Litterati

The Washington Post reports today that only 50% of households are recycling plastic and cans, and only 20% of us are recycling in public.

It is pretty easy to recycle. It takes just as much time to throw it in the trash, so why not just hit the bin instead?

What can we do about that?  A few things.

1. Recycle at home. Set a good example for your kids, roommates, spouses, parents and grandparents!

2. Recycle when you’re out. Ask where the recycle bin is at cafes and shops. Let the business owner know you’d like a recycle bin.

3. Give your business to companies that recycle and reuse plastic and paper products! Give those who don’t the “walk on by.”

4. Be a good steward and recycle on vacation. Its not hard and makes for good photo ops!

This is how they do it in Hawaii, with containers at schools. The schools get to keep the money they raise from the effort. This one is on the North Shore of Oahu.

Volunteers in Seattle build a community garden for the hungry, on vacant land in the city.

Why can’t we do that here?

National Geographic reports the unfortunate find of a huge floating patch of garbage off the East Coast, in the Atlantic Ocean.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100302-new-ocean-trash-garbage-patch/

What can you do? Start by not using plastic, and if you have to, make sure you recycle it after.

Did you know that the US Postal Service recycled than 200,000 tons of paper, cardboard, plastics and other waste in 2009,  representing a decrease in its greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 1.67 million barrels of oil. And most of it is just from having recycle boxes available in the post office. How easy is that?

You can stop delivery of the free newspaper The Washington Examiner? It is criminal that you actually have to tell them to stop sending it rather than encouraging you to sign up, but in any event, you can stop the littering of your driveway by visiting this link. I have just done it myself today, and do not know whether they sell your email address (which is required of you to stop delivery but it doesn’t appear to have to be a real email) or your mailing address, so proceed with caution!

Did you know that adopting a pet from the shelter is a great way to teach your kids about reuse? It may seem odd, but adopting a cat or dog or bunny or hamster from a rescue shows that you don’t always have to have “new” in order to have awesome.  It also teaches the important lesson about “reduce,” as in reducing the number of puppies and kittens that end up in shelters, and for some, ultimately dying there.

So before you shell out hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars for pet from a fancy breeder, so what your local shelter has. Chances are there’s a nice little creature there who would love to chase a tennis ball in your back yard, or curl up in a sun square in the front window of your condo.

Here’s a note from our friends at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter:

**See photos of animals at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/news-releases/

Visit Fairfax County’s “Gold Medal Contenders”

Put your television set on “paws” and come meet some critters that are sure to win your heart at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. The shelter’s motto for its winter games adoption celebration is “Adopt from us: You Can’t Luge.”

Meet a few of the shelter’s notable competitors, all seeking warmth and love in a new home:

• “Plush-enko”; a long-haired cat looking for a good home. “I’m going for the “purr-fect score” — a new family,” “Plush” explains.
• Feline Boomer’s signature “method grab” toy mouse technique as he showboats for your attention is much in the style of U.S. Olympian Lindsey Jacobellis. “I’m willing to forego a gold medal to get a good home,” says the loveable feline showing the true flavor of his sport.
• A “luge course”, newly carved in the animal shelter’s outdoor dog exercise area by dogs frolicking in the snow from the area’s latest blizzard. Zipping around the yard, the shelter dogs are true medal contenders in both speed and agility.
• Professional curlers—otherwise known as lap cats and dogs—who are seeking good homes to prove that their laid back sport is no joke.

“Families are sure to strike gold by adopting a shelter animal,” says Shelter Director Dr. Karen P. Diviney. “We’re going for a season’s best with our adoptions this winter.”

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter will feature their animals this weekend and throughout the remainder of the Games. To view animals available for adoption, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/animalservices/ and click on adoption.

The shelter is located at 4500 West Ox Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. Regular adoption hours are Tuesday – Friday, 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact the shelter at (703) 830-1100.

My name is Roland and I approve of this message.

that cigarette butts are Virgina’s most littered object? Almost 80% of trash on the side of our roads and highways is the casually flicked cigarette butt. Not only is this a fire hazard, but rains wash these little poisonous tidbits right into Fairfax County’s streams and creeks.

If most people believe litter is a problem then how do we end up with all this trash on the side of the road?

Where is the disconnect and how can we fix it?

that across the country– across the WORLD–communities are banning the use of plastic bags.   Over the last few years, communities have begun looking at the environmental harms plastic bags do, and have put their foot down!  Plastic bags, floating and looking deceptively like jellyfish and other foods, kill over 100,000 sea turtle and marine animal deaths per year. Plastic bags are made from oil, a non renewable resource. 13,000,000 barrels of oil are used to create plastic bags for Americans every year.

This is what happens to plastic bags that are not recycled, or reused. They become litter.

While paper bags aren’t a lot better than plastic because of the resources needed to create them, the best option is a reusable bag made from recycled materials.

For more information about plastic bag bans around the world visit a few of these links!

LA To Ban Plastic Bags by 2010

San Francisco First to Ban Plastic Bags

China Bans Plastic Bags

Mexico City Bans Plastic Bags

Ocean City, NJ  Debates Banning Plastic Bags

Should Fairfax County impose a ban or a fee on plastic bags?  Do you bring your reusable grocery bags with you to ALL the stores where you shop, including the mall?

Take care of our oceans and its inhabitants by banning plastic bags, cigarette butts and plastic bottles.

Planet Green is sponsoring Blue August–a month of working at cleaning up our waterways.

How can you help?

Just Say No:

• Plastic Bags –bring your own reusable bag to the store. And not just the grocery store, but the drug store, and the mall!
• Cigarette Butts–it is littering to throw butts on the ground. They belong in the trash with other garbage!
• Plastic Bottles–Get yourself a good reusable plastic water bottle, or aluminum water bottle and use filtered water right from your tap!

Did you know….

The most littered objects in the state of Virginia are cigarettes? What is it about smokers that think it is ok to just flick the dirty cigarette butt out the window? If it is too dirty for the inside of your car, it most certainly is litter and therefore shouldn’t be thrown out your window!