Which is Better: Glass, Plastic, or Paper?

In celebrating Earth day I thought this post will make us become a little more conscious when trowing away various packages. Compare the eco-impact of different packaging materials using this chart. For perspective: The average U.S. home burns 11,000 kilowatt hours of energy and produces 16,000 pounds of carbon dioxide through electricity use per year.

Material	Energy cost to produce $1,000 worth	Greenhouse gases produced	Amount recovered in 2007	Landfill lifespan	Alternatives
Glass containers	6,944 kilowatt hours	3,527 lbs.	28%	1 million years	Always recycle glass — otherwise your great- great-great grandkids might find a bottle you threw away.
Plastic containers (#1, #2, #5)	3,889 kilowatt hours	2,425 lbs.	14%	450 years	Reduce use of throwaways, and try to buy easily recyclable #1 and #2 plastics.
Plastic bags and film	3,611 kilowatt hours	2,270 lbs.	10%	500-1,000 years	Use canvas grocery bags; wrap sandwiches in napkins.
Polystyrene foam peanuts	3,333 kilowatt hours	2,078 lbs.	7%	500 years	Cushion fragile shipments with crumpled newspapers or magazines. Drop off excess foam packaging peanuts at your local FedEx or UPS store.
Coated and uncoated paper bags	3,889 kilowatt hours	2,381 lbs.	37%	1 month	Switch to reusable canvas bags, and always recycle paper bags.
Coated and laminated paper, including gift wrap, tissue, and butcher paper	3,611 kilowatt hours	2,151 lbs.	Negligible	2-5 months	Wrap gifts in newspaper comics pages or reusable fabric wraps.
Corrugated cardboard	4,444 kilowatt hours	2,645 lbs.	74%	1-2 months	Buy packaging-free products. Reuse cardboard boxes and compost shredded cardboard.
Steel and aluminum cans, boxes, and other containers	4,722 kilowatt hours	3,262 lbs.	54%	200-400 years	Fill reusable container at the bulk bins, and always recycle steel and aluminum containers.

Source: Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA), eiolca.net/copyright/index.html.

Ways to Save the Planet

If you are looking for some tips on contributing to your green journey here are some ways. It is a very cool list with lots of easy steps to take.

#5 Plastic (polypropylene) Not Safe Anymore?

I was away from the news for a while but thanks to some readers, I found out about a new study saying that #5 plastic (polypropylene) was discovered (almost accidentally) to leach two types of chemicals. The study is described in a little depth on the EWG website. It is not clear under which conditions the chemical leached -- was it the enzyme used in the experiment, was it under normal conditions?? -- and whether it is dangerous or not

This is very sad news especially because that are many foods wrapped into #5 plastic (considered safe) and most of these foods cannot be avoided. Even the medication is packed in #5 plastic containers. It is not easy to get rid of it; yes you can eliminate from your house everything that is made from plastic but you cannot stop buying certain foods whose nutritional value is very important for a healthy diet.

This type of plastic was considered safe until now; however even now nobody is arguing that it is bad, the study found that the plastic is leaching chemicals. But what chemical is safe? I do not believe in chemical safety. I would not be surprised at all if one day they will find that the other two types of plastic (#2 and #4) considered safe now will be found to leach chemicals.

How to Avoid Greenwashing

The urge of people to become green brought, of course, lots of marketers “going green” in the other sense of word and mislead the consumers while the regulations are still waiting to be defined and clarified. Greenwashing is the word for these types of scams ("marketing techniques" :) , that is). Many products are claimed to be “all natural”, or “environmental friendly”, or “non-toxic”, etc while there is no standard established. Luckily, the ingredients on the cosmetic products and on food have to be listed now so people can decide for themselves whether to use that product.

Here are some tips on how to avoid greenwashing:

• Always read the labels and try to draw the meaning from them. For lists of meaningful labels you can go here.

• Read carefully the ingredients on the cleaningproducts and cosmetic products. I know that you feel like reading foreign language sometimes – but in time you learn them, at least you will know which ones are good and which ones are bad. From my experience, if there are ingredients hard to read – it means that they are chemicals in general, so I avoid them.

• Read reviews on the internet; I tried many products based on consumer’s reviews (not company reviews!) and I was satisfied most of the time.

• ALWAYS look for certification. Many products have the “certified” word on them, but they do not display the name of the certifying organization. Personally, I am skeptic about that and I talked about this many times in my posts. If companies have a certification for something they should be proud of that and display it on the product. If you can't verify that the product is certified it probably isn't.
  

• NEVER rely on the sincerity of the manufacturer or the seller. Be aware on what are you spending your money.

EPA Sets U.S. Air Quality Standards for Lead 10 Times Stronger

Not a moment too soon: after 30 years of (lobby induced) silence, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets new limits for lead in the air in an attempt to improve public health protection, especially for children.The previous standards, set in 1978, were 1.5 ug/m3; the new standards are 0.15 ug/m3 - 10 times stronger. To read the entire article go here .
This NY Times article has the digest (and a little whine from the lead recycle industry that may have to move away from kindergardens).

13 Things I changed That Made Me Greener

A friend of mine, who is not too much into the green stuff, asked me recently what I did during the last year that helped me become greener. There were things that I did always like recycling, but I will try to compile the list as I do them now as well. To become green, it takes time; I am not the kind of person who would change over night and I do not have the budget anyway. But this is what I did and I continue doing it and I think it would be easy for everyone, and hopefully convince my friend to start little by little changing those old habits.

1. Recycle – this is the easiest to do. I do recycle everything possible – plastic/paper bags, light bulbs, electronics, cardboards, cans, plastic/glass bottles, food packaging, junk mail, etc. Bring your bags when going to the supermarket or the farmers market.

2. Ventilate well your home every day. Stop using air fresheners since the indoor air is more polluted that the outdoor air anyway. Stop using insecticides and pesticides for your plants. I do not use anything for caring for the plants, except water and cleaning the dead leaves and they look very nice and healthy.

3. Use energy efficient light bulbs – I switched to compact fluorescent bulbs in the entire house; it took a while to get used to the new light though.

4. Use recycled paper products – I use bathroom tissues, paper towels made from recycled paper. I am still working on napkins and facial towels – I need to find something that will not scratch my nose when I get through a flu or cold.

5. Use cloth instead of paper for cleaning. I have always preferred to use cloth for cleaning the bathroom, the kitchen or even wiping the dust from the furniture. I usually, use old tea shirts. This can help to reduce the garbage in our landfill.

6. Get rid of the plastic. I eliminated all bad plastic from my house; I changed the plastic food containers with glass containers and I do not buy water in plastic bottle anymore. This was also based on the news related to the chemicals found in plastic. For a more comprehensive review of good and bad plastic you can go here.

7. Use green cleaning products. I changed the cleaning products one by one, and I tried several until I found the ones that are actually working. Not all of them are doing a good job; however, expect to work a little harder on scrubbing than used to. I am very proud I did this since I started to hate the chemicals from the bottom of my heart. I made a review of some of the products I use on the Product Review of the Week category.

8. Do not use the printer unless necessary. I started to think well before I use the printer and I use it less and less.

9. Install a water filter. I installed a basic water filter that is supposed to reduce some of the chemicals in the water. I buy still and sparkling water in glass bottles as well.

10. Get natural/organic personal care products. The problem with the personal care products is that they are not regulated so buying natural or organic does not give us any assurance that their claim is true, unless it provides the certification. There are some products that are certified by USDA and have the USDA organic seal, but you can also use the SkinDeep database to help you get products with less chemicals.

11. Do laundry the green way. I changed my washer and dryer and bought energy efficient ones; to be sincere I changed them because they were rather old and it was about time to change them. But it was a good deal in the end (got them in some sale and also received some money back from my utility company) and I could say that this was the major change that I was able to see it on my bills. Some additional advices would be: wash full loads (which probably everyone does) and hang dry if possible. I hang dry everything except the bedding lingerie, towels and other things that are large and I cannot take outside. I like the fresh smell of the outside dried yarns.

12. Buy organic food products. This can be expensive. What I do is to buy more meat when in sale and keep it in the freezer for the next meal; it is better this way than eating conventional meat. Eat more poultry even it is conventional - the poultry is not fed with hormones. The pork is not fed with hormones either. Buy your fruits and vegetables local. I do subscribe to a local farm and I get fresh vegetables every week; I got in love with it but I still need to supplement it with fruits and some additional vegetables. If you cannot buy only organic, try to buy organic only those vegetables and fruits that have the most pesticides on them and go conventional for those with less pesticides. You can go here for a complete list.

13. Green my kids – well this is a whole different category, I will talk another time about it.

Probably this is not much by some standards, but I feel I changed a lot not only through the things done in my house but in my mind as well. And above all, I feel that my family is leaving a healthier life, with fewer chemicals. I am not doing drastic changes (for example, changing all my furniture with eco-friendly/organic one); I will do the change when the time is up for them. Also, prices on green things are coming down, so doing what's now affordable and needed will take you a long way. (Of course, if you're filthy rich do change everything :) but keep in mind there is so much greenwashing out there that you have to be careful. When I decide to change and buy something I learned to carefully look up for regulations and certifications to avoid scams and fakes. I hope this list will help!

Just Back From Vacation

Best way to catch up with what happened while I was gone.... Watch this video - besides other things, a new energy drink - the Liquid Launch - contains all the ingredients of the rocket fuel, not only the perchlorate (found in the our water and food).

Green Vacation

We are leaving for vacation for couple of weeks. Of course, besides the usual preparations, we are trying to figure it out what can we do to stay green while away. Here are some simple “green” things you can do when in vacation:

1. Leave the house in a “green” state: turn off lights, turn off the water heater, turn off the air conditioning, unplug any things you use daily (e.g., clock, battery charger, razor, monitor, etc.). Leave on only your alarm system.
2. Try to find a green hotel or, even better, rent an apartment – in this way you can be like home. The green hotels are usually a little more expensive than normal ones and than rental apartments.
3. Even you rent an apartment/cabin/house or stay in a hotel you can always keep your “green” routine:
- turn on only the lights you need and only when you are in the room;
- do not let the water run if you are not there;
- turn off the air conditioning when you are not at home. It needs only about 15 minutes to cool a room;
- turn off the TV when you are not using it;
- reuse the towels you find in the hotel (like you would do it at home); do not change them everyday.
- minimize waste;
- do not rent a car – walk a lot. This is the fun part of vacation – walking, taking the train – feeling like when we were younger and strong. However, if you need to rent a car, try a hybrid.

What else?

I’ve read about some advice on the internet and I have found some of them being rather extreme: for example planning your vacation closed to your home so you do not need to fly or drive….maybe bike? Of course it is greener than flying but this will not work for me ever; for me vacation means away, far away from home, work, paying bills, etc. Somebody suggested a vacation in your own back yard. Hmmm…..I do not know if I could go in vacation for 3 weeks in my own back yard! It might be green, but it's lame. Enjoy your vacation!

The Air Quality Awareness Week

The air quality awareness week is here! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Weather Service are putting efforts together to help all Americans to improve their knowledge of the Air Quality Index (AQI) (a color-coded tool used to communicate the quality of the air to the public). EPA recently strengthened the national ozone standards from 80 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion, but it still needs to determine when the new standards take effect; it is said that if the new standards will take effect today, more than 300 American counties would be in violation. EPA suggests that sensitive people should stay inside on days when the ozone is under “code orange” or higher.

Check the air quality in your area whenever you like on AirNow.

The First Eco Certified Computer

Lenovo’s M57/M57P “Eco” is the first computer that is certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) (the largest certifier of chemical emissions from building materials and furnishings in the U.S.) after going through rigorous testing for up to 2000 chemical emissions.

Eco is the first ThinkCentre computer made with recycled, post-consumer plastics and is EPEAT Gold and Energy Star ® 4.0 rated. The system comes with Intel vPro technology, Core 2 Duo E6550 / E8200 / E8400 Processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD Burner, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, and Windows Vista Business.

I found the news very interesting and promising since it is well known that lots of phthalates (for example) in the environment are coming from electronic and computer products. I hope this kind of certification takes care of that too.

Good Plastic - Bad Plastic

There is certainly good plastic and bad plastic. Plastic is widely used for food containers, water bottles, baby bottles, plastic wraps, etc. it is convenient to use but is associated with health risks and environmental harms.
Its association with health risks is because most plastics contain chemicals that are known as hormone-disruptor and they can leach into food and beverages. Plastics are made from petroleum – a non-renewable material and it takes large volume of landfill space. I will make a short review of each plastic label after which I will try to put together some recommendations. However, please consider that no plastic may be safe; some plastics are considered "good" or safe because there is no sufficient research to prove otherwise.

GOOD Plastics	BAD Plastics
	#1 PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene used for soft drink, juice, water, detergent, cleaner and peanut butter containers. It was considered the safest and is the most common plastic and easy to recycle. However, a recent study found traces of DEHP in bottled water stored in a PET bottle for more than 9 months.
#2 HDPE: High density polyethylene, used in opaque plastic milk and water jugs, bleach, detergent and shampoo bottles and some plastic bags. It is considered safe and easy to recycle.
	#3 PVC or V or DEHA : Polyvinyl chloride or di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate used for cling wrap, some plastic squeeze bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter jars, detergent and window cleaner bottles. PVC is well known to be associated with liver cancer. DEHA is linked to negative effects on the liver, kidney, spleen, bone formation and body weight. It is the least recyclable.
#4 LDPE: Low density polyethylene, used in gro­cery store bags, most plastic wraps and some bottles. It is considered safe but hard to recycle.
#5 PP: Polypropylene, used in most Rubbermaid, deli soup, syrup and yogurt containers, straws and other clouded plastic containers, including baby bottles. It is considered safe but hard to recycle. (See Update as of Nov 14 2008)
	#6 PS: Polystyrene, used in Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carry-out containers and opaque plastic cutlery. Styrene can leach from polystyrene and is toxic to the brain and nervous system. It also has been found to affect red blood cells, liver, kid­neys and stomach in animal studies. It is hard to recycle.
	#7 Other: Usually polycarbonate, used in most plastic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, “sport” water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic “sippy” cups and some clear plastic cutlery. New bio-based plastics may also be labeled #7. Polycarbonate can leach Bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics the action of the human hormone estrogen. It was found to stimulate prostate cancer, produce ovarian dysfunction, genetic damage, etc. (see Baby Bottles free of BPA).

Recommendations:

• Avoid using plastic in microwave. Any plastic can leach harmful chemicals when heated. Avoid to warm food even in plastic labeled as “microwave safe”. “Microwave safe” does not mean that there is no leaching of chemicals.
• Use alternatives to plastics whenever possible. Bring a glass container with you at the restaurants. Use stainless steel or glass to store your food.
• Buy food in glass containers. However, pay attention that phtalates were found in lids of glass jars.

• Use alternatives for baby bottles and bottles made from polycarbonate. Use instead glass bottles or other made from safer plastic.

• Drink the water from bottled water quickly and keep it away from heat to avoid leaching of chemicals.
• Do not reuse bottles or food containers made for single using.
• Avoid plastic cutlery and dinnerware.
• Avoid plastics that are not recyclable (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Buy bio-based plastic alternatives if available and if you really need it.
• Get rid of all plastic from your kitchen - like me.


For some shopping suggestions look here.


Update:

As two of the readers suggested there is no plastic that is truly safe or good for us. The idea of the list is to help you chose between plastics in case you have no current alternative. My 1st impulse it to go for effortless changes instead of radical ones; there's always a risk of falling off the wagon when you try cold-turkey plastic free life. However, the best solution is to avoid them as much as you can.

Ikea- Green and Safe?

As I was saying in previous articles (More Chemicals in Your Baby and Mattresses Free of Polybrominated Flame Retardants), all sorts of nasty chemicals are found where you expect them the least (furniture and chairs) and it is not that easy to get rid of them (this article is rather old, but the facts are the same). You'd expect that you'll have to pay a lot to fancy stores, but there's always a more budged friendly alternative.

Who would say that Ikea - the popular Swedish-based home furnishing retailer - is one of the safest place to buy furniture, mattresses, toys, kitchen furniture, eco-lights etc. Their mattresses, sofas and padded chairs are free of polybrominated flame retardants from a long time ago, lots of their furniture is made from natural, untreated wood, the children's toys are free of phtahaltes and lead; their kitchen furniture is free of formaldehyde and the list can continue. Why? Because they are very well respecting the Swedish environmental rules which are probably the strictest in the world . (Here's an example where globalization works for us in the US, because IKEA has the same products everywhere, as opposed to other brands that create products for each geography).

IKEA supports the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable and recycled materials as well. They received many awards in the past for being committed to the conservation of the land, water and air resources and its products are recommended by the EWG.

Here is IKEA policy:

"IKEA works to ensure that products and materials are adapted to minimize any negative impact on the environment, and are safe for customers from a health
perspective."

I like Ikea - nice style and nice prices. I was reticent for a while buying to much stuff from them fearing that my house will look exactly like the ones of my friends and like the houses of so many
people. I like to have a more particular style, but given the safety they are guaranteeing and the low prices, I do not care any more about similarity. I think it is a good alternative to those organic/natural expensive shops that are blooming so fast.

11 Easy Ways to Reduce Noxious Chemicals

Trying to make sense of all the scare-mongering news about the dangers of chemicals, I came up with a short list that is easy to follow and will avoid the most dangerous of them. It's not complete, but you won't break the bank while reducing the ones that are quite common. I wish there was a way to quantify by how much these simple steps reduce the toxic chemicals, but I have no way to tell. I hope it's a lot.

TO REDUCE/AVOID:	DO:
mercury in your body	eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than eat high-mercury choices like tuna & swordfish.
perchlorate from your tap water (and other chemicals)	filter your water for drinking and cooking.
dust and other bacteria in your house	leave your shoes at the door. Clean up the indoor air which is more polluted than the outdoor air.
toxic gases by cooking in the nonstick pans	chose cast iron pans instead of nonstick.
bisphenol A and other chemicals in your food	do not use processed, canned, or fast foods and never use plastic to warm your food in a microwave. Do not use plastic bottles for feeding your baby, use instead the ones made from glass. Avoid using bottles made from polycarbonate.
pesticides	eat organic vegetables and fruits.
phthalates, parabens, and so many other chemicals found the personal care products	avoid perfumes, cologne, nail polish, and any products with fragrance on the ingredient list. Chose products that are water-based, parabens free, and 100% vegetarian.
phthalates in your home (since they are found everywhere in the environment)	avoid the plastics in the kitchen, avoid vinyl toys and any product made from vinyl (e.g., shower curtain), avoid air fresheners.
flame retardants coming in contact with your body	chose products made from natural fibers, like cotton and wool - those are naturally fire resistant.
toxic chemicals in cleaning products	chose green products like those with no fragrance, bio-degradable, non-toxic.
chemicals in your environment	avoid the use of pesticide and insecticides on your plants.