The Exciting World of Baby Wipes

Babies-R-Us has a brilliant marketing strategy: make parents, especially new ones, think they can’t possibly raise a child properly without a thousand must-have products. While, I saw through that marketing scheme pretty quickly, we still have a lot of baby “stuff”. To compound the issue, my regular vocal protests regarding baby stuff do not deter my mother and mother in-law from buying my daughter all sorts of unnecessary things. So... my ability to eliminate many unnecessary baby products is limited.

We already use reusable diapers for Maddie, but we do use disposable baby wipes. Not only are baby wipes made of paper, but manufacturers includes lotions and chemicals to make them soft/scented/moisturizing/etc. Baby wipes make up a small fraction of household waste. However, I started thinking, “If I’m already throwing diapers into the diaper pail and washing them, why not throw cloth wipes in there as well?” Plus, I also want to control what substances are included in the products I buy for Maddie.

For this challenge, I wanted to use materials that I had around the house and that would be gentle on Maddie’s skin. Fortunately, I had a large stack of small, thin flannel receiving blankets; the kind that are too small to actually be very useful but fall under the “must-have” category. I also had a huge supply of the traditional cotton tri-fold diapers. I cut several of the receiving blankets and diapers into large squares, and Presto! I had a stack of cloth baby wipes.

The next and critical thing I had to think about was a cleansing solution to apply on the wipes (I decided right off that I wasn’t going to pre-soak the wipes in a solution). I decided on a recipe I found online that is simple and made of ingredients that I trust and have around the house. I mixed 2 cups water, 2 Tablespoons organic baby wash delicately scented with chamomile and lavender, and 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Simple!

So far, I’m mostly happy with my choice to switch from disposable to cloth baby wipes. I do want to experiment more with the wipe solution. I'd like to try a variety of oils in the solution that are equally or more soothing than olive oil. Changing diapers is still………well, changing diapers, but now I know what materials and substances are touching Maddie’s skin and I can easily wash them along with her reusable diapers!

Responsable Buying

Hello,

This week I decided to focus on things other than food items we were purchasing. The first item, a shirt for me, was purchased at the only local, responsible store in my area where the items are local when possible and responsibly grown. My shirt was reasonable priced and more important, they had my size! I thought the tag was interesting. (upper right)

The next thing I had to purchase was garbage bags. I normally purchase a large amount so that I don't have to purchase them often, but was glad to see they now made garbage bags with at least some amount of recycled plastic, although I thought it could have been higher. Just out of curiosity, is there a better choice for placing garbage in? I debated not using bags, but that seems messy for the containers, yet I have not heard of an alternative to a plastic bag. Although I was happy that the box said it would decompose faster. (bottom right)

The next item I purchased was new shampoo and conditioner. I normally try and purchase an amount that will last me almost six months. However, I had been going to the Body Shop because of their fair trade and use of responsible ingredients. Because there are no stores near my house, I have to remember to make the purchase when I visit my dad and daughter in the Lansing area. While in Lansing, I got so busy doing making sure everything my dad needed me to do was done, that I forgot to stop at the store at the end of the day. While with my oldest daughter she asked to stop at one of her favorite stores (Ulta)while we were out. I decided to see if there was a responsible shampoo while at the store with her. I did find one that not only used recycled bottles, but responsible ingredients, in addition to donating a portion of every purchase to an organization that is helping to restore beauty to America, in honor of Earth Day. (upper left).

It seems like I am not only learning a great deal about the products I chose to spend my money on, but shopping with an entire different focus, just being a responsible consumer. I wonder if what is printed on the packaging is true or if they can print anything.

To Market, To Market...

Confession: I have never been to the farmers market. There, I said it. Well, I have never been unless you count the occasion last summer when my spouse and I took our 4-year-old nephew to a seasonal market located in the courtyard of a small neighborhood grocery, which I do not think qualifies. Of the few vendors present at the seasonal market, none were farmers, and the goods were items like locally-made breads or pastas, but included no produce.

The Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, is open year-round Tuesday-Saturday, with Sunday hours during the summer months. The regional market is 8.6 miles from our house - a quick 15 minute drive. Public transportation could get us there if we were willing to travel one hour and 40 minutes (one way), including a 30 minute walk. We were not.

We visited the market on a recent Saturday morning in hopes of interacting with a maximum number of vendors. The grounds were spacious and included many large barn-like buildings as well as covered vendor areas outside. Parking was plentiful, and this time of year vendors were confined to just one building and one area outside. We were told that the market is packed wall-to-wall with people in the summer months.

In addition to buying local, our mission was to get to know some of the people who grow or make our food. While having produce options was a bonus, we hoped to find sources for items we have not been successful at finding locally thus far. I was hoping for local cheese. Currently we receive the majority of our produce from a local family-owned organic produce home delivery service. The year-round business is not a CSA, but sources as much locally grown produce as possible. The added benefit is that this service also provides a wide variety of organic produce like kiwis, oranges, and bananas, which are not grown in North Carolina. We are able to customize our list each week, which keeps us from receiving food that might be wasted otherwise. For example, I don’t do rutabaga. Chalk it up to childhood trauma.

Upon entering the building, the first vendor we met was the maker of No Kidding! goats milk soap from Davidson, NC. The packaging reads: When the daily grind of life “just gets your goat,” then just reach for that “No Kidding” bar of soap. With goats milk from a neighbor, this soft-spoken man crafts sweet smelling soaps, like almond, sage-cedarwood, lemongrass, and peppermint-rosemary-poppyseed, with a limited number of ingredients. We could not resist.

Next we met charming farmers, Shane and his wife Jill, of Poplin Farms in Albemarle, NC. They sell grass-fed beef, plants and herbs, and operate a CSA. We are vegetarians, but we purchased a delicious pie that Jill made with organic sweet potatoes they grew. Our next stop was for a discussion about chocolate (a favorite topic!) with Robin and Andy, who are opening The Secret Chocolatier. They shared the importance of making additive-free products, using fresh seasonal ingredients, and sourcing chocolate produced without pesticides or slave labor. With Valentine’s Day approaching, we purchased a couple of truffles, cinnamon and espresso, for the occasion. Then we met a young man named Pete, who grows and sells fresh herbs and dried herb blends. Pete had sold most of his fresh herbs earlier that morning, but we picked up a nice bundle of fresh cilantro. We added to our finds local eggs, fresh bread, lentils, sweet potatoes, and crabapple jelly. Yummy yum! We also noticed large vendors, who appeared to be produce distributors, selling nothing local. However, they provided more exotic selections like jicama, miniature eggplants, and some other items we did not recognize at all. Since our mission was really about connecting with the people who grew and made our food, we steered clear of the distributors.

All in all, we spent around $40.00, which is about what we would spend at the regional grocery chain on similar items. However, we were able to find items for which the grocery chain offers no equivalent. The one disappointment was that the only local cheese I found was goat cheese, which I can appreciate in small quantities. As peak season nears, I look forward to new discoveries and maintain hope that I will find more varieties of local cheese.

We have come to realize that the bulk store, where we have recently begun shopping, has terrible customer service. It is usually difficult to find assistance if you need it, and on an especially good day the cashier will acknowledge you with a grunt. The regional grocery chain where we shopped previously assures that everyone gets the same generic greeting and conversation in a peppy but sometimes less than authentic manner. By contrast, the farmers market connects you directly with the person who grew or made your food. These folks are engaged, interesting, and seem inclined to build genuine relationships with their customers. To us, it is the next best thing to making the food ourselves. More on that next time...

The First Purchase: A Bust

I’ve had the same pair of multi-purpose hiking/winter boots for the past seven years. Now, for some, that might not be such a big deal...I mean, how often do most people throw on a pair of hiking boots? I guess I might be a little abnormal in that regard, as in the past seven years my boots got PLENTY of love. I bet they’d have some great stories if they could talk! They spent innumerable summers hiking through Michigan’s wilderness, leading children over grassy hills, through peaty forests, and into soggy wetlands. They spent a year in rural Ireland, exploring the potential for ecotourism on ancient heritage trails and bouncing on the occasional bog. They have carried heavy burdens as invasive species have been dragged out of forests, and bear a few burns and herbicide stains from those endeavors. They have gotten drenched on canoe trips throughout Illinois, and covered in sandy dust in the deserts of Arizona. They LAUGHED at the threat of mud puddles as they stomped through stalls full of horse manure and squelched through the muddy red afterbirth of sheep. Since they can’t speak, I think their story is best told by looking at the worn and (in places) non-existent treads, the holes and tears in their fabric, and the cracks in the soles…and I will politely refrain from describing their smell.

These boots have been my constant companion in nearly every experience I’ve had in nature for the better part of the past decade. Saying that I’m “attached to them” might be a bit of an understatement. And that is why you can believe me when I say, with a heavy heart, that I NEED a new pair of boots.

As many of you probably heard, Chicago was on the receiving end of 2+ feet of snow in less than a day two weeks ago. As I climbed over (and through) snowdrifts to get to my bus stop last week, I almost CRIED when I realized that my well-worn boots might as well be sandals. It’s not just that the boots needed a new coat of waterproofing. There was actually still-frozen snow sneaking in amidst my toes. I got to work and inspected my boots for the first time in a while, and realized that I could see THROUGH them in places! With weeks of snow still in the forecast, and recognizing my pedestrian lifestyle, I had to acknowledge that new boots were a necessity…and fast.

And so I have found my downfall as a consumer. I HATE shopping. As you can probably tell, I hold off on buying new things as long as humanly possible. But that means that I really don’t leave myself much time to make good consumer choices as every occasion to shop is a shopping emergency. In a city like Chicago, it’s VERY easy to realize in the morning that you need a pair of boots, hop online for 2 minutes to find the nearest hiking supply store, and have a new pair of boots in-hand before the day ends – crisis averted. However, with this assignment in mind, I recognized that this was not really an acceptable course of action – I needed to do some thorough research. And so, I spent 5+ hours that night trying to find a reliable source regarding environmentally conscious footwear purchases…mostly unsuccessfully. Here’s what I found/determined for myself:

1. Considering my checklist, reused boots should be my first plan of attack. However, as a gal with size 12 clodhoppers, Craigslist and eBay proved a bust. I didn’t hold out much hope for local thrift stores either. It’s hard enough to find my size NEW, let alone used. Bust.
2. Since I had to buy something new, could I buy it locally? Bust again. There are no Chicago-based hiking supply stores or manufacturers. It’s all big chains. The closest I could find was Bass Pro Shops, an outdoor supply store based in the Midwest.
3. OK, so what are the most environmentally responsible stores or brands out there? You would think this is a question that has most certainly been addressed by some non-profit or association out there, but, alas, the only “tools” I could find were intended for industry participants, not consumers. There were also supremely unhelpful lists without annotations. I found some websites (of unknown origin) that suggested some mail order options. I also researched some common brands, and found that North Face’s and Patagonia’s environmental missions (and associated actions) really resonated with me, and that Patagonia even had a boot made of recycled content. Columbia, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have an environmental mission and all of its manufacturing is based in China. Generally speaking, though, I found myself frustrated as I tried to use my critical thinking skills to blast through the greenwashing I found on just about every website.

Sigh. At the end of the day, I decided I needed to shop for boots in-person – this was not really a mail order activity given the urgency AND the fact that it is next to impossible to receive packages at my apartment (a major drawback of my current living situation). I decided that I would go to Bass Pro Shops where I could find a wide selection of shoes and was thus more likely to find something to fit my massive feet. While I was going armed with some brand ideas in mind, I hoped that, as a company with an outdoors focus (although some might question how that manifests itself), I might be able to find some employees who could intelligently answer my environmental questions.

And…I was sorely disappointed. Shoes are one of those things where they either fit or they don’t…and with my feet, that really limits my options. While I wanted to buy from Patagonia, the boot rubbed my ankle and was SO expensive (upwards of $200). When all was said and done, there were only two types of boots that were both in my budget and comfortable…and both were Merrell brand. While I love many of the organizations Merrell supports, their entire environmental ethic is focused on supporting other people’s good work…and not really doing any of their own in their manufacturing process. The boot I ended up buying was made in China and has no recycled content. I don’t feel good about my boot purchase, which is EXTRA disappointing because I tried SO HARD. But what could I have done in this situation? (That is not a rhetorical question – I’d love some insight.) I desperately needed some boots, it’s hard to find boots that are comfortable, and I am a low-income graduate student. I suppose that there is some solace to be found in the fact that I will take good care of these boots and wear them for many, many years…I’m not buying something disposable or on impulse. But, I certainly had hoped for a better outcome, ESPECIALLY after the time and effort I put into research.

One thing is for sure: this whole adventure was so painful that my hatred for shopping has been renewed. Barring another emergency, I don’t think I’ll have much cause to shop in the next several months…

Putting A Bike Where A Car Would Go

Putting a Bike Where A Car Would Go
By Coleen O’Connell

One of things I am most looking forward to in my move to Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage (besides not mowing a big lawn) is getting rid of my car. I calculated a few years back what it costs me to run my car in a year and it came to $5, 589. (www.edmunds.com/tco.html). The average yearly cost of owning a car in the US is $6,200. (that includes car payments, gas, insurance, repairs, etc.) and so my own personal figures weren’t far off from that. At the time, I was shocked by how much of my annual educator half time income was absorbed by owning a car. I made a commitment then and there to change my life circumstances so that the need for a car would not dominate my lifestyle. Living in rural Maine it is impossible to do life without a dependable vehicle. Moving to Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage on the edge of a small local coastal village in Maine is a step closer to reducing my ecological footprint. Two miles from downtown, the community neighborhood that is designed and about to break ground will allow me to walk, bike or ride share with others in the community.

Will I plan on never needing a car again? Hardly, but promoting the common experience of car sharing that happens in cohousing communities around the country will certainly be my first order of business upon moving in. Just how it will work, and who is interested has yet to be worked out. Because we haven’t broken ground we have time for further investigation. A few of us are researching the purchase of an electric car that can be shared. I personally am shopping for a new bicycle – one with a basket for carrying groceries. Yesterday I had a discussion with another cohouser about building a bus stop by our driveway... a place we can wait and catch a ride with passing motorists.

My initial research is yielding many creative ideas and benefits. Car sharing takes many more cars off the road, not to mention out of our parking lots. At cohousing each household, by town code, needs two car spaces for parking. Isn’t that a telling assumption about American life. Car sharing lessens car dependence and gets people walking and biking more. I am in need of that. It sets an example for our children that not everyone needs to own a car. I can count on saving money – the research shows that easily up to half of the cost of owning a car is saved when you car share depending on how many people share one car. I haven’t even mentioned carbon dioxide emissions and global climate change benefits. It just makes ecological sense.

In this car-obsessed country of the US, I look forward to putting my bike where my car would go.

Office Supply Shopping

I recently needed some office supplies which I knew would take a little more thought to make sure I was buying only U.S. made products with an emphasis on locally made products and to buy used whenever possible.

I was in need of new toner cartridges for my printer. I didn’t want to purchase them brand new so I looked at some of the refill kits. I was told that it was kind of a messy process, so I decided to wait until I could see if I could locate someplace in the area who refilled old cartridges and only print what was absolutely necessary at school in the meantime. I had also intended to buy more file folders but once I saw they were manufactured in China, I decided to instead turn some of my older ones inside-out to be able to reuse them.

Upon leaving Staples, my attention went to a display for eco-friendly pens. IT seems that Pilot Pens is now marketing pens that are made of 89% recycled content. The B2P pens seemed like a good concept, so I purchased 2 for $3. They are not only made of recycled products, but the gel pens use refillable ink. An unexpected find, but something I felt good about. The website is: http://www.pilotpen.us/products/#anchor_b2p.

Veggie Burgers and Addictions

Like most of us, food is the biggest consumer purchase I make.

The effects of our quest to become conscious consumers have spread naturally to my girlfriend Lauren. She has come up with a list of area restaurants in Providence that serve local food and has been a strict vegetarian since our last class. When going to restaurants the first two times, we forgot try and get local beverages as well. This is something we are working on. Anyone know where I can get a local martini?

Thankfully, Providence has a brewery and Rhode Island is home to a handful of vineyards. So, I do not need to worry much about alcohol barring martini purchases. A friend of mine was recently visiting and left me with some homemade schnapps. Good timing!!

We also attacked Lauren's biggest offender in the world of processed foods: fake-meat patties of all kinds. Chick-patties, veggie burgers, fake sausage patties, and black bean burgers have all been known to grace her freezer. Sometimes all of them are present at once and they are delicious! I have often fallen victim to their inviting convenience and wonderful taste. It is important that we both have convenient food available in our homes because our schedules are so busy. She is a medical resident and I am . . . everywhere.

Our strategy was to make a huge vat of delicious ginger spiced veggie burger mix and freeze a bunch of the patties. This worked out wonderfully especially since we had the help of a friend who we rewarded in veggie patties.

The real test will be to see whether or not we can keep the things in stock!!!

The next area of challenge was caffeinated beverages. I drink one cup of coffee in the morning and a cup of tea in the afternoon. I have been known to suck down three cups of Gen Mai Cha tea while completing a homework assignment at Tealuxe. Tealuxe may as well be my office, I am there so often. I make my own chamomile tea, but that doesn't cut it for my caffeine fix.

I had to face the cold hard truth that tea, coffee, and chocolate, though they may be prepared locally usually come from places such as South America, Africa, and Asia. Too often the people that harvest these products are not paid enough money. When I do purchase coffee or chocolate, I try to stick to fair trade organic. There is also another designation called "direct trade" which as far as I can tell, negotiates a fair price for not only the small farmers, but also to the middlemen. All participants are under the same contract which stipulates how much each individual party will get paid (http://green.wikia.com/wiki/Direct_Trade_Coffee).

I was working an event recently where a local CEO of a coffee company in Providence called the Coffee Exchange was speaking. Their specialty coffee is fair trade organic. One of the original owners of the Coffee Exchange formed a group called Coffee Kids in an attempt to try and give back to the families in regions where coffee is grown. www.coffeekids.org.

Creative Uses for Plastic Horses and my Consumer Manifesto

Being a conscientious consumer is ripe with a myriad of ways of where to begin this quest.  Buying locally, re-used items over brand new, and thinking about the waste that is the result of each item you purchase is one way to start this important practice.  As my co-horts and I tackle this, please enjoy reading about this journey.  It will undoubtedly prove challenging and overwhelming, yet baby steps eventually turn into leaps.  My contributions to this blog will highlight my hiccups and successes as I exercise the essential practice of giving a damn where the products I purchase originate and are disposed.  

By default I’ve always practiced careful consuming on one level, most notably due to the fact that I detest shopping of any kind.  New clothes or items are usually introduced to my life out of absolute necessity.  For example, I have avoided purchasing new snow boots for his winter’s snow-pocalypse, and instead I sloshed around the streets of Boston with an old pair of hiking boots I purchased for a Costa Rica trip in 2005.  

These hiking boots do not make excellent snow kickers, but they provide adequate protection against the elements.  It is hard for me to justify purchasing a new pair of expensive snow boots, when that money can be used for other things like take out, or a night on the town (which in the winter almost always involves taxis).  This statement right here is an appropriate segway into where I can make the biggest leaps towards the direction of a more productive and sustainable lifelong commitment to changing my consuming habits.  
I am committing to buying local foods (or as local as I can get), and supporting Massachusetts based food economies.  Luckily Massachusetts is home to amazing micro brews and oyster fisheries (mmmmm, delicious bivalves).  To piggy back on this commitment, I will also only eat out twice a week (in hopefully a place that serves local foods) and it will be sit-in, not take out, which will cut down on package waste.  I will refuse before buying reused and will only purchase new if the situation demands the new item.  Furthermore I will write about the local concept as I hope it will dive me deeper into the culture of the cities I will travel to this month, London and Montreal.  
I ask you dear readers to hold me accountable, and to participate in this dialog by commenting.  If anyone is still reading, I do have a short story to offer as I started this commitment last week.  
I confess, the first week of not buying anything new was more difficult than expected.  The first hurdle was my self appointed task of decorating a room where a friends Texas themed going away party was being held.  Without the man hours and drive to make decorations with scraps from my craft bin - purchasing plastic party favors was the next inevitable move.  A credit card swipe and an hours worth of internal justifications later, I came up with some creative uses for my new mini horses and cowboy friends.  Luckily in my case, I’m privy to a group of friends who will also be making Texas their home later on this year.  Obviously Austin is the newest city to attract late twenty somethings from Boston, beating out San Francisco’s reign from 2003-2006, and Brooklyn’s reign from 2007- 2009.  I’m positive these decorations will be used again.  

An invitation for a baby shower in late March gave me another use for these decorations.  I fashioned a few pieces into a colorful mobile of cartoonish horses and plastic cowboys with guns. 

 In the end, I feel as though I have extended the life cycle of these decorations and have prevented the purchase of new ones.  The sad part of the story is the fact that all pieces will end up in a landfill, contaminating soil somewhere.  The lesson learned from this, and I’m sure with future posts is that creativity is an ally as I adhere to this lifelong commitment to ecological citizenship.      

Reducing our Environmental Pawprint

I’ve known for a while that clay-based kitty litter is not an environmentally friendly product. Not only does the clay have to be mined, but it does not readily break down in a landfill after disposal. When you think of the millions of domestic cats throughout the United States, the volume of litter (and therefore clay) used is staggering. In fact, approximately 8 billion pounds of litter is disposed of each year (Miller, n.d.). Plus, the kind I typically buy is packaged in heavy duty plastic buckets made from petroleum, increasing the environment "pawprint" of the product. For years, I operated under the guise that environmentally friendly litter must be impossibly expensive and unavailable.

I recently spent considerable time researching various alternatives to clay-based litter and specifically looked at the litter materials used, packaging, cost, and availability. My main goal was to find a litter made from a recycled material, packaged in a recyclable container, and reasonably priced. Just as important, I needed a litter that my cat Sukkha would be willing to use!

Right away, I found three main contenders that advertised themselves as sustainable alternatives to clay-based litter, and all of them can be found in major grocery/big box stores (for comparison, the clay-based litter I usually purchase is a 28 pound container of Arm & Hammer litter for $9.99).

Contender #1 – Purina’s Yesterday’s News ($16.99 for 30 pounds). This litter is in the form of pellets made from recycled newspaper. Another plus: the packaging is also recyclable, though the phrase “(where facilities exist)” qualifies this selling point. Fortunately, my city accepts this type of paper packaging in its recycling program. Purina’s website (http://www.yesterdaysnew.com/), complete with images of birds and trees, assures consumers that buying Yesterdays News means making a difference for your cat, your home, and the environment. I tried to ignore this bit of greenwashing. A 15 pound bag at the local grocery store costs $6.39, and a 30 pound bag at a national pet supply store costs $16.99.

Contender #2 - Nature’s Earth Feline Pine ($11.99 for 10 pounds). Although more expensive, Feline Pine asserts that its “corporate duty is to be a steward of the environment and our precious natural resources, make products that are safer and healthier for animals, utilizing pine and all-natural ingredients instead of clay.” Wow – what a statement! How could I go wrong with this product? To be sure, pine is a better material than clay, and my first assumption was that pine used in making Feline Pine was reclaimed pine waste. The first clue that reclaimed pine isn’t used was the promotion of “Pine Points”. With each purchase of Feline Pine, you earn “Pine Points”, which can be used to support animal shelters and reforestation projects (Hmmm… why reforestation projects?). Secondly, the bag displayed a label hailing the use of renewable pine. The company website (http://www.felinepine.com/) states that their product is made from “renewable southern yellow pine and natural guar.” For this reason, Feline Pine was immediately cut from the list of potential litter alternatives. As we learned in our Environmental Justice class, tree plantations in the southern U.S. have decimated local biodiversity.

Contender #3 – Swheat Scoop ($10.99 for 15 pounds). Swheat Scoop is a wheat-based litter, and I also eliminated this contender pretty quickly. The first thing one sees on the Swheat Scoop website (http://www.swheatscoop.com/) is wheat harvesting equipment suggesting that wheat is grown specifically for the manufacturing of this product (nothing on the website suggested otherwise). More importantly, the product is advertised as flushable. I spoke with a wastewater engineer friend of mine who said that cat litter can clog wastewater treatment filters. Also, cat waste contains a parasite (toxoplasma) whose eggs survive and pass through the wastewater treatment process and can contaminate waterways. Apparently, this is bad news for seals. Plus, if the parasites get into drinking water, they can cause brain damage to unborn human babies (E. Lynch, personal communication, February 5, 2011). Well, that settled it, Swheat Scoop was also eliminated. Theoretically, I wouldn't have to flush this litter, but I don't want to support a company that suggests this method of disposal.

And the winner is……..Yesterday’s News!

Yesterday's News is a bit more expensive than the clay-based litter I use, but the benefits are clear. Not only can Yesterday's News be found in two of my local stores, it's made from recycled material, and I can recycle the package. Additionally, if I use a paper bag to clean the waste from the litter box, the waste going to the landfill will quickly decompose. Plus, Sukkha also approved of the switch!

References:
E. Lynch (personal communication, February 5, 2011). Provided information on impacts of cat
waste on wastewater treatment and water quality

Feline Pine’s website: http://www.felinepine.com/

Miller, M.A. (n.d.). Cat litter – the dust settles. Retrieved from
http://www.thecatsite.com/Snips/107/Cat-Litter-The-Dust-Settles.html

Swheat Scoop’s website: http://www.swheatscoop.com/

Yesterday’s News website: http://www.yesterdaysnews.com/

Great Tool

Hello again,

I found a site called the Daily Green that has a great tool for local shopping, all you have to do is put your zip code in and it will give you info on farmers markets, restaurants that use locally grown and lots of other useful info. http://www.thedailygreen.com/ for those of you that are interested. when the page opens it is on the left hand side toward the bottom.

Made in Michigan

I am fortunate to have a locally owned chain grocery store close to my house (within 1/2 mile) called Meijers. This chain was started in Grand Rapids, MI and has expanded to many surrounding states. While they carry national brands, they also carry an organic Meijers brand that I use often, as well as having a bulk section. The store will place produce that is locally grown at the store front, when they have it. This is most often blueberries, peaches, strawberries and the like, when in season.

Meijers contributes a great deal to local communities in various ways. The score board at our high school was donated by the store. The hospice my mother was in prior to her death receives many contributions from the store and had a kitchen with all utensils for family members use during the long hours, as well as providing juice, pudding cups and other snacks that Meijers paid for. Meijers had done similar things in various communities through out Michigan and I would assume other states where they have stores. We also have Meijers Garden in Grand Rapids that is absolutely wonderful and if any of you ever visit Michigan I would suggest making this a stop.

Since I was shopping the same store as I usually shop I decided to change what I purchase. I love enchiladas and can easily make a vegetarian batch and a batch for my husband and son that contains meat. But instead of purchasing canned sauce or re fried beans I decided to make everything from scratch. Additionally, instead of buying cheese that is already grated, I bought a huge block of cheese that I will grate with my food processor. I also found some things that were made in Michigan, like the pasty's in the above photo.

After spending five hours in the kitchen, I think the enchiladas turned out great. But the process took way to long. I did come up with a few things I will try in the future. For instance the roasted tomato sauce (photo top right) would be much better if I purchased the tomatoes in the summer from a farmers market and made a large batch for use all year. I think the sauce turned out good enough that with a few tweaks could be used in a number other recipes. I used a new southwest recipe(photo top left) that I put in both batches of enchiladas, that I will continue to use as it reduced the amount of cheese I previously used. As for the re fried beans, they were much better than canned and did not take long after soaking the beans, but we don't eat that many re fried beans and I had way to much left over.

If anyone wants a copy of the recipes let me know and I will email them to you.

In Bulk

Regret. Perhaps the word is too strong to describe how I’m feeling about the topic of conscious consumerism, yet this week I found myself questioning why I was possessed to vote for this topic. For the record, I think conscious consumerism is extremely important. My challenge is two-fold. I rarely shop, and I am already a fairly conscious consumer. After agonizing briefly about the topic, I selected the inescapable facet of consumerism - groceries.

Typically, my spouse and I shop at a regional grocery chain, which is coincidentally based in our city (Charlotte, NC). The upscale chain store is 1.8 miles from our house; it takes us five minutes to get there. The chain store also has a great selection of organics and some locally grown produce too. The comparison store I selected is locally owned with only four locations; the closest is 9.7 miles from home, which is a 20 minute drive. I considered public transportation briefly, but the trip would take over an hour (one way). Public transportation would include a 14 minute walk to the bus stop, a 28 minute bus ride, followed by a 9 minute walk to the train station, 10 minute train ride, and a 6 minute walk to the store. However, during the week, the comparison store is on my spouse’s way home from work, which essentially negates the issue of convenience.

In addition to being a small, local operation, the primary draw of the comparison store is its reputation for bulk items; the store did not disappoint. There I found endless varieties of bulk coffee, candy, nuts, dried fruits, flour, spices, peanut butter, oils, honey, pasta, rice, dried beans, oats, sugar, salt, and popcorn. Most of the selections were organic. The store also has a wealth of packaged grocery items, a cafe and, most surprising, a community room. While I shopped, a room full of people were learning from a Naturopath about Clinical Kinesiology. I noticed that upcoming events include The Flavors of Italy, Gluten Free Cooking, and a Yoga Dance & Restorative Yoga Class. I was unaware that a store as awesome as this one exists in Charlotte.

We try to consume as much organic and local food as possible, which is thought by many to be cost prohibitive. Our choice is based in what we believe is best for our health, the planet, and our local economy rather than price, but I wanted to find out how different the prices were between the bulk store and the chain store where we typically shop. I compared prices on a variety of staple items that we use (or, in the case of the white rice, cook for our dog), selecting organic and/or local when it was available. Below is the comparison. Organic items are marked with an asterisk (*).

Item Regional Chain Price Local Bulk Store Price

White Rice .50/lb. 1.89/lb.

Demerara Sugar 2.40/lb.* 1.79/lb.

Oats 2.99/18 oz.* 1.79/18 oz.*

Wildflower Honey 5.31/lb.* 4.29/lb. (local)

Popcorn 2.50/lb.* 1.59/lb.*

Cashews 6.15/lb. (salted) 9.99/lb.* (raw)

Whole Wheat Flour 1.50/lb.* 1.99/lb.*

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter 4.99/lb. 3.79/lb. (grind in store)

Bananas (Ecuador) .99/lb.* .99/lb.*

Raspberries (Mexico) 4.99/6 oz. 2.50/6 oz.*

Beer 7.99/6 pack (local) 10.99/6 pack (local)

Total $40.31 $41.60

While the price difference between the two stores on the items sampled is a nominal $1.29, the difference in packaging is pronounced. The bulk store provides plastic produce bags for many bulk items, such as nuts or fruit, and plastic resealable bags for spices. Most shoppers bring their own containers for items like honey. The bottom line is that, because these containers can be used over and over, the only appreciable waste generated from this sample list is the beer bottles, beer carton, and plastic casing for the raspberries at the bulk store. All of this waste is at least recyclable. Cloth bags could be used for some bulk items to further minimize packaging.

However, every time the items are purchased from the chain store, packaging waste would include three non-recyclable plastic bags and the following recyclable items: four plastic containers, one paper bag, beer bottles and carton. Imagine the cumulative waste over the course of a year in our household alone, not to mention the energy required to recycle the items that can be recycled! Therefore, my family is committed to shopping at the bulk store on a trial basis during the course of the semester. We have a shared vision of permanent storage containers replacing the boxes, cans, and bags in our pantry. The names, logos, slogans, and claims of manufacturers will be replaced by the staple foods we will use to prepare delicious, healthy meals. Further, we intend to supplement these bulk items with local food from farmers markets. More on this next time...