Buying in Bulk to Cut Back on Packaging

 

Most consumer goods nowadays are way over packaged, making it difficult for those of us that keep a close eye on our household garbage production.  A good way to curb some of the plastic and paper packaging is to buy in bulk when it makes sense. Select larger quantities in a single bag or box. Packaging waste makes up ½ of all U.S. municipal solid waste by volume. I have not yet found the hard data, but I have read the claim that more of our food bill pays for packaging than actually goes to the food producers (farmers). 

NY School Children Protest Styrofoam – Be Inspired

 

NY Times ran an article this morning, Styrofoam, Food and Public Schools.  

They have a fantastic short video about the story on the NY Times site. The reporter interviewed children as well as parents. It includes a fantastic shot of grade-school age children on the steps of City Hall with posters, flyers and stacks of old Styrofoam food trays exercising their right to free speech. The protest was organized by Councilman Bill de Blasio, a Brooklyn Democrat. The real credit should go to the concerned parents that spoke up and decided to shed light on the issue. One parent was so concerned about the waste she, along with other parents, began collecting and washing trays to use for demonstrational purposes. The amount of trays she had collected in just one day was staggering, filling an entire large trash can. A whopping 4 million Styrofoam trays go from the New York City public school lunchrooms to the landfill each month.  

Crunchy Chicken’s Low-Impact Week

 

My new favorite blogger, the crazy Crunch Chicken gal from Seattle, just wrapped up her “Low-Impact week.” I caught this one a little late but think it is still worth bringing up. Crunchy Chicken made a list of goals to meet for the week in addition to all of the guidelines she has already made for herself (some of which are pretty ambitious).  Her self-ordained Low-Impact week is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own. I plan on getting some of my gal pals to join me. Challenges are always more fun when you have worthy contenders. Crunchy Chicken will be posting another challenge in the middle of June.

71.1 Million Strong

 

I just received the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association’s (APPMA) National Pet Owners Survey for 2007-2008.