Zero Waste Products

Last generation did not have the green thing or so we thought

Dyanne — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:55:38 +0000

Anyone over the age of 35 should read this!

9 January, 2012 gaasedal

Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days“.

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations“.

She was right about one thing–our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day, here’s what I remembered we did have….

Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 240 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, we blended & stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank from a water fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

Can anyone add to this? I completely agree with the comparison , The Green Thing is what today’s generation calls it. A little perspective goes along way ) Dyanne

That’s Rubbish… Is No Longer An Excuse!

Dyanne — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:08:02 +0000

As a manufacture we are responsible! As a corporation we are responsible! As a consumer we are responsible!

Just throw it away …is no longer an excuse!

Rubbish is not something useless, something we don’t want …nor something to be thrown away.

When we stop and think ‘where away is …we throw away 30 million tonnes of rubbish a year …hoping it finds a new home! Out-of-sight, out-of-mind!

Much of our rubbish ‘wastes are valuable resources … plastic, glass, paper, cardboard, aluminium, tin, metal, wood etc…

For over 100 years, a mere blink in evolutionary history, yet in a short period …we have significantly destabilized the natural balance of the eco-system at an alarming level.

We need to continue to recycle more and continue to seperate recyclables, plastics with plastics, office paper from office paper, cardboard with cardboard, metal with metal, wood with wood and so on!

One person … multiplied millions of times over is the collective answer. You, me, us, together provides the single most effective prevention and solution engineering impact to the world’s problem of waste.

Every consumer choice and purchasing decision we make is a vote of confidence for the producer of a product or service. It’s a simple equation of demand creates supply. Every time you buy something you add a vote for that item to say ‘That’s what I want and I agree to buy it.

These consumer votes are responsible for the vast corporations we see today.

The probelm is we don’t want to see or believe in our personal power any more. We think ‘my single choice will never be seen or make a difference!

As consumers we need to take back our power! It also means we may need to step back, out of our personal comfort zone and be accountable for the life cycle of every item we buy, sell or make.

Basic check list of how we purchase:

Can we justify its purchase, do we need it?

Can we recycle, compost or reuse the packaging?

We consume according to our needs and the needs of the environment we live in
We consume goods that are recyclable, compost-able or reusable
We reduce waste to a minimum and recycle as much as possible
We send a strong message to producers that we won’t be responsible for their waste
We shop seasonally and locally, supporting local trade and fresh foodstuffs.
We reject all convenience items with packaging that cannot be reused or recycled.

We will finally get the message, that there is no such place as AWAY!

This article was written by a Proffessor in England. Unfortuntaely unknown

Say No To Plastic Bags

Dyanne — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:05:06 +0000

Estimated there are now 4 billion not 5 billion plastic bags being used in Canada per year still. This works out to estimating reducing energy consumption by 678,000 barrels of oil per year and an estimated reducing CO2 emissions by 290,000 metric tons per year. Equivalent to taking more than 53,000 vehicles off the road annually. Skeena , Queen Charlottes Regional Recycling

When we all reduce, recycle and reuse more …we become more environmentally friendly … and we all support our community to be green!

Suggestions for retail:

Encourage employees to support a ‘plastic bag free store in any way they can.

Helpful hints for consumers:

If you forget your reusable bag in the car? Go back to the car and get it …it becomes easier when we break the habit.

FAQ: What do I do with my garbage if I don’t bring home plastic shopping bags?

Best Answer: Recycle more and the little bit of garbage left will be 2 bags a week. Try it and see how much more recycle you have as a result of not having an abundance of plastic bags to use for garbage.

Recycling equals less garbage and compost for your garden or garbage (if possible use composting in your kitchen for garden and flower fertilization). You can feel great about the impact you are making on waste!

Reusable bags VS plastic bags per person usage

One reusable bag replaces 1000’s of plastic bags over its lifetime and can last up to 4 years with normal use.

Rememeber to bring reusable bags into the store with you!

Produced by: Zerowaste Products Inc.