Greening your life one step at a time



The Seventh Generation blog has a great approach to helping consumers live greener, healthier lives. In a recent blog post they have categorized green living tips by effort required, making it easy for people to pace themselves if they're feeling overwhelmed. "Light Green" initiatives are the easiest, a good place to start. The tips progress to "Medium Green" then along to "Dark Green" for the most involved or impactful.

While what initiative goes with what shade of green is debatable, recognizing that not all green living efforts are created equal and that we should all set the dark green list as our ultimate goal make this approach practical and useful.

Plastic and food - safe handling tips

There are many alternatives to plastic food storage containers.

The other day I went through the cupboards and got rid of almost every plastic food storage container we owned. Even though we’ve been transitioning to glass over the past couple of years somehow we kept accumulating plastic containers. And we were using them because they were there. I finally got fed up and tossed them in the recycling bag after reading another article about what plastic is doing to the environment and our health.

The article that sent me over the edge was from the 5 Gyres Institute, an organization that studies plastic pollution in the oceans. According to the Institute, discarded plastics that make their way into the oceans have been accumulating in “islands” of plastic that are hundreds of miles across. They’re like floating landfills. Aside from the obvious danger they pose to aquatic life, the Institute reminds us that plastics aren’t great for us either and contain all sorts of chemicals, some which are known human toxins and hundreds that haven’t been tested yet.

200 billion pounds of plastics are produced each year and according to Green Peace estimates, 10 per cent of it makes its way into the oceans. Only about 5% of plastics produced are recycled and about 50% ends up in landfills.

Ridding your life of plastic is a tall order. A lot of food is packaged in plastic, people still cart their groceries from the store in plastic, kid’s toys are made of plastic, household products are packaged in plastic. The stuff is everywhere. But even if you can’t banish it entirely you can reduce the amount of plastic in your life, and learn to use plastic safely.

Avoid soft vinyl products (like shower curtains and inflatable toys). They contain phthalates, a chemical softener that has been linked to lower brain function in children, among other things.

Only plastics labeled one, two and five (inside the recycling symbol) are considered food safe. Food should not be stored in unlabeled plastic containers or those stamped with the number seven (#7 plastic contains bisphenol A, a known hormone disruptor.) Not that the food-safe plastics are entirely off the hook. You still need to use them safely.

Never heat food in a plastic container or put warm or hot food in plastic. Heat intensifies the leaching of chemicals into food. By the way, “microwave safe” is an unregulated term and only implies that the plastic shouldn’t melt in the microwave. It doesn’t mean that the chemicals used to make the plastic won’t leach into your food when heated. Ditto for plastic wrap, and look for brands that are PVC-free, or avoid plastic wrap altogether.

Never put plastic in the dishwasher since heat causes the plastic to break down.

Most canned food tins are lined with number seven plastic so try to reduce the amount of canned food you eat.

And finally, swap your plastic electric kettle for a stainless steel kettle and enjoy a worry-free cup of tea.

Is radon an issue in your home?

A home radon test kit can easily be tucked out of the way.

I have been hearing about radon for years but never gave it much thought in relation to my own home. In Maine, where my brother runs a home inspection company, it’s a standard part of many home inspections, and making necessary repairs to lower radon levels can be a requirement of sale. 

Because it didn’t come up with our home inspections I assumed that radon wasn’t a worry in New Brunswick or at least not in our part of the province. But then a flyer appeared in the local newspaper, a one-page info sheet about radon that was distributed by the NB Lung Association. According to the Association, New Brunswick has some of the highest radon levels in the country and close to one in five NB homes has radon levels higher that what Health Canada considers safe.  

The NB Lung Association is in the midst of a public education campaign because radon is considered the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers (and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall). An odorless, radioactive gas formed naturally in the ground and emitted from some rock and soil, radon can build up in enclosed spaces (like homes) and long-term exposure to radon increases the risk of lung cancer to one in twenty. Among smokers, the risk increases to one in three.  

With stats like that it’s important to know if radon is an issue in your home. 

You can pick up a radon test kit at the hardware store or order one through the NB Lung Association ($35 and they mail it to your home). If you’re buying a kit at the hardware store NB Lung Association stresses that you need to buy a long-term kit (3-month test) saying that they’re more accurate. To order yours call 1-800-565-LUNG or email info@nb.lung.ca. 

Our home test kit arrived a couple of weeks ago. I was expecting a soup can-sized kit but it’s less than half the size of a hockey puck. You place it in lowest level of your house that you use regularly (where you spend four hours a day or more, but not in a kitchen) and at least a couple of feet off the floor. We don’t spend time in our basement so I put our kit in the living room, on the back of the sideboard where it won`t be disturbed. At the end of three months we’ll mail it off to a lab in Massachusetts and within two weeks will receive the results.    

The Canadian guideline for radon is 200 becquerels per cubic meter. But even low levels of radon can be harmful so it’s important to fix the source of the leaks even if your test detects a lower reading.  

Radon can seep into your home through windows, cracks in basement floors, sump pumps, unfinished floors and spaces around pipes. Radon leaks are usually very fixable. There are contractors experienced with radon mitigation who can find the source of any leaks and make the necessary repairs.

Tips to keep your indoor air healthy

Indoor air quality can be 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

This time of year, indoor air pollution is likely the last thing on your mind (and may be it never crosses your mind). We have learned to be concerned about outdoor air quality without realising that it has an indoor counterpart. Since we spend about 90% of our time indoors, we’d do well to learn a bit more about it, especially during winter. With the windows shut tight and the furnace roaring, there is a greater chance that indoor air pollution can become an issue.

The air quality in your home can be two to five times worse than it is outdoors thanks to the many sources of indoor air pollution. And it isn’t just your furnace or woodstove that you need to worry about. Lack of effective ventilation, household cleaning products and personal care products, new furniture and carpets, all contribute to unhealthy conditions in your home that can cause headaches, nausea, allergies and breathing issues.

To keep your home`s air as healthy as possible, deal with the biggest sources of pollution first: carbon monoxide, cigarette smoke and radon. Ensure your furnace, wood stove and other combustion units in the home are well maintained and cleaned at least once a year. Dirty chimneys, leaky woodstoves and poorly vented gas stoves can release carbon monoxide and other chemical into your home.

Radon, a radioactive gas emitted from some rock and soil, is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Contact the New Brunswick Lung Association to purchase a radon test kit so you`ll know if radon is an issue in your home.

Dealing with any humidity issues is another important way to keep your indoor air clean. Mould releases biological contaminants that you don’t want to deal with so ensure that your home is well ventilated (especially the bathrooms and kitchen stove) and that moisture leaks are repaired.

Products in your home that list “fragrance” as an ingredient pollute the air. That includes cleaning products, especially laundry products and room fresheners. These heavily scented products are loaded with phalates, known hormone disruptors that can cause significant health issues. The same goes for scented personal care products and artificially scented candles. Always choose unscented household and personal care products, or those scented with essential oils.

New furniture and carpets, dry-cleaned clothing, paints and varnishes all off-gas chemicals, so it’s important that you do all you can to minimize off-gassing in your home. Hang dry cleaning on the line when you first get it home, leave new furniture in the garage until the “new” smell fades. Often new kitchen cupboards and particleboard furniture off-gas formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) so look for manufacturers that use formaldehyde-free adhesives. Always choose zero VOC or low VOC paints (available in many brands).

Dust and vacuum frequently. Also, air purifiers can, ironically, be a source of indoor pollution so do your research if you`re thinking of getting one.

It`s not all bad though, house plants can do their part to keep your indoor air clean.

Personal care products -- be careful out there

 

Personal care products are loaded with chemicals that are known toxins. I know it sounds crazy, especially when you consider that many of the most commonly used chemicals in these products are known carcinogens and hormone disruptors. If you'd rather not be part of some company's science experiement take a look through Environmental Defense pocket guide. It targets these "Toxic 10" ingredients that we need to avoid:

BHA/BHT, coal tar-derived colors, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde-releasing agents, fragrance, parabens, petrolatum, siloxanes, sodium laureth sulfate and the closely related chemical sodium lauryl sulfate, and triclosan.

Another helpful source for information, including an extensive database that lets you test the safety of your current products, is Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database.
Get used to reading the fine print on products (even those touted as natural) and get to know safe alternatives, like Canada's own Green Beaver.

Beauty departments are dangerous places...be careful out there.

Ways to go green and save money

Much about going green can save you money.

January is the month of resolutions and also the time that Christmas credit card bills start coming due. A time of optimism and belt tightening.

Not everyone makes New Year’s resolutions but early in each new year most people do think about ways to improve their lives. Consider it a bonus then when making a change for the better can help your pocketbook as well.

Case in point: resolving to be more eco-friendly. Although it sometimes gets a bad rap for being expensive, much about going green can actually save you money.

Last year the World Watch Institute came up with a list of 10 ways to go green and save green, ideas for saving money while making eco-friendly lifestyle changes. Here are a few from the World Watch list, and a few of my additions.

1.      Think before you buy. Do you really need it? Will you use it? Can you borrow or rent it instead of buy it? (A Patagonia ad last fall featured one of its jackets with the headline "Don't Buy This Jacket" and asked customers not to buy what they don’t need and to think twice before buying anything.)

2.      Eating less meat is one of the best things that you can do for the environment. Going meatless, even one day a week is (environmentally speaking) like taking your car off the road for a few months. Buy better quality, locally-raised meat and eat less of it. On average we eat twice the protein that we actually need and skimp on vegetables.  Try for a meatless meal at least once a week. You and the environment will be healthier for it. The bonus: plant-based protein (like beans and lentils) is cheap. 

3.      Buy in bulk when it makes sense for your family.  Bulk means less packaging and lower per unit cost.

4.      Use natural cleaners like baking soda and vinegar instead of buying conventional cleaning supplies. Natural products are cheap, and easy on the environment.

5.      Reduce your energy consumption. Turn your thermostat down a degree or two, switch to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) as your old incandescent bulbs burn out, unplug appliances when they’re not in use to avoid power sipping. Wash clothes in cold water and use a drying rack or clothesline when possible instead of the dryer.

6.      If you pay for water use, taking steps to use less can save you money too. Take shorter showers, use a low-flow showerhead (saves on energy use), use a dishwasher instead of the sink washing and only run the dishwasher when it’s full. If you are sink washing, only fill the sink half way. Install a faucet aerator on each faucet.

7.      Avoid bottled water and other packaged drinks and drink more tap water. Buy a good quality travel mug or stainless steel water bottle so you can bring your water with you.

Resolutions or not, making a few eco-friendly lifestyle tweaks can be a simple way to leave money in your pocket.

How to choose greener electronics

Think big picture when you choose your next electronic device.
A small enviro footprint can be part of the cool factor.

How many old electronics do you have lying around your house? The pace of innovation is so fast these days that within 18 months the industry can deem something virtually obsolete and be pushing consumers to upgrade. Even if you don’t want to buy a newer version, often you have little choice since some items cost more to repair than to buy new and many items can’t be repaired because replacement parts aren’t available. In our disposable world, electronics make the list of things “designed for the dump”, items made to be disposable. Crazy but true.

This approach to electronics consumption is creating mountains of e-waste, clogging our landfills with toxic PVCs (poly vinyl chloride – nasty stuff), flame retardants, lead and mercury, and more.  

The good news is that some electronics manufacturers are working to green their products and their manufacturing processes. Helping nudge them along is the Green Peace Guide to Greener Electronics. Published regularly since 2006, it is helping build awareness about the environmental impact of electronics and lobby electronics manufacturers to be more environmentally responsible.

The guide ranks the top 15 TV, computer and cell phone manufacturers. These companies are rated on their greenhouse gas emissions and their plans to reduce emissions, on the energy efficiency of their products, efforts to eliminate hazardous substances from produces, use of recycled plastics, and durability and ease of repair. Manufacturers’ supply chains are part of the evaluation as are take-back programs and recycling initiatives for obsolete products.

In the 2011 report HP tops the list with a score of 5.9 out of 10, followed by Dell (5.1), Nokia (4.9) and Apple (4.6). The scores aren’t stellar but year over year the leaders are improving their efforts to create all-around greener products.

Choosing top-rated electronics is one way to help the industry move in the right direction.  Just review theguide before making your next purchase. You can also do a lot to lessen the environmental impact of the electronics you already have. Reduce energy consumption simply by turning off computers and other electronics when they’re not being used. If you have them plugged into a power bar, turn that off too when they’re not in use.

Be sure to recycle old electronics. The Fundy Solid Waste Commission accepts old computer systems (monitor, hard drive, printer, speakers, mouse, keyboard, scanner,) and other electronics Saturday mornings at the Household Hazardous Waste facility. (The computers are shipped to Resnet, a non-profit in Edmundston NB where they are disassembled to salvage working components and recyclable materials. Some systems are refurbished and donated to low-income families and non-profit groups.) Old cell phones can be dropped off at Future Shop, Staples, Superstore and some cell phone dealers.  The Future Shop drop box also accepts CD players, MP3 players, CDs, DVD players and ink cartridges.

The ultimate goal is to have manufacturers create longer lasting, updatable products. Choosing the greenest products today is the best thing we can do to push manufacturers in the right direction.

This New Year, go on an energy diet

The New Brunswick Lung Association announced this week that they will be running a pilot program to help households monitor, manage and reduce their daily energy consumption. The 100 households chosen to participate in the program will be outfitted with energy metres enabling them to monitor how much they’re spending on electricity. The idea is that awareness will lead to change and that participants will begin to reduce their power consumption when they can see clearly what’s hogging the power in their homes.

According to the Lung Association, studies show that home energy monitors can motivate behaviour change in individuals and reduce electrical consumption between 5% and 20% which in turn reduces our dependence on dirty forms of power generation (ex.  coal fired generating plants). This means less air pollution, a key goal of the Lung Association.

Whether you’ve signed up for this pilot or not, it’s safe to say that we could all start the New Year on an energy diet, especially after the energy excesses of the holidays.

Wondering where to begin? The typical household energy consumption breaks down like this: 60% for heat, 20% for hot water, 15% for appliances and 5% for lights. You’ll get the biggest bang for your buck if you start by doing all that you can to keep the cold out and the heat in. An energy audit can help you identify sources of heat loss in your home, and offer many do-it-yourself fixes. Keeping your furnace in good working order is important, including changing your furnace filter regularly. Turning your heat down just one or two degrees offers big savings as well. For every degree you lower the thermostat during heating season, you'll save between 1 and 3% of your heating bill. (Programmable thermostats make this easier).  A sweater is worth about 2 degrees in added warmth and a heavy sweater about 4 degrees. To make the most of your hard-earned heat check that beds, couches and other furniture aren’t blocking radiators.

Tackling your hot water usage is another energy saver. Check your hot water heater to see that it’s set no hotter than 120 degrees (any hotter is a waste of money.) Install low flow shower heads for a more efficient use of hot water (up to 60% less for a typical shower). Limit or avoid hot water clothes washing. Cold water washes use 90% less energy than hot water washes and today’s detergents are formulated to work well in cold water.  

To reduce the amount of energy consumed by appliances, match your appliance size to your need. Ensure that your refrigerator and freezer seals are snug and that the rear coils are clean. Become less dependent on the clothes dryer and use a clothes line or drying racks instead, especially for large items that take longer to dry.

Reducing your energy consumption is a painless diet that leaves money in your pocket and will help to make our air cleaner. Here’s to New Year’s diet resolutions!

Last minute Christmas tips



1.    On Christmas morning, sort wrapping as you go, creating piles for trash, recyclables and reusable ribbon, bags and paper. Tuck them away for next year.

2.    Remember that wrapping paper is not recyclable. Choose reusable bags instead and save them from year to year.

3.    Cardboard boxes and packaging, as long as they’re not soiled or waxed, can be recycled. Some boxes might be worth saving to reuse at another time. Flatten the boxes you’re going to recycle for easy storage.

4.    On rigid plastic packaging, look for the recycling symbol with a number in the middle. Any plastic with a number between 1 and 7 can go in the blue bins. They’re few and far between on children’s toys but it’s still worth checking.

5.    Don’t get lazy over the holidays when it comes to basic household recycling. Nuf said.

6.    Keep composting over the Holidays. If you’re hosting a gathering and using disposable plates, buy paper plates and toss them in the compost bin for an easy clean up.

7.    Do what you can to reduce food waste. Start with a small serving and go back for more if you’re still hungry.

8.    Compost your Christmas tree. Many communities offer a tree mulching service for easy Christmas clean up.

9.    Save Christmas cards and use them to make gift tags next year.

10.   Bask in all that is wonderful about the Holiday Season and share your joy with others.

The Christmas tree debate -- choose real over fake

Just because an artificial tree is reusable doesn't mean it's environmentally preferable. It's the opposite, actually. Fake Christmas trees have a nasty carbon footprint due to the fact that they're made from petroleum products, usually manufactured in China where environmental regulations can be lax, and shipped half way around the world to reach your home. Artificial trees off-gas, polluting the air in your home, and can't be recycled or composted. Real trees, on the other hand, come from sustainably-managed local forests (in my neck of the woods anyway) and are compostable. Choosing a real tree is one more way to buy local over the Holidays.