Earth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear

The Global Recycling Day episode of Sustainability In Your Ear features a conversation about the future of recycling, circular economies, the business value of preserving resources, and the power consumers have to drive companies to embrace environmental values. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Trey Granger, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe discuss producer responsibility laws, global access to waste removal services (more than half of the human species does not have regular trash pickup), and the viability of recycling on the West Coast after China's ban on contaminated waste imports. With recycling changing rapidly, the gang talks about how to reduce plastic use in the home, And, of course, we talk Earthly Questions: How to recycle K-cup coffee waste; The difference between compostable and biodegradable materials, and how to clean wax off glass bottles before recycling.

The Sustana Group is a pioneer in paper recycling. The company's Rolland division started producing recycled paper decades ago and now provides annual sustainability and production lifecycle assessments of its supply chain to ensure customers have all the necessary environmental information to make a carbon-aware purchase. Today, Sustana is partnered with Starbucks and other food packaging makers to capture and separate plastic and paper fibers used in wet packaging such as coffee cups and microwaveable food dishes.Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Sustana's senior marketing director, Michele Bartolini, about the power consumers have to shape an industry's production process. She shares how consumers can identify recycled paper products to support environmentally resonsible products. They also discuss the role of technology in creating more efficient and carbon-neutral products and lifecycles. You can check how purchasing Sustana products will impact your personal or organizational footprint with the company's Eco-Calculator.

The Earth911 gang sits down to talk about the water we drink, the water we use, and the consequences of extreme water-related weather events. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez and Trey Granger survived the flu and travel challenges that kept the usual group from gathering, and they talk through the growing recognition of lead, carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl used in dozens of familiar products in the water supply. California also introduced new legislation to establish a public trust for safe drinking water that could serve as a model for national approaches to preservation of supplies. We also discuss the rising tide of water-related weather impacts due to atmospheric warming that could severely limit fresh water available for human and agricultural use. Did you know that 38.4 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought at the beginning of February 2019? Evelyn and Trey dig into the reports from NOAA and other organizations warning of increasing drought. They look at recent news from Northern and Southern California, where weather aberrations are changing local life and economies. We also look at five natural solutions to dry skin and eco-tips for personal hygiene.The recycling crisis is also on tap with Earthling questions. Trey explains how PET plastic recycling is poised for a recovery, the ability to earn money from recycling, and the disposal of mercury.

Making changes to improve the sustainability of our lives is not easy. Old habits, long-held assumptions, and preferences built over decades can keep us from making the moves that will help to reduce the CO2 and other greenhouse gas levels, as well as reduce water pollution and waste. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe tells the story of his recent conversation from a gas-guzzling sports car to an electric vehicle, a used 2016 BMW i3. He shares how his doubts about range prevented him from taking action and, ultimately, how quickly the EV proved itself during commutes and longer trips. The change also caused friction in his household and impressed and influenced friends to think about their carbon footprint.In this "One Person's Impact" podcast, Mitch talks about the immediate reduction in CO2 produced during his commute and the potential to do more for the environment. One of the key learnings shared is that examining your electric utility's sources is key to making a change for reduced CO2 emissions. Mitch's utility generates only 1.5 percent of its power from coal, but if he'd been with a different utility, one that uses coal as a major source of power generation, his used EV would have reduced his impact very little. Change takes time and it comes hard. We'll be sharing more stories of personal decisions, how to research them, and what they do for the planet. Stay tuned!

The Green New Deal (read the actual bill) was announced with great fanfare in Washington D.C. and has received a flurry of Presidential-hopeful endorsements. But it is short on details while packed with related social goals that make it politically challenging to turn into policy. The Earth911.com reporting team sits down to talk about the Green New Deal, the important components, and the projects, technologies, and initiatives we see making progress toward a sustainable economy. Many of the reason for an urgent ten-year project to transform society have been laid out here on Earth911 and we cheer the bill's introduction. But saving the environment will be a process, not just a turn of the page, so it will take a long time and requires specific investments and incentives for technology to change corporate packaging and distribution systems. The national conversation is just starting. We talk about how to keep it moving forward, as well as how the bill may be asking for solutions to poverty that will be a product of economic policy. The first economy to master sustainable practices will certainly grow and with the United States already near full employment, it may be more productive to focus on the environment to create jobs instead of making an issue of guaranteed jobs. The gang attempts to break down where the most progress is possible. We also discuss carbon removal technologies, which will be critical to returning the atmosphere to re-industrial CO2 levels.Join the gang and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

In our continuing conversations with sustainability writers and bloggers we admire, Earth911 talks with Kathryn Kellog. She founded GoingZeroWaste.com after a personal health issue and has grown the site into a comprehensive source of sustainable living ideas. We have pointed to many of her articles, including he excellent Top 10 To Get Started Going Zero Waste, 7 Tips To Avoid Greenwashing, and her summaries of recycling and sustainability conferences. Kathryn also explains how she chooses the products available in the GoingZeroWaste store and her growing consulting business.Kathryn's upcoming book, 101 Ways To Go Zero Waste, due April 2nd, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, Evelyn Lopez and the Earth911 team sits down to talk about what's working in our sustainable lives, as well as what needs improvement. We explore the Reduce. Reuse, and Recycling options in curbside programs, how to apply precycling practices before shopping, and the mysteries of recycling handtool batteries and compostable plastics. Earth911 contributors Sarah Lozanova and Trey Granger share their assessments of home energy use improvement and the viability of nuclear power and carbon-intensive air travel. We also discuss the best lifestyle choices we made in the last year, including shopping local, cooking for a lighter carbon impact, gardening, and entertaining. Of course, we answer Earthling questions. This week, questions from our readers have us digging into recycling options for unused ammunition, what to do with vape pen waste, and the value of glass recycling in the wake of the China ban.

Micaela Preston has raised a family sustainably, sharing her learning with a growing audience along the way. MindfulMomma.com, Preston's site, delivers a wide variety of how-to sustainable living articles and products that she has tested herself. From non-toxic beauty products to natural products for the home, kitchen, and bathroom, MindfulMomma.com encourages people to think before they buy. It's a practice we can all adapt to feel better about ourselves and make the best choices for the planet. Preston talks with Earth911 about the practice of moderation and conscious decision-making.

Greg Seaman, the founder of EarthEasy.com, had the courage to live his values. He, his wife, and son moved to an island off the Pacific Northwest coast more than 30 years ago. They lived off-grid and raised a family in a home they built from recovered wood. The Seamans settled into a comfortably challenging existence living lightly on the Earth. In 2000, he launched EarthEasy.com to share his experience and offer island-tested sustainable products. Building his own community, both on the island and in business, Greg created an income for a dozen people. He talks with Mitch Ratcliffe of Earth911 about the transition to off-grid living, how rural practices can enliven and make cities sustainable, and the problem of educating people about the environment.

It's the deepest cold of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (while in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia is being ravaged by wildfires like the American West in Summer). The Earth911 team gathers at the microphone to talk about keeping warm inside, sealing your home to prevent the cold from entering, and the best ways to take care of yourself during the winter. Green lighting tips, the best vegan slow-cooker recipes, and how to recycle antifreeze are on tap. We also explore getting involved locally for Martin Luther King Day and the annual effort to save baby sea turtles that are attracted to light pollution and away from the sea when hatching. You can get involved with the information on this week's podcast.And, as always, Earthling questions about recycling and sustainability.