Life with Dylan

Category: recycling

  • It’s not easy being Green … In a world of trash can fillers

    Being green. Living a green lifestyle.

    What does it all mean?

    Are you green? 
    Do you find it difficult being green all the time?
    The past few years I have noticed more and more people around me reverting back to what I like to call trash can fillers. Sure, if there is a cause or a fundraiser going on, these people are more than happy to help out and recycle all their soda cans and plastic water bottles. However, once that event is over what do they do? Well, from my observations they go right back to their old ways … the items get thrown in the trash can. If a person can save their recycling for a child who is raising money for conservation, then why can’t they save their recycling all the time?

    I have heard all the excuses and honestly, none of them are good enough for me. My favorite one has to be that “it all gets mixed together anyway, so why bother” ..
    Wow, really? If that is the case at your place of employment or where you live, then I suggest you start asking some questions. If a trash can or bin is labeled as Recycle, then that is exactly what should be done with the contents. Recycle them.

    The thought of filling a trash can with items that can be recycled is something that I will probably never be able to understand. It just isn’t how I live my life.

    I have said it before and I will say it again … We recycle almost everything! Companies like Terracycle make it so easy to recycle items that would otherwise end up in a landfill, yet so many people won’t take the time to do it. All it takes is a small bin, box or bag as a collection spot in your home or workplace. So many things can be recycled.

    Being GREEN should not be difficult.

    The next time you go to throw something away, please take a minute and think about what you are putting in that trash can. Is it something that can be recycled? Is it something that someone else might want?

    Humans are creatures of habit and sometimes old habits are hard to break … but I have seen it done. When you see someone throw a soda can in the trash, ask them this “Why are you being a trash can filler?” and see what they say. 

    I think Kermit said it best …
    When green is all there is to be 
    It could make you wonder why 
    But why wonder why wonder 
    I am green, and it’ll do fine 
    It’s beautiful, and I think it’s what I want to be





  • We’re Sending Out Recycled Christmas Cards This Year!

    I decided not to do a Christmas card this year. To be perfectly honest, the main reason is I just don’t have the time.  I should have started planning months ago and I didn’t. Why? Because I have been so busy over the past few months cleaning out closets and cupboards and purging like crazy every weekend, that Christmas cards just were not a priority!

    While doing this I came across a ton of Christmas cards from the past. Some full boxes and some only a few of each design. Either way, they are perfectly good cards!

    So I got an idea to recycle my cards this year. Rather than worry about creating the perfect card to send out, I decided to use the cards I already have.

    One year I ordered a few too many, another year I bought one box too many, and one year I just bought a box because it was 80% off at an after Christmas sale.

    Either way, these miscellaneous cards have just been sitting on a shelf. Serving no purpose except to take up room that I could use for something else. I now have an empty shelf and plenty of Christmas cards to send out.

    I may add a Christmas letter (which I haven’t done in years) to some of the cards, or a school picture of Dylan for family far away … who knows, either way I feel good about recycling old things to make them new again.

    No, I did not buy cards that were made from recycled paper … Nor did I make cards from recycled items. I recycled things that I already had in my home. You see friends, there are many ways to recycle. You just have to give it a little thought.

    What can you recycle this holiday season?

  • Wait, don’t throw that away – Recycle it with TerraCycle!

    When you think of recycling, what comes to mind? Probably cans, water bottles, and newspapers. Some of you may also take it a step further and recycle/reuse your glass jars or sort your plastic and aluminum food packaging for recycling. If so, wonderful – you are proficient at kitchen recycling.

    However, what about the other room in your home that is filled with tubes, jars, and various bottles?

    Yes, I am talking about the bathroom. For years my bathroom trash can was home to empty moisturizer jars and dried up tubes of mascara. I never thought about recycling these containers because I didn’t know that I could. (I call this my pre-TerraCycle period.) I recently sent a box filled with all sorts of personal care and cosmetic product packaging to TerraCycle that included compacts, lipstick tubes, shampoo bottles, foundation tubes, hair pomade jars, and so much more. Yes, all of these containers can be recycled.

    You can recycle packaging like this too by simply joining the TerraCycle Personal Care and Beauty Brigade. Participating in TerraCycle brigades is free and is another great way that you can help keep waste out of the landfills. For a full listing of the personal care and beauty product accepted waste visit the TerraCycle website.

    While you are there, be sure to look at the other brigades available to join. I am sure you will be just as surprised as I was to learn how many types of product packaging can be recycled.

    Points earned from sending in qualified shipments can be redeemed for TerraCycle product bundles, charitable gifts or cash donations made to a charity of your choice. It’s like getting two for one – you keep waste out of the landfills and you are rewarded with making a charitable gift.

    So the next time you think about throwing something in the trash can, stop. Don’t throw it away because you can probably recycle it.

  • The mind of a child wonders … Why?

    The other day my son began asking me questions. Questions that I could not answer.
    Good questions. In fact, amazing questions!

    WHY do people have to kill rhinos for their horns?

    WHY do people have to kill tigers for their fur?

    WHY do people have to harvest palm oil fruit from the rain forest?

    WHY do people have to kill elephants for their tusks?

    WHY do people have to be cruel to the animals?

    WHY do people have to litter at the zoo?

    WHY don’t more people recycle?

    WHY do people not take conservation seriously?

    WHY do people have to cut down the rain forest?

    WHY don’t people care about these things like I do?

    I decided to use his questions for a blog post because I began to wonder …


    WHY does a 9-year-old child question these global issues, when so many adults do not?

    Photo courtesy of Dylan Fryer.

  • Endangered Species Monday – Cans for Critters

    One of the great things about helping save endangered species is that everyone can do something – even children. In fact, I believe children can and will create more awareness about the problems facing endangered species than most adults will. When I offered to be in charge of the conservation service project for my son’s Cub Scout den, I was thrilled to suggest we take part in San Diego Zoo Global’s Cans for Critters.



    Cans for Critters is one of the many programs available for the general public to do their part and help protect wildlife all over the world. By recycling cans and bottles, and then donating the money, both individuals and groups can help save endangered species.




    There are three levels for individuals (starting at $20) and three levels for groups (starting at $100). We chose the group level of Cheetah, which has a goal of raising $200 for wildlife. Each boy collects cans and bottles and I take them to the recycling center each month. All the money we get goes into a jar so the boys can see how much money they have raised. Even though we started a month late, I am confident that boys will reach their goal by the end of the recycling drive. Cans for Critters officially began on Septemeber 12, 2012 and will end on May 17, 2013 – the day before Endangered Species Awareness Day.




    Everyone who registers for Cans for Critters and meets their goal will have an opportunity to receive a special certificate, animal photo, conservation patch, and choice of zoo tickets or eco gifts. There will also be an official Cans for Critters Appreciation Day on June 1, 2013.



    The boys are so excited to be part of this conservation project and I am honored to have the opportunity to teach them more about how they can help save endangered species. 


    So what do you think? Would you like to help save endangered species by registering for Cans for Critters? It’s quite simple and a wonderful way for people of all ages to help protect wildlife while keeping the planet clean. 

    Reduce – Reuse – Recycle



  • School fundraiser does more harm than good

    Anyone who has children is familiar with the annual school fundraisers. Almost all schools have at least one fundraiser and I understand the reasoning. Budget cuts and minimal funding for programs like art and music have forced the schools to be creative in how they ask parents for money.



    Over the years my son has brought home packets with everything from cookie dough, wrapping paper, See’s candy, and the infamous magazine subscriptions. So you can imagine how happy I was to see that this year’s fundraiser was for reusable shopping bags and totes that were made from recycled products. Wonderful!


    I was ready to buy all my Christmas gifts and share the fundraiser with my coworkers, but then the little voice in my head told me to look deeper. I went to the company’s website and searched for the about page.




    I was shocked when I began to read what it said. – Shocked at the ignorance more than anything else.



    Made from woven polypropylene – one of the most popular plastics for making food containers like yogurt cups. 10-40% of the polypropylene used in our bags is recycled from post consumer use. Most of our bags hold up to 50 lbs, which is due to the plastic fibers woven into the bags. Made in China.

    Wait, was I reading this correctly? Made in China?





    Why on earth would I or anyone buy a product that is supposed to be eco-friendly from a California company that has the product made in China? The thousands of miles on diesel burning cargo ships and the trees that are destroyed to make the shipping crates are not eco-friendly. The size of the carbon footprint left to have a recycled product made in China, only to be sold in the United States is enormous in comparison to making the recycled product here. We strive to cut carbon emissions on our local streets, but pretend that the emissions made on the ocean don’t exist.



    My son’s school fundraiser ends today and I sent the envelope back as instructed. Not with an order form or payment, but rather a note to the school.



    Please consider another fundraiser next year. Although the bags are nice, there is no point in buying a recycled product that is manufactured in China. The pollution and environmental impact of transporting goods from overseas defeats the purpose of making and buying eco-friendly products. Thank you.





    So I’m curious, do you ever look to see where the eco-friendly products you buy are made?




  • Paper, plastic, or I have my own bag?

    For the longest time when you went to the grocery store your food was put in a brown paper bag. There was no other option. Then suddenly plastic bags became the hot new thing. They were lighter than paper and had handles that allowed you to carry four bags in each hand. Paper or plastic became the most asked question at many stores.

    I remember having some pretty heavy debates with friends and coworkers about the pros and cons of each. Paper killed trees, but was more easily biodegradable. Plastic stays around a lot longer and harms sea life, but doesn’t use as much fuel to produce as paper. (When looking at this scenario, you must also look at the emissions from the logging trucks and the size of the carbon footprint) Both have good points and bad points, but there is a better answer to the age-old question Paper or Plastic? Simply reply, “No thank you – I have my own bag.”
    This is what the inside of my trunk looks like. My motto is have bag will shop. 
    I have reusable bags of all sizes and if for some reason I forget to grab one out of the trunk I go without a bag. Smallest carbon footprint I can make when it comes to shopping.
    I recently asked the question paper, plastic or I have my own bag on twitter and Facebook and was quite surprised by the replies. More people than I thought answered that they bring their own bags, which I think is fabulous! However, the others almost all chose plastic. This disturbed me so asked them why. 
    I got answers like “I use them for gardening” or “We use them to take out the cat litter” … OK, reasonable answers. So then I asked have you ever thought of buying ecofriendly, biodegradable plastic bags for this instead? The answer opened up a whole new conversation. 
    Why would I buy plastic bags when the bags from the grocery store are already made from recycled plastic? 
    Well, being made from recycled plastic and being biodegradable are two different things. Just because something is made from recycled plastic does not necessarily mean that it will be recycled again. Remember the post about how the city recycles for you and you can just throw everything in the trash can? Believe me, it was an eye opener for me too when I read what was on my city’s website. 
    Bottom line is educate yourself and do what you can to reduce the pollution left behind from paper and plastic bags. You may not go completely green with your shopping bags like I have, but hopefully this post will get you thinking a little more about what you will say the next time you are asked paper or plastic? 

  • If you must buy bottled water, look for this on the bottle

    I am a huge fan of drinking water, but not a huge fan of plastic water bottles. Sure, I recycle all the cans and bottles that my family uses, but why even make plastic bottles at all?

    A few months ago I voted on some artwork for Icicles Premium Frozen Yogurt – they were choosing a design for a new product – bottled water. We love Icicles and go there all the time because the store is just down the street from us, so I choose the label I liked best. I had no idea that I would actually be the one randomly chosen to win a $50 gift card and an entire case of the new bottled water.

    I was happy about the gift card, but not too excited about a case of bottled water. I try my best not to purchase plastic bottles. At least I will recycle the bottles and the water tastes pretty good.

    When I opened the case of water, I noticed something different about the bottles. They looked different and they felt different. It wasn’t just the shape of the bottle, which by the way fits very nicely in your hand, but it was the feel of the plastic. Then I looked closely at the bottle.

    So this is why it feels so good in my hand …

    The bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic. Unlike other plastic bottles of water that have a recycle symbol someplace small and out of sight, these bottles show it proudly. Not to mention the bright green background telling you that the bottle is made from recycled plastic.

    Wait, that’s not all, the bottle even says this

    This means that all those plastic bottles we recycle were used to make this bottle. RPET stands for Recycled  Polyethylene terephthalate and the amount of energy saved making bottles from RPET is amazing. Aside from not filling landfills, bottles made from 100% RPET can reduce the carbon footprint by 65% compared to non-recycled plastic bottles.

    So, if you must buy bottled water (and I know sometimes it can’t be helped) look for 100% RPET on the bottle and always recycle your plastic bottles. 100% RPET is the eco-friendly way to drink bottled water and I applaud Icicles for doing their part in keeping the planet green.

  • Why Yes, You Can Recycle That!

    Nothing gets under my skin more than people who don’t, or should I say won’t recycle. For one reason or another they say it is too much work. Now I will admit that I make more of an effort to recycle than the average person does, but once you start recycling it just becomes second nature.

    Common excuses I hear are:

    1. I don’t have time
    2. I don’t know what to recycle
    3. The city recycles for me

    Number 3 has got to be my favorite – let someone else do it.  

    Although you can buy a variety of containers for your recycling, they really are not necessary to do the job. Making your own bins to separate paper, plastic, cardboard, cans, bottles, newspapers, etc is quite simple. Rather than use plastic bags, that will just be thrown away, to collect your aluminum cans and plastic bottles try a reusable shopping bag. The handles make it easy to carry them down to your car and to the recycling center.

    I personally do not use paper or plastic bags, but when Dylan’s school stuff came home in a brown paper bag I reused it. The paper bag makes the perfect collecting spot for plastic containers, soup cans, and egg cartons that can be recycled. It only takes a few seconds to rinse out the containers and tear off the can labels.

    Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cardboard boxes from food – just stack them up – no container needed.

    My recycling wall. 

    Now the city I live in does provide recycling trash cans, so this is where I put my stack of newspapers and other paper products. Cans, bottles, and plastic I take to the recycling center once a month. 

    OK, for those of you who answer with number 3 from above – the city recycles for me. Well, so does my city. However, if you read your cities web page you will probably find something along the lines of what my city’s web page says.

    In compliance with the State-mandated recycling goals, the City contracts with CR&R to transport all City-collected solid waste to a materials recovery facility (MRF) where the waste is sorted. The MRF is uniquely designed to separate and recover recyclable materials from unsorted (commingled) household waste. This process eliminates the need for additional containers and separate collection pick up normally associated with residential recycling programs. Even though residents are not required to separate their recyclable, you are encouraged to seal wet refuse in bags to prevent contamination of newsprint. (from the City of Newport Beach web page)

    As you can see, only the recyclable goods that have not been contaminated can actually be recycled. To save the newspaper, you are asked to seal your wet trash in a plastic bag. 
    Doesn’t using a plastic bag defeat the purpose of recycling?

    Now that I have you thinking about recycling, let’s go one step further. 
    Have you heard of TerraCycle? If not, you have now. TerraCycle is the answer to all things you didn’t think could be recycled. Personal care and beauty product packaging previously just thrown in a landfill can now be recycled through a TerraCycle brigade. So my shampoo bottles, lotion tubes, and makeup containers go in a bin instead of the trash can. Once I have enough to fill a box, I will send them to TerraCycle (free with their prepaid shipping label) and I can have the money donated to a charity of my choice or I can redeem points for products made from the recycled packaging. It’s a win-win situation. The same applies to my bin of GoGo squeeZ applesauce packages. 
    My recycling area is next to my trash can so it doesn’t take any extra effort. I go to the same area with trash and my recycling. The best thing is that I only take out my trash once every two weeks because 90% of what I use can be recycled. 
    Now that you now how easy it is to recycle, that recycling doesn’t cost you any money, and that YES, you can recycle that … I’m giving you a challenge.
    I challenge you to start recycling one new thing during the month of July. If it’s cans and plastic bottles great, but think outside the box and start recycling something that you don’t get money for. After all, the point of recycling isn’t just to get money … we recycle to reduce the impact of landfills on the environment. 
    Are you up for the challenge? What will you start recycling this month?

  • Protect the environment and donate your used cell phones

    Dylan will be collecting used cell phones from June 25 through July 10, 2012


    Once his box is full, he will be sending the phones to the fundraising company and they will send him a check for the phones based on their market value price list. Every phone is worth something and every little bit will help him reach his goal of $1,000



    Cell phone facts:

    ·Over
    100 million cell phones are stockpiled in U.S. households creating 50,000 tons
    of potentially hazardous waste.

    ·On
    average Americans replace their cell phones every 12-18 months. An estimated
    130 million cell phones are discarded annually in the U.S. alone.

    ·Cell
    phones contain toxic substances including Arsenic, Antimony, Beryllium,
    Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc which leach into soil and groundwater
    and form toxins during incineration which have been associated cancer and a
    range of reproductive, neurological and developmental disorders.

    ·The
    cadmium from a single cell phone is capable of polluting 158,200 gallons of
    water. (That’s 2.4 million 8-ounce sodas!)