Mixed fruit smoothie
Smoothies are great for brown bananas and other fruit about to go over the edge...
Peel bananas, peel and slice apples, pears and other fruit that you don't think you'll get to in time and pop them in the freezer. Instead of going to waste the frozen fruit will make a great addition to a morning smoothie.
4 parts fruit (frozen and/or fresh)
One part yogurt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon or 4 T of any other fruit juice
Whirr in a food processor for 30 seconds to one minute. Enjoy.
Minestrone soup
One of the best ways to use up leftover bits of fresh and frozen veggies is to toss them all in a soup. You can adjust the consistency to your liking by using more or less broth.
2 T olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2-4 cups of other chopped veggies (zucchini, peppers, anything left in the fridge)
6-8 cups good broth (veg or chicken, can use water in a pinch)
1 can whole or diced tomatoes (large or small)
handful or two of greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard)
1 1/2 cups cooked beans (white or chick peas)
1/2 cup dry pasta
1 t each of oregano and thyme
sea salt and pepper to taste
Over medium heat saute onion and garlic for a few minutes then add celery & carrot. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add other veg along with the broth, tomatoes, beans, herbs and firmer greens if using (kale). Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the veggies seem soft.
Bring soup to a gentle boil and add 1/2 cup dry pasta. Stir and cook until the pasta is tender.
Add softer greens if using (chopped spinach or chard). Add fresh parsley and/or basil if you have them on hand.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve wtih fresh parmesan grated over.
You can use a diced potato in lieu of the pasta if you prefer. Just toss it in with your carrot. Add more herbs if you preefer a stronger flavour. This tastes much better the next day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Are you throwing out good food?
Have you ever stopped to tally the amount of food that gets wasted in your household? I think it’s time to take notice. A study released last fall by the Value Chain Management Centre found that about 40 percent of all food produced in Canada goes to waste.
Although the waste occurs all along the farm-to-table route, more than half of the food waste occurs in the home. This is the food that goes bad in the fridge before eaten, the leftovers that sit in the fridge until they go bad and the uneaten food on your plate that gets scraped into the trash or compost. It’s estimated that half of all salad, a third of all bread, a quarter of all fruit and a fifth of all vegetables are thrown away uneaten.
You can build a stark picture of the economic waste at the household level. What may not be so clear is that there is also a significant environmental impact to all of this waste.
More food than is actually required is grown and shipped to be processed. (Think of the fertilizer, water and machinery required to grow food that goes in the trash.) There is the energy used to cook food that doesn’t get eaten, plus transportation and packaging. And finally, when food is put in a landfill rather than composted it produces methane, the most toxic of all greenhouse gasses.
About one-fifth of the food that gets thrown away in homes is food scraps like cores, peels and bones, but the rest is perfectly edible food. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007 more than six million tones of solid food went to waste between retail stores and homes. That’s about 600 pounds per family. (Another 2.8 billion litres of liquids went to waste, like milk, juice, pop, coffee, tea).
Meanwhile we’re all aware of the severe food shortages people in other parts of the world are enduring. Globally we actually produce enough food to feed the world, but food waste is a complicated problem.
While you can’t do much to reduce food waste that occurs between farms and retail stores, you can make an impact in your own home. With grocery chains announcing that prices will rise five to seven percent by the end of the year, you might have more incentive too. Here are some tips.
Don’t buy more than you need. 2- for-1 deals and bulk sizes of perishable foods are only a deal if it all gets eaten.
Don’t cook more than you need for a given meal, unless you plan to use the leftovers quickly. And when you do have leftovers use them up.
Watch your portion sizes so good food doesn’t get left on the plate.
Remember you can freeze fruit that’s about to spoil and use it for smoothies. Yogurt can be frozen then used for baking.
Compost uneaten food. Don’t put it in the trash.
Although the waste occurs all along the farm-to-table route, more than half of the food waste occurs in the home. This is the food that goes bad in the fridge before eaten, the leftovers that sit in the fridge until they go bad and the uneaten food on your plate that gets scraped into the trash or compost. It’s estimated that half of all salad, a third of all bread, a quarter of all fruit and a fifth of all vegetables are thrown away uneaten.
You can build a stark picture of the economic waste at the household level. What may not be so clear is that there is also a significant environmental impact to all of this waste.
More food than is actually required is grown and shipped to be processed. (Think of the fertilizer, water and machinery required to grow food that goes in the trash.) There is the energy used to cook food that doesn’t get eaten, plus transportation and packaging. And finally, when food is put in a landfill rather than composted it produces methane, the most toxic of all greenhouse gasses.
About one-fifth of the food that gets thrown away in homes is food scraps like cores, peels and bones, but the rest is perfectly edible food. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007 more than six million tones of solid food went to waste between retail stores and homes. That’s about 600 pounds per family. (Another 2.8 billion litres of liquids went to waste, like milk, juice, pop, coffee, tea).
Meanwhile we’re all aware of the severe food shortages people in other parts of the world are enduring. Globally we actually produce enough food to feed the world, but food waste is a complicated problem.
While you can’t do much to reduce food waste that occurs between farms and retail stores, you can make an impact in your own home. With grocery chains announcing that prices will rise five to seven percent by the end of the year, you might have more incentive too. Here are some tips.
Don’t buy more than you need. 2- for-1 deals and bulk sizes of perishable foods are only a deal if it all gets eaten.
Don’t cook more than you need for a given meal, unless you plan to use the leftovers quickly. And when you do have leftovers use them up.
Watch your portion sizes so good food doesn’t get left on the plate.
Remember you can freeze fruit that’s about to spoil and use it for smoothies. Yogurt can be frozen then used for baking.
Compost uneaten food. Don’t put it in the trash.
Use Earth Day to kick-off some greener, healthier habits
Spring is a busy time of year for anyone who is eco-minded. That’s when all of the “green” celebrations occur. World Water Day was March 22, Earth Hour was March 26 and now Earth Day is coming up on April 22.
Although it’s technically one day I prefer to stretch Earth Day into a week-long celebration full of fun ways to live better. It’s like Lent for the eco-minded.
If you’d like to mark the day, or the week, and are in search of suggestions the list below should be enough to get you started.
You can approach it like a meal plan (plastic-free Monday, litter-less lunch on Tuesday…), try to do it all, or pick something from the list to do all week long.
Pack a litter-less lunch that includes nothing that will end up in the trash. Avoid all packaged food and instead make your lunch from scratch and pack it in reusable containers or bags.
Go a day without buying, acquiring or using plastic. A plastic-free February challenge was started in the U.S. this year but it’s never too late to give it a try, even for a day. It’ll remind you of how much plastic you have in your life, and how many plastic items are just an unnecessary waste of fossil fuel.
Celebrate Earth Hour again. Choose an evening to turn out the lights for an hour, either between 8:30 and 9:30, or start earlier if you have young children. Chat, play a board game or read by candlelight.
Plan a 100 mile meal. Remember eggs, meat, fish and dairy are all produced locally, and some root vegetables at grocery stores were grown in Atlantic Canada. Speerville Flour Mill whole white flour is made from wheat that is grown and milled in New Brunswick. Honey and maple syrup are produced locally too. From that list of options you should be able to plan a meal with food that is, at the very least, grown or produced in Atlantic Canada.
Enjoy a meatless meal. The environmental impact of meat production (we’re talking mostly the large factory farms) is so extensive that the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that the best thing you can do for the environment is to eat less meat.
Go without bottled water (or any sort of packaged beverage) and drink tap water instead.
Substitute a homemade version of something that you always buy. For Earth Hour this year I made homemade graham crackers to use for s’mores. Try making your own salad dressing or tortillas.
Unplug the dryer and hang your clothes to dry. It’s spring, use the clothesline. Drape newly-washed bedding over the railing of your deck if you don’t have a line.
Plan a screen-free day meaning no TV, no computer, no handheld electronic games. Play outside instead and visit http://www.takemeoutside.ca/ to learn more about why getting outside more often is important to our health and happiness.
However you choose to celebrate, consider Earth Day a spring kick-off to some greener, healthier habits.
Although it’s technically one day I prefer to stretch Earth Day into a week-long celebration full of fun ways to live better. It’s like Lent for the eco-minded.
If you’d like to mark the day, or the week, and are in search of suggestions the list below should be enough to get you started.
You can approach it like a meal plan (plastic-free Monday, litter-less lunch on Tuesday…), try to do it all, or pick something from the list to do all week long.
Pack a litter-less lunch that includes nothing that will end up in the trash. Avoid all packaged food and instead make your lunch from scratch and pack it in reusable containers or bags.
Go a day without buying, acquiring or using plastic. A plastic-free February challenge was started in the U.S. this year but it’s never too late to give it a try, even for a day. It’ll remind you of how much plastic you have in your life, and how many plastic items are just an unnecessary waste of fossil fuel.
Celebrate Earth Hour again. Choose an evening to turn out the lights for an hour, either between 8:30 and 9:30, or start earlier if you have young children. Chat, play a board game or read by candlelight.
Plan a 100 mile meal. Remember eggs, meat, fish and dairy are all produced locally, and some root vegetables at grocery stores were grown in Atlantic Canada. Speerville Flour Mill whole white flour is made from wheat that is grown and milled in New Brunswick. Honey and maple syrup are produced locally too. From that list of options you should be able to plan a meal with food that is, at the very least, grown or produced in Atlantic Canada.
Enjoy a meatless meal. The environmental impact of meat production (we’re talking mostly the large factory farms) is so extensive that the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that the best thing you can do for the environment is to eat less meat.
Go without bottled water (or any sort of packaged beverage) and drink tap water instead.
Substitute a homemade version of something that you always buy. For Earth Hour this year I made homemade graham crackers to use for s’mores. Try making your own salad dressing or tortillas.
Unplug the dryer and hang your clothes to dry. It’s spring, use the clothesline. Drape newly-washed bedding over the railing of your deck if you don’t have a line.
Plan a screen-free day meaning no TV, no computer, no handheld electronic games. Play outside instead and visit http://www.takemeoutside.ca/ to learn more about why getting outside more often is important to our health and happiness.
However you choose to celebrate, consider Earth Day a spring kick-off to some greener, healthier habits.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Growing a garden this year?
Check out Hope Seeds' site for a gorgeous variety of heirloom veggies that are naturalized to our New Brunswick climate. Previously based in New Brunswick, Hope Seeds is now putting down roots (so to speak) in Nova Scotia.
Here's hoping for a bumper crop of atomic red carrots and enough Costata romanesca zucchini to feed the neighbourhood.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Celebrate Earth Hour!
Reducing our home energy consumption is something that we should work at every day but once a year there is a special event that makes it easier to keep that goal top-of-mind. Earth Hour, an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), challenges people simply to turn out the lights for an hour to draw attention to the impact our energy use has on climate change. The idea is to have fun in the dark and think about how you can inject some Earth Hour spirit into your everyday life. This year’s event is on Saturday, March 26, from 8:30 to 9:30.
Earth Hour is one of those great acts of global solidarity that anyone can take part in. I love how it empowers people (especially children) to be part of something that actually makes a difference. Last year 1.3 billion people took part in Earth Hour across the globe, including more than 10 million Canadians.
This year’s focus is on the role clean energy can play in reducing climate change. It’s an encouraging reminder that there are many ways to tackle the climate change challenge and reducing the energy we consume is just part of the solution.
In New Brunswick we’re on the way to generating a respectable amount of renewable energy. According to the WWF website 38% of the energy we use is renewable, 56% is not (6% is unaccounted for). We’re still burning coal and heavy oil in our power plants but we have a lot of hydro power too. The great news is that 10% of the energy we consume now comes from wind power and there is potential for our province to generate even more energy from renewable sources. But in the meantime a good chunk of our energy is “dirty”: good reason to use less.
Making changes to our energy consumption at home can make a real difference. According to Stats Canada, households contribute almost half (46%) of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions and energy use is the single biggest contributor to a home's carbon footprint. That’s more emissions than our personal use of vehicles. Lights are a small part of a home’s energy use but you’ll be surprised at how sitting in the dark really makes you contemplate your life’s dependence on the grid.
If you’d like to celebrate Earth Hour this year the WWF website has lots of great ideas for marking the event, at work, school and home.
This year we’re having friends over for a lights-out potluck and Twister by candlelight. We’ll turn the lights out early (8:30 is a little late to get started with young kids) or we might not turn them on at all.
However you choose to celebrate consider registering your participation on the Earth Hour website so you’ll be counted (www.EarthHourCanada.org). You’ll see there is a lot of fun to be had without the distraction of a TV or computer.
Earth Hour is one of those great acts of global solidarity that anyone can take part in. I love how it empowers people (especially children) to be part of something that actually makes a difference. Last year 1.3 billion people took part in Earth Hour across the globe, including more than 10 million Canadians.
This year’s focus is on the role clean energy can play in reducing climate change. It’s an encouraging reminder that there are many ways to tackle the climate change challenge and reducing the energy we consume is just part of the solution.
In New Brunswick we’re on the way to generating a respectable amount of renewable energy. According to the WWF website 38% of the energy we use is renewable, 56% is not (6% is unaccounted for). We’re still burning coal and heavy oil in our power plants but we have a lot of hydro power too. The great news is that 10% of the energy we consume now comes from wind power and there is potential for our province to generate even more energy from renewable sources. But in the meantime a good chunk of our energy is “dirty”: good reason to use less.
Making changes to our energy consumption at home can make a real difference. According to Stats Canada, households contribute almost half (46%) of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions and energy use is the single biggest contributor to a home's carbon footprint. That’s more emissions than our personal use of vehicles. Lights are a small part of a home’s energy use but you’ll be surprised at how sitting in the dark really makes you contemplate your life’s dependence on the grid.
If you’d like to celebrate Earth Hour this year the WWF website has lots of great ideas for marking the event, at work, school and home.
This year we’re having friends over for a lights-out potluck and Twister by candlelight. We’ll turn the lights out early (8:30 is a little late to get started with young kids) or we might not turn them on at all.
However you choose to celebrate consider registering your participation on the Earth Hour website so you’ll be counted (www.EarthHourCanada.org). You’ll see there is a lot of fun to be had without the distraction of a TV or computer.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Don't flush! (your meds)
This has been one of those winters where the flu and cold have run rampant. At the office dozens of people have been out sick and one day at my children’s school 30% of the students were home with the flu.
Along with a busy flu season comes a lot of medication, from prescription antibiotics to over-to-counter cold and sinus medicine. We had our fair share of medicine go through our house this winter, including a prescription change mid-way through pneumonia treatment after my daughter broke out in hives. That left us with a bottle full of Biaxin that couldn’t be used.
What do you do with leftover prescription medications, expired medications or expired over-the-counter drugs? Don’t flush them down the toilet!
Our waterways have enough trouble dealing with medications (prescription and other) that our bodies excrete without having leftover doses washed down the drain as well. Medications can pass through waste-water treatment facilities so trace amounts of prescription drugs (birth control pills, antidepressants, and antibiotics), over-the-counter medications (pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen, and cold/flu remedies), and veterinary medicines have all made their way into our waterways.
It’s unclear if trace amounts of medications in our rivers and lakes are dangerous for humans but there is considerable research documenting the negative impact of medications on aquatic life.
Even in concentrations as tiny as parts-per-trillion the effect on fish and frogs is well documented. A body of research from Ontario has shown that when fathead minnows are grown from egg to adulthood in the presence of as little as three parts-per-trillion of synthetic estrogen (used in birth control pills), they are completely feminized. This means that fewer males are available to mate and to fertilize eggs. (Considering the broader implications of this is a bit scary).
Other drugs have their own worrisome impacts. Steroids can disrupt reproductive processes, anti-depressants make fish tranquil so more vulnerable to predators, and antibiotics in waterways contribute to the growth of antibiotic resistant germs.
Trace levels of pharmaceuticals have also been detected the drinking water of several U.S. cities. No one knows what kind of threat this might pose to humans and that’s a worry, especially when you consider the cumulative effect of long-term exposure to mixtures of pharmaceuticals.
The most important thing you can do to help keep drugs out of our waterways (and our drinking water) is to dispose of them properly. We’re fortunate that our local pharmacies participate in “take-back” programs, taking unused prescription and over-the-counter medications and disposing of them safely. Never flush medications down the toilet or pour them down the drain. Keep them in their package and drop them at your nearest pharmacy when you get the chance.
As well, Health Canada recommends that you go through your medicine cabinet once a year and remove all prescription and non-prescription drugs that are old or that you no longer take. That way you can safely dispose of them all in one trip to the pharmacy.
Along with a busy flu season comes a lot of medication, from prescription antibiotics to over-to-counter cold and sinus medicine. We had our fair share of medicine go through our house this winter, including a prescription change mid-way through pneumonia treatment after my daughter broke out in hives. That left us with a bottle full of Biaxin that couldn’t be used.
What do you do with leftover prescription medications, expired medications or expired over-the-counter drugs? Don’t flush them down the toilet!
Our waterways have enough trouble dealing with medications (prescription and other) that our bodies excrete without having leftover doses washed down the drain as well. Medications can pass through waste-water treatment facilities so trace amounts of prescription drugs (birth control pills, antidepressants, and antibiotics), over-the-counter medications (pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen, and cold/flu remedies), and veterinary medicines have all made their way into our waterways.
It’s unclear if trace amounts of medications in our rivers and lakes are dangerous for humans but there is considerable research documenting the negative impact of medications on aquatic life.
Even in concentrations as tiny as parts-per-trillion the effect on fish and frogs is well documented. A body of research from Ontario has shown that when fathead minnows are grown from egg to adulthood in the presence of as little as three parts-per-trillion of synthetic estrogen (used in birth control pills), they are completely feminized. This means that fewer males are available to mate and to fertilize eggs. (Considering the broader implications of this is a bit scary).
Other drugs have their own worrisome impacts. Steroids can disrupt reproductive processes, anti-depressants make fish tranquil so more vulnerable to predators, and antibiotics in waterways contribute to the growth of antibiotic resistant germs.
Trace levels of pharmaceuticals have also been detected the drinking water of several U.S. cities. No one knows what kind of threat this might pose to humans and that’s a worry, especially when you consider the cumulative effect of long-term exposure to mixtures of pharmaceuticals.
The most important thing you can do to help keep drugs out of our waterways (and our drinking water) is to dispose of them properly. We’re fortunate that our local pharmacies participate in “take-back” programs, taking unused prescription and over-the-counter medications and disposing of them safely. Never flush medications down the toilet or pour them down the drain. Keep them in their package and drop them at your nearest pharmacy when you get the chance.
As well, Health Canada recommends that you go through your medicine cabinet once a year and remove all prescription and non-prescription drugs that are old or that you no longer take. That way you can safely dispose of them all in one trip to the pharmacy.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
My most exciting discovery of 2011 (so far)
 |
| Green Beaver zesty orange toothpaste. Yum! |
Thanks Green Beaver for proving that, in the world of toothpaste, mint doesn't rule.
Two bags or less
How many bags of trash do you send to the curb on garbage day? Could you send less?
There is a great initiative underway at the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission, challenging residents to commit to generating less household waste each week. By signing up for the “Two bags or less” challenge you commit to keeping your household garbage to two bags, or less, every week (four bags every collection period).
The idea is that if people are given a limit, or volunteer for a limit, then there will be a material reduction in over all trash generated. It’s a way to prepare us for the imposed limit that is coming.
Before starting the initiative the Commission completed a trial with 200 households in Hampton over the summer and into the fall. The results of the study showed that even voluntary limits to garbage can reduce the amount of waste set at the curb.
Most residents are already putting two bags or less to the curb every two weeks but the program is starting with a very generous “limit” to get people thinking. They’ll gradually reduce the amount over time as residents ease into the idea. What the eventual limit will be I don’t know.
There are environmental and economic incentives to diverting waste to more environmentally-friendly channels – like recycling paper and plastic and composting food waste. Composting alone can save a small fortune. Municipalities pay $28 per tonne in tipping fees for compost. But when residents put food and yard waste in the garbage, the tipping fee is $108 per tonne.
Last year the Fundy Solid Waste Commission recycled 6,100 tonnes of recyclables. That saved a lot of space in the landfill, diverted almost $660,000 in garbage tipping fees, and helped to ensure the reuse of our natural resources.
Knowing how to reduce your household trash is the first step in waste reduction.
Simple recycling will reduce your household garbage by nearly 50% and visiting the blue bins is getting easier and easier since you hardly have to do any sorting now that there are just three sorting bins: one for corrugated cardboard, one for paper & boxboard, and another for plastic, metal & milk containers. By the way, corrugated cardboard has the highest resale value of all recyclables so don’t put it in the trash!
Composting can reduce your household waste by 40% and is practically effortless since it gets hauled away for most of us.
Buying less and considering packaging as you make buying decisions are other ways to reduce your household waste.
Only you know how much effort you’re putting into waste reduction but chances are you could be doing more. Whether you sign up for the challenge or not, being mindful of how much you send to the curb is the first step in getting your household trash down to an environmentally and economically sustainable level. We’re down to one bag or less every two weeks and I’m sure there are still more ways we could trim. Visit http://www.fundyrecycles.com/ for more info on “Two bags or less” and fore more waste reduction tips.
There is a great initiative underway at the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission, challenging residents to commit to generating less household waste each week. By signing up for the “Two bags or less” challenge you commit to keeping your household garbage to two bags, or less, every week (four bags every collection period).
The idea is that if people are given a limit, or volunteer for a limit, then there will be a material reduction in over all trash generated. It’s a way to prepare us for the imposed limit that is coming.
Before starting the initiative the Commission completed a trial with 200 households in Hampton over the summer and into the fall. The results of the study showed that even voluntary limits to garbage can reduce the amount of waste set at the curb.
Most residents are already putting two bags or less to the curb every two weeks but the program is starting with a very generous “limit” to get people thinking. They’ll gradually reduce the amount over time as residents ease into the idea. What the eventual limit will be I don’t know.
There are environmental and economic incentives to diverting waste to more environmentally-friendly channels – like recycling paper and plastic and composting food waste. Composting alone can save a small fortune. Municipalities pay $28 per tonne in tipping fees for compost. But when residents put food and yard waste in the garbage, the tipping fee is $108 per tonne.
Last year the Fundy Solid Waste Commission recycled 6,100 tonnes of recyclables. That saved a lot of space in the landfill, diverted almost $660,000 in garbage tipping fees, and helped to ensure the reuse of our natural resources.
Knowing how to reduce your household trash is the first step in waste reduction.
Simple recycling will reduce your household garbage by nearly 50% and visiting the blue bins is getting easier and easier since you hardly have to do any sorting now that there are just three sorting bins: one for corrugated cardboard, one for paper & boxboard, and another for plastic, metal & milk containers. By the way, corrugated cardboard has the highest resale value of all recyclables so don’t put it in the trash!
Composting can reduce your household waste by 40% and is practically effortless since it gets hauled away for most of us.
Buying less and considering packaging as you make buying decisions are other ways to reduce your household waste.
Only you know how much effort you’re putting into waste reduction but chances are you could be doing more. Whether you sign up for the challenge or not, being mindful of how much you send to the curb is the first step in getting your household trash down to an environmentally and economically sustainable level. We’re down to one bag or less every two weeks and I’m sure there are still more ways we could trim. Visit http://www.fundyrecycles.com/ for more info on “Two bags or less” and fore more waste reduction tips.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The healthiest approach to dry cleaning is avoidance
I have a beautiful pair of velvet pants that I hadn’t worn for almost two years because they were dirty and have a “dry clean only” tag. There are all sorts of “dry clean only” clothes that I wash by hand or on the delicate cycle of the washing machine but I wasn’t willing to chance it on these pants. But at the same time I hated the thought of going to a dry cleaner.
My reason for avoidance? The most common dry cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene (PERC for short), is highly toxic. Aside from the fact that it pollutes waterways, the World Health Organization and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consider PERC a probable carcinogen and Environment Canada considers it a toxin. Exposure to the fumes can cause nervous system disorders and liver and kidney damage. These solvents can make those who work in dry cleaning establishments sick, and can harm you too if you wear clothes that have been dry cleaned.
Dry cleaning solvents rub off on your body and the fumes they give off build up in enclosed spaces (like closets). Inhaling the fumes is unhealthy so be sure to remove the plastic immediately and hang newly dry cleaned clothes on the line for a while before putting them in your closet or putting them on.
The most eco-friendly dry cleaning process uses liquid carbon dioxide. The problem is that CO2 dry cleaners are practically impossible to find and as far as I can tell you’d have to ship your clothes to Kansas to benefit from this cleaning process which is a shame because by all accounts it’s also the most effective and most gentle of all dry cleaning options available.
While we wait for this solution to make its way New Brunswick here is a bit more information on what is available to us locally.
I inquired with the larger dry cleaners in the area and they still use a PERC-based cleaning solution. The new dry cleaner in Rothesay (VIP) is PERC-free but does use a petroleum-based solvent that is an environmental toxin, just less toxic than PERC-based solvents. (This is where I ended up taking my pants).
The healthiest approach to dry cleaning (for you and the environment) is to avoid it when possible.
• Many “dry clean only” garments can be washed by hand with a gentle detergent like Woolite, or hold up well when washed on the delicate cycle of your clothes washer.
• Treat stains on clothing immediately before they set into clothing to reduce the need for dry cleaning, and never iron stained clothing (it cooks the stains in).
• Sometimes dry cleaning is more about ironing avoidance. Can you wash some items by hand or on the delicate cycle of your washing machine and then take them in to be pressed?
• Think twice abut buying clothes that require dry cleaning.
Also, dry cleaning wrap can go in the blue bins with plastic bags. And one more thing: the terms “organic” and “environmentally friendly” aren’t regulated so businesses can use them with abandon.
My reason for avoidance? The most common dry cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene (PERC for short), is highly toxic. Aside from the fact that it pollutes waterways, the World Health Organization and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consider PERC a probable carcinogen and Environment Canada considers it a toxin. Exposure to the fumes can cause nervous system disorders and liver and kidney damage. These solvents can make those who work in dry cleaning establishments sick, and can harm you too if you wear clothes that have been dry cleaned.
Dry cleaning solvents rub off on your body and the fumes they give off build up in enclosed spaces (like closets). Inhaling the fumes is unhealthy so be sure to remove the plastic immediately and hang newly dry cleaned clothes on the line for a while before putting them in your closet or putting them on.
The most eco-friendly dry cleaning process uses liquid carbon dioxide. The problem is that CO2 dry cleaners are practically impossible to find and as far as I can tell you’d have to ship your clothes to Kansas to benefit from this cleaning process which is a shame because by all accounts it’s also the most effective and most gentle of all dry cleaning options available.
While we wait for this solution to make its way New Brunswick here is a bit more information on what is available to us locally.
I inquired with the larger dry cleaners in the area and they still use a PERC-based cleaning solution. The new dry cleaner in Rothesay (VIP) is PERC-free but does use a petroleum-based solvent that is an environmental toxin, just less toxic than PERC-based solvents. (This is where I ended up taking my pants).
The healthiest approach to dry cleaning (for you and the environment) is to avoid it when possible.
• Many “dry clean only” garments can be washed by hand with a gentle detergent like Woolite, or hold up well when washed on the delicate cycle of your clothes washer.
• Treat stains on clothing immediately before they set into clothing to reduce the need for dry cleaning, and never iron stained clothing (it cooks the stains in).
• Sometimes dry cleaning is more about ironing avoidance. Can you wash some items by hand or on the delicate cycle of your washing machine and then take them in to be pressed?
• Think twice abut buying clothes that require dry cleaning.
Also, dry cleaning wrap can go in the blue bins with plastic bags. And one more thing: the terms “organic” and “environmentally friendly” aren’t regulated so businesses can use them with abandon.
Switching to recycled toilet paper can change the world
Sometimes the smallest things can make a big difference. Take toilet paper for example. Simply switching from the plushy kind to toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper products is one of the simplest eco-friendly changes you can make. You’ll help save trees, reduce dangerous environmental dioxins and save millions of litres of water.
End-to-end (so to speak) the environmental impact of such a simple change is remarkable. When compared to standard toilet paper (which is made from virgin wood fibre) , brands made with 100% recycled content take 44% less energy to produce, cause 38% fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 41% fewer particulate emissions, produce 50% less wastewater and use 100% less wood.
Switching toilet paper is hardly a lifestyle change. Eco-friendly toilet paper costs about the same, or less, is stocked on the same shelf in the grocery store and serves exactly the same purpose.
When you scan the grocery store shelves for something new here’s what to look for:
How much recycled content it contains: 6,000,000 trees are cut each year to make toilet paper for Canadians. The more people switch to brands using 100% recycled content, the fewer trees will be cut. The more post-consumer content the better since it diverts paper from the landfill.
How the paper was bleached: Look for products that aren’t bleached using chlorine, which can create the toxic byproduct dioxin.
Fortunately there are lots of earth-friendly options to choose from in our local stores:
PC Green toilet paper (Super Store) is made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper and it’s made without the use of chlorine (although some of the recycled paper in the product was likely bleached with chlorine).
Compliments Green (Sobey’s) is also made with 100% recycled content, most of which is post-consumer. It’s whitened without chlorine and is EcoLogo certified.
White Swan has a line that is also EcoLogo certified and made with 100% recycled content (containing up to 80% post-consumer waste).
Cashmere has a line that is EcoLogo certified and made with 100% recycled content.
Majesta has a line called Soft & Green which is whitened without chlorine but still uses virgin wood fibre. The wood is sustainably sourced but with so many 100% recycled content options I rank this lower on the list.
While you’re at it, use the same check list for other disposable paper products that you buy, like facial tissue or paper towel. Many of the brands listed above offer similar paper towel options but in my search only White Swan has facial tissues too.
As always it’s good to read labels so you’re not duped by eco-sounding names. Don’t forget to recycle the toilet paper roll and other packaging.
In our house we use toilet paper in lieu of facial tissue and rags instead of paper towel. But if you’re not ready to give up these creature comforts at least know that there are more eco-friendly options available.
End-to-end (so to speak) the environmental impact of such a simple change is remarkable. When compared to standard toilet paper (which is made from virgin wood fibre) , brands made with 100% recycled content take 44% less energy to produce, cause 38% fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 41% fewer particulate emissions, produce 50% less wastewater and use 100% less wood.
Switching toilet paper is hardly a lifestyle change. Eco-friendly toilet paper costs about the same, or less, is stocked on the same shelf in the grocery store and serves exactly the same purpose.
When you scan the grocery store shelves for something new here’s what to look for:
How much recycled content it contains: 6,000,000 trees are cut each year to make toilet paper for Canadians. The more people switch to brands using 100% recycled content, the fewer trees will be cut. The more post-consumer content the better since it diverts paper from the landfill.
How the paper was bleached: Look for products that aren’t bleached using chlorine, which can create the toxic byproduct dioxin.
Fortunately there are lots of earth-friendly options to choose from in our local stores:
PC Green toilet paper (Super Store) is made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper and it’s made without the use of chlorine (although some of the recycled paper in the product was likely bleached with chlorine).
Compliments Green (Sobey’s) is also made with 100% recycled content, most of which is post-consumer. It’s whitened without chlorine and is EcoLogo certified.
White Swan has a line that is also EcoLogo certified and made with 100% recycled content (containing up to 80% post-consumer waste).
Cashmere has a line that is EcoLogo certified and made with 100% recycled content.
Majesta has a line called Soft & Green which is whitened without chlorine but still uses virgin wood fibre. The wood is sustainably sourced but with so many 100% recycled content options I rank this lower on the list.
While you’re at it, use the same check list for other disposable paper products that you buy, like facial tissue or paper towel. Many of the brands listed above offer similar paper towel options but in my search only White Swan has facial tissues too.
As always it’s good to read labels so you’re not duped by eco-sounding names. Don’t forget to recycle the toilet paper roll and other packaging.
In our house we use toilet paper in lieu of facial tissue and rags instead of paper towel. But if you’re not ready to give up these creature comforts at least know that there are more eco-friendly options available.
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