bio-plates still trash, in the trash

Have you switched to biodegradable options for disposable plate ware and utensils? Great move, but make sure your composting them at the end - most stuff doesn't decompose easily in landfills.

Why not? And how long is trash, trash anyway? Get answers to these questions and more at our new favourite site Ideal Bite

end the greenwashing

From the publishers of PR News, the "Going Green" guidebook includes strategies for greening your business. The 200+ page book includes profiles of blue chip companies, small organizations, and start–ups that have reconfigured their businesses to be more eco-responsible.

Written for marketing and senior execs looking for a blueprint to communicate existing green efforts or to get new initiatives off the ground, companies profiled include GE, Nickelodeon, HP, BASF, Travelocity, Dow Chemical, and National Geographic.

Order at prnewsonline.com

more products we love

These diapers put waste where it belongs - in the toilet and not the landfill.

gDiapers contain no latex, elemental chlorine, plastic, or perfumes, and the pants are made of cotton and spandex, which are breathable and comfortable for your little one.

Each pair comes with two snap-in liners, which are easily washable and made out of viscose rayon, a natural and renewable polymer that comes from trees.

The diapers themselves are made from a biodegradable fiber (fluffed wood pulp) to absorb wetness and keep those little bums dry. And flushable means an end to smelly diaper pails!

Available from Grassroots

bye bye polystyrene recycling, hello EPIC

Yesterday, the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) reported that the City of Toronto has backed off its promise to collect polystyrene in blue bins, which could "effectively destroy the program for all of Ontario."

Polystyrene - which makes up the bulk of our food and protective packaging - can be remanufactured into products like picture frames as well as fire-proofing materials, and EPIC says 20,000 tonnes of the material will now end up in landfills.

EPIC's news release does not cover the reasons why Toronto is re-thinking the program...but then the agency is simply an arm of the plastics industry.

They even have a "Polystyrene Myths and Facts" PDF available on their site, with tidbits like:

Myth: Polystyrene does not biodegrade.

Fact: Polystyrene has been designed specifically to be an inert material that does not break down in a landfill and release harmful substances, such as greenhouse gases.

Sorry, then how it that a myth?

So, while it would be fabulous to be able to recycle our current heap of packaging, shouldn't EPIC be looking at ways to reduce and/or eliminate it? But that would put an end to their council...

a community effort

CBC has partnered with Cisco Systems and has launched a new campaign aimed at bringing Canadians together in the fight against climate change - One Million Acts of Green (OMAoG).

"One Million Acts of Green is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how technology can enable people to make powerful connections and effect change" said Nitin Kawale, president of Cisco Canada. "Cisco technology forms the foundation of the Internet and the Internet isn’t a network of computers, it’s a network of people"

An act can encompass everyday habits such as buying locally grown produce, using stainless steel water bottles and reusable shopping bags to larger-scale projects like installing storm windows, solar power cells or participating in community 'green' challenges.

Users on the OMAoG site are able to create a profile, add each act of green that has been or will be accomplished and monitor just how many greenhouse gases have been saved.

Loving it!

Full story here

boo! spooky green fun this october 31st

Finally! Some excellent tips from the Daily Green to ensure your Halloween fun doesn't result in a bag full of trash. (Well, unless your kids are going to be trick or treating - not everyone is as eco-minded ;)

1. Reuse Costumes
Tap into the treasures hidden in your closet or attic to pull together a fun, no-cost costume (it won’t take any longer than going to the mall, and will be a lot cheaper). Trade costumes with friends and family if you don’t want to wear last year’s get-up. Shop for accessories at yard sales or resale stores. Use your imagination but don’t obsess. The point is to have fun, not be fashionable!

2. Trick and Treat
In lieu of junk food, hand out pencils made from recycled paper, erasers, nickels or dimes – be creative!. My husband used to live in the same neighborhood as baseball legend Casey Stengel – he gave out silver dollars. My neighbor started doling out small cups of apple cider when she realized how much kids love a drink of something when they’re running around like banshees. NatureMoms offers lots of great links to organic lollipops and other fun and healthy treats.

3. Reverse Trick and Treat
Global Exchange is encouraging kids to help educate adults about Fair Trade cocoa by handing Fair Trade chocolates back as they trick or treat. The chocolates are attached to a card explaining why Fair Trade offers an alternative to child labor, low wages for farmers and a healthier environment. Order by October 13.

4. Have a Party
If you opt to celebrate at home in lieu of trick or treating, put out bowls of snacks rather than serve up individual throwaway treat bags. Offer pop corn, hummus and pita chips, carrots and dips, fresh apple cider, bat-shaped cookies and muffins. Kids will enjoy painting pumpkins, decorating cupcakes, reading scary stories, bobbing for apples, and going on “flashlight hunts” in the yard (if the party’s after dark) for hidden Halloween surprises. Send electronic invitations to avoid wasting paper and postage.

5. Decorate with Nature
A trip to your yard or the farmers market will provide everything you need to dress up your house for Halloween: leaves and branches, hay bales, gourds, pumpkins, mums, dried flowers.

6. Light up the Night
If you string lights (especially to keep walkways safe for kids), use strands of LEDs like these fun spider lights. They use much less energy than conventional holiday twinklers. Illuminate carved pumpkins with candles from beeswax or soy. Decorate windows and glass door panes with these beautiful non-toxic window paints from Hearthsong. If kids need flashlights to get around in the dark, try the BOGO light recharged with solar energy.

7. Turn It Over to the Kids
Forget the store-bought hanging witches and skeletons. Have your kids make hand print spiders for the walls and windows. Upcycle egg cartons into bats. Carve and paint pumpkins.

8. Try a New Bag
The best option for candy collectors is last year’s bag; a pillowcase; or a reusable shopping bag with handles. But if you need something new, try the reusable Chico Halloween Bag. Kids will love its spooky design. You’ll love that it only costs $5.

9. Save for Next Year
When Halloween is over, pack up costumes, treat bags, lights, and decorations in one big box or bag. Store everything in an easy-to-find place so next year, you don’t have to start completely from scratch.

10. Get Even More Ideas
Between Green Halloween and the Green Moms Carnival, you’ll find everything you need to know to make your spooky night as eco as possible.

Source: The Daily Green

an end to junk mail for your ears

The CRTC's Do Not Call Registry went live yesterday at 12:01 am.

So many Canadians want off telemarketing lists that 223,000 people had registered for the service by 1:30 pm, and more than one million people tried to access a telephone hotline to register.

"We are victims of our own success," said CRTC spokesperson Denis Carmel. "At one point, 18,000 tried to get through at the same moment. If you would have told me these numbers yesterday, I would have laughed."

The Do Not Call list will prevent telemarketers from calling people who are on the registry. It won't, however, block pollsters or charities.

To sign up for the service, visit the CRTC.