Solving the Microplastic Problem with Waves

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Day 355 – Microplastics are becoming a very big problem in our waterways. They have been detected in our rivers, streams, oceans and every other body of water. It would be difficult to find a place where microplastics are not present.

“Microplastics are released into the environment as cosmetics, clothing, industrial processes, and plastic products like packaging, break down naturally.” – Good News Network

Dr. Dhany Arifianto from the Institute Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember in Surabaya, Indonesia, created a filtration prototype using acoustic waves. The waves are able to create a force that is able to separate the microplastics from the water. The prototyped device cleaned 150 liters of polluted water per hour and was tested filtering three different microplastics.

The next step in studying these waves is to determine their impact on marine life. Being able to rid the waterways of microplastics without negatively affecting wildlife will be very crucial in the success of the acoustic waves.

Tomorrow, stormwater solutions.

Palm Oil: To Boycott or Not To Boycott

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Day 354 – There’s a lot to consider when deciding to use products with palm oil.

The negative aspects of palm oil:

  1. Logging for large palm plantations causes deforestation and biodiversity loss in the tropics.
  2. The palm oil industry demands cheap labor and inflicts human rights violations on its workers.

It’s hard to avoid palm oil. It’s in a lot of our everyday products. Processed palm oil is a common ingredient in cosmetics, shampoos and soaps, toothpaste, deodorant, and laundry detergent. It’s also a common ingredient in processed, packaged foods ranging from candy bars and potato chips to bread and instant noodles. 

So is boycotting palm oil a good decision?

“According to the Sumatran Orangutan Society, a boycott unequivocally would not help workers, forests, or orangutans. On the contrary, it could have unintended consequences, like increased demand for soybean or sunflower oils that require five to 10 times more land. Or it could depress palm oil prices, encouraging its use in biofuels and livestock feed — products whose ingredients receive less scrutiny from consumers. In addition, about 4.5 million Indonesians and Malaysians currently earn a living from palm oil production. We know the industry is in need of fundamental change: The status quo fuels child labor, worker exploitation, and sexual abuse. Yet a wholesale boycott that could deprive workers of a primary source of income without recourse.” – Earth911

The best we can do is read labels carefully and do a little research as to where the palm oil we are using is coming from. Knowledge is truly power.

Tomorrow, the solution to removing microplastics from the ocean.

Recycling Antifreeze

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Day 353 – Antifreeze lowers the freezing point of the water in your engine and prevents boiling in high temperatures. So, it is necessary for your car to use antifreeze throughout the year. There are two types of antifreeze, toxic and non-toxic. Antifreeze made from ethylene glycol is toxic. Antifreeze made from propylene glycol is non-toxic and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safe human consumption in low doses.

Tips on Recycling Antifreeze:

  1. If unopened, it will last indefinitely.
  2. Once opened it should last up to eight years.
  3. Some auto stores will accept antifreeze to have recycled. Check the Earth911 database for local recycling options. 
  4. Take it to your local household hazardous waste (HHW) program.
  5. Many HHW locations operate swap shops where you can pick-up free products. This is a great way to get more antifreeze.

“Most used antifreeze is recycled into new coolant by filtering out any metals or oil and adding new chemicals. So, you may be buying recycled antifreeze without even knowing it.” – Earth911

Tomorrow, to boycott or not to boycott palm oil.

Products Made From Captured Carbon

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Day 352 – On Day 322, I wrote about a company vacuuming carbon from the atmosphere. It is becoming very clear that a reduction in carbon emissions and planting trees is not enough to battle global warming. Taking carbon out of the air is another weapon.

Earth 911 shared information on three companies making products from captures carbon.

Direct Air Capture

“The first large-scale DAC (Direct Air Capture) plant is now being developed in the United States, but most of the 19 DAC plants already operating in Europe, the U.S., and Canada are small and sell the captured carbon for use in products and commercial processes. There are more companies collecting carbon from industrial emissions at the source. This is because carbon is much more concentrated in industrial smokestacks than in the atmosphere.” – Earth911

Concrete

“Using captured carbon in concrete can not only help offset the energy costs of producing concrete by up to 48%, but it can also reduce the energy cost of capturing carbon by skipping the energy-intensive purification step.” – Earth911

Cleaning Products

 A new laundry capsule from Unilever uses surfactants made with alcohols derived from captured industrial emissions. Although the new laundry detergent will initially be available only in China, it may eventually become an option for everyone looking for a greener clean in their clothes washer.

Ultimately reducing our carbon emissions is the main goal. How we do that is becoming more and more creative.

Tomorrow, recycling antifreeze.

Solar Farms Built on Closed Landfills

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Day 351 – Once a landfill has reached its capacity, there’s not much use for it. That is until it was realized that they could make a good location for solar farms. Solar farms take up a great deal of space. So, it’s ideal to build them on landfills that are no longer in use.

It is believed that the U.S. could increase the nation’s solar energy capacity by 63 gigawatts, or approximately 60%, simply by building solar farms on landfills.

“Nexamp’s Solar Star Urbana Landfill community solar farm occupies nearly 40 acres on a capped landfill. It features nearly 14,000 solar panels and generates 5.2 megawatts of clean energy for low and middle income residents, who receive discounts on their energy bill if they sign up to take on the solar energy. IKON Environmental Energy is building a 70 megawatt solar farm in Houston Texas called the Sunnyside Energy Project that will power 12,000 homes, atop a 240-acre capped, methane-leaking landfill that will also host community features like an electric vehicle charging point, bio-digester to turn certain waste sources into green energy and fertilizer, and a community garden.” – Good News Network

There are more than 10,000 closed or capped landfills around the country, and perhaps as many as 4,000 of them could be turned into solar farms immediately.

Tomorrow, products made from carbon.

Give Back Box

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Day 350 – If you have an empty box and things you no longer want and would like to donate, then Give Back Box is exactly what you need. This time of year we all have plenty of shipping boxes being delivered. Instead of breaking those boxes down and having them recycled, you can load them up with items to donate.

You can either download a free shipping label or pay $15 and choose a charity of your choice.

“The purpose of Give Back Box® is to provide an effortless and convenient method of donating your used household items. Give Back Box not only provides an easy way to be part of a truly good cause, it gives a secondary use to corrugated boxes and guarantees they will be recycled.. So this is an all-round CSR & Sustainability solution.” – Give Back Box

This holiday season give your cardboard boxes a new life and help others while you’re doing it.

Tomorrow, an interesting location for solar panels.

Black Nopal: Cactus Leather

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Day 349 – It’s always interesting to read about everyday items that someone has figured out how to derive from plants. Back on Day 233, I wrote about orange peels be used to make lamps. Today, it’s belts made from cacti.

Black Nopal offers wallets and belts from cactus leather.

“Black Nopal offers products exclusively from a patented cactus leather fabric that is created by the Mexican company, Desserto. Desserto spent 2 years testing the use of Mexico’s abundant prickly pear cactus to create a fabric that is sustainable and eco-friendly while still maintaining superb performance compared to regular leather. The final result is a highly-durable, ultra-soft, and breathable leather that is racking up rewards for excellence.” – Black Nopal

Cactus leather has many advantages:

  1. The production process is sustainable.
  2. It is pvc and phthalate free.
  3. It is fully organic.
  4. It requires no water irrigation system.
  5. It only uses the leaves of the cactus plant.

The future is in sustainable products. The more we seek them out and choose them over products that are not, the better off the planet will be.

Tomorrow, a box that gives back.

Tips for a Sustainable Christmas

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Day 348 – Christmas is right around the corner. So, I thought I would share a few suggestions on how you can make your holiday a little more eco-friendly.

  1. Reduce Packaging – Consider using reusable bags, boxes and cloth wraps to give your gifts. If you do use wrapping paper, use paper that can be recycled or composted.
  2. Reduce Single Use Plastic – Christmas is the perfect occasion to bring out the good dishes. Avoid using disposable plates and utensils.
  3. Use LED Christmas Lights – As the old strands of lights start to go out, replace them with energy efficient LED lights.
  4. Reduce Food Waste – Plan accordingly and make sure you are not making too much food. If there is food left over, make sure to send some goody bags home with your guests. Try to avoid throwing food away.
  5. Buy Local – If you’re still looking for that perfect gift, try to buy local. Not only are you supporting small business, but you are also cutting back on your carbon emissions.

The holidays are a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. It’s also the perfect time to show your family and friends how much you care about them and the planet.

Tomorrow, non-leather belts.

Toolkits to Help You Live a More Sustainable Life

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Day 347 – Sustainable America has created a series of useful toolkits to help people live a more eco-friendly life.

GUIDE TO WASTING LESS AND BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE HOME

The guide covers the following:

  1. Sustainable Steps for the Whole Home
  2. Kitchen & Dining Room
  3. Living Room, Family Room and Den
  4. Laundry Room
  5. Bedroom
  6. Bathroom
  7. Home Office & Workspace
  8. Garage, Basement and Outdoors

A TOOLKIT FOR STRENGTHENING YOUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM

The guide covers the following:

  1. Supporting Your Local System
  2. Building Your Own System
  3. Investing in Greater Change

A NEW TOOLKIT FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE

The guide covers the following:

  1. Food
  2. Environment
  3. Fuel

TOOLS FOR REDUCING IDLING

Whether you want to educate drivers in your neighborhood or launch your own idling reduction campaign, Sustainable America has a range of resources and toolkits designed specifically for you.

There are so many resources available to us. Many are just a click away. Living a more sustainable life does not have to be a lonely experience. You have plenty of help.

Tomorrow, tips for a more sustainable Christmas.

Keeping Up With the Joneses Does Not Help the Planet

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Day 346 – Merriam-Webster defines keeping up with the Joneses as, to show that one is as good as other people by getting what they have and doing what they do.

We are all familiar with the phrase and most of us, at some point, have been guilty of doing it. It’s not always easy to avoid and more times than not we might not even know we’re taking part.

If we are always trying to keep up with what other people have and what they are doing, we will find ourselves purchasing things we don’t need and maybe even participating in things we would rather not. In the end it is a great deal of waste.

By taking on a more simplistic way of living, we can avoid the competition and the unnecessary purchases and accumulation of stuff.

A minimalist lifestyle is the process of identifying what is essential in your life and having the courage to eliminate the rest. When you remove the unnecessary, you free up your time and capacity to focus on the things that truly matter in your life. Less is more.

Minimalism does not mean you have to get rid of all your belongings or never purchase new things. It does mean that you will take time to consider if the stuff in your life makes you happy and has a purpose. It means you’ll take the time to consider if the items you’re purchasing are necessary, quality made and maybe, go a step farther, and ask how it impacts the planet.

For all we know the Joneses are broke and not very happy. So, there’s really no reason to want to be like them. We don’t need the extra stress and the planet doesn’t need all that extra stuff.

Tomorrow, interactive initiatives that will help you live a more sustainable lifestyle.