fannie & millie .: handcrafted goodness

Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our clothes and in our cars. Our homes are filled with it. So much of what we buy is packaged in it. Cups, toys, DVD’s, silverware, sandwich bags - the stuff is everywhere.

All of this plastic has a tremendous impact on the environment – both when it’s made and when it’s disposed of. Today Americans generate 10.5 million tons of plastic waste every year, but we recycle less than 2%. And because plastic decomposes very slowly, nearly every single piece of plastic ever made is still in existence and it will be for thousands of years!

Plastic also has a tremendous negative impact on our health. My wonderful friend, graygoosie, is justifiably concerned about the xenoestrogens in plastic. Here’s what she’s doing about eliminating them from her life:

If you want to learn a little more about what xenoestrogens might be doing to your health, check out some of the following articles:

• Xenoestrogens cause Endometriosis
• Xenoestrogens Exacerbate Menstrual Migraines
• Xenoestrogens and Women’s Health
• Naked Truth: Xenoestrogens
• Estrogen levels and menopause
• Xenoestrogens and Breast Cancer: Nowhere to Run
• Xenoestrogens Cause PMS

I do not endorse any of the above articles, I’m presenting them to you as food for thought. I have; however, read the article quoted and linked below, and consider it recommended reading for everyone:

“A vast swath of the Pacific, twice the size of Texas, is full of a plastic stew that is entering the food chain. Scientists say these toxins are causing obesity, infertility…and worse.”

The good news is……………..we have the power to create change. Here are some fairly simple (I’m all about the simple. If it’s too hard, who’s going to do it?) ways to use less plastic:

1. When buying groceries, look for products that aren’t packaged with plastic. Glass, metal and paper are all better for the environment and are more easily recycled.

2. Hit the grocery store with your own grocery sacks. There are so many reusable bag options today and several large grocery chains offer money back when you bring your own bags. My local Trader Joe’s rewards people who bring bags with a raffle ticket for a weekly $25.00 gift certificate drawing. Reusable grocery bags are easier to carry and you can pack more into them than in regular plastic bags.

3. Plastic bags don’t just come from the grocery store. Bring your own bags when shopping anywhere, or refuse a bag for smaller items that you can easily carry on your own.

4. Avoid buying disposable plastic water bottles. Instead, use your own water bottle and refill it. If you’re concerned about using Nalgenes or other reusable plastic bottles, opt for stainless steel or glass models.

5. Choose household items that aren’t made of plastic. Buy the wooden-handled mop and the metal bucket instead of their plastic counter-parts.

6. Plastic plates, cups and silverware are huge pollutants and wastes of energy. Get real ones! Bring the real ones camping, on picnics and to potlucks.

7. Think about the other plastic items you use daily. Pens, toothbrushes, combs and other implements come in earth-friendly forms. Next time you’re ready to toss one of these items, think about replacing it with an alternative version.

8. Go back to brown-bagging it. However, instead of using a tired paper sack, spice up your lunch break with a cool reusable tote or lunch box. Pack your sandwiches in wax paper or use reusable containers to store leftovers from home.

9. Replace your plastic food storage containers with stainless steel or glass.

I can’t say that I’m doing all of these things…yet. But I’m working on it step by step.

Do you have any tips, tricks, or suggestions for using less plastic?

Today is Ecological Debt Day. No, it’s not a day to celebrate. Ecological Debt Day marks the point at which humankind has consumed the total amount of new resources that the earth can produce in this calendar year. In other words, any resources used for the rest of the year put us into ecological debt. We are spending more than we make - always a bad idea…. I urge you to click on the above links to learn a little about global ecological overshoot.

some chalk graffiti I found while walking around my neighborhood this week:

Well…? I think it’s hard to answer. According to Wikipedia, the purpose of sustainable design is,

“to produce places, products and services in a way that reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimizes environmental impact, and relates people with the natural environment.”

Okay, so we have a purpose; but we still don’t have a definition of sustainable design. Unfortunately, I don’t have a concise definition, either. I’m writing this post in order to share a few of the “green” blogs I visit regularly. I don’t think any of them claim to have all the answers; I just think we’re all trying to figure out how to stop exceeding our ecological footprint one step at a time.

WorldChanging: Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future

Inhabitat: future-forward design for the world you inhabit
Gristmill: The environmental news blog / Grist

Great Green Goods: Green Shopping for the Greater Good

TreeHugger

ecofabulous: sustainable. sexy. stuff

sustainablog