My New Green Deal

A few months ago, when we were preparing to leave McDonald's and come home, I took particular note of how much garbage was generated by one meal: the tray liner, the chicken nuggets box, the GoGurt tube, the ketchup packets (we try to use the ketchup dispenser, but it's more typically empty than not, and otherwise has a steady clientele of fruit flies), the French fry sleeve, plastic bag for the Happy Meal toy, the Happy Meal box, the juice box/milk bottle/soda cup, the box for whatever burger I get, and my cup, plus a lid and two straws. For 2 meals. They serve thousands of people per day, and we eat there a couple of times a week, at least.

When we first moved into our house, I almost ordered a second recycle bin because we were filling ours up within a couple of days after it was emptied (every two weeks instead of once per week, like regular trash). I realized that it slowed down somewhat after we stopped having so many deliveries for things like dining room chairs and other "new move-in" items like rugs and cabinets.

Still, we generate a lot of trash. We fill the recycle bin more often than the trash can, but have learned that only about 40% of our recycling is actually recycled; the rest ends up in landfills.

So I've been particularly struck by how often I run trash outside. Everything is in packaging, and when we order online, that packaging is usually in a shipping box. So it's a shipping box, usually some form of air-filled plastic shipping protector (bubble wrap, pillow things), the actual box, and then whatever the product is encased in inside. It's a lot. I think about which is better/worse for the environment: My driving into town to the store to buy things, or ordering it online where a truck that's going to be out here anyway brings it to me in an extra box that should, in a perfect system, be recycled. I don't know.

I did stop ordering from Walmart grocery when Instacart finally got out here, and one reason (which isn't price; Instacart is definitely more expensive) is that the way Walmart shops, almost every item is in a separate plastic bag. I save them and take them back to be recycled... but then, are they?

This is a very interesting video to watch, if you have the time:



One thing this doesn't address is that it DOES take some capital (money) on the front end to shop with almost no waste: glass and burlap containers aren't free; even if they pay for themselves in the long run, or it's just a principle you find important, you do have to have the cash up front to start the system. We could do it, but it would involve my driving... well, not only a lot further than our local grocery stores, but at all because I usually have our groceries delivered.

Still, I want to make some changes, so what can I do?

The first thing is straws. I drink a lot of soda, and Mal prefers straws over drinking directly out of a cup, so we've had silicone straws for a long time. I've recently stopped getting straws with drinks when we're out, and just use the ones in my purse.

Also, I stopped ordering soda cans (which I love because they're always fresh) and went to 2-liters. THEN, I bought another Soda Stream to make our own sodas in reusable bottles. I had a Soda Stream years ago, but when I was pregnant with Mal, I COULD NOT STAND the taste of the drinks. We ended up giving it to a homeschool group that was starting a co-op.

Beyond that and just being super aware of our waste and trying to pick products with minimal packaging and/or paper instead of plastic packaging, I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm freaked out seeing the piles of garbage everywhere, though. What is the next step? Any ideas?

A Trip to the Mall

The nearest mall to our house is Barton Square Mall. I don't think the mall itself is actually square, as it seems to have many jutting-out points. The name must mean something else. 

Due in no part to this confusion, but due mostly for my disdain of retail and the fact that I am not a fan of crowds, either, I typically avoid the mall. There is a bright spot: The Godiva kiosk. I am a member of their fancy club and therefore get one free truffle a month. But even this isn't enough to bring me to the mall on that regular a basis. In fact, the last chocolate I claimed was in the month of August, when I also got $10 of free stuff because it was my birthday.

But tonight, we went to the mall! There was a special reason: A fund-raiser called CANstruction. Local clubs, businesses, and groups get sponsors to donate (or donate themselves) cans of food which they first use to build something and then donate to a local food bank.

So, without further ado, here are the entries. The judging had been completed when we went, but I don't know that they'd awarded anything. It was neat to see all of them, anyway...

St. Basil's Cathedral!

A tie-dyed shirt.

A TIE Fighter and R2D2.

From the back.

R2Dtail

Bulldozer "leveling out" hunger.

A horse.

Neat detailing on the main and reigns.

Texas armadillo!

Hunger Busters. This one is really good, even though it looks simple. 3D, clean lines. Pretty amazing.

That's no moon!

Pooh Bear with a "hunny" pot stuck on his head.

I guess he's sleepy?

Ursula from "The Little Mermaid."

A whale of a tale? No. The tail of a whale.

James noticed that most of the creations had approximately 1500 cans. Now all of those will be donated and used locally. Pretty cool all around!

Review: Triscuit Brown Rice and Wheat Crackers

Since having moved just off of the UT campus, I have rarely darkened the door of a "big box" store. We get most of our food from Whole Foods, though I occasionally will ride my bike to Wheatsville Co-op to pick up a few things or stop by Central Market or Sprouts when I'm out. Within the next couple of months, we will have a Trader Joe's within a few miles, and then the other one opens next year close to our house.

But I digress. You get the point.

MY point is that, today, while James and I were out running some errands, we went in to Target for... something we realized last night that we really needed, but we couldn't exactly put our fingers on what that thing was.

As we walked the aisles, we were still completely lost as to what we'd felt it was so important to obtain that we would end up inside a store like this. Whatever it was, it was something that CVS probably wouldn't carry.

We never figured it out.

We did, however, find these. And they looked interesting enough that we picked up a box.

It's a mouthful, but here is what they are: Brown Rice Baked with Sweet Potato Triscuits, Roasted Sweet Onion.

The ingredients?

Long grain brown rice, soybean oil, whole grain soft white wheat, dried sweet potato, onion powder, brown sugar, sweet potato powder, sea salt, sugar, garlic powder, dried molasses, natural flavor, dried parsley, yeast extract, distilled white vinegar, citric acid.

Hey, did you notice something? That stuff is all food. Even though there are three sweeteners, and the wheat is white, and the second most plentiful ingredient is oil, the thing is made out of food ingredients that I can immediately place by name.

What's the difference in sweet potato powder and dried sweet potato? I have no idea!

But these crackers are delicious. I know you probably either love Triscuits or hate them. I like them okay, in general. I tend to prefer Wheat Thins, of which I can eat an entire box. But with a nice dip or when they're well-flavored, I can go for some Triscuits.

These are delicious. The sweet onion flavor is stronger than the sweet potato flavor, but you still get that, too. The flavor is balanced, and it's delicious enough to be addictive on its own...

But there is an idea on the box that I desperately need to try: topping the Tricuit with a square of gouda and a slice of fresh fig. Yes. This needs to happen.

Highly recommended.