ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS - Mind Your Plastic May

Take the Challenge

We are drowning in plastic.

From beauty products to grocery bags to water bottles to our daily cup of coffee, plastic is present in every aspect of our lives. Most of these items are designed to be used once and thrown away, usually heading to the landfill.

Some of the plastic that we think can be recycled, like drink lids, straws and utensils, end up in the landfill because they're either too difficult to recycle or there's no market for the end products. Even recyclable plastic such as water bottles are becoming harder to recycle.

The most effective approach to reducing our plastic waste is to REFUSE, REDUCE, and REUSE.

In January 2019, GreenWorks spearheaded the creation of the Plastics Reduction Task Force -- a group of motivated volunteers dedicated to reducing single-use plastic in our environment. Since its start, the Task Force has already organized a campaign for a plastic bag ban, is developing a "Go Easy Guide" to businesses and is coordinating a month-long Mind Your Plastic May Challenge for May 2019.

Join the plastic-free movement and break free from the plastic ties that bind us.

take the challenge

When you take the Mind Your Plastic May Challenge, you will be entered into a drawing for plastic-free prizes such as locally-made Broo shampoo and body bars, a Shecology laundry starter kit, beeswax wraps from Lick Log Branch Apiaries, bamboo utensils from Ten Thousand Villages and more!

Plus, for every $10 donated to the campaign, you receive an additional raffle entry.

Donate now for a plastic-free future

Pounds of plastic diverted from the landfill*

*based on the average amount of plastic waste produced per person per day (0.6 pounds), the number of days of the challenge and the number of participants

Plastic Reduction at the Restaurant

5/21/2019

We often associate plastic waste with to-go dining, but there can also be plastic waste generated while dining-in at restaurants. Keep reading to learn some simple plastic-reduction solutions for dining in at your favorite restaurant!

Straws
Regardless of where you go, you can pretty much expect plastic straws to be offered. The first step is refuse, by telling your server you do not care for a straw with your drink. If you enjoy using straws, you can bring your own alternative straw. Metal, glass or bamboo straws are available locally and can be ordered online.

Plastic Utensils
If you are dining at a quick, casual restaurant, there is a possibility that plastic silverware will be offered. Try to come to these restaurants prepared with reusable bamboo or metal silverware, or ask if they have metal silverware you can use.

Dining with Kids
When dining out with children, consider the plastic that may come with their order. Often times kid’s beverages come in a plastic cup with a straw. An easy first-step would be to ask your server to not bring straws for their cups. One step further would be to bring your own clean, kid-friendly cup, and request the server fill your cups from home with their drinks.

Bottled Water
Choose tap water over bottled water when given the choice. This eliminates the use of a single-use plastic water bottle AND saves money on your bill. Besides, typically tap water is the same or higher quality than what is found in bottled water.

Leftovers
If you think you might have leftovers, grab a reusable container from your home to bring to the restaurant. By coming prepared, you are not forced to decide between leaving your leftovers at the restaurant and taking a single-use to-go container home with you.

Vote With Your Dollar
Some restaurants are already taking steps to a plastic-free dining room, by stocking compostable single-use products, not offering straws, and other waste-reduction strategies such as composting food waste and using renewable energy. Do your research to find out which businesses in your community are already taking the steps to be environmentally responsible and plastic-free, and support these businesses!

Sincerely,
Julia Krebs-Moberg
Waste Reduction Education Coordinator
Asheville GreenWorks
AmeriCorps Project Conserve

Greening Your To-Go Experience

5/20/2019

Meals on the go can be one of the most difficult aspects of plastic reduction. Whether you are ordering food to-go from a restaurant, or packing a meal from home for a day out, there are many possibilities of encountering single-use plastic waste.

To-Go Food
When ordering to-go from a restaurant, call ahead and ask if it is possible they pack your food into your containers from home. If the restaurant cannot accommodate, request your food “for here,” and when the food arrives, pack it into reusable containers you bring from home. If this seems like a bit too much work, you could start small by simply requesting no plastic straws and no plastic utensils.

To-Go Cups
Coffee cups, soda cups, sweet tea cups can all be replaced with a reusable stainless steel or ceramic mug. Maybe even keep a few spares in your car for those days when you don’t think to grab a reusable cup on the way out of your house. In the summer if you find yourself often wanting use a straw to enjoy an iced beverage, stash reusable straws in your purse, car and backpack so you are not caught without one.

Meals from Home
When packing meals to-go from home, for yourself or your families, start by investing in a reusable lunch bag or box to hold everything in. Single-use plastic ziploc baggies can be replaced with either reusable plastic containers, or even better, eliminating plastic all together with metal containers, reusable snack baggies, or bees wax coated products.
Fast Food
Be conscientious of the impact fast food meals may have, not just in the production of the food itself, but of the wrappings that fast food often arrives in. It can be difficult to eliminate plastic waste from a fast food meal, so consider making a choice to have fast food in moderation, or finding alternatives at restaurants that can be more accommodating.
Green To-Go
In Durham, North Carolina, the “Green To-Go” Initiative services 28 restaurants and businesses with reusable to-go containers. The membership based service allows participants to essentially “check-out” a reusable container for takeout dining, and return the container to a collection point after use. This model could be replicated in your city! Find out more at durhamgreentogo.com.

Sincerely,
Julia Krebs-Moberg
AmeriCorps Waste Reduction Education Coordinator
Asheville GreenWorks

The Dirty Little Secret of Getting Your Laundry Clean

5/19/2019

Sunday is laundry day in my house. With a four person household, I probably average about five loads of laundry per week. That adds up to be a lot of laundry detergent each year. Over 30 billion loads of laundry are done each year in North America, leading to about 900 million laundry jugs discarded annually in the United States. Once empty, only an estimated 30 percent of these high-density polyethylene (HPDE) jugs are recycled. The remaining 70 percent ends up in landfills or as litter.

I never gave much thought to the container my liquid laundry detergent came in until I started the Mind Your Plastic May Challenge and spoke to Mari Fox, the owner of Shecology in Weaverville. I posted about Mari’s story on May 6th. Here it is again as a refresher.

One day in 2010, Mari had run out of her favorite Seventh Generation laundry detergent, which couldn’t be found in many places at the time. She jumped in her car to drive to a market to buy the laundry detergent. While waiting at a red light, she realized how ridiculous it was to be driving all over town burning fossil fuel to purchase “eco-friendly” detergent that was mostly water, packaged in plastic and shipped long-distance by trucks to the store. Think of all the monetary and environmental costs of doing that!

Fortunately, Mari came up with a brilliant solution -- Laundry Pills! Shecology’s Mother’s Little Helper Laundry Pills are concentrated soap nut powder (we’ll get to soap nuts in a minute) in dissolvable capsules that you add to your laundry load. No plastic, no shipping of plastic jugs of water. And they work! The secret is the soap nuts.

From Shecology’s site: “What are soap nuts? They're actually not "nuts" at all! These curious little pods are harvested, de-seeded, and sun-dried fruit from the “Soapberry” tree native to Northern India and Southern Nepal. These towering, thickly vegetated trees are naturally organic because pests do not like the taste of their frothy fruit.

Of all the varieties of soap nuts, Sapindus Mukorossi is the best for cleaning because it is loaded with the natural surfactant “saponin.” When dissolved in warm water saponin transforms into a foamy substance that removes dirt and odors from most any surface – from textiles to tennis shoes!”

For those DIY enthusiasts among us, you can purchase soap nuts and make your own cleaners for everything from your hair and body to dishes and laundry. If you’re like me, and DIY projects are merely a fantasy, you can purchase laundry pills or laundry powder from Shecology online.
Sincerely,
Dawn Chavez
Executive Director
Asheville GreenWorks

Ditch the Dryer Sheets

5/18/2019

Have you ever thought about plastic reduction in your laundry room? How about those fresh-smelling dryer sheets that reduce static electricity, leaving your clothes feeling soft? Dryer sheets are made from synthetic polyester, and the toxic chemicals contained in dryer sheet fabric softeners are what target the electrostatic charges. Dryer sheets are a sneaky single-use plastic, designed to be used once then tossed out, where they will persist in the environment forever.

Wool dryer balls are a simple swap for dryer sheets. Made of natural material, they will biodegrade after use, do not contain toxic chemicals, and can be re-used for up to 1000 loads. Wool dryer balls replace dryer sheets in function by softening clothes and reducing static cling. They speed up the drying process, which saves money, time, and energy. Because they are made of natural materials, they can be returned to the earth at the end of their life and do not need to be sent to the landfill. If you also want to recreate the fresh scent of traditional dryer sheets, apply a few drops of your favorite essential oils to the dryer balls before placing them in the load. Locally, Shecology sells dryer balls at Littlest Birds, or they can be ordered online.

Bonus laundry room tip: Consider the microplastics! Every time you wash your synthetic polyester clothing, microscopic plastic fibers are shed from your clothing into the water. When purchasing new clothing, try to buy clothes made of natural fibers whenever possible. If you require some synthetics, wash these items as infrequently as possible to reduce the amount of microplastics you are releasing into the water.
Sincerely,
Julia Krebs-Moberg
Asheville GreenWorks
Waste Reduction Education Coordinator
AmeriCorps Project Conserve

Plastic Bottles are Evil

5/17/2019

Ok, y’all, we now KNOW that plastic pollution is not an abstract threat, but rather, a threat relevant to everything alive on Earth. There’s no un-knowing what we know. Our oceans are projected to contain more plastic than fish by 2050, our seafood contains micro-plastic, our water contains micro-plastic, and the impact of plastic waste globally is impacting all systems and their functions. Friends, this is the hard truth we’re facing. But YOU care! I care! And SO many care to shift this tide – we can do it! So far this month, you’ve audited your bin, learned more about what’s actually recycled, explored the feel-good savings of shopping in Bulk, replaced plastic kitchen cleaning supplies with those more sustainable, broken up with plastic grocery bags and replaced them with reusable bags, considered alternatives to your personal products – you’ve taken these and SO many important steps in reducing single-use plastic pollution, not all of them easy. These steps require planning, researching, and a new layer of mindfulness as a consumer. CONGRATULATIONS! It feels good to do good.

Well, today’s post offers an easy tip, inviting a simple yet powerful swap that diverts plastic bottles from landfills and waterways: carry a reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go, and refuse single-use plastic-bottle consumption. Personally, I love my Hydro Flask, an insulated metal bottle that keeps beverages hot or cold, but there are countless options, even available at Goodwill or yard sales! This swap doesn’t have to cost a thing. In fact, your wallet will thank you when you begin to Refuse.

According to a recent article in Forbes, “humans buy a million plastic bottles per minute. 91% of all plastic is not recycled. On top of that, it is estimated that over half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold in 2020.” Each plastic bottle we consume, made from polyethylene terephthalate (Pet), takes 500 years to naturally decompose. Unfortunately, plastic recycling is complex. Most material is transported across the globe to find markets for recycled materials. A recent Greenpeace report found six of the largest soft drinks companies, excluding Coca-Cola, use a combined average of just 6.6% recycled plastic globally. Why? New plastic is cheaper than recycled.

https://www.waecorp.com/ourgreenisblue/say-no-to-bottled-water/9

What if water fountains were more numerous, and tap water more clearly available in cafes, restaurants and elsewhere? Before plastic and the marketing that made us think we needed bottled water in the first place, drinking fountains were an urban fixture. I’d like to see a revival! And what if, aside from times of natural or public health disaster when we have access to safe drinking water, we just refused these bottles? Our bodies would thank us, avoiding leached plastic and sugary drinks, our bank accounts would thank us, and the planet would thank us! Actress Emma Watson reminds us, “as consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.” Or, what we DON’T buy. These days, plastic bottled beverages are at the top of my list.

Tip: most any restaurant/café you pass will refill your water bottle if you ask nicely. And, if there’s a water spigot with single-use plastic cups beside it and you don’t have your own water bottle with you that day, just ask for a “for here” cup and they will gladly help you out, diverting one more item from its near-eternity as trash.

For more on plastic bottles, check out this video, "The Story of Bottled Water" with Annie Leonard and The Story of Stuff.

Sincerely,
Hilary Drake, Founder
Mind Your Plastic

Who Gives a Crap? We All Can!

5/16/2019

“Trees are for hugging. And climbing. And for scared cats, kites, birds, treehouses, swings, snakes (gaaaah), and owls. But you should feel good knowing you’re not wiping your bum with trees.”

*Truth from the wrapper of a WHO GIVES A CRAP? roll

Before we began our family’s personal challenge to live more sustainably and give up single-use plastic, I honestly didn’t spend too much time thinking about toilet paper. Caring most about cost, our TP was just something we bought mindlessly in bulk, a few times a year. When we began to pay attention, we wondered how we could avoid the over-packaged rolls, wrapped with plastic in groups of 3, then wrapped AGAIN in plastic.

It wasn’t until we began to research alternatives that we realized conventional toilet paper is a doubly-offensive product; not only wrapped in plastic that isn’t likely to be recycled, but a non-recycled paper product made from virgin trees! Toilet paper alone wipes out 27,000 trees a day! Worldwide, the equivalent of almost 270,000 trees is either flushed or dumped in landfills EVERY DAY and roughly 10% of that total is attributable to toilet paper, according to World Watch magazine. Not only are we cutting virgin trees down, wrapping them in plastic, wiping our bums and flushing them down the toilet, we are consuming loads of energy and water along the way. There IS a better way!

Unless you’re ready to go rogue and install a Bidet, know that there are multiple companies offering better choices. We’ve chosen WHO GIVES A CRAP, because they offer 100% recycled or bamboo toilet paper, and they are a company on a mission to help people with their profits, donating 50% to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world. Delivered in a fully recycled cardboard box, void of any plastic coating, each roll comes in a colorful recycled paper (not plastic!) wrap, covered in cheeky humor. And it is pretty hilarious to watch the mail carrier haul a gigantic box advertising the sentiment WHO GIVES A CRAP across the yard every few months. It makes me want to shout: “WE DO! WE OFFICIALLY GIVE A CRAP!” In the harrowing fight against plastic pollution, and the battle to halt climate change, humor is our best medicine.

For those extra-sensitive times, many of us have taken to purchasing “flushable wipes.” Hands down, they’re downright luxurious. But most wet wipes are made with plastic resins like polyester or polypropylene, and as such, they never fully biodegrade, they simply break into smaller and smaller pieces – releasing countless microscopic plastic fibers into the environment. So don’t believe everything you read! “Flushable” wipes are misleading, should not be flushed, cannot disintegrate in the sewerage system, and cause major blockages. If you must wet-wipe, consider these wipes trash, and dispose of them properly. Or, perhaps this is one luxury you’re willing to forego in the name of reducing single-use plastics? There’s always glass-bottled booty spray, or good ole’ fashioned wash-cloths like our grandmas used for those extra special days!
Sincerely,
Hilary Drake, Founder
Mind Your Plastic

Stop Showering in Plastic!

5/15/2019

Over the past couple of weeks we've shared some great tips to curbing the addiction to single-use plastics in our daily lives. Now it’s time to explore our plastic use in the bathroom. As a society, we’re swimming in plastics in the bathroom and most of our shower items are contained in plastics. Take a look behind your shower curtain and you’ll most likely spot plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles, plastic face and body wash bottles, or maybe a plastic loofah...the list goes on. On the upside, many of these plastic items can be recycled...if you take the time to rinse them out. But let’s go a step further and change up the shower routine to completely wipe out that pesky plastic.

How do we get plastics out of our showers for good? It’s surprisingly easy. Let’s start with shampoos and conditioners. There are so many alternative to choose from for each hair type. Bars are becoming very popular and are among one of my favorite alternatives. Another easy option is to get a glass or aluminum refillable bottle and go to your local Earth Fare to fill up on shampoo and conditioner from the bulk bottles. The same goes for your face and body washes. Again, bars are an excellent alternative and come in many different formulas for each skin type. Refillable jars for face and body washes can be filled at Earth Fare as well or West Village Market.

Lastly, that plastic loofah. If you weren’t aware these guys are a hotbed for bacteria to grow and it is recommended that they be thrown out and replaced every two to three months! An excellent alternative to the loofah is a scrub brush. You can get a hand held one or even one with a long arm for those hard to reach spots on your back. Washcloths are another great alternative to a loofah -- soap it up and scrub away. For the DIYers out there, you can grow your own loofah sponge: https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/growing-luffa-sponges/

Links
Shampoos & Conditioners:
https://ethiquebeauty.com/collections/hair
https://broo.com/hair/bar-shampoo/
Body & Face Wash:
https://shop.drbronner.com/castile-bar-soap
Scrub Brush:
https://ecotools.com

Easier than you thought, right? Good luck and happy showering!

Shelby Hyatt
GreenWorks Water Quality Coordinator
AmeriCorps Project Conserve

Sink Your Teeth into these Plastic-Free Tips

5/14/2019

Going plastic-free can feel like pulling teeth. Where do you start? Where do you end? We’ve been talking about ways to reduce your plastic in the kitchen and the workplace, and we’ve seen some great tips. Hopefully you’ve been keeping track of your favorite ones. But maybe you’ve thought, “Well, that sounds great and I could do that but…” - we’ve got a lot of excuses. And making changes to our habits overnight can be a mouthful. (Are we tired of teeth puns yet?)

So let me give you a few different tips for switching out your toothbrush and toothpaste, whatever level you’re at.

1. You’ve still got that plastic toothbrush and floss container, right? We know you’re feeling very excited and committed to changing out all of your plastics, but we also know it’s a process. Good news though - you can use those up and when it’s time to toss, bring it to Hard 2 Recycle on June 15th in Weaverville! Thanks to Terracycle and the City of Asheville, we can recycle toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, and floss containers. Just make sure they’re all empty!

2. Now that you’ve gotten rid of those plastics, your next step is choosing an alternative. There are a lot of great companies putting out bamboo toothbrushes (compostable), toothpaste tabs, and glass-container floss. We’ll link to a bunch at the bottom for you to explore (just to get you started). But if you want to shop locally, places like Earth Fare, Whole Foods, West Village Market, and Ware carry bamboo toothbrushes and/or glass-container floss.
3. If you have extra time and energy, DIY! Not only is the packaging of toothpaste hard to recycle, there can be some questionable ingredients, as well. There are some easy DIY toothpaste recipes out there for both pastes and powders. Here’s a paste recipe that I personally use and enjoy: 2 tablespoons of organic coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and 15-20 drops essential oil (like peppermint or cinnamon). Mix it all up and store in a small reusable, sealed container. (PS it doesn’t foam up and the taste is a bit saltier, but you’ll still feel super fresh and clean!)

I hope these small changes will make you smile, knowing that you’re one step closer to living plastic-free!
Links
Bite Toothpaste tablets: https://bitetoothpastebits.com/
Chewtab Toothpaste tablets: https://amzn.to/2P4RLBX
Finding a toothbrush alternative: https://www.treehugger.com/green-home/6-toothbrushes-keep-your-teeth-clean-and-green.html
Glass-container floss: https://earth911.com/living-well-being/glass-floss-containers/
Chelsea Rath
GreenWorks Community Engagement Coordinator

5 Steps for Ditching Plastic at Work

5/13/2019

Plastics are everywhere, including all around our workplaces. Workplace plastics come in the form of disposable flatware, excessive wrappings for individual portions, plastics used for grab & go convenience and more. That bottle of water is easy to grab on the way to the meeting.

If you work in a business or attend a school or university, you’re in a great position to make changes with far-reaching and long-lasting impact simply because of the scale of your organization. So how can you change the plastic culture at your office?

Think about investing in a set of inexpensive flatware, plates and bowls for use in the kitchen. Are there items in the office that don’t need to be individually wrapped? Perhaps some stock products can be found wrapped in recyclable paper rather than plastic?

In a blog on Less Plastic in the UK, Amanda Keetly shares tips for going plastic-free in the workplace, referring to what she calls, “The Plastic Game Changer 5 Ps’.”

Picture - Create a shared vision with your colleagues of what reducing plastic in the workplace looks like. You can even invite an expert, like Waste Reduction Partners locally, to help you assess your office’s plastic use or screen a movie. My favorite is inspiring people by doing a clean-up project together. GreenWorks would love to help you organize something to energize your team.
Plot - This could be a job for the office numbers person. Plot your office’s plastic usage. How much are you using each week? What is it costing? How will choosing alternatives change those costs?
Pledge - Make a commitment to reducing plastic and make it public. Encourage your office mates to join you in the Mind Your Plastic May Challenge. Once you’ve made an office-wide commitment, be sure to share in your newsletter and on social media. You’ll be more accountable and your clients will applaud your efforts.
Plan - Encourage creative ideas for reducing plastic from your colleagues and develop a plan to implement them. Be sure to include ways to measure your progress.
Promote - Share your success and inspire others to join you in #goingplasticfree

And, let’s add a sixth P to the list. PARTY! Celebrate being a Plastic Game Changer. This work isn’t easy. Have some plastic-free fun to celebrate your accomplishments.

Danise Hauser
GreenWorks Office Associate

Plastic-Free Parenting

5/12/2019

On this special day, when we celebrate mothers, we can honor them by choosing less plastic in the gifts we give to them and their children. Whether you’re a parent or know someone who is, you can help make parenting babies and small children less harmful to the planet by choosing plastic-free alternatives for everything from sippy cups to diapers to toys.

Feeding Time - Disposable plastic placemats and bibs help keep tabletops clean and messes contained when eating out with toddlers and small children. Plastic plates, sippy cups and utensils are designed with convenience in mind -- just “take and toss” is one brand’s motto. But all that tossing is creating a waste problem that is not so convenient. Luckily, there are lots of great alternatives to plastics, such as stainless steel plates and sippy cups and wooden or metal utensils. Cloth bibs and silicone placemats are easy to clean and keep those spills in check.

Snacks on the Go - When carting little ones around in a stroller or packing up the family in the minivan, baggies of snacks can be a lifesaver. Replacing disposable plastic snack bags with reusable cloth snack bags is a great way to mind your plastic. Cloth snack bags come in a variety of sizes and can have zipper, velcro or button closures. Some are even waterproof. They’re super easy to wash and reuse. You can buy them locally, online or even make your own.

Diapers - The average baby in the U.S. uses between 6,500 and 10,000 diapers before being potty trained at about 30-months old. That’s approximately 27.4 billion plastic diapers every year. Making the switch to reusable cloth diapers might sound daunting, but with local diaper services that collect the dirty diapers and bring fresh clean ones to your doorstep, using cloth diapers can be just as convenient as using disposables. There are also cloth diapering classes, like Cloth Diaper 101 at The Littlest Birds in West Asheville, to help you get started. And cloth diapers and their wraps are so darn cute! Check out these cloth diapers

Wet Stuff - Speaking of diapers...with babies and small children, there’s bound to be spills and accidents. What do you do with the dirty cloth diaper when you’re out and about? Rather than using plastic bags to contain the wet stuff, you can use a waterproof cloth bag. I even had a large trash can sized waterproof cloth bag to line my diaper pail at home when I had babies in cloth diapers. They come in all sizes and have a great many uses, like carrying wet bathing suits home from the beach or pool.

Toys and Playthings - No matter its intended purpose, chances are a toy given to a baby will end up in her mouth. That’s how babies explore things. Plastic toys can be full of some really nasty chemicals, including lead, bisphenol-A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and phthalates. Look for toys made from wood, bamboo, or organic cotton or hemp.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ll be giving away a gift certificate to The Littlest Birds this week. Thanks to The Littlest Birds for donating to the Mind Your Plastic May Challenge and for caring about people and the planet!

Dawn Chavez
GreenWorks Executive Director