New Leaf Paper

Hello everyone!!

Hopefully, you're all getting prepared for school to begin session! However, are you ready for more note-taking in your classes, wasting countless pieces of paper? It's interesting how many people don't pay attention to the fact that we're using up vital resources everyday without a care in the world.

Did you know that "China, India and the rest of Asia are the fastest growing per-capita users of paper, but they still rank far behind Eastern Europe and Latin America (about 100 pounds per person per year), Australia (about 300 pounds per person per year) and Western Europe (more than 400 pounds per person per year)"? (Shapley) It's crazy, but there is something we can all do to help!

I have recently discovered this site called, New Leaf Paper, where they off a wide selection of coated, uncoated and office paper, many with 100% post-consumer recycled content and Forest Stewardship Council certification. New Leaf Paper was also first to market with 100% post-consumer papers of unparalleled brightness and printing specifications, including the first-ever 100% post-consumer recycled coated papers, book publishing papers and more.

You don't necessarily have to order New Leaf Paper products because there are plenty of others companies out there that are manufacturing recycled, environmentally-friendly paper for your writing needs. Just do some research, but if you're still unsure as to why to switch to recycled paper, then Click Here to learn more about "15 Facts About the Paper Industry, Global Warming and the Environment." Hope you all are having a wonderful summer vacation! :)


Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Shapley, Dan. "15 Facts About the Paper Industry, Global Warming and the Environment." thedailygreen. Hearst Communications, Inc., 02 Oct 2007. Web. 10 Aug 2010. http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/7447.

Let's "Start Global Cooling!"

Ever heard of Clif Bar & Company? Most people associate this name with the nutritious and delicious Clif Bars we find in our local grocery stores. However, what many don't know is that this company is also dedicated toward helping the environment through creative and interesting ways.

Cool Tags, "renewable wind energy credits that offset CO2 emissions," cost $2 each. Those $2 is then invested by Clif Bar into NativeEnergy's Windbuilder's Program. According to the Clif Bar & Company website, "Each Cool Tag keeps an estimated 300 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air. (That’s about how much you would generate driving 300 miles in an average car.)" Unfortunately, 25% of the CO2 emissions in the world is produced by America alone ("Environmental..."). That is quite a large amount considering there are over 100 other countries to take into account.

Interested in participating in this global cooling campaign with Clif Bar & Company? Then go here and check it out! :]

Now I am an avid Clif Bar eater, but what attracts me to these energy-filled snacks so much is that they promote sustainability with their packaging. Clif Bar & Company have teamed up with TerraCycle, a company that creates eco-friendly products from non-recycleable materials, to reduce the amount of energy bar wrappers that end up in landfills.

They've named it the "Wrapper Brigade Program" as it "allows schools, offices, community organizations, and even individuals to earn money for charity by collecting used wrappers" because "For every wrapper the Brigade receives, they will donate 2 cents to a nonprofit of the collector’s choice. The wrappers then will be woven into strong material, and made into eco-chic products" ("Sustainability"). Hopefully some of you are inspired to get involved in this program, and if so then check out their website here.

Now I used to take my Clif Bar wrappers down to Sports Basement where they had a bin specifically marked for them. Unfortunately, this was a limited time deal as I ended up finding myself with over 50 wrappers and nowhere to take them. I was lucky enough to learn that Trader Joe's will take my wrappers and place them in a baler which will compress these items and keep them from winding up in a landfill. If this option isn't available to you, then try to check if there's a Clif Headquarters near you. Taking your wrappers to them specifically will ensure that they get recycled rather than adding to our Earth's landfills which is always a plus! :D

Hopefully this blog's highlight on Clif Bar & Company opened some of you up to their ethical practices which deserve to be recognized by the general public. Perhaps now you may find yourself supporting them and our environment by purchasing a Cool Tag or by locating a nearby Headquarters to recycle your wrappers as opposed to throwing them out. Whatever your decision, I hope it's a positive one for not only our Earth's well-being, but for the rest of the human race as well!

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T


Works Cited:
"Cool Tags." Clif Bar & Company. CLIF BAR Family Foundation, Web. 28 Dec 2009. http://www.clifbar.com/soul/cool_tags/.

"Environmental Statistics." 2009. Nation Master, Web. 28 Dec 2009. http://www.nationmaster.com/red/pie/env_co2_emi-environment-co2-emissions.

"Sustainability." Clif Bar & Company. CLIF BAR Family Foundation, Web. 28 Dec 2009. http://www.clifbar.com/soul/sustainability/.

Ask Dr. Green T: Workin' at the Jar Wash!

The water company asks us not to rinse our food containers(eg. milk containers etc.) before we recycle them, to conserve water; but waste management asks us to rinse out food containers, so that we don't contaminate the rest of the recycling. Which option is more environmentally friendly?
-Adam OCamb, Green News Editorial Board

The concept of whether or not one should waste the water required to clean a recyclable item is something that definitely needs to be taken into consideration. I usually wash items like yogurt or peanut butter containers before recycling them because I find such food waste will mold and be difficult for the company to clean later on. However, other items like milk containers, soup cans, and so on are a different story as they're in liquid form and don't make as much a mess after you've finished with them. Now, let's get another opinion on this issue!

Nina Shen Rastogi from Slate Magazine answers this question in her own article by explaining that "recycling facilities are well equipped to handle dirty cans and bottles, so some caked-on tomato sauce and the occasional stray chickpea won't significantly hinder the process. Residue left on plastic or glass containers generally gets flushed out with water at some point in the process; most of the gunk left behind on steel and aluminum cans is burned away when those containers get melted down. So there's no need to waste water by running the faucet over your recyclables—even if you were to get them squeaky clean, they'd probably end up getting washed again, anyhow" (Rastogi).

Also, if you're interested in learning about the recycling process for plastic food containers, then Click Here. This statement letter dates back to 1996, but not much has changed since then.

With all this information in mind, there seems to be a consensus that washing one's recyclable food containers is rather pointless as these items will be cleaned again once they hit the factory. As a common courtesy to those workers, it would be nice to rinse out the occasional mayo jar or yogurt cup, but honestly, it's going to get washed again no matter how spotless it is when you recycle it. :P

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T


Works Cited:
Rastogi, Nina Shen. "Clean Jar, Clean Conscience?." Slate. 03 Feb 2009. Newsweek Interactive Co, Web. 16 Oct 2009. .