My quest to be Styrofoam free is going strong. Minus the minor tiffs I have endured from various supermarkets not understanding my “strange” request for meat that does not come in Styrofoam. I really do find it amusing to see the look on people’s faces when you ask them what their to-go containers are made of. Not only is it serving my goal to be Styrofoam free, but hopefully it is getting them to think about why I am asking and/or denying a to-go container if it is Styrofoam.
I thought I would share with you a few habits I have developed to ensure I am Styrofoam free.
• If you go out to eat at a restaurant, ask the waiter before you order what their containers are made out of. If they don’t have an alternative from Styrofoam, I know I am going to order something that will not have leftovers.
• If you are eating at a fast food place or a “hole in the wall”, as you are walking in notice what people are eating on and/or carrying out. A lot of time those small places will use Styrofoam because it is so cheap.
• Think back to places you have eaten before. I know I cannot eat at Jamba Juice. I love their delicious sugar filled smoothies, but I know from all the previous times I have been there that their smoothies come in Styrofoam.
• If you know a place only offers their food in Styrofoam (all my favorite Mexican food places in San Diego), bring your own containers. I guarantee you will get funny looks, but it is worth the cause.
I hope these tips have helped if you are trying to cut back on your Styrofoam usage or at least I hope it made you think about your food and the packaging it comes in.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Pain In The.....Gnat!
Nothing beats the terrifying feeling of walking into your house after a short vacation and seeing your kitchen covered in gnats. I should first state that I hate bugs… no despise bugs. I don’t mind them outside, but I do not want them in my home. So seeing my kitchen filled with gnats (my favorite room in the house), I panicked. I immediately grabbed a kitchen towel and tried to take down the swarm of gnats. If anyone has ever tried to fight off gnats, you know this technique does not provide results.
After realizing I was just moving the gnats around and not actually getting rid of them, I did what I should have done first and found the source. Low and behold I forgot to take out my compostable waste before leaving on vacation. This provided the gnats with a hearty location for a gnat hotel. As clean as composting is on the back end, gnats are often a side effect of compostable waste. However, they can be avoided with a few simple steps. For backyard composting be sure to collect only fruits and vegetables for your compost bin and remember to dig a small hole in your pile and bury every fresh batch from your kitchen. For commercial composting, I recommend having an outside container with a lid that you store all organic waste. I keep a small container in my kitchen that I empty on a daily basis into the outdoor bin. Then I empty the outdoor bin once a week. The process should eliminate any gnat problem that may arise in your house.
If you do happen to come home to a gnat filled kitchen, I have just the solution for you. Find an empty spaghetti jar or anything lying around that has a sealed lid. Poke small holes in the lid with a sharp object. Make sure the holes are not too large or too small. They should be about the size of a gnat. Fill the jar with about _ a cup of cider vinegar, about a tablespoon of sugar and about ยบ a cup of water. Seal the lid on the jar and place it in a central location of the gnats. The mixture will attract the gnats into the jar, but they will not be able to get back out. Word to the wise… close every door and window in your house. The first time I tried this, I realized the mixture was working so well it was attracting gnats from outside into the house. Within a couple hours to a day all of the gnats will be gone!
After realizing I was just moving the gnats around and not actually getting rid of them, I did what I should have done first and found the source. Low and behold I forgot to take out my compostable waste before leaving on vacation. This provided the gnats with a hearty location for a gnat hotel. As clean as composting is on the back end, gnats are often a side effect of compostable waste. However, they can be avoided with a few simple steps. For backyard composting be sure to collect only fruits and vegetables for your compost bin and remember to dig a small hole in your pile and bury every fresh batch from your kitchen. For commercial composting, I recommend having an outside container with a lid that you store all organic waste. I keep a small container in my kitchen that I empty on a daily basis into the outdoor bin. Then I empty the outdoor bin once a week. The process should eliminate any gnat problem that may arise in your house.
If you do happen to come home to a gnat filled kitchen, I have just the solution for you. Find an empty spaghetti jar or anything lying around that has a sealed lid. Poke small holes in the lid with a sharp object. Make sure the holes are not too large or too small. They should be about the size of a gnat. Fill the jar with about _ a cup of cider vinegar, about a tablespoon of sugar and about ยบ a cup of water. Seal the lid on the jar and place it in a central location of the gnats. The mixture will attract the gnats into the jar, but they will not be able to get back out. Word to the wise… close every door and window in your house. The first time I tried this, I realized the mixture was working so well it was attracting gnats from outside into the house. Within a couple hours to a day all of the gnats will be gone!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Summer Miracle!
One of my favorite summer meals is bratwurst with sauerkraut. However, since my pledge to live a Styrofoam free life (which has not been easy in the slightest) I have not been able to purchase bratwurst due to the fact it was only packaged in Styrofoam. I am not talking about any bratwurst, I am talking about Johnsonville bratwurst. I have tried others… there is no comparison.
While doing my weekly grocery shopping last week, the clouds parted and I found the bratwurst in the meat counter—styrofoam free! I purchased enough to last me all summer long! I did this for two reasons: 1) I always want to support companies that make smart packaging decisions and 2) I was afraid next time I went to the store to get by brats fix they would not be there.
This just proves to me that persistence is the key. Companies are slowly realizing that packaging matters to people and it will actually affect their purchasing habits and decisions. There are many people who don’t understand this mission that I am on. When I told my mom about my Styrofoam free life she replied “You can’t do that!” It is not easy, I will give her that, but it is something I CAN do.
While doing my weekly grocery shopping last week, the clouds parted and I found the bratwurst in the meat counter—styrofoam free! I purchased enough to last me all summer long! I did this for two reasons: 1) I always want to support companies that make smart packaging decisions and 2) I was afraid next time I went to the store to get by brats fix they would not be there.
This just proves to me that persistence is the key. Companies are slowly realizing that packaging matters to people and it will actually affect their purchasing habits and decisions. There are many people who don’t understand this mission that I am on. When I told my mom about my Styrofoam free life she replied “You can’t do that!” It is not easy, I will give her that, but it is something I CAN do.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
So What Do You Know About Trash?
A fundamental part of what we do here at Waste Less Living is education on waste management and the problems surrounding it. One way we work to get out our knowledge is through our Eco-Education, or Eco-Ed, parties. We bring together a group of people and have a discussion about the environmental impacts of trash and the value of composting.
This past weekend, I hosted my first Eco-Ed party. During my preparation for this momentous event, I was nervous. I am comfortable speaking in front a group of people, but you may be surprised to hear that people don’t always enjoy the topic of trash. After I gave my spiel, the mood was a little dim. (Not because my presentation was so boring, but because there is a lot about trash that people just don’t know.) However, spirits picked up when we started talking about composting. There are many misconceptions about composting: it smells, it is dirty, it is too hard to incorporate it into your life. (FYI, all false) In the end, my party was successful. One woman even emailed me and told me she started her own compost pile in her backyard! YES! Hopefully, there will be more Eco-Ed parties in my future. Think of all the compost piles just waiting to be built.
This past weekend, I hosted my first Eco-Ed party. During my preparation for this momentous event, I was nervous. I am comfortable speaking in front a group of people, but you may be surprised to hear that people don’t always enjoy the topic of trash. After I gave my spiel, the mood was a little dim. (Not because my presentation was so boring, but because there is a lot about trash that people just don’t know.) However, spirits picked up when we started talking about composting. There are many misconceptions about composting: it smells, it is dirty, it is too hard to incorporate it into your life. (FYI, all false) In the end, my party was successful. One woman even emailed me and told me she started her own compost pile in her backyard! YES! Hopefully, there will be more Eco-Ed parties in my future. Think of all the compost piles just waiting to be built.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Styrofoam Free Is Not So Easy!
Way back in August of 2009, I decided to eliminate bottled water from my life. I made this decision while I was sitting in one of my environmental classes. I realized that every time I purchased bottled water I was basically contradicting my beliefs and the core of my studies. From that moment forward, I swore off bottled water. Nine months later and I am still going strong. It was very difficult at first and I went thirsty on many occasions, but I knew it was for the greater good. I now rarely leave the house without my stainless steel canister.
I am very proud of no-bottled-water pledge I have taken, but another realization hit me the other day. Why did I swear off bottled water and not Styrofoam? While it is not the best choice, at least bottled water can be recycled. Styrofoam on the other hand… most municipalities can’t recycle it and it is terrible on the environment. So as of March 28, 2010 I have completely banished Styrofoam from my life. Let me tell you, this has made my life difficult in ways I never imagined. Our society LOVES Styrofoam! I can no longer buy chicken in bulk or ground turkey or pretty much anything in the meat section of the grocery store. I can’t even explain the disappointment when I saw my favorite bratwurst came in Styrofoam! Now at restaurants I have to ask the waiter ahead of time what their to-go containers are made of and endure that strange look they give me. I never realized how much Styrofoam surrounds us until I took on this pledge. Man… these first couple months are going to be brutal, but I know it is the right decision for me and I am happy I decided to do this.
A Bit of History for Earth Day...
Before Al Gore wore the crown of political conservationist, there was a man named Gaylord Nelson. You probably don’t recognize this name (I didn’t before I did research for this blog article), but he has affected each and every one of our lives. Gaylord Nelson was a United States Senator for the state of Wisconsin and the founder of Earth Day. It took many years for Gaylord Nelson to convince local communities and our government that our Earth is something very precious and we need to start taking care of it. Finally, in 1970 Richard Nixon listened to what Nelson had to say and declared April 22, 1970 as National Earth Day. Many positive things came from this declaration including the Environmental Protection Agency, which now regulates water pollution, air quality and so much more. So we can all thank Gaylord Nelson for so many things: including clean water, since it is now illegal to dump toxic chemicals into our oceans.
After reading this, I know you are jumping out of your seat excited to celebrate Earth Day so here is a list of local Earth Day celebrations happening in the Los Angeles Area!
WASTE LESS LIVING WILL BE PRESENT AT:PasadenaSaturday, April 24, 2010; 10am – 4pmMemorial Park & the Armory Center for the Arts145 North Raymond Ave.
San DimasWednesday, April 21, 2010; 5pm-9pmBonita and Iglesia St
OTHER EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS:Santa MonicaSaturday, April 17, 2010; 10am – 7pm3rd Street Promenade
CalabasasSaturday, April 3, 2010; 1pm – 5pmLas Virgenes CreekAgoura Road at Las Virgenes Road (behind Starbucks)
HawthorneSaturday, April 10, 2010; 10am- 2pmHawthorne Memorial Park3901 West El Segundo Boulevard
Culver CityWednesday, April 21, 2010; 11am – 2pmSony Pictures Studio Campus10202 Washington Blvd.Sunday, April 25, 2010; 10am-4pmRio Vista School10101 Jefferson Blvd.
NorthridgeThursday, April 22, 2010; 10am – 2pmCal State Univ. NorthridgeMatador Bookstore18111 Nordhoff St.
CarsonThursday, April 22, 2010; 11am-4pmCal State Univ. Dominguez HillsOutside Student Union1000 E. Victoria St.
Long BeachSaturday, April 24 – Sunday, April 25, 2010; 9am - 4pmAquarium of the Pacific100 Aquarium Way
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Never Underestimate the Power of a Child
I have always thought that we need to listen to children more. They often come up with solutions to problems that are simplistic, but ingenious. While working in a first and third grade class during my Student Teaching, I was often blown away by what my students had to say. While at a convention last December, I was blown away by one particular child that I know is changing the world.
His name is Alec Loorz. Alec is one child (now young teen) fighting against climate change. To give you a little background, he started his own non-profit organization at the age of 12. He realized that climate change is something his generation would have to deal with and he wanted to do something about it. Using images, Powerpoint presentations and motivating words, Alec is educating his and older generations about climate change.
As the keynote speaker at the Green Schools Summit Convention, he almost moved me to tears with his eloquence and passion. The teacher side of me was so proud that this young man had enough courage to speak to a room of his elders and the “green” side of me was so proud that he gets the importance of climate change. I encourage you to look at his website and watch his videos. http://kids-vs-global-warming.com/Home.html Hopefully, he inspires and motivates you as he did for me. Never underestimate the power of a child.
His name is Alec Loorz. Alec is one child (now young teen) fighting against climate change. To give you a little background, he started his own non-profit organization at the age of 12. He realized that climate change is something his generation would have to deal with and he wanted to do something about it. Using images, Powerpoint presentations and motivating words, Alec is educating his and older generations about climate change.
As the keynote speaker at the Green Schools Summit Convention, he almost moved me to tears with his eloquence and passion. The teacher side of me was so proud that this young man had enough courage to speak to a room of his elders and the “green” side of me was so proud that he gets the importance of climate change. I encourage you to look at his website and watch his videos. http://kids-vs-global-warming.com/Home.html Hopefully, he inspires and motivates you as he did for me. Never underestimate the power of a child.
If You Eco-Talk, You Should Eco-Shop!
It is difficult to live by your own words in any department of your life, but it can be especially difficult to make environmentally responsible buying decisions on a day-to-day basis. That is why I love it when I find products and companies that are manufacturing and producing eco-friendly products.
I am an avid tea drinker. To put it in perspective for you, my tea drawer (yes, drawer not shelf) is as big as the drawer for my pots and pans. I believe in having as many options as possible. So several years ago I was in the Mecca of sustainability, Boulder, Colorado, and I discovered a not-so-little tea company. From the moment I first tasted their tea, Celestial Seasonings became my tea of choice.
Not only is the tea absolutely delicious, but they are a company that prides themselves on respecting the environment. Every aspect of Celestial Seasonings is geared toward working in sync with the Earth and not harming it. Here are some highlights of my favorite sustainable decisions they have made:
· The tea bags are not individually wrapped and they don’t have strings or staples which diverts 3.5 million pounds of waste from the landfill each year! (This is exactly what Waste Less Living is trying to accomplish! If only more companies started at the production level.)
· Over the past few years, their facility has reduced the amount of waste they send to the landfill by 60%! (Waste Less Living to date has diverted over 16,000 lbs in just two years time!)
· Tea farmers must commit to Celestial Seasonings Ethical Trade philosophy. (Waste Less Living is also committed to doing business with socially responsible and fair trade driven companies. Waste Less Living sources its product line from a manufacturer whose mission is to raise awareness of environmental justice and social justice issues around the world.)
· Celestial Seasonings gives back to their community through various donations and programs. (Waste Less Living, also, plans to institute a give-back program to benefit non-profit organizations working towards environmental sustainability.)
These are only some of the sustainable choices Celestial Seasonings has made. Waste Less Living was founded on similar principals and it is for these reasons that I have chosen to work for the company. I truly believe in the Waste Less Living mission! These companies are living proof that you can have a successful company and maintain a high standard of performance with respect to the environment. I encourage you to check out Celestial Seasonings website and to try their product. It truly is amazing tea! And of course, if you haven't already had a Waste Less Living party, you should sign up for one. They are offering complimentary supplies and composting service for you to host an Eco-Ed Party. You need merely to allocate 30-minutes of the party for a Waste Less Living representative like myself to share some very valuable information on the subject of waste.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New Job, New Town
When I came on board with Waste Less Living, I was living in beautiful San Diego. However, if you notice, WLL is headquartered in Pasadena. At first you would think, “Oh, that’s not that bad. It is what, only two hours away?” If that is not what you first thought, I did. Yes, granted it is only about 2 hours away from my current residence, but moving is moving. Not only am I moving from one city to another, but I am considerably downsizing. I am going from a two-bedroom condo into a studio. Needless to say, I have an entire room dedicated to Goodwill. I think at this point I could probably open up my own thrift shop.
I have moved many times in my life: one word, college. I became used to moving every year or so, but this time is very different. First, all my belongings no longer fit in the trunk of my car. I have accumulated furniture and other items that I could not afford when I was 18. And second, I am now a working business woman during this move. This presents a challenge in itself. My odometer on my car has sky rocketed in the past month commuting to and from while I find a new place to live. Also, I have gotten to the point that when I am in Pasadena I am in business mode. I am motivated. When I arrive back in San Diego, I revert back to my pre-Waste Less Living lifestyle of sleeping in and enjoying the company of friends. The positive news is I am officially going to be a resident of Los Angeles County come this Friday. I am ready to be motivated and working for Waste Less Living without a 4-hour commute. I can now settle into my position without living, what is feels like, a double life.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
A Perfect Match!
My name is Leslie Widner and I am a new sales associate and consultant for Waste Less Living. From here on out this will be my journal, per se, of my successes and challenges as a new sales associate, interesting (at least I think they will be) facts, newly acquired knowledge and any thoughts I would like to share about my new job.
Before I begin spouting about my new adventures with Waste Less Living (WLL), I should tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Leslie and I grew up in Fremont, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up in such an environmentally conscious part of the country laid the foundation for pursuing a career around sustainability. I attended San Diego State University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and a Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential. While Student Teaching I realized how important it is to teach the future generation about conservation and the affect we have on the environment. My ideologies were further supported after working for a multinational hotel chain. I experienced how large companies can be wasteful and careless with their resources.
This inspired me to go back to school to earn a certificate in Sustainability in Business from the University of California, San Diego.
Waste Less Living and I are a match made in heaven because it combines my passion of educating students and my drive to move towards a sustainable society. I look forward to you following me in my journey and being a part of the change we need. As we say here at Waste Less Living, we are helping people help the planet, one party at a time.
Before I begin spouting about my new adventures with Waste Less Living (WLL), I should tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Leslie and I grew up in Fremont, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up in such an environmentally conscious part of the country laid the foundation for pursuing a career around sustainability. I attended San Diego State University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and a Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential. While Student Teaching I realized how important it is to teach the future generation about conservation and the affect we have on the environment. My ideologies were further supported after working for a multinational hotel chain. I experienced how large companies can be wasteful and careless with their resources.
This inspired me to go back to school to earn a certificate in Sustainability in Business from the University of California, San Diego.
Waste Less Living and I are a match made in heaven because it combines my passion of educating students and my drive to move towards a sustainable society. I look forward to you following me in my journey and being a part of the change we need. As we say here at Waste Less Living, we are helping people help the planet, one party at a time.
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