A paper cup that isn't

If it looks like a paper cup, look again

I don't usually like to buy new things and claim to be doing something good for the environment, but I had to have this mug. It's called Non-Paper Cup and it's a travel mug made of ceramic with a silicone lid and sleeve that's made to look like a disposable cup. I bought it at Cost Plus yesterday. This morning I made green tea  in the mug and then was able to bring it in the car without worrying about spills. And it kept my tea warm (for a while at least). It saves the extra step of making tea in a cup and then having to transfer it to a travel mug. Plus my travel mug has a residual coffee smell that doesn't go so well with the gentle taste of tea.

I first saw one of these mugs at Christmas in the gift shop at the Dallas Museum of Art. It looked more like a real paper cup since it was all white, and it was nicer since it was made of porcelain. I was tempted to buy it but didn't want to add another item to my already bulging, post-Christmas suitcase. So I was excited when Laura told me she'd seen them in a Cost Plus flier. Doing a quick search, it looks like they sell them everywhere now, including Target. At $7.99, this one is a pretty good price. It's big at 14 ounces and the built-in sleeve is a nice add because the ceramic part of the cup does get hot. And it's fun to use because it feels like you've indulged in a hot drink from Starbucks.

Green v. Consumerism at Christmastime

"In a world where people want to continue to aspire to middle-class consumption patterns, but they are also wanting to feel like they are responsible citizens who care about social and environment issues, how do they reconcile that? They go shopping for something that declares itself to be ecologically friendly."

Sadly, that quote from a UC Santa Cruz professor is true. It's from a Los Angeles Times article about retailers offering eco-friendly gifts for the holidays as a way to make money. The story says that according to a recent poll, nearly nine in 10 consumers identified themselves as "conscious consumers." Wow, that's a lot. More than I would have expected considering how few people I see using resusable bags at the grocery store (with the exception of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods shoppers, who have been on that bandwagon for a while now).

What's better for the environment? Buying gift wrap made from recycled materials or wrapping small presents in used sandwich bags you have lying around your house, cutting out the energy-using step of recycling the bags into other paper products? (I'm doing the latter.)

Buying presents I understand. It is Christmas after all and who doesn't want to do that? But I've been turned off by the Sunday circulars and TV ads that are pushing their great bargains on wrapping paper, gift bows and all that other crap. Sure, it made sense in the pre-global warming era to decorate our presents to the nines, but aren't we living in a more conscious time now (according to that poll, yes we are)?

Sure, use the wrapping paper you already have from years past, but let's not buy new bows and ribbon. And if you run out of wrapping paper, look around your house for something to use instead, like the Sunday comics, old paper bags and glossy pages from magazines. Have fun with it. If it's a clothing item, wrap it in the LA Times Image section. Heck, you could even use old pillow cases if it's a larger present (and then the recipient can cut up the linen into smaller cleaning rags for a gift that keeps on giving).

I've had fun wrapping my office Secret Santa present. I blogged earlier about how I planned to use paper bags to wrap my gifts this year, but would have to think of ways to make the presents look good despite my lack of artistic skills. So what I did was cut up a brown paper bag I already had, wrapped it in ribbon left over from a past Christmas and attached an old Christmas ball I bought this year at a thrift store. Then I wrote "Joy" in pen and, in a flash of brilliance, found a way to make use of those pesky circulars that inundate our mailboxes at this time of year. I cut out a cute bear from the Trader Joe's flier and glued it to the brown paper to make it look more festive. I knew any attempt at drawing something would look as bad as those terrible ornaments we made for our parents in elementary school (because my art skills haven't improved since then) so this was a way around that.

Let's think outside the proverbial Macys sweater box this holiday season to not just say we want to live green, but actually do it.

My Secret Santa gift, wrapped in a paper bag.

Which plastic containers are best?

I talk to my mom every Monday morning because it's my day off and since she's in sales I can usually catch her at home while she's getting ready and answering calls. Like many mother-daughter relationships, our conversations can meander in numerous directions, often ending on a path I didn't expect. Today after we'd gotten the usual dating, work and rugby updates out of the way, we got talking about her weekend purge of old clothes and shoes, which led to our unanimous approval of discount stores like Marshalls, to her saying she bought glass food containers on sale the last time she was there. She finally got rid of her old Tupperware containers, some she's had for 25 years. Yikes, that's bad, but at least she knew they needed to be thrown away and were so old they could be leaching chemicals into her food. She doesn't microwave her plastic containers but she does pour hot soup into them so after many years of use, I'm sure they were not safe anymore.

She said she also wanted to buy new plastic containers since she didn't want to have only glass ones, but planned to do some research into which ones were safest and didn't contain the chemical BPA (bisphenol A). I remembered a useful article I read a year ago in National Geographic's Green Guide magazine. I bought the magazine when I moved into my apartment so I could find out which kitchen gadgets and items were the greenest. I still had the magazine so I just looked over the article again.

It recommended glass, ceramic and stainless steel, plus for lighter options that are easier to carry to work, it suggested "stainless steel or reusable storage containers made from #5 polypropylene plastic, but avoid exposing plastic to heat." The items they recommended included GladWare round #5 plastic bowls with blue lids and Ziploc "Twist 'n Loc" #5 plastic containers. I must have studies this article carefully because I have the Ziploc containers. I like them because they're the perfect size for storing leftovers and snacks for work, although a little small to pack a full meal into. But I also forgot the cautionary advice about using single-use yogurt and butter containers. They can get scratches that are hard to see, and you should store only cold food in them, not hot food (heat speeds deterioration). I've been collecting and using old yogurt, cottage cheese, butter and hummus containers since I moved in and since I've been here a year, it's probably time to rotate out the old ones with new ones.

I couldn't find that article on the Green Guide website, but I did find a handy plastic containers buying guide. So Mom, I've saved you some research time. Check it out before you hit Target (or Marshalls again) to update your kitchen.

The elusive 5-minute shower

When it comes to showering, I've always subscribed to the mantra "ignorance is bliss." I know I take showers that are too long and use too much hot water. But standing under a stream of hot water doing absolutely nothing productive feels so indulgent! My morning shower is like rushing through a boring meal to get to the chocolate dessert -- it makes me more motivated to get up. So I haven't been in a rush to find out how long I actually take in the shower because -- to continue the chocolate metaphor -- like avoiding the scale after pigging out, I didn't really want to know how bad it was. But ever since I started this blog, I've been meaning to time myself.

The idea got into my head again about six months ago, when I saw a TV news report on ways for families to "go green." There was a kit you could send away for that included a balloon-like contraption that reduces water flow in your toilet (what, we're too good for bricks these days?). But what got my attention was an hourglass that times your showers. That almost motivated me to send away for the kit. But I didn't.

So here I am six months later, still reveling in my wasteful morning routine (it's a time waster too, partly to blame for my finding it nearly impossible to arrive at work by 9 a.m.). So for whatever reason, this week I grabbed my iPod with its stopwatch feature and started timing myself. And it turns out, it's not as bad as I thought.

Monday -- 7 minutes, 20 seconds
Tuesday -- 5 minutes, 20 seconds. I stick to the basics, my loofah exfoliating scrub ignored.
Wednesday-- 5 minutes, 20 seconds. Drat, still not under 5.

If anyone knows where I can get one of those handy hourglass shower timers, I'd love to know. I may come to regret it when the sand runs out and tells me to get out of the shower while I still have conditioner in my hair, but I think it would help me take shorter showers more consistently. Because once you have a little bit of knowledge, ignorance isn't so bliss after all.

A power strip that saves electricity

I need a power strip, which gave me the opportunity to look into buying one I'd read about a while ago. There are power strip surge protectors that automatically turn off the devices plugged into them, which cuts down on something called "vampire power." That's the smalllow leaking of power that happens when your electronics are plugged in, even when they're turned off. But after looking into it, I think one wouldn't fit my needs.

An article by New York Times technology writer David Pogue from last year sings the praises of the APC Power-Saving SurgeArrest power strip surge protector. But it's only for desktop computers and all the gadgets we have connected to them. I need a power strip for a wall with three things plugged into it -- a small stereo, cable modem and wireless router. And I have a laptop, not a desktop computer, and I don't have peripherals like a printer or scanner. So I guess there's no point.

Pogue's article says that "25 percent of the power used by home electronics is consumed while they are turned off." For those who might be interested in buying one, the website EFI (Energy Federation Inc.) has the APC and other types of energy-saving surge protectors for sale.

In the meantime, I'll buy an ordinary power strip. And it's a small inconvenience but I'll try to remember to unplug my laptop at night.

A sharper focus

"What you think is mere coincidence in life is usually just a matter of a different focus."

Those insightful words came from my dad in an e-mail after he read my blog about my green Christmas gifts (reusable bags and for my mom, a SIGG aluminum water bottle). My dad said that after reading my blog, he noticed that one of the secretaries in his office had a reusable plastic water bottle on her desk, and they got into a conversation about it. "I never noticed this before. Coincidence? I think not. I was more focused."

I sometimes wonder why I'm blogging about my environmental efforts, but if reading one of my posts is the extra inspiration someone needs to make a change, then that's reason enough. I started a blog because as a former reporter and now editor, I saw blogging as a way to keep up with my writing. As for a topic, I decided to write about environmentalism because it was the most recurring issue on my mind. I was talking about it to my co-workers, trying to make changes to my lifestyle, seeing stories about it in the news and wanted to be part of it all. I see its purpose as informing others through my personal experiences. I don't know everything and I'm not perfect, but what I do know and what I have done, I'll tell you about. Since my family members are probably my only regular readers, it makes sense that they might be most influenced, or at least more focused on the issue. My sister also wrote to me that she saw a woman in the gym with a SIGG bottle.

I got another e-mail a few days later from my dad. After balking at my description of him as an old dog (commenting on the nylon grocery bag I got him, I wondered if you can "teach an old dog new tricks"), he said he wanted to buy a reusable water bottle but that he was confused between plastic and aluminum. He asked for my suggestion on what kind to buy. Since I want my blog to be informative (along with hopefully slightly entertaining), I'm reprinting what I told him. Like I said, I'm not an expert but whatever I've learned I'm happy to share.

"To be on the safe side, everyone is buying aluminum (SIGG) or stainless steel (Kleen Kanteen) bottles, which are proven to not leach anything bad into your water. Whole Foods sells SIGG water bottles in all sorts of colors and designs. Or you can buy one online at http://www.mysigg.com/ or http://www.kleankanteen.com/. But you may want to buy it from the store so you can see what size you want. And they have different tops. Some SIGGs come with a screw on cap, which to me seems like kind of a pain. Others have a rounded sports bottle-style top so you don't have to screw off the cap to drink out of it. Even if you don't buy a lot of bottled water, it's handy to have a water bottle because if you fill it up in the morning before leaving for work, you're more likely to drink water throughout the day. And you can bring it with you when you go golfing or out for a walk, etc."

So dad, if you're reading this, I'm sorry for calling you an old dog. And if you get an aluminum water bottle before I do, then I'll really have to grovel.

SIGG alert

My mom's new water bottle. Isn't it cute?

I can't believe I forgot to write about the other green gift I got for my mom for Christmas. Besides reusable grocery bags, I got her a SIGG water bottle.

When I went home for Christmas I couldn't believe the woman was still buying cases of bottled water. They litter her spotless kitchen like red cups the day after a frat party. Hello, didn't we all stop buying water bottles like a year ago because all those plastic bottles are such a waste, even if you are recycling them? (I found this shocking stat online: Americans use 2.5 million bottles every hour. Hopefully that's now a little out of date).

For my birthday last March my sister got me a reusable plastic bottle from Henry's and I've been using it almost every day since (it probably could use a good washing). That's what I wanted to get my mom but they didn't have any at Whole Foods. All they had was aluminum water bottles, which have become the de rigeur way to transport your water. (It's supposed to be safer than plastic because there's no concern over leaching chemicals). I wasn't sure if my mom was an aluminum bottle type but I was swayed by the fact that SIGG is a Swiss company, and since my mom fell in love with Switzerland when she visited my sister when she lived there, I knew she'd like carrying around something Swiss.

I've gotta give it to the aluminum bottles, they're a lot more fun than my plain blue plastic bottle. My sister and I picked out a cute white bottle with a field and ladybug design. My mom was definitely surprised and up for ditching her disposable plastic water bottles. I felt better that she'd actually use it when it passed the test of fitting under the water dispenser on the fridge so she can fill it easily. She said she'd have to buy a new water filter, which I guess is partly why she was still buying bottled water (that and habit).

The only drawback to aluminum over reusable plastic bottles is the cost. Instead of being just a couple bucks, the SIGG bottle cost $25. I might have been able to find it cheaper online but since it was Christmas Eve I didn't have time for that. My co-worker bought his online from the SIGG website a while ago, but he was one of the first to get on the aluminum bottle bandwagon before they sold them in stores. With being green so hip these days, it only takes months for a trend to take hold. Now this stuff is everywhere. I think it's kind of funny that my mom, carting around her SIGG bottle, is now cooler than I am. I might have to break down and get one of my own.

At treehugger.com, I read that the results of independent tests conducted by SIGG show that the bottles don't leach BPA. The study found:

• Polycarbonate #7 plastic bottles – 71 ppb (parts per billion) were leached into the water.
• Chinese-made aluminum water bottles – 19 ppb
• New SIGG bottles – no detectable BPA
• Used SIGG bottles (2 years old) – no detectable BPA

Green Christmas, Part II

This is the 99 cent bag I got my sister.

I said that I'd write about my other environmental gifts after Christmas, and now that it's ahem, quite a few days after Christmas, I'd better get to it.

In my last post I wrote about the travel mug I gave my co-worker for when he buys coffee (thus saving a paper cup). For my family, I decided to buy them the most common green habit change of the last year or so. Reusable grocery bags for my mom, dad and younger sister. I wondered if any of them already had some. I would have guessed that maybe my younger sister did since she shops at Trader Joe's and they heavily promote theirs, but I kinda doubted my parents had jumped on that train. Kudos to Mom because I was wrong about her.

I bought a cute bag with elephants on it (and the slogan "Don't forget: reuse") from Whole Foods for $4. That one I decided to give to my dad. Since my sister shops at TJ's, I bought her two white bags made from recycled plastic bottles. The design was simple and not as obnoxious as other TJ bags. And only $1 each. When I got to Vegas for Christmas I still hadn't found bags I liked for my mom. So I stopped by her local grocery store, a placed called Sunflower that's a lower-cost Whole Foods, and bought two bags for only $1 each. Then later that day I found myself back in Sunflower with my mom and sister so we could get food for our Christmas Eve dinner. As we waited in line, my mom ruined everything when she said in the checkout line, "I have bags in my car. I'll go get them." She returned with two bags the same as the ones I bought her, except in a different color. She even turned to me and asked if I was proud of her for having reusable bags. I don't know if she noticed my lackluster approval. In retrospect, I am proud of her but at that moment I was selfishly disappointed that my present was redundant.

On Christmas Day I gave Mom the bags anyway, figuring that the more she had, the better chance she'd remember to use them. Even if she went grocery shopping and left a pair at home, the next time she went to the store she'd still have another pair in her car. My sister liked her bags -- I just hope she remembers to use them. I know from experience that when you first buy your own bags they get forgotten in the back seat or trunk when you go into a store. But after a while it becomes a habit. I hardly forget mine anymore. My dad was surprised by his bag. I explained why I gave it to him but did wonder if you can teach an old dog new tricks (the man likes his habits).

That was pretty much the extent of my environmental Christmas. I did use wrapping paper because I'd bought some on sale after Christmas last year and figured I might as well use it. And of course buying new stuff contributes to creating more waste, but I don't feel too bad because I really needed new work pants (and those skinny jeans, really I did).

Spreading good cheer and environmentalism

This mug not only saves a paper coffee cup, it's also biodegradable!

I had to wait to write this post because it's about giving environmentally- friendly Christmas gifts. Now that I've given the gift, I can write about it.

The good thing about environmentalism having become so hip is that the things you do to create less waste don't get a strange look anymore. The checkout people at the grocery store just grab my reusable bags and start filling them up without as much as a second glance, then swipe the bar code that gives me a whopping 5 cent discount for bringing my own bags. I remember just two years ago how I felt embarrassed to bring my cotton West Palm Beach Farmer's Market bag to Trader Joe's, not wanting the cashiers to think I was, god forbid, uncool. Another coworker, who didn't care about things like that, had been taking a bag when she walked down to Trader Joe's, so now that I look back on it she was ahead of the trends.

But I digress. For my Secret Santa gift at work, I got my co-worker (hi Mike!) a coffee travel mug. He doesn't need one for his car since he doesn't make coffee at home. But he does occassionally (like all of us) get coffee from the Coffee Bean conventiently (or dangerously) located next door to our office. I figured he could bring the travel mug and have his caramel lattes put in that instead of wasting a cup that can't be recycled. I've sometimes had them put my drink in a big coffee cup I grabbed from the office but it's not ideal for walking back to the office. I haven't spilled coffee all down the front of me yet but I have dripped a cocoa-colored trail up three flights of stairs. I've since realized that it's easier to bring a travel mug so that is what inspired his gift. And I knew he wouldn't get weird looks because, as with bringing your own bag, bringing your own container is cool now.

(PS-After Christmas I can write about more of my eco-friendly gift giving -- hi family!)

Who needs bleach?

Are you sitting down? You're about to read the most exciting blog post EVER!! Yes, really. It's about ... my dishwasher.

Actually, you might (stress 'might') be interested in this. I know one person who is, so in his honor I'm writing about the joy that clean dishes bring.

So one of the small being-green changes I made when I moved into my apartment was not rinsing my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, which is a waste of water if they come out clean anyway. And they did! These are dishes that sat in the dishwasher for a week, some with chocolate cake crumbs, others with ring-around-the-coffee-mug stains. And they came out spotless. I'll give partial credit to the new dishwasher in my apartment, which doesn't seem expensive but is clearly not the same caliber as the cheapo dishwasher my old landlord bought that left our glasses foggy.

Now on to credit #2: Trader Joe's dishwashing powder. I told my coworker Mike that I'd bought that instead of conventional powder because it has no bleach and phosphates (which I guess are bad for the environment and "toxic" for our bodies. I haven't bothered to look into what exactly phosphates are and why they're bad, but for now I'll take TJ's word for it). My coworker wanted to know if the environmentally friendly brand would actually work, and I'm happy to report it's solid. In fact, better than solid. I inspected my glasses and there was no grimy film or residual fingerprints. Just sparkling goodness!

If happiness is appreciating the small things in life, then I'm a happy camper (and only partially embarrassed I've taken the time to share this with the world)!

Moving time ... the follow up

I've been in my new apartment for almost a week. Before I moved in, I envisioned myself treading so lightly on the environment that it would hardly know I was there ... using less water in general and especially less hot water, not keeping lights on. But ya, I'm no Green Superwoman. I'm still enjoying my hot showers and keep several lights on at once because otherwise I'd be straining to read or feeling like I was trespassing in my own place. What can I say, bright lights make a home feel cheery. But I have made small adjustments. I've been scraping the food off my plates instead of rinsing them under the sink before I put them in the dishwasher so I don't waste water. I haven't run a load yet so I'm waiting to see if they come out clean. I read that tip in National Geographic's Green Guide magazine and it kind of hit me over the head with how obvious it was. Another tip I got from that mag is using a French press instead of a plug-in coffee maker, which I like doing because the coffee from my French press tastes better and keeps the coffee hotter (one of my major peeves with my crappy coffee maker). But then I got thinking, does it use more energy to boil the water on the stove for the French press, or to use the coffee maker? This is what buying "here are a million and one ways to go green" magazines does to a person. I bought the magazine at the grocery store before my move. I almost jumped I was so giddy with excitement. Ooh, the possibilities and things to learn.

I've read it cover to cover, even the article on how to make schools more green (no I don't have children but I also don't have cable or Internet yet so I've reading everything in sight. In my defense I did skip the article on carpets). The most interesting article was on kitchen storage. It recommended using glass and stainless steel containers and said to throw away old plastic containers because they leech chemicals and bacteria can form in small scratches. It also said if you are going to use plastic containers, #5 is safe but don't heat them or put hot food in them because they will start to deteriorate (#5 includes yogurt containers but also the Ziploc and Glad storage containers you can buy at Target). I didn't have anything too egregious in my kitchen, although it did make me wish I'd read it before I bought my cutting boards since it featured cool cutting boards made from recycled material.

The other big "green" effort I want to make is to buy used furniture. I need a few items but haven't bought anything yet, besides a small table I put by the door to hold my keys ($10 from a nameless store on 4th Street, Long Beach's thrift store row). Once I get Internet I'll be checking out Craigslist a lot I'm sure. Keeping my promise to buy used furniture has been helpful because otherwise I'd be flipping wistfully through every catalog that comes in the mail and feeling the need to hit the malls. Instead, I'm flipping wistfully through the Green Guide!

Moving time

Oh man, it's been two weeks since my last post. But I have an excuse. Really, it's a good one. I've been busy looking for a new place to live. Now that I've found a place, it's time for the move, which offers up an interesting eco-challenge. How can I reduce my impact on the environment during one of life’s big changes? My coworker said he’d heard that moving is one of the most traumatic events in a person’s life. Which means it’s probably not so great on little ol’ Mother Earth either. Think moving boxes, moving vans traveling across the country and all the stuff you send to the landfill and new stuff imported from China that you buy.

I’ve got a few things going in my favor. First off, I’m moving a whoppin’ half mile away. (And I’ll try to find a local moving company so they don’t have to waste gas getting to my place.) I’ve got boxes from my last move and my office so I don’t need to buy new boxes. And I’m frugal, so I’m down with buying quality used furniture once I move in and figure out what I need.

But there are challenges.

1) I can’t buy everything used. I’m moving from a house with roommates into a one-bedroom apartment so I need basic things like trash cans, bathroom mats, cleaners, oh my!
My solution: I’ll try to buy eco-friendly, local and organic products when I can and when the green alternative isn't ridiculously expensive. I've had one success so far. This weekend I bought the all-natural Mrs. Meyer’s All Purpose Cleaner after reading a list of earth friendly cleaning products on the website for Real Simple magazine (my OCD cleaning bible). At $8 it's more expensive than a cleaner from Target but it’s concentrated so it’ll last a long time and I can use it in all my rooms, which means no need to buy a bunch of different cleaners.

2) I’m renting, which means I don’t have as much control as I would if I was buying a home. There’s a laundry room that I haven’t checked out yet, but I’m guessing the washer isn’t Energy Star. There’s a new dishwasher but I don’t think it’s Energy Star either (not that I’m complaining about new appliances).
My solution: Change what I can, like installing a low-pressure shower head. And I'll try to be energy efficient on my own, like not running the dishwasher until it’s full. That one will be easy since I have a crap load of dishes for one person. Another article on the Real Simple website (which has so much info, I was out of control clicking here, there and everywhere) said that dryers are horribly inefficient. I guess I could try air drying my clothes with a drying rack. OK, I agree to try that but I’ll have to see. If I end up a wet soggy mess at work because my clothes aren't dry, that may be a problem.

So far as I pack, I’ve been taking stuff I don’t want anymore to Goodwill so I haven’t had to throw much away. I even added an old eyeglass cleaning cloth to my donation bag. Hey, why not. Someone could use it. But going green can sometimes be expensive so I have to balance it with staying within my budget. Once I've moved I'll update my blog with how my green move is going. Now, I've gotta go do some more packing!