UpDated April 17: Earth Day 2012 Events in Washington, DC

Earth Day events for Sunday, April 22nd on the National Mall are now available.  There will be performances by Cheap Trick, Dave Mason, Kicking Daisies and Explorers Club!
Meanwhile, don't forget to signup to give the Anacostia some much needed TLC by participating in a clean up on Saturday, April 21.See details below

With Earth Day 2012 nearing, I've done some research on planned events for DC.  Cleaning up our Anacostia and Potomac rivers is (very) much needed and (really) fun activity. There are cleanups scheduled for Saturdays - April 14, 21 and 28.

Anacostia Watershed Society Cleanups: Most Anacostia River cleanups are scheduled for Saturday, April 21 though some are scheduled for Saturday  28.  There are 10 or so sites located in DC. Here’s a link that provides registration information, clean up details and a map with the location, date, and contact information for Anacostia related cleanups.

United States Botanic Garden: Friday, April 20, 2012, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Get gardening advice from representatives of environmental organizations throughout the region and enjoy cooking demonstrations featuring local foods and fresh ingredients. Learn what you can do to make the planet a healthier place and how to become a more active steward of the earth.

Anacostia Watershed Society Earth Day Celebration: Saturday, April 21, 2012. The Rally will begin at 12noon in RFK parking lot #6 (right near the bridge that takes you to Kingman and Heritage Islands).  Metro Orange and Blue lines will take you there.

Trash from Saturday's Potomac Cleanup!

Earth Day on theNational Mall: Sunday, April 22, 2012. The Earth Day event includes a massive rally, top musicians, civic leaders, and celebrity speakers. The EPA will also host hands-on activities in their National Sustainable Design Expo where EPA, businesses, non-profits and college students will showcase their efforts to protect the planet. 2012 participants will be announced soon.

Earth Day at the National Zoo: April 22, 2012, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free and open to the public. No ticket required. Meet the Smithsonian National Zoo’s Green Team experts, participate in “green”-themed crafts, and learn simple daily actions that help you enjoy a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Earth Day Cruise on the Odyssey: Sunday, April 22, 2012. Board the Oydssey for an Earth Day Brunch Cruise to learn about green energy and environmental initiatives. Boarding at 10:45 a.m., the cruise will sail from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Prices: $64.90 per adult, $35.95 per child age 3-12.

Cleaning your Closet and Doing Some Good!

As we gear up for Earth Day, Live Green and Repax have teamed up to help you clean out your closets AND benefit Goodwill of Greater Washington.  From now until April 20ieth, just drop off your usable but unwanted clothes at one of the locations listed below.

• Art of Living Center: 2401 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009 
• Capitol Hill Bikes: 719 8th St. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 
• Live Green Office: 2452 18th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20009 
• Amicus Green Building Center: 4080 Howard Ave, Kensington, MD. 20895 
• That Yellow Gym: 3220 17th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20010 (in the Argyle Building) 
• Chancellor’s Row Townhomes by EYA: Regent Place NE, Washington, D.C. 20017 
• Capitol Quarter Townhomes by EYA: 1020 4th St. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 
• Trohv: 232 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012 
• Flats 130: 130 M St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

 

Up, Up, and Away

I was thinking about balloons the other day and wondering about their environmental impact. There are two types of balloons out there: latex balloons that are filled with human air or helium and the mylar (foil-like) varieties.  Environmentally speaking, latex balloons are BY FAT the way to go. You can even compost them. WHO KNEW? Latex is organic, made from the sap of rubber trees through a process similar to that used for collecting sap for maple syrup. Latex balloons – whether you blow them up yourself or fill them with helium - will break down in about six-months – about the same amount of time as an oak leaf.  If released, latex balloons filled with helium, will explode into tiny pieces once they reach an altitude of six miles – and these fragments should be small enough that they won’t pose any danger to wildlife.  Note though that strings, ribbons and other attachments on balloons don’t explode and don’t breakdown quickly and they can pose a very real danger to wildlife. Mylar balloons are another story.  While they are reusable, they hardly ever are reused.  They are a foil product and don’t break down easily. 

So what’s the verdict?  If you’re going to buy balloons, buy latex balloons and fill them with helium or regular air.  Compost them as you can. If you’re going to do a balloon release, you can use helium filled latex balloons, but you shouldn’t tie anything to these as the strings will take time to break down and can pose pose a threat to wildlife when it does. Avoid using mylar balloons unless you’re going to reuse it…again, and again, and again.

Start Your Own Recycling Circle!

While DC curbside recycling accepts a lot of goods, most households generate a lot of goods that are re- or up-cyclable, but not in enough quantities to really make the effort worthwhile. The answer to this dilemma? - create your own recycling circle with friends. It’s easy! 

1) Gather a couple of friends/neighbors who are dedicated recyclers in on this idea. 

2) Decide what you (as a group) generate that you want to re- or upcycle. These good can include corks, energy bar wrappers, Brita filters, sneakers, denim, batteries, etc. 

3) Decide who in the group will commit to recycling what…and designate that person the point person for re- or upcyling that particular product. 

In my neighborhood, folks know that I upcycle corks and recycle batteries. Our local liquor store collects corks for me, and once a month I pick them up, add in the other corks I get from work, friends and my own stash and drop them off at a Whole Foods. Another friend collects energy bar wrappers and sends them off to Terracycle – which will even pay for the shipping! Proceeds go towards a local elementary school. Check out the right side of this blog to find places to re- or up-cycle your goods. If you don’t see what you want to recycle there, check out Terracycle to see if they have an ongoing brigade for your goods. While you’re at it, check out the wide list of environmentally friendly Terracycle products (gifts, toys, school supplies, cleaning products, patio furniture, etc) that are made from these recycled goods.

Don't Underestimate the Power of the People

It's easy enough to fall into the trap of thinking that you as an individual have no power to change the world for the better. But, in fact, in the last six months, we've seen some clear examples that prove just the contrary. Bank of America reneged on its banking fees. The Susan B. Komen Foundation learned that people felt strongly that they should support Planned Parenthood and JC Penny decided to continue to keep Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson – despite her sexuality. Now, it’s your turn. Do you know where your toilet paper comes from? Buy toilet paper that is made from recycled and/or sustainably sourced content. Below is a video showing which brands (like Paseo) to avoid as well as a list of major US companies that have stopped sourcing Paseo – and other companies have done nothing. Call these supermarkets and let them know that you’re watching what they do. One person can make a difference!

Cork It!

CORKWATCH is an app from ReCork that lets you know which wines use REAL corks (good!) versus those ugly plastic corks(bad!).  It also allows YOU to add new wines to the list. The site is compatible with all mobile devices and super intuitive.CORKWATCH also has a searchable database and map that allows you to find a drop off location for corks in your area.  Most Whole Foods will also accept real corks...as will Firefly restaurant in DC (and you can just drop them off there..you don't have to stay for a meal - though you should as the food is sustainably sourced and fab!)  For more information as to why you should opt for wines with cork stoppers, check out the WWF Report, "Cork Screwed?"

The 1,2,3s….and 4,5,6 and 7s of Plastics and Recycling in DC

Everyone’s seen those numbers on plastic packaging, but until recently, I really didn’t know what they meant.  Here’s the 411 in a nutshell. 

The numbers you’ll see range from 1 to 7 and refers to the type of plastic that’s been used to make that product. For you, it’s also a shorthand for potential health risk and the recycle-ability of the product. Fortunately, in DC, plastics of all numbers EXCEPT PLASTIC#6 (Styrofoam) are recyclable. Plastics#6 (Styrofoam) and plastics of any number that are made into food (saran) wrap, “clamshells”, motor oil or pesticide containers aren’t recyclable in DC.

A few more details on each of the plastics are provided below:

• Plastic #1, polyethylene terephtalate, is also known as PETE or PET.  Think soda bottles. It’s considered safe but porous, so it's best not to reuse these containers. Plastic#1 is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #2 is high density polyethylene, or HDPE. Think milk jugs. It’s considered safe and is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #3 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  Goods include food wrap, cooking oil bottles, and plumbing pipes. It’s not considered safe to cook food in or near it. DC recycles Plastic #3.
• Plastic #4 is low density polyethylene (LDPE). Think grocery bags, ziplocks, some food wraps, squeezable bottles, and bread bags. It’s considered safe. Plastic#4 is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #5 is polypropylene and used for yogurt cups other wide-necked containers as well as medicine, ketchup, and syrup bottles, and straws. Plastic#5 is safe and is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #6 is polystyrene, or Styrofoam. There’s some evidence that Plastic#6 leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated. Plastic#6 is not recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #7 is essentially “what's not plastic 1-6” including polycarbonate plastics and BPA. Common products include iPods, computer cases as well as some baby bottles and food storage containers. Plastic#7 is also used for milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, and plastic toys and all of these are recyclable in DC. 

I used this article to write this post.  It's a great resource for the health benefits of the various plastics. 

DC Government Posts Hazardous Waste Disposal 2012 Calendar!

Hey Folks, the DC Government has posted Hazardous Waste/E-cycling disposal dates for 2012 at the Ft. Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Road, NE.  You’ll (very likely) need a DC Driver’s License that does not have an apartment address to get into the facility.  Below, you’ll find a list of acceptable items and a calendar can be found below that.  Send an email out to friends and neighbors and take turns going up to the facility every month or so.  There’s usually not a long line and you’ll be in and out before you know it!  More information on the program can be found at: http://dc.gov/DC/DPW/Services+on+Your+Block/Recycling/Household+Hazardous+Waste+-+E-cycling-+Document+Shredding

Acceptable Hazardous Waste	Acceptable E-Cycling
Acids Aerosols Antifreeze Asbestos tile Batteries Cleaning chemicals Drain openers Fluorescent light bulbs Furniture stripper Stains Varnish Fertilizer Lighter fluid Mercury thermometers and mercury containing devices Moth balls Motor oil Paint Pesticides Poisons Roofing tar Solvents/thinners Transmission fluids Windshield wiper and Brake fluids Wood preservatives	Audio/visual equipment Audio cassettes Camcorders CD Rom drives CDs/DVDs Cell Phones Computers and monitors Connectors / Cords / Wire Copy machines Fax machines Floppy drives Hard drives Memory chips Network / Video / Sound cards Pagers Power supplies Printers Scrap computer plastic  Scrap computer metal Tape drives TVs VCRs VCR tapes Video games & Software

 

2012 DC Hazardous Waste/E-Cycling Dates
Thursdays(1pm-7pm) ·         January 5 ·         February 2 ·         March 1 ·         April 5 ·         May 3 ·         May 31 ·         July 5 ·         August 2 ·         August 31 ·         October 4 ·         November 1 ·         November 30 ·         January 3, 2013	Saturdays (8am-3pm) ·         January 7 ·         February 4 ·         March 3 ·         April 7 ·         May 5 ·         June 2 ·         July 7 ·         August 4 ·         September 1 ·         October 6 ·         November 3 ·         December 1 ·         January 5, 2013



What to do with all that holiday stuff?

 The DC Government seems to still be hanging on to 2011 as there's not much information about Christmas tree or hazardous waste disposal for 2012 out there yet.  It seems that in DC, free curbside pick-up of Christmas trees will run January 3-14, 2012. After January 14, trees are not recycled but can be picked up with trash on regular delivery days as space in the trucks allows. Find details at http://dpw.dc.gov/dc/dpw. This website has info on Christmas tree recycling in MD and VA.

As for wreathes, why not throw them on your yard and let them decompose over the next month or so? You can also take them off the wire, and throw the branches into the Christmas tree pile...or better yet, into your fireplace.

Meanwhile, St. Jude's Ranch for Children has a greeting card recycling program. They operate year round, so consider starting a card recycling program at work and/or with your

friends.  A couple of specifics:

• They accept all types of greeting cards, including Christmas cards.
• You need only send the card front (please ensure the back side is clear of any writing, etc.).
• No Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards, please.
• 5″ x 7″ size or smaller is preferred.

You can also BUY cards for all occasions from these same folks!

Mail donations to :

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005