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waste
Sustainability in the Office
Offices contribute greatly to the waste generated in
Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), each
year the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of office paper, and the
average American throws away 1.6 billion single-use pens.
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Butter Bakery
Butter Bakery and Café owner, Dan Swenson-Klatt, on how his
restaurant is working to lessen their impact on the environment.
Q: How does Butter Bakery's product differ from a conventional restaurant?
Greening My Child’s School: A Local Story
Cafeteria waste contributes immensely to our ever-growing
landfills. Considering this, it was easy for me to implement no-waste lunches
in packing for my three school-age children, but I thought we could take it one
major step further and reduce the waste for their entire school: Edina
Highlands Elementary. After reading an article about Hennepin County initiating
an organics recycling program in their schools, I called John Jaimez at
Hennepin County for more information, and Highlands began an organics recycling
program too.
Alternative Birthday Party Ideas
Growing up, my birthdays consisted of parents, grandparents,
godparents, a cake, candles, and, since it was summer, endless games of kick
the can, ghost in the graveyard, and flashlight tag. Nowadays, it seems kids
have multiple parties with family, friends, and neighbors and the gifts and
waste grow with each event. As important as it is to honor your child's
emergence into the world, it is just as fun to plan for parties that have less
waste and may even give back to the environment or community, thus helping create
a cleaner future for birthdays to come.
Waste? What’s the Problem?
The average Minnesotan generates more than seven pounds of waste per day or more than a ton annually!
ECO SPORTS Put a Little Eco in Your Stride!
Going green with sports may not be the first thing you think
about when it comes to being eco friendly. As it happens, there are more ways
to play green than you may think. Aside from the obvious, "Leave No Trace" rule
when you are visiting state parks or camping, there are other important
environmental factors to consider when playing your sport. The green sports
industry has boomed in the last few years, now offering those of us with active
lifestyles a few new eco options when it comes to workout clothes and even
equipment.
From Wasteful Tourist to Ecotraveler
The convenience of tourism, complete with tiny non-recyclable
toiletries, gas-guzzling airplanes and over-packaged fast food, leads to an
accumulation of waste. In order to revamp travel into a more sustainable
practice, we must abandon the traditional idea of tourism and adopt a new goal
to become an ecotourist. As ecotravelers, we must strive to explore with a
higher consciousness of our surroundings and the environmental impact of our
decisions instead of purchasing waste generating fast food and supporting big
Tips on Working with Your Landlord to Green Your Apartment
Too often when we talk about living green, we focus on
homeowners rather than renters. At Skally Management, a family-owned and
-operated real estate management company in St. Paul,
we're changing that concept by finding innovative ways to practice Eco-Management:
sustainable, responsible real estate management designed to have a positive impact
on our local environment and community.
We encourage renters to see their landlords as partners in living green. Try to start a face-to-face discussion with them, rather than using
Hey Kids! What Can You Do to Help the Earth?
The next time you are doing something creative, take a look at what happens to the “left-overs”. It doesn’t matter whether you are painting a picture, making dinner, or cleaning up. Whenever you create something you are making more that you didn’t mean to make—let’s call that “waste”.
Pack and Eat a No Waste Lunch
Pack a No Waste Lunch
A “no-waste lunch” is a meal that does not end up in the trash. You can buy food items in bulk, then put them in reusable containers to carry to school or work. Packing your food in reusables is typically less expensive and creates less waste than buying food that comes in disposable containers.
