Waste Reducer » Recycling

How Much Food Do You Waste?

Jake — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:58:00 +0000

According to the NYT Week In Review from May 18, 2008, approximately 27% of all food available for consumption in the United States ends up in a landfill. Conflicting reports from the EPA suggest that food waste is either 12% off all waste in the US, or 6.7% (PDF) depending on the data source, which accounts for at least 14 million tons of the total waste generated annually. I know that even eating leftovers and bringing home extra food from restaurants doesn’t always result in a “clean plate” at my house, but we’re trying. Are you on the high or the low side of adding 1 pound of food waste a day? What strategies do you use to keep food waste to a minimum?

Drink Green on Saint Patty’s

Inez Betancourt — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:23:56 +0000

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming, and you know what that means. Another excuse to drink until you pass out! (Does anyone really know what the holiday is supposed to be about?)

No matter how much beer you celebrate with, remember to be responsible. Environmentally responsible.

Cascade Brewery, from Tasmania and owned by Fosters, has declared their new Cascade Green as 100% carbon neutral from the picking of the locally grown hops to the eventual deposit in the recycling bin.

The carbon neutral aspect comes via the purchase of Australian Government Greenhouse Friendly certified carbon offsets that go to supporting the Hobart Landfill Flare Facility.

The brewery has also reduced its energy usage by 16% and water usage by 30% per unit of production over the last six years. The beverage comes in the lightest weight, highest recycled content glass bottle currently available in Australia, and is shipped in cartons of 100% recycled cardboard printed with two-color biodegradable vegetable inks.

Just be warned that Cascade hasn’t made any claims to be organic or vegan, it’s just carbon neutral.

If you do want a vegan beer, then try Green Man. It’s brewed from organic ingredients, and is free of added sugars. They reuse their bottles and many of their cardboard cartons too.

All good reasons to raise a glass and say Slante.

Sony’s Take Back Recycling Program

Inez Betancourt — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:26:54 +0000

Sony Electronics has teamed up with Waste Management, Inc. to encourage proper electronic device disposal. Their goal is to recycle one pound of consumer electronics for every pound sold, and are offering some pretty sweet deals to get you to help them meet it.

They are offering a $100 coupon off the purchase of a BRAVIA® HDTV from Sony Style when you bring in your old Sony TV to be recycled. If the TV you wish to recycle is not a Sony, take it in anyway. Waste Management will charge you $25-$50 to recycle non-Sony televisions, but you still get the $100 coupon so you still save money! The small print says that you have to bring in your TV by March 15, 2008 and you have to use your coupon by March 31, 2008, so hurry to the nearest participating Recycle America location and trade up.

Also, if you bring or mail in your old notebook, regardless of brand, you can get credit for a new VAIO® or receive a Sony Style Gift Card.

It’s the same for old cameras and camcorders; you get an e-coupon to spend on a new one at sonystyle.com. Get an instant estimate of your old cameras value, sign up for a Trade-Up account, print off a free shipping label, ship it off and receive your coupon.

For every other Sony product, you can recycle them for free at the same participating Recycle America locations.

Phonebook Reduction Plan

Jake — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:38:13 +0000

It seems like there’s a new phonebook on my door step every other day. Sure this is an exaggeration, but do we really need another copy of the Yellow Pages, or some company’s latest take on the white pages when the Internet tends to be more up to date? My immediate response to a new phone book is to dump it in my curbside recycle bin, but I’d rather avoid getting a phonebook altogether. Eliminating pointless phonebook deliveries would be great for the environment, reducing a ton of wasted paper, eliminating the gas used by phonebook delivery contractors who cruise neighborhoods unloading the books from a car that typically idles (or crawls down the road) all day long. Olivia Zaleski provides 6 ways to eliminate the phonebook from your life (or at least reduce the delivery frequency).

Remember, with free information services like 800-GOOG-411, even if you don’t have an Internet connection handy, you can get connected to the phone numbers you need without needing a phonebook.