Do you still use plastic-ware?

[silentpaul]

The Al Gore thread has got me thinking...

Do you use styrofoam coffee cups? Or do you bring your travel mug to your favorite coffee shop?

What measures are boarders taking to reduce their impact on the environment?

I use a travel mug.
I walk as often as I can to do errands.
I only take as many paper napkins as I'm actually going to use.

[Lidja]

More and more often, when I go to a store and get 3 or less small things, I forgo the plastic bag and carry my items with the receipt on top.

[twentyshots]

the whole plastic bottle debacle recently got me thinking.......so i purchased a sigg water bottle, which is lite weight and pretty cool. the only problem is that sometimes people may accuse you of drinking cologne (i am looking at you kendall bruns).
still, fill it with tap water throughout the day and you are good to go.
http://populuxebooks.com/blog/media/sigg.gif

[dannyboy]

We use CFL bulbs (even though they contain mercury, which has a negative environmental impact) and a programmable setback thermostat. We have a backyard composter and a rain barrel. We also try to recycle everything that can be accepted by our local curbside recycling program. Floozy and I also carpool to work almost everyday (there are a few days a months where our schedules don't allow it).

[REMgirl]

We separate our paper products and aluminum cans for pickup by the recycling truck. We are in the process of replacing our light bulbs with the "curly" kind. I use a coffee thermos instead of styrofoam; I can't remember the last time I even used styrofoam anything. We compost, too.

We always shop at the thrift stores for clothes.

:)

[silentpaul]

Since I started a more concerted effort to recycle (paper, plastic, cans, glass), I produce a tiny fraction of the garbage I used to. I empty my kitchen trash can once a week, and the bag is half-full. (I'd wait until it was full, but by then it really starts to reek... :o )

[Sushi]

We recycle just about everything that can be recycled. I've brought my own canvas bags to the grocery store for probably 15 years now and have started bringing a canvas bag or two when I go to Target or someplace where I may be getting more than one or two items (that I can't carry in my hand or that will fit in my purse). And I have a spoon and fork in my desk drawer at work that I use for lunch. I'm also the person at work who collects the plasticware and washes it after, say, cake for someone's birthday at work.

[clonE]

I've been referred to as an Enviro-tyrant by my wife :)

The reusable plastic bottle for water at work or whatever is fantastic! A co-worker actually bought one and started using that instead of her daily purchased water bottle after we talked about it :)

For shopping we bring a cloth bag or two every time but usually take home a plastic bag or two for garbage. garbage amazes me; we've got what I consider a huge bin provided by the city. Rarely do we fill it even half full during the week. However, our neighbors noticed this and now add their garbage to our bin, since their is usually overflowing by day 4 or 5 (ok, they have kids and we don't, but still)

I enjoy riding my bike to pick up chinese take out :)

CFLs all over the house, push-rotary lawn mower

I try to be realistic though. I bring my own utensils to work to USUALLY avoid using plastic ware. Sometimes there's surprise food and I'd rather use plastic than go without. Better plastic ware is actually reusable.

Visiting my parents is funny. They've got a dishwasher, yet my mom always tries to get us to use paper plates! She used to point out where the paper plates were when I'd get a ceramic plate out of the cupboard, and explain how much easier they were to use. Didn't work, and she's stopped pushing them on us.

One of my favorite 'green' items is our european-style shower head. it's 2 or 2.5 gallons per minute, has a lever to turn off the flow while soaping up and actually has good water pressure! it was like $10 at home depot or whatever.

All that said, I leave my PC on more than I should, my truck gets a measly 21 mpg (city) and we run an air filter and dehumidifier constantly (the collected water is usually used for watering rather than simply dumped)

Last one: I turn off my monitor when I leave work, and sometimes other peoples. I read somewhere that the screensaver uses 10-20% more electricity than an off monitor. [our work PCs won't stay turned off, but the monitors do]

hmm, guess I answered more than just plastic. :o

[Lidja]

Unfortunately in columbus, ohio it's about $20 every four months to recycle. So instead, we go to a local church or school that has a giant dumpster for paper goods. We toss any junk mail, magazines, old newspapers and paper bags in a cardboard box by our back door and every couple of weeks schlep it all to a recycling dumpster.

[twentyshots]

hopefully they will get 'warmer' versions of those curly energy saver bulbs, i HATE the blueish ones now....... we have a few but you feel like you are in a morgue, they draw out your veins and stuff......not good.

[drougan]

Well...rocking the city life in an apartment building with consolodated electric and heating drives down the ol' carbon footprint, as does me biking to work probably 9 out of 10 days and the wife taking P-Trans and walking. We've been doing the whole canvas bag thing for a while (although many of the grocery store baggers give us dirty looks sometimes [asshats]) We seldom drive except for major trips. I gotta glass and silverware here at my desk.

'bout sums it up.

[Mr. Mystery]

Are there any brand/model of compact fluorescent bulbs that have a warmer light? I would be interested in getting more of them if so.

[Macpherson]

i believe i have sylvania CFL bulbs that are warm. look for a color temperature of 3000K or less (you can find this on the packaging).

[the_birds]

Just remember kids... chew on this,

Using silverware, you have to wash them. Water is a helluva lot more valuable resource than plastic or oil is, or even landfill space. I'm not advocating everyone give up washing dishes, but you do have to think, we should be mitigating. Its about moderation.

I've thought about this for a long time, since I took Environmental Science, from the moment you have a child, you ought to be a assigned a randomly generated recycler or non-recycler from the government. People would either be the cloth diaper washers or the disposable diaper users. Then, those designations could extend to whether you get to use plasticware or whether you have to wash dishes, plastic bags or canvas bags at the supermarket.

Not only that, the rich could buy off the poor people by signing a contract that would have a poor or middle class family recycle for them, thus creating yet another market. Futures contracts for months, quarters, or years of recycling. Attention speculators!

I will say that restaurants are the most egregious violators of plasticware over usage.

[clonE]

I will say that restaurants are the most egregious violators of plasticware over usage.


my wife is a big mocha fan. I took her out for a sit in drink last week, and we still got paper cups! evidently both star$ and caribou gave up on the big mugs and everything is to go and throw away now?

[drougan]

Just remember kids... chew on this,

Using silverware, you have to wash them. Water is a helluva lot more valuable resource than plastic or oil is, or even landfill space. I'm not advocating everyone give up washing dishes, but you do have to think, we should be mitigating. Its about moderation.



Yes, but there are low energy, sustainable alternatives that can be employed for the treatment and acquisition of water supplies, not so for plastic/oil, am I right?

[clonE]

Yes, but there are low energy, sustainable alternatives that can be employed for the treatment and acquisition of water supplies, not so for plastic/oil, am I right?

plus, recycling (and probably production) of plastic requires water.

[mizary]

More and more often, when I go to a store and get 3 or less small things, I forgo the plastic bag and carry my items with the receipt on top.

I did this recently on accident... I must have been high or something...

I went through the regular line - but had to bag my own groceries... and I guess I just forgot the bag part. I just filled my cart with all my stuff... probably 10-12 items. It's not until I start putting things in my car that I realize... wait a minute! I didn't bag anything! I bet the cashier thought I was a nut.

--mizary

[clonE]

I bet the cashier thought I was a nut.

--mizary

And she was right!

[chicodaman]

By the by, it's plastic silverware, not plastic-ware. Sheesh...

[DaHood]

Plasticwear makes my ass sweat.

[ICONOCLAST420]

Do you use styrofoam coffee cups? Or do you bring your travel mug to your favorite coffee shop?
We have a company that supplies our coffee, creamer, sugar, and styrofoam cups where I work, but because the styrofoam cups were too small I brought my own in and have done this for about 17 years, I probably saved 8000 - 9000 styrofoam cups from going to a landfill.

i believe i have sylvania CFL bulbs that are warm. look for a color temperature of 3000K or less (you can find this on the packaging).

Yep. They make cfl bulbs that come in 4100°K, 3500*°K, 3000°K, and 2700°K and you can probably find them at Home Depot. The self ballasted cfl bulbs are worthless and a waste of money, they dont save as much energy as they claim because the wattage given is the bulb wattage only and they do not include the power factor of the electronic ballast so the 26W replacement for the 100W incandecent bulb actually uses 44W. I have also found the self ballasted bulbs don't last as long as they claim. The best thing to do is use fixtures that have a built in ballast and use cfl bulbs like these.
http://www.ecoglolites.com/pcat-gifs/products-small/non-retrofit5.jpg

[Phreon]

I have CF bulbs in every fixture and lamp in my apartment except 2. They consume noticeably less energy, but the light quality sucks. Even if you find a pleasing color temperature, the spectrum is broken. Beyond this, the "just beyond conscious perception" flicker they produce is often irritating (I can see monitors flicker that others have no problem with).

I think the real trick is to require less in your daily life. Rather than trying to find substitutes, use less. Read a book instead of watching TV. PLAY music every once in a while rather than blasting the stereo or streaming WOXY from the computer. Open the windows to avoid the airconditioner when you can and wear heavier cloths in the winter. Pre-chill or pre-freeze your leftovers outside during the colder months rather than making your freezer do all the work. Consider weather you really *need* a 2000+ square foot house to heat, cool and contain all the stuff you only use twice a year.

I don't light my rooms as if I was on the surface of the sun any more and amazingly, I'm able to fall asleep faster when the house is dimmer later in the evening as a pleasant side effect. Some evenings I'll shut everything off except the fridge and my alarm clock and light up the 100 yr. old Aladdin (the company, not Knights of Arabia) kerosene lamp I refurbished. Yeah, carbon footprint, etc., but it'll run many, many hours on 24 oz. of fuel, can be as bright as a 60 watt bulb (it uses a mantle to completely burn the hydrocarbons and produce prodigious light) and produces very soothing light. I'll invariably be ready for bed by 10 - 10:30 rather than being wired at 12 a.m.

Check out Lehman's catalog (http://www.lehmans.com), it's full of cool "old timey" products for power free living (I think the Amish rely on them quite a bit). I'm not saying you should dig an outhouse in the back yard, but consider the long term impact of buying/using a Salad Shooter vs. a good knife.

Phreon

[classicgrrl]

Plasticwear makes my ass sweat.

in my estimation, swamp ass is a form of polution. :cool:

[greengirl]

the whole plastic bottle debacle recently got me thinking.......so i purchased a sigg water bottle, which is lite weight and pretty cool. the only problem is that sometimes people may accuse you of drinking cologne (i am looking at you kendall bruns).
still, fill it with tap water throughout the day and you are good to go.
http://populuxebooks.com/blog/media/sigg.gif

i've got the black one and i love it! it's is super light weight and i find that the water tastes very clean, not plasticy from other bottles i've had. i only wish it had a flip top lid, but i couldn't pass up the design and material. i think i might get one of the other flip top ones too. the one on the left is pretty sweet!

[mishka77]

Melt in Northside uses "plastic ware" made of corn starch. The utensils and cups are bio-degradable/compostable. I doubt that they really break down a lot in the landfill, but I guess at least they aren't made of petroleum.

I admit I use a lot more disposable utensils than I should, and I REALLY ashamed of my employer for the widespread use of plastics and styrofoam in our cafeteria. It is really hypocritical that our cafeteria isn't "greener". I do at least try to bring my own coffee cup instead of using the styrofoam ones.

I also have one of those Sigg bottles. I don't use it as much as I should. I've also been trying to be better at remembering to bring my string bags to the grocery, though that is starting to cause a shortage of plastic bags to use to clean up after the dogs on our walks :confused:

[Sushi]

Another thing I started doing abou six months ago is switching to more natural products for cleaning. I've been washing the floors with a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda (with a little lemon juice for a nicer scent) and it works really well. We switched from Tide to a baking soda-based detergent (Arm & Hammer) and use a little 20 Mule Team Borax as a laundry booster. The clothes look and feel just as clean as with Tide (which costs twice as much) and smell better. And it's nice knowing we're pouring less chemicals into the wastewater.

[purdueman_in]

We recycle everything we can, and I take home cans, bottles, and paper from work to recycle. We have programmable thermostats, and I've installed some CF bulbs, but my wife won't let me go further yet, as the light quality isn't that good.

We've got Energy Star qualified products, including a new AC unit I had installed a couple of years ago. All of our toilets are (of course) low flow. We've taught the children to not keep water running when brushing teeth (small, but it adds up!), and we use Tom's of Maine toothpaste. We use environmentally friendly cleaners whenever possible.

I have organic cotton canvas bags that I take to the store. On the off chance I don't have a bag with me (for an unexpected stop) I'll either forgo the bag, or if there is too much, get a recyclable bag, then reuse that until it finally gets recycled.

We buy as much organic food as we can, and purchase locally grown produce whenever possible (easier during the summer). For seafood, I purchase based on Monterey Bay's seafood watch (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp) guide.

[the_birds]

Yes, but there are low energy, sustainable alternatives that can be employed for the treatment and acquisition of water supplies, not so for plastic/oil, am I right?

The only thing that will seriously curb our need for water is Desalinization plants. Yes, we can treat wastewater, but as of yet its not cost effective enough for us to reuse that water. We only treat it enough to put it back in the water table.

Water is more valuable than oil. It has been for a long, long while. If everyone switched to washing their own things, it would be an unmitigated disaster. Especially in places like California, Las Vegas, Arizona and many other western states. Reservoirs in those states are depleted. Next time you go to Las Vegas look at Lake Mead, its down about 30 feet.

Everyone just huffs and puffs about oil, but after all oil is natural. Its like everything else, there really isn't enough thought being put into it.

As far as landfill management goes, Houston was one of the first places to give you a trash container and say, this is for your garbage. Its not the solution, but its part of it. Its an easy way to manage landfill use, easy to calculate and easy to determine when you'll need more.

Its good that people are recycling and reusing. I won't dispute that, it hasn't reached the point of diminishing returns, except in some places.

[silentpaul]

Everyone just huffs and puffs about oil, but after all oil is natural.
Yes, but the processing -- and many of the end products -- are artificial.

[gwar469]

As far as landfill management goes, Houston was one of the first places to give you a trash container and say, this is for your garbage. Its not the solution, but its part of it. Its an easy way to manage landfill use, easy to calculate and easy to determine when you'll need more.



and Snarf and I fill our trash container with leaves and wood more than trash. :D we put in maybe one trash bag per week, and most of that is cat litter and food we don't want to flush down the garbage disposal. houston is surprisingly good with the recycling (at least my neighborhood), but they won't take glass for some reason. i guess it's cheaper to make new than recycle still. :confused:

[the_birds]

I was talking about water and how its more important than plastic and landfill space. Most of you have heard about how bad the drought is in the SE. But in the NYTimes this weekend there is an ARTICLE (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/magazine/21water-t.html?pagewanted=print) about how because of water and Global Warmings' affects on the Rockies' snowcaps, could make the long term viability of living in the Western US a very difficult proposition.

[Guidedbymonkeys]

I only use recycled paper for my groceries and I only use candles for lighting my house, which is soo nice since both of them hardly weigh down my SUV/Hummer. I get so angry when I see someone flip a cig butt out the window of their car or throw Mcdonalds bags out the window, it just makes me want to drive my SUV right over them. I just don't understand why people can't do a bit more recycling. You should really buy a new car every 2 or 3 years because the emissions technology they come up with is just amazing. Driving the same car for 10 years is not acceptable people, you must stay up with the emissions technology! Have you seen the air quality index in your area lately? Just think of all the jobs you create in China and Mexico when you buy a new car. Not to mention it's so uncool to drive a old car, I mean as if. Did you see the new Iphone? I want want one soo bad, but I need to buy a second car for my wife. I'm thinking a 4 Runner or a Jeep Cherokee . Ya know just something to putz around town in and drive up to our log cabin by the lake on weekends. Oh well happy recycling!

GBM
.....
Hopeless cynicism with a dash of smug superiority is as American as a bald eagle flying out of an apple pie at a baseball game