Eco-friendly school fundraisers

Last week my daughter brought home the dreaded Sally Foster fund raising packet with the catalog of all the different styles of wrapping paper -- none made from recycled paper -- they want you to buy and sell. There were a few gift items, such as the requisite candies and candles, but wrapping paper was definitely the biggie. I made a promise to myself that I would no longer buy wrapping paper, and instead rely on reusable gift bags or alternative ways to present a gift that didn't add to the waste stream. So I can't in good conscious buy or sell any of the stuff in the catalog (that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it).

It got me to wondering whether there are any fund raising programs out there that offer eco-friendly products. We have the Chinook Book, jammed with coupons for healthy living products and services, which my son's preschool sells. I love these books and usually buy two of them, but it seems like the Portland market is absolutely saturated with Chinook Book fund raisers. I found the site GreenRaising, where schools can have online (for a 25% return) or catalog (for a 40% return) sales of eco-friendly products like Sigg water bottles, lead-free lunch boxes, reusable bags and biodegradable cleaning products. Reusable Planet offers a program that recycles ink and toner cartridges and cell phones. Canada has a program called Green Students, where schools raise money by selling compact fluorescent light bulbs and Kleen Kanteen water bottles.

I understand that public schools have to have fund raisers to supplement their paltry budgets, but enough of the wrapping paper and candy already! Has your school held a green fund raiser? Have you heard about any others than those mentioned above?

In with storm windows, and out with the screens

Fall is here. We spent much of the morning "battening down the hatches" as Cheap-o-Dad calls it. Translation: putting in the storm windows for insulation. In past years, we've been a bit lazy and have just left the screens in during winter (we have mostly old single pane double-hung wooden windows, but with newer storm windows built over them). However, I read recently that you get better passive solar heating if you take out the screens for fall/winter. So we did that too. Man, what a difference. I know I really want that extra light and heat as we head into this cold and gray time of year. We also raised all of our blinds on the eastern and western sides of the house, again, so as much light can shine in as possible (yes, we are very lazy, and we only put them all the way up this time of year, and only fully lower them on really, really, really hot days).

Power to the clothesline!

Did you read about the clothesline controversy in the Oregonian? A Bend woman is facing possible legal action for hanging her laundry out to dry in her chi-chi neighborhood (ya gotta love the issues in Oregon that make the national news... there was also the stink about the dogs peeing, er, dishonoring the Gresham fire hydrant painted with the stars-and-stripes).

We loved Jilly's letter to the editor so much that we wanted to reprint it here:

Seriously? This is really an issue? In Bend? Aren't you folks down there supposed to be just a little bit more environmentally savvy than us city folks?

I find myself just a bit more disgusted by this than I probably should be, but I am tired about how complacently most people live their lives.

After all, it's not a methamphetamine or other drug problem, a political stance, too many pets or a large religious meeting. Come on people, it's laundry and it's our Earth! You know, the one we're supposed to leave behind for our (grand)children. Let the laundry fly free -- at least it's clean!

What do you think about the right to hang laundry, even at the risk of violating neighborhood CCRs?

Baby steps lead to monthly garbage pick-up

I can't believe we did it (doing a little dance)! When the SW GreenGroup met for the first time back in March I said that one of my goals was to whittle down our garbage service to once a month. Yesterday I made the phone call to my hauler! Starting next week my four-member family will only put out our 32 gallon garbage can on the first Friday of the month, though we will still have weekly recycling and bi-weekly yard debris pick-up. Our bill dropped from $24/month down to $14/month. Here are the baby steps we took to get there:

• Started composting food scraps. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best method for our family and ultimately went with a homemade version of the Earth Machine (which I've since supplemented with a real Earth Machine). I also bought a pretty stainless steel under-counter compost bin for the kitchen, but recently ran out of carbon filters for it. Since I keep forgetting to buy replacements I've been using a big Tupperware-type container instead, and it works just as well.
• Started vigorously recycling plastic containers and bags by taking advantage of the Master Recycler Plastic Round-ups and making occasional trips to Far West Fibers.
• Stopped buying paper towels and napkins. Now we use cloth napkins and a stack of washcloths and tea towels in lieu of paper towels.
• Potty-trained my son! Disposable diapers definitely filled up a huge part of our can every week.
• Reduced the amount of 'convenience foods' purchased at the grocery store. Lots of these things can't be recycled like string cheese wrappers, cereal box liners, Goldfish bags and ice cream cartons (wah). I started buying more items in bulk like granola, trail mix and nuts and reusing plastic bags each time I go to the store.

It took six months to get there, but we made some serious lifestyle adjustments, which you just can't rush. Next goals? Reducing the amount of plastic we buy and going car-free two days (or more) a week. Stay tuned...

October 3 - Walk or Bike to School Day

Heather posted about International Walk/Bike to School Day, which is coming up next week on Wednesday, October 3. Here are three great reasons to walk or bike:

• Build healthy activity into the daily routine of kids
• Spare the environment and improve air quality by putting less cars on the road
• Create safer routes to school for kids

According to TerraBlog and the EPA, commute traffic jumps 30% right after Labor Day. So, we the soccer moms (yes, I now count myself as belonging to this group) account for a large amount of daily emissions!

There are lots of valid reasons why your kids may not be able to walk or bike to school. What's key is we all start thinking creatively about it, and find ways we can carpool or take the bus, or walk/bike as groups. Small changes make a major difference.

Vancouver Green Group is Active!!

We had our first Vancouver Green Group meeting today and it was a success!  Thanks to Renee for trekking up to the Couv and thanks to Tara for joining as well.  Since it was our first meeting, we kind of got to know each other a little bit and chatted about our own goals and reasons for wanting to be part of this kind of group. 

I'm Merry and I'll be contributing here and reporting back about the Vancouver Green Group.  A little about myself:  I've been married almost 11 years and have 2 little ones.  Aleyna just turned 4 and Dexter is 18 months old.  I wouldn't say I'm a total newby at the whole "Green Movement" as I've been recycling and using energy efficient light bulbs since I moved to the Great Northwest 6 years ago.  I once thought that was enough as I guess I really didn't know any better.  I've now realized how much more I can be doing and how what I do, even though I am just one person, can make a difference.  I grew up in Missouri; we did not recycle anything (we burned our garbage in a barrel in the back  yard....) and I can never remember a time even talking about the environment.  l want my children to grow up in an environment in which we respect this planet and genuinely try to live a little lighter.  I am looking forward to this learning experience with my Vancouver Green Group and with my own family! 

I have not sat and made a list of my own goals that I wish to achieve...but I am going to work on that!  Tara, however, has made a goal of having 10 car-less days in October!  I think that is amazing and I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for her!  Maybe she will have some tips for the rest of us! 

We are working on setting the date for our next meeting.  I'll update here once confirmed.  In the meantime, please pass the word to any Vancouver moms you know who may be interested!  We'd love to grow our group

Children's clothing swap this Saturday, Sept. 29

Here's some info about a clothing swap, which we mentioned earlier, coming up this Saturday:

Round up unwanted clean children's clothing, accessories, and other wearables your kids don't use or love anymore and bring them to the swap!

WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 10:30 am. The swap will last about 30 minutes, be sure to arrive a little early.

WHO: Anyone looking to swap kids’ items. Some have asked if they can bring their kids along. You know your children best—if they like to stay close by you and enjoy the color and pageantry of clothes, feel free to bring them along. Please remember, however, that the meeting area may not be child-proofed, so consider bringing something (like crayons or books) to engage small children.

WHERE: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1244 NE 39th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202.
By TriMet: The church is located on the #75 TriMet bus line and just south of the Hollywood MAX station.

BRING: Clean clothes in reasonable condition, no rips, tears, visible stains, etc. There are no minimum requirements for how many items you have to bring or how many you can take, but please be courteous and generous. Don’t forget to bring a bag to carry your treasures home in.

In addition to clothing, you can also bring gently used kids’ accessories and other wearables: shoes, socks, hats, scarves and mittens, sunglasses, bibs and bottles, maternity clothes.

Also bring: You can also bring small- and medium-sized toys and larger baby items also in reasonable condition: children’s videos and DVDs, bedding without tears or stains, baby baths, bouncer chairs, car seats, high chairs, baby and children’s furniture, strollers.

HOW IT WORKS: Clothes will be separated into three major size groups and marked with signs. Add the clothes you bring into the matching size pile(s). At the designated time, you look through the piles to find the items in the sizes you need and put them in your bag. Items that do not get swapped will be donated to low income and high needs families in our PDX community.

DONATE: If you would like to donate kids’ clothing to the swap, send an email to pdxkidswap@gmail.com and we’ll arrange for a pick-up. Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone else who would like to donate kids’ clothing.

Reminder: Vancouver GreenGroup meeting on September 27

Quick reminder: our first Vancouver GreenGroup meeting will be tomorrow, Thursday, September 27, at 4pm at Moxies. Yours truly, EnviroMom Renee will be attending to kick off this group with Merry, an EnviroMom reader and Vancouver resident, who will lead the group.

Moxie's is at 1919 Main St in Vancouver, WA. If you're interested in joining, send us an email so we know how many people will be attending. GreenGroups are an easy way to share ideas, support one another and get a little more green into your family's life!

Looking forward to meeting all the green-minded folks in Vancouver tomorrow (keep your fingers crossed that traffic isn't a nightmare so I can get there in time)!

Get ready: the plastic round-ups are coming

The Master Recycler Plastic Round-ups are being held over the next two weekends at four locations:

• Saturday, September 29 from 9am-2pm @ Floyd Light Middle School (10800 SE Washington) and Kaiser Permanente West Interstate (3325 N Interstate, off Fremont & Overlook Park)
• Saturday, October 6 from 9am-2pm @ PCC Sylvania (12000 SW 49th Lot 10) and Westview High School (4200 NW 185th North Parking Lot).

Be sure to check the list to see the items they will and will not accept.

I have basically revamped my family's recycling center in preparation for these events because you need to have everything sorted when you go. (You can always sort once you get there, but I think it's much, much easier to do it day to day.) I have eight boxes and bins in my garage labeled with numbers 1-7 and one for 'unmarked' plastics. Any plastic container or lid that can't go in the curbside bin goes into one of these boxes. (For me, numbers 1 and 5 and the unmarked plastics bins are quite full, while number 3 has next to nothing in it). Then I just take all of my bins to the round-up.

Holding on to all of these plastics between round-ups is actually great (if you have the space) for determining where my family can work on reducing the amount of plastic we buy. Easy: avoid buying produce like mixed greens and cherry tomatoes that come in clamshell containers. Harder: giving up 32oz containers of yogurt and my favorite salsa.

One family tackling the Eat Local Challenge

One of the great things to come out of the Green Sprouts Festival was meeting Portland mom and blogger Katherine Gray, who stopped by our clothing swap. Katherine writes about her family's (including two young children) quest to eat as locally as possible on her blog Dirt to Dish. Her posts are full of details about what she's buying, how much she's spending (trying to stick to the USDA family budget!) and her struggles to source certain local foods. I'm so inspired by her dedication and awed by the time it must take her to research and plan menus, while both working and raising two children. I love her writing style and down-to-earth honesty. I'd like to hear more about her menus and recipes (hint, hint) and what types of things she's getting her kids to eat.

While I haven't limited my shopping to only local foods, I do *try* to buy as local as possible (fruit is tricky -- but have you tried those local peaches lately -- oh yum). As we head into colder months, and the availability of fresh local produce dwindles, I can see challenges ahead. My CSA subscription ends at the end of October, and I'm already in mourning. I'm not sure how well kale and root veggies will go over with my crew. But now that I've become aware of the 'true cost of food' I'm not sure I can bring myself to buy red bell peppers from the grocery store in February. I'll be eagerly following Katherine's adventures this winter!