Back To School Rule: Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

Anyone that knows GreenBeanie or me knows that I’m a big fan of reducing waste, especially when it comes to kids and their lunches. I’ve blogged about it, educated school communities, sold some of the products, and some would even say ranted on occasion. So as we head back into another school year, I encourage you to take on the REUSE mantra.

The market for eco-friendly lunch products has grown exponentially over the last several years, which is fantastic. Darling patterns can be seen on lunch boxes, food containers, sandwich wrappers, water bottles and more. Bringing a “waste-free lunch” is also encouraged at many schools (if it’s not encouraged at your school, how about suggesting it?).

When you start packing those lunches again in a few weeks, try to avoid disposable items in the lunchbox. Take note of a frightening stat: 67 pounds of waste are generated annually from each child’s disposable lunch (WasteFreeLunches.org). Check out what you already have from last year and see what items in your kitchen you might be able to repurpose for lunches. Baggies? Nah…you don’t need ‘em. Plastic containers from yogurt or crème cheese can be washed and reused for apple slices, grapes, pretzels…you name it.

Looking for a simple project for your bored kids? Pick up a yard of cotton fabric at the fabric store and make your own reusable napkins by decorating squares with permanent markers.

GreenBeanie no longer sells products, but our favorite and most popular items (LunchBots, Fabkins, Wrap N Mats, Snack Taxis, GoGreenLunchBoxes, to name a few) are all available through online retailers. If you haven’t joined our GreenMyLunchbox campaign yet to eliminate lunch waste, now is a great time to do so. There are special discount codes and chances to win free products!

Let us know what your favorite reuse product is or your best tip for greening your lunchbox! Sending best wishes for a wonderful school year! – Caroline

Tips from a Pro on being Water Wise in your yard

We’re moving into the real heat of summer, a time when our lawns require a lot of water. Especially in California, where we won’t see a raindrop until Halloween, it’s important that we try to conserve water when we can.  Did you know that 50-70% of the average residential home’s water use is for landscaping*?

That’s why I called in an expert colleague to help with some ideas on how to be waterwise in our landscaping.  Rick Mosbaugh, owner of Richard L. Mosbaugh ‘Greening L.A.’, has been working in landscape design for 30 years.  He provided these tips to help us save some water and preserve our yards this summer and throughout the seasons.

Conduct an audit of your yard. Walk around and pay attention to what areas might be underwatered and stressed, and which ones might be getting too saturated (your yard should have time to dry out between waterings).  Check all of your sprinklers and make sure they are not overspraying into street or sidewalk. Do you have broken sprinkler heads?

Know your zones. Are you watering in zones and making sure that grass and flower beds are getting the proper amount of water? Is the timing working for your system and are all of the valves adjusted properly? It’s worth the money to bring in a professional to help you if repairs and adjustments are needed.

Make appropriate plant choices. Be patient with your yard – it’s not a Hollywood overnight sensation so it needs time to fill in.  Grass height should be 2-3 inches.  Cutting grass as short as a putting green requires more water and can stress the lawn.  Think about which types of grasses will do best in your climate zones.

Mulch areas with “walk-on bark” (not chunks). This type of mulch is more coarse, lasting longer and doing a better job of keeping weeds out and moisture in. It also comes in a shreaded form so that it interlocks and tends to stay where you want it (no blowing away or being dispersed by dogs or kid play). Flower beds and trees will hold moisture with mulch.  Think about planting perennials vs. annuals, because perennials have a lower carbon footprint and need less water over time.

The California Landscape Contractors Association’s (CLCA) website sites that if California could reduce its water use by 10% annually, it would save 50 billion gallons of water a year — the same amount needed to meet residential needs in a large city for a year.  One of the best resources for water conservation tips is California’s Save Our Water site (www.saveourh20.org).

And as Rick reminded me, plants don’t waste water, people do.  What are you doing to save water in your landscape? We would love to hear from you!

*  Sited from the American Water Works Association

Our Year with the Mini E

We just completed our year-long trial of an all electric Mini Cooper. My husband sold his sedan last year to participate in Mini Cooper’s 500-car field trial in New York and LA and to justify the (rather high) cost of its lease.

Overall, we had a fantastic experience with this car. It drives like no other, with pickup that would make an Indy 500 racer smile. Let’s ask Muffin what he thought of his year with the Mini E:

theGreenBeanie: So what was it like? What was the best part of the electric car?

Muffin:  This car was the most fun of any car I’ve ever driven.  With the go-kart handling of a Mini Cooper and the incredible acceleration of an electric car, it was just a blast.  And it had the charming lines of a Mini, much better than the looks of today’s hybrids.  When electric cars make it into widespread production, I think people will buy them because they’re so much more fun to drive, not just because they’re so much greener.

theGreenBeanie: What was the downside?

Muffin:  Range is, of course, the downside.  I never got more than 85 miles on a charge, and freeway driving and speedy driving consume significant charge.  The stereo and air conditioner don’t help either.

Electric car promoters talk about how the “average driver” drives just 25 miles a day, but that’s not the useful statistic.  The question is how often you need to go over 100 miles or more, because you have to have another car or rent a car for those circumstances.

And in the case of the Mini Cooper test car, it’s a two-seater with the back seats replaced by a bundle of batteries – so that isn’t practical for a family.

But even with these limitations, which I know they’ll overcome soon, this was just a great car.  I was never left by the side of the road, and I had a year of trouble free, fun e-cruising while not putting a dime into the coffers of British Petroleum.

theGreenBeanie:  Is this “robbing Peter to pay Paul” as we still use dirty energy to power our electric car?

We charged our Mini E on a 240v charger that was installed in our garage.

Muffin: Well not really. First, we have solar panels on our house so half of our energy comes from the sun anyway. Secondly, as smart meters are implemented, we’ll be able to charge our electric cars during off-peak hours therefore avoiding increasing demand on the power grid.

Muffin has been bitten by the electric car bug. He’s in the market for his next electric car and optimistic about the promise the technology holds for us all. For more photos of our Mini E experience, check out our photo album on Facebook.

What’s your take on the electric auto? Let us know here or on Twitter @thegreenbeanie.

School’s Out…Sunscreen’s On

It’s that time of year….the school year is over and we’re all spending more time outside in the sun. Maybe you already stocked up on your sunscreen for the summer but take note:  There are lots of options out there and some are better for you than others.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released their 4^th annual sunscreen review recently and a frightening “92 percent of brand name sunscreens either don’t sufficiently protect skin from sun damage or contain hazardous chemicals — or both.”  That’s enough to ask yourself where your favorite sunscreen ranks on the list, right?

And, the L.A. Times ran a story this week about the confusion around SPF numbers, marketing claims, and what they deem “sunscreen gobbledygook.”

Researchers agree that covering up skin – with a big floppy hat and clothing – is the best way to protect from the sun’s harmful rays. (Of course, a little vitamin D is good for you too!)  But that’s not always possible or practical, so investing in some good lotions is key to protecting your skin.

My family’s favorite is the California Baby Sunscreen Stick. It’s so easy to apply on little faces – I keep one in the beach bag, one by the back door and one in my car. The California Baby sunscreen lotion is also effective, although it does leave a bit of a white mask until if fully soaks into the skin.

We also like the Alba Botanica Mineral Sunscreen.  My friend loves the Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm and it received high marks from the EWG, so I just ordered a tube of to try out.  My kids couldn’t stand the smell of the Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen with hemp seed oil, so that one receives poor marks from us!

What ‘s your favorite sunscreen potion? Check out how it ranks with the EWG and share it with us here!  Happy Summer, y’all!!  – caroline

Walking School Bus

Our elementary school conducted its first Walking School Bus this week and it was a big success. We had police officer escorts from our bus stops; the children were abuzz with nearly 100 kids participating; and, parents had the chance to talk to each other about walking to school.

What’s a Walking School Bus, you ask?

It’s an organized group of children that walk to school, supervised by one or more adults. You meet at a planned “bus stop” and then walk to school. Easy peasy!

Through our school’s Green Team, I have been working with a few other moms at our school to promote walking and biking to school this year.  Despite the fact that our town is only three square miles, very few of our neighborhood kids actually walk or bike to school. I counted a mere 25 bikes in the school’s racks recently.

Why is this? Is it fear of kidnapping? Traffic safety? Time management? I admit, we rarely walk to school…but I always feel great about it on the days we do. It’s a wonderful chance to talk with your kids. You all get some needed exercise. It’s nostalgic and builds a sense of community. And of course, it reduces traffic and pollution.

We started collaborating with our local police department to create a Safe Routes to School program and we feel very lucky to have their support.  We’re working together to find out what it will take to make folks motivate to walk to school, and we’re currently conducting a survey to garner feedback from parents. We’re hoping to do more regular walking events in the fall and hope that kids fall into the habit of getting to school sans car.

Here are two resources if you are interested in creating your own Walking School Bus:

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Guide

Starting a Walking School Bus

My goal is for my kids to walk to school 3 days/week starting this fall. I have enough other moms and dads in my neighborhood that we can start a regular walking school bus and each parent will be responsible for only one day/week.

If walking to school is out of the question for your family, think about walking somewhere that you would ordinarily drive….or ride bikes!

Do you walk to school in your community or have a Walking School Bus? Tell us about it here!