A Super Easy, Cheap, Tasty, Green, Summery Change!

For all of you looking for a way to go green without looking like a hippie, spending any extra money, or sacrificing anything, here's a super easy way! When you get ice cream this summer, get it in a cone instead of a dish. Once you finish eating, there's no trash left behind besides a sleeve that comes with them sometimes, which is usually recyclable. With a dish, there's the dish itself (usually styrofoam) and the spoon.

There's an easy change if there ever was one. Now go out and get some ice cream! :)

Easy Ways to Make Less Trash

The average American creates 4.6 pounds of trash each day, and that really piles up! All our trash in the landfills emits a gas called methane, which is the second biggest cause of global warming. And some of the trash we make gets to the ocean, which has created a huge garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean.
To reduce your impact on the landfill, try some of these following tips:

• Compost kitchen and yard scraps (how to available here)
• Bring reusable bags to the grocery store
• Switch from a paper lunch bag to a reusable lunch box
• Donate stuff you don't want anymore (but is still in good condition) to a thrift store, or sell it on craigslist or ebay.
• Keep something in your car to bring extra food from restaurants home with (instead of the disposable styrofoam containers)
• Try to buy things with as little packaging as possible. 
• Bring a reusable cup to Starbucks
• Avoid bottled water. Use a reusable water bottle instead (check out these cool designs)
• Use reusable containers instead of Ziploc bags
• Recycle! 
• Use reusable plates, silverware, and cups while eating
• When buying things, think about 
• will this break soon or will it last a long time?
• does this have excessive packaging?
• can I borrow or rent this instead?
• can I recycle this when I'm done with it?

This doesn't seem like much, but if everyone did these things, think how much a difference it would make!

For more tips, visit:

No Impact Man
Green Garbage Project
Gaiam Life
A zero waste family

Comment with your own tips and ideas! :)

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

a.k.a. the Pacific Trash Vortex

Believe it or not, the world's largest landfill isn't on land at all - its in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a section of the ocean where currents bring trash to an area estimated to be twice the size of Texas. Charles Moore, a marine researcher, has estimated the mass of the patch at 100 million tons.

An estimated 80% of the garbage comes from land based sources......meaning you and me! Most of it is plastic. The plastic disintegrates into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces until the pieces are molecules. But get this: It's still plastic! Eventually, that plastic is ingested by aquatic organisms. Plastics have been found in the stomachs of marine birds and animals such as albatrosses, jellyfish, and more - research has shown that this debris affects at least 267 species across the world.

"Why do I care?" you ask, being human. Besides the fact that it's totally gross, more than a million birds and marine animals are killed each year who eat or get caught in the trash. Plus, these jellyfish and other animals are eaten by bigger fish, and then by us. So those toxic chemicals can make their way into your dinner!

How to keep the Patch from growing:

• Reduce the amount of disposable plastic you use. Try using a reusable container or water bottle instead of a Ziploc bag or plastic bottle. 
• When buying anything made from plastic check before buying to see if it's recyclable in your town. Most towns only recycle #1 and #2 plastics. Go here to find out what and where you can recycle in your town.
• Make sure what you are buying will last awhile, instead of immediately breaking. Try to buy things that will be used multiple times.
• Before buying something, ask yourself if you really need it. 

To learn more about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, visit:
http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/10-the-worlds-largest-dump
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/5208645/Drowning-in-plastic-The-Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch-is-twice-the-size-of-France.html

And to learn how to reduce your plastic waste, visit:
http://takeoutwithout.com/
http://thenakeddish.com/blog/10-easy-ways-to-reduce-plastic-waste/
http://www.squidoo.com/reduceplastic

Good luck! :)

'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder

Wishing to dispose of the empty plastic container, and failing to spot a recycling bin nearby, an estimated 30 million Americans asked themselves Monday how bad throwing away a single bottle of water could really be.

Find out! :)