My family has out grown ours.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tucson-Timeshare-close-to-the-U-of-A-Floating-Week_W0QQitemZ260324586281QQihZ016QQcategoryZ15897QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thanksgiving at the Manes House
I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. My family ends most get togethers with dancing. For your viewing pleasure the kids and the grandmas dancing...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Formula is the last choice for feeding babies pt. 1
The WHO (World Health Organization) states that the most nutritious way to feed a baby is:
1. Breastfeeding
2. Pumped breastmilk
3. Using donor breastmilk
4. Formula
They have good reason to make formula a last resort. For starters, this was recently in the news.
To read the whole article, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081126/ap_on_he_me/infant_formula
Formula companies are marketing geniuses and they portray images of formula fed babies as healthy. While formula is not a prescription for poor health, it certainly has a lot of risks that I for one am not willing to take.
Lets look at some studies.
Breast cancer is so prevalent that I would not willing introduce anything into my daughter's bodies that may up the risk.
People have argued that formula doesn't increase the risk of diabetes, so here are several studies linking development of insulin dependant Type I diabetes (formerly referred to as "juvenile diabetes") to lack of breastfeeding. The results of a study from Finland suggest that the introduction of dairy products at an early age, and high milk consumption during childhood increase the level of cow's milk antibodies in the children's systems. This factor is associated with an increased risk of insulin dependent diabetes. Now a new study has indicated that breastfeeding in infancy may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. This sort of diabetes was formerly referred to as "adult onset" diabetes, but has been mysteriously occurring in more and more youngsters.
Another big bad is that formula increases a baby's risk of SIDS. There are a number of studies showing a possible link between lack of breastfeeding and SIDS. A Swedish study has found that babies who were breastfed exclusively for less than 8 weeks had a 3 - 5 times greater risk of dying from SIDS than babies who were breastfed exclusively for four months
I know that this post is very footnote heavy, but I think it's important to back up what I am saying.
The choice is clear to me, I would never choose formula. Mother's that do choose formula for convienence, say they don't want their boobs to sag (a myth by the way, boobs sag due to heredity not breastfeeding), need to educate themselves. It saddens me that in this day and age formula is still commonplace.
I leave you with my favorite quote.
Stay tuned for part two of my formula rant.
1. Breastfeeding
2. Pumped breastmilk
3. Using donor breastmilk
4. Formula
They have good reason to make formula a last resort. For starters, this was recently in the news.
According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product — Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.
Three tests of Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.
-FDA finds traces of melamine in US infant formula By MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press Writers
To read the whole article, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081126/ap_on_he_me/infant_formula
Formula companies are marketing geniuses and they portray images of formula fed babies as healthy. While formula is not a prescription for poor health, it certainly has a lot of risks that I for one am not willing to take.
Lets look at some studies.
Formula feeding increases baby girls' risk of developing breast cancer in later life. Women who were formula-fed as infants have higher rates of breast cancer as adults. For both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, women who were breastfed as children, even if only for a short time, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as infants.
Freudenheim, J. et al. 1994 "Exposure to breast milk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer". Epidemiology 5:324-331
Breast cancer is so prevalent that I would not willing introduce anything into my daughter's bodies that may up the risk.
People have argued that formula doesn't increase the risk of diabetes, so here are several studies linking development of insulin dependant Type I diabetes (formerly referred to as "juvenile diabetes") to lack of breastfeeding. The results of a study from Finland suggest that the introduction of dairy products at an early age, and high milk consumption during childhood increase the level of cow's milk antibodies in the children's systems. This factor is associated with an increased risk of insulin dependent diabetes. Now a new study has indicated that breastfeeding in infancy may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. This sort of diabetes was formerly referred to as "adult onset" diabetes, but has been mysteriously occurring in more and more youngsters.
Young, T.K. et al. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156(7): 651-55
Gerstein HC. "Cow's milk exposure and type 1 diabetes mellitus". Diabetes Care. 1994;17:13-19
Virtanen et al: "Diet, Cow's milk protein antibodies and the risk of IDDM in Finnish children." Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Diabetologia, Apr 1994, 37(4):381-7
Virtanen SM, Rasanen L, Aro A, et al. "Infant feeding in Finnish children <7 yr of age with newly diagnosed IDDM" Diabetes Care, 1991;14:415-417
Another big bad is that formula increases a baby's risk of SIDS. There are a number of studies showing a possible link between lack of breastfeeding and SIDS. A Swedish study has found that babies who were breastfed exclusively for less than 8 weeks had a 3 - 5 times greater risk of dying from SIDS than babies who were breastfed exclusively for four months
Horn, RS et al "Comparison of evoked arousability in breast and formula fed infants." 2004 Arch Dis Child.; 89(1):22-25
Alm et al, "Breastfeeding and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Scandanavia." June 2002 Arch of Dis in Child. 86: 400-402.
McVea, KL et al "The role of breastfeeding in sudden infant death syndrome." J Hum Lact. 2000;16:13-20
Fredrickson, DD et al., "Relationship between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Breastfeeding Intensity and Duration." Am. Journal of Diseases in Children, 1993: 147:460
Ford RPK, et al ."Breastfeeding and the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome." International Journal of Diseases in Children, 1993, 22(5):885-890
Taylor BJ, Mitchell EA, et al. "Breastfeeding and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Int J. Epidemiol. 1993;22:885-890
Scragg LK, Mitchell EA, Tonkin SL, et al. "Evaluation of the cot death prevention programme in South Auckland." NZ Med J. 1993;106:8-10
I know that this post is very footnote heavy, but I think it's important to back up what I am saying.
Formula fed babies have a higher risk of developing certain childhood cancers. In a study done by researchers at the University of Minnesota it was found that babies who were breast fed for at least one month had a 21% less chance of getting leukemia than formula fed babies. The risk was 30% for children breast fed for 6 months.
Shu X-O, et al. "Breastfeeding and the risk of childhood acute leukemia". J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91: 1765-72
The choice is clear to me, I would never choose formula. Mother's that do choose formula for convienence, say they don't want their boobs to sag (a myth by the way, boobs sag due to heredity not breastfeeding), need to educate themselves. It saddens me that in this day and age formula is still commonplace.
I leave you with my favorite quote.
When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form. ----- Christine Northrup M.D.
Stay tuned for part two of my formula rant.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Baby Casey and Her Amazing Parents
My friend Brandy birthed a beautiful baby, Casey Hope, on November 22, 2008. Casey weighed 9lbs 2oz and was 22 inches long.
Casey was given a 0-5% chance of survival.
Casey Hope passed, November 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 am. She passed onto heaven peacefully.
Amidst breaking hearts, Brandy and her husband Jon, donated all four of Casey's heart valves were able to be used to save four other babies lives. I am humbled by their generosity, courage and love. They faced every parent's worst nightmare and healed four other families.
If you pray, please include Brandy and Jon in your prayers.
Casey was given a 0-5% chance of survival.
Casey Hope passed, November 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 am. She passed onto heaven peacefully.
Amidst breaking hearts, Brandy and her husband Jon, donated all four of Casey's heart valves were able to be used to save four other babies lives. I am humbled by their generosity, courage and love. They faced every parent's worst nightmare and healed four other families.
If Roses Grow in Heaven
If roses grow in Heaven Lord
Please pick a bunch for me.
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
Place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for a while.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it everyday,
But there is an ache within my heart
That will never go away.
Author Unknown
If you pray, please include Brandy and Jon in your prayers.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Pregnant in America
Friday, November 21, 2008
I got interviewed today by the Wall Street Journal
I was asked my thoughts on boycotting businesses that supported Prop 8. I was a little nervous but my friend Kira was over and she said that I used a lot of big words :) I'll post the article when it's in my hand.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Early Birthday Resolutions
I am feeling like I need to make some birthday resolutions and in order to be accountable, I am listing my "green" ones here.
Small steps to a greener life...
1. I will sign up for paperless billing from every company that offers it.
2. I will ALWAYS remember my canvas bags at the grocery store.
3. Instead of letting the shower run to warm up, I will put a watering can in it to catch the cold water and then water the plants with it.
4. Every time I purchase something that is going to go into our wastewater system, ie. shampoo, dish soap, I will read the labels to make sure there are no phosphates.
5. I will budget in money for double paned windows or the likes in order to conserve energy in my house.
6. I will make an appointment with the electric company for an energy audit.
7. I will make sure that the washing machine is full before I run it, no more 1/2 loads.
8. I will unplug every appliance that I can when not in use.
9. I will make sure that my tires are full so that I don't waste gasoline.
10. I will have Chuck turn down the temperature on our water heater.
Small steps to a greener life...
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Hate aka Prop 8
I wasn't going to blog about this, I wanted to keep this blog as a uncontroversial as possible, but as a human being I just can't keep quiet about it.
I am extremely concerned about equality in this country. How are we as a people able to dictate who can and cannot get married? How is that different from women's rights, equality for black people or even white supremacy? I'm not gay and I don't have a close inner circle of gay friends, but still, this issue hurts my heart.
People are claiming that same sex marriage is against God. Aren't we all God's children and doesn't it say, "Judge not, lest ye be judged"? Who are we to dictate God's law? Does it say anywhere in the bible that God's children are to act as enforcers? I think it's a blatant case of man imposing what he perceives God's will to be. I don't buy it.
How is this different from the Nazi doctrine? Nazism has come to stand for a belief in the superiority of an Aryan race; the Führer and claimed to defend Germany and the German people (including those of German ethnicity abroad) against Communism and so-called Jewish subversion. Ultimately, the Nazis sought to create a largely homogeneous ethnic state.
As a Jew, this issue is close to my heart.
I so disturbed, so disturbed.
The kick in the dick is that because an obvious majority of the United States believes that marriage is between a man and woman and they insist that there beliefs must be adopted by all, gay and lesbian couples have no rights. They can't get health benefits, if they have children and the birth parent dies then the other parent can loose their own children, they have no rights as a couple. If one is in the hospital dying and the family doesn't want the partner around, then the partner has no voice, no rights to be with his/her beloved.
I am disgusted and I wonder what the people who voted to ban gay marriage would do if they weren't allowed to marry. This is hate, pure and simple, and the fact that it is not only accepted in 2008, but encouraged makes it a hate crime.
Please take a minute to watch this profound commentary by Keith Olbermann.
I am extremely concerned about equality in this country. How are we as a people able to dictate who can and cannot get married? How is that different from women's rights, equality for black people or even white supremacy? I'm not gay and I don't have a close inner circle of gay friends, but still, this issue hurts my heart.
People are claiming that same sex marriage is against God. Aren't we all God's children and doesn't it say, "Judge not, lest ye be judged"? Who are we to dictate God's law? Does it say anywhere in the bible that God's children are to act as enforcers? I think it's a blatant case of man imposing what he perceives God's will to be. I don't buy it.
How is this different from the Nazi doctrine? Nazism has come to stand for a belief in the superiority of an Aryan race; the Führer and claimed to defend Germany and the German people (including those of German ethnicity abroad) against Communism and so-called Jewish subversion. Ultimately, the Nazis sought to create a largely homogeneous ethnic state.
As a Jew, this issue is close to my heart.
I so disturbed, so disturbed.
The kick in the dick is that because an obvious majority of the United States believes that marriage is between a man and woman and they insist that there beliefs must be adopted by all, gay and lesbian couples have no rights. They can't get health benefits, if they have children and the birth parent dies then the other parent can loose their own children, they have no rights as a couple. If one is in the hospital dying and the family doesn't want the partner around, then the partner has no voice, no rights to be with his/her beloved.
I am disgusted and I wonder what the people who voted to ban gay marriage would do if they weren't allowed to marry. This is hate, pure and simple, and the fact that it is not only accepted in 2008, but encouraged makes it a hate crime.
Please take a minute to watch this profound commentary by Keith Olbermann.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Breasts in America
I have heard stories about women being banned from public places for breastfeeding, thankfully I have never personally experienced discrimination nursing my kids in public. A lot of people do not know that it is legal to breastfeed in public in every state.
If you, or someone you know, have had problems with public breastfeeding such as being asked to go to restroom to nurse, you can report it to www.firstright.org
FirstRight takes every reported incident of discrimination seriously, and they will help you. They have organized nurse-ins, an education committee as well as a Breastfeeding Legislative Action Committee.
I have issues with the fact that the grocery stores line the checkout counters with provative pictures of breasts. Take a look at this Maxim cover.
When this cover of Baby Talk came out, there was a lot of contraversy surrounding the bare breast. Give me a break people, boobs are for babies, we are genetically designed that way.
By not supporting a woman basic right to breastfeed in public, shaming these woman, asking them to nurse in the bathroom, hospitals handing out free "breastfeeding support kits" with a 6 pack of formula, bottles and a guide called, Breastfeeding Your Baby The First Two Months, and the acceptance of formula as a viable substitute for breastmilk; this country suggests that breastfeeding is unacceptable.
Here I am breastfeeding Talia, 18 months old, at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas. I did not get any wayward glances from the other exhibitors, I did get nods, smiles and sighs. Am I exposing myself, do I look unprofessional? It certainly didn't negatively impact my response at the show.
If you haven't looked at this before, I encourage you to read 101 Reason's To Breastfeed at http://www.promom.org/101/.
It just doesn't make sense to me why anyone would discourage something that is a million times better for our babies. Consider this, mothers on WIC or Public Assistance get their formula paid for by the state, guess who is really paying for that? Yep, US. Also, formula fed babies spend more time at the doctors, which not only do we pay for if the baby is on public assistance, but if the baby is on traditionbal health insurance, it makes our rates go up.
Food for thought.
If you, or someone you know, have had problems with public breastfeeding such as being asked to go to restroom to nurse, you can report it to www.firstright.org
FirstRight takes every reported incident of discrimination seriously, and they will help you. They have organized nurse-ins, an education committee as well as a Breastfeeding Legislative Action Committee.
I have issues with the fact that the grocery stores line the checkout counters with provative pictures of breasts. Take a look at this Maxim cover.
When this cover of Baby Talk came out, there was a lot of contraversy surrounding the bare breast. Give me a break people, boobs are for babies, we are genetically designed that way.
By not supporting a woman basic right to breastfeed in public, shaming these woman, asking them to nurse in the bathroom, hospitals handing out free "breastfeeding support kits" with a 6 pack of formula, bottles and a guide called, Breastfeeding Your Baby The First Two Months, and the acceptance of formula as a viable substitute for breastmilk; this country suggests that breastfeeding is unacceptable.
"When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form." ----- Christine Northrup M.D.
Here I am breastfeeding Talia, 18 months old, at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas. I did not get any wayward glances from the other exhibitors, I did get nods, smiles and sighs. Am I exposing myself, do I look unprofessional? It certainly didn't negatively impact my response at the show.
If you haven't looked at this before, I encourage you to read 101 Reason's To Breastfeed at http://www.promom.org/101/.
It just doesn't make sense to me why anyone would discourage something that is a million times better for our babies. Consider this, mothers on WIC or Public Assistance get their formula paid for by the state, guess who is really paying for that? Yep, US. Also, formula fed babies spend more time at the doctors, which not only do we pay for if the baby is on public assistance, but if the baby is on traditionbal health insurance, it makes our rates go up.
Food for thought.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I am so excited to announce that
We now have a one-size-fits-all LolliDoo® Diaper!!!!!
Melissa has been working diligently to create a one size diaper. After over a year of trials and tribulations, SHE DID IT!
The benefits of a one size diaper are many.
~You only have to buy diapers once, instead of new sizes as your baby grows.
~As with sized diapers, you can pass them down from baby to baby.
~They are easy to use
~The savings are astronomical. With disposable diapers you spend an average of $1167/year, $3500/ three years. With our new LolliDoo® One-size-fits-all diaper, the initial investment is approximately $800, which is all you will ever spend!
Stay tuned for more information and pictures. The diapers will hit shelves in January.
Melissa has been working diligently to create a one size diaper. After over a year of trials and tribulations, SHE DID IT!
The benefits of a one size diaper are many.
~You only have to buy diapers once, instead of new sizes as your baby grows.
~As with sized diapers, you can pass them down from baby to baby.
~They are easy to use
~The savings are astronomical. With disposable diapers you spend an average of $1167/year, $3500/ three years. With our new LolliDoo® One-size-fits-all diaper, the initial investment is approximately $800, which is all you will ever spend!
Stay tuned for more information and pictures. The diapers will hit shelves in January.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Sharing 5 of my favorite sites
I thought that I would compile s short list of the sites that I like. The first being http://www.mrsgreengoesmainstream.com Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream is a local radio show that focuses on green topics. Check out the site, it has all kinds of goodness.
My favorite printer in the whole wide world is http://www.wgiprint.com Wizard Graphics not only prints on recycled paper, but they print with low VOC vegetable based ink. They have great customer service and their printing is exceptional.
This really isn't a "green" site, but my absolute favorite travel site is http://chuckmanes.worldventures.biz/ It is my husband's travel site but they price match and you can rent condos, apartments in addition to hotels. You can also rent cars and find airfare, check it out if you are planning a trip.
I direct anyone who asks me questions about the cost of cloth diapers vs disposable diapers to the Diaper Pin's diaper calculator http://www.diaperpin.com/calculator/calculator.asp. The diaper calculator gives an unbiased look at the reality of diapering.
For some reason the hyperlinks wouldn't work for the last two sites, so I bolded them. Copy and paste the addresses into your browser.
Lastly, my friend Nonie is doing an amazing thing for the breastfeeding community, it's called Mom's Breastaurant. http://www.momsbreastaurant.org She goes around the country to different festivals, fairs and expos, and offers moms a safe, comfortable place to sit and nurse their babies. Nonie doesn't charge for this service, which is even more amazing. Check out the site and support her if you feel like she deserves it, I do.
My favorite printer in the whole wide world is http://www.wgiprint.com Wizard Graphics not only prints on recycled paper, but they print with low VOC vegetable based ink. They have great customer service and their printing is exceptional.
This really isn't a "green" site, but my absolute favorite travel site is http://chuckmanes.worldventures.biz/ It is my husband's travel site but they price match and you can rent condos, apartments in addition to hotels. You can also rent cars and find airfare, check it out if you are planning a trip.
I direct anyone who asks me questions about the cost of cloth diapers vs disposable diapers to the Diaper Pin's diaper calculator http://www.diaperpin.com/calculator/calculator.asp. The diaper calculator gives an unbiased look at the reality of diapering.
For some reason the hyperlinks wouldn't work for the last two sites, so I bolded them. Copy and paste the addresses into your browser.
Lastly, my friend Nonie is doing an amazing thing for the breastfeeding community, it's called Mom's Breastaurant. http://www.momsbreastaurant.org She goes around the country to different festivals, fairs and expos, and offers moms a safe, comfortable place to sit and nurse their babies. Nonie doesn't charge for this service, which is even more amazing. Check out the site and support her if you feel like she deserves it, I do.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Put Your Money Where Your Green Is
I know in these days of scary economics that people are afraid of investing in new companies. I have to tell you that investing in a green company seems like the safest place for your money right now.
Hey! That fits us.
Just check out these statistics from the Real Diaper Industry Association.
Click on the charts for a larger view and you will see that the growth in the cloth diaper industry alone is astounding. It is my opinion that investing in young green companies is not only going to change how we treat our planet, our bodies and our consumerism; it is going to be a financial windfall in coming years.
So come on people and put your money where your green is!
Place your bets. If you're ready to up your game, consider investing in projects that are making the world greener. You could put your money in eco-conscious local projects or in individual stocks. Or, if you're looking for big-league options, think about backing start-ups, young companies -- some analysts predict that such investments will see double-digit rates of return over the next decade. -Any Portfolio in a Storm, How to green your investments 15 Apr 2008
Hey! That fits us.
Just check out these statistics from the Real Diaper Industry Association.
Click on the charts for a larger view and you will see that the growth in the cloth diaper industry alone is astounding. It is my opinion that investing in young green companies is not only going to change how we treat our planet, our bodies and our consumerism; it is going to be a financial windfall in coming years.
So come on people and put your money where your green is!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
What's New with LolliDoo®
We have a new and improved logo for Go Green Sustainable Industries, LLC. Timmy the Turtle is also going to be the spokesturtle for our yet-to-be-named non-profit. The non-profit is going to focus on educating about Water; our #1 most precious natural resource and phosphates. Phosphates are incredibly dangerous to humans, plants, and animals alike in high concentrations...high concentrations occur as a result of storm run-off, untreated (and treated) sewage in water supplies (resulting from such things as laundry or dishwasher detergents), and agricultural applications (whether from the homeowner’s lawn OR the farmer’s crops). The kicker is that phosphates are TOTALLY unnecessary.
Introducing Timmy...
LolliDoo® Diapers are going to hit the shelves this coming January. We are offering a all-in-one with a unique patented air flow design; LolliDoo® Two, as well as a remarkable new concept to diapering; LolliDoo® For You(TM), It's All About Choices(TM). I cannot share this top secret system just quite yet, but rest assured, it's going to knock your socks off.
Coming soon...
I know I am a tease, but I couldn't help myself.
Introducing Timmy...
LolliDoo® Diapers are going to hit the shelves this coming January. We are offering a all-in-one with a unique patented air flow design; LolliDoo® Two, as well as a remarkable new concept to diapering; LolliDoo® For You(TM), It's All About Choices(TM). I cannot share this top secret system just quite yet, but rest assured, it's going to knock your socks off.
Coming soon...
I know I am a tease, but I couldn't help myself.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Conversations with Jessica who works for the City of Tucson
This post is part of the Real Diaper Facts carnival hosted by Real Diaper Events, the official blog of the Real Diaper Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to cloth diaper education. Participants were asked to write about diaper lies and real diaper facts. See the list at the bottom of this post to read the rest of the carnival entries.
I was at a good bye lunch for my bff Alana last week,(that's us),where I met this dynamic woman named Jessica, who has been friends with Alana since grade school.
Jessica works for the City of Tucson and I believe she works in the recycling department, but I might be mistaken. We got to talking, as women do, and I was telling her all about LolliDoo® . She doesn't have kids yet but she was extremely excited and supportive of us.
Then she told me about her work and this is what the intention of this blog entry is about. Jessica mentioned some important things about recycling that I never considered.
1. People throw non recyclable bags in the recycle bin (ie. grocery and trash bags)
2. I was astounded by this one, people also throw disposable diapers in the recycle bin.
What happens when either plastic bags or diapers are thrown in the recycle bin was news to me. First of all it contaminates the entire load, not just the load from the one house, but everything that was collected in the truck that day. Apparently if it cannot be filtered, like say cottage cheese, then it cannot be recycled.
So what happens, is that one well meaning person throws a trash bag full of recycles in the recycle bin. Then it contaminates the load. So, it winds up wasting gas, money and the entire load of would be recyclable material now has to be dumped into the landfill.
When disposable diapers are thrown into the recycle bin the same thing happens. As with throwing disposable diapers in the regular trash, there are the leaching issues and health hazards. Even though it is illegal to throw human feces in the landfill, most parents disregard this law and as a result, the rest of us have to deal with groundwater contamination and the general nastiness of something filled with urine and feces stinking up our landfills for 500+ years.
But I digress.
The point is that we, myself included, really need to pay attention to what we toss into the recycle bin so that we can in fact, recycle and not waste the taxpayers money and our resources on wasteful missions.
I was at a good bye lunch for my bff Alana last week,(that's us),where I met this dynamic woman named Jessica, who has been friends with Alana since grade school.
Jessica works for the City of Tucson and I believe she works in the recycling department, but I might be mistaken. We got to talking, as women do, and I was telling her all about LolliDoo® . She doesn't have kids yet but she was extremely excited and supportive of us.
Then she told me about her work and this is what the intention of this blog entry is about. Jessica mentioned some important things about recycling that I never considered.
1. People throw non recyclable bags in the recycle bin (ie. grocery and trash bags)
2. I was astounded by this one, people also throw disposable diapers in the recycle bin.
What happens when either plastic bags or diapers are thrown in the recycle bin was news to me. First of all it contaminates the entire load, not just the load from the one house, but everything that was collected in the truck that day. Apparently if it cannot be filtered, like say cottage cheese, then it cannot be recycled.
So what happens, is that one well meaning person throws a trash bag full of recycles in the recycle bin. Then it contaminates the load. So, it winds up wasting gas, money and the entire load of would be recyclable material now has to be dumped into the landfill.
When disposable diapers are thrown into the recycle bin the same thing happens. As with throwing disposable diapers in the regular trash, there are the leaching issues and health hazards. Even though it is illegal to throw human feces in the landfill, most parents disregard this law and as a result, the rest of us have to deal with groundwater contamination and the general nastiness of something filled with urine and feces stinking up our landfills for 500+ years.
But I digress.
The point is that we, myself included, really need to pay attention to what we toss into the recycle bin so that we can in fact, recycle and not waste the taxpayers money and our resources on wasteful missions.
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Saturday, November 1, 2008
What Should I Do With All These Paper Towels?
I successfully eliminated paper towels and napkins from my house over a year ago. When my mother-in-law comes over and asks for paper towels and I hand her a rag. She came over yesterday to celebrate Halloween with the kids, arms filled with strawberries, grapes, chocolate cake and you guessed it...paper towels. Not just one roll but a 12 pack from Costco. I know she meant well and I thanked her for thinking of us, but now what?
I could use them but I would feel guilty every time I threw one away. Maybe I could donate them to my daughter's school, but still, it makes my tummy hurt a little knowing someone is using a disposable product that came from me. I really don't know what to do with them. It took me so long to train my family to use rags and linen napkins, I don't want them to backtrack.
So here I sit, looking at a rolls upon rolls of paper towels in my bedroom.
I could use them but I would feel guilty every time I threw one away. Maybe I could donate them to my daughter's school, but still, it makes my tummy hurt a little knowing someone is using a disposable product that came from me. I really don't know what to do with them. It took me so long to train my family to use rags and linen napkins, I don't want them to backtrack.
So here I sit, looking at a rolls upon rolls of paper towels in my bedroom.
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