The New Site is Launched!

Green Justice is up and running at it's new location.  Please check it out!

http://www.peopleforgreenjustice.com

GREEN JUSTICE MOVING!

I am revamping and this blog is moving to it's own dedicated domain.  Bookmark it and check it soon!  The green justice system is on it's way!


www.peopleforgreenjustice.com

And no more produce bags either!

The other plastic perpetrator is in the produce section at your grocery store.  You put all your fruits and vegetables in them.  There is an alternative and reusable bag for this too.  


Check these out:  http://www.flipandtumble.com/shop.html#productthreejumplink


Challenge yourself to go without plastic bags!

No More, or at Least Less, Plastic Bags

I've written about plastic bags before, but I feel the need to do it again.  You know how you never noticed a certain type of car until you buy it and then it seems you see it everywhere?  That is what's happening to me but with plastic bags.  Before, they used to just be something of the norm, even when blowing around the streets and floating through the air (insert beautiful plastic bag cameo from "American Beauty.")  Now they stick out to me like never before.  Those things are littered everywhere.  


I've been using reusable bags, not just for groceries, but they have become handy for daily activities.  Just a few more things than I want to fit in my purse, a book, my camera, random anything.  The canvas type ones work great for that.


Of course if you forget them, it does happen, just hold on to the plastic bags and take them back to the store and put them in the plastic bag recycling bin.  Most grocery stores will take them back.


I'm watching the new Henry's Farmers Market store.  I went there yesterday and did not see any recycling bins.  I asked if they recycled the bags if people bring them in and the cashier said they do but the bin is in the back and hasn't been brought to the front.  I will also point out they do not offer paper bags, but they do sell reusable bags.  I'm keeping my eye on them though.  I better see the recycling bin available to customers when I go back!


Here are some real facts to go along with my personal rant.


1.  Production of plastic bags requires petroleum and natural gas, both nonrenewable so our dependency on foreign suppliers increases.


2.  The chemicals produced while making plastic bags are toxic and pollute the air.


3.  The energy used to manufacture and distribute thousands of tons of plastic bags creates global warming emissions.


4.  Thousands of our marine life die from getting tangled in them or eating them because they mistake them for food.


5.  Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to breakdown and even then the particles are considered contamination to our soil and water.


That's only 5.  Unfortunately, there are several more.  Please get a reusable bag if you don't already have one.  If you have one, remember to use it!  I'm pretty sure plastic bags will always be around, but we can decrease the amount used, and that will decrease the damage done.


Get involved and leave a comment!

Composting is Easy!

Do you throw away countless parts of fruits and vegetables?  I know I did and always felt bad about it.  Putting something compostable into a plastic bag to put in a landfill seems like we are kind of working against ourselves.  


The Burbank Recycling Center has been offering free composting workshops on the weekends and I decided to check it out.  It was well worth it.  If you go, you get a free compost bin and if you get there without a car they will deliver it to you for free.  Oh yes, they believe in the composting.  They were all very nice and I met a few people from the community.  It was about an hour and there is no test!  


I started my compost yesterday and it took me about a half hour if that.  I pulled some dead twigs and small branches off of trees in the yard.  I took the green waste from the gardeners waste bin and I added my kitchen refuse and topped it with some dry stuff off the palm tree.  DONE!


Today I will probably throw my "not so ripe anymore" bananas in there.  I learned about all kinds of items you can put in there that I had no idea about.  You can put your coffee grinds and you can even put hair in there.  Weird, but it's true.  And in the end you get to harvest amazing soil.  They had samples of it and it's rich and grainy.  I can't believe I'm describing how beautiful soil was, but truly it was.


So my point, this is an easy way to reduce your waste.  Just put it somewhere else and do nothing and it becomes that beautiful soil I was talking about up there.  


If you want more info, hit me up with an email.  I'll tell you what I learned and how super easy it is.  Or if you google composting, millions of sites will come up too!

Affordable & Portable Recycling Bins

I just ordered my first Flings Bin for recycling.  They are $3.99 with free shipping and can be reused or you can recycle the whole thing.  They are flat and you just pop them up.  It's a great idea for parties, picnics, any event where you might need a bin.  Bring one to a party, put one by your mailboxes for junk mail, so many uses I can't list them all.  I am just excited I found a cheap and easy bin for recycling.  They even have themed ones for different events so you can be party themed.  


Here is the link -  Flings Recycle Bins


If you have any good tips on recycling bins let me know!