Focus on the Impact, Not the Instant

The other day, a commercial caught my attention where there was a group of about 5 women hanging out in the backyard, eating dinner, drinking wine, and gossiping about something. As the camera focused on the food, you could see it was on paper plates, and as the spot faded out, the tagline "Focus on the Drama, Not the Dishes" appeared.

Paper and foam plates are obviously already one of my pet peeves, but this tagline made me even more mad. It doesn't even matter which brand produced this commercial, because they're all promoting unnecessary waste.

In the right instances, I can understand a bigger need to choose convenience over sustainability. If you're hosting a huge party and don't have extra help or a kitchen staff on hand, then it's understandable to go for disposable plates. But even then, you can make a greener choice by choosing plates/bowls/silverware made of recycled paper or plastic, or dinnerware made of bamboo or compostable material. Whole Foods uses this composite cardboard that can be composted. A few years ago when P and I hosted a Saints party, I went with Susty Party's compostable plates and bowls. (The napkins are made of recycled paper and the forks and knives are recycled and recyclable plastic.)

 

And, this post isn't about restaurants providing to-go orders or containers. No, this is about the scenarios like the ones in that commercial. A group of five or six women gathered at someone's house. A family sitting down together for dinner. These are not the times for paper plates.

While it may seem so easy and convenient, remember the lasting impact that disposable plates have on the environment. Foam, especially, never biodegrades. So your alternative to washing a few extra dishes actually lives on forever.

It's much more sustainable, and cost-effective, to invest in reusable dinnerware that you love. And it doesn't have to be fancy china or super heavy dinnerware. Melamine is a popular alternative to ceramic, especially for children and outdoor dining, because it's lightweight and unbreakable. However, try to avoid microwaving, baking or running melamine through the dishwasher, because heat can cause some of the chemicals to leach out into your food.

And yes, they do make BPA-free melamine.

When you invest in a set of reusable plates and cups for home, you can pick ones that mirror your home's style and your personality. My future in-laws keep the striped plates above for when we have backyard cookouts, and I love how much use we've gotten out of them in the past couple years.

The plate in the title image is also melamine, and works super well for the lake house. Instead of packing my lunch in a paper towel or on a disposable plate, I fixed it on the plate and carried it out to the water.

 Backyard grillin' at the lake house, using regular plates, especially since there were only four of us.

 Thanksgiving gumbo at the lake house last year.

Taco night at home, and I wouldn't even fathom using disposable plates to eat in the dining room (or let's be real, in the living room at the coffee table).

And what about at work? I purchased a sale bowl and plate to keep at my desk, and they have served to eliminate a lot of single use potential from my day. One afternoon recently, I stopped by our company lunch hall to grab a salad, but instead of using a clamshell container, I just brought my own bowl.

Part of my workplace reusable arsenal.

Each year, my company also hosts a (very delicious) cookoff. My first year was spaghetti, and yes, all the styrofoam bothered me. Since I haven't worked yet worked out a great solution that everyone else would agree to, I at least changed my own impact for the next year. I brought my own sample-size cup (and if you look in the Saints party photo, you might see this exact bowl and its three siblings!) and my fork, and saved about eight styrofoam cups from being used. 

And yes, jambalaya might be the least Instagrammable food there is. I'm sorry. It tasted good though!
 

Maybe a gratuitous photo of poké bowls, but I'm not sorry. I'm craving some poké so this will have to do for now. The photo on the left is legit poké from Kailua, Hawaii, but is unfortunately in a foam cup, with disposable chopsticks. About a year after our vacation, I made my own version (after nearly having a heart attack at the cost of sashimi at Whole Foods), and it was pretty damn tasty. And this time, in a reusable bowl!

Loved the use of reusable dinnerware at an engagement party earlier this year. And the food was delicious. Excuse the paper napkin! This was a large party, and there was kitchen help for the evening to help with the dishes.

A weekend in New Orleans with fresh baked cookies on this adorable shaped plate.

Not all airport food options are sustainable, but one of the United lounges in the Houston airport provided simple reusable dinnerware for my breakfast during a layover last year. Gimme all the scones.

So, when you're at home, or hosting a small gathering, don't default to using disposable dinnerware. Remember the impact all that waste has on our environment, and make the sustainable choice! Choose reusable.

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Reusable IS Instagrammable!

It's no surprise that I enjoy flipping through my Instagram feed, admiring the shots other bloggers and awesome people share with their followers. I'm always a fan of picturesque photos, styled vignettes and behind-the-scenes peeks.

But lately, something has started to stick out more while I'm scrolling: so many single-use cups in otherwise gorgeous photos, whether Instagram or Snapchat or Facebook or wherever. I don't intend to be negative or call anyone out, but I can't "like" it, and it's made me want to shout even louder:

Let's focus on reusable!

Instead of showing off a cappuccino or fruity drink in a foam cup or a matcha latte in a plastic cup with a lid and straw, I would love to see more reusable cups or mugs. Be healthy, stylish and caffeinated while also caring for the environment. To me, that's the real beauty!

It's a relatively small and easy change to make: Simply stock up on a few reusable bottles or mugs that show off your personality. 

The harder part is getting in the habit of bringing it everywhere with you. But within a few weeks, you'll be used to it! Keep one for coffee or tea and one for water, to start with.

Most service employees will oblige your request to use your own container. Starbucks, CC's Coffeehouse, Johnston Street Java, The Lab, Reve Coffee Roasters, and many other local spots (no matter where is 'local' to you) accept your own mug. (However, I tend not to use the drive-thru when I do stop and have my own mug, so I'm not sure what their standard procedures are in that case.)

When I started going through my older Instagram photos to find ones to feature in this post, I managed to find almost 20, most from the past few months. It's even more apparent now that my bottles are a reliable accessory. And they don't take away from the scenery or the taste of whatever drink they're holding in the photo.

Over the years and to my memory, my (many) bottles have held: water, infused water, hot coffee, iced coffee, hot tea, iced tea, margarita, beer, wine, sports drinks, lemonade, soft drinks and hot chocolate.

How have they integrated into my Instagrams?

I take them on vacation! I saved a ton of plastic by bringing my Klean Kanteen to Hawaii. It saw just as much of Oahu as I did! Willa Jean in New Orleans poured my iced coffee in my Kanteen twice in two days. And you always need to hydrate when you're out in the sun.

OOTD? Yeah, your reusable bottle or mug can be part of it! By picking out bottles that match your style, you're more likely to use it and show it off. At the end of this post, I have a short list of different brands you can shop from.

For Lafayette's weekly mini-festival Downtown Alive, you previously could not actually bring your own bottle for beer, but they introduced a branded reusable cup that was the approved size for beer they serve. I've used my cup for three DTA seasons now, helping to eliminate the amount of litter in downtown Lafayette.

 

Bring your own to work meetings or functions. Former Mayor-President Joey Durel and I had our coffee mugs present and skipped the available disposable options for a 705 morning coffee function late last year. Setting an example!

One of the most important places to make the switch to reusable is at work. Don't go for the stacks of styrofoam cups! Almost two years into my job, I've probably gotten fewer than 10 styrofoam coffee cups, and I don't remember how long ago I got the last one. By keeping a few regular mugs at my desk, I can pour some of the office coffee without being wasteful. And lately, my fiance and I have been making our coffee at home, so my Kanteens have been on heavy commute and desk rotation. (Behind the scenes note, there are usually three more cups all over my desk on any given day!)

 

 

Coffee at home might seem logical in a ceramic mug, but I still can't get over the fact that to-go cups are sold for home use, and that people do use them while staying at home to drink coffee. (Paper plates at home are another rant.)

Using my water bottle while at a restaurant helped me save a disposable cup and drink extra water for my health.

Ah, the gym. The second biggest place to eliminate single use. My gym supplies stacks upon stacks of styrofoam cups, along with straws and lids for patrons, and I avoid those and the plastic water bottles like the plague. (I'm fighting to change their styrofoam dependency.) I've had many reusable bottles on rotation for my yoga and cardio sessions. I can't even fathom how many bottles I've saved over the years.

Ready to invest in your own Instagrammable accessory? Check out these brands and choose your style. The stainless steel options are food grade and BPA-free.

• Klean Kanteen
• Swell
• Live Vessel (and read Sustainably Chic's review of these beauties!)
• Life Factory (made of glass, if you notice or can't stand the taste of a stainless steel bottle.)
• Mira
• Contigo 
• Nalgene (although not my favorite because they are still plastic, they are BPA-free. And the one I have holds half of my daily water goal.)

A reusable bottle or mug isn't just for "green" bloggers or influencers, it should be for all bloggers and Instagrammers. Let's turn single-use style into reusable style. Swap out the plastic for stainless, and share your photos using #ReusableIsInstagrammable!

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Giving Packing Peanuts a Longer Life

This post is going to be a test of, "How many times can Caitlin say 'packing peanuts' in one entry?"

Photo: Cars With Cords

Packing peanuts, made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) are recyclable, but most curbside programs, including Lafayette's, do not accept the material. In most cases, your best bet is to save and reuse or donate old peanuts.

Although I don't have factual backup on this statistic, I believe there are about 93,029,284,893 packing peanuts in existence on this planet right now.

Consisting of up to 98% air, packing peanuts are very lightweight and easily littered. Many of them are not biodegradable. However, starch-based packing peanuts come from a crop base rather than a petroleum base. They can biodegrade, although they have their own drawbacks, like being more expensive (as most eco-friendly alternatives are), and heavier.

Although it can be difficult if you lack storage space, you can collect packing peanuts you receive in a large cardboard box or even trash bag, then use the collection when you need to ship or package something new. They also come in handy during the holidays when you need to wrap gifts, and when packing delicate items for a move.

According to UPS, you can bring your excess packing peanuts to your local UPS Store, where they will collect and use them when shipping out customers' packages. (Teehee. Okay, sorry. I won't giggle again.) This is probably the easiest and best way to clear out your home and still give the peanuts a new life, plus it saves UPS money and the environment from the natural resources needed and production pollution.

I called a local UPS Store franchise to find out if they have any restrictions on accepting packing peanuts, and the woman answered that they do not take the starch-based biodegradable ones.

"How can I tell the difference?" you might ask. Well, according to All Green Recycling:

Packing peanuts are color coated to let you know if they will be biodegradable or if they are mostly “earth unfriendly.” White and pink packing peanuts are the traditional kind – they are composed of 70% raw materials, and will take quite a while to decompose (Caitlin's note - but they never truly go away). These packing peanuts need to be recycled. Green packing peanuts truly are “green” – they are made up of 70% recycled material and will biodegrade easily.

If you are not sure what type of packing peanuts you have, do a brief test: run the peanuts under water for two minutes. If they break down under water, you can use them as compost in your gardening, or plant containers.

While it can be highly entertaining to watch your pet play with packing peanuts,
I don't recommend letting them do it, because the styrofoam can be dangerous if they bite and eat it.
Think of the menews. (Photo: Jackson Pack N Ship)

Although this doesn't help an issue of recycling/reusing packing peanuts, your best bet if shipping something on your own is using more sustainable and easier-to-recycle materials, such as crumpled newspaper or other scrap paper. Alternately, any online retailers, especially Amazon, use those plastic air packs in their shipments. While those are a pain in the ass, you could save these like you would packing peanuts and reuse them.

If you're packing items for a move, use newspaper, or even your sheets, towels or t-shirts to protect breakable items.

So, long story short: Donate packing peanuts to a shipping store, keep and reuse them for your own packages, or use more biodegradable ones in your garden.

More resources:

• Earth 911's Guide to Recycling Packing Peanuts
• Could packing peanuts be turned into battery power? Cars With Cords thinks so.
• Recycle Nation: How to Recycle Packing Peanuts

Other places to recycle packing peanuts:

• The Plastic Loose Fill Council (you can search around your location for stores that will accept donations)
• PakMail

(And, 22. 22 times in one blog post!)

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Geaux Green at FIL

It's the most wonderful time of year to be a Cajun...Festival International is only one week away! For the diehards, it's five days of music, dancing, eating, drinking, shopping, and seeing everyone you've ever known, all contained in downtown Lafayette. For the casual Festival-goers, it might only be a couple days...but where's the fun in that? Get out and enjoy Festival International de Louisiane 2016!

For all you Festival fans, I've once again created my Eco Cajun Geaux Green at FIL guide. This year, Earth Day falls on Festival Friday, so there is no excuse to be wasteful and litter-prone! Follow the Green Guide and make a big impact on downtown cleanliness.

Zero-waste FIL anyone? (Well, I can always dream...and try to lead by example!)

So let's get to it...here's how you can Geaux Green!

Courtesy Festival International

BEFORE LEAVING HOME

If you plan to spend a good amount of time at Festival (as you should), the key is to pack your backpack with reusable and strategic items.

• Reusable water bottle. Look, chances are, it's really going to hold margarita, but it's important to hydrate with water, so at least alternate, okay?
• Weather gear. Sunscreen (unless you're a fan of funky sunburn patterns), a light sweater (right now it's forecasted in the low-to-mid 60s in the evenings), sunglasses (obvs), a portable fan (or repurpose your Festival map into one), and a rain jacket or poncho (leave those umbrellas at home.)
• Cloth shopping bag. For all your unique vendor and merch scores! Spare the plastic...you know, zero waste and all that shizzzz. The best kinds of bags to bring are the foldable ones with a carabiner that you can clip to the outside of your pack.
• Fork, spoon and cloth napkin. You'll be able to cut down on a lot of trash if you use your own fork, spoon and cloth napkin. Rinse the utensils after using them, and throw the napkin in the wash when you get home. A lot of food vendors will stick a utensil in the food before handing it to you (grrr), so if you can't avoid plastic, rinse and reuse it, or clean it before recycling instead of throwing it away.
• Official Festival app downloaded on your phone. Geaux paperless! But the app is more than just a schedule and map - it's interactive! You can save your favorite bands and add their show time to your phone's calendar. You can also save your favorite food and merch vendors, so you don't forget to visit all of them before the weekend is over.
• iTunes | Android
• Small towel. Skip the napkins and paper towels, which cause a LOT of litter because they fly around as free as the...uh...flower crowns. You can also use it as a makeshift seat, instead of lugging around one of those camping chairs.
• Ziploc bag or waterproof case for electronics in case of rain. We pray to the festival gods that rain will hold off until after the weekend is over. But...should it rain, be prepared and keep your phone or camera dry.
• Portable backup cell phone charger. If you're out all day, and you're busy Instagramming or Snapchatting, your phone battery will probably die. Stock up with a portable backup battery before Festival and make sure it's fully charged when you leave the house. When you're getting close to 10% battery, the backup will give you just enough boost to make it until the last band stops!

HOW TO GET THERE

• Ride. Yo. Bike! When you roll in on two wheels, you don't have to worry about parking or the shuttle. It's the best eco-friendly way to travel to and from downtown, and it'll help burn off calories from that crawfish and spinach boat. Bike racks are located throughout downtown. Be courteous and don't lock your bike in the middle of crowds or sidewalks.
• Carpool with friends. The fewer cars on the road, the better traffic and fewer parking nightmares.
• If you don't have a bike or live too far away, ride the Service Chevrolet Cadillac Shuttle from Cajun Field, which runs every 15 minutes. Shuttles drop off at Lee and Jefferson, and at Garfield and Buchanan. On Sunday, the shuttle will pick up at Blackham Coliseum instead of Cajun Field.
• Thursday: 5:00–11:30pm
• Friday: 4:00–11:30pm
• Saturday: 10:30am–12:00am
• Sunday: 10:30am–8:00pm
• Take advantage of Uber and get dropped off near downtown.

ONCE YOU'RE AT FESTIVAL 

• Reduce paper waste. Use the Festival app to refer to band schedules and stage information instead of grabbing a handful of paper guides that will either end up at the bottom of your backpack, spilled on or left-behind. Wet paper can't be recycled anyway. If you really prefer to have a paper guide, only take one and use it for the whole weekend, then recycle it when you're done. Unless it's wet
• Reuse as much as you can. Not all vendors will take your own reusable bottle, but those souvenir Festival cups are totally reusable and totally recyclable! Ask the vendors to refill your existing cup, then bring them home to keep forever and ever, or drop them in a recycling bin when you're done for the day/weekend. Don't forget to use your cloth napkin and utensils. It won't be zero-waste when your food is inevitably served on a styrofoam plate, but it does at least lessen the overall impact.
• Recycle! When it's time to chunk something, recycle it if possible. Not sure what's acceptable? Save da handy graphic below to your phone.
• Leave the glass at home. It's super dangerous for all the sandal-clad feet! The vendors won't be serving anything in glass, and if you want to bring something from home, transfer it to a safer reusable container.
  
• Also, please don't vomit in the recycling bins. (Seent it happen.)

SHOPPING

• This year, Project Front Yard is partnering with CGI to provide a limited number of reusable shopping bags at La Boutique souvenir locations. Grab you a bag early and reuse it all weekend.
• Many vendors sell green products, whether they use recycled or repurposed materials, to sourcing local materials, to making their goods by hand. Support these vendors and show them you support sustainability! There are some truly great recycled things to find, and they are beautifully unique. Get the vendor lineup here.
• Many vendors take credit cards now, but bring cash for a quicker checkout process.

 

OTHER FESTIVAL POINTERS

• Volunteer and help Festival run smoothly! You can even volunteer for recycling duty, which is as glamorous as it sounds. All kidding aside, volunteering makes you feel good good.
• When you're sharing photos, don't forget to use the hashtags #HowIFestival and #GeauxGreen! 

So in short, pack what you'll need for the day to make you comfortable and sustainable, use alternative transportation, support all the local and sustainable vendors, and RECYCLE as much as you can!

Artwork by Eco Cajun friend and 2016 Official Festival International Artist, Denise Gallagher

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Walking the Walk

After the Project Front Yard press conference and awards ceremony and the Keep Louisiana Beautiful annual conference, I've been feeling inspired to DO more. I love writing and researching for the blog, but I'm feeling compelled to be more active out and about. It's not just about talking the sustainable talk, but about walking the walk.

So...here we go!

What I've Made a Habit (/Obsession)

Picking up more litter I come across. 

This is probably my biggest focus in the fight against trash everywhere. I was shopping one afternoon, and in two stores, I came across drinks left on the shelf. I mean, seriously y'all. If you bring a drink with you, don't leave it on the shelf! 

 

On my afternoon walks, I pass a pond, and one day, I found styrofoam cups floating near the bank. Even in a skirt, I went over, pulled the cups out, and threw them away. It was nasty. 

 

It's just ridiculous how much trash is everywhere all the time. I've found pedicure spacers in the parking lot of a clothing store. Why!?! 

And I take it upon myself to pick up what I can, because it's not just a job for inmates or store employees. It shouldn't be their job to pick up and throw away what someone is too lazy to throw away themselves. I look at it as a way of advocating for people to take some responsibility, if they see a random person like me picking up trash and throwing it away...taking an extra 10 seconds out of her day.

Using cloth bags at any store, not just grocery stores. On that recent shopping trip, I made multiple stops, and had a cloth bag for each one. It was awesome to not come home with a wad of plastic bags! I've started to keep some of the packable shopping bags in my purse, so no matter where I am, or if I'm not in my own car, I've got something to use.

Bringing my own and recycling as much as possible. 

Last weekend at Festival Acadiens, I only used a trashcan for my food trays (couldn't avoid those, dangit.) My drink cups were all recycled, and I brought water in my insulated Kanteen. I kept my fork to reuse, and brought a cloth napkin.

And I never forget my trusty Downtown Alive reusable cup! (However, some of the beertenders still fill a disposable plastic cup and then pour it into my cup, so that's defeating the entire purpose.)

Avoiding styrofoam.

Especially after watching Bag It! and listening to Marcus Eriksen speak at the Keep Louisiana Beautiful conference, I made a goal to renew my vow to use styrofoam as little as possible. I refuse to use a styrofoam cup, and will pass on items if they are packaged with foam.

Maximizing my fuel efficiency.

I've adjusted to driving a hybrid, and I'm working on getting my average miles per gallon as high as I can. I had been averaging about 46-47 MPG on a tank, but more recently I've been pushing it to 48-50, and the highest average I hit (for a day) was 53 MPG!

Getting involved!

I'm pretty sure we look like a stock photo for having fun while recycling, but cleanups actually do make a fun time. I pitched in recently with ReCover Acadiana and Project Front Yard on their Embrace-a-Space program and helped pick up litter along a Lafayette street.

Photo courtesy Project Front Yard

 

Coming up next week, Keep Lafayette Beautiful is participating in United Way's The Big Event, spearheading a team on a park beautification project. With thousands of student volunteers coming together on one day, there will be a huge impact on Lafayette, from trash cleanup to beautification to service.

What I Want to Improve

Being more vocal.
I've got a few ideas in the works for talking to businesses and companies about ways they can easily be more sustainable. I just need to finish them and make some connections!

Beyond that, I just want to keep advocating for reducing, reusing and recycling, on my own and in conjunction with other awesome organizations.

 
Getting more produce bags.
As much as I use cloth bags at the grocery store, I always forget to bring my reusable produce bags. And when I do, I only bring the three I have, which never covers all the produce I pick up. So I ordered more this week!
 
Bringing my own to-go container to restaurants. I have still not gotten in the habit of doing this. Although we don't dine out often, and I don't usually have leftovers, I still want to at least have one in case. Or at least have one for my fiance to use.

I also want to get in the habit of bringing a more sustainable container to places that typically use disposable plates. I've got the drink container habit down, but not food.

Transitioning to more organic and natural beauty products and clothes. This will eventually be some feature posts, when I get to it. I have started researching and getting new chemical-free products, and it's almost been a success. (Two words: natural deodorant. One face: :( )


What sustainability habit do you want to improve on?

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take it to go

Doggy bags, to-go boxes, take-out, leftovers...whatever you call them, chances are, there's styrofoam involved.

And in case you need a reminder, while most styrofoam has a recycling number on it, many cities and recycling companies do not accept it (Lafayette included). Styrofoam does NOT biodegrade, meaning your to-go box will be sitting in that same landfill a hundred years from now. It's a major component of overall litter, and it can kill animals who may mistake it for food.

Is it worth it?

(Let me work it!)

(Sorry.)

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wanting to make a change

This week one of my coworkers proposed an idea to me and asked my advice on how to start it. He wants to eliminate the sometimes unnecessary waste of receipts. I told him it was great idea that could make a huge effect on the amount of paper thrown away and that I would support him in his quest. My suggestion to him is to start with our state representatives and to compose a letter stating why stores should ask customers if they would like a receipt before printing them. In this day and age, records are kept online, in my opinion, eliminating the need for printed receipts on the store's end. And many times, especially when paying cash, customers immediately throw them away or worse, litter the parking lot. 

This coworker spent some time in the Midwest this year and said it was standard for store clerks to ask before handing over a receipt. Just today, I was at a store and I didn't need a receipt for my two soft drinks and bag of candy, so after the clerk asked and I said no, she just balled up the receipt and threw it away.

It's not that he's looking to ban receipts, he's just looking for clerks to ask before printing, in order to save the paper if you don't need it. I think it's a very realistic goal and offered my support in storming the capital steps if necessary. I would love to see him follow through with this and see if he makes any sort of effect on this practice. 

At the very least, it will get him involved in our state government to make a change, which is incredibly respectable.

It's also gotten me thinking about one specific area I want to make a change in - restaurant to-go containers. Around here, the standard is leftover portions in a styrofoam container that is put into a plastic bag. Non-biodegradable packaging in more non-biodegradable packaging. When I first set out to make a personal change, I asked for at least some recyclable plastic packaging, which one restaurant had. Then I went out and bought a couple reusable containers and was doing well at remembering to bring them with me. I have fallen off the wagon a little with this (although I eat out way less now that I'm on my own), but my next goal is to get restaurants to look into better options. I want to start with figuring out why restaurants will put one styrofoam container into a plastic bag. Is it because of the handles, for easy(-ier) transporting? If so, why not create a to-go box that HAS handles?

I think, now inspired by my coworker, I would like to pursue this to-go box issue more and see if I can't at least get restaurants thinking about making a switch (but really, getting restaurants to actually make a switch.) 

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