Made of sleek stainless steel, this durable, modern Natural Home kitchen compost bin is a handsome addition to any kitchen countertop. 6.75 inches round and 8.5 inches tall, this bin holds exactly 1.3 gallons and includes a filter that lasts up to six months.

The editors at Natural Home & Garden have selected this and other stainless steel kitchen products because they are durable, safe and environmentally friendly. Stainless steel does not leach chemicals and is 55 percent recycled. The grade of the stainless steel used is 18.8.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

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I always found Christmas a time consuming holiday… running to the Christmas tree lot to buy a tree, having to bring the decorations inside from storage, setting the decorations out, spending a few hours arranging things just right; and that was just for the tree! I really did think that maybe I could reduce the time commitment by ordering a fake Christmas tree online and reusing it every year. Surprising, my not as eco-conscious husband pointed out that maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t the route to go. He sent me the below email for backup, in case I didn’t believe him.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF

The New York Times

In these eco-conscious times, many people want to shrink their environmental footprint while still enjoying the trappings of the holiday season. In some cases, the earth-friendly alternative – pass the tofurky – is a pretty obvious choice. But in others, the answer is not so clear. When it comes to Christmas trees, for instance, which is better for the planet: the long-lasting artificial kind, or the freshly cut, pine-scent-and-sap variety?

As I report in Saturday’s Times, at least one major study found that the real tree was probably the better choice. But as I found during my reporting, many consumers still believe that a faux fir is less harmful to the environment than the real thing.

That’s because an artificial tree can be used again and again, unlike a real tree, which is tossed out at the end of the season. Yet as it turns out, that’s not enough to tilt the scales in the fake tree’s favor. The resources used to make artificial trees — plastic and metal — have a high extraction cost, and most trees are made in China, meaning they need to be shipped thousands of miles before they reach American shores.

Real trees are also biodegradable and can be composted or turned into mulch; fake trees are almost all fated to end up in a landfill one day.

Artificial Christmas trees continue to sell by the truckload, of course — according to industry estimates, sales in the United States may hit 13 million this year.

Most faux trees have a lifespan of about six to 10 years, surveys have found, at which point they start to look a bit ragged and consumers chuck them out. At this point, they’re off to the landfill.

What about recycling? I posed this question to Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association, which represents makers of artificial trees.

“All the materials in an artificial Christmas tree are recyclable and trees are recycled now,” Ms. Warner wrote in an e-mail.

Technically, this might be true. But all the municipal recycling programs I queried said they did not recycle artificial trees — and for good reason: artificial trees are largely made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which is in most cases prohibitively expensive to recycle. I mentioned this fact to Ms. Warner, who said the onus rested with the cities, not her industry.

“Ultimately trees are likely to end up in landfills until cities offer recycling programs,” Ms. Warner wrote.

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3 trillion. Gallons of water that can be saved each year if every household installed water-efficient appliances.

3. The number of hours your television can run on the energy saved by recycling just one aluminum can.

20. The number of trees that can be saved by recycling one ton of paper.

14,000. Gallons of water that can be saved per year by upgrading to a 1.6 gallon or less toilet.

2,738. Gallons of water saved by cutting your shower from 8 minutes to 5 minutes.

75. Percentage of energy that can be saved by using Energy Star Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) compared to standard incandescent bulbs.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

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- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature
http://jaymecarleton.com
Making Sustainability Second Nature™

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1. Hair. Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. Human hair is compostable and recyclable. Hair from your hairbrush or fur from your pet are full of useful nitrogen that can be thrown in the compost pile. Donating your hair could help clean up future oil spills. San Francisco nonprofit Matter of Trust collects human and pet hair to create booms that soak up oil. Currently, warehouses are full, but you can be placed on the email alert list when the need arrives again.
2. Blue Jeans. Donating jeans to Goodwill is always a great option. But if they’re too raggedy, they can be recycled into cool products. Companies like Green Jeans Insulation and Bonded Logic manufacture insulation products from recycled denim and cotton fibers. Green Jeans Insulation recycles jeans into natural fiber insulation used for interior and exterior walls and ceiling applications.
3. Wine. Wine really is a zero-waste beverage. Its bottle can by recycled in a glass program, and ReCORK America has drop-off locations for corks at local Whole Foods stores. The best part is that wine itself can encourage the composting process. So, if you have any left over, toss it in the bin!
4. Cotton Swabs. Cotton is also fodder for the compost bin. Cotton balls, cotton swabs (as long as the handle is made of cardboard), lint from the dryer and even old shredded cotton and wool clothing can all go in your compost bin.
5. Crayons. National Crayon Recycle Program has diverted more than 47,000 pounds of crayons from landfills. The company has drop-off bins nationwide and a mail-back option. The program accepts unwanted and broken crayons for recycling into new crayons.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Makings Sustainability Second Nature™

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A Clean Energy Trends 2011 report recently came out predicting the rise of the LED bulb (cost-competitive light emitting diode bulb) and the fall of the compact fluorescent light bulb. It is being touted as the most important clean tech product to hit the market.

“LEDs are … rapidly approaching a major milestone: the arrival of an affordable LED replacement for the standard 60-watt incandescent bulb,” says the report. “The first companies to achieve this will enjoy an immediate rush of policy-driven demand.”

That’s got companies taking note. Philips Electronics, Osram Sylvania and Panasonic are investing heavily in LED research and development, according to the Clean Edge report. So are a bevy of smaller companies. Last spring, Florida’s Lighting Science Group began selling a 40-watt replacement LED bulb for Home Depot’s EcoSmart line for $20 – still a ways off from a $2 or $3 bulb, but getting closer.

Pros of LEDs vs CFLs:

• Bulbs last longer; two-and-a-half times longer on average
• Lower electricity consumption
• Don’t contain mercury
• Can operate on dimmer switches

Cons of LEDs vs CFLs:

• Consumers still blanch at the upfront cost
• Light intensity (measured in lumens) doesn’t quite match incandescents or CFLs

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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Location: Lake Boren Park, Newcastle, WA

About: Earth Day 2011

Date: Saturday, April 23  10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Websites: http://ci.newcastle.wa.us, http://newcastlecc.com, http://twe.ly/WeedWarriors

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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Jayme Tip: Check out second hand stores for inventory before purchasing from Home Depot or Lowes; not only will you save money, you will be helping the environment!!! I highly recommend Second Use (Seattle) or ReStore (Seattle / Bellingham) as both of them receive donations from construction jobsites which have leftover products.

1. Install manufactured stone veneers or brick facing around an entry for visual texture and instant curb appeal.

2. Replace the entry light with a handsome coach lantern-style fixture for historic appeal.

3. Build a stone or brick paver entrance walkway.

4. Add shutters or accent trim around windows and doors.

5. Replace standard garage doors with elegant, carriage-style models.

6. Paint the front door in a can’t-miss-it shade of red.

7. Cut back plantings that block views of the front door and spill over walkways.

8. Replace the front-door hardware with a sleek, updated handle set.

9. Create an instant garden with container plantings.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Bellevue College, Bellevue Wa.

1 Green Planted and Eastside FC U-18 Boys & Bellevue College are partnering to provide a free recycling event at Bellevue College on June 6th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be books for you to pickup. Suggested donations are appreciated: recycled items $10-20; books $1-2 per book.

FREE Pickup and recycling for the following:
- computer and parts
- printers
- fax machines
- phones
- record players
- speakers
- radios
- game systems
- TV's all sizes
- VCRs
- Christmas tree lights
- Anything with a plug!

Also accepting:
- appliances any size
- car batteries
- computer batteries
- medical equipment
- ink toner and cartridges

1 Green Planet is a local non-profit 501 (c)(3) recycling organization that gives back to the community. Their business is to create a greener planted by helping you recycle equipment you no longer use or need. Your donations help support education and training programs, local food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals and other causes.

1 Green Planet
1780 NW Maple Street, Issaquah 98027
www.1greenplantet.com
866-422-3755
susan@1greenplanet.com

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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Save A Tree, Wipe Differently

Jayme Tip: Next time you are in the grocery store, pick up the environmentally-friendly toilet paper which is unbleached, chlorine-free and, if possible, 100 percent recycled.

Did you know that two-ply designer toilet paper is an expensive luxury? The two-ply toilet paper you see in the stores is normally from plantation-grown or native forest trees. However, there are recycled environmentally-friendly options which are just as soft for those sensitive rear-ends.

Every ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 4,000 kilowatts of electricity, 3 cubic yards of landfill and 7,000 gallons of water. You can make a difference by choosing recycled toilet paper over plantation-grown or native forest trees.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

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