Mindful Momma

Quick & Easy Reuse Tip: Crayon Holders

We've been reorganizing the kids' rooms lately and I needed some dividers for crayons, markers and pencils for desk drawers.  I remembered that I had saved some plastic 'to-go' containers from a restaurant visit awhile back.  It did the trick!

  

Eco-Confessions!!

When I heard that the topic for the Green Mom's Carnival this month was Eco-Confessions I laughed out loud!  Sometimes I think that should be the name of my blog!  There are so many things that I think I should do or could be better at...it's not funny. 

But I have to remind myself that I'm really not an always kind of person.  In fact, the word never is not a part of my vocabulary.  I'm more of a middle-of-the-roader and I like it that way, thank you very much.  I'm mindful of my impact on the environment...but not obsessed about it.  I read a great article awhile back about people who are taking green to the extreme and driving their families nuts!!  I'm proud to say - that's not me!  

But in the spirit of 'fessing up', here are the eco-confessions that are top of mind today:

• driving instead of biking - to kids soccer games for instance, or the YMCA which is only a few blocks away

• plastic produce bags - at the grocery store (just can't seem to get in the habit of bringing mine very often)

• non-recycled paper products - if I run out of TP and I'm at Target, I pick up the virgin stuff instead of making a separate stop to get recycled.  (Target - why oh why don't you carry recycled?)

• long showers - but oh how I love me my showers! 

• food in plastic containers - try as I might to avoid them, plastic containers keep sneaking into my house 

• paper towels - yes I use them, but only for the messiest of messes

• disposable wipes - only in the bathroom.  I have two young boys so I hope you'll understand. :)

I try hard not to feel guilty about my eco-sins...but sometimes it's hard not to be when I read about the amazing efforts of people like Beth at Fake Plastic Fish who buys little to no plastic or Crunchy Chicken who has been known to water her plants with her own urine.  I regard them as eco-superheros - a great example to us all - but not your average green Jane.

What's your approach to green living?  Are you a green superstar?  Do you lament your eco-sins daily? Or are you a middle grounder like me? 

This is my entry for the Green Moms Carnival hosted this month by Jenn at The Green Parent.  Stop by her blog next week to read more eco-confessions!!

Little Things Do Count

You may not think much about the packaging of the mundane household and beauty products that you buy every once in awhile.  But on the large production scale of major manufacturers - little changes count...A LOT!

Take this example:  Burt's Bees recently stopped putting plastic shrink wrap around their lip balms and lip shimmers.  In just one year, they've eliminated 1800 miles of shrink wrap film - that's enough to wrap around the statue of liberty 100 times!

What's the Scoop on Compostable Plastics?

I'm sitting here with an empty takeout container on my desk...wondering what the heck to do with it.  I picked up a salad at my favorite neighborhood cafe and it came in this container labeled "This container is made from corn and is 100% compostable."  It's a material called PLA (polylactic acid) and comes from a company called NatureWorks.

My first thought was GREAT!! - I'm so happy to see an alternative to the usual plastic takeout containers (most of which can not be recycled in our municipal recycling program)!!! 

But my elation was short-lived.  I thought I could just toss it into my home compost pile, but it turns out that these containers are really only compostable under commercial compost conditions (where they will break down in 45 to 60 days).  Since I don't have access to a commercial compost facility....what should I do with this thing?

As I see it, here are my options:

• Recycle It- I was tempted to just toss the container into my recycling bin, assuming that 'they' would know what to do with it.  But I looked into it and found out that PLA is currently NOT recyclable and in fact can contaminate the recycling process if it gets mixed in with PET plastic bottles (which can be recycled.)  When PLA is found in recycling centers it is simply tossed into a landfill or burned...but not composted. 
• Compost It  - Just for kicks - I might just throw the container into my own home compost pile to see what happens.  Problem is, I don't use a compost tumbler or anything - I just have a big compost heap.  And I really don't want my backyard to look like the neighborhood dump.
• Reuse It - I will probably reuse the container a few times (for cold foods or maybe for something else around the house) but it is not a very durable container so I doubt it will last long.
• Toss It- Ultimately, this thing is going into the garbage can.  Sad, huh?  To make things worse, PLA exudes methane (a potent greenhouse gas) when it decomposes in the landfill. 

What's the solution?  Uhhhh...don't buy takeout?  That's not a practical solution for most of us but we can do our best to use less of it.  Beth from Fake Plastic Fish (who is hosting this month's carnival on plastics) is the only person I know who actually brings her own stainless steel container to the store to fill up with food.  She's setting a great example.  Ten years ago who would have thought we'd all be carrying our own bags to the grocery store?  Bringing our own takeout containers could be the next big grocery revolution!

Please visit Beth's site later this month NOW to read more lively discussions about plastic from the gals at the Green Mom's Carnival.  You may think plastic is a boring topic, but I guarantee you'll learn something you didn't know and something that impacts your daily life...most likely with a dose of humor thrown in for good measure.

The PVC-Free Bathroom Remodel

Your big bathroom remodel may have to wait in these rough economic times.  But that doesn't mean you can't give your bath some sprucing up.  A little PVC-free redecorating will brighten your bath and be good for your health as well. 

PVC, the "poison plastic" tends to sneak it's way into our bathrooms without our permission.  To avoid subjecting your family to those nasty fumes, check the label before you buy bathroom accessories that just might be made with PVC. 

Shower curtains and liners- PVC is ubiquitous in the shower curtain department.  Your best defense is to buy a shower curtain made from a natural material instead of plastic.  If you must use a plastic shower curtain, consider picking one up at Ikea.  They have a great selection of shower curtains made from PEVA - a chlorine-free plastic that is a safer alternative to PVC.   If you're up for ordering on-line, VitaFutura has some fun graphic designs.

I've got a machine washable cotton shower curtain but there's no avoiding plastic when it comes to the liner.  I picked up my liner from Ikea but Target sells PVC-free shower liners made from EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) as well.    

Bath rugs - Many bath rugs have a non-stick backing made of PVC.  Look for rugs with a natural latex backing instead like this one from Target.   Or pick up an organic cotton rug without a non-stick backing at all - like these from West Elm.

Bath toys - I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here.  The Soft Landing did a great review of PVC-free bath toys.  Click on over to their site for more!

Gimme 5

   

Woo hoo!  Finally a place to recycle plastic yogurt tubs!!  Whole Foods has started a program for recycling #5 plastics by partnering with Preserve (best known for their recycled plastic toothbrushes),Organic Valley and Stonyfield Organic.  

The program is called Gimme 5 and it is still in the pilot stage but I just discovered that it is up and running here in the Twin Cities!  Check here for a list of all participating locations! 

Bring in your yogurt tubs, cottage cheese containers, medicine bottles and even Brita water filters  - just look for the #5 on the bottom.

FYI - One of my blogging friends, Beth of Fake Plastic Fish was influential in getting Brita filters included in the program through her Take Back the Filter campaign!  Rock on Beth!!

Aaaaaaak! Did I Just Buy PVC Toys for my Child?

Are your kids into Pokemon?  Mine are - big time.  Yesterday, I gave in to a little impulse purchase on the clearance shelf at Target.  A set of plastic Pokemon figurines.  I hesitated, not wanting to bring any more 'cheap plastic crap' into the house.  But these figures looked substantial and I knew my boys would absolutely love them.  It was also a little consolation gift for my 4 year old who didn't get to go to the big basketball birthday party that his oldest brother was invited to that day.  

Long story short, as I was taking the figurines out of their complex packaging (another reason I shouldn't have bought them!), I noticed that familiar smell - PVC - I know it well.  The 'poison' plastic off-gasses toxic fumes from phthalates and other chemicals used in production and has a very distinct smell. 

This surprised me because I thought toys made with PVC were typically squishy - like the classic rubber duckie.  I didn't expect these rigid plastic figures to be made with the stuff.  And I still don't know for sure if they are but I did a search on HealthyToys.org and found some similar looking figures that did test positive for Chlorine/PVC. 

This is exactly the type of issue that the CPSIA will address and I'm glad of that.  Meanwhile, what the heck should I do with these toys?  I really can't see prying them out of my crying son's hands.  It's so darn tough to find the balance between being safe and being overprotective.  My gut tells me that one little set of toys shouldn't be a problem - as long as he doesn't suck on them, which he is not inclined to do.  What would your gut tell you?

Bag Lady

Here's what I brought with me to the co-op yesterday to go grocery shopping:

• Two large, empty oatmeal containers to fill up (one regular, one quick oats)
• An egg carton to load up with eggs (4 year old loves that job!)
• Two empty plastic bottles for refills of body care products (liquid soap and sweet almond oil)
• A bunch of plastic bags to use for produce and bulk items (I really need to get me some of those reusable produce bags!)
• A big bag of plastic bags to recycle (the have a bin you can stuff them in)
• And last but not least, my reusable shopping bags.

I felt like a bag lady hauling all that stuff into the store!  But in the end, I'm always glad that I made the effort.  How do you feel about the extra work that it takes to bring your own packaging to the store?  I thought I'd try out a poll - my very first!

I'm sneaking this post in as a submission for this month's Green Moms Carnival.  The topic is global warming.  What does being a bag lady have to do with global warming?  It's my little way of doing something to stop it!  The carnival is being hosted this month by Maryanne from Not Quite Crunchy Parent.  Hop on over to the carnival post to find out what other Green Moms are saying and doing about global warming.

Mindful Momma Giveaway: Sustainable Reading Glasses from ICU Eyewear

Not too long ago I had a pair of reading glasses bust on me.  Not only was it a bummer to have to buy reading glasses in the first place (how can this be happening to me?? - I still have 20/20 vision!!) but now I was going to have to go out and buy more of something that I've been trying hard not to buy lately....plastic.  As far as I knew, this was one type of product where there were no options other than plastic.  Or so I thought.

Literally a week later, I received a press release from ICU Eyewear about their new line of eco-friendly reading glasses. They asked me if I wanted to check out a pair and I was more than happy to say yes!   Now don't get me wrong - I know full well that earth-friendly reading glasses aren't going to save the world.  No single consumer product has that kind of power.  But I'm happy to see that companies are thinking a bit more about the resources that are going into their products.  And I'm happy to have an option other than 100% virgin plastic.  

ICU Eyewear also offers an in-house recycling program where customers can send in their used or broken glasses.  Glasses that are still in good condition are donated to organizations all over the world.  Materials from damaged glasses are reused whenever possible.  The company has also made a commitment with factories, suppliers and distributors to maintain fair trade practices.  I'm thinking this is a win-win for everyone! 

The eco-friendly line comes in three styles:

Sustainable Bamboo - With stems made from formaldehyde-free bamboo grown in sustainably managed forests and frames made from reclaimed plastic. 

Reclaimed Material - Stems and frames made from plastic scraps reclaimed from the factory floor - and that would otherwise be headed for the garbage can.

Recycled Material - Stems and frames made from recycled metal.   These have a nifty little cut-out pattern in the stems. 

 

You can find ICU Eyewear's sustainable styles at Whole Foods, Anthropologie and many bookstores around the country.  (and at the Linden Hills Co-op in the Twin Cities area!)  Each pair comes with a cute little coordinating glasses case too.

ICU Eyewear has generously offered to give away one pair of eco-friendly reading glasses to a lucky Mindful Momma winner.  If you could see yourself sporting a pair of these stylish, earth-friendly glasses then leave me a message on this post letting me know your favorite eco-friendly ICU Eyewear style.  The contest will run through midnight central time on Monday, November 24th.  (only one entry per person please and you must have a U.S. shipping address)  I will notify the winner by email and also post to Prizey Winners.  Good luck!

Congratulations to Erin - who said that the green bamboo cat-eye glasses were her favorite style from ICU Eyewear!!  She'll be getting her very own pair in the mail soon.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Skip the Plastic at the Grocery Store

Are you ready to move beyond just saying no to the plastic grocery bags at checkout when you shop?  There are SO many other ways you can skip the plastic at the grocery store if you take the time to think about it.  I've been uber-conscious lately of all the grocery products that are typically packaged in plastic and trying to switch to 'better' containers when I buy things. 

The arguments against plastic are many:  it is made from a non-renewable resource, the production process creates pollution, it can leach chemicals into your food, it never truly biodegrades and there's a big, ugly mass of it sitting in middle of the ocean. 

Keep your eyes out in the store - even in categories that are usually packaged in plastic (like juice for instance), you can almost always find alternatives:

Glass- it's easily recyclable and can be reused in your home for so many things. 

• Peanut Butter- Maranatha and Arrowhead Mills are both brands that come in glass.

• Mayo, salsa and other condiments-  Most conventional brands come in plastic jars but some, like Spectrum and Newman's Own come in glass jars.

• Juice - Knudson and Santa Cruz Organics use glass instead of plastic.

• Pasta Sauce - It's especially important to buy tomato products in glass.  The natural acid in tomatoes makes leaching from plastic jars a big problem.

• Oils - Olive oil is commonly sold in glass, while most other oils are usually sold in plastic.  Spectrum uses glass for all cooking oils.

• Milk - You might need to make a deposit on a glass container but bringing it back to be refilled is double good for the planet!

Paper or Cardboard - Recyclable in most areas.  Paper made with recycled content is best of course! 

• Meats- Buy straight from the meat counter wrapped in butcher paper and you'll skip the styrofoam tray and the plastic wrap.
  
• Pasta- Pick the cardboard box instead of that crinkly plastic bag.

• Milk - Paper milk cartons are recyclable in many areas. 
  
• Bread - Fresh bread from the bakery usually comes in a paper bag - and there's no comparison to the plastic wrapped version.

Better yet - make your own, homemade version of many of these foods and skip the packaging altogether! 

Can you think of any other food items that traditionally involve plastic packaging - and a plastic-free alternative?  No doubt I've forgotten a few!