Composting efforts gain traction across the United States

View Photo Gallery — Supermarkets take up composting, but waste disposal system lags: The composting movement is inching forward in fits and starts, but the nation’s trash disposal system lacks the ability to process food waste on a large scale.

By Juliet Eilperin,

Feb 04, 2013 12:27 AM EST

The Washington Post

Published: February 3

Roy Derrick maneuvered his forklift with a pallet of neatly boxed expired produce and flowers and dropped it into an industrial compactor at Safeway’s cavernous return center in Upper Marlboro. As the compactor hummed, compressed food and floral scraps spilled through a chute into a 40-foot trailer, one of five that would make the weekly trip to composting centers in Delaware or Virginia.
Employees at 125 Safeway stores along the East Coast ship everything from flowers to coffee grinds and spoiled vegetables to the Maryland return center, which then must transport the waste at least another 100 miles to be recycled into compost.
 

It illustrates composting’s complicated trajectory in the United States. The movement is inching forward in fits and starts, by entrepreneurs as well as by community activists and civic leaders, but the nation’s trash disposal system lacks the ability to process food waste on a large scale. Food scraps are also heavier than aluminum cans, making them more expensive to transport.
But increasingly, local governments, entrepreneurs and community activists are experimenting with composting.

Last month, District Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced that the city’s Office of Planning was awarded $600,000 in grants to build three to four compost sites for urban farms or community gardens in the city to test composting methods.

More/source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/composting-efforts-gain-traction-across-the-united-states/2013/02/03/645a7024-670c-11e2-9e1b-07db1d2ccd5b_story.html

New Albany girl inspires bike-recycling program for needy kids

"When 9-year-old Sophia MacDonald of New Albany got a bicycle in December for her birthday, she wanted her old bike to be refurbished and given as a gift to a child in need.

"I've been watching a lot of (television) shows where they help people and I wanted to do one of those things," Sophia said.

She asked her father, Mac, to help and he referred her to Geoff Clark, owner of VeloScience Bike Works.

"I want to help other kids because I am thankful that I got a bike for my birthday and other kids didn't get any of those things," Sophia said."

More: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/newalbany/news/2013/01/02/sophias-recycle-new-albany-girl-inspires-bike-recycling-program-for-needy-kids.html

Local governments to recycle Christmas trees for Louisiana's coast

Local governments to recycle Christmas trees for Louisiana's coast

 

"...The Jefferson Parish Department of Environmental Affairs will continue to recycle all the trees collected in Jefferson Parish for either marsh restoration or composting.

This year’s project will have three phases. Some of the trees will be placed in the marsh, refurbishing previously constructed shoreline fences in Goose Bayou near Lafitte; others will be used to assist Plaquemines Parish with a project in Lake Hermitage, which also serves to protect Jefferson’s coastal wetlands; and some trees will be used in a pilot project wherein Wood Materials, LLC will chip the trees to be used in composting."  More: http://www.wwltv.com/news/Recycle-your-Christmas-tree-to-help-strengthen-Louisianas-coast-184820791.html

10 Easy Tips for Reducing Your Daily Paper Waste

People often forget how often they encounter paper and paper products during the day—this includes books, newspapers, toilet paper, cereal boxes, the labels on water bottles, catalogs, junk mail, money, parking tickets, receipts, napkins, and the list goes on. Consuming more than any other country per capita, the average American uses more than 700 lbs of paper per year.

The following are a few important facts about the paper companies and the paper industry you should take into consideration before buying or using any paper products.

• Did you know that forests store approximately half of the earth’s “terrestrial carbon”? These carbon rich forests counter the pollution that causes global warming.


• Unfortunately, half of the earth’s existing forests have been used up, cleared, or burned—more than half of what’s left is severely degraded.


• Each year, a massive amount of wood is harvested for consumption—approximately 40% of this wood is used for papermaking.


• Used paper makes up approximately 25% of all landfill waste.


• Paper companies in the United States (and the paper industry) are the 4th largest contributor of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.


• If office paper use was reduced by 10%, approximately 1.5 million tons of greenhouse gases could be prevented. That’s equivalent to the emissions of 280,000 cars.


• Why choose recycle paper? Compared to processing virgin wood, recycled paper uses 45% less energy, 40% less greenhouse gas emissions, 40% less particulate emissions, 50% less solid waste, 50% less wastewater, and no natural resources or wood.


• In previous years, less than half the amount of used office paper (43%) was recycled.

The following are easy tips for saving or reusing paper brought to you by a recycled paper company.

1. Be a “post-consumer” consumer—buy recycled paper, recycle paper products (i.e. toilet paper, paper towels) and avoid purchasing any goods or products made from virgin wood.

2. Don’t buy paper table napkins—cloth is a more environmentally friendly choice.

3. Don’t use Styrofoam peanuts for packaging.Shred used office paper and use that as an alternative.

4. Use dish towels regularly, not paper towels.

5. Change your computer settings before printing any documents—print to both sides to save paper.

6. Paying bills online is not only more convenient, it saves paper. Take advantage of your car insurance, cable company, rent, health insurance, and other “ecobill” options.

7. If you bring your lunch to work in a paper bag, reuse it!Better yet, opt for a cloth bag you can reuse and wash time and time again.

8. If you have a pooch, purchase biodegradable doggie bags.

9. Buy all desk planners, wall calendars, and paper office supplies from a recycled paper company.

10. Paper or plastic? Say no to both at the grocery store. Purchase a reusable cloth bag and use that for carrying groceries home.

Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer for Greenline Paper Company, America’s green office supply store. Visit our website for more information on environmentally friendly office supplies, paper company products, and recycle paper at Greenlinepaper.com.

Green Holiday Gift Ideas: 5 Inexpensive, Creative, and Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Friends and Family

The following holiday gift ideas are not only thoughtful, they’re quality, inexpensive, and kind to the environment. This article serves as a guide for eco-friendly holiday gift ideas for those who like to give and receive eco-friendly holiday cheer. Consider these personal products for your family, friends, co-workers; they’re quality , affordable, and absolutely environmentally friendly and green.

Lemongrass Zen Soap for the home and office: We recommend Lemongrass Zen soap, a beautiful smelling product from Vermont soapworks. This organic foaming hand soap is made with natural oils and has never been tested on animals, nor contains any animal products—safe and nontoxic for children and all living things (with the exception of germs). No propellants, no chemicals, and this gift is USDA approved and certified organic. Makes a perfect gift for friends, co-workers, and an all around great household soap.

Wrap-N-Mat Reusable Sandwich Bags are a fantastic product and an even better alternative to carrying lunch to school in recycle paper bags or recycled containers. Perfect for children and adults who bring lunch to work, these reusable sandwich bags are machine washable and serve as a placemat when opened—bread and sandwiches are kept fresh, and your children will be able to eat on a clean surface. These sandwich bags are a unique gift—environmentally friendly, fabric (not PVC) lining, and made under fair trade conditions.FDA has approved their contact with food, and they’re free of phthalates and lead.

Organic Hot Cocoa—rich, chocolatey, and the perfect gift for just about anybody. Choose cocoa that’s absolutely organic (and made with nonfat organic milk), convenient (just add hot water), and fairly traded. This product supports farmers in 3 countries—farmers from the Dominican Republic produce organic coca, organic fairly traded sugar from Paraguay, and organic milk from the United States. This is a fantastic and delicious gift for children, co-workers, friends and family.

Recycled Paper Wildlife Calendar: From the House of Doolittle, this 12 month wire bound calendar is a beautiful gift for friends, family members, and co-workers. Made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and printed on soy ink, this wildlife photo features an inspirational quotation for each month. Caring for the environment by purchasing recycled paper products creates a powerful environmental impact and helps divert good recyclable paper away from landfills and back into consumer products.Choosing a recycled paper calendar is a truly green paper purchase.

Recycled Paper Planner: This product is made by House of Doolittle, a manufacturing company using recycle paper materials for 20 years—these beautiful recycled paper desk planners make for great gifts and are made from 100% post consumer fibers and soy ink. House of Doolittle offers a variety of other recycle paper products, including appointment planners, memo pads, and office supplies.A high quality, environmentally friendly gift for co-workers and friends.

We hope these eco-friendly gift ideas are useful and wish you joy in the upcoming holiday season! Learn more about recycled paper, eco-friendly gifts, and other contributions you can make to do your part and protect the environment.

Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer for Greenline Paper Company, America’s green office supply store. Visit their website for more information on environmentally friendly office supplies, recycled containers, holiday gifts, and recycle paper.

How To Make Smarter Business Decisions: 3 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Office Environment

Many businesses have discovered they not only have an important commitment to the world around them but that there’s a lot to be gained financially from implementing green office initiatives.More than ever, companies are paying attention to their environmental impact and making changes, some starting from the ground up, others taking small steps to creating a more environmentally friendly workplace. No matter the type of business you have or the industry you’re in, there are easy and affordable ways to make very important environmental changes that’ll mean positive results for your bottom line, as well as the environment. This article discusses easy ways companies can create a green office environment.

Recycled Paper in the Workplace:

• Approximately 10,000 sheets of paper are used by a single US office worker in a year.


• Nearly 95% of this paper will be thrown away, not recycled.


• In this decade alone, it’s estimated that Americans will throw away more then 4 million tons of office paper—and 10 million tons of newspaper as well. All this material is recyclable. This paper could make a 12’ wall from New York to the state of California.


• One ton of recycled paper can save almost 4,000 pounds of lumber and nearly 25,000 gallons of water.


• Recycling one ton of paper uses 64% less energy, 50% less water, 75% less air pollution, and saves approximately 17 trees.

It’s not hard to create a green office environment.The following steps are easy ways to upgrade equipment and supplies to encourage a greener workplace and home office.

New and Efficient Office Equipment:

It may be time to invest in new office equipment—older models use far more energy then modern alternatives. Consider office copiers, fax machines, and other equipment with Energy Star labels. When you purchase green office supplies and equipment, you’ll use less power and have longer lasting equipment. It’s also a good idea to buy a digital copier that also functions as a scanner, printer, and fax machine. If you can purchase office equipment that is versatile, you’ll safe space and money.

Recycle Paper: Go Paperless

It’s a good idea to start using document management software and move away from paper filing that’s been popular for decades. It’s now easy to scan documents or save them as PDFs and other types of files—this makes those documents accessible to many individuals, and available whenever you need them. Using document management software as an alternative to paper is useful in many work environments. If this solution doesn’t work, recycled paper products such as desk pads, computer paper, recycled calendars, and other similar supplies are a great choice.

Recycle Paper and Upgrade Your Bathroom:

There are many easy green substitutes to be made to an office bathroom to reduce water usage and energy, as well as consumption of paper products.Motion sensors in lighting fixtures, automatic flushing devices, and sink water controls will all reduce water and energy consumption.Using recycle paper towels and recycled toilet paper is a great alternative to the regular product, and investing in a cold jet air dryer is a paperless solution.

Those are a few suggestions for green office innovation.Learn more about other green office initiatives and create a workplace you and colleagues can be proud of.

Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer for Greenline Paper Company, America’s green office supply store.Visit their website for more information on environmentally friendly office supplies, desk pads, and recycle paper at Greenlinepaper.com.

Solving the Plastic Bag Pandemic: Natureworks Biodegradable Plastics and Trash Bags

Did you know that it’s estimated that the world uses approximately 1 trillion, 500 billion plastic bags a year? That’s equivalent to almost 1 million plastic bags every minute. Per family, that’s 60 bags per every 4 trips to the grocery store.

One of the most problematic issues with our modern world is the accumulation of non-biodegradable trash, specifically plastic bags like grocery bags and shopping bags made of polyethylene. These bags are very popular—approximately four in every five bags handed out at grocery stores are of the plastic variety. Because these plastic shopping bags are handed out abundantly and are rarely recycled, they end up in landfills and municipal trash incinerators. Plastic garbage bags, trash bags, and shopping bags are non-biodegradable and won’t break down easily in the natural environment. Under ideal circumstances, high-density plastic bags take approximately 20 years to degrade. However, in normal circumstances or less than ideal circumstances, a bag can take as long as 1,000 years to fully disintegrate.

Paper bags aren’t much better.In some ways are even worse than plastic.The manufacture of paper bags creates 50 times as much water pollutants and global warming gases. 90% less electrical energy is required to recycle plastic than the equivalent weight in paper. Additionally, paper grocery bags break down most easily in commercial or municipal composting programs.

Natureworks PLA or corn based “plastics” are one example of an alternative to traditional plastic trash bags and shopping bags. Biodegradable bags such as these are ideal for retail settings, offices, at home, or as a substitute for any non-environmentally friendly plastic bag.Natureworks plastic products and other biodegradable plastics are made from biopolymers, like polylactic acid that can be transformed into anything from clothing fibers, packaging materials, food containers, and a variety of other products. Natureworks bio-plastics are one such example of a plastic that’s derived from 100% renewable, yellow corn resources and can contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.Biodegradable trash bags vary in the amount of time they take to degrade, but most break down in 3 to 6 months in good landfill conditions.Unlike petroleum based, conventional plastics, bio-plastics do not contribute to the toxicity of landfills or incinerator stack emissions.Equally important, if bio-based plastics are littered, they don’t degrade into toxic particles that then pollute nearby bodies of water, wildlife, soil, and other sensitive environments.

Uses for Biodegradable Plastic Bags: Natureworks Plastic and Trash Bags

Replacing traditional non-biodegradable trash bags in the kitchen, home, and office, and cleaning up pooch poop and cat litter are good uses for compostable plastic and trash bags. Take the time to learn more about plastic bags and trash bags made from natural plastic and fibers and find out if they’d be a benefit to your home and office and reduce landfill waste.

Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer for Greenline Paper Company, America’s green office supply store deals with Natureworks Plastic.Visit their website for more information on environmentally friendly office supplies, Trash Bags and the House of Doolittle.