Well, so much for my attempt to re-label business reply envelopes and use them for personal correspondence. I apparently never got the memo regarding DMM 507.8.4.4.
The postal service could have at least reimbursed me my 82 cents worth of stamps.
My mailbox is like a vast, empty void.
My mailbox is like a hot-air balloon hanger with no balloon.
My mailbox is like the belly of a starving whale.
My mailbox is like in the inside of a kid-free Ford Excursion.
My mailbox is like the Great Hall at Hogwarts when the students are on vacation.
My mailbox is mostly empty,
free of the Shopper News mailer;
free of the Mailbox Merchants mailer;
and free of the Market Value Place mailer.
I called them all, sometimes more than once, and asked to be removed from the mailing lists.
And I was.
My mailbox is mostly empty, and I like the open spaces.
I can remember squeezing punch from a juice box in the late '80's, but I did not realize the full potential of aseptic packaging (aka Tetra Brik, Tetra Pak) until I traveled to Europe in 1990 and again in 1995, where milk, juice, and most other liquid grocery products are commonly sold unrefrigerated in 1000 mL boxes.
In the last few years Tetra Briks seem to have become all the rage at Trader Joe's and health food stores, and are used for items such as soy milk, rice milk, and of course, butternut squash soup.
Aseptic packaging has the eco-advantages of being both lightweight and its clever paper (70%), plastic (24%) and aluminum (6%) design allows it to store perishable liquids at room temperature, such as milk, which saves energy on refrigeration.
So, they are energy savers, but are they recyclable? Of course they are.
In Canada and Europe.
And in some parts of the U.S., so long as they are rinsed out really well, which is very hard to do.
But they are not accepted in northern California, and certainly not in Butte County. Neither Waste Management nor Norcal Waste Systems recycle them.
CSU Chico's AS Recycling is doing campus the courtesy of collecting and storing empty Tetra Briks until such time as they can find a place that will recycle them. I wish them the best. The west coast contact for the Aseptic Packaging Council isn't returning my email, and a Walnut Creek location that is listed on their site as a collector of post-consumer aseptic packaging. . .doesn't.
So just an FYI, the electricity to power the fridge can come from a renewable resource, but your butternut soup container will end up in the landfill. Unless you express mail it to Canada.
Personally, I am going to try to avoid them, and make my own soup. Its not that hard to do.
Here is a simple and easy recipe for butternut squash soup:
1 butternut squash, peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 onion or 4 leeks, chopped
1 quart cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt, pepper, nutmeg
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.
As much as we try to buy in bulk, reuse plastic bags and containers, or trade for or borrow goods, my wife and I still end up accumulating a lot of packaging each week.
Luckily most of the packaged goods that I get comes from the market, and most of this packaging is recyclable.
Or so they say.
But there is a hierarchy to recycling, with some types of packaging being more sustainable than others.
Often you have a choice between different types of "recyclable" packaging. For example, condiments can come in either a plastic or glass container, or cereal in a box or a plastic package. Should the recyclability of a product's package be a factor in determining what grocery items to buy?
I think so. It might not necessarily be the only factor, but it is certainly one worth considering.
So, when the final choice does come down to packaging, here is my "Best to Worst," based on the research I have done:
1) BEST: Aluminum--Light, efficient substance, recycling uses 95% less energy needed to produce new can, can be recycled perpetually.
2) Steel/Iron/Tin--Recycling uses 74% less energy as compared to producing cans from raw material. Heavier than aluminum, plastic, or paper, so it requires more energy to transport. Can be recycled perpetually.
3) Glass--Recycling uses 40% less energy as compared to producing bottles/jars from raw material. Heavy, so requires most energy to transport. Can be recycled perpetually.
4) Paper/Cardboard--Recycling uses 40% less energy than make product from virgin trees. Cannot be recycled indefinitely (6-7 times). Trees are a renewable resource. Paper is biodegradable, or can be burned for energy.
5) WORST: Plastics-Highly versatile, light-weight packaging saves energy in transportation, but other than #1 (PETE) and sometimes #2 (HDPE) is not really very recyclable. Comes from non-renewable resource (petroleum), is not recyclable indefinitely (1-2 times). When recycled, uses 70% less energy as compared to producing containers from raw material, though sadly this is not always cost effective (new plastic resin often costs less than recycled plastic). Not biodegradable, but can be burned for energy. Better to reuse or not purchase at all.
Of course as with most eco-issues, the full equation is complicated to grasp, and I was not able to access as much information as I would have liked. For example, I know nothing about how big a role the cost of transporting goods plays (i.e.: a quart of milk shipped in glass weighs more than milk in plastic), as well as the distance goods are transported. Also not included are the environmental and health costs of recycling which still requires varying amounts of chemicals and water depending on the item being recycled. Finally there are the environmental and health costs of manufacturing packaging in the first place, ranging from bauxite mining for aluminum to the chemical requirements of turning wood into cardboard.
The big take-aways:
1) Take an extra moment to ponder the packaging associated with each purchase.
2) Buy in bulk using your own containers.
3) Reuse packaging (glass jars for drinking, cardboard boxes for weed control in the garden, etc.).
4) Avoid purchasing plastic.
5) Recycle aluminum, steel, glass and paper.
The green recycling bin that I wheel out to the curb once every couple weeks is a mystery to me. All "recyclables" get placed in there: paper, #1-7 plastics, steel cans, glass bottles. . .
Then a truck comes by on Tuesday morning and it all "disappears."
Since it is called a "recycling bin" I am led to believe that these items eventually get reprocessed into other useful objects. Like frisbees.
But truthfully, I am in the dark. The truck comes, the truck goes, and what happens next?
I find not knowing this answer to this question quite disturbing and unsettling. Again, I am told that the items get sorted "at the other end," but having not been to this "other end," I have to take their word for it.
From what I have read, I am pretty convinced that the system is pretty good about recycling aluminum cans, glass, and steel cans (soup cans etc.) into items that can be used and recycled over and over again.
Not so for paper and plastic.
The story of paper and cardboard recycling is pretty basic to understand: After 4-6 go arounds the wood fibers that give paper its structure are too pulverized to be used again. But being from a natural source it is compostable.
Plastics, on the other hand, seem to be from the dark side of the force. Just because it has the little recycling symbol next to the number on the bottom doesn't mean that it can be recycled. In fact, in the U.S. only #1, #2, and #6 plastics are actually end up in other products, though these products are not food containers, rather they are items such parking lot bumpers, flower pots, or rug material--items that rarely, if ever, get recycled.
All other plastics end up in the landfill, or in some parts of the country, the incinerator.
It is easy to get overwhelmed with the tidal wave of arguments and counterarguments regarding what type of packaging is best--I know I do. While the paper folks talk about their product being a renewable resource, those trees might be from a plantation in Brazil that was once a diverse rain forest. Plastic enthusiasts will highlight the fact the fact that their product weighs less than other packaging, and thus requires less energy to transport. And on and on. . .
My solution continues to be to follow the tried and true 3-R method:
1) I have tried to reduce my dependence of packaged goods of any sort to the extent that I can, by buying in bulk or using my own mug, bag, or other container as often as possible.
2) I reuse containers as much as possible. For example, I am saving those plastic mesh bags that the Trader Joe's onions come in, as I am hoping they will be ideal nets for the hanging squash and melons that will be part of my space-saving "vertical garden" this summer.
3) I try to recycle what I can, and I try to buy items that are packaged in glass or metal as much as possible. Even though it weighs more and thus require more energy to transport, I feel that if I can source products that are locally made then I am doing pretty good. Also, my gut instinct tell me that future technologies will be able to reduce the energy required to transport items packaged in heavy recycled glass or steel containers more quickly than it will reduce the energy needed to produce plastic packaging from scratch.
A minor side note--I have been told that today's landfills are the gold mines of the future.
Between recycling and composting of food waste, my wife and I have reduced the amount of trash in our house to a trickle. We fill up one large lime green garbage bag (purchased from Waste Management) every couple of months, and we would like to decrease this even further.
The number one strategy that has helped us to reduce our waste is buying in bulk. Buying in bulk is easy to do, and is less expensive than purchasing in packages. S & S, Chico Natural, Winco and Raley’s offer substantial bulk options. We bring the food home in plastic bags, and empty them into large glass containers that seal tight. Most of the plastic bags can be reused, especially if they were used to hold dry goods such as cereal or beans.
Here is a quick overview of the variety of items you can buy in bulk in Chico:
--Cereal
--Nuts and dried fruit
--Soup mixes
--Baking staples (flour, sugar, salt, etc.)
--Rice and other grain
--Snack foods (trail mix, animal crackers, etc.)
--Beans, peas, and lentils
--Pasta
You can even bring your own plastic containers to buy items such as liquid soap, honey, or peanut butter.
The Simplest Way To Make Dry Beans Edible
(This process requires less than five minutes of labor!).
Dry beans are cheaper than canned beans, and because they are lighter than canned beans they require less energy to transport to market. Also, purchasing them in bulk requires no packaging to deal with.
1) In the evening, place the desired amount of beans in a pot. Add enough water to cover beans completely. Walk away.
2) The next day, when you get home from work, drain the water and rinse the beans.
3) Add water to the pot to cover beans completely. Add any of the following seasonings: Salt, garlic salt, cumin, lemon pepper, red pepper (not too much), oregano. Stir.
4) Turn stove on to low and cover pot. Right before you go to bed, turn stove off (stove should be on for at least 5 hours).
5) In the morning, place pot in the fridge. If beans are not soft, repeat step 4 that evening.
6) Use as you would a can of beans.
Bandanna Ode
I took a clean cotton bandanna to a party over the holidays.
It became my napkin, and it was happy.
Last week another bandanna kept my thigh from burning
as I ate reheated stew in the passenger seat
while my wife drove.
The red one I used for the sniffles last fall;
I have been told using tissues are better hygiene,
but I accept the risk. My choice. I am not sick often.
Many of my bandannas were thrift store purchases, rescued for 75 cents a piece.
Often ten or more bandannas hang in a rainbow of colors on the laundry line,
like Tibetan prayer flags for cowboys.
(Bandhana means "to tie" in Hindi)
They dry fast, eager to be used again.
The holiday season approaches, and I am done with wrapping paper. I think it is tradition that needs to be put to rest, an idea that should be abandoned like an itinerant holiday fruitcake.
I don't think I need to spend any more money purchasing a roll of overpriced paper, which is then cut into pieces and put on display for a couple of weeks before throwing it into the trash.
Of course, when I was young my brother and I had fun burning the paper in the fireplace where we huddled close and watched it become engulfed by funky chemically-colored green and blue flames. I have probably reduced my lifespan by a couple of weeks as a result.
But can't wrapping paper be recycled? Well, sometimes--but there is often so much other stuff in the paper to make it glossy, shiny, etc. that recycling it is not always an option. The only city recycling website that I could find to specifically address the matter was out of Beaverton, Oregon, which mentioned that if the paper has any foil in it, then it can't be recycled. Okay, so how do I tell the difference between shiny, silver-colored paper and paper that has foil in it?
Other folks suggest saving and reusing wrapping paper. This thought is well-intentioned, but I mean, how many of us want to wrap a present in pre-folded, slightly-ripped paper that still has last year's scotch tape on it? Even so, I do try to save and reuse what I can, though the social challenge for me is that I want to be able to tell the folks to whom I am giving such gifts that is has been lovingly wrapped in second-chance paper. Sadly, not everyone truly appreciates this fact.
It is also rare that wrapping paper can be used a third time.
The ideal solution might be to give gifts that don't need to be wrapped in the first place, for example, last year I gave my cousins tickets to a musical in San Francisco, which fit nicely into a decorated envelope.
But for those of us who still like the idea of hiding the identity of our presents, I am liking the holiday gift bag idea, which are much more durable than wrapping paper in that they can be reused year after year. I think every family should have a holiday stash of these bags, which can be stored with ornaments, lights, and other seasonal decorations.
Another creative solution involves using colorful paper that would be recycled anyway, such as old calendars or out-of-date road maps. And of course, there is always the Sunday Comics.
I saw the first Christmas decorations emerge on October 14, at FedEx Kinkos: a little silvery plastic tree with glitter and miniature red and green presents. This must be a record. I hadn’t even bought my Halloween pumpkin yet. So I am not too embarrassed about posting about Christmas Trees over a month before December 25.
I thought it would be easy to suggest that people refrain from harvesting purchasing or harvesting a Christmas tree this year, for all of the usual reasons, the most notable of which being: Why perpetuate a tradition of cutting down trees?
But before choosing to attack such a Dickensonian and Rockwellian icon of Western culture (not to mention one of the chief symbols of the most celebrated holiday of the largest religion in the nation), I felt it prudent to do some background research.
I have successful ended my mailbox's unsolicited relationship with "Mailbox Merchants," whose advertisements consistently highlight all of the products that I don't purchase.
If this is true for you as well, here is the information to be removed from their mailing list (you can either write a letter or make a phone call):
Client Services
Mailbox Merchants
15040 NE Mason St.
Portland, OR 97230
1-800-579-1497
(530) 256-5956
(530) 256-3450 fax
Next on my hit list: Market Value Place
This last year I went on line to buy three books from Amazon and a gift card from REI (a wedding present). Meanwhile, I received in the mail gifts of a shirt from L.L. Bean and serving bowl from Macy’s.
The result: My home address ended up being shared like a virus, and seemed to be passed around to every retail company in the nation. The postman began to tremble from the extra bulk of the catalogs. The mailbox began to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
With holiday mailers rapidly approaching, I knew what I had to do. I donned my weapon, and went to work. I made phone calls.
As I did dishes over a two month period, I put on the headset and called the 1-800 number (or 1-888 or 1-866) for every catalog, not quitting until I spoke with an actual person in Denver, or Dallas, or Raleigh, or Great Falls. My opening salvo: “I would like to be taken off the mailing list.” They countered by asked for the costumer code, and I was ready. They asked for my address, and I spelled it out for them. If I got put on hold, I picked up my cell phone and called the line again: An attack on two fronts.
I even called Dell Computers, where my phone call was, of course, routed to India. I hung on the line for 35 minutes I was cut off once and transferred four times. But I prevailed. And I was able to make a batch of cookies at the same time.
Yes, I also wrote some letters, and sent out a couple emails to a few of those universal “remove my address” organizations, but I have found the direct, person-to-person method works best.
My mailbox no longer leans. The postman smiles at me. It takes my recycling bin 4 weeks to fill. I do still get some unsolicited catalogs, but it nothing as compared to the spring. And it feels good.
My next battle: Removing my address from the weekly mailers such as the "Market Value Place." Any thoughts?
I was in the checkout line at Orchard Supply Hardware when the woman ahead of me made a single item purchase which the clerk promptly and diligently placed into a plastic bag. But here’s the thing—dangling on a clip from the woman’s belt loop was a ChicoBag.
“Excuse me for being forward,” I stated boldy, “but why don’t you just use your ChicoBag?”
A bit embarrassed, the woman replied “Oh. Right I guess I forgot about it. But the clerk already bagged my item.”
“I am sure she would be happy to remove the item and save the bag for someone else.”
And the clerk, being a pleasant person, did just that. I then apologized if I had made the woman uncomfortable, but she said no, my question was a perfectly reasonable.
At least she had her bag with her. Its when I get to the check-out stand and realize that I forgot my bag that I feel bummed and frustrated. Besides being a bit absent-minded (I think it comes with being a guy), I know that I was raised in a "throw-away" era (which started, perhaps, with the post-war 1950's and is only now started end), where having your purchase placed into a bag was never a concern. It takes some thought to get into a mindset that is more sustainably aware.
The solution in my house has been to have multiple reusable bags, everywhere. Bags by the front and back doors, in the car, in the backpack, in the briefcase, and in the bike basket. ChicoBags are certainly represented among our bag menagerie because of their extremely convenient size (but if they have one fault, it is that they may too convenient—they are so compact that at times, like the woman at OSH, I forget when I have one), but I also like bags that are big, gaudy, and obvious. Don’t have that many bags? You can find bags being sold for $1.00 or less as the local thrift stores.
And for the record, a colorfully written note on the chalkboard outside Trader Joe's the other day asked folks if they had remembered to grab their reusable bags from the car. Thanks, TJ.
Even after handing out cloth bags as wedding favors, I have friends who quiz me on the "paper or plastic" question. "But if you didn't have your cloth bag, what would you do?"
I get 817,000 hits when I google "paper or plastic," far to much information, I believe, for what should be a pretty simple question. So apparently the debate still rages: Paper, plastic, or your own? For those who still haven't made your decision, here are 817,000 websites, boiled down into one simple post:
Misto, My Hero
My favorite breakfast is homemade waffles. To this end my college roommate and I went though hundreds of eggs, gallons of Mrs. Butterworth’s, and tubs of I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter. Every morning our thrift store-purchased, never-say-die Toastmaster waffle iron diligently cranked out breakfast after breakfast. The non-stick coating had long worn away, so we had to make sure we were liberal with the Pam spray.
These days I am a more cultured waffler. I use real butter and I splurge for maple syrup. I still use the same waffle iron though. But the Pam is long gone—I now use Misto, my waffle hero.
You see, I prefer to buy in bulk. Flour, syrup—these things are easy to come by. But there are no gallon-sized Pam’s. And then I got Misto as a gift: a refillable cooking oil spray bottle. Generally speaking I am not a big fan of kitchen gizmos--usually I am the kind of guy who would prefer to find 20 different uses for a steak knife—but this thing is cool. I can just pour in some basic veggie oil (organic canola), pump it a few times, and tada! No-stick waffles, and one less item for the landfill. In the long run it is cheaper as well—It sells for $15 at Colliers, making it a better deal than Pam over the long haul.
More and more people are bringing their own containers when they purchase coffee, tea, or soda, especially in Chico. The upside is that this practice is becoming gradually more accepted by our society. But there are times when I leave town and feel as if I am back in the dark ages, like the 1980’s. I dropped into a Starbucks in Vacaville the other day and offered them my water bottle as they took my order. The barista promptly began to fill a plastic cup with blended coffee, which he then unceremoniously dumped into my bottle. The cup, of course, ended up in the trash. I have had the same thing happen at Jamba Juice, too.
I have recently started taking my bottle to the next level: 36,000 feet. When I offer airline attendants my bottle and say, “Ginger ale, please” (my traditional airline drink of choice), they get this amazing puzzled look on their face, as if I am handing them a rubber chicken. I highly recommend trying it.
Just remember to make sure your bottle starts off empty when you arrive at the airport. Airport security officials frown upon liquids these days, unless you have a container that holds less than 3 ounces. So a full shot glass would be okay.
My wife and I turn heads at restaurants whenever we dutifully set our own empty food containers beside us in anticipation of being served more than we can eat in one sitting. Many restaurant patrons apparently think it is strange, and perhaps a bit "uncultured," to be dining away with a Tupperware container at the ready. Yet those same folks don't give a second thought to accepting a styrofoam container at the end of the meal, which usually leaks (especially if it is Asian food), so it in turn is placed into a plastic bag. Less then 24 hours later, the leftovers are eaten and both the bag and the styrofoam end up in the garbage can, destined for the landfill.
I encourage folks to join us in turning heads by bringing your own empty container of choice for your leftovers. I promise to share some of my leftover pad thai.