Green Genius

So, I use plastic bags.

I try to remember my shopping bags, of course. I'm talking here about trash bags. The big plastic bags I put my food scraps and wrappers and all of the other stuff - a lot of it plastic - into so that it can leave my home.

How does this make sense? PLastic sticks around forever, right? Why am I using it?

Well, I've started buying Green Genius trash bags. They are supposed to be biodegradable, which is better. They may not be as strong, but we don't usually lug our bags that far, so I don't think it will be a problem. And it's worth it if they work. There are other brands of biodegradable trash bags and also food storage zip locs and such, out there. They are hard to find because Hefty and Glad take up most of the shelf space for some reason. Take a look and see what you can find.

Baking Soda, not Comet

I don't buy cleaners the way I used to. Which means that I don't clean the way I used to. This has become a Big Deal because I recently stopped the maid service, and now the only one cleaning the house is me.

I've been using more natural products, or those that contain fewer chemicals. I use a lot of Seventh Generation products, but I also use a lot of white vinegar, and a lot of baking soda.

Yesterday I realized that the kitchen sink needed scrubbing. We have this big, white sink, and it was stained with food and coffee and gray streaks left by pots and pans. In the past, I would generously sprinkle it with Comet and scrub.

You know Comet, right? It makes your feet turn green, it smells like gasoline? Ah, the sings of childhood stay with me forever. But seriously, Comet smells toxic. And it is, really. It's poison. If you eat it, you die.

Well, I sprinkled baking soda in the sink and scrubbed, and the stains washed away just as easily as with the green stuff. This is something I cook with, so it can't be as awful as the poison powder. And I can buy it by the huge boxfull.

By the way, vinegar works in the toilet, as long as you have a toilet brush. Sure, the disposable ones look more hygienic, and the commercials make them look so easy and convenient, but think of all the waste.

Sun Chips

We bought sun chips.

I have to admit that, as of three years ago, I dismissed Sun Chips as an inferior chip. They were fake chips. Chips that kids got when their parents were health nuts. Those poor kids. Their parents wouldn't even spring for the Doritos.

But parenthood changes a girl. I resolved never to put chips or cheetos in a lunch box. Ever. But it's hard, very hard, when your kid comes home and tells you that the other kids are bringing oreos and sugared sports drinks and yogurts made with more chemicals than I use in my hair. So when someone asked for Sun Chips, I jumped at it. THIS, I could do.

And we don't get them very often, because chips are, after all, a sometimes thing. Not an every day, or even every week thing.

But we recently DID get Sun Chips again, and I was very happy to experience firsthand the new compostable chip bag they have started using. HOW GREAT IS THAT? Any other chip bag will hang around for decades, taking up space in landfills, etc. And I know, I know, it's just a little chip bag. But think about how many bags of chips you've eaten in your life. Now imagine everyone else in the world adding to that pile of your empty bags. And now imagine that more chip companies start using this new packaging that will turn into soil. There's a solution here.

So... I'm actually not sure how this composting chip bag works. But I'm waiting to see. It could really be great.

Climate Counts

The role that a company takes in climate change is as big as the company itself. After all, companies produce a product or provide a service, and as long as they are making a profit, they usually don't care too much about the effect they are having on other people, or on the earth.

And it's hard to know what to do about it. How do you know which companies are the "baddies?" When it's time to buy a toaster, or a printer, or grab a cup of coffee, or take a weekend vacation, you don't usually sit there thinking "what effect will this choice have on the planet?"

I found a website that can help! Climatecounts.org scores companies on the steps they take and are taking on being responsible and sustainable. Airlines, hotels, media, food products, clothing... You can browse buy brand, you can look up items by industry, and you can get breakdowns (more or less) of the scores. It's not The Answer, but it's something to look at and be aware of. Companies with high scores can be invested in and supported, and companies with low scores can be avoided and peppered with emails - by the way, the website allows you to send an email directly to any of the companies listed letting them know you care about the environment.

This site is a non-profit, supported by Stonyfield Farms (who just happened to get a high score of 81?). I am not certain of the exact criteria used, or how accurate the results are. These types of things have to be difficult to rate cross industry, and I'm sure that they are as varied as the number of companies. But I think this site is worth looking at, and can give a good idea of where each company stands.

Seventh Generation

I saw a commercial for Seventh Generation products on TV the other day. In case you are unaware, Seventh Generation makes cleaning products - dish soap, laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner - as well as paper products - paper towels, diapers, baby wipes - that are considered safe for the environment. And for the past few months, I have been using these products.

Well, not all of them. I am horribly still using LUVS because I can't get over the cost of the more organic diapers and doubt the effectiveness... and I'm not getting into that right now.

I do have to say that, when the commercial came on, I got excited. Maybe because I hadn't heard of the brand until I dug around and discovered it in my search for safer cleaning products. I felt as though I were ahead of the game. Part of an elite club. The people trying to make things right.

I think part of what got me is the emphasis on not being so afraid of germs. I mean, you want to wash your hands before eating and after cleaning the litter box, but there is no need to use disinfectant on every surface of your home five times a day. Right? We're so into antibiacterial everything these days, and seeing an add that stressed being clean AND kind to the earth... it made me feel justified, and happy.

I know, it's an add. And it worked on me, the pre-existing customer. But if you haven't tried these products, or similar ones, please go ahead.

Global Warming Survival Handbook

For Christmas my sister gave me The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook by David De Rothschild.

This is a really cute book. It wasn't particularly informative, in that it didn't really tell me anything that I didn't already know. But it made me feel as though I were taking steps in the right direction. It offers suggestions such as "Put On A Sweater," as an alternative to turning up your heat, and using reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic. These are both things I am doing. And even the things I am not doing, such as composting or using solar power, I either plan on doing in the not-too-distant future, or as soon as... well, as soon as I can, or as soon as makes sense.

What this book DID do was to remind me what I was trying to do and to offer a little more motivation. It offered a little more information, a little humor, and a little motivation to make a few extra baby steps. If you're looking for a basic 'green' book to hand over to someone, this might be it.

Toothbrush

Every item you buy leaves a footprint - the material to make it, to package it, and to ship it. And it gets worse once you throw it away. Think about all that you throw away in a week. In a year, how much of it is still going to be hanging around?

Now think about your toothbrush. We all need a toothbrush, right? Unless you have no teeth. I used to buy these Oral-B things, the ones the dentist gives out. And two weeks into using it, the bristles would be bushy and I'd have to get a new one. Then I'd throw it out.

Then I found my Preserve toothbrush. You can buy them online, apparently, but I found my at my grocery store, in the "Whole Foods" department. It's made from recycled materials - in this case, yogurt cups. And three months later, the bristles are still nice.

The Preserve site is worth checking out. Not only do they have a whole line of bath and kitchen products, they also offer recycling for #5 plastics. Cool!