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Saturday, December 27, 2008

Day 361 - Saturday 12/27/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 fedex box - repurpose
  • 1 piece tape - garbage
  • 1 strip from fedex box - worms
  • 2 aluminum tuna cans - recycle
  • 1 emergen c packet - garbage

Friday, December 26, 2008

Day 360 - Friday 12/26/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 movie popcorn bag - garbage
  • 1 soda can - recycle
  • 3 plastic straws - garbage
  • 1 small bag of cookies - garbage
  • 1 plastic take out top - recycle
  • 1 tin takeout bottom - repurpose
  • 1 cardboard bread box mix - recycle
  • 1 plastic bag from bread mix - recycle
  • 1 cardboard box frozen fish - recycle
  • 1 plastic bag from frozen fish - recycle


Thursday, December 25, 2008

Day 359 - Thursday 12/25/08

Today's Haul:

  • 2 plastic bags from toys - recycle
  • 1 bunch of newspaper from packing - worms
  • 1 cardbaord box - repurpose
  • 1 cereal box - recycle
  • 1 plastic bag from cereal box - recycle

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Day 358 - Wednesday 12/24/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 cardboard candle box - recycle
  • 2 dog chewed candles (ahh the dog again) - garbage
  • 1 margarita mix bottle - recycle
  • 1 torn egg carton - worms
  • 1 cardboard donut box - worms
  • 1 foil top from wine bottle

This Is Sand

This has nothing whatsoever to do with wasting less, or anything that this blog has to do with. That said, its really cool and a lot of fun, so I thought I'd pass it along as a little gift to everyone who's been reading and become part of this blog. Thanks for everything.

Check out www.thisissand.com click on your mouse and see what happens ("c" will change colors).

Dave

Holiday Tip #23 - Go For A Walk Outside

I know, that's an odd tip, but it's Christmas eve and things are pretty much where they'll be this holiday season. That said, I like the idea of stepping out side of your environment for a bit to get a taste of what's going on around you. As i've mentioned before, if you are reading this right now, chances are you are better off than most. It's easy for us (myself included here) to forget this from time to time. So head out for a neighborhood walk tonight. Who knows what you'll find. You'll get some fresh air, clear your head, maybe even meet a new neighbor. Whatever happens, it will put you in touch with your surroundings, where you live, who you live with, and on a certain level, who you are.

I'm rambling because I'm tired, but the idea is in there somewhere.

Happy Holidays to everyone who is celebrating and thanks for tuning in.

Dave

Going a Bit Too Far?

A reader sent me a link to this article about a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who is using liposuctioned fat as biofuel. I can't decide if my favorite line is


"The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel -- and I have more fat than I can use"

or

"Forbes said it is illegal in California to use medical waste to power vehicles"

And how great is it that there is a law on the books tht outlaws medical waste as a fuel source.  I don't remember that proposition passing but Id be interested in seeing where the money came from for it.

Wild times.

Dave


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Make Art Not Trash

Unbelievable site full of links to art projects made from trash. Very Cool!

Dave

Holiday Tip #22 - Thanksgiving Redux

The Thanksgiving tips were such a hit that i figured I'd bring them back up to the top of the order.  A big meal is a big meal right?  Enjoy.


Dave

Read More...

Day 357 - Tuesday 12/23/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 wrapper from chocolate coin - garbage
  • 1 dog chewed plastic bag (ahhh the dog) - garbage
  • 2 plastic bags from sink matts - recycle
  • 2 paper inserts from sink matts - worms
  • 3 shreded sink matts - garbage
  • 1 cardbaord from new batteries - recycle
  • 1 plastic front from new batteries - recycle
  • 1 plastic wrap from toilet paper pack - recycle
  • 1 package butternut squash soup - recycle
  • 1 bag pasta - recycle
  • 1 cardboard fish stick box

Talk about Re-Purposing!

Wow, talk about 101 uses for a beer bottle!  Someone posted this in the comments and I thought it was too cool to leave there.  This whole site is about houses that people have made out of glass bottles!  Check it out.


Dave

The Answer To Plastic Water Bottles?

OK, the real answer to the plastic water bottle problem has been with most of us all along.  Its coming out of the tap in your house and you can drink from it any time you'd like (right now even). Fill up a steel water bottle and you're good to go. But there are those areas of the world where bottled water is still a necessity and thankfully, a company named Brandimage has the answer.


I had the good fortune to interview Jim Warner, the designer of the fabulous bottle you see here (video will be up in a few days) and what I learned is truly amazing.

They have designed a bottle that can be made out of paper, bamboo, sugar cane, and all sorts of other locally sourced materials.  It is recyclable and/or biodegradable depending on which resources are used, has the same strength as a plastic water bottle, and is definitely much cooler to look at.

And if you are redesigning a sustainable water bottle, why stop there right?  They've even eliminated the need for packing pallets and plastic wrap by designing the bottles so they can be linked together into their own carrying case.  

How amazing is that?

This is exactly the type of design that we need to see in order to move forward and tackle the problems at hand.  Bravo Jim and if anyone from a bottled water company is reading this, will you please call them now!

Dave

Monday, December 22, 2008

Holiday Tip #21 - Why Buy Tinsel

I've never really understood the whole tinsel thing. You pay money for little strips of mettalic film that then get caught all over everything. That said, I;m obviously in the minority on this one. But who needs t spend good money on new tinsel? Grab some of your old chips bag (I have some in the basement if you want) and cut them up. The inside looks exactly like tinsel.

Whadya think?

Dave

Day 356 - Monday 12/22/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 plastic ring form milk jug - recycle
  • 2 cardboard baking soda containers - recycle
  • 2 parking passes w stickers - garbage
  • 1 cardboard wrapper from new socks - recycle
  • 1 plastic hangar from new socks - garbage
  • 1 aluminum tuna can - recycle

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Week 51 Pics

I think my week count is thrown off somewhere as at the rate I'm going there will be 53 weeks in the year. Such is life. Here's the basement. As you can see, I threw a light up for these last few weeks. Much more inviting don't you think?



I actually haven't really shown this shelf that much. It's not full but i keep a bunch of tetrapaks and other stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else here.

E-waste and haz waste.


The bag o boxes. This is sort of a black hole kind of thing and I'm kind of afraid of it at this point. Every time I put another box in there I fear it will either explode or implode, either way, it won't be good.


Ye Ole bag o bags.


The garbage box that is presently being added to.


The open misc recycling bin (the third one) and my foot.


A bunch of stuff. The paper box is in the lower left hand corner and the three stacked boxes represent all of my garbage for the year.


The bottles.


And finally, the lads hard at work eating my paper and food scraps. Mmmm Mmmmm Good.

Holiday Tip #20 - Homemade Potato Pancakes

In honor of the first night of Hannukah I thought I'd throw out a recipe I found for homemade potato pancakes/latkes. Now for those of you reading along carefully at home, the irony of the fact that we just had pre-made potato pancakes a few nights ago is not lost on me. But there, dear reader, lies the rub in all of this. We are none of us perfect, yet striving for perfection, and I'm at the front of that line.


So fry up some latkes, spin that dreidel, and make sure to save all of your oil for your neighbor's veggie car!

Happy Holidays

Dave

Day 355 - Sunday 12/21/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 piece aluminum foil - recycle
  • 1 take out food boat - worms
  • 1 styrofoam take out container - recycle
  • 13 ozs paper from mail, bills, receipts, etc - worms/recycle