recycle
D2E’s 2008 Office Recycling Achievements
Well, we try to walk the walk here at D2E. So we signed up for Earthworm recycling in 2007 to get us started. They take all of our excess paper, and considering the amount of mail that comes into this small office, we needed the service.
According to Earthworm, in addition to helping support their non-profit activities, D2E has also benefited the planet by the following:
811 pounds of paper was recycled rather than thrown into a landfill
6.88 trees were saved (we are a small office)
1.23 cubic yards of landfill was not used
27 pounds of computer equipment was recycled
4.32 pounds of lead was diverted from a landfill
In addition to the paper and computer recycling, we have been making an effort to use our mugs and not get paper cups from the coffee shop. We also use our sturdy water bottles rather than buying plastic throw-away bottles. Check out Affirm if you need a water bottle – they are a locally owned small shop and they will be exhibiting at D2E.
It looks like Earthworm is expanding their services into bottles and cans as well. If you do not have a recycling program in your office, definitely check out their website. This company has been very easy to work with, and it makes the whole office feel good to discard less trash.
Now, the big questions is, “When am I going to fill up that big box from Terra Cycle with my yogurt containers?!?” I have been diligently eating yogurt every week, cleaning my container and stacking them up, but the box is not even half full. I don’t think they realized how small our office is… but we love it anyway. In good time I will fill the box and then all of my yogurt containers can become tooth brushes.
Reducing my impact, one habit at a time
Above: Two weeks worth of recycling and trash. Since we have been composting, our trash bag has been reduced to half of a kitchen bag every two weeks. There is always room for improvement, but this reduction is significant.
In the wave of environmental awareness that washed over the US after An Inconvenient Truth I was one of the many that realized I should be aligning my actions with my values. I have always considered myself an environmentalist, but it was clear that I had more to learn and I would have to change some habits.
We have stated on this blog the importance of tackling one habit at a time. I have found that it takes me about three months to make a complete transformation from one habit to another. So I average about four habits a year. Below is a list of the habits I have changed this past year:
1. Reusable mug and fair trade for the coffee addict.
I started using my reusable mug for coffee runs – no more paper cups allowed. At the D2E office we buy only fair trade coffee and we make our own more often than we run out to the coffee shop. This has saved us a lot of money as well, which is a bonus for a small business. We love the New Mexico coffee from Trader Joe’s and of course we run to the farmers market regularly to get our fix of Equal Exchange.
2. No more bottled water
I have a Shaklee water filter at home so I can feel good about drinking the tap water, and I have a Soda Club seltzer maker since my husband and I are addicted to bubbly water. I stopped buying bottled water and use my reusable metal bottles when I need to have water on-the-go. I have a small one that is easy to keep in my purse and a larger one that I bring with me on trips.
3. BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag
This one took some time. I now have multiple reusable bags that I keep for my shopping needs.
- I keep a bag that folds up into a little zipper pouch in my purse for unexpected purchases.
- I keep four bags at my apartment, two at my office and two in the trunk of my car. People that use their cars often will probably keep more bags in their car, since they will drive to the grocery store. I tend to shop at lunch time and I only buy for two meals at a time, for only two people. So I can get away with one or two bags that I can carry on the bus or in my messenger bag when on my bike.
Once you figure out your system – how many bags you need and where you keep them – this habit is very easy to keep. Since every time you use reusable bags at the grocery store, you are a walking advertisement for environmentalism, there is a bit of public pride that goes along with it. People often say to me “Oh, you are so good. I find it so hard to remember to bring a bag.” and I always reply “One habit at a time. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and give yourself a few months to change one habit.” On the days that I don’t have enough bags for my groceries or if I did forget to bring my bag, I get a paper bag so that I can use it to hold my paper recycling. There is an arguement about paper vs. plastic that is worth investigating. Each time I read about the bag issue, it just makes me realize how important it is that I bring my own bag.
4. Waste, Compost and Recycling
I have always recycled, so this was not a habit that I had to pick up. But I did start to look at what I was recycling and ask myself if I could change my purchasing habits so that I would not have the packaging that needed to be recycled. For instance – buy more fresh fruit and vegetables rather than frozen or canned. The great thing about this habit is that besides cutting down on packaging materials, I am also getting healthier food and supporting our local farmers.
I started composting and this has significantly reduced the amount of garbage that goes to our curbside. The photo above is what our curbside looks like every two weeks. We have significantly reduced the amount of trash we generate. We don’t have to put the trash out every week. I highly recommend this. It really feels great.
5. Food
This one was tough for me and I am still working on it. I have been running my own business since 2001 and in the first three years I did not have much time for cooking. So I got into the habit of getting take-out or eating at the bar of a local watering hole. Besides the health and weight issues associated with this, I was spending way too much money on my meals. So I have spent the past year working on my cooking skills. I shop at the farmers market or walk down the road to Trader Joes during lunch. This has helped since it doesn’t take time out of my day, and once I have purchased the fresh produce I am committed to cooking it. There is nothing worse than good food gone bad.
- Shop for produce and fruit at your local farmers’ market. Many farmers’ markets also have cheese, meat and baked goods.
- Look for grass fed, free range and organic labels (this labeling/certification is not perfect, but it is a good start and it encourages our food industry to recognize that consumers demand quality)
- Pay attention to where the food comes from – Local is always better.
- Pay attention to the packaging. Less is more.
6. Eco Clothes shopping
This one is another ongoing effort. I wear clothes every day, so I consider fashion an important way to express my values. Thanks to D2E I have found some great local stores that buy only from sustainable brands or local designers. This makes shopping easier since I do not always have time to sift through the clothing racks looking for organic cotton or bamboo. Besides that, there is more to the equation than just using non toxic and renewable fabrics. The company should have an invested interest in fair manufacturing practices. The communities that labor to make our clothes, whether they are in Los Angeles or Nicaragua, should be fairly compensated. The clothing industry should be a positive part of their local economy.
You will find a lot of great fashion companies at D2E who can educate you on the materials they use and the manufacturing standards they demand. All of our exhibitors care about the earth’s resources and the people that help them manufacture their clothes (worth investigating: ENVI, IBEX, Jute & Jackfruit, Helen E Reigle, Tara Lynn, Del Forte jeans and COVET).
Some simple guidelines that I have adopted:
1. Think before you buy. Do you really need this garment?
2. Buy quality clothing that will last. Get away from purchasing cheap garments that start to deteriorate after a few washes or quickly go out of style.
3. Renewable and non toxic materials: Bamboo, Organic Cotton, Tencil, wool, hemp
4. Second hand shopping or trading with friends. Afterall, one woman’s trash is another woman’s ball gown.
5. I use non toxic, gentle laundry detergent from Shaklee to wash my clothes. I am more selective about what clothes go into the washing machine and/or dryer and I take good care of my delicates.
The fashion issue is so big, that even after making efforts to educate myself and shop wise over the past two years, I still feel there is much more to learn. I have learned that the leather used for boots and shoes has the largest impact in the whole process. Transportation from one country to another has a minimal impact compared with feeding the livestock, the methane that cows emit and the manufacturing process to turn a hide into a boot. I’m not sure if faux leather is better than real leather – this needs to be investigated. I’m plagued by doubts – it aint easy being a conscious consumer, but it is necessary.
I hope sharing my venture into a sustainable lifestyle can help others make changes. We are all in it together, and our purchasing power is one way we can make a difference.
When old is new again
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Sometimes it is a clever designer finding a new use for an old thing – other times it is curb-side shopping, and other times it is passing on your old stuff to organizations that can redistribute it. It’s all good.
One of the great things about this blog is that it keeps us actively looking for sustainable businesses, products, organizations, events and news around town. We learn something new each day at D2E and we love sharing it.
Since finding new owners for old goods is clearly sustainable, today we wanted to feature More Than Words. This is a student-run organization that sells donated books. It’s simple: you have some old books that are cluttering your home, they can sell them to raise money. High school students learning how to run a business.
Beauty in simplicity.
Embrace the different shades of green
Some like to hike, others like to bike. Embrace your shade of green and let your friends find their own.
Since the resurgence of environmentalists – shall we say since the premier of An Inconvenient Truth - people have been more actively changing their daily habits. I’ll admit that I am one of them. Though I was raised to be aware of politics, care about human rights and be good to the earth, the amount of attention the media has been giving the environment has helped keep me über-aware of my own impact.
So slowly but surely I have been changing my habits. I eat less meat (I am contemplating going back to being a vegetarian, but have not yet made the move). I don’t buy bottled water. I use my travel coffee mug religiously. I recycle. I use my own bags for groceries. I ride my bike to work or take public transportation. I am in the process of setting up my compost bin. This compost bin is taking longer than I would like. I seem to be quite tired at the end of each work day and I need to set aside some time to put this together. In the meantime, I will admit that I have been hording veggie scraps in old Chinese take-out plastic containers. I am hiding them from my husband so that he does not get grossed out. So don’t tell him.
I have learned that it is easier to change one habit at a time. Taking on too much change all at once can lead to frustration and failure. So once I get the compost bin up and working, my next step is to take on a volunteer job. I am trying to work my schedule so that I can spend some time on ReVision farm. I love what they do, and want to be a part of it.
I am inspired by people every day, and that motivates me to change much more than having someone tisk-tisk me. At this point I would say my shade of green is a sea foam green. I am not a light green, nor am I a grassy green nor a dark emerald green. I have made some great strides in the past year, but I have a way to go.
So back to letting everyone be their own shade of green, Beth Teitell was doing a story for NPR on green shaming/environmental harassment. She called me for some information. I mentioned to her that while attending seminars to learn more about sustainable business people were shaming the fact that we all had to meet instead of having a webinar. I can see their point, but we are human and we still need to interact. There are times when a webinar is appropriate, and there are times when we should meet face-to-face. Anyone that has had to run their own business knows the importance of networking.
You can hear the story, titled “Is an enviromaniac loose in your office?”, on
the Marketplace website. Check it out – I’m sure there are many of you out there that can relate.
In the meantime – keep up the good work.
Recycling Electronics
I’ve mentioned before that Lorelei has a tendency of collecting items in her office until she finds a recyclable destination for them, she refuses to throw things that can be recycled. The most recent items in her collection consists of a cell phone with it’s charger, a key board, and a mouse. Good news is we found a destination for them!
There are several companies that accept donations of electronics, and will even give you cash for these items. Take for example Second Rotation, all you have to do is fill a form stating the condition of the item you want to donate/sell and send it to them via a free shipping service. Within a week Second Rotation sends you an email telling you how much you can get paid for your donated item. Funding Factory has a similar concept and everything (other than the shipping of the item) is processed digitally when you sign up for a free account online, if you don’t want the cash they have a reward system where you can accumulate points and get stuff.
These companies find various destinations for these electronics. Phones that are still functional are re-used and those that are not, are taken apart re-using parts for other items. You never know where your donation can end up, take for instace Brittany Bergquist and brother Robbie from Norwell, Massachusetts. They began the Cell Phone for Soldiers program, in 2004 which allows the troops in the Middle East to call home with a prepaid cell phone. It’s people like Robbie and Brittany that make a difference, now it’s our turn, no use throwing your cell phones sending them to landfills, when you can be responsible, and down to earth.
Sustainably yours
Nathalie Zegarra
There’s good big business, and then not-so-good
Timberland
Yesterday I attended an Ad Club event that highlighted Timberland’s 2007 Earth Keeper campaign. This was a great example of a big company making a big difference. I had seen their billboards and posters all over town last year, but I did not know about what they did on the back end. Below is a short list to give you an idea of how a media company (Mullen – Media Hub) and a big retail company can put their heads together and come up with some great sustainable marketing ideas.
- All billboards were re-purposed and made into reusable tote bags, sold at Timberland stores. (They raffled two off, but I wasn’t so lucky.)
- The energy used to run their TV ads was offset, meaning that the money was invested into renewable energy.
- The Earth Keeper shoe was made with recycled materials (old tires and plastic bottles).
- Recycled materials and soy based inks were used in the packaging. (They put these requirements in their RFP’s when looking for vendors.)
It was refreshing to hear a big business talk about the environmental impact and the social impact that their company makes. Timberland was completely honest and upfront with the audience, making no claims to be perfect. They are doing their best to treat the world, the way they would want to be treated.
Dunkin Donuts
On the not-so-warm-and-fuzzy note – our office is in the same building as a Dunkin Donuts store. The store is currently being remodeled, so there is a lot of construction going on outside. Yesterday as I was walking to work, I saw that the crew was disassembling the signs. So I asked if they would be recycling them or just throwing them out. The answer was that they would be trashed. So, since I am a quirky graphic designer and I collect old signs, I offered to take them. I wanted to put the big “715″ sign on our office wall, since we are located at 715 Boylston Street and I love this sort of re-purposed/found art. How cool would that be? To have a big 715 sign on our wall? Pretty cool. And I figured I could take the old Dunkin Donuts sign and add it to my personal collection. I assured them that I would not have these signs in public, that they were for our office and my private collection. (I’m not yet able to begin an art collection, so I focus on old signs.)
Alas, I heard through the construction super that they feared there would be a liability issue. Does this seem like a knee jerk fear reaction from corporate America? The owner did not even call me to have a conversation. I think that is what bothered me the most. I had given my card to the construction crew supervisor and he passed it on to the owner with my request. I did not even get a courtesy call to say “Thanks for taking an interest in our brand, but…” And to boot – we have given them a key to our office so that they can access our utility closet during construction. We went out of our way to help them.
I should note that the construction crew and the store manager have been exceptionally nice throughout this whole process. I have not met or spoken with the owner, so I can’t speak for him/her.
As a designer, I can understand if this is a branding issue. They may fear that I would hang the sign on a public street or in an adult book store. But if the owner had called me it would have accomplished much more for the brand. I would have felt like a person, not just a number that adds to their bottom line. And there would have been a slight chance that we could have found a better home than the land fill for these signs. Perhaps this franchise owner could have put me in touch with corporate to see if there was a better solution.
Policy and Art are alive in Boston
While reading the Globe this morning, in my effort to be more informed of our policy makers, I was again heartened to read not only about progress in our local government and non profit sector, but also I read about some great art. So this Monday morning I am feeling all warm and fuzzy about living in a city and state that is taking action and growing culturally. In this morning’s Globe I found two articles I’d like to pass on. One about Green Collar Jobs and one about a local heavy metal artist, Skunk who makes robotic sculptures out of old bicycle parts.
In regards to the green collar jobs, our job panel from this past year’s show was a direct response to Van Jones’ call for action. We at down:2:earth are trying to use our show as a forum for discussion and a resource center. So we brought together some young people working in the green sector with Galen Nelson from the City of Boston to talk about opportunities and to inspire people. We were surprised to see how many people over 20 years old attended the workshop, and that taught us that we should expand our job related event this year. D2E can’t be the answer for every sustainable issue, but we offer a great opportunity for people to talk and learn. So please let us know if there is an issue that you want to be covered. We are working on our programming for the April 2009 show, and we want to hear your thoughts.
On Social Justice from today’s article:
“We’re going to need to see a lot more of this stuff on a much larger scale than we have before,” says Penn Loh, executive director of Roxbury’s Alternatives for Community & Environment, an organization focused on eradicating environmental racism that is also a member of Community Labor United. “This could be as big as the New Deal and the restructuring of the economy after the stock market crash and the Great Depression. We’re at a turning point in human history.”
On Skunk:
We love Skunk.
Sustainable Architecture Part II
Let’s begin!
The Macallen Building, formerly a printing press, was designed by Office dA, Inc. in collaboration with Burt, Hill architecture firm. Located in South Boston this building has a green roof technology, that collects rainwater runoff for landscaping use, saving the building 600,000 gallons of water annually! The building also has vents that are kept open in order to let fresh air into the apartment lofts. This building also uses sustainable materials such as insulation made from recycled jeans.
The Epicenter. Home of Habitat for Humanity, a non-for-profit organization located in the South Boston. It was designed by Arrowstreet Architects, and is one of the few platinum LEED certified, non-for-profit buildings in Boston. This building features solar panels, recycled car windshields, and other recycled materials for their washrooms, most of which were recuperated from building debris. The building is conveniently facing south where huge windows let the natural light in. The Epicenter also uses natural ventilation as a replacement of air-conditioning mechanisms. To top that off they store rainwater which is harvested and stored for landscaping!
The Genzyme Center, located in Cambridge Massachusetts is designed by Behnisch & Partners, architecture firm is based out of Venice, California. The creative minds behind this impressive commercial building have incorporated a top lit atrium allowing natural light to enter the entire building while providing light to almost every corner. This building has night time ventilation, and uses a curtain glazing system. There are several indoor gardens for employees to enjoy while looking up at a complex system of mirrors that deflect the light from the sun into different parts of the building.
San Francisco Federal Building, designed by Thomas Mayne (founder of Morphosis) is located in San Francisco. This building takes into account the health of it’s employees and the environment. Take for instance the incorporation of sensors that open and close the windows mechanically during the day improving the in door air quality creating natural air flow ventilation. This building also reduces the need of electricity by having big windows that rung from the floor to the ceiling. An interesting concept in this building that perhaps not all employees are happy with is that the elevator stops every three floors to encourage employees to utilize the stairscase as a way to exercise and socialize with one another.
New York Times Building, designed by Renzo Piano (Italian architect) last on our list today demonstrating the evolution of sustainable, commercial designs. This building is made mostly from glass and steel. It uses technology to monitor the amount of direct sunlight and glare entering the building and adjusts the intensity of the light on the inside accordingly. It’s ventilation systems incorporates 85% efficient filtration and a humidification system to maintain optimum indoor air quality.
Well that’s a wrap for this weeks sustainable architecture, join me next week to see what we have on our lists
Sustainably yours
Nathalie Zegarra
Styrofoam Removal!
My days at down:2:earth have been great thus far. Best of all, these sustainable minds put their money where there mouth is. For instance as you may have seen from our previous blogs we have implemented a recycling program with Earthworm and have already recycled 481 pounds of paper…saving the equivalent of 4 trees!
During my interviewing process I remember seeing this box filled with Styrofoam peanuts in Lorelei’s office. I realized three weeks later that the box wasn’t part of the decor in her office, but rather she couldn’t find someone that would recycle them. After several attempts to contact different UPS and FedEx locations, she put me to the test and gave me the mission of finding a more sustainable destination for the Styrofoam than a land fill.
I quickly jumped online, ran a search, and was heartened to see that I wasn’t alone! Other people had the exact same issue and were actively seeking out ways to recycle their unwanted packing materials. In a chat forum I found online, someone recommended a UPS Store store location where they accepted the Styrofoam peanuts. The only requirement was that they be clean and placed in a clear bag. So, if you have some Styrofoam lying around and want to get rid of it sustainably, this is the place for you!
After work, I hopped on the T and headed towards their location on Mass Ave. The guys there were very nice and even let me take a picture of them doing their part to save the planet.
“We are not the most sustainable business, but we try to do what we can with the little things. We don’t want people to throw out something we can re-use.” They went on to say that currently all of the Styrofoam that they are using is biodegradable and recyclable.
At the end of the day, you may not be working for a company that is completely sustainable, but what matters is that you try to help out however you can. Who knows…in the long run, being sustainable might even save you money! Like those airlines that are attempting to reduce their costs by serving drinks from big bottles instead of using individual cans. It’s safe to say that airlines aren’t the most sustainable businesses out there, but if they can figure out a way to chip in, so can we!
Nathalie Zegarra
Local Fashionistas Unite!
The Somerville Arts Council and Fusion Ethos Fashions are hosting this most excellent event.
Sew What?!?
Saturday, May 31
3pm – 7pm
Central Plaza in Union Square
Sommerville, MA
Sewing machines and notions will be available to alter items on site! So even those of us who have a hard time with the sewing machine can participate. Get out and create!
Image from Vintage Cookie, one of a kind jewelry made with reclaimed or rediscovered items and high quality stones. Vintage Cookie is one of many local artisans that will be at the event.
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- Sorry for last tweet! Wrong account! For haiti updates follow @andreadatkinson
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- Thank you all for a FABULOUS event! Keep following us for more info on #green living in #Boston and beyond and keep going green!
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