Mindful Momma

How to Choose an Indoor Compost Bucket

It was time. The trusty, green, plastic compost bucket that lived under my sink for many years had to go. For months, I dealt with the cracked top rim but when the handle snapped off completely (showering my legs with compost - thankfully outside!), I knew that its days were numbered. Even though my plastic bucket held up for many years, I wasn't so sure I wanted another one of the same model. So I took to the internet to do some research on what type of compost container to buy:

Factors to Consider

Assuming that you have a place to compost food scraps outside, you will need some type of container to store them temporarily in the house. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Will the container be kept under the sink or on the counter? If it's sitting out on the counter you will probably want something that looks nice. If not, butt ugly might be just fine.
• What material is the container made of? Popular choices are stainless steel, plastic and ceramic.
• How much does the container hold? If you create a lot of food scraps, you will want to lean towards something larger. If not, a smaller size will suit you just fine. Most containers hold between 1 gallon and 2.5 gallons.
• What type of filter does it use? Most compost buckets use a charcoal filter but the key question is - are they readily available? If not, you might want to consider a different model.

The Time is NOW for Reusable Bags

 

Why Use Reusable Bags?

With 40% of annual retail sales happening between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my guess is that a similar percentage of disposable plastic bags are being let loose into our system during that time as well. That makes it a good time of year to get on my reusable bag bandwagon. If you need convincing, here are a few hard facts about plastic bags from the folks at Factory Direct Promos:

• An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed each year worldwide – this works out to over 1 million bags per minute.
• A million sea birds and 100,000 animals such as whales, dolphins, turtles and seals die from plastic bags and other waste each year.
• Americans throw away about 1 billion plastic bags a year, which is equivalent to dumping nearly 12 million barrels of oil.
• Retail businesses spend about $4 billion each year on plastic bags.
• In the United States only 8 percent of the total plastic waste generated in 2010 was recycled.
• The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.

Maybe your city or community is ahead of the game and has already instituted a plastic bag ban or bag fees (check this interactive Plastic Bag Ban Map for ban activity in your area). Here in Minnesota plastic bags are still going strong (except for yard waste where we have to use compostable bags). 

A Few Favorite Reusable Bags

My reusable bags have been out in full swing lately for gift shopping, grocery shopping and everything in between. Here are a few in my rotation:

Baggu - These super roomy, workhorse bags (shown in photo at top of post) fold up nice and small. Buy the set of 3 which comes with a zippered pouch to store them in.

Esse - I've been praising their Carry All Tote for years but the new handy Clip It bag made from recycled bottles can be clipped to a keychain, backpack or stroller so it's with you whenever you need it.

BB Begonia - Big enough to hold 2 grocery bags but stylish enough to carry around town. Empty bag rolls up easily to fit in your purse.

What's your favorite reusable bag?

This post is part of the Give the gift of a Plastic-Free World This Holiday and Join the Plastic Bag Ban Movement! blog carnival, hosted by Factory Direct Promos. Check it out for more info about banning plastic bags.

(Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make contributes a small amount to this blog. Thank you!)

(Top photo credit: andrewarchy via flickr)

Review: Repair the World Apparel

Even the most green people I know are often at a loss for buying affordable, eco-friendly clothing. Most conventional clothing retailers just haven't jumped on the eco-bandwagon yet. I see the occasional organic cotton t-shirt around but other than that, I have to seek out sustainable duds in specialty stores or online.

So I figured you would want to know about this new-to-me brand of people and earth friendly apparel from a company called Repair the World. Their clothing line is made from a specially manufactured fabric called Reparel that is a blend of recycled polyester and recycled cotton. They sell a lot of basics like t-shirts (including kid sizes) but also some really stylish tops and dresses like this lovely pullover...

Eco Strengths

• Polyester comes from post-consumer (a fancy word for used) plastic bottles.
• Cotton is recycled from cutting room scraps and textile waste.
• Since the cotton scraps are pre-colored, no other dyes are needed.
• Company partners with Friendship Bridge to support women-owned businesses in Guatemala.

Back to School with Plastic-Free Naked Binders

Are 3-ring binders on your school supply list? We didn't have to start buying them until our oldest son hit middle school. Last year I tried to go the "green" route by buying a PVC-free binder. However it was still  plastic-covered cardboard and it ended up ripping and falling apart only a month or two into the year. After that I picked up a standard (probably PVC laden) binder and that made it through the rest of the year - although it was looking pretty sad by then.

This year I've got something new to try: Naked Binder sent us samples of their eco-friendly binders. Here are my thoughts so far:

Eco Strengths

• 100% recycled board made from 100% post-consumer waste
• FSC-certified
• 100% recyclable, including metal
• Made to last - hinge tested to 250,000 flexes
• Plastic-free
• Made in the USA
• Member of 1% for the Planet

An Interview with My Friend Plastic-Free Beth

This may sound weird but my friend Beth comes with me whenever I go shopping, whether it's at the grocery, or Target or wherever I happen to be. She's not with me physically, but in my mind. You see Beth lives her life devoted to using as little plastic as possible. She is the founder of the blog My Plastic-free Life and author of the new book Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too. Whenever I am faced with a shopping dilemma like whether or not to buy the cookies in the big plastic clamshell I ask myself - WWBD - What Would Beth Do? - and the right answer comes to me.

I've known Beth for quite a few years now and roomed with her at the annual BlogHer conference. I've seen her in action. She's the real deal. When offered something plastic - even if it is really cool SWAG - she does not take it. She brings her reusable stainless steel wine glass to parties just in case they don't have glass. She carries a glass straw, reusable utensils and even her own takeout containers with her everywhere.

Cool Eco Crafts on Pinterest

Are you a Pinterest fanatic yet? It's hard not to be when there are so many cool things to discover.

I've been getting a lot of visitors to my blog via Pinterest so I thought it would be nice to return the favor and share some of the blogs behind some of my favorite pins. These are from my Eco Crafts Pinterest board:

Zakka Life shares a fun coin purse made out of a yogurt lid. I have tons of fabric scraps and plenty of yogurt lids just waiting for a project like this. Wouldn't this be a fun gift for the kids to make for Grandma?

If this isn't the sweetest homemade craft ever, I don't know what is! Kristen from Bloesem Kids used stamps made from okra to create these hand-stamped gift tags. Now if I could only get my kids to eat the okra too!

This soda bottle jewelry stand is just brilliant! Jen from EPBOT even provides a tutorial so you can make one yourself! Since I don't typically buy bottles of soda myself, I'd have to go dig through someone else's recycling bin to get the bottles. I'm highly tempted.

Have you found any good eco craft ideas on Pinterest?

 (Images used with permission) (shared on Your Green Resource)

Easy Eco-Tip: Buy Meat from the Butcher

Every time I come home with something in styrofoam I just cringe. Styrofoam (or polystyrene) is one of the worst plastics around. Not only does styrene, the building block of styrofoam, cause brain and nervous system disorders, but the icky material does not biodegrade and is rarely recycled.

One place where styrofoam sometimes creeps into my life is when I buy meat at the grocery store. Ready-to-buy packages of chicken breasts, pork chops or other meats almost always have a styrofoam tray on the bottom.

What can you do to avoid styrofoam in meat packages? Buy meat at your local butcher or the meat counter at your grocery store or food co-op. They will wrap it up in butcher paper instead. Not only do you skip the styro but I'm betting that the meat's fresher too. Win-Win!

I'm trying harder to avoid styrofoam and buy meat packaged in butcher paper - how about you?

(Image credit: cafemom via flickr)

Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit Makes Homemade Baby Food Easy

Back when I was in baby food making mode, I put my concoctions in any old container I could find, from ice cube trays to reused commercial baby food jars. That worked for me but I have to admit it would have been nice to have a smoother system for storing my precious purees.

Enter the Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit™. The Solids Starter Kit™ is a simple but smart system for freezing homemade baby food that makes the whole process just a little bit easier - exactly what what a sleep deprived parent needs!

Each kit includes 2 high-quality freezing trays with lids and a link to a step-by-step eguide with 27 baby food recipes. Here's what makes the Mumi & Bubi's Solids Starter Kit™ better than traditional ice cube trays or random jars:

• Made from non-toxic polypropylene - certified free of BPA, phthalates and PVC. (FYI - lids on conventional baby food jars are often coated with plastic containing BPA)
• Trays have lids to keep food fresh and free of freezer burn - unlike ice cube trays.
• Grooves in top of lid makes trays easy to stack on top of one another.
• Trays are top-rack dishwasher safe.
• Cubes pop out easily without twisting and digging.
• Each tray makes 21 (1-oz) cubes - the perfect serving size for baby!
• When baby food stage is over, use for freezing homemade pesto, soup stocks or smoothie treats!

I'm thinking this would make a perfect baby shower gift for a new parent. The Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit™ is available online for a special price of $25.

Did you make homemade baby food for your child? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

(Full Disclosure: I received a free Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Eco-Crafty Roundup

I've been finding so many wonderful eco-craft ideas around the blogosphere lately! I just have to share....

Julie from Julie Ann Art compiled a bunch of ideas for recycling old t-shirts - ranging from beautiful t-shirt scarves to a pretty pillows and some handy dishcloths.

EcoMomical Me shares a very smart repurposing idea: How to turn a plastic clip hanger into a chip clip. So smart!

Tiffany from Nature Moms gives us some ideas for Halloween crafts made from recycled metal cans. Also check out some of my past posts about homemade Halloween costumes, green Halloween parties and craft ideas.

Jennie from My Sweet Greens and Inhabitots shows us 5 Easy Craft Projects that Reuse Orange Juice Containers. Such fun and creative ideas!

Have you made any eco-crafts lately?

(Hey crafters - I've linked this up to the Do Something Crafty Friday roundup over at The Crafty Nest. Stop by to see even more cool, crafty ideas!)

BlogHer Faves

Once again, I had a fantastic time at the annual BlogHer conference. Thanks to my sponsor Juice Beauty for helping me out with expenses this year. It's easy to promote a brand that I use and truly believe in!

I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things from my trip:

Fav Connections - The wonderful green blogging pals that I got to hang out with. Many of them I met for the very first time!

Standing: Amber - Strocel.com, Micaela - Me!, Mary - In Women We Trust, Lori - Groovy Green Livin

Sitting: Katy - Non-Toxic Kids, Beth - My Plastic-Free Life, Harriet - Climate Mama

Fav Session - Connecting with Brands from the Inside Out with Susan Getgood, Amie Valpone and Maya Bisineer. It helped me to frame the way I want to work with brands in the future. Promoting small, sustainable brands is a true passion - now to make a living at it! :)

Fav Party - I have to say it's a tie: the Haute Green party put on by Calley of The Eco Chic was full of friendly green-minded folks and the official BlogHer party Sparklecorn - where we danced to 80's tunes into the wee hours!

Fav Expo Booth - Paper Culture - This wonderful card and invitation company prints everything on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. And the designs are crazy cute!

Fav Swag - Dr. Weil's Orthaheel Sandals - Who am I to pass up a free pair of sandals that help improve balance and posture?

Fav Advice - "Find the intersection of what people want/need and what you are passionate about and make that the focus of your blog." Such smart advice. You may even see a survey or two coming your way so I can find out what you, dear readers, really want from this blog....

Fav Food - riceworks gourmet brown rice chips. Now this is my kinda junk food...and the company operates green in many ways!

Fav Perc - Roomie Beth scored a corner hotel room - two walls of windows overlooking the San Diego harbor!

Least Fav Thing - The plastic, disposable plates! Last year we dined on reusable dinnerwear - this year it was plastic. What gives BlogHer? Beth and Amber were true eco-champions - they saved and reused their plastic plates for every meal.

 

Did you go to BlogHer? What were the highlights for you? Was there anything you would like to see change?