litterless lunches made easier

When researching our earlier post on back-to-school, we happened upon a great resource from Canadian entrepreneur Casey Nolis.

Frustrated when packing lunches because of small lunch bags, BPA-plastics and leaking containers, Nolis started researching products that could be found outside of the usual chain stores.

She liked what she found, and launched mylitterlesslunches.ca to make them all available in one place.

At her site you'll find lead and PVC-free lunch bags for adults and kids that are not only attractive but functional - and large enough to hold an entire lunch; BPA-free plastic and stainless steel containers and bottles (that don't leak); cloth t-shirt napkins; even cold packs.

Plus, if your school, workplace or organization need to fundraise, My Litterless Lunches will even donate a portion of profits.

whew! that WAS easy

Ah, back-to-school.

The impact on the earth, the frenzy at Walmart, the appalling cost of it all. This year, why not stay home, make a list, and spend an afternoon hunting through the house?

It’s likely you already have most things you need.

Start by sorting through all the school supplies you find hanging around from last year, used and unused. Get the kids involved. It’s probable you can fill a bin with duo-tangs, binders, paper, rulers, pencil crayons and pens.

Organize into sets for each child, and note any missing items. To round out the selection, see if family or friends are interested in trading to fulfill everyone’s school-supply lists.

For those items you do need to pick up, choose earth-friendly versions. Recycled paper notebooks, corn pens, staple-less staplers, even scissors, rulers and erasers made of recycled materials.

Backpacks, pencil cases and the like should not need to be replaced every year. A quick wash, maybe a little tailoring, and you should be set.

And hold off on getting everything paper-related under the sun – chances are, the first week of school will bring with it requests for agendas, specific notebooks, and school books that need to be purchased from your child’s school anyway.

Ah, lunches.

With garbage-free lunches now the norm at most schools, the challenge is to get everything into reusable containers. Do away with plastic sandwich and snack bags and excess packaging.

ReUsies makes bags that can be tossed in the wash when they get dirty. They are 100% cotton and lined with water-resistant 100% nylon (BPA, lead and phthalate free), use Velcro to stay closed, and are big enough for sandwiches, bagels and wraps.

As for what to pack, start with healthy fruits and veggies. Make things a lot easier – especially during the colder months - by having local, organic produce delivered right to your home. In Toronto, try Mama Earth Organics for friendly service.

Ah, career changes.

For us big kids, this time of year can bring thoughts of new challenges, new opportunities, and change – such as a career. If you’ve been considering a switch to something a little more earth-oriented, check out WorkCabin for inspiration, resources and job postings.

Credits: Victoria and Vancouver Times Colonist

more than just kitty box liner

Despite the herald of the end of print, many of us still get our news the old-fashioned way.

Whether you pick up your local paper every Sunday with a coffee, or have it home-delivered seven days a week, there are ways to use all those trees beyond throwing the pile in the blue box and hoping for the best.

INSULATION
Layers of newspaper are great insulation, for cooling or heating.
-Stuff rolled up newspaper under doors and in cracks of windows come winter time.
-Wrap around ice cream containers or chilled desserts to carry to parties.
-Stuff inside your coat or under blankets to keep warm in an emergency.

REHAB
Here's a technique for those who've suffered hand injuries or strokes, or anyone wanting to strengthen their fingers and forearms.
-Lay single sheet of newspaper on a flat surface, then lay your hand palm down in the centre. Using only that hand, begin crumpling the newspaper and see how small a ball you can crumple it into.

CRAFTS
Use in crafts, for crafts, and to cover the table on which you're doing all this work.
-Paper mache material.
-Paper making kits are inexpensive and easy to use. Take scraps of newspaper and liquidize them to form new sheets of paper.
-Fold into old-school sailor hats.

CLEANING
-Polish your windows, mirrors and glass with crumpled newspaper for a streak-free shine.
-Use them for drop sheets when painting, or for messy jobs like shining your shoes.

GARDEN
-Spread newspaper flat or shredded around the base of plants or between rows of plants and water thoroughly. Will discourage weed growth.

ODOUR REMOVER
-Stuff wads of newspaper into your shoes or boots overnight to remove odors.
-Stinky old plastic containers? Stuff with crumbled up newspaper, seal with lid and leave overnight.
-Also works in trunks, luggage or boxes that have that old musty smell. Great when packing away camping coolers for the winter so they won’t smell in the spring.
-Line the bottom of your kitchen garbage can with several sheets of folded newspaper to help absorb liquids and odours.

FIRESTARTER
-Roll newspaper bundles tight and secure with wire. Use in fireplaces or outdoor pits.

WRAP
-Use to wrap parcels and gifts; the cartoon section is popular with the kiddos.
-Moving? Use newspaper instead of specialty paper (just watch for items that may pick up the ink).

Finally, an idea that hasn't yet taken hold: a pocket umbrella with a used newspaper cover.

Credits:
make-stuff.com
tipnut.com
brighthub.com
eHow.com

get fresh in toronto

On August 26th, catch a screening of Fresh, a new documentary by Ana Sofia Joanes that examines the consequences of our industrial food system and offers a practical alternative for how we grow, buy and eat our food.

Awesome community organization FoodShare has partnered to help with events leading up to the screening, including lectures, workshops, and farm to table dinners.

The screening takes place August 26th from 6:30pm - 9:00pm at the Bloor Cinema. Immediately following the movie will be a panel discussion with some of the leading food activists in the Toronto area. Don't miss it!

For more details, check out Radishes and Rhubarb, or get a list of other screenings (Houston, Chicago) at the FRESH website.

gift wrap: polluting all year round

We don't tend to give much thought to gift wrap - and it's environmental implications - most of the year. Around the holidays, the subject comes up, as crumpled-paper and used bows are tossed to the curb (responsible for a 25 percent spike in curbside trash in the USA alone, according to the EPA).

Trees are felled for the paper, the inks contain harmful chemicals, and everyone might feel just a little guilty about it all. But come summer, all that is out the window! From a hostess gift at a summer soiree to an adorable onesie given at a baby shower, our gift giving is spread out, and so too is the trash.

But it still adds up. The cards, the paper, the bags, the ribbon. Luckily, there are tons of amazing alternatives out there. So after you carefully peel off the tape and save another bit of wrapping paper for reuse (also a wise idea!), consider...

-a scarf, organic cotton baby blanket, beach towel or bath towel (gaiam.com)

-reclaimed NYC subway maps (forestsaver.com)

-cloth gift wrap, or furoshiki - great for wrapping books, wine bottles, and fragile items (wrapnatural.com)

-biodegradable flower seed paper (realgoods.com)

-resused felt squares (squidoo.com)

-birch bark or fresh banana or bamboo leaves (wholeliving.com)

-colourful cloth wrapsacks (greenraising.com)

coffee grinds really have superpowers

More tips for using those grounds once you've slurped down that fair-trade latte...

From apartmentTherapy.com, use coffee grinds and a q-tip to buff out those nicks and dings on your furniture.

bleedingespresso.com suggests putting those grounds to work as a pest and ant repellent, closet deodorizer, and a dust deflector next time you go to clean out those ashes in your fireplace.

For the kiddies, myfamilylovesit.com uses them to make...playdough! Check it out.