Earth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear

It's Thanksgiving and that means it's Thankscycling time! The Earth911 team gathers around the table to enjoy a sustainable family day of simple swaps for a healthy Thanksgiving.Sarah Lozanova explains seven Thank-worthy DIY decorations and Trey Granger explains how to recycle cooking oil. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez talks 12 ideas to reduce or eliminate food waste on Thanksgiving, and Mitch Ratcliffe explores his memories of deep-fried Turkey. We also discuss recent Earthling surveys and new innovator interviews with Chris Wilke of Puget Sound Keepers, who are fighting for better regulation of cattle-feeding operations in Washington state, and Marc Choyt of Reflective Jewelry, a pioneer of the fair trade jewelry industry. And, as always, we have Earthling questions and answers. This week, we look at recycling hair and waxed cardboard boxes.

Arctic ice is in trouble. Leslie Field, Ph.D. founded Ice911 to build a solution to retreating ice in the Arctic, where 75 percent of the ice pack that existed in 1979. Field brings decades of high-tech work and 54 patents to the problem of restoring ice, which will contribute to cooling the atmosphere and returning the jet stream to its normal path. The non-profit has created reflective sand, which you may have seen recently on Vice's coverage of climate change. It's a white floating glass pellet that can be distributed over the surface of the ocean or a lake to reflect solar energy back into space. Leslie talks with Mitch Ratcliffe about the state of ice, how declining Arctic ice has contributed to extreme weather across the U.S., and the experiments her team are conducting. It's an information-packed and entertaining half-hour of conversation.

Heading into the holidays with a sustainable mindset, Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe get ready for guests. The gang talk about how to eliminate toxins when choosing home cleaning products, how to make your own Earth-friendly cleaning recipes, and recycling of household product such as toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and cleaning product packaging. We also look to the skies to talk about the orbiting mess humans have created on the planet's front porch. Hear the five weirdest, and very practical, Terracycle recycling programs and how to use them.Earthling questions this week include how to rinse a Starbucks plastic cup for effective recylcing and whether hair dye is recyclable.The gang also discusses the results of recent Earth911 Surveys:Can Humanity Achieve a Sustainable Economy? Have You Considered or Installed Solar Panels On Your Home?

The Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board disappointed environmental leaders in October when it allowed largely unregulated concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to continue operating in the state. CAFOs are giant cattle, pig, and other livestock operations that have manure waste ponds, like those that overflowed in North Carolina after Hurricane Florence.Chris Wilke of Puget Sound Keepers talks to Earth911 about the ruling, its implications for public health. CAFOs pollute groundwater and the air, contributing to cardiovascular, reproductive and developmental problems, including Blue Baby syndrome. CAFO pollution is also implicated in cancer. Wilke, though disappointed, said the court battle is not over. The environmental coalition that asked for better regulation of CAFOs will appeal to the Washington Department of Ecology and higher courts for changes.

Marc Choyt, the founder of Reflective Jewelry, talks with Earth911 about fair trade jewelry. He recently published an extensive and critical expose on the ethical jewelry business. Sustainable and humane metal and gem mining has caught on in Europe, notably in the U.K, but has been slow to establish itself in the United States. Learn what questions to ask when buying precious metal, diamonds, and other gems to ensure that the people who produce the raw materials are able to lead safe and increasingly prosperous lives. Choyt explains the persistent presence of diamonds and gems produced under slavery conditions in war zones. If you are interested in making your jewelry a statement about your values, learn what to look for when shopping. Seeking out fair trade gold helps families and small communities while industrial gold mining is a source of mercury pollution and causes environmental damage.

Elizabeth Sanderson, chief marketing officer at Sunflare Solar joins Earth911's Sustainability In Your Ear to talk about solar progress, the economics of solar installation, and when Capture 4 for home buyers will be available. Listen in to get the latest information about the cost and increasing efficiency of adding renewable energy to buildings and, with thin-film technology, mobile solar for cars, RVs, and other products.

Paige Fashoni, founder of FLUX Undies, joins Earth911 host Evelyn Fielding-Lopez to talk about reducing the number of sanitary pads and tampons, along with all the packaging waste they come with, that end up in landfills. FLUX is recently introduced functional underwear for periods, leaks, and postpartum use. Fashoni's commitment as a female founder is to revolutionize the way in which women experience periods, break the taboo around menstruation, give back to girls in developing countries, allow those with mobility issues an easier way of changing their undies, and last but definitely not least, ditch disposable tampons and pads. Order FLUX Undies online.

It's the Halloween episode of Sustainability In Your Ear. The Earth911 team gathers around the microphone to talk about the sustainable way to have Halloween fun. Get your little ghouls ready with DIY and eco-friendly costumes made with sustainable fabrics and consider healthy snacks or starting a Switch Witch tradition that lets kids trade candy for gifts. The gang also discusses how to recycle bubble wrap, EVA craft foam, and the many plastic lids and caps that seal your food and drinks. Find out about your fellow Earthlings in three recent survey results, including how many people actively help their neighbors improve recycling habits, reported recycling program changes, and how many single-use plastic bottles they purchase annually. The recycling learning never stops on Sustainability In Your Ear!

Greg Lettieri, co-founder of New York City-based RTS is bringing a variation on Uber's playbook to recycling. RTS connects local recycling haulers with business recyclers in several states, delivering recycling training and services to employees along with a complete accounting of what happens to materials after they are picked up. By focusing on the logistics of recycling, RTS enables flexible business solutions that have improved recycling rates at Citi Field in New York and Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C., among other locations. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe discusses how RTS started, the role of technology, and the value of accountability in recycling in this Innovator Interview.

The Hytch app is a clever approach to incenting ridesharing and carpooling. Mark Cleveland, founder and CEO of Hytch joins Sustainability In Your Ear to explain how the company is working with employers, cities, and non-profits to provide small payments to people who share a car on the way to work.