I put off writing my new year’s resolution this year because I wanted to try it out for a month – see how I did. I don’t want to preach, I want to DO. I’ve been a classroom teacher for awhile now and in every classroom community I’ve been in it is expected we clean up the classroom. At the end of the day everyone pitches in to organize their areas and clean the trash off of the floors. Inevitably I will ask a student to pick up a piece of trash and I am met with “It’s not mine”. As time goes on they learn that it doesn’t matter if it is theirs or not, we all work together to create a pleasant educational environment. As a teacher my class is expected to take care…
So for a lot of people coffee is a way of life. It’s not just an early morning pick me up, it’s a trusted friend throughout the day. It can also be a plastic nightmare. The lids, stirrers and straws. One cup a day, 5 days a week for a year equals 260 cups, lids, stirrers and straws. Per person. The paper cups can’t be recycled due to the polyethylene they are coated with to make them liquid resistant. We already know the straws and stirrers can’t be due to their size. That just leaves the lid, and only a small percentage of those are ever recycled. Bringing your own reusable mug will not only save the waste, it could save you money, as some places will offer a discount on refills. What about your coffee packaging? The invention of single cup coffee makers drove me…
The single greatest source of ocean trash I write this blog because I care about the environment, but a lot of what drives me is my connection to the ocean. I was not born in a coastal state nor do I live in one now but I visit as often as I can and the ocean gives me a sense of peace and tranquility. All of us are connected to the oceans, all our waterways lead to the ocean. There is an amazing fractal map of US waterways by Robert Szucs that really illustrate that point – make sure you take a peek. The ocean also supplies us with 70% of our oxygen, SEVENTY percent! So, we are connected to it in a myriad of ways – even if we don’t live close by. On my trip up Highway 1. I kept stopping, I couldn’t help…
Taking a look at my plastic full toiletry bag So, I’m veering a little off course today, actually I’m jumping ahead, to examine plastic and travel. I am on my way to California and after packing this morning I thought it would be a great time to examine what my toiletry bag looks like and how it can be improved, and boy can it be improved! Ignoring my makeup bag – I’ll tackle that another time because I pack my daily beauty products, today I am looking at my separate travel kit that I like to have packed and ready – that way I’m less likely to forget things. Yikes! This was an eye opener – not plastic friendly at all. From my shampoo and conditioner to my body wash, face wash, plastic razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toothbrush covers, dental floss, and deodorant. My shampoo and conditioner are…
said 7.5 billion people. Obviously I’m exaggerating, a little, but only a little. In reality approximately 500 million straws are thrown away every day. In the United States alone. Straws are one of the most commonly found plastic items in ocean cleanups. Straws can’t be recycled, they are too narrow and too lightweight to be sent through mechanical sorters. In the best case they will end up in a landfill where they will break down into smaller pieces, never fully decomposing. Worst case they are left in our ecosystems, even making their way to the oceans. Thinking about the amount of straws I have used and disposed of in my lifetime hurts a little. I can’t do anything about my my past actions, but by being better informed now I can make better choices. I know not everyone uses straws and also that…
Not all bags are created equal. Every time we visit a store we are making an impact on the environment in a myriad of ways. Currently the most talked about way is through how we choose to take our purchases home. In my last post we talked about how inexpensive plastic is to manufacture, so it makes sense that plastic bags became so popular and widespread. Now they are facing much controversy, New York just became the second state after California to pass a statewide ban, all of Hawaii’s counties have banned plastic bags resulting in a statewide ban, hundreds of US cities have implemented bans as well. What is surprising is that when considering the manufacturing process plastic bags actually have the smallest ecological footprint. Paper bags use 4 times as much water to manufacture, cotton is also a crop that requires a lot of water as…
Day #1 of July’s Plastic Free Challenge 2019 So on this first day of my very first Plastic Free Eco Challenge I thought I would start off by examining what plastic is, the benefits and the downfalls. Plastic is a synthetic polymer composed of petroleum and other fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. Plastic is lightweight, inexpensive and easily molded, it was originally believed it could actually save the planet – by relieving the demand on other natural resources such as wood, metal and stone. Plastics can be found everywhere, and have very important uses in construction, sports, medicine, technology and transportation. From airbags to helmets to heart valves, plastic has definitely changed our lives, so what’s the big deal? The problem with plastic begins with the extraction of the fossil fuels that are needed for its production. Those fossil fuels must then be…
I admit it, I have a problem. I drink a lot of soda, far too much, and fountain drinks are my weakness. I have managed to cut back, but not eliminate my soda intake. I have been very successful at avoiding polystyrene cups and by staying away from the drive through I am able to use reusable cups. Not plastic free, but I have definitely reduced my plastic use considerably! Next on my list is drinking straws. With 500 million straws being used every day in the US, I decided to join the 2018 plastic straw ban bandwagon. Plastic straws are among the top 10 plastics found in our oceans. They are a single use non recyclable plastic. We use them for only minutes and then toss them. There has been a lot of talk about straws, including how banning plastic straws is just a band aid. My thoughts? “…
I just dropped off what I hope is my last load of plastic bags for recycle! Years ago I bought reusable bags but I only managed to use them sporadically. Anyone else had that problem? Forgot them in the house, forgot them in the car, forgot I had them at all… I admit it was laziness, going plastic free takes commitment, I’m going to have to teach myself some new habits! Those old bags were also difficult to store and difficult to use, so I started my renewed efforts by looking to see what “advancements” have been made in the reusable bag market… I came across these Grab Bags, they clip right into your cart – the price was right and reviews were good! They even make insulated ones! I admit, we forgot them in the car… after a brief “we…
“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.” ― Sylvia A. Earle, The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One Right now, according to Smithsonian Ocean, it is estimated that there are 5.25 TRILLION plastic particles or 244,000 metric tons of plastic in the world’s oceans. That is a lot of plastic! Some of you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal? I live a thousand miles from the ocean – it isn’t my problem.” But it is, it is all of our problems. Approximately 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic are…
