Every year, parents are obligated to buy their kids (whether they like it or not) school supplies, and you can bet that pencils are on the list.

Moms and dads might be surprised to find out that those little orange sticks are made out of the 4 billion trees cut down worldwide for paper industries, and assembled with toxic chemicals in factories that pollute the air (most erasers are made from latex). After much sharpening, they are then thrown away to rest in landfills. It’s estimated that 14 billion wood pencils are made each year, and scientists have stated – to little effect – that the manufacturing process of office and school products is damaging to the environment. In fact, after construction and consumer use, these items are one of the world’s top dump-fillers.

New companies have emerged to combat the misuse of the planet’s resources for the paper and office supply industries. One such company that has emerged and specialized in recycled pencils is Earthzone, based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. In 2005, architect and filmmaker Matty Scolozzi was unsatisfied with the slow pace of his career and created Earthzone out of a desire to start a creative business, and his passion to encourage people to save the Earth.

To make recycled pencils, Earthzone takes used, whole newspaper sheets (sourced from both Canada and USA), flattens and cuts them, then wraps the pencil graphite with a water-based glue. Other recycled pencil companies have a similar manufacturing process. Even consumers who are already buying and using these types of pencils may not know is that the shavings from sharpening can also be recycled. Re-using a four-foot stack of newspapers to make these pencils can save a 40-foot pine tree.

Because the pencils are virtually air-free, they are almost impossible to break and will last up to three times more than wood pencils, which answers many parents’ qualms about eco-friendly supplies costing more than their counterparts. Over time, buying green can save you from buying more!

And, gone are the days of the boring orange pencil. Now, recycled pencils have expanded to include colored, artist, scented, and unpainted pencils that expose the newsprint the pencil was made of. An example of this is Earthzone’s Special Edition Recycled Pencil. There are so many options out there that you can be certain you’ll find a brand or type that is to your and your children’s liking.

Skeptics will say that these small items will make little impact to improve the environment, but entrepreneurs like Scolozzi are confident that every bit helps, especially when the process of making a green product doesn’t harm the Earth. Numbering in the millions of dollars, the eco-friendly product industry is a profitable one, and Earthzone alone will make six-figures by the end of the year. As long as the demand continues to grow for all products like recycled pencils to be green-made, it will just be a matter of time before other corporations follow.

About Earthzone:

Founded in 2005, Earthzone created a line of recycled pencils, which are distributed by six national distributors, including Chapters Indigo and Basics Office Products. Earthzone plans to make other sustainable products by January 2010, and to sell 30 more products by next fall. Earthzone is committed to conducting ethical and responsible business, based on principles of environmental preservation and professionalism. www.Earthzone.com

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at Recycled pencils: Making news out of news.

The eco-conscious consumer knows a thousand ways to be green: take the bus to work, turn lights off when you leave the house, and of course, compost and recycle. Recycling initiatives are on the rise in communities around the world, but individual programs are only part of the solution. Waste, and the potential gains from recycling, are far higher in the commercial and industrial sectors than in the residential one. For example, the production of one car creates 8000kg of raw material residue, according to the United Nations Environmental Program.

Consumer companies differ in how well they’ve embraced sustainability initiatives. A new website, GoodGuide.com, rates products and companies on environmental, health, and social criteria. Using over 200 data points, they produce a 0-10 rating on the sustainability of over 62,000 products. Focusing on just a few of those data points gives a view into the most proactive companies:

Best Companies on Recycled Materials – This list orders companies based on their commitment to use or manufacture recycled materials. Many of the companies on this list are food companies: Chiquita Brands, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and the Heinz Frozen Food Company.

Best Companies for Carbon Footprint – Food companies also top this list of companies with the lowest contribution to global warming. Bob Evans Food, Nestle, and Dreyer’s Ice Cream are all in the best list.

In addition to environmental responsibility, companies are also accountable to their customers and employees. GoodGuide provides ratings on these qualities as well:

Best Family Friendly Companies – Companies are rated on whether it provides day care services or extra maternity leave beyond the legal minimum, and whether the company has won a family-friendly prize like a Working Mother Award. Perhaps surprisingly, big drug companies top this list: Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline score very well.

Best Companies for Retirement Benefits – When companies are rated according to their retirement benefits programs, there are some well-known standouts: the 3M company, makers of Scotch Tape, and California Pizza Kitchen.

Consumers are often looking for the best way to make a positive impact on the environment. Starting recycling programs in homes and communities is a great start. Another good step: Buying from companies who have programs that you believe in.

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This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at So You’re Recycling. What About the Companies You Buy From?.

Reusing, Recycling, and Using Self-Refill Kits

These days, throwing your toner cartridge in the trash is not just a waste; it’s like throwing money away while unnecessarily filling landfills at the same time.

The best alternative to throwing your toner cartridges out is to recharge them with new toner.

Manufacturers can also replace the drums and other important parts of the cartridge.

Some retail shops accept trade-ins for spent toner cartridges, when you purchase a new one from them. These cartridges are then refilled so that they can be sold at discounted prices. Self-refill kits are also available.

Depending on the type of toner cartridge you use, there are many different refill kits available. These kits make recycling toner cartridges simple and cheap.

Most refill kits come with instructions, and the toner is contained inside a plastic bottle. You won’t need any special tools other than a smoldering iron.

How to Recycle Your Own Toner Cartridge

Here are four basic steps you can take to recycle your own toner cartridge:

1. Remove the toner cartridge from the printer.
2. Using the soldering iron, carefully burn a small hole into the cartridge casing, without damaging the casing. Do not employ a drill to create the hole, as it can cause miniscule pieces of plastic to fall inside the cartridge’s chamber.
3. Pour the toner in through the fill-hole. Note that manufacturers recommend not filling the chamber completely, especially if a cartridge has been used multiple times.
4. Seal the hole with tape once you’ve poured the appropriate amount of toner into the cartridge.
5. Take care when handling the toner, as it can damage clothing, furniture, the carpet, etc. Further, many toners are hazardous; take necessary precautions by wearing gloves, and keep the toner out of reach of children.

Due to their non-biodegradable nature, most toner cartridges end up in landfills.  But if you recycle your toner cartridges, or buy re-manufactured ones, you can help eliminate waste and save on landfill space.  And that saves on disposal costs as well. Purchasing re-manufactured toner cartridges, on the other hand, allows you to avoid messes. These are available from your local office supply, and at specialty stores.

Additionally, some retailers, upon delivering your newly purchased re-manufactured cartridges, will pick up your old toner cartridges. Over the last few years, toner cartridge re-manufacturers have improved their technology to the extent that their quality can meet the manufacturer’s OEM standards. And what’s more, most re-manufactured cartridges provide good quality prints, coupled with a low occurrence of malfunction and leakage.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at How to Recycle Your Toner Cartridge.

This simple DIY recycling project can be used for educational purposes, as a school or class activity for kids, or when you really do want to recycle your own paper.

It serves as a good demonstration of how recycling works, and anyone who has gone through with this process is likely to think twice in the future, before discarding waste paper into the wrong basket.

While I doubt that any resources were really saved in this video (the energy and materials consumed by the process probably far outweigh the value of a couple of sheets of paper), it serves an educational purpose.

It also demonstrates another important fact – recycling itself, as a process, consumes energy and resources.  The fact that one is going to recycle certain waste doesn’t mean that no waste management is necessary at all.

Recycling may be better than filling a landfill, but when all is said and done, the less excessive garbage produced, the better.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at How to Recycle Paper.

This very amusing video will make you think twice the next time you’re about to toss your 1980s walkman or you 2007 computer; and will give you some ideas on how to better approach the issue.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at Electronic Waste Recycling.

When we think of pumpkins, we think of Halloween, Jack-O-Lanterns, pumpkin pie, and maybe Thanksgiving.

But, truth be told, there are plenty of ways to use a pumpkin!

During October, pumpkins are abundant.  Sometimes, too abundant.  And it’s not uncommon to see excess pumpkins cast aside or left to rot after Halloween, but there’s really no need to let the extras go to waste.

The following are just a few of the great uses for pumpkins:

1. Pumpkins in Recipes

As food, pumpkins are low in calories, yet high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, protein, and potassium.  Dig out your favorite cookbook and search for recipes containing pumpkin.

Pumpkin bread, pies, and muffins are favorites, but you can probably find plenty of others.  As an impromptu house guest in Paris, I was once served an incredible pumpkin soup (though I never completed my search for that recipe).  There are more exotic recipes to try as well – pumpkin juice, pumpkin ice cream, and even fried pumpkin.

2. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds (also called “pepitas”) are also known to be highly nutritious, and are used in weight-loss diets.  They provide fiber, healthy fats, and protein, as well as minerals such as magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper.  They are also known to strengthen the immune system, and to be good for people with high cholesterol.

Roasted pumpkin seeds make excellent between-meals snacks, can be sprinkled over a holiday squash soup, and are a favorite in Mexican cooking.  Candied pumpkin seeds are great for parties as well – and even the children might accept them among their Halloween candy.

3. Pumpkin for Pets

Mashed pumpkin is a great remedy for digestive trouble in dogs.  It can be used to combat weight gain or diarrhea, and for resistance to infections.  It is also said to be good for a dog’s night vision and general health.

Simply add a few spoons of cooked, mashed pumpkin to the dog’s food.  (Important: it must be pure mashed pumpkin, not a mix!)  For instructions on how to create your own mashed pumpkin, see #4 below.

Cats may like pumpkin as well, and it can be given to help cats with similar digestive troubles, as well as hairballs.

Remember, if your pet is sick, take him to the vet!  And ask your vet about using pumpkin as a home remedy.

4. Saving Pumpkins for Later

If you have more pumpkin than you know what to do with, you can save it for later use in recipes and for winter holidays.

There are several ways to create pumpkin puree which can be frozen for later use.  The following are three preparation methods:

1.  Baking – Cut the pumpkin in half, place it on a baking sheet with the flat side down, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for about an hour, or until it is tender when tested with a fork.

2.  Microwave – Follow the same procedure as above, but instead of placing the pumpkin in an oven, microwave it on high for about 15 minutes, or until it is tender.

3.  Boiling – Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and rinse.  Then, place the chunks in a large pot, cover with water (fully immersing the pumpkins, plus one inch of water on top), and boil until tender.

Once you have utilized one of the above methods to soften the pumpkin, cool it off, peel it, and mash it in a food processor.  You can also use a potato masher or similar device.

Then, simply seal the puree into zip lock bags, or whatever is convenient, and freeze it for for the winter.  The puree can be used as a substitute for canned pumpkin, in any recipe.

5. Pumpkins as Dishes

You can clean a pumpkin well, cut it in half, and dry it for use as a serving bowl or flower vase. You can also use a halved pumpkin to cook or bake other foods in.  For more information, see How to Carve a Pumpkin Bowl.

6. Pumpkins for the Skin

Pumpkins contain anti-oxidants and alpha-hydroxy, which are said to be good for the skin.  You can use pumpkin peels as a facial, to combat aging or other skin problems.

7. Pumpkins for Children and Games

You can use pumpkins for children’s drawing or carving contests.  If your kids are too little to start carving yet, they can also decorate pumpkins with markers or paint – or even a pumpkin collage.  Another use of pumpkins is as targets for archery practice.

But we definitely don’t recommend any games that involve throwing pumpkins, nor using them as substitutes for soccer balls.

And, possibly even better, how about a cross between a Jack-O-Lantern, a Snow Man, and a Scare Crow?  Your kids might have a great time making a pumpkin man – and it’s much better for them than watching TV.

8. Pumpkins as Ornaments

Pumpkins, gourds, and squash can be used to create candle holders, Thanksgiving centerpieces, and other ornaments.

9. Musical Pumpkins

Yes, that’s right, pumpkins make great musical instruments as well.  Or, at least they can if you know how to make (and play) them.  You can see and hear a variety of ideas for instruments that can be made from gourds, squashes, and pumpkins. Although many instruments are made from gourds, one can easily imagine how a large or small pumpkin would do just as well in several cases.

10. Pumpkins for Crafts

If you are an experienced craftsman or devout hobbyist, you might try some more advanced and creative uses of pumpkins.  You can make pumpkin leather like the American Indians did, or settle witih a simple pumpkin bird house.

As you can see, there’s really no need for pumpkins to go to waste, either before Halloween or afterwards.

During economic recessions, it’s not uncommon that people have more time on their hands than they have money.  Instead of letting extra pumpkins go to waste, these are a few ways you can stretch your grocery budget a bit further, invest some time in your health, get your kids away from the screen, and have some fun at the same time.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at Ten Great Uses for Pumpkins.

A study published by Retail Systems Research (RSR), sponsored by Intel and the Retail Industry Leaders Association explains the benefits for those companies who are incorporating environmentally-friendly practices into all aspects of their business. As the report states, “green is rapidly creating a strategic advantage in ALL corners of the enterprise, and has become a major component of the planning for any new IT investment.”

According to the study, cost reduction is still the primary motivator for all of the companies surveyed, but those companies referred to as “Retail Winners” (retailers whose sales are already outperforming their competitors and grew by more than the industry-average 3 percent annually) are equally focused on the brand-building potential of eco-friendly strategies.

Retail winners are contrasted with “laggards,” companies who are generally underperforming. Retail winners:

“recognize that customers expect them to act more so than do their underperforming competitors, are more interested in lowering their carbon footprint, and are much more in tune with creating the image that they ‘care.’ They associate environmentally sound practices with their Brand image to consumers and the industry, and associate these practices with their ethical responsibility to the community in anticipation of stealing market share as the customer’s green demands grow.”

As the study makes clear, “green” can no longer be considered a fad. Let’s look at some of the statistics cited by the study:

• Last year, 53% of overall respondents identified the store energy costs as a challenge that could benefit from a green overhaul.
• This year 92% of all the electricity required to run a retail store’s POS systems, overhead lighting, backroom systems, mobile/handheld devices, signage, security systems ‐ not to mention the energy costs of heating, air conditioning, water, and refrigeration, where needed – has come into focus.
• 48% of surveyed companies consider “green initiatives” currently as strategic initiatives for their enterprise.
• Retail Winners are motivated more by ethical obligation, industry image, and brand identity than the average company surveyed.

So what does all this mean?

It seems that in just a couple of years the tide has turned in favor of “green” business practices. Although the survey was largely of North American companies, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that a new environmental consciousness has taken hold in the international business world. Question after question asked to companies in the RSR study shows that companies genuinely invested in reducing their environmental impact consistently report better earnings and performance.

At the same time Retail Winners are doing better financially by implementing green initiatives, they are also expanding the scope of their green practices in areas of business that were not previously considered for green improvements, such as IT, logistics, supply chains, and packaging.

I think it is fair to say that “green” business practices are finally winning the uphill battle against traditionally wasteful and inefficient practices.

For more information about “green” practices and their advantage for companies, go to Retailsystemsresearch.com.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at The Advantages of Going Green.

I quickly became intrigued with the book and plowed my way through it. The ideal behind Cradle to Cradle design is that of the design of the book: use, recycle, reuse. C2C is the anti-thesis of single-use throw away design that dominated American capitalism in the last half of the 20th century. It is a relatively new idea—simple in conception, difficult in reality—that is creating quite the buzz throughout the “green” industry.

The current buzz from C2C is the result of Michael Braungart and William McDonough, the authors of the previously mentioned book. Although others conceived of the idea before them, they are largely responsible for the recent popularization of the term. Their book is the first manifesto of the C2C movement and an excellent introduction to this revolutionary school of design.

Cradle-to-cradle products, as opposed to cradle-to-grave products, are designed and produced to be “perpetually circulated in a closed loop,” thus maximizing their value while simultaneously reducing damage to ecosystems. C2C seeks to eliminate “waste” altogether.

The language of C2C design can be complex, but understanding only a few terms will give you a basic understanding of the philosophy. Braungart and McDonough split up all materials into two categories: technical and biological nutrients. A biological nutrient is “a biodegradable material posing no immediate or eventual hazard to living systems that can be used for human purposes and can safely return to the environment to feed environmental processes,” while a technical nutrient is “a material that remains in a closed-loop system of manufacture, reuse, and recovery (the technical metabolism), maintaining its value through many product life cycles.”

In an ideal world, Braungart and McDonough would like to see products solely designed by C2C protocols and entirely composed of either biological or technical nutrients. This would ensure a truly sustainable economy, one that not only reduces resource use in the present, but also guarantees those resources’ health in the future.

Unfortunately this ideal world does not exist and probably never will, but Braungart and McDonough have conceived a ‘C2C Certification’ that rates nearly any type of human product: consumer items, buildings, cities, social systems, and more. Although the certification system was initially slow in gaining traction, entire cities in China could become certified in the near future.

According to Braungart and McDonough’s company website, C2C certification “provides a company with a means to tangibly, credibly measure achievement in environmentally-intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality… This means using environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water, and maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.”

Hundreds of products have become C2C-certified and more are in the process. To learn more about certification, check out the site, which gives an overview of the certification process and the requirements to become certified.

C2C design is incredibly important as the United States and the world transitions into a clean energy and green economy. Simply reducing consumption and building renewable energy projects is not enough because it is not genuinely sustainable for the future. Concentrating on creating processes and products that do away with consumption altogether is what C2C is about and that is the model the new economy needs.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at Cradle to Cradle – What it is and Why it is Important.

If these questions have dogged you before, you will be happy to know about a new guide recently released by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development titled “Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products.”
The guide is an excellent resource for businesses and organizations that want to buy large amounts of environmentally-responsible wood and paper-based products, but do not have enough time to wade through all of the eco-certifications and lingo surrounding the industry. The guide assists purchasers by:

- Identifying the central issues around sustainable procurement of wood and paper-based products.

- Providing an overview of some of the tools, initiatives, programs and labels, and other resources that have emerged to assist sustainable procurement.

“Many tools, projects, initiatives and labels have emerged over the past few years to aid sustainable procurement;” the guide states, “those new to the subject may find this proliferation of advice confusing. This guide highlights and characterizes, for the first time, a selected number of resources, and it provides a comprehensive overview of the issues central to sustainable procurement.”

The guide identifies ten key issues that must be taken into account: origin, information accuracy, legality, sustainability, special places, climate change, environmental protection, recycled fiber, other resources, and local communities and indigenous peoples. There is a small section for each of the issues explaining why they are important and how they fit into the bigger picture. Following that section is six pages of graphs—‘The Guide to the Guides’—which conveniently compares the varying certifications currently available for solid wood products, pulp and paper-based products, and wood-based products in general. The tables are user-friendly and are hands-down one of the best resources available to compare various eco-certifications in the wood and paper industries.

A glossary is included at the end, as well as descriptions of the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at New Guide Makes it Easy to Responsibly Purchase Paper and Wood Products.

Even though polystyrene products (we all know it by its brand name “Styrofoam”) are almost entirely comprised of air, the remaining white stuff is very harmful for human health and the environment.  Here’s what you need to know:

-Polystyrene is made from petroleum.  Do we even need to tell you why this is bad?

-Workers who manufacture Styrofoam products are exposed to styrene, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the EPA.  Similarly, if you heat up the material in the microwave, styrene will be released into your food and digestive system.

-The manufacturing process also releases countless other hazardous compounds into the air, which contribute heavily to air pollution.

-Manufacturing polystyrene releases ozone-depleting substances into the air.  The ozone is shrinking due to this type of human activity, meaning we’re exposed to more of the sun’s harmful rays.  While the situation has improved due to regulations on CFCs since the 80s, there are still suspicions that ozone-depletors continue to be released from the manufacturing process.

-Polystyrene/Styrofoam does not biodegrade.  Styrofoam litter will only break up into smaller pieces, creating a choking hazard for household animals and wildlife.  It is a huge space-filler in landfills.

What you can do

1.    Do not buy Styrofoam.
2.    Encourage employees to bring their own containers to work.  This cuts back on waste in general and teaches people to be more conscious about their actions.
3.    If you insist on providing cups for water, make the switch to sustainable products. Compostable paper products are a good bet, especially if you have a compost bin available.  Check out sustainableparty.com before your next company picnic!

This post was initially published on Source and Resource. To read more, please visit the original post at Why Do You Still have Styrofoam Cups by the Water Cooler?.