SustainLane - Declare Independence From Waste

June 2008
Edition 59

Greetings!

Independence Day is almost here, and we're all about celebrating our freedom. Sure, it's a material world, but we're always free to blaze a new trail. So, this 4th of July, we claim the freedom to simplify our lives!

Back when our nation was born, the world was a simpler place. People did more with less. Like the founding fathers, we're a new breed of pioneer, so this issue is dedicated to the land we love.

This week is about reducing waste by any means possible, from teaching kids about recycling, to reusing grocery bags and gray water.

Going green is not a new concept. As Thomas Jefferson once said, "...there is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me." So, you know all that rich compost you've cultivated all year? Put it to good use and make Tommy proud!

Featured Product: Trader Joe's Reusable Bags

We've seen them everywhere. Bright red, Hawaiian print grocery bags. Turns out they're more than just haute-to-tote. With a reputation for durability and a low price point, TJ's bags are a good bet for the long haul. Plus you'll never be caught holding ripped paper with egg on your shoes!

Click for TJ's Reusable Bags Five Stars

I Use These Bags for All Shopping

"I have about 6 Trader Joe's Reusable bags and use them in most shopping situations. They are cheap but sturdy and very convenient. I would like to see TJs phase out normal paper and plastic. . ." click to read more

- Mike A.

Use TJ's shopping bags yourself? Write a review for all to see at Sustainlane.com.

Featured Story: Recycling Electronics

When it comes to electronics, we live in a world where smaller, better and faster toys instantly replace our best-loved gadgets. It's a constant race, and with that race comes endless waste. Old electronics too often end up in dumps in underdeveloped countries, where toxic chemicals are released to wreak havoc on the environment. So, what's a regular person to do? Actually, plenty.

Chances are, if you live in the US, ARC International has an electronics recycling facility nearby. With depots at over ten US locations and a plant in Mexico, ARC International recycles a wide range of electronics from VCRs and computers to dry cell batteries.

The San Francisco Bay Area has breathed life into many a gadget, some of which are now obsolete. So, where do the locals go to recycle their electronics? Your friendly San Francisco-based Sustainlane crew likes the friendly folks at Green Citizen Inc. an inexpensive, green recycling center with two convenient locations.

Boise, Idaho's home to a fascinating company called Keep Our Planet Green (KOPG). Their innovative business model generates charitable donations through electronics recycling! It works like this: Non-profit organizations and individual citizens collect ipods, cell phones, ink cartridges and more. The electronics are mailed in and sold for reuse, generating a charitable donation. KOPG offers free pickup nationally. Wow!

We know water filters aren't exactly electronics, but we thought we'd sneak them in, since we're so excited about SustainLaner Beth T's "Take Back the Filter" campaign to get Clorox to recycle Brita filters. The trouble with throwing away water filters? All those nasty toxins filtered from your drinking water end up in our landfills, leaching the bad stuff back into the Earth. Yikes. Well, now you can stop that cycle. There's a petition to Clorox on Take Back the Filter website asking them to establish a take-back program similar to the one in place in Europe.

Know a little something about recycling electronics or water filters? Write a review.

Featured Business: BioBag

BioBag's food storage bags are totally biodegradable and compostable. Use them to hold food scraps, pet droppings, and other biodegradable waste at home or in the garden. As freezer bags, they're breathable, and pull moisture from inside the bag. Less moisture means less freezer burn and longer-lasting storage. We think that's pretty cool.

BioBag also makes tall kitchen bags to be used in place of plastic trash bags. The bags are made of Mater-bi, the world's first biodegradable and compostable bio-polymer. Check out BioBag's entire line of eco-friendly products.

Click for BioBag

I Wish I had A Never-ending Supply

"We use the food waste bags for storing vegetables and especially herbs. We LOVE cilantro, but find it goes bad too quickly no matter what we tried, but these work great! They're the only bags we use for dog waste." click to read more

-Amy M.

Agree? Disagree? Share your review at Sustainlane.com.

Spotlight: Gorilla In The Greenhouse

Wouldn't it be nice if cartoons taught kids planet-saving habits? Well, now they do. Greengorilla.com presents "Gorilla in the Greenhouse" a show for kids of all ages. The cartoon features a crew of quirky little heroes on a mission to save the world from Wormulous and Hufflebot, the enviro-villains. Between action scenes, the gang rocks out in the jungle with Kijani, a giant green gorilla.

Check out the latest episode, "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", and don't forget to stop by the e-store. Green Gorilla tote bags and DVDs make fantastic gifts!

Go Gorilla

JayG

"Okay, I admit, I'm the creator of Gorilla in the Greenhouse. But I also happen to like it. Just to show you that I'm only kind of biased, I'm giving it four stars. I will give it five stars when we see hundreds of kids inspired to go into their local stores and help to promote reusable bags, like the kids at..." click to read more

- Jay G.

We want to hear from you. E-mail your thoughts to community@sustainlane.com.

Staff Pick: EcoWare Paper Products

Forks, spoons, and bowls--Oh, my! EcoWare's "paper" products aren't made from trees at all. They're actually molded from pulp derived from sugarcane, and sweet they are. From the compostable concept to the price, these products are a whole lot better for our landfills than old fashioned plastic tableware.

Click for EcoWare Paper Products

Making Use Of Byproduct. . .

"...It's positively brilliant that they use a byproduct from existing agricultural processes and that NO TREES are used in creating these products. They also offer a limited range of unbleached bagasse products which are even more "environmentally benign." All these products are FDA approved . . ." click to read more