, jobs are lost and those who once had possession of those resources are forced to work in factories with low wages and unsafe working conditions. Corporations feed this crisis by distributing products that either break down in six months, or become “out of fashion.” The result of this? Waste, waste and more waste. And what do we do with the waste? Either bury it in the ground, burn it (releasing toxins into the air), or transfer it somewhere else.

At the end of the video Leonard presents many different approaches to deal with our stuff, including the commonly known concept of recycling. While Leonard fully encourages recycling, she states that it is simply not enough because of the number of items that aren’t designed to be recycled. She emphasizes that the best way to deal with the problem is from the start, beginning with “cleaner production, better product design, composting, recycling and using less stuff overall.”

Leonard was able to wrap up the presentation in 20 minutes- pretty amazing considering the complexity of the issue. She uncovers many shocking statistics and information that is often overlooked, and manages to make it interesting and simple. If you want to learn more, don’t wait! Check out the website at www.thestoryofstuff.com.

Do you recycle? Vote now!