Consumer Change

Greening St Patrickâ€™s Day â€“ The Natural Way

Created: Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 09:30 AM Modified: Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 09:30 AM

St Patrick’s Day is on March 17, and in addition to wearing green, many Americans will be eating green food and drinking green beer. Chicagoans will dye the river green. Unfortunately in this context the color green does not signify sustainable, in fact, it is often the opposite. This week we decided to investigate the issues associated with artificial food colorings and dyes.

According to Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy, synthetic food dyes, mostly petroleum-derived, are unnecessary. FDA-approved uses for synthetic food dyes include: making foods more fun (e.g., Valentine’s sprinkles or brightly colored candies); coloring for otherwise colorless foods (e.g., lime sherbet); and enhancing natural color. Synthetic food dyes are used in a number of foods such as Fruit Loops and popsicles, but also butter, the skins of fruit and the casings of hot dogs. Synthetic dyes are especially common in foods marketed to children, including candies as well as many foods, dressings, treats, and dipping sauces at fast food outlets.

According to the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), synthetic food dyes have been suspected of disrupting children's behavior since the 1970s, when Dr. Ben Feingold, a San Francisco allergist, reported that his patients improved when their diets were changed. Numerous controlled studies in the United States, Europe, and Australia proved that some children’s behavior is worsened by artificial dyes. A 2007 study by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency showed that the consumption of foods containing dyes could increase hyperactive behavior in children.

In July 2008, the European Parliament voted to add warning labels with the phrase "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" to products with the six synthetic red and yellow dyes. In the same year, the UK's Food Standards Agency, the British regulatory counterpart to our Food and Drug Administration, asked food makers to voluntarily recall six artificial colors in food by 2009. Some companies now sell two versions of their products: one without synthetic food dyes for the UK, and a U.S. version that includes such dyes.

In the US, the CSPI formally petitioned the FDA for a ban on Yellow 5, Red 40, and six other widely used artificial colorings that are linked to hyperactivity and behavior problems in children. The FDA is still considering the ban.

What you can do:

· Make your own green dye from red onions, courtesy of ehow.com:

1. Rinse the onions. Peel off the outer dry layers of the onions.

2. Put the onion skins into a glass or enamel pan. Put in your cup of water. Cover.

3. Bring to a hearty boil on medium high heat. When it reaches a full rolling boil, turn it to medium heat.

4. Let the juice sit and cool. Strain it and take out the onion skins. Toss these. The green juice you have left is your green dye.

· Buy natural food colorings and dyes.

Please login to add comments.

Consumer Change â€“ The Response Process

Created: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 10:54 AM Modified: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 10:54 AM

Why Hand Out Trophies Just For Having Fun?

Created: Monday, February 8, 2010, 10:40 PM Modified: Monday, February 8, 2010, 10:40 PM

Originally published by Dave Kehmeier in Silicon Valley Community Newspapers.

I counted my son’s soccer trophies the other day. Buried under a thick layer of dust and boyhood detritus on his bookshelf were 23 trophies in various shapes and sizes. Looking at all that hardware, you’d think we’re raising the next Pelé.

And those are just the soccer trophies. He’s got t-ball, basketball, and flag football trophies too. Counting the box full of his oldest ones packed away in the garage somewhere, I figure he’s won about as many sports trophies as my entire generation combined.

All of the trophies are made of cheap plastic with fake woodgrain or marble bases and metallic paint flaking off sports figurines displaying impossibly correct throwing, passing, or shooting form. They look impressive, but as soon as you pick one up, you get the feeling you’d better put it back down gently before something breaks off. Basically, the trophies are a bunch of a word we try not to use around my son much.

Sooner or later, that bunch of “word” is going to end up in a landfill. If I don’t do it first, the woman he marries most certainly will. All those trophies take up a lot of space and besides, there’s nothing more pathetic than a grown man desperately clinging to the dubious accomplishments of his youth. Wait – did I just write that out loud?

The sad thing is, it’s not just my son. According to the Internet (which I have no reason to question when it serves my purposes), an estimated 48 million 5 to 17-year-olds played organized youth sports in the U.S in 1995. There’s probably at least a couple more million playing now. If we give 50 million kids, say, 2 trophies a year and the trophies are 15 inches tall on average, they'd nearly reach around the world at the equator. The last thing the earth needs from us right now is an equatorial ring of trophy junk every year. What a waste. Someone should get a red card for this.

And they’re not just junk, they’re pointless junk. Most of my son’s trophies are participation trophies. Those are just for showing up even if your best play of the season was taking a ball in the face off a penalty kick. Show up, and you get a trophy. Show up once in a while, have a crummy attitude, play lousy, and you still get a trophy. What’s so special about that? The truth is, after about half a dozen trophies, they all start to lose any meaningful significance.

It turns out, kids play sports for fun. In fact, in a survey of the top 10 reasons why kids play sports, they listed having fun as their number one reason. I found this out on the Internet too. It’s definitely true for my son, although the most fun for him is finding a stick during practice and chasing his teammates around the field with it.

My guess is that 99.99% of kids would still play sports even if we didn’t hand out any trophies. They’d probably have just as much fun, too. Sure, they’d cry foul at first because they’re used to us rewarding them for any effort regardless of outcome. But they’d get over it eventually. In the meantime, there are always the post-game snacks to sugar them up and keep them happy.

So even though banning youth sports trophies would be good for the environment and the kids really don’t need them, I doubt it will happen; the trophy industry is too entrenched. But I’m still hoping I can get my son to part with his collection before it becomes a future marital issue.

I’m going to keep my 2007 “Coach of the Year” plaque, though. It’s made of real wood and I’ll probably never get another one. Especially if the players on my team read this.

With thanks to Dave Kehmeier and Silicon Valley Community Newspapers for allowing us to post this article.

Please login to add comments.

The Importance of Recycling

Created: Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 09:19 AM Modified: Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 09:19 AM

About one-third of the Reviews submitted on Consumer Change are about recycling, usually about the lack of recycling facilities in an establishment or a “thanks” for supplying those facilities. So for this weeks’ Blog we thought we would do a quick recycling Q&A.

1) How much of our waste is recycled?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2008, approximately 250 million tons of waste was produced in the United States, and roughly 83 million tons of that waste was recycled. These figures indicate that 33.2 percent of all waste produced in 2008 (within the United States) was recycled. However the EPA estimates that up to 75% is recyclable, so we have a long way to go.

2) Is recycling better for the environment? (You’d be surprised at how many people have asked me this question).

While recycling is a better alternative than just throwing stuff away, it is, by far, the least efficient way to lessen our footprint. Recycle is the last of the three R's of the environment:

Reduce – cut back on the amount of stuff you are using buying and using (consumer goods, petrol, electricity, water, etc.)

Reuse - water bottles, reuseable plastic bags are great examples of things that are reusable. The more you reuse, the less you need to buy and the less you need to throw away.

Recycle

3) Why is Recycling Important?

There are several ways which recycling helps the environment:

· Saving Energy

When new products are manufactured from ‘virgin materials’, the amount of energy consumed is much higher than when they are manufactured from recycled products. In addition, the energy required to acquire and transport the ‘virgin’ raw materials from their origins or natural sources is also saved.

· Reducing Pollution

The processing of fresh raw material creates toxic materials which pollute the environment. For example, every ton of aluminum that is mined, another ton of toxic chemicals is left behind to contaminate water supplies, however foil and soda cans made from recycled materials eliminate this type of pollution. Producing paper from recycled pulp versus virgin fiber emits 95 percent less air pollution; manufacturing glass from recycled materials generates 20 percent less air pollution.

· Saving Natural Resources

Recycling helps in saving our natural resources, for example, once an old newspaper is recycled we do not need to use the resource of another tree to produce new paper products.

· Economic Benefits

Similar to energy and natural resource, recycling also helps in saving a lot of expense required the production of new products from ‘virgin’ materials. Recycling process creates employment opportunities for a lot of people, involved in the various stages of the process.

· Recycling Saves Landfill Space

Most of the landfill sites are filled up with a lot of waste products that could have been recycled effectively. Some of these waste materials belong to non-biodegradable category which takes a long time to decompose. Recycling enables proper usage of these waste products and saves space for landfills.

4) How can I recycle?

According to Earth911.org curbside recycling now serves half of the U.S. population, providing the most convenient means for households to recycle a variety of materials. While all curbside programs differ, the most commonly included materials are “The Big Five:”

o Aluminum

o Glass

o Paper

o Plastic

o Steel

If you have items that you cannot reuse, freecycle or donate, Earth911.org can help you find local recyclers.

Please login to add comments.

Green Tips for Valentineâ€™s Day

Created: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 09:46 AM Modified: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 09:46 AM

There is no need to sacrifice romance for the environment this Valentine’s Day, Consumer Change has collected some tips to help you keep your red-hot love life green.

1. Card. According to Greeting Card Association, almost 1 Billion Valentine’s Day cards are sold each year; laid end to end, they would circle the world five times.

What can you do to reduce the impact? Send an ecard, buy a card made from recycled paper, or buy a ‘tree-free’ card - cards are now available made from (among other things) banana skins, reclaimed sugar cane or elephant poo, although that last one may not be the best idea for Valentine’s Day.

2. Flowers. According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, around 70% of flowers are imported into the US, many of which are sprayed with harmful pesticides and fungicides which are banned here. Even flowers grown in the US can be harmful to the environment as flowers are one of the most pesticide intensive crops.

The easy fix? Buy locally grown organic flowers. You will reduce the carbon footprint from the transportation of the flowers and avoid toxins potentially harming the watershed and streams.

3. Chocolate. According to Global Exchange, 284,000 children are employed abusive labor conditions in West Africa’s cocoa fields. Many cocoa companies pay so low that many farmers cannot meet their basic needs.

Guilt free chocolate? Organic fair trade chocolate. Organic to reduce the impact on the environment. Fair trade to make sure that forced and abusive child labor are prohibited, farmers get an adequate price and environmentally sustainable production methods are used in the making of chocolate for your loved one. Not calorie free but definitely guilt free.

4. Jewelry. There are several environmental and humane issues connected with jewelry. Mining destroys habitats and uses harmful toxins. According to No Dirty Gold the production of one gold ring generates 20 tons of mining waste.

Is there such a thing as eco-bling? If jewelry is on your shopping list, consider antique, pre-owned jewelry or purchasing from jewelers who are certified to be sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner.

5. Dinner. Arrange dinner at a local restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food and wine. The Green Restaurant Association has a search function on their website that allows you to search for Certified Green Restaurants in your neighborhood.

6. Candlelight. Conventional candles can pollute indoor environments, use beeswax or soy-wax candles that burn much cleaner.

7. And then? One of the most innovative areas of green entrepreneurialship is eco-sex toys. An online search for green sex toys has over 12 Million results. Have fun finding the perfect one for you and your partner.

Please login to add comments.

Rethinking The Green Packaging Paradigm

Created: Monday, January 18, 2010, 09:17 PM Modified: Monday, January 18, 2010, 09:18 PM

Originally published by JoAnn Hines (http://packagingdiva.com) on Amazon Green Scene on December 21, 2009.

Green packaging is here to say or so they say this time. This is the third attempt to make the packaging industry more environmentally aware and to offer sensible solutions to solving the problem. There are several reasons behind the previous failures but mostly it was because the consumer wasn't ready, it cost too much and it wasn't all that popular with the majority of the public.

Now the consumer is ready to support more eco friendly packaging alternatives.
But at this point they are totally confused by the reality of it all. What constitutes environmentally or sustainable packaging?

There are many eco terms used by the packaging industry and other organizations that are misunderstood and in many cases (according to the FTC misrepresented.) The term coined to cover this phraseology is called 'Greenwashing'. By definition Greenwashing is the practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice.

In the case of packaging you will hear terms such as, bioplastics, bioresins, compostable, biodegradable, sustainable, recyclable, all used to reinforce an environmentally friendly packaging message. The problem is much of this is misleading nomenclature, or at the very least misunderstood. Yet companies are clamoring to come up with the latest buzz phrase to capture that elusive consumer who wants less packaging, packaging reduction or packaging that can be repurposed in a different way.

But less packaging or a different packaging material is not the answer. We need to look at packaging holistically that is from the raw materials used through the manufacturing process to the ultimate disposal. Think about how packaging can be integrated into the entire big picture.

What most consumers don't understand is that we can't have products without packaging and what manufactures and CPG's don't understand is that consumers want to see lees of it. There in lies the problem, miscommunication!

There are numerous fabulous examples such as Terracycle repurposing packaging into other products or companies like Method that has done an incredible job of designing packaging that used over and over again by using refills (using much less packaging) or the old standby example of source reduction the Ultra detergents. These are a start towards feasible less packaging and packaging reduction solutions.

But the bottom line is how can we design and incorporate packaging so that products arrive undamaged, sanitary and uncontaminated while educating and informing the consumer, selling the product, yet contribute a minimum amount of packaging material to the waste stream' That's the answer the packaging companies should be seeking.

As a start, consider these 6 R's in your package design process.

Reduce: That is use less packaging where possible. Example the Ultra detergents.
Refill: Have a container that can be easily refilled with products using a lot less packaging material. Example: Method

Repurpose: Design the packaging with another purpose in mind after it has been consumed. Examples: Packaging that turns into other products.

Recycle: Partner with a company that will turn use packaging into something else. Example: Teracycle

Reuse: By products in packaging that can be used over and over again. Example: Refillable water bottles.

Renew: Consider using packaging from the renewal natural resources. Example Cargo Plant Love (plantable container)

So rethink the entire packaging equation from conception to disposal. Don't continue to packaging things the same old way just because it's been done that way for years. Less packaging is not the answer it's just one of many environmentally-friendly packaging solutions.

With thanks to JoAnn Hines and Amazon Green Scene for allowing us to post this article. Note: pictures in the original had to be omitted as our Blog posts do not support graphics.

Please login to add comments.

Under-hype About Over-Packaging?

Created: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 11:13 AM Modified: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 11:13 AM

This week, we are continuing the series of Blogs about the issues addressed by the Consumer Change iPhone App. Last week I shared an article I wrote about Polystyrene disposable containers that was published by Eucalyptus Magazine (see page 23). This week I thought I would Blog about the second eco-sin which is addressed by the Consumer Change iPhone App – over-packaging.

There are three main problems with over-packaging:

1) It wastes raw materials, usually cardboard, plastic and sometimes Styrofoam too. The more cardboard that is used, the more trees that are cut. The more plastic that is used, the more petroleum is used. To read about the environmental issues associated with Styrofoam, see the Blog of January 5, 2010;

2) Over packaged goods are heavier to ship, wasting more fuel in the distribution process;

3) Over packaging creates more waste filling up our landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one-third of our waste is due to packaging.

Clearly, some packaging is required to keep goods and products clean, safe and free from wear and tear. However, right-packaging (as opposed to over-packaging) should be a low hanging fruit for any business; they would save money on packaging and shipping costs in addition to helping the environment. A great example is Dell who in December 2008 announced that they would switch to greener packaging and that would result in savings of over $8 Million over 4 years and eliminate 20 Million pounds of packaging.

What You Can Do:

· Buy bulk and, where necessary, separate out individual servings into your own reusable containers;

· Vote with your pocket; choose the goods or products with the least amount of packaging or the environmentally friendly packaging. Buy loose fruits and vegetables instead of those packaged in Styrofoam trays and shrink-wrap;

· Recycle your packaging. For a list of your local recycling centers, visit Earth911;

· Reuse your packaging - hang onto those Styrofoam peanuts and cardboard boxes they might come in handy. I see a lot of people requesting these on FreeCycle.org;

· Buy or acquire used wherever possible to reduce the environmental burden of the product, its packaging and shipping. And you’ll save money too;

· Tell companies what you think by submitting Reviews on ConsumerChange.com or through the Consumer Change iPhone App.

Please login to add comments.

Announcing the Consumer Change iPhone App

Created: Thursday, January 7, 2010, 03:19 PM Modified: Thursday, January 7, 2010, 03:20 PM

The New Plastic Surgery: Cutting Out Polystyrene

Created: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 01:53 PM Modified: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 01:53 PM

Take a walk anywhere near a populated area of the South Bay and you’re likely to come across one of our most problematic polluters: polystyrene take-out containers. Like plastic bags, uncountable numbers of these long-lasting containers are literally blowing in the wind around San Francisco Bay. Although attempts are being made to ban these pervasive plastics on a state-wide level, for now, it’s up to city governments to put an end to the clutter.

In July 2009, a California bill that would have placed a statewide ban on polystyrene and other non-recyclable, disposable food containers was shelved for a year due to concerns about the impact it would have on California’s economy. If passed, it would have made California the first state to ban the use of polystyrene for restaurant disposables.

Even though the statewide ban has been shelved, over 30 California cities and counties, including San Francisco and Oakland, have banned the use of polystyrene take-out food containers. They have followed the lead of Berkeley, which in 1990 was the first city in the nation to enact such a ban.

Polystyrene, more commonly known as styrofoam, is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer.Polystyrene is the second most common type of beach debris in California and it comprises 15 percent of street litter. No one is sure how long it takes to decompose, but polystyrene foam is known to break up into pieces, which can choke animals and clog their digestive systems. While proponents state that it is possible to recycle polystyrene, it is not a "closed loop" process. This means that polystyrene cups are not remanufactured into cups, but into other products, such as packing filler. New resources are then used to produce more polystyrene cups.

Concerns about polystyrene are more than just environmental. Styrene, a chemical in polystyrene, is a known animal carcinogen, and a human neurotoxin (a toxin that acts on nerve cells). It migrates easily into food and beverages when foam containers are heated or come into contact with acids (like lemon juice) and fats or oils.

The bottom line: if you take out food from a restaurant, make sure that it comes in a recycled or compostable green-certified container, not one made of polystyrene.

What You Can Do

· Support restaurants certified by the Green Restaurant Association. They are required to use non-polystyrene containers like the Bio-Plus package pictured on this page, which is made from 100% recycled paper. Find green-certified restaurants at dinegreen.com.

· Encourage other restaurants to stop using polystyrene take-out food containers. If they want to go green but don’t know how, direct them to dinegreen.com or consumerchange.com.

· Get into the habit of carrying your own travel mug and water bottle to eliminate the need for disposable cups in coffee shops and restaurants.

Copyright Eucalyptus Magazine, Jan. 2010

Please login to add comments.

10 Green Tips for the Holidays

Created: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 04:52 PM Modified: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 05:01 PM

In a break with our tradition about blogging about businesses, this week’s Blog is about how you, our Users, can green the Holidays. We realize that many of you are very environmentally conscious so we invite you to add your own green Holiday tips as comments to this Blog.

1. Make your own wrapping paper – for inventive and original wrapping use old maps, children’s artwork, old comic books or magazines. If you feel the need to buy paper, buy the kind that has recycled content and can be recycled. Or use gift bags made from recycled content paper and reuse them.

2. Send e-cards or make phone calls – many of your long distance friends would appreciate a chance to catch up maybe more than a card on their mantelpiece. If you feel the need to send real cards, use ones that have recycled paper content. If you are even more adventurous, click here to learn about the ultimate form of recycled card.

3. Give the gift of green and help your loved ones save the environment too – reusable shopping bags, travel mugs, water bottles and recyclable battery kits all make great gifts and help your friends and family live a greener lifestyle. When you go shopping for those green gifts - take your own reusable shopping bag.

4. Buy a pesticide free Christmas tree – or buy a plastic tree and use it year on year. According to the Sierra Club, each year 10 million trees end up in landfills. If your city does not recycle trees, use www.earth911.org for tree recycling programs near you.

5. Be energy efficient with your holiday lighting. You can buy solar powered holiday lights for the outdoors, use energy efficient light bulbs or at a minimum, put your holiday lights on a timer so they are not constantly on.

6. Buy local, organic food – support local farmers that use sustainable practices. Buy only what you need and send guests home with leftovers to limit waste.

7. Keep and reuse paper, ribbons and bows.

8. New gifts may mean that your old stuff needs to go; donate, freecycle or recycle anything that is replaced.

9. Make a New Year’s resolution to download and use the Consumer Change iPhone app – look for details of its release in early 2010.

10.Take time out to enjoy your friends and family. A happy and refreshed you can only bring good things in 2010.

We will be taking a Blog break next week. Happy Holidays!

Please login to add comments.

Enough Already In The Land of Plenty

Created: Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 07:54 PM Modified: Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 07:54 PM

According to Use Less Stuff, Americans generate an extra 6 million tons of waste in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yikes! Even though I love this season, (the music, the smell of cinnamon, lots of free samples, everything bundled up looking so pretty in ribbon) I cringe at its excesses.

In this week’s Blog we have gathered up some of the retail eco-sins of the holidays.

Samples

Everyone loves free food. And around Holiday season it probably is the sweet and yummy kind. However samples probably mean disposable plates, napkins, toothpicks, cups etc.

What you can do: Try to resist samples unless you are really interested in buying. Ask companies to use environmentally friendly plates, napkins etc. and to compost or recycle them. A recent review of Costco highlighted the issue very clearly. You can read the Review and the corresponding response here.

Too much stuff

Reduce is the most important of the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). Yet shops are filled with decorations and advertising – all nice to see but it’s likely all will end up in a landfill by January.

What you can do: Ask shops to recycle their decorations and advertising signs. Not put them in the recycling bin but actually store them for use in future years.

Want to do more? Around holiday season the messaging is all about buying more more more… Sales can provide really good bargains but you only save money if you were going to buy the item anyway. Reduce the amount you buy to what is really needed. Shop in thrift stores to buy unique gifts or make your gifts to add a personal touch.

Catalogs

A hot topic for me personally as I spent over an hour this Sunday calling various catalog companies asking to be removed from their mailing list. We will have an entire Blog dedicated to catalogs here shortly.

Overpackaging

Love the ribbons and giftwrap but again, they are just landfill potential.

What you can do: Review packaging carefully, ask companies to use packaging that has recycled content and is recyclable. Otherwise it is pretty in the store but just landfill trash later. You can use Calculess.net to calculate the environmental impact of packaging such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and post-consumer solid waste.

For your own gifts, use reusable gift bags or make your own paper packaging by using old newspapers.

Comment 2

By: Admin On: Sunday, December 13, 2009, 10:11 AM

All good tips - thank you

Comment 1

By: aspafford On: Friday, December 11, 2009, 01:14 PM

If (like me) you do buy/use wrapping paper, there are a few other things you can do to reduce your environmental impact. Look for gift wraps that use at least some recycled paper; that means fewer trees will be cut down. Avoid metallic paper, and paper with glitter or plastics; they're usually not recyclable. Save some of your used wrapping paper for mailing packages throughout the year (back-side up), or cut it up to make gift-tags for next year. And if all else fails, remove any tape and recycle the wrapping paper you can't reuse.

Please login to add comments.

Plastic Bags â€“ Poster Child for the Need to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Created: Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 01:43 PM Modified: Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 08:23 PM

Andy Spafford, public interest attorney and policy analyst

Environmentally, plastic bags are a serious problem. Reusablebags.com and its founder Vincent Coob both note that more than 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year, including 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. We use roughly 12 billion barrels of petroleum a year to make those plastic bags, costing U.S. retailers about $4 billion. These costs are passed on to consumers not only via higher prices, but also through increased pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as continued dependence on (mostly imported) fossil fuels.

In addition, the U.S. recycling rate for plastic bags is fairly low, just 1 to 3% according to Reusablebags.com. Why? Several factors come into play:

1. Unlike bottles and cans, there's no redemption value for plastic bags. Thus consumers (and businesses) don't have a direct monetary incentive to recycle.

2. It costs much more to recycle plastic bags than to just make new ones. Adding a redemption value to plastic bags, or a tax on plastic bag manufacturers to fund recycling, would go a long way to addressing this problem.

3. Some recyclable bags get shipped overseas, where they don't actually get recycled.

4. A divided recycling system – in my area, #2 bags are collected for recycling at grocery stores, while #4 bags are collected as part of my home recycling pickup. This two-part system can confuse people, and isn't as convenient as it could be.

5. It's sometimes hard to tell which bags are recyclable. The recycling symbols are usually a tiny mark on the bag, and can sometimes be obscured in the creases/folds of the bag.

And that's just among recyclable plastic bags – those that are #2 or #4. Most plastic bags aren't recyclable at all. Now, I recycle all the bags I possibly can, but I started to wonder just how many of the products I buy come pre-wrapped/bagged in plastic that isn't recyclable. I did a little household inventory, and I found 18 products that came in plastic bags, only four of which were recyclable. That's 14 plastic bags destined for the garbage dump. Yikes!

So, my new project is to start writing reviews of these companies, patting them on the back if they use recycled plastic bags for their products (like Earthgrains, who also donate some of their profits to the Nature Conservancy, and have a list of environmental tips on their website), and calling them out if they don't (like Trader Joe's). In the meantime, I do have a few ways to re-use those non-recyclable bags. For smaller bags, I use them to clean up after the neighborhood dogs or cats that leave us "presents" in our yard. For larger bags, I use them as trash can liners, especially in the garage where aesthetics aren't a big priority.

What you can do:

* Contact your elected representatives and tell them to create the economic incentives to make plastic bag recycling the norm rather than the exception;

* Do your own household inventory of products that use plastic bags, and see how many are recyclable;

* Use Consumer Change to send reviews to companies that package products in non-recyclable plastic bags – let them know that you care about this issue;

* Come up with some other good ideas for re-using plastic bags and we'll promote them here.

Please login to add comments.

Enough Thermal Paper to Keep Us All Warm

Created: Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 01:52 PM Modified: Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 01:52 PM

One of my favorite daily reads is Umbra who dispenses advice on Grist to readers with environmental dilemmas. It was through reading her response to a question about receipt paper a couple of weeks ago that I learnt that receipt paper is non-recyclable.

After reading the Review on Consumer Change about receipts lengths last week, I decided to investigate some more. Here is the environmental scoop on receipts:

1. According to allEtronic, it takes approximately 15 trees to produce a single ton of paper. Receipt paper demands in the US are 640,000 tons per year. This equates to 9,600,000 trees cut down each year just to produce paper receipts. Another organization NoMoPaper reports 2 million trees are cut down for our annual receipt consumption – regardless of who is right, the number is staggering. You can watch the NoMoPaper video here.

If receipts included only transactional information, how many trees could we save? The recent Review for Sears reported that only 21% of the receipt (7 inches out of 33 inches) was transactional and the remainder promotional. If this is true of all receipts, we could save over 1.5 Million trees a year by including only transactional information (according to the more conservative NoMoPaper estimate). Even if on average, only 25% of receipts had promotional information, that is still 500,000 trees saved.

2. Thermal paper is not recyclable, therefore all of it goes directly to landfills – that is 2 million trees a year in landfills!

3. Thermal paper is coated with BPA (bisphenol-A). Developed as an estrogen replacement, BPA is widely used to line metal cans and in thousands of other household products, including baby bottles, eyeglasses and CDs. It has been detected in nearly all Americans tested. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body's own hormones and may lead to negative health effects especially when exposure occurs in early development. Many states have banned BPA in infant formula containers, baby bottles, and sippy cups.

Earlier this year, The Endocrine Society released a scientific statement expressing concern over current human exposure to BPA. Research has linked BPA to prostate and breast cancer, obesity and diabetes, early puberty ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids, reduced fertility and miscarriage.

I think everyone can understand the need to stop exposure of BPA to young children and in our food containers, but receipts? Apparently so, Science News reported a concern about this last month in an interview with Scientist John Warner.

The jury might still be out on BPA on receipts but I am convinced that shorter or no receipts are the better way to go. I am advocating to keep the receipts to transactional information only!

What you can do:

Forgo the paper and subscribe to electronic receipts through companies such as TransactionTree and allEtronic;
Ask retail stores not to give you receipts;
Use Consumer Change to educate those companies that do provide paper receipts and advocate for change.

Please login to add comments.

Getting Beyond the Bed Bath And Beyond Coupon

Created: Monday, November 9, 2009, 03:54 PM Modified: Monday, November 9, 2009, 03:58 PM

Last week I wrote about the importance of advocacy, so I feel a little ashamed today to write about where, so far, my advocacy has failed.

I have been trying to get Bed Bath and Beyond to change their coupon mailing policy. Their postcard coupons are 5.5” by 11” – about six times bigger than typical coupons in a newspaper or magazine. They do not state the amount of post consumer recycled content or whether the ink used is environmentally friendly. Bed Bath and Beyond do not have an online environmental policy statement although this year they faced a shareholder resolution to file a sustainability report.

Bed, Bath and Beyond responded to initial reviews stating it would pass on the comments to its marketing department. Nothing seemed to happen. Then earlier this year I noticed that coupons now had a note saying we could opt out of future mailings through the Bed, Bath and Beyond website. Happily I obliged. Imagine how furious I was when I continued getting the coupons that were now addressed to “Our Neighbor” instead of my name. In addition to the reviews on Consumer Change, I wrote directly to Bed Bath and Beyond and was told in early October that I would be taken off future mailings. Since then I have continued to receive mailings, I have even received emails telling me that my coupon was in the mail – what was the point of that? Surely just emailing the coupon would have been easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly?

In 2009 alone, Bed Bath and Beyond have sent to me,

· At least 6 postcard coupons (5.5” x 11”), the earlier ones are a bit larger

· At least 3 brochures that measure 11” x 11”

· At least 3 mini catalogs of about 12 letter sized sheets of glossy paper each

I state “At least’ because I am not sure that I kept all of them.

Not all paper is equal but for the sake of simplicity, let’s assume it is. The total sheets of paper Bed Bath and Beyond have sent to me this year is 45 sheets of paper.

Conservatree.org estimates that on average one tree makes 8,333 sheets of paper. So this year alone I have been sent about 0.54% of a tree from Bed Bath and Beyond. According to their investor relations website, Bed Bath and Beyond has over 1,000 stores. If each store had a mailing list of 10,000 individuals – a very low estimate in my opinion – that would equal 54,000 trees.

Bed Bath and Beyond are known to take expired coupons and they occasionally publish coupons online – both of these actions support a strategy for less mailings saving trees, transportation and the environment.

What you can do:

Unsubscribe to Bed Bath and Beyond mailings through bedbathandbeyond.com/unsubscribe.asp, unsubscribe using both your name and ‘Our Neighbor’.
Tell Bed Bath and Beyond that they need to change their marketing policy to be more environmentally friendly.

Comment 2

By: Admin On: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 08:14 AM

After I posted this Blog, I was contacted byBed Bath & Beyond. They assured me that if you unsubscribe using the instructions below, you will no longer get any mailings, not even as â€œOur neighborâ€. To unsubscribe from Bed Bath & Beyondâ€™s direct mail list, please enter your name and address exactly as they appear on your circulars then click the Submit button. You may receive mail that was already in process. Mailings will cease within 90 days. http://app.bedbathandbeyond.com/prefs/dmunsub.cfm

Comment 1

By: aspafford On: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 03:57 PM

I've heard they take expired coupons too. Since that's the case, perhaps they should remove the expiration dates entirely and mail out coupons 1/4 as often? I appreciate and use their coupons from time to time, but I know for a fact that we end up recycling the vast majority of them. They could take the money they save from reduced mailings and use recycled paper and non-toxic inks for everything they do send out (which they could then promote for some good PR).

Please login to add comments.

The Importance of Advocacy

Created: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 01:10 PM Modified: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 01:12 PM

Last weekend I attended a brunch given by Conexions, a Bay Area non-profit whose mission is to advance regenerative social, ecological, and business practices that enable Earth to thrive. The Mayor of Palo Alto, Peter Drekmeier, was the host. I have long admired Palo Alto city’s environmental policies. Their Palo Alto Green program allows residents to use power from 100% renewable sources, they have banned the single use plastic bag for the larger retailers, they have a pilot program in place to use energy efficient LED bulbs for street lighting, and have discussed a ban on polystyrene food containers. In mid-October ago they launched a carbon dioxide reduction goal of 5% by 2012.

My home town, Redwood City, is about seven miles from Palo Alto and has about 75,000 residents (to Palo Alto’s 57,000) but has not implemented any similar measures. I suffer from green city envy!

After the Conexions brunch, I asked Mayor Drekmeier if he had any tips for me on how to approach Redwood City about their environmental programs. Firstly, he pointed out that Redwood City had won the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards; it is true that Redwood City has had some great water conservation programs in place. He encouraged me to talk to Redwood City council about their environmental laws and noted that it was the residents of Palo Alto who had instigated the initiatives that Palo Alto implemented.

This brief conversation highlighted two things for me, the first is that we should note the good as well as asking for improvements in the not so good. The second is that advocacy has an impact! I knew that otherwise I would never have started Consumer Change – but I never thought of advocating to Cities instead of Businesses.

Advocacy can be enabled through the use of websites, email and social media. A famous recent example of online consumer advocacy was when users caused a reversal of Facebook’s terms and conditions in February 2009. I feel inspired, I am going to learn more about what Redwood City has done to enable me to talk to them openly about what further changes I would like to see.

If we all state that changes we would like to see to our politicians, cities, governmental organizations and businesses, whether directly, via emails, or through ConsumerChange, we will have an impact. Consumer Change’s successes have already shown that. Here is a list that I adapted from ebasedtreatment.org on the importance of advocacy:

You can make a difference.
People working together can make a difference.
People can change laws.
Lobbying is a democratic tradition.
Advocacy and lobbying help find real solutions.
Advocacy and lobbying is easy once you understand the rules and know what works.
Policymakers need your perspective, expertise and support for change.

Get advocating for the changes you want to see today!

Please login to add comments.

Consumer Eco-grievances Part IV â€“ Retail Stores

Created: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 10:00 PM Modified: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 10:07 PM

The fourth in the series of Consumer Eco-grievances focuses on Retail Stores. Over 30% of the reviews on Consumer Change are for retail stores. According to the National Retail Federation, there are over 1.6 Million retail establishments in the United States employing about 1 in 5 American workers. Now imagine the impact they would have if they all operated sustainably without committing any of the eco-grievances below:

1. Not promoting reusable bags. Single use bags in particular, plastic, are very bad for the environment. Not only are they made out from petroleum but the recycling rates are low. WorldWatch Inst. estimates that about 100 Billion are used and discarded in the US alone, at the cost of 12 million barrels of oil. Many of those plastic bags end up in landfills and some flow into the ocean and probably join the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which a floating island of trash estimated at twice the size of Texas where plastic particles are more abundant than plankton.

Instead of depressing you with more information on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (and it is depressing), here is a fun video on stopping single use plastic bags in supermarkets.

2. Promotional mailings – according to DoNotMail.org, junk mail causes as much greenhouse gases as 9,372,000 cars travelling 12,000 miles each. Surely email provides a cheaper way of connecting with customers and if a business really wanted to come into the 21^st century, social media done right can be very effective.

There are many services available to individuals which can help reduce junk mail, I found a great website that provides a number of free ways to remove yourself from lists for junk mail, SPAM and telemarketers, click here.

3. Not carrying sustainable products. Many of the news items I read on greenwashing these days are about the claims made by products which claim to be good for the environment, or better than their traditional counterparts. I look for products that carry the Eco-logo or Green Seal label. However there are many other worthy labels out there that apply to different types of items, the Inst. For Market Transformation to Sustainability does a good job of explaining these labels on their web site.

4. Not selling local organic produce. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, most produce grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets sold. Trucking, shipping and flying in food from around the country and the globe takes a toll on the environment and on public health. Eating locally grown and organic foods, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, and support local farmers.

5. Overpackaging goods – this was the second highest rated consumer eco-grievance in the survey we did earlier this fall. It is hard to know who is responsible for the overpackaging, the retail store or the manufacturer. However I decided to include this anyway because many retail chains also carry store brands.

6. Long receipts. You know the kind I mean! Today I purchased one item at Rite Aid and got a piece of paper that was twice as long as my purchase details. According to AllEtronic, 600,000 tons of thermal receipt paper used by stores each year. It takes 15 trees, 19,000 gallons of water, and 390 gallons of oil to make a ton of paper. If all store receipts could be halved without compromising the transaction details that would be a total of 4.5 Million trees that could be saved!

But we could go further, Papersaverz.org is an organization that is trying to get retail stores to give customers the choice of whether they want receipts at all. I could not find a web page for Papersaverz, but you can join their Facebook group.

7. Promotion of unsustainable products. I have never thought about this until a Consumer Change user posted a review of CVS complaining about their promotion of bottled water. Retail stores should not promote (I am sure some would argue even sell) products that are thoroughly bad for the environment such as bottled water.

Okay, I cannot resist, here is one more video, this one is about the environmental issues with bottled water.

What you can do:

· Take your own reusable bags with you into stores. If you keep forgetting, put them on the passenger seat for a while and soon it becomes second nature.

· Remove yourself from junk mail lists.

· Buy only sustainable products and local, organic produce.

· Advocate sustainable practices to retail stores you see causing eco-grievances through Consumer Change.

Please login to add comments.

Tackling Climate Change The Second Time Around

Created: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 09:31 PM Modified: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 09:36 PM

Consumer Eco-grievances Part III â€“ Coffee Shops

Created: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 10:09 PM Modified: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 10:14 PM

The third in the series of Consumer Eco-grievances focuses on Coffee Shops. It is very fitting as 16% of the reviews on Consumer Change are for coffee shops. This Blog not only considers the reviews we have received so far but also some other areas where we think coffee shops can do better.

1. Use of disposable cups for people drinking in. In Europe it is common to be asked whether you are staying in or taking away, those drinking in get ceramic cups and plates. If Starbucks and other coffee shops have a process for providing, collecting and cleaning ceramic cups in Europe, surely this can be extended to the US? Starbucks in the US does provide ceramic cups but the customer has to remember to ask for them specifically.

I have been asked several times whether disposable cups are really worse than ceramic cups, given the effort that goes into making, transporting and washing a ceramic cup. A study undertaken by in 1995 by University of Victoria professor of chemistry Martin B. Hocking is often quoted, Green Research has an account of that study as well as updates to it for things like improvements in dishwashers. Their general conclusion is that reusable crockery is better, read their online article for more information. Better still; bring in your own mug which does not have to be washed to commercial standards.

2. Not using recycled content or compostable cups - if the customer has to have a disposable cup. Tully’s introduced a compostable cup in September 2007, there are two reviews on Consumer Change that ask why there are no composting bins in certain Tully’s stores, after all throwing a compostable item in the regular trash does nothing for the environment. Although the online literature says they compost, Tully’s has not responded to these two reviews.

3. Not providing recycling facilities to customers. Coffee shops often harness a community environment, encouraging customers to sit down with their newspapers or laptops and enjoy a little time in-store. Even though most major cities have paper recycling available, most coffee shops do not provide a paper recycling bin. Newspapers get trashed in the bin, coffee from other customers is usually spilt on them, food soiled paper is generally not recyclable.

4. Not providing healthy alternatives for food. Those pastries do look yummy but something local and sustainable would be good for the environment and for the waist line.

5. Not using organic fair trade, shade grown coffee. Organic because it reduces the pesticides harming the earth, running into our water resources and potentially harming you. Fair trade, because we do not want to support organizations that treat employees unfairly. Shade grown because shade grown coffee is grown under the canopy of trees, instead of cutting down trees to grow coffee, accordingly shade grown coffee promotes bio diversity and organic farming. The web site Earth Easy has a lot of good information about shade grown coffee.

6. Double cupping – I would not have thought to include this as I though double cupping was a thing of the past, but we had a review on double cupping last month! A hot beverage sleeve is less waste than an entire second cup!

7. Lights left on after the coffee shop has closed. There is so much written about ‘light pollution’ a term used to describe unused lighting. The International Dark-Sky Association in Tucson, Arizona, an environmental group, estimates that one-third of all lighting in the U.S. is wasted, at an annual cost of about 30 million barrels of oil and 8.2 million tons of coal. That oil amounts to generating 14.1 million tons of CO₂ per year into the atmosphere. Here is a thought provoking video from the New York Times on how much lights pollution has cost New York City.

8. Leaving the water running. Starbucks in particular had been blasted for keeping a tap running during operating hours in the dipper well in each of its stores, wasting an estimated 23.4 Million liters a day according to the British newspaper, The Sun, they even posted a video on You Tube about it – click here to watch the video. Starbucks is now implementing a new system to avoid constantly running water in its dipper wells.

What you can do:

· Take your own cup/travel mug with you to coffee shops.

· Recycle! If the store does not offer the facility, take it with you to recycle elsewhere.

· Encourage your local coffee shop to go green by not committing the eco-grievances above.

Please login to add comments.

Consumer Eco-grievances Part II â€“ Airlines and Airports

Created: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 07:12 AM Modified: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 07:18 AM

The second in the series of Consumer Eco-grievances focuses on Airlines and Airports. In late September at the UN’s Summit On Climate Change, the International Air Travel Association (IATA) pledged to cut carbon dioxide emissions to half the 2005 levels by 2050. However, while aircraft manufacturers work on more fuel efficient aircraft, and air traffic control focuses on better technology to reduce air traffic delays; below are some simple things that can be done now. Our top consumer eco-grievances for airlines and airports:

1. Use of polystyrene beverage cups on flights. Maybe no-one told them that styrene, a chemical in polystyrene, is a known animal carcinogen, and a human neurotoxin (i.e., a toxin that acts on nerve cells). It migrates easily into food and beverages when foam containers are heated A study of human fat tissue by the US EPA in 1982 found that all Americans have styrene in their body. While it is possible to recycle polystyrene, it is not a "closed loop" process, i.e., polystyrene cups are not remanufactured into cups, but into other products, such as packing filler and new resources are then used to produce more polystyrene cups. I understand that weight is a big factor for airlines and some of the alternatives may weigh more than polystyrene but maybe if they heeded the second and fourth eco-grievances (below) this would not be concern.

2. On flights, collecting beverage cups after every beverage instead of asking consumers to keep the empty cups for re-use. Less waste and less weight in the air are both good for the environment.

3. On flights, collecting paper and cans to put in the trash instead of separately for recycling. Surely this one requires no explanation.

4. On flights, providing a separate cup as a container for sugar, creamer and stirrer – see no. 2 eco-grievance above. There are at least two reviews for this eco-grievance on Consumer Change.

5. When booking, not making it easy for consumers to buy offsets with their flights – I know offsets are controversial but when you cannot avoid flying surely it’s better than doing nothing. Making it easy for customers to buy offsets should not hinder airlines from continuing to focus on making the flight more fuel efficient. Continental, Delta, United Airlines and Virgin Airlines all provide offset purchasing however they could make these more obvious in the booking process. In addition some airports such as San Francisco International have kiosks so passengers can buy offsets pre-flight.

6. On flights, providing giveaways for business and first class travelers. A novelty at first but after a couple of flights travelers will have enough eye masks to last a lifetime. Instead of handing these to everyone in first and business, how about having the items in hand to those who ask, reducing waste.

7. On check-in, using huge plastic bags to cover car seats that are checked in. If you have never checked in a car seat, you may not know what I mean. When I check in my son’s booster, which is approximately 16” x 16” x 9”, the attendant usually gets a clear plastic bag which is the size of a large trash bag to wrap it in. Can’t the airlines and/or airports come up with something that is reusable and provide a drop off point at baggage claim?

8. In airports, not providing proper recycling facilities. In particular, it breaks my heart to see all those plastic water bottles that are in the trash just outside the security gates. The best outcome would be if passengers stopped buying the plastic water bottles, but in the meantime it would be great if airports provided a means of recycling them.

9. Airline clubs could do much better too, the TVs are on regardless whether anyone is watching, single packaged snacks are plenty creating unnecessary waste.

What you can do:

· Limit airline travel, buy carbon offsets when you do have to travel;

· Pack light to save fuel;

· Travel to and from the airport using public transportation;

· Research the hotels and try to stay in a green hotel, even better take a eco-trip;

· Take your own food on board in reusable containers;

· Keep your beverage cup for re-use and if the airline is not recycling, take your paper and cans with you to recycle on land.

Please login to add comments.

Top Ten Consumer Eco-grievances â€“ Hotels. How It All Started

Created: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 08:26 PM Modified: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 08:26 PM

Consumer Change was born out of my frustration. I used to travel a lot for business and was staying in Seattle when I first started protesting bad environmental practices by hotels such as turn down service. After a day’s work followed by an evening out with my colleagues, I returned to my hotel room to find dimmed lighting, music playing and chocolates on my pillow. Unfortunately it was not Brad Pitt waiting for me with a bottle of champagne; it was the hotel’s turndown service. I ate the chocolates as I fumbled with the CD player trying to switch it off. The next morning I asked the front desk why they wasted so much energy on turndown service; it had been at least 5 hours between turndown service and my return to my hotel room.

After that, I started to notice the many areas in which hotels could improve their environmental footprint and regularly emailed them during my stay to ask for those improvements. I even got into an argument with the manager of a hotel in Chicago about their lack of recycling; Chicago requires businesses to recycle but this hotel did not provide recycling facilities for guests. Fed up with ‘thank you for your comments’ responses, I decided to take the conversation public by putting it on the web and Consumer Change was born.

When I decided to start the Top Ten Consumer Eco-grievances blogs, it was only natural I should start with the hotels. Many of these things would not only be more environmentally friendly but also save hotels money; here is my top ten list of consumer eco-grievances by hotels:

1. Changing towels every day. Many hotels say that they will not change towels that are hung up. Every day I meticulously hang my towels up to find at the end of the day that they have been replaced. Training is required so that the cleaning staff learn and apply hotel policies.

2. Lack of recycling facilities. Almost every business trip I had to either bring my waste paper home or trash it. Some hotel chains now say that they offer recycling facilities for guests but they are often centrally located. When I stayed at an LA hotel recently, the recycling facilities were on the mezzanine level. How many guests will know where to find them and then take the time to go there to recycle their paper? If office janitors can collect recycling at individual work stations, can’t hotels collect from every room?

3. Turndown service, my pet peeve, see above.

4. Use of disposable cups wrapped in plastic packaging in guest rooms. These generate two pieces of waste just for the customer to get a drink. Surely consumers should be able to trust that hotels will clean ceramic cups properly. Need I say more?

5. Use of incandescent light bulbs – I am seeing an increasing amount of compact fluorescents now which is good.

6. Toiletries in small plastic bottles. Half used containers and soap are often replaced daily creating huge amounts of waste. Why don’t hotels just provide hand soap and charge travelers a minimum fee for the other items?

7. Giving me a copy of my bill night before check out, only to have to update it when I check out. There must be a way to keep the checkout process efficient without doubling the amount of bills printed.

8. A package containing sachets of sugar, creamer, tea bag and stirrer. If like me you only need the creamer and stirrer, without a doubt you will get a whole new package with the next day.

9. Giving newspapers to everyone. I always appreciate it the day I am flying home but it goes unread the other days. Why not ask guests who would like a newspaper and give accordingly?

10.Keeping the air-conditioning cranked up so I check into a freezer, 72F works really well for most people and is a lot better for the environment, in most places, than 68F.

See Why Go Green for more information on hotels.

Please login to add comments.