Environmental
Federation of Oregon
P.O. Box 40333
Portland, OR 97240
(503) 223-9015
info@efo.org

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Ecotips

10 Steps To Greener Living At The Office

1. Keep a mug at your desk for daily trips to the coffee shop and water fountain, rather than wasting a paper cup each day.
   
   
2. Reduce paper consumption by writing or printing on both sides of a sheet of paper, making double-sided copies, using half-page cover sheets or stick-on fax transmission labels. Use electronic mail whenever possible.
   
   
3. Think recycled. Use--and encourage management to use--recycled products, including office paper (unbleached is best), stationery and packaging.
   
   
4. Reuse envelopes, folders, computer disks and other office supplies. Buy second-hand office furniture.
   
   
5. Turn off lights, office equipment and appliances when not in use to save on electricity.
   
   
6. Keep plants in your office, such as easy-to-grow philodendrons; they're easy on the eyes and they help cleanse the air.
   
   
7. Establish a recycling program. Have containers in your office for collecting bottles, cans, newspapers, cardboard, magazines and other recyclables.
   
   
8. Organize carpools and assist with office ride-sharing opportunities; provide information and incentives for employees to take mass transit to and from work.
   
   
9. Establish a green team to assess how efficient and environmentally responsible your company is. Environmental improvements often have the added benefit of saving your company or business money and resources.
   
   
10. Participate in the Environmental Federation of Oregon's payroll deduction program, which benefits 29 of Oregon’s leading environmental groups helping preserve our air, water, soil, and wildlands!

Garbage, Garbage, Garbage

The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste estimates the annual production of municipal solid waste has jumped from approximately 88 million tons in 1960 to 217 million tons in 1997. Some suggestions to help with the pile:

1. Pre-cycle.
   Consider packaging, quality, and need when buying something.
   
   
2. Catalogs.
   Write or call about packaging used for shipping. Reuse boxes and padded envelopes. Some pack and ship facilities take "popcorn" and boxes to be reused. (Call 800-828-2214 for a site near you.) Share catalogs.
   
   
3. Compost.
   You can purchase specialized bins or you can build your own. Contact your local solid waste company or check out "The Rodale Guide to Composting" by J. Minnich or "Worms Eat My Garbage" by M. Appelhoff.
   
   
4. The Trash Can.
   Use a non-recyclable plastic bag or a non-recyclable container for non-compostable scraps. Then put a non-recyclable sheet at the bottom of the can and use it for dry trash.
   
   
5. Containers.
   Strides are being made to develop recycling programs for the containers and trays from food in the grocery store. To get involved, talk to your grocery store management or the solid waste company. Avoid purchasing products in non-recyclable containers. Buy in bulk or use your own container.
   
   
6. Donate.
   Daycare facilities and schools have many uses for egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, ad infinitum. Some local egg producers will often accept cartons to reuse and furniture-refinishing businesses may use rags.
   
   
7. The Yard.
   By composting and using a Xeriscape approach to landscaping you can reduce your personal impact on trash accumulation and reduce water consumption by as much as 54%. Composting bins are available from Real Goods (800-762-7325), Harmony (800-869-3449) and Plow and Hearth (800-627-1712). Metro also occasionally has discounted compost bins. Call 503-797-1650 for more information.

Sources: Parade Magazine, The Sunday Oregonian 6/13/99; 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth Earth Works Group; Choose to Reuse, Nikki & David Goldbeck.

Ask Yourself These Questions Before Buying Something

• What about the materials used to create it?
  
  
• Could I borrow, rent or buy it second hand?
  
  
• How long will it last? How will I dispose of it?
  
  
• Can it be maintained and repaired? At what cost to the environment?
  
  
• Is it renewable or nonrenewable?
  
  
• Is it recycled or recyclable?
  
  
• What about the packaging? Is it over-packaged? Can it be recycled?
  
  
• Was it environmentally and socially responsibly produced?
  
  
• How will it be packaged for shipping?

Expanded from Co-op America’s website. Visit www.coopamerica.org and www.recyclingadvocates.org for further insights into environmentally responsible consumerism.

5 Things to Avoid Buying

1. Bleached Coffee Filters.
   The dioxins formed during the chlorine bleaching process contaminate groundwater and air, and are linked to cancer.
   
   
2. Teak, Mahogany, and Other Tropical and Old-Growth Woods.
   Every year 27 million acres of tropical rainforests are destroyed. Try buying harvested wood products. Reuse wood. Also visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.
   
   
3. Chemical Glass Cleaners.
   Look for biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners with no ammonia. Or use white vinegar mixed in equal parts with water.
   
   
4. Higher Octane Gas than You Need.
   One car in 10 manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. Buy the lowest octane gas your car requires.
   
   
5. Poor Quality or Trendy Shoes.
   Buy quality shoes that will last. Regular maintenance will make them last. Rotate your shoes.

Information from Co-op America’s website and 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, The Earth Works Group. The Green Consumer, John Elkington, Julia Hailes and Joal Makower, Choose to Reuse, Nikki & David Goldbeck.

Try to Reuse Nearly Everything

• Wash or rinse plastic bags and reuse.
  
  
• Reuse paper and plastic bags, jars, plastic containers, and paper products.
  
  
• Use cloth rags and napkins. Use mugs.
  
  
• Donate unneeded usable items or have a yard sale.
  
  
• Use rechargeable batteries (contact Real Goods at 800-762-7325).
  
  
• Rent or borrow things you don't use often.
  
  
• Mesh onion and orange bags work well for wet things when camping and boating.
  
  
• Go to the library instead of the bookstore.
  
  
• Liners from cereal boxes can be used to line garbage pails or used for baking and lining tins.
  
  
• Reuse old gift-wrap, or use fabric scraps to decorate gifts yourself.
  
  
• Use a handkerchief. Tissues waste six million trees each year in the U.S.
  
  
• Buy only bathroom tissue made of recycled, unbleached paper.
  
  
• Compost your kitchen and yard waste.
  
  
• Check with your local pack and ship for unwanted packaging materials.
  
  
• Reuse dish water for your garden.

Expanded from www.coopamerica.org. Visit their site for more information. For other good tips, contact EFO member group Recycling Advocates at 503-777-0909 or online at www.recyclingadvocates.org.

About Bags: Paper Or Plastic?

Does it really matter? In Oregon, the answer is definitely "yes". Here are a few pointers to help you navigate through the bag dilemma.

• Used paper bags are needed by local paper plants to be recycled into new bags and cardboard boxes. In many Oregon communities, recycling collection is as convenient as putting your bags out at the curb on a weekly basis. Paper bag fibers can be recycled about eight times before they wear out.
  
  
• In contrast, most plastic bags used in Oregon end up in a landfill. Although they are technically recyclable, plastic bags have no commercial value like paper. In the landfill, plastic is not biodegradable. Because plastic bags are cheaper, you may find that some stores encourage their checkers to push plastic. Under Oregon's recycling law, you have every right to demand paper bags.
  
  
• The best way to deal with the bag issue is to bring your own. Carry a string or fold-up bag with you at all times. String bags will easily fit in a handbag or briefcase, and they expand to hold a surprising number of items.
  
  
• Reuse the paper bags you already have. Keep a stash of bags in your car and remember to bring some with you each time you shop. Many major grocery stores, such as Fred Meyer, Thriftway, Safeway, Albertsons, and Natures, offer credit to those who bring their own bags. Count the number of bags you bring into the house in a week. Multiply that number by 52. You could save as many as 500 bags a year by simply developing a habit of carrying bags with you.
  
  
• For small purchases, no bag is necessary. Many clerks automatically give you a bag without asking. Just say, "I don't need a bag, thanks." If each American shopper took just one less bag each month, we could save hundreds of millions of bags every year.

Condensed from "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" by Jeanne Roy, Recycling Advocates, 2420 SW Boundary St., Portland, OR 97201.

Compost

One Oregon community’s solid waste company reports 17% of the waste going to its landfill is yard waste and 6% is food waste. There are several alternatives to landfilling these materials.

1. Direct land application uses the many types of organic wastes in their original form as mulches, or you can simply bury them into the soil.
   
   
2. Compost holding systems use holding bins to compost yard debris. Bins can be made of wire mesh, old fencing, wooden pallets or wood & wire and can be purchased.
   
   
3. Compost turning systems creates high-quality compost. The compost is typically of a high quality, because the high temperatures generated kill weed seeds and many plant diseases. Hot composting with multiple bins is best for gardeners who have large volumes of yard debris and time to make high-quality compost.
   
   
4. Red worms thrive on organic waste. This process will yield a very high quality, rich compost for a small amount of organic waste.

Compost bins may be purchased from Real Goods (800-762-7325), Harmony (800-869-3446), and Plow and Hearth (800-627-1712). Red worms and composting supplies are available from Gardens Alive (812-537-8650). Source: Compost News, City Garbage Service, 1202 Willow, La Grande OR 97850, 541-963-5459.

Buy Organic

• One way to make a big difference to the earth and to take care of your health at the same time is to avoid foods grown using pesticides and that have been genetically modified. The surest way to do this to buy organically produced food.
  
  
• Seek out your local natural food store and organic farmer’s markets and check carefully for organic certification. Prices may sometimes be a bit higher, but consider it a donation to the Earth, and a preventative healthcare measure.
  
  
• For more information on pesticides and their hazards and alternatives, check out the web site of EFO member group Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides at www.pesticide.org. For pesticide-free gardening tips, try Metro’s website www.multnomah.lib.or.us/metro/rem/garden/pestalt.html
  
  
• Another possible resource is to join or establish a food buying club in which individuals work together to obtain quality products at the best prices. Two Oregon suppliers are Azure Standard from Dufur (541467-2230) and Mountain People’s Warehouse based in California (800-762-0211). Both carry a comprehensive line of bulk and organic food products, which include homeopathics, toiletries and clothing.
  
  
• Suppliers will often put you in contact with other organized groups operating in your area. If you decide to form your own group, here are some things to consider: Develop a list of participants and get a commitment from each. Be sure you have enough people involved to meet the supplier’s minimum order. Establish ground rules and be clear about expectations and responsibilities.

Source: Expanded from The Green Guide, Mothers & Others, 40 West 20th Street, NY, NY 10011-4211, www.mothers.org.

Water

• Estimates range from 60-80% of residential waste water is considered "graywater" which amounts to 41,000 gallons for the average family of a year. The most efficient way to collect graywater is to modify plumbing to divert this water to a holding tank and distribution system. Unfortunately, this process is not allowed by the state of Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
  
  
• There are some useful approaches to make more efficient use of your water consumption. Several suppliers carry different incarnations of the old rain barrel, which can be used, for showers and gutters.
  
  
• To learn more about products to conserve water use, contact Real Goods (800-762-7325) or Plow and Hearth (800-627-1712). For more information about graywater, contact Jade Mountain at 800-442-1972 or www.jademountain.com, or contact Robert Kourik for his book "Gray Water Use in the Landscape" from Metamorphic Press at P.O. Box 1841, Santa Rosa CA 95402, 701-874-2606.
  
  
• To Find out more about how water is being used and misused in Oregon, contact EFO member group WaterWatch of Oregon at 503-295-1394 or on line at www.waterwatch.org.

Sources: Choose to Reuse by Nikki & David Goldbeck and 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, Earth Works Group.

Your Bedroom

There are sick building syndrome and other environmental problems attributed to off-gassing of a variety of synthetic chemicals from household products. These pollutants can be found in a place where we spend a third or more of our lives, the bedroom. Reactions to these chemicals range from sinus headaches, watery eyes, skin rashes, fatigue and respiratory problems to a condition called MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) which also results in respiratory problems, joint and muscle pain, and gastrointestinal problems.

What You Can Do:

1. Bedding
   Buy organic, untreated cotton whenever possible. You may need a doctor’s prescription to avoid fire retardant treatments. Wool is naturally fire-retardant. Avoid stain resistant and permanent press finishes.
   
   
2. Ventilate
   Open a window and use a fan.
   
   
3. Control dust mites
   Bare floors and windows are best. Invest in mite-impermeable mattress and pillow covers.
   
   
4. Wood
   Only buy wood that is certified to be from sustainably managed forests. Reuse wood when possible.
   
   
5. Windows
   Superinsulated windows, double-glazed and coated, improve insulation and filter out harmful ultraviolet rays.
   
   
6. Lighting
   Maximize natural daylighting. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs. Look into Solatubes for your windowless rooms.
   
   
7. Paints
   Use non-toxic paints and stains carrying low VOC emissions.
   
   
8. Indoor Plants
   Studies suggest plants filter toxins from the air. Spider plants, for example, are thought to remove formaldehyde.
   
   
9. Flooring
   Safest are natural linoleum, untreated hardwood, ceramic tiles, marble and slate.
   
   
10. Carpet
    Untreated wool and cotton carpets are healthier than synthetic.

Resources: Building Products Environmental Construction Outfitters (EGO).800-238-5008; www.environproducts.com EPA Pesticide Hotline (located as OSU)
Source: The Green Guide, 10/7/97, Mothers & Others, 40 W. 20th Street, NY, NY 10011-4211, www.mothers.org.

Facts for Thought

1. The number of people who could be fed for a year with the amount of food Americans waste in a day is approximately 240,000.
   
   
2. At the current rates of growth, about 78 million more people are added to the Earth every year, the equivalent of the population of France, Greece and Sweden combined.
   
   
3. The amount of trash thrown out annually by the average American is 1,500 pounds. Composting can reduce this number to 375 pounds.
   
   
4. The amount of rainforests being destroyed every second is equal to 45 football fields.
   
   
5. Almost half a billion people around the world are currently plagued by water shortages. On average, Americans use 183 gallons of water a day for cooking, washing, flushing and watering purposes.
   
   
6. In 1996 the Department of Energy calculated the cost of clean-up of contamination associated with the nuclear weapons complex over the next three quarters of a century is $227 billion.
   
   
7. A conservative estimate of the current extinction rate indicates that about 27,000 species a year are being lost.
   
   
8. It is estimated an average American sees 150,000 television advertisements in his/her life.
   
   
9. Eight billion dollars is spent annually for cosmetics in the United States alone. Basic education for all would cost $6 billion.

From The ZPG Reporter; Vol. 31, Nos. 1 and 2. For more information about the work of ZPG call 800-767-1956 or go to www.info@zpg.org.