First of all, happy St. Patrick's Day! It's the greenest holiday since Earth Day! Say, do you think if we co-opted Earth Day into a drinking holiday it'd be more popular?
...I'm a little bit tired, as the opening paragraph's poor attempt at humor may suggest, so I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet. While trying to decide on a topic for this week, I checked out the link Elle Bee posted in her comment on the last post-- sure enough, dry cleaners popped up throughout my neighborhood, as did auto body shops and... hotels.
It makes sense, I suppose. Hotels are like hundreds of small apartments put together, but in which everything has to be washed, remade, scrubbed, cleaned, and changed daily. Cleaning chemicals and washing detergents are not good for the environment, and neither is the massive use of water and materials (soap, shampoo, conditioner, plastic for bottles, cardboard for boxes) that go along with such daily turnover. There are, however, things hotels can do to cut down their negative environmental impact. Before I list them, I'd just like to say that the Environmentally Friendly Hotels website is really useful and even has a hotel locater device, so you can be sure to stay at a green hotel during your next vacation.
Things hotels can do to be environmentally friendly:
1. Allow guests the option of re-using sheets and linens for multiple-day stays. Project Planet is one company that educates hotels on this issue and supplies signs to be placed in rooms encouraging patrons to re-use their linens. According to their website, every 100 guests who follow their program save 450 gallons of water and 3 gallons of detergent per day.
2. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products (I'd elaborate, but I think this is perhaps a topic which deserves it's own post).
3. Use packaging which is recycled and/or recyclable.
4. Become involved in programs like Good Earthkeeping, Energy Star, Water Wise, and Waste Wise.
5. Maintain active recycling programs.
6. Appoint an employee to be the point person for environmental issues at the hotel, and train all staff on environmental practices.
7. Purchase higher efficiency models of equipment needed to run the hotel (computers, monitors, copy machines, printers, etc.)
8. Turn off lights when not needed and remove unnecessary fixtures, or have auto shutoffs/occupancy sensors for lights in areas of sporadic use, including exterior lights
9. Landscape with drought tolerant plants, and use sprinkler timers to water between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. to avoid excessive evaporation
10. Reuse cutlery, linens or glassware for rooms and room service instead of plastics.
11. Copy or print on both sides of the paper. Use recycled paper and soy-based inks.
12. Offer newspapers to guests only upon request.
13. Subsidize employee public transportation costs, or organize employee carpooling systems.
14. Use water-efficient faucets, toilets, showers, and washing machines.
Thanks to this website
Showing posts with label environmental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environmental. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
TAMPONS
This past Saturday, March 8, was International Women's Day. I asked my boyfriend, "What are you doing for me today?" He studied abroad in Cuba, which, like all communist countries, actually celebrates the holiday. Apparently, it didn't make a big impression on him, though. "Treating you well, just like I do every day" he replied. "Aw, that's sweet," I said, "but in Poland they give the women flowers."*
Clearly, I had to find another way to celebrate. So I put on my comfiest pj's, curled up in bed and read a large portion of Our Bodies Ourselves. One section discussed menstrual products ("sanitary napkins"), and touched very briefly upon their environmental impact, which is huge.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is a post about menstruation. PERIODS! TAMPONS! PADS! BLOOD! VAGINA! Ok, I think I've gotten it all out of the way. Hopefully, some of you are still with me, especially the ladies, since this is an International Women's Day special just for us (fellas can read if they want.... if they all haven't abandoned ship by now). I know this is a topic that's considered taboo or at least impolite, embarrassing, or awkward--but it's precisely because people find it hard to talk about that menstrual product activism hasn't taken off. It's because it's not a "sexy" cause that the fairly easily relieved environmental impact is still so great. So let's talk about it.
If you use 20 pads or tampons per period, and have your period once a month from age 12 to 47, that's 8,400 pads and tampons in your lifetime. There are three billion of us (women) on earth, and about 150 million of us in the United States... that's a lot of pads and tampons. Unfortunately, many tampons are flushed down the toilet, which means that tampons (and applicators) often litter the water of our beaches. Many tampon applicators are plastic, which means they don't biodegrade (mainstream tampons biodegrade in six months). Mainstream pads also come wrapped in plastic, and are lined along the bottom in plastic, which means they have a permanent place of honor in our landfills. In addition, those pads and tampons had to come from somewhere- cotton farms that could be left as forests or used to grow corn for biofuel or any number of other products, lessening the burden on the land.
Furthermore, we have the issue of dioxins. The wood pulp used to make mainstream tampons and pads is bleached early in the process. There is no reason for this use of chlorine, which then pollutes the earth, except to make the tampons and pads seem "clean" and "fresh"- the irony is delicious, no? The bleaching process leaves behind dioxins as a byproduct- dioxins are considered by the FDA to be likely cancer-causing agents. The bleach-dioxins add to the dioxins already in the cotton from pesticide use during growth. Our vaginae (Blogger is telling me the Latin plural is correct for vagina) are more sensitive and absorbent than most other parts of our bodies. Why expose them to poisons when we don't have to- why take risks we can easily avoid?
Oh, and did I mention pads increase the risk of yeast infections?
Now, before I talk about solutions, I feel I should 'fess up to something: I am a part of the problem. Yes, I am a mainstreamer, a Tampax and Always woman. I'm helping fill the landfills and possibly poisoning my body in the process. But, after researching these solutions, I am resolved to try at least one of them. Who knows, perhaps in a couple months I'll be able to write an entry about how each possible "solution" to the menstrual product environmental problem feels and functions. I'm all for saving the environment, but I also like wearing bathing suits and playing soccer.
Before I get into each possible solution, here's the link to the Our Bodies Ourselves page about these products. One other note: props to my housemate Emily for having tried many of these products and telling me all about them.
1. The solution that requires the least change but also creates the least change (but a lot better than no change!) is using organic 100% cotton tampons and pads. This gets rid of the chlorine/dioxin problem, and the plastic applicators, wrap, and lining. It doesn't reduce our use of cotton, but it minimizes the environmental effects post-use, because they're 100% biodegradable. Emily says they work well and she's never had a problem with leakage (which I thought might be a concern because there's no plastic lining on the bottom). The pads are a little thicker than mainstream pads, and the cotton can start to separate a little if you've been wearing it for a while or moving around a lot. The tampons are a little drier than mainstream ones. But hey, they're less likely to give you cancer! I saw an Amazon.com listing for a 12 pack of 20-tampon boxes (that's 240 tampons) for about $50. That's a good deal, and let's be honest- we've got pretty good biological evidence that we'll use them all eventually. I'll probably choose to buy some organic cotton tampons and pads, just as a back up in case the other "solutions" I try don't work out in all situations. The devil you know, right?
2. Reusable pads. An example of this is GladRags. They're made out of cloth (you can even make them yourself from old clothing!) and consist of an outer layer that's shaped vaguely like a mainstream, winged pad. the "wings" snap together under your underwear, holding the pad in place, and there's a slot into which you can insert little cloth fillers (about the size and shape of panty-liners). You can put a different number of fillers in (or none) depending on how heavy your flow is that day. There is a bigger reusable pad for overnight. When you want to change it, you just wash out the main pad and the fillers. Apparently they're really comfortable, although they are thick, because they wrap all the way around to snap underneath. Bonus for gardeners and people who don't share bathrooms with others who might get freaked out: if you soak the pad in water in a jar or something before washing it, you can use the menstruation-water to fertilize your garden. It looks like the day pads are around $10-15 each, and the overnight pads are $15-20. You can also make some for yourself for FREE (my favorite word!), if you're up for an environmental craft project. They last for five years, at least. Reusable pads sound really cool to me, especially since you can make them out of recycled materials, but... I do my laundry as rarely as possibly, so I don't know if this is a good choice for me.
3. Cups. Check out keeper.com for more details (and nifty visuals)- Keeper is the most common brand of menstrual cup. It a gum-rubber or silicone (for those allergic to latex) cup with a little stem coming out the bottom. You fold the cup twice, insert it in your vagina, then pull gently down on the stem. It suctions in place and you can even use it while you're swimming. The cup holds about an ounce of fluid- and most women only menstruate four or five ounces. The website says you might end up changing it twice a day (just pull it out--upright--then tip it over into the toilet), but I'd probably empty it each time I was in the bathroom. You can wash it with soap and water, and between periods you can store it in a little cloth bag they give to you. I have no idea how this feels, but the website mentioned that some women choose to cut off up to half of the "stem" for comfort. The Keeper costs $35, lasts for ten years, and is available on their site or in Whole Foods and other stores. I think this is the one I'm going to try first.
4. The Sea Pearl. This is a reusable tampon made out of a sea sponge. Unfortunately, our seas are even more polluted than our land, and that pollution can become concentrated in organisms like sea sponges. Our Bodies Ourselves said that because of this, many women who us the Sea Pearl choose to boil it in water for ten minutes before first use. Elle Bee (EO's resident environmental scientist), please tell me- does that actually work? Does boiling things remove pollutants? Apparently the boiling makes it slightly smaller and less flexible each time you do it. You can clean them by boiling them, soaking them in vinegar, or some other options. They last about six months, and cost about $5 each from GladRags. I don't know anyone who's personally tried sea sponge tampons. I probably won't try it, because of the pollution thing.
That's all I've got. Remember to check out the Our Bodies Ourselves page for more info on these products, as well as others I didn't mention because I'm getting tired. I hope you had a happy International Women's Day!
*Please note: my boyfriend is awesome and this story about him is merely for comedic effect.
Clearly, I had to find another way to celebrate. So I put on my comfiest pj's, curled up in bed and read a large portion of Our Bodies Ourselves. One section discussed menstrual products ("sanitary napkins"), and touched very briefly upon their environmental impact, which is huge.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is a post about menstruation. PERIODS! TAMPONS! PADS! BLOOD! VAGINA! Ok, I think I've gotten it all out of the way. Hopefully, some of you are still with me, especially the ladies, since this is an International Women's Day special just for us (fellas can read if they want.... if they all haven't abandoned ship by now). I know this is a topic that's considered taboo or at least impolite, embarrassing, or awkward--but it's precisely because people find it hard to talk about that menstrual product activism hasn't taken off. It's because it's not a "sexy" cause that the fairly easily relieved environmental impact is still so great. So let's talk about it.
If you use 20 pads or tampons per period, and have your period once a month from age 12 to 47, that's 8,400 pads and tampons in your lifetime. There are three billion of us (women) on earth, and about 150 million of us in the United States... that's a lot of pads and tampons. Unfortunately, many tampons are flushed down the toilet, which means that tampons (and applicators) often litter the water of our beaches. Many tampon applicators are plastic, which means they don't biodegrade (mainstream tampons biodegrade in six months). Mainstream pads also come wrapped in plastic, and are lined along the bottom in plastic, which means they have a permanent place of honor in our landfills. In addition, those pads and tampons had to come from somewhere- cotton farms that could be left as forests or used to grow corn for biofuel or any number of other products, lessening the burden on the land.
Furthermore, we have the issue of dioxins. The wood pulp used to make mainstream tampons and pads is bleached early in the process. There is no reason for this use of chlorine, which then pollutes the earth, except to make the tampons and pads seem "clean" and "fresh"- the irony is delicious, no? The bleaching process leaves behind dioxins as a byproduct- dioxins are considered by the FDA to be likely cancer-causing agents. The bleach-dioxins add to the dioxins already in the cotton from pesticide use during growth. Our vaginae (Blogger is telling me the Latin plural is correct for vagina) are more sensitive and absorbent than most other parts of our bodies. Why expose them to poisons when we don't have to- why take risks we can easily avoid?
Oh, and did I mention pads increase the risk of yeast infections?
Now, before I talk about solutions, I feel I should 'fess up to something: I am a part of the problem. Yes, I am a mainstreamer, a Tampax and Always woman. I'm helping fill the landfills and possibly poisoning my body in the process. But, after researching these solutions, I am resolved to try at least one of them. Who knows, perhaps in a couple months I'll be able to write an entry about how each possible "solution" to the menstrual product environmental problem feels and functions. I'm all for saving the environment, but I also like wearing bathing suits and playing soccer.
Before I get into each possible solution, here's the link to the Our Bodies Ourselves page about these products. One other note: props to my housemate Emily for having tried many of these products and telling me all about them.
1. The solution that requires the least change but also creates the least change (but a lot better than no change!) is using organic 100% cotton tampons and pads. This gets rid of the chlorine/dioxin problem, and the plastic applicators, wrap, and lining. It doesn't reduce our use of cotton, but it minimizes the environmental effects post-use, because they're 100% biodegradable. Emily says they work well and she's never had a problem with leakage (which I thought might be a concern because there's no plastic lining on the bottom). The pads are a little thicker than mainstream pads, and the cotton can start to separate a little if you've been wearing it for a while or moving around a lot. The tampons are a little drier than mainstream ones. But hey, they're less likely to give you cancer! I saw an Amazon.com listing for a 12 pack of 20-tampon boxes (that's 240 tampons) for about $50. That's a good deal, and let's be honest- we've got pretty good biological evidence that we'll use them all eventually. I'll probably choose to buy some organic cotton tampons and pads, just as a back up in case the other "solutions" I try don't work out in all situations. The devil you know, right?
2. Reusable pads. An example of this is GladRags. They're made out of cloth (you can even make them yourself from old clothing!) and consist of an outer layer that's shaped vaguely like a mainstream, winged pad. the "wings" snap together under your underwear, holding the pad in place, and there's a slot into which you can insert little cloth fillers (about the size and shape of panty-liners). You can put a different number of fillers in (or none) depending on how heavy your flow is that day. There is a bigger reusable pad for overnight. When you want to change it, you just wash out the main pad and the fillers. Apparently they're really comfortable, although they are thick, because they wrap all the way around to snap underneath. Bonus for gardeners and people who don't share bathrooms with others who might get freaked out: if you soak the pad in water in a jar or something before washing it, you can use the menstruation-water to fertilize your garden. It looks like the day pads are around $10-15 each, and the overnight pads are $15-20. You can also make some for yourself for FREE (my favorite word!), if you're up for an environmental craft project. They last for five years, at least. Reusable pads sound really cool to me, especially since you can make them out of recycled materials, but... I do my laundry as rarely as possibly, so I don't know if this is a good choice for me.
3. Cups. Check out keeper.com for more details (and nifty visuals)- Keeper is the most common brand of menstrual cup. It a gum-rubber or silicone (for those allergic to latex) cup with a little stem coming out the bottom. You fold the cup twice, insert it in your vagina, then pull gently down on the stem. It suctions in place and you can even use it while you're swimming. The cup holds about an ounce of fluid- and most women only menstruate four or five ounces. The website says you might end up changing it twice a day (just pull it out--upright--then tip it over into the toilet), but I'd probably empty it each time I was in the bathroom. You can wash it with soap and water, and between periods you can store it in a little cloth bag they give to you. I have no idea how this feels, but the website mentioned that some women choose to cut off up to half of the "stem" for comfort. The Keeper costs $35, lasts for ten years, and is available on their site or in Whole Foods and other stores. I think this is the one I'm going to try first.
4. The Sea Pearl. This is a reusable tampon made out of a sea sponge. Unfortunately, our seas are even more polluted than our land, and that pollution can become concentrated in organisms like sea sponges. Our Bodies Ourselves said that because of this, many women who us the Sea Pearl choose to boil it in water for ten minutes before first use. Elle Bee (EO's resident environmental scientist), please tell me- does that actually work? Does boiling things remove pollutants? Apparently the boiling makes it slightly smaller and less flexible each time you do it. You can clean them by boiling them, soaking them in vinegar, or some other options. They last about six months, and cost about $5 each from GladRags. I don't know anyone who's personally tried sea sponge tampons. I probably won't try it, because of the pollution thing.
That's all I've got. Remember to check out the Our Bodies Ourselves page for more info on these products, as well as others I didn't mention because I'm getting tired. I hope you had a happy International Women's Day!
*Please note: my boyfriend is awesome and this story about him is merely for comedic effect.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Environmental Outrage: Office Composting
My journey with indoor composting began when I read and fell in LOVE with Cradle to Cradle by McDonough & Braungart. I offer up as one of my core personal beliefs that Cradle to Cradle should be #1 on a list of required reading for the whole human race.*
In brief, McDonough & Braungart theorize that the earth functioned without environmental problems for eons because before the arrival of modern man there was no such thing as waste. The whole planet was a biological system in which one organism’s waste, such as the fallen petals of a cherry tree, became food for other organisms. (The petals degrade naturally and return the nutrients to the soil.) When modern man came on the scene, “waste” was created. Waste includes both natural things disposed of in such a way that the nutrients do not properly re-enter the system (ex. paper waste or food going to landfills), as well as items that are artificial and cannot ever re-enter the biological system (ex. plastics or items made with toxic heavy metals). If humanity could re-evaluate their use of resources so that our own “waste” can be returned to the biological system, or become fuel for other processes, then many of our major environmental problems could be solved.
McDonough and Braungart have a green design firm and try their absolute best to practice what they preach. In the firm’s summer 2007 newsletter, they informed the world that their studio in Charlottesville was adopting indoor vermiculture, or composting using worms. They keep their composter in a closet, where one pound of worms consume about ½ pound of food scraps and office paper daily! As the worm colony matures, more worms will be born, and their ability to consume waste will increase. Answering what I would consider the most important question, they say there is no smell associated with the composter, and other than making sure the worms get fed with our “trash” these helpful pets do not require any attention. The food and paper scraps are turned into rich, nutrient-laden soil which can be brought home by the employees for gardening. Let me just say: I think this is the most AWESOME, EASY, and UNIQUE way to green an office I have ever heard of! One of my new personal goals is to spread the word about indoor composting, and to get as many places as I can to adopt this practice.
I began first by recommending indoor composting (vermiculture) to a small business opening up in Connecticut. They were not impressed. In theory, they thought it was a good idea, but did not want to spend the time ordering bins and worms, especially because they expected to move to a new space in a few months. And of course there was the weird factor. I am still hopeful that they will adopt in-office composting once they are settled in their new space, and plan to follow up with them after the move.
A few weeks later composting came up in conversation at my office (an environmental non-profit that shall remain nameless). I was so excited! I thought this was the perfect opportunity! And yet … ENVIRONMENTAL OUTRAGE! Despite the fact that indoor composting has been around for over 15 years, and that I recommended an affordable unit for indoor composting without worms, I was told that indoor composting would “attract vermin.” Used correctly, the proper indoor or outdoor composting unit will not! Disposing of food in a sealed, airtight box is definitely less susceptible to vermin than throwing it out in our communal office kitchen, where it will sit in an open trash can until someone deigns to take out the trash! I cannot put into words the frustration that this has caused me! Here, working for an organization whose mission is to protect the environment, in an office that is trying to be “greener,” indoor composting has been vetoed by someone who knows nothing about it! (And apparently did not even read the proposal, which discussed all these issues!) Of course, this is just one example a larger problem. Our society is ignorant and/or uncomfortable when it comes to the creative and extremely effective ways scientists and everyday people have devised to decrease the impact we all have on the planet.
I will not yield in my quest to get the word out about the possibilities for and advantages of indoor composting, in both offices and houses. If you would like to learn how to begin, please check out the following websites:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/vermicompost107.shtml;
http://www.composters.com/; http://www.thewormfarm.net/; http://www.wormwoman.com/
*William Kennedy from the New York Times said, "One Hundred Years of Solitude is the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.” While both Genesis and Solitude are significant, I stand by my belief that everyone on the planet should read Cradle to Cradle first and foremost, and possibly Bill McKibben’s Maybe One second.
In brief, McDonough & Braungart theorize that the earth functioned without environmental problems for eons because before the arrival of modern man there was no such thing as waste. The whole planet was a biological system in which one organism’s waste, such as the fallen petals of a cherry tree, became food for other organisms. (The petals degrade naturally and return the nutrients to the soil.) When modern man came on the scene, “waste” was created. Waste includes both natural things disposed of in such a way that the nutrients do not properly re-enter the system (ex. paper waste or food going to landfills), as well as items that are artificial and cannot ever re-enter the biological system (ex. plastics or items made with toxic heavy metals). If humanity could re-evaluate their use of resources so that our own “waste” can be returned to the biological system, or become fuel for other processes, then many of our major environmental problems could be solved.
McDonough and Braungart have a green design firm and try their absolute best to practice what they preach. In the firm’s summer 2007 newsletter, they informed the world that their studio in Charlottesville was adopting indoor vermiculture, or composting using worms. They keep their composter in a closet, where one pound of worms consume about ½ pound of food scraps and office paper daily! As the worm colony matures, more worms will be born, and their ability to consume waste will increase. Answering what I would consider the most important question, they say there is no smell associated with the composter, and other than making sure the worms get fed with our “trash” these helpful pets do not require any attention. The food and paper scraps are turned into rich, nutrient-laden soil which can be brought home by the employees for gardening. Let me just say: I think this is the most AWESOME, EASY, and UNIQUE way to green an office I have ever heard of! One of my new personal goals is to spread the word about indoor composting, and to get as many places as I can to adopt this practice.
I began first by recommending indoor composting (vermiculture) to a small business opening up in Connecticut. They were not impressed. In theory, they thought it was a good idea, but did not want to spend the time ordering bins and worms, especially because they expected to move to a new space in a few months. And of course there was the weird factor. I am still hopeful that they will adopt in-office composting once they are settled in their new space, and plan to follow up with them after the move.
A few weeks later composting came up in conversation at my office (an environmental non-profit that shall remain nameless). I was so excited! I thought this was the perfect opportunity! And yet … ENVIRONMENTAL OUTRAGE! Despite the fact that indoor composting has been around for over 15 years, and that I recommended an affordable unit for indoor composting without worms, I was told that indoor composting would “attract vermin.” Used correctly, the proper indoor or outdoor composting unit will not! Disposing of food in a sealed, airtight box is definitely less susceptible to vermin than throwing it out in our communal office kitchen, where it will sit in an open trash can until someone deigns to take out the trash! I cannot put into words the frustration that this has caused me! Here, working for an organization whose mission is to protect the environment, in an office that is trying to be “greener,” indoor composting has been vetoed by someone who knows nothing about it! (And apparently did not even read the proposal, which discussed all these issues!) Of course, this is just one example a larger problem. Our society is ignorant and/or uncomfortable when it comes to the creative and extremely effective ways scientists and everyday people have devised to decrease the impact we all have on the planet.
I will not yield in my quest to get the word out about the possibilities for and advantages of indoor composting, in both offices and houses. If you would like to learn how to begin, please check out the following websites:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/vermicompost107.shtml;
http://www.composters.com/; http://www.thewormfarm.net/; http://www.wormwoman.com/
*William Kennedy from the New York Times said, "One Hundred Years of Solitude is the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.” While both Genesis and Solitude are significant, I stand by my belief that everyone on the planet should read Cradle to Cradle first and foremost, and possibly Bill McKibben’s Maybe One second.
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