Check out these shoulder pads -- the good ole' days!

I’m a sweaty person. It all started back in middle school when I discovered my sweat problem. I would wear baggy shirts so other kids couldn’t see my sweat stains! I remember thinking of inventing sweat pads. Remember the shoulder pads that used to be in women’s jackets and shirts back in the 80′s? Well that was my inspiration. My sweat pad invention would tie somehow under your arm pit and absorb all the sweat. The pads would be washable and reusable. It was a brilliant idea, but I never actually invented that product as a middle schooler because I didn’t have Kickstarter to help with crowdfunding. As I moved into adulthood, I told my doctor about my sweating problem and even researched a surgery that would cut specific nerves that caused sweating specifically under my arms. My doctor wasn’t game to do that, but gave me some medicine that I couldn’t pronounce. I was desperate — now working in an office environment I didn’t want to be that sweaty person (again!). I lucked out because the medicine my doctor gave me worked like a charm.

Our bathroom is now a chemistry lab ….

My personal dilemma — since I’ve produced an environmental documentary it’s opened up my eyes to all our waste and crazy chemicals in my everyday life. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in your everyday deodorant? I can’t even pronounce half the stuff. Not to mention all the plastic used for the product container and most the of them are not recyclable.

So now what? Would it be possible to make my own deodorant from natural ingredients (also eliminating the plastic container) and not be a sweaty person? I had to find out. I work from home as a marketing consultant therefore I had a safe haven to test, experiment, and assess. Not knowing where to start — I Googled “How to make your own deodorant” and discovered several ideas, tips, and recipes. Below is the recipe that I decided to go with and results are in! I’m in complete SHOCK how awesome the homemade deodorant is. I’ve even had some friends test is out and they are asking me for more. So if you are interested in an adventure to eliminate your body order naturally, help out the environment, and stop using crazy chemicals — make this deodorant concoction!

How to Make Natural Deodorant- Beating the “B.O.” With Natural Deodorant by Wellness Mama

http://wellnessmama.com/1523/how-to-make-natural-deodorant-beating-the-b-o-with-natural-deo/

What you Need

• 6 T coconut oil
• 1/4 cup (4 T) baking soda
• 1/4 cup (4 T) arrowroot or cornstarch
• essential oils (optional)

What to Do:

1. Mix baking soda and arrowroot together in a medium sized bowl.
2. Mash in coconut oil with a fork until well mixed.
3. Add oils if desired.
4. Put the finished mixture into an empty deodorant tube or any small jar with a lid.
5. Apply your deodorant by simply rubbing it in to your armpits. The mixture will “melt” into your skin. Use a small amount (about a pea-sized glob) to get the job done all day long.

Look at all this plastic just from buying one container of yogurt (clip from the "Bag It" documentary)

I just watched an incredible documentary called, “Bag It, Is Your Life To Plastic?” It’s not your typical doc film where the world is coming to an end. It’s about an average guy living in Golden, Colorado, that explores the subject: plastic. He comes home one day after purchasing a small yogurt from the grocery store after he enjoys his yogurt, he notices all the plastic that tagged along with his purchase — a plastic spoon, a plastic bag, and a left over plastic yogurt container.

This made him thing about plastic and what we do with it. As a result, he embarks on a journey to find out why we use so much of it, where it comes from, and why the plastic industry spends millions of dollars every year to fight cities that want to ban plastic bags. Once of my favorite quotes, “Just because plastic isn’t disposable doesn’t mean it goes away after all where is away? There is no away. It sticks around for a long time.”

As the documentary goes more into detail about our use of plastic, I started to think about how plastic impacts my personal life on a daily basis. I tried to image a world without plastic and it’s just not possible, but a world with BPA free plastic is possible. What can I do to limit my plastic use and purchases that contain BPA chemical? Well, first step is stop using Ziploc bags (it’s not an easy task but doable), next tell people about the “Bag It” documentary and ask them if they know about BPA and all the other potential crazy chemicals that is used to make plastic stuff. Don’t be shy, spur up a conversation and make sure to listen to how other people feel.  And … finally go check out the “Bag It,” documentary website and see all the helpful tips and ideas under “Take Action!”

Vinegar Tips website breaks shows how you can use vinegar in the garden, cleaning, laundry, health, automotive, pets, and cooking. It’s really impressive and exciting to think how versatile one product can be. I have to admit the smell of vinegar can be really strong, but think of the other store cleaners and how they smell like Pine-Sol — the tag line is The Powerful Scent of Real Clean!

Here is a fun video “5 Favorite Recipes” to show you just how easy it is to make your homemade cleaning supplies!

Unless your household cleaning and personal care products are homemade, odds are you are a patron of the Procter and Gamble corporation. Not used to seeing that label? Well, P&G is an umbrella company that owns over 70 well-known brands, 26 of which saw a net profit of over 1 billion dollars in 2011. Recognizable names include Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Febreze, Gillette, Iams, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Tide, and Vicks, just to name a few.

Multinational corporations like Procter and Gamble often produce a diverse array of products with different names, packaging designs, and marketing campaigns to appear unique and specialized, but when it comes down to it, they are all made by the same folks. My guess is that it’s easier to charge someone ten dollars for a razor with fancy packaging and an exotic name than one called “P&G Razor #4″.

Procter and Gamble, the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturer, is usually heralded as a role model amongst Fortune 500 companies. With consistent growth, respected management, and profitability even in the face of recession, what’s not to love? While the functionality of its business model rarely falls victim to public criticism, its environmental impact has become a hot topic amongst conservationists and journalists alike. By the very nature of their business, can a consumer goods manufacturer not contribute to excess landfill material, rapid resource use, and general pollution?

According to Procter and Gamble, the answer is yes. Their corporate mission statement includes the claim “Environmental care is a top priority for us. We design sustainability into everything we do – our products, our processes, and our packages. We manufacture products that provide outstanding performance while simultaneously ensuring the highest standards of human and environmental safety”. Their marketing efforts reflect this green initiative as well, with many of their products being marked with the tagline “future-friendly”. Even their flagship website, pg.com, has a tab titled “sustainability” on the landing page, alongside “company,” “brands,” and “news and media”.

P&G’s message is clear – “going green” is a central part of its corporate culture. But just how accurate are these claims? A 2007 study conducted by Greenpeace International ranked Procter and Gamble at the top of a list of “Eco-Villains” based on its policies and products. PETA has largely criticized the company for its use of animal testing, and the Environmental Protection Agency has even taken P&G to court for the late installation of air pollution control equipment. These are just a few of the many conflicts and criticisms of Procter and Gamble’s environmental impact. On the flipside, there are also many parties that support and praise P&G’s self-proclaimed eco-friendliness. So which is it? A great, green business or a great, greenwashed public relations strategy? With reputable sources providing evidence on both sides of the argument, the conclusion is unclear. So let’s look at a few facts to get a better picture of what’s going on.

Green Biz

• Real Change: believe it or not, P&G has made some major changes that back up their green image. According to their 2011 Annual Report, between 2007 and 2011 they reduced energy expenditures by 16%, reduced CO2 emissions by 12%, reduced water usage by 22%, and reduced waste disposal by a whopping 57%. Wow. These are some serious numbers.
• Reputable Praise: amongst those who applaud P&G’s greenification are well-respected industry analysts. Joel Makower, a successful sustainable business strategist, pegs P&G’s sustainability efforts as highly superior to those of other major corporations. In 2010, the Associated Press called Makower “the guru of green business”. He knows his stuff! Also singing praise for Procter and Gamble is the China Entrepreneur Club, a research board of some of the most influential business leaders in China. After closely analyzing the practices of over 1000 companies, the CEC published its “2012 Top 100 Green Companies” list. Procter and Gamble ranked #7.

Green Wash

Like the above section, this part could be endless. From policies to practices to manufacturing techniques, environmental harming agents can be sought out along all parts of the supply chain. So for today, I’m focusing on products by conducting some unbiased primary research: I’m auditing my own stuff!

• Bounty: made from unrecycled paper. yikes.
• Pantene Pro-V detangler: no recycled packaging content, includes sulfates (creates air pollution)
• Tampax: non-biodegradable tampons, unrecycled packaging
• Downy: bottle made from 25% recycled plastic, not coldwater washing compatible, includes sulfates
• Oral-B floss: both unrecycled and unrecyclable

So this certainly isn’t a fair cross-section of Procter and Gamble products as they do manufacture some recyclable, energy-efficient, eco-friendly products (Cascade boxes are made from 90% recycled material, they have a line of Tide High Efficiency detergent for coldwater machines, etc.). However, the fact that some of their most popular and profitable brands are completely eco-unfriendly says something. Can they truly call themselves a future-friendly company just because some of their practices are green? They are still making over 1 billion dollars per year on brands like Bounty paper products that directly cause new and rapid deforestation and other environmental harm.

My conclusion is thus: Procter and Gamble has made significant strides toward becoming a more eco-friendly company, but they’re not completely off the hook when it comes to environmental practices. So I guess it depends on how you look at it. Compared to other major companies? Green. Compared to a few years ago? Super green. But “future-friendly”? Not entirely. If they reduce their energy and waste to close to nothing and start producing only eco-friendly products, not just some, I’ll stand behind them. Until then, I should probably make this collection of P&G products I found around the house my last!

A raised-bed vegetable plot from The Urban Farm Company of Colorado.

Setting up an urban farm can be as complex as planting crops across the entire rooftop of a large apartment building or as simple as creating a small garden on a patio. Organizations like the Urban Farm Company of Colorado help set-up gardens, educate and assist laypersons interested in growing their own food, and provide support and community for urban farmers. Bryant Mason, the company’s founder, explains how gardening is an eco-friendly practice. “The average calorie on your plate travels approximately 1,500 hundred miles. It uses a lot of fuel to transport, fertilize, and produce food, not to mention pesticide and chemical output. With gardening, you grow your own food and practically have no carbon footprint.”

In addition to being environmentally sustainable, gardening addresses economic and social needs. Many areas of The United States experience food insecurity, limited access to fresh produce, and financial distress that makes nutritionally rich foods virtually unaffordable. In fact, according to the USDA, 48.8 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2010, an average of 14.5% of the population of the United States. Urban farms and micro-gardens address these issues by providing relatively inexpensive access to an abundance of healthy food. Personal produce production also increases fruit and vegetable consumption and significantly reduces the risk of various leading health problems. “Food is an underlying issue that affects obesity, diabetes, economic development, environmental sustainability – you name it,” says Bryant. Urban farms address each of these needs. Interacting with nature even increases self-esteem, mood, and happiness.”

Beyond the visible perks of increased food availability and recreational gardening opportunities, urban agriculture provides environmental and societal benefits that extend far beyond the limited reach of the garden itself.

Environmental Sustainability

-Reduce carbon footprint

-Save water, energy, soil, and land

-Maintain genetic diversity

-Eliminate chemical use and run-off

Personal Gain

-No ingestion of pesticides and chemical carcinogens

-Increase in freshness, flavor, and nutritional value of food

- Financial benefit: while the initial set-up of an individual urban farm can seem costly and time-consuming, the investment provides vast returns in the form of financial savings. It is much cheaper to grow and harvest your own backyard food than to  continuously purchase it from the grocery store.

Between increased personal health and savings, environmental sustainability, and positive contributions to larger societal institutions, what’s not to love about urban agriculture? It seems that practicality can be a leading barrier for many would-be urban farmers. Folks with some extra cash can hire groups like the Urban Farm Company to provide materials, set-up, and guidance, as well as ongoing assistance. Those of us with limited resources can use manuals and free online resources to farm on our own, and even people with little interest or ability to garden can switch to healthier and more eco-friendly foodpurchasing habits like shopping at farmer’s markets and going in on gardens with neighbors and friends. According to Bryant, “gardening doesn’t take as much time and energy as people think if done right and well”. To contact the Urban Farm Company of Colorado and learn more about urban farming, visit their website and Facebook page. If your home is located outside of the northern Colorado area, consider finding a local organization or accessing courses and online consultations to personalize your crops to your region. Happy gardening!

The question throughout this documentary focuses on, “Is it possible to have a good life without wasting so much?” I agree 100%. The less you have the happier you are. It took me almost 36 years to figure it out because I used to be a manic consumer, but I’ve changed — thanks to working on this documentary project and seeing for myself how much we waste as a society. I now only shop at Goodwill or consignment stores. If I need something, I will keep an eye out on Freecycle or add a post to my Facebook page to borrow it.

Back to the documentary, I realized that there is more I can do to reduce waste such as giving up Ziploc bags. I LOVE Ziploc bags because they are so handy for traveling, hiking, and store food well. But as you may know, the down side is once they are used and can’t be washed any more they go directly into the landfill. As of today, I’m going to stop using Ziploc bags! To help me with my new quest, I did the most naturally thing a social media geek would do — I tweeted and did a google search to look for support and ideas. I found an interesting blog by a mom who said that she just couldn’t do it — give up Ziploc bags. As I read through the comment section I noticed that followers we not supporting her “I can’t do this approach,” but instead were offering comments and suggestions to encourage her to give up the plastic little baggie.  Here is the blog entry, “Realistic Mom: We Simply Cannot Live Without Ziploc Bags,” check out these comments ….. and think about what’s something that you don’t necessary need and can help out the planet by reducing waste.

“No Impact Man” documentary trailer.

It’s no surprise that this entrepreneurial and creative youngster grew up to be a ReUse advocate and well-respected environmental activist. Take a few minutes to chat with Alex Eaves and the importance of his life’s work becomes clear. Alex, a passionate and enthusiastic sustainability expert, advocates for the second ‘R’ in the famous recycling mantra: Reuse. But Alex isn’t all talk, he walks the walk as well. As the founder and owner of STAY VOCALclothing brand, Alex has turned his love of ReUse into a full-time career.

Alex modeling a STAY VOCAL design

Launched in 2003, Alex started the company as a skateboarding apparel brand, often screenprinting on second-hand t-shirts to cut costs. A self-proclaimed t-shirt fanatic, Alex’s passion for fashion began conflicting with his desire to be eco-friendly. At one point, Alex set out to wear a different t-shirt every day of the year to utilize his massive collection. “I had over 400 shirts. I even kept a list. At that point, I knew I had a problem and checked myself into Cotton Anonymous,” Alex jokes. “Not really, but I definitely saw t-shirt consumption as a real problem.”

Before running his own clothing company, Alex worked as a merchandising manager traveling with bands such as 311, Green Day, and Blink 182. Through his involvement in various musical tours, he had a first-hand look at the sheer volume of materials that would be disposed of on a daily basis. He recalls handing out thousands of CDs, flyers, stickers, and t-shirts, then seeing the materials all over the ground after a show. “I saw more new ‘stuff’ being made and sold than I ever imagined. I also saw a lot of this new ‘stuff’ being destroyed without ever having been used once.”

In March of 2008, Alex decided to no longer run STAY VOCAL as a skateboard and apparel company, but rather a ReUse company. Since then, STAY VOCAL has grown to be an influential company in the ReUse movement. The brand exclusively sells items made from already-produced merchandise and even uses existing packaging and shipping material. It’s not uncommon for a STAY VOCAL customer to receive their order in a cereal box. Along with the business practices, many of the products promote environmental and social change through positive mottos and images. One of the brand’s newest items, a bandana for dogs, bears the slogan “Adoption…think about it” to encourage the rescuing of animals from shelters. Like all products sold by the company, the items are made from 100% reused materials.

"Adoption...think about it" STAY VOCAL dog bandana

And the name? Alex attributes the STAY VOCAL title to the importance of engaging in discussion and conversation. “Our voice is the most important tool we have,” says Alex. “I talk a lot and get most of my ideas from talking”. An energetic, confident, and passionate individual, Alex’s inspiring work is supported by his engaging personality.

Alex speaking about the importance of ReUse

With the success of STAY VOCAL came speaker requests and consultation inquiries, and Alex soon began presenting at events and helping businesses incorporate ReUse practices in their work. Add motivational speaking and green event-planning to the resume and you’ve got yourself a true eco-warrior!

Alex’s work, personal story, and social media pages can all be found on his website, but his charm, passion, and personality really come out in a one-on-one conversation. A 30-minute chat with him is full of as much laughter as information.

To top it all off, I invited Alex to a Colorado TEDx event I’m involved with and when I offered to provide accommodation, he expressed a strong preference to crashing on someone’s couch due to the often-wasteful practices of the hospitality industry. Turning down a free hotel stay to avoid waste? Now that’s a sincere commitment to environmental care. From his eco-friendly career to his sustainable lifestyle, Alex Eaves is an undeniable leader of the ReUse movement.

Public information campaigns, word-of-mouth promotions, and grassroots efforts to spread the word about the dire importance of environmental conservation have opened the eyes of many, but truly transforming our society into one that focuses on sustainability as a whole must raise entire generations who practice sustainable living. Since spreading awareness of environmental causes is vital to the movement’s success, what better way to ensure impactful, positive change than to start by focusing on children?

Nature’s majesty provides incredible learning and enrichment opportunities, so it’s no surprise that environmental education programs have shown positive effects on mental and physical health, academic success, and critical living skills of participating students. In a world where children are becoming less and less connected with nature, emphasizing the importance of sustainability from a young age is more important than ever.

Greenschools, a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization, promotes eco-friendly ideals by providing environmental education programs and resources to schools. The mission of the Greenschools program is to “protect the health of every individual in our schools and our planet by teaching how to make more environmentally respectful and responsible decisions”. Greenschools offers assemblies, workshops, staff trainings, and community sessions in personalized kid-friendly formats. A youth band, The Green Rockers, and a reuse mascot named The Bag Monster are available to entertain at school events. The Green Schools Summit, a large-scale convention, and The Green Diference Awards allow community members to become personally engaged in the environmental movement. A unique aspect of the organization is the Green Student Ambassadors program, a project that engages students by providing them with opportunities to be activists as well as learners. Participating students learn leadership skills and environmental stewardship through service hours, meetings, and collective events, encouraging learning and teamwork through eco-friendly practices.

Programs like Greenschools provide an active solution to the growing problem of children becoming distanced from nature and widely unaware of the importance of environmental conservation. Through the work of Greenschools and similar organizations, meaningful change is being enacted at a primary level – with our children. To find out more about Greenschools and read more about environmental education, visit www.projectgreenschools.com.

Check out this cool video about the Green Schools Ambassadors Program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we6An9xy4u4&feature=youtu.be

Kanu Hawaii, a group working to ignite positive environmental and economic change, launched a “No Waste Challenge”  in December 2011. By publishing a series of challenges and goals to their website, the organization was able to help divert approximately 33,000 pounds of waste through the collective efforts of those who joined the movement. Members were encouraged to audit waste, recycle, compost, and follow online guides and tips to use just one bag for the last week of December. Over 300 people reported recycling during the month, over 200 reported composting, and over 130 reported a reduction in waste during December, a typically waste-heavy month! Kanu Hawaii’s community involvement model of engagement has proven to be incredibly successful and will hopefully inspire other groups to work together to ignite change. To join one of Kanu Hawaii’s other fun challenges and learn more about their organization, visit their website!

Kanu Hawaii's "No Waste Challenge" Logo

Another group using goals and challenges to encourage waste reduction is RecycleMania, a national organization that pits universities against one another in a large-scale recycling competition. Each spring, hundreds of schools across The United States and Canada submit weekly trash and recycling reports and are ranked in various categories. Regular updates on school standingsallow participating colleges to follow their performances and compare them to their competitors. At the end of the 8-week period, national and divisional awards are given to winners in categories such as “Greatest Amount of Paper Recycled” and “ Most Waste Minimized”. Last year’s competition resulted in 91 million pounds of recycling and composting across 630 college campuses. The 2012 RecycleMania Tournament is currently underway and will run through March 30.

Compressed cans from RecycleMania2011

While environmental activism may not fit the classic definition of a sport, the fact that it is becoming an engaging and enjoyable activity is a great sign. By challenging participants to attain goals and offering prizes and rewards, waste reduction and recycling can be transformed into a desirable way of life that appeals to the masses. Thanks to groups like Kanu Hawaii and RecycleMania for leading the way!

Producers of the “Redefining Waste” Documentary, a film series about individuals who live or create using waste, are teaming up with local students and organizations to make an educational booth made completely out of already used materials. It will be constructed using cans and plastic containers, broken furniture, construction scraps, and other items that commonly end up in local landfills. Team members will be on hand to raffle off prizes, discuss the documentary, and encourage passersby to rethink the definition of “waste.”

The booth will be on display on Saturday April 21st from 11a.m. – 6p.m. in Civic Center Park, 201 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. It will be part of the Sustainable Living Association’s Earth Day Fair alongside food vendors, arts and crafts, speakers and live music, and various other displays and activities. Admission to the fair is free and all community members are encouraged to attend.

Booth materials and construction assistance have been donated by Eco-Thrift, a local reuse store with a mission similar to the documentary: encourage reuse and environmental care. Other partners include Savory Spice Shop, Mugs Coffee Lounge, GreenRide, Cohere and Beach House Grill, all of which have donated goods and gift certificates to be raffled off as prizes to fair attendees who visit the booth.

“Earth Day is a celebration of what we have been able to contribute to the environment and community,” said Green Ride co-founder Deborah Flynn. “However, it is also a reminder that there is so much more we can do.  Earth Day exists as a message to everybody that we must continually improve in order to provide for future generations.”

The goal of the booth is to raise awareness about the growing problem of excess trash and introduce community members to a simple but overlooked remedy – reuse. TEDxCSU, a Colorado State University group organizing the upcoming “Growing Greener Generations” sustainability conference, is partnering with “Redefining Waste” to create and staff the booth. Along with learning about the reuse movement and the importance of recycling, booth visitors can reserve tickets to the April 23rd event.

“When we started this project, we knew it would be interesting – but that’s an understatement. We met people who convert waste water into fuel, people who make musical instruments from scrap metal, and people who build homes out of used tires. There’s a virtual underground of those who are changing the way we use and repurpose our resources,” commented Shantel Hansen, Producer.
For more information about the Redefining Waste Documentary, visit  wastedocumentary.com, facebook.com/redefiningwaste, and twitter.com/redefiningwaste

For more information about TEDxCSU and “Growing Greener Generations”, visit www.tedxcsu.wordpress.com and www.facebook.com/TedxCSU.