…yes it is.
Recently I saw this dumpster diving documentary called Dive. It had a lot of “no duh” moments, but for the uninformed, I can see this one opening some eyes…I hope. It’s even on Netflix, so go watch it!
The Sheraton Shuffle (video)
Happy Holidays. Don’t Give the Gift of Garbage.
Buying stuff for the holidays has to rank near the bottom of things I like doing. Of course I get salty hearing other people’s conversations about rushing to the store after work, or struggling to find a toy that their kid wanted. Even worse is seeing the huge piles of waste by the curbside a few days later. I like to view the holidays more like artistic expression, mainly with how I package a gift, and secondarily what I choose.
This nation consumes a huge amount of paper each year, and as much as half of that consists of packaging. Wrapping paper is a big contributor: it’s too thin to be recycled, and it contains additives and dyes. Many things can substitute as wrapping paper…think newspaper, magazines, or really anything that you can mash together in a creative way. Ideally, you should pick a material that is going to be recyclable or compostable.
I openly admit that I obsessively hoard packaging materials that only get utilized for holidays and birthdays. Under my desk is three garbage bags full of padded mailers, styrofoam peanuts and gift bags that I’ve received and try to reuse later on. By ordering products online, I don’t really get to choose what packaging material the sender uses, so it ends up under my desk.
I find it sad that nearly all packaging material is so close to being conveniently recyclable. Padded mailers have plastic bubble liners that are difficult to remove, tyvek packaging is becoming popular, but no one is willing to pay shipping to mail these in bulk back to the manufacturer. Some copy centers and post offices may accept styrofoam peanuts, but no one wants to make the effort to return them. Therefore, I suggest reusing these types of materials as many times as you can.
Gift bags are equally frustrating because they’re not recyclable due to their inseparable composition of paper, plastic, and anything from sequins to rope handles and ribbons. If you absolutely need to use gift bags for that special someone, choose a generic/neutral design and suggest to the recipient that they reuse it.
If you’re not that interested in using materials other than wrapping paper for gifts, you can look for 100% recycled paper gift wrap which uses soy-based ink instead of the usual toxic petroleum-based ink. Taking it a step further, scour the internet for plantable seed wrapping paper. You can even get business cards made with this material, and it looks and feels great. These options are a bit more expensive, but I like to think of the extra cost as part of the final gift.
Being both creative and responsible with your gift giving doesn’t have to come off as cheap and weird. Done right, it can act as a subtle way to get your recyclephobic friends one step closer to being accepting of greenie practices. When you’re laying around digesting all that food this holiday season, strike up a conversation about holiday waste. I think it’s on people’s minds but it doesn’t get enough attention, and it might connect you a little closer to those you care about. Getting creative is always a good thing, and you know they always say it’s the green thought that counts.
The Sheraton Shuffle
Every time I travel and stay in a hotel (or anywhere really), I find myself critically analyzing every material detail to the point that I sound really obnoxious. My recent stay in LA was no exception. The funniest part was flying in to a blacked out windy city, and being handed a glow stick at check in. Yes! Luckily, the power came back on an hour or so later.
Hotels really fascinate me with their room layouts, as they’re meant for single use and efficiency. I always look at product design and placement, and wonder who pays $3 for a bottle of water when they have a sink in their room. My room came with the following:
I know it’s commonplace to hate on Starbucks, and I won’t waste much time here. They seem to improve their image and talk with time, but I can’t help but keep an eyebrow raised nonetheless. “Fair Trade” coffee in the room, with single use coffee cups…wrapped in plastic for your cleanliness and enjoyment.
Right away I wonder why they don’t have mugs, but I guess they figure people take them. My answer: Brand them as Sheraton mugs and charge $10 if they’re yanked. Maybe the 10 seconds of time for an employee to wash out the used mugs in the sink wouldn’t justify it.
Luckily, there’s a recycling can in the room! I spoke to cleaning staff and they proudly explained the sorting process: very, very nice to see. There’s hope that the wet coffee cup and essentially worthless polystyrene lid get separated properly at the Material Recovery Facility. At least the (unnecessary) coffee sleeve is recyclable, and made of 60% post consumer recycled fiber (actually an important characteristic).
Want to make a green choice? Request not to have your bedsheets and towels changed. Save water, soap, labor and electric while receiving a $5 food voucher. Let me guess, “go green and save green”? Blah. Most hotels have adopted this practice and marketing at this point, and I’m glad…although it still comes off as a bit corny. But so do I.
The best part of this sign is the “Made from Earth Friendly Materials” line. Really? Wow! I’d be happier if you said “Made from 0% recycled fiber”, or even “Printed on paper with soy based inks” (or water based inks)…what isn’t? If you’re gonna reach, go for the top shelf.
Speaking of top shelf, the clean air sign (in photo 1) is awesome. I’m so psyched I get to breathe clean air in this room…look at the earthy design. I have to give it to them, such a smart way to say “This is a non-smoking room and we’ll bill you $200 if we smell anything”.
Now I ask the question: Does this come off as greenwashing to you, or innocent changes in the hotel’s perception? OK, I’m done hating now.
I also love checking out public restrooms, especially in hotels although I haven’t figured out why yet. My parents can confirm my obsession with rating bathrooms ever since I was a little kid…counting the urinals was an early favorite. It’s all waste related, right?
Yes! I love waterless urinals. A win-win all around, and these have a killer shape to them which makes it super hard to backsplash any pee on yourself. I don’t know how they did it, but I’m going to try making a phone call to an engineer at Sloan about this…I’m sure that a lot of work went into the curvature of this thing.
Now that we eliminated touching the urinal flusher from the picture (since we all use the flusher every time, haha) it’s time to move on to the touchless soap dispenser…and non-touchless faucet. Maybe the next phase is replacing those and the paper towel dispensers next. I hate touchless paper towel systems. I just want a piece that’s less than a foot long, not enough to wrap several christmas presents.
What I don’t like about these is the electric eyes never seem calibrated correctly, and you’ll get extra squirts of soap and excessive water blasting down the drain after you walk away. Finally, after your hands are supposedly all clean and sterile, you grab a paper towel (is that totally clean?) and then grab a door handle fresh with cooties of all the people that don’t wash their hands. I love it!
Now I’m not a microbiologist by any means, and I think that was my worst class in school (memorizing names of stuff you can’t see, great!)…but perception of cleanliness plays a big part regardless. Perception of greenliness (bad joke, don’t use that word) appears to be more and more playing a part, too.
You must be thinking I give this hotel an F, right? No way, not even close. Sure, there’s some things that could be replaced or modified a bit, but overall it’s a better look than a lot of hotels I’ve stayed in. The best look? Get composting already!
Artful Littering
What Really Irks You About Waste?
Waste Watch Episode 3: Toner Cartridge Recycling
Waste Watch: Toner Cartridge Recycling
I’ve been hoarding toner cartridge waste for a while now, and I noticed the variety of ways that companies try to appear “green”, or not at all. Greenwashing is a serious thing, and I’d like to get your mind in gear for spotting weak attempts to appear environmentally responsible.
What level of sustainable effort (or lack thereof) is acceptable to you? Let me know.
Waste Watch Episode 2: Cell Phone Packaging
“Wipe Out” article in Grid Magazine #031
Do you ever wonder about napkins? It’s definitely an item that I think about constantly and I can’t tell if I’m perceived as dirty for denying them any chance I get. Napkins are seen as this free item that can be liberally obtained in any quantity, without question. Why do you need napkins? Do you spill food at every sitting, or get your hands and face dirty every chance you get?
I would like to see napkins become an item that isn’t provided unless asked for, with the business in full control of how many are disseminated. Honestly, how many times have you either taken napkins or received napkins with a meal, only to throw them in the trash after you’re done eating? They’re only napkins, right? Yes, but they are a resource that contribute to our wasteful habits.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been observing people when they get up to leave a restaurant and it never fails that unused napkins get trashed…and not one or two, but a tidy stack of them. I’m always entertained when I get to watch people figure out creative ways to use their stack of napkins before throwing them in the trash. Wipe the table down? Wipe your mouth for the third time? Blow your nose? I feel like a lot of people are one step away from saying “hold the napkins”.
Did you know that paper makes up a whopping 40% of our landfills? This is the most prevalent content disposed, and it exceeds plastic bottles, diapers, food waste and appliances combined. Think about it this way: for as long as you’ve been on the planet, paper hasn’t changed. It’s always weighed the same and taken up the same space while glass and plastics (bags and bottles alike) have lost nearly half their weight and thickness.
Some paper products such as napkins, paper towels and phonebooks are made of a minimal amount of low grade material, to the point that their recyclability is questionable, but their compostability or (better yet) overall reduction is not. Yes, it’s a low grade of paper that is most likely near 100% recycled material, but why use it if you don’t need to?
So here’s my challenge for you: Do you really need all the napkins you receive when getting your meal from the lunch truck or at a restaurant? See what happens when you pocket those extra napkins and tell the server to hold off on them from here on out. Remember cloth napkins? They still exist, seemingly at bars and a couple restaurants…that’s not a bad habit to support. If you’re at an establishment using paper napkins, ask why they can’t go with the cloth alternative.
This one might be a stretch: how about handkerchiefs? They were a trend that hung out of people’s back pockets for a while, but were they being pulled out at restaurants to wipe hands and blow noses? I doubt it. The key here is reuse.
The extreme: have you tried putting your hands into your pockets after you washed them instead of pulling 5 paper towels from the dispenser? Unless you work in a hospital, chances are you don’t need your hands sanitized and free of visible soil at all times.
Why would I pick such a trivial product to focus on for an entire article? That’s exactly why. Paper has a bigger impact than you may think, and you have the power to change that…quite simply, actually. So go for it- it doesn’t make you dirtier, it makes you a more mindful and in-tune global citizen.
Scavenging At School
Scavenging at School
I was taking a stroll and I happened to pass by a school’s dumpsters. I couldn’t help but take a look at all the opportunity that was being passed on. Don’t you think schools should be recycling, composting and donating as opposed to trashing? I mean, the students are the future and all… setting an example and being a steward in the community shouldn’t be an option.
Who knows, maybe I’m really ahead of myself… maybe not a single person at the school has ever thought about waste segregation. Maybe no one at this Philadelphia school lives in Philadelphia and recognizes that they participate in single stream recycling at home already.
Are the schools near you recycling? Composting? Donating excess supplies and lost and found never found? Are they getting the students involved?
I wonder what the waste hauler thought…maybe they never proposed providing the service anyway. Either way, this isn’t about blame as much as it’s about looking through trash and asking questions…so take my lead and go do it.