Four R's: Christian Environmentalism

Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church. After reading Gabe's post on how she reduced waste at her VBS, I decided to see what I could do for ours. This was going to be my first task as a Certified Master Recycler. What's that, you ask? A couple of months ago, Knox County Solid Waste asked me to be a part of the pilot class of master recyclers. The basic premise was to educate and empower a few individuals to spread the knowledge of what can be recycled in Knox County to their schools, churches, civic organizations, or neighborhoods. This was my chance.

I first sat down with the educational director weeks in advance to help her make snack choices that minimized waste and used recyclable materials. She was very open to my ideas and agreed to buy plastic cups instead of paper ones lined with wax--not recyclable. Individual snacks would be packaged in small paper bags--fully recyclable. And hand sanitizer instead of wipes would be used to clean hands. We already had a recycling pick-up at the church; so all we had to do was bag it and take it to the bin.

A few days prior to VBS, I went to the main Knox County Waste facility on Baxter Avenue to borrow three "clear stream bins." Anyone can sign them out for free; you're only charged if you don't return them. These consist of a wire X, a plastic top, and bags into which you can put all recyclable material together: paper, plastic, glass, and cardboard.

The first day, I briefly described to the kids our system for what to do at the end of snack time. "If you have extra drink, dump it in this bucket. If you have extra snacks, dump it in this bucket. Everything else (plastic cups and paper bags) go into the recycling bin." A trash can wasn't even an option. I was there to grab anything out of the ordinary.

The extra liquid was poured down the drain. The extra snacks ideally would have all gone into my compost bin. Some of the items like animal crackers and popcorn were compostable; some more sugary snacks like Fruit Loops and oatmeal cookies were not. The cute cheese and crackers shown above were a judgement call.

We did have some trash. Some kids with allergies brought snacks in foil bags and some of the packaging for cookies and goldfish couldn't be recycled. I also struggled with what to do with the wrappers around the oatmeal cookies; though they are plastic, this thin, saran wrap type plastic is not recyclable. I gathered them anyway in hopes to use them as windows in a craft project one day.

After five days and compressing the bags once, we filled three bags of recycling from the kids and another in the kitchen. We might have filled one trash bag half way. What impressed me most was how easy it was and how not one person (adult or child) balked at the idea or said anything negative about my "crazy ideas." Most people want to do the right thing; they just need some guidance and for it to be a no brainer.

But by far the best part of VBS was my opportunity to share some ideas with the kids each day as "Earth Mama." In one minute each day, I focused on one of the "three R's": reduce, reuse, recycle. I gave the kids tangible ways they could do all three. Then I decided to add one more R: responsibility. Kids, not just adults, should take responsibility for caring for God's creation. It's what I call Christian Environmentalism, but I'm sure many other religions support the same concept.

The theme this week was about creation and animals of the Bible. So it fit perfectly that we would hit upon how in the very beginning (Genesis 1:26), God gave us this incredible earth and told us to take care of it. He didn't mean for us to use it and abuse it however we wanted. Like nurturing parents, we are the protectors of every fish, bird, cattle, and bug on earth. Recycling is just one step, but judging by these kids' enthusiasm for it, I'd say our planet is in good hands.

Thousands of People & No Trash

Yesterday I decided to volunteer to help people from all over the world know that Knoxville cares about recycling and is capable of hosting zero-waste events. All week, thousands of kids from 45 states and 13 countries have been competing in the global finals of Destination ImagiNation. These are the kids who are training to think creatively and solve challenges quickly as a team; yep, our leaders of tomorrow. So when the Knoxville Recycling Coalition asked if I would help at one of the lunches that promised to be a zero-waste event, I agreed so that I could see for myself how this worked.

Through trial and error at previous meals, they had it down to a fine science by Saturday. The kids and parents were starting to get the hang of it too, but they still needed a bit of guidance to know where to put what. The biggest component to making this a no-trash event was making sure the food vendor was on board with only providing food and products that were either compostable or recyclable. The drinks were all in either aluminum (sodas) or plastic (water or milk). All drink containers went into one bin that will be sorted and recycled at a facility owned by RockTenn in Knoxville.

The rest: food (including meat products), plates, utensils, napkins, etc. went into another garbage size bin that looked like trash, but here's the best part. Thanks to the Sevier Solid Waste industrialized composting system, all of this will be composted--not taken to landfill. Since they have 13 million visitors a year, a traditional recycling system isn't really feasible for Sevier County. Instead, no one has to sort their trash; it's done for them. They recycle what they can--metal, cardboard, tires, motor oil and newspapers--and compost the rest (minus plastic). The process is similar to backyard composters but on a much larger scale. Higher heats and excessive tumbling means it turns into compost more quickly. This enables them to divert an impressive 70% from landfill.

Even with the constant mantra of "plastic and cans on the sides, everything else in the middle," many disposing of their trash looked a little glassy-eyed. When we'd mention that it all gets composted, you could see the look of confusion. What about the chicken bones? What about these "plastic utensils" and the "plastic wrap" they came in? Normally you wouldn't put meat products in your backyard compost bin because that can attract varmints, but the industrialized system can handle it. And what looks like plastic is actually cornstarch based and will biodegrade (even the wrappers). An added bonus: they are made in the USA.

So was it truly a zero-waste event? The only items that didn't qualify were the occasional food wrapper that people brought themselves: from chips or a juice box, but that probably accounted for one small bag of trash. Amazing!

I commend the Knoxville Recycling Coalition for stepping up and organizing this. They're a local non-profit that's been operating for 20 years. They're the same people who are now recycling styrofoam. Thanks to a large bag from a neighbor, I now have enough for my first run. Hopefully they'll let me see the compacting process; I'll report back later. And for the record, you can include egg cartons and the packaging from meat, but wash them thoroughly. Those will be compacted separately but you can put it all in the same bag.

The Most Fun You'll Ever Have Upcycling

Tomorrow we'll be taking a car full of recycling; so today, the boys and I indulged in our favorite upcycling activity: water bombs and water guns. Ok, it sounds violent but it's a lot of fun, and when you're done, you toss them all back into the recycling bin.

After washing out a variety of plastic containers from the recycling bin well, we fill them with water and put the caps or tops back on. Milk jugs work best for the bombs, but you can also use juice or mouthwash containers. The boys love to toss them off the porch onto the patio below. Splash, crash, shpew! The milk jugs are usually good for just one toss, but the heavier plastics could last up to 5 throws.

When they're done with bombs, each boy chooses a smaller container, like a water bottle (which we rarely have in our house anymore) or the pint-size milk containers we buy for Brooke to have whole milk. I put a small hole in each and they squirt each other. When the water runs out, they refill them and continue the fun. The gun idea actually was an accident when the water bottle refused to burst but got a tiny hole instead. Thus, a new game was born.

I was going to take video of this wonderful pass-time, but the boys decided to start while it was raining. And within minutes, they had both stripped to their underwear, running around like hoodlums. This was certainly not a video fit to post to the Internet. And to my neighbors, I apologize for the chaos.

Yes, they tracked in wet footprints all over the floor and yes, they were a mess by the end. But hey, childhood only lasts so long and should be FUN! If they learn a valuable lesson--that materials should be used, reused, and then recycled--then my job as Eco Mom is done.

Styrofoam Remorse

Confession time: I brought home take-out in a styrofoam box Friday night, and it has been haunting me since. After reading Gabe's great post about how to reduce waste when you go out to dinner, I was determined that I would say good-bye to styrofoam take-home boxes forever, but here's what happened.

A few minutes before my mother-in-law planned to take me and the kids out to dinner, I had thought, "I should really put a few Tupperwares in the car." Soon ensued the mad scramble for a clean shirt for Bobby, nicer pants for Devin, and two shoes that matched for three kids. My good intentions hit the back-burner until we neared the end of our meal.

The boys had a good amount of food left-over, and I'm never one to waste food. When the waitress politely asked if we needed a box, I hesitated and then conceded, "Sure." Why was asking for foil so hard? Was I afraid she would think I was an environmental freak? Even if she did, why should I care?

I begrudgingly accepted the box, even though I was consumed with guilt. We then ordered dessert and once again had left-overs, but this time, I mustered more courage: "Could you bring some foil instead of styrofoam, please?" I asked. Without a second thought she responded, "Of course!" and returned with foil and a smile. It wasn't an imposition for her, it saved the restaurant money, and helped me feel confident about making better environmental choices. I finally felt empowered to refuse styrofoam!

The following night Bob and I went on a rare date night since the mother-in-law was leaving the next day--two meals out in a row, alert the media! My meal was delicious but more than what I needed. I was secretly excited to demonstrate my new confidence. When the waiter asked if I wanted a box, I boldly replied, "No, could you bring some foil instead?" He looked puzzled and headed to the kitchen. He returned with a box of individual sheets of wax paper, explaining they had no foil. Huh? I hadn't expected a restaurant wouldn't have aluminum foil. How exactly was I supposed to wrap up steak with some juice, asparagus, potatoes au gratin, and squash in these small sheets?

This was clearly a project for an engineer; thankfully, I happen to be married to one. Stack the food just so, fold it this way, then that way, tuck in another piece the opposite direction and presto! Another waitress seeing us wrestle with this project offered, "We have boxes; would you like me to get one?" We burst out laughing.

Bob: "Styrofoam boxes?"

Waitress cheerfully: "Uh-huh!"

Bob: "No thanks. It'll just sit in a landfill for 100,000 years."

Waitress confused: "Then you don't want one?"

Bob politely: "No."

Still not getting that we are avid environmentalists, she returned a few minutes later with a plastic bag. She seemed surprised when we refused that too. We should have taken it to at least recycle it because she just probably put it in the trash. Sigh.

In the future, I probably will bring a couple of reusable containers with us--yes, even on date night. I don't think about it because we go out so infrequently, but just like with cloth bags, every little bit counts. Even though I'm happy Knoxville now recycles styrofoam, it's always better to not use it in the first place.

A few fun facts about styrofoam:

• Each year Americans throw away 2.3 million tons of packing peanuts, used coffee cups and other Styrofoam products. Source here.
• Styrofoam products take up approximately 25 to 30 percent of space in landfills around the world. Source here.
• Styrofoam was invented in 1952 and is created from petroleum and natural gas by-products. It's unclear how long it takes to biodegrade, but once it does, harmful chemicals can eventually end up in groundwater. Source here.
• Burning landfills containing Styrofoam release 57 dangerous chemical byproducts into the air. Source here.

Top 8 for Earthfest

Call me a crunchy chic, call me an earthy geek, but I had a GREAT time at Earthfest yesterday. If you missed it, too bad, but Oak Ridge is having its Earth Day next Saturday, April 24, 11am-3pm. Many of the same vendors will be there with the addition of lots more based in Oak Ridge. Check it out!

Due to our busy schedule, I actually went to Earthfest twice: once with the kids and once without. Here are the Top 8 Reasons I'm glad I went:

• Kids Tent: They had several eco-friendly crafts which Bobby loved. I'll be repeating some of these for them during the summer. They turned toilet paper rolls into bugs, made art with seeds and glue, and painted their own canvas bag with vegetables. Bobby painted his initials with a carrot, stamped shapes with potatoes, and made interesting effects with broccoli and artichokes.

• Thank you, Earthfare, for that $10 off $30 purchase coupon. I'll probably be using mine on 4/22 to get one of your free reusable bags along with organic apples, potatoes, and strawberries--on sale for $3--zowie! (Kroger had organic strawberries for $6.25 last week).

• All the major solar installers in Knoxville were there. In no particular order: EETN, Green Earth Solar, and Sustainable Future. If you own a business and are interested in solar, this is a particularly good time to pursue that technology. A system could pay for itself within 5-7 years!

• Alcoa was selling their very sturdy recycling bins for $5 each (a great value). Since we've loved the one we got last year, we picked up another one. Tip: If you don't yet recycle, start with aluminum and steel. I'll be posting about the many reasons why in the future.

• The Green Living Tent was filled with expert farmers. I learned there is not a single certified organic farmer in all of Tennessee, largely because of the expense and red tape involved. However, dedicated farmers to sustainable farming practices have created a comparable certification: Certified Naturally Grown. There are 15 CNG farms within 100 miles of Knoxville and 5 or 6 of them--including Organicism Farms and Colvin Family Farm--regularly sell at our farmers' markets. Look for them on your next visit.

• Farmer's Market tip: Off the record, some of the farmers I spoke with preferred the Market Square Farmer's Market to the others. Starting May 1, I'll probably be making that part of my routine: Saturdays 9am - 2pm, Wednesdays 11am - 2pm. We're also partial to the New Harvest Market because the kids can play on the playground and splash pad during the summer.

• I stopped to chat with the police in charge of the medication disposal program. I learned that they dispose of them through incineration. In a special giant oven with enormous heat, an entire batch of unwanted medication is evaporated within 30 seconds. Cool! This program is important to keep powerful medicines out of our water supply. So NEVER throw away extra antibiotics. Take them to the police department downtown instead.

• Finally, I was SO EXCITED to learn there is now a way to recycle styrofoam--what I call "the scourge of the earth." I bought a massive plastic bag from the Knoxville Recycling Coalition for $5. Once I fill that with as much styrofoam as I can fit, I drop it off at their Bearden location, take my bag home and fill it up again as many times as I need--no additional costs. With special machines, they compress an entire bag into a dense block you can hold. They in turn sell this to a company that uses it in their products. I encourage you to buy a bag to do the same. I'm going to offer to accept styrofoam for my entire neighborhood. Think about all the electronics, kids' toys, etc. that are shipped with styrofoam that now will never see landfill! Gives me the warm and fuzzies just thinking about it! ;-)

Eco Toys for Toddlers

I can't believe it's already April 13 and I'm just now getting around to this post. If you haven't had a chance to pick up the Knoxmoms April magazine, click here. You can read it online or find where to pick up a free paper copy.

There are several green articles in this issue, including mine: Eco Toys for Toddlers. I basically looked at what items were common in a toddler household and turned them into toys: upcycling before recycling. Diaper boxes were turned into building blocks, baby food containers into discovery boxes, finger food containers into drums, wipes boxes into a game of Hide 'n Find, berry clamshells into a Jack in the Box, and plastic water bottles into fascinating works of art.

Here are two additional ideas that were cut for space.

1. Shakers out of juice or mouthwash bottles and bottle caps: Toddlers love the sound of bottle caps rattling in a plastic container. Seal the inside of the cap with hot glue for safety.

2. Bowling Pins or Snack Shakers out of plastic containers for puffs: When you remove the wrapper of a puff container, you’ll find it looks a lot like a bowling pin. Collect ten to make a full set or make a shaker by adding other favorite snacks like goldfish--a food source and toy in one.

The pictures of my adorable toddler Brooke were taken by my talented friend / professional photographer Mitzi Bodie. Thanks, Mitzi.

So did I inspire anyone to give one a try? What ideas did I miss? Enjoy this short video demonstrating some of the eco toys.

Turning Teachers Green

A few weeks ago, I posted my observations of recycling (or lack thereof) in my son's school. There was no recycling in the lunchroom and all food was served on styrofoam trays. Rather than just complain from the comfort of my soapbox, I decided to do some research. I'm happy to report there is hope for our school and any other school that's motivated.

First of all, I learned there is recycling on some level at the school (which is also a church). Each classroom has a bin where teachers collect all of the major recyclable items (paper, plastic, aluminum, etc.) and then they're sorted later into the large recycling bin on campus. That's great! We're half-way there already!

However, the biggest opportunity for recycling is going straight to trash because they've found it "impractical in the lunchroom." I'm working to get to the bottom of this and hopefully will find a "practical" solution. Stay tuned.

In my research, I was delighted to learn that Ijams Nature Center sponsors Ijams Recycles, a program where four AmeriCorps volunteers work with schools, organizations, and businesses to take small steps to be greener. Go here to download all their services. I sat down with one of those volunteers, Meredith Hess, and she energized me with some solutions (many simple and no cost) that I can offer our school.

First of all, I'm hoping our school will be open to an on-site waste audit; that would be a huge eye opener. Meredith also has suggestions for biodegradable trays that might be even cheaper than the scourge of the earth we're using now--styrofoam. I'd like to prove that recycling is not only the right thing to do for the environment but for our bottom line as well. Sacred Heart Cathedral School saved 40% in trash costs after starting recycling and went from 5 to 2 pick-ups a week. Well done!

As soon as spring break is over, I'm hoping to generate some enthusiasm for several earth friendly activities during April (earth month of course). Surely the librarian and art teacher will be open to letting Ijams present a few crafts and programs like "Landfill in a Jug" or "Magic Recycling Bag." Another simple idea is letting teachers pick one hour to have class "in the dark." I'm thinking snack time for kindergartners would be perfect.

I'm also going to suggest two of our teachers apply for one of the 2010 Energy Camps. They'll receive meals, accommodations, and a $500 grant for energy education activities, but they must apply by April 16. I know we ask a lot of our teachers, but consider doing this for your school. If you know a teacher who has a passion for sustainability or energy conservation, they might really enjoy this.

I encourage you to utilize both programs to help your schools. And if your school is already doing a good job, please share it in comments. And you moms in Pennsylvania, here's your chance to weigh in. How do your schools compare? I want ideas!

Recycling: Everybody's Doing It, Right?

I had a close encounter today with a mom from another planet. Not really, but now I have your attention. I was volunteering at my son's school to sell baked goods as a fundraiser for the music program. That's when I noticed the incredible amount of waste and lack of recycling going on every day in this lunchroom. The janitor emptied three huge trash cans twice during the hour I was there. Kids were throwing away lunches that looked like they'd hardly been touched, served to them on styrofoam trays--ugh!!! Into the trash also went plastic milk jugs and aluminum soda cans. Is there no recycling, I wondered?!

What floored me even more was the reaction of the other mom present with me. When I expressed disdain for such waste and lack of environmental responsibility, she showed equal disdain for the very thought of recycling. She commented, "The whole idea is just so gross--seeing all that piled up or having to rinse out soda cans or milk jugs sends shivers down my spine!" In her mind, I suppose, as long as it's contained in a plastic bag and she doesn't have to see it, it's OK to throw away whatever you like.

I try very hard not to use my blog as a soapbox, but does anyone else see a problem with this rationale? I thought our society had progressed to at least the level that most people saw the value and importance of recycling, even if they didn't participate. Maybe it's all those years in California, a state that has mandated that HALF of all waste be diverted from landfill (either by recycling or composting). Yes, some city municipalities like San Francisco do have great composting programs that are providing amazing results in Napa vineyards. It's the cycle of life, people!

Anyway, now I'm compelled to at least research whether recycling programs have been explored at our school and why they have not yet been implemented. Surely I'm not alone in my desire to preserve the earth for future generations. What better place to instill these values than our schools?

In our home, we've whittled down our trash to half a can a week. We take a car load of recycling twice a month to the recycling center and compost most of our food waste. As a New Year's resolution, I wanted our entire neighborhood to participate in recycling on some level. I even volunteered to take any neighbor's aluminum, steel, newspapers, cardboard, and mixed paper (the most valuable recyclable commodities). One neighbor is now on board. If you have questions about what can be recycled or where to drop items off in Knox County, go here.

I suppose that's how the green movement has to evolve--one person, one act at a time. When you realize it's not so tough or that it even feels good to do something positive for Mother Earth, you explore what else you can do. What steps have you taken recently to "go green"?