Larry DeVincenzi

Go With The Growing Flow Of Bike Lanes

Jul 192010

By Terry McAfee, Nevada Bicycle Coalition

Q. What is the biggest thing that you can do to help save the planet and have a blast doing it?

A. Park your car and ride a bicycle!

If more people bicycled instead of driving cars, money would be saved, less oil imported (and spilled in the Gulf), the air cleaner, the roads less congested and waistlines would be smaller. So, why don’t more people bicycle? Why don’t you bicycle more?

Many people don’t feel safe riding on the streets. It’s valid, sharing the road with motorists, more distracted than ever, can be intimidating. What makes it less intimidating and a lot safer are bike lanes.

In a 1998 study by University of Washington Professor William Moritz, on-street bike lanes were found to be 3.4 times safer than multi-use paths and about 40 times safer than bicycling on a sidewalk. Bike lanes make roads safer for bicyclists and make roads “feel” safer, too.

There are almost 200 miles of bike lanes and paths in Washoe County. The general rule for new bike lanes is that every new regional road is designed and built to meet federal standards, which require enough shoulder to make a bike lane. Local government decides if it is to be striped and signed for a bike lane. The general rule for a bike lane to be installed on an existing regional road is: 1) is it in the regional plan? 2) is the road being resurfaced or rehabilitated? 3) is there room? That last criteria is usually the sticking point, especially if parking has to be removed to make room for a bike lane.

The Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), with the help of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, is in the process of doing a thorough survey of Washoe County’s bicycle and pedestrian facilities. About this time next year, they should have a professionally designed plan for a bicycle lane and path transportation network that the RTC, Washoe County, Reno and Sparks can use as a design guide for future transportation improvements. One of the requirements when seeking federal funds is that the project be part of a comprehensive plan.

Recent improvements to the local bicycling infrastructure have included a bicycle boulevard on Riverside Drive between Wingfield Park and Idlewild Park. Have you tried it? Plans taking place this year include “road diets”, like Mayberry and Wells Avenue, Holcomb, Arlington, El Rancho and parts of California, calling for a total of 24 more bike lane miles to be added.

Like much of life, bike lanes are what you make of them. You can make the safest bike lane really dangerous by riding against traffic, on the wrong side of the road. Some bicyclists believe that riding against traffic flow gives them the advantage of being able to see the biggest threat to their safety, the car coming directly at them. Unfortunately, that is not where the biggest threat lies. The biggest dangers are cars waiting at intersections and in driveways preparing to cross the bicyclist’s path. When a bicyclist is on the wrong side of the road, the crossing motorist doesn’t expect a bicyclist to be there so he doesn’t look there. A surprised motorist is a dangerous motorist. Don’t be a victim of a motorist who will say, “I never saw him.” Always ride with the flow of traffic.

Enjoy those bike lanes safely!

Terry McAfee is the President and Founder of the Nevada Bicycle Coalition, Inc. The mission of the coalition is to promote safe bicycling in Nevada.

GReNO Volume 5 Is Here!

Advertising, Business, Conservation, Networking, Politics, Renewable Energy

Jul 092010

We’re excited to announce that GReNO’s Volume #5 is currently in distribution for your reading enjoyment throughout Reno.

You can also download your free PDF copy here!

No Hybrid, No Worries

Conservation, Renewable Energy

Jun 162010

By Christal Padilla

Six years ago when I bought my current car I really wanted a hybrid vehicle. Unfortunately the wait for the then-newish technology was 20 months (give or take) and my car at the time would not last that long. So, I got the next-best thing in a fuel-efficient vehicle with just enough room and cargo space for our family. I have often wondered if, environmentally speaking, I should trade in my decent vehicle for a more virtuous hybrid now that they are more readily available. However, financially-speaking, my car is paid off and our expendable income is a bit, let’s say, less expendable, these days.

So, how can you be greener (or ish) if you can’t afford to buy a new vehicle, or simply can’t squash your family and all their soccer gear, dance shoes, groceries and pets into a Prius or Insight?

Well, here’s the good news according to Andrew Davis of the Environmental Transport Association, a UK organization that studies environmental transportation issues: “Of all the main environmental variables involved with buying a car . . . it is the length of time a car is kept that is crucial. . .” Davis’ point is that whatever kind of car you have, you should keep it for its entire useful life, as each day you own the same vehicle essentially lessens the carbon footprint used to plan, produce and transport that vehicle.

Davis also adds that “how and when you drive is far more important than what type of car you buy.” Regardless of what vehicle you drive as long you maintain it and drive it efficiently, you can reduce your pollution contribution. He is referring to “hypermiling” which means, simply, maximizing gas mileage through a combination of adjustments to one’s vehicle and one’s driving habits.

So, what exactly is hypermiling, you ask? First, it is important to make sure your vehicle itself is running as efficiently as possible by tracking your gas mileage, keeping it tuned up, making sure your tires are inflated properly, getting rid of extra cargo and removing roof racks and bike carriers when not in use. Secondly, you need to change how you drive. This is the hard part, trust me.

Full disclosure: I have always been a fast driver. Just ask my high school Driver’s Ed teacher who named me lead-foot Smalley the first day of instruction. Also, I am nearly always in a hurry and am usually distracted on some level while driving. This is not good, I know, but it is not uncommon either. When child A gets out of school at 3:30 and child B has dance lessons at 3:45 clear across town, some of the techniques required to hypermile seem impossible. However, over the last month, I have made a genuine attempt with increasing levels of success. According to fueleconomy.gov my car should get an average of 27 mpg and I have been able to increase that on average by about 6% to 28.65. Not the 30% that some say is possible, but it’s a start.

Generally, fuel economy is maximized when acceleration and braking are minimized. So hypermilers attempt to anticipate what is happening ahead, and drive in such a way so as to minimize acceleration and braking, and maximize coasting time. Idling for any reason is to be avoided because, guess how many miles per gallon you get when you are standing still? That’s right, zero (this means no drive-thru folks). Hypermilers believe that they can even lessen congestion with well-timed application of the techniques.

To hypermile you:

1. Use your cruise control for highway driving whenever possible. A consistent speed will net better miles-per-gallon.

2. Accelerate slowly. It is recommended that you push down the gas pedal no more than half an inch when accelerating. Warning – this can seem maddeningly slow if you are not used to driving this way, and people behind you won’t like it.

3. Don’t drive aggressively. Mashing down the gas pedal which floods the engine with more gas than is really needed, then slamming on the brakes, negating the momentum you just used that gas to achieve, is truly the least efficient way to drive.

4. Coasting to a stop or into a slowdown is ideal. This way, you are using the momentum you already gained, instead of more fuel only to stop or slow down using your breaks. This requires that you pay attention, think ahead, and observe a fairly large following distance. This, by the way, is impossible when talking on your phone, yelling at your kids, or going over your to-do list. Again, people behind you aren’t going to like it, so toughen up and ignore those tailgaters.

5. Don’t speed. Gas mileage decreases dramatically over 60 miles per hour and the faster you drive the less likely you will be able to anticipate slowdowns and stops, making braking more necessary.

6. Be courteous to your fellow travelers. Not allowing other cars to merge may seem like the best idea when you’re in a hurry, but it only makes the other drivers behave more aggressively, leading to people cutting each other off and thus, more brake slamming. Traffic congestion is not only caused by how many vehicles are on the road, it is directly affected by how those vehicles are being driven. If everyone could merge and move along smoothly the daily slowdowns would be much shorter and a lot less frustrating.

7. Avoid driving during peak traffic hours. Obvious, but easier said than done.

These strategies, like many environmental tactics, are fine when one person uses them, but their effects grow exponentially as more people join in. For example, if, let’s say, one-third of the people on the Reno freeway at rush hour practiced hypermiling, then congestion would be reduced, allowing smoother merging and less need for quick braking, thus increasing fuel economy for everyone as a whole. This then would reduce demand for oil, which we know is a major environmental problem. And, similarly, if enough people kept their vehicles for their full useful life, demand for new vehicles would be reduced, saving vast amounts of precious resources and keeping more cars out of landfills.

So, I’m going to continue my efforts to hypermile and keep my car as long as it will cooperate. And maybe when I need a new vehicle, alternative fuel technology and local public transportation will have made such great advances that my choices will be more and simpler. Come on and join me. I’ll give you a friendly wave instead of a fist shake when I see you slowly coasting to a stop.

Training for the Green Economy in NV

Conservation, Networking, Politics, Renewable Energy

Jun 062010

by David Gibson and Tamara Wright

It is time to train a new labor force if we are to develop and sustain a green economy in Nevada. Nevada has people who are ready and available to work, the products and systems to install, and the ability to position itself to be a leader in green industries, but education is crucial.

Many of Northern Nevada’s high school graduates will be entering the working world in June with a national unemployment rate of 9.7%. Nevada’s unemployment rate is 13.4%, the worst in state history, and currently second highest in the nation – 2^nd only to Michigan!

If we are going to succeed as a state we must place a level of urgency in our plans, focus our energy on collaboration, and work together to educate the children and re-skill adults.

Workforce training is essential to shift the local economy and to bridge gaps that exist between industry sectors, education programs, and market demand. If we focus education dollars on program development strategies we can begin to bridge some of these gaps.

Recently, Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation was awarded several grants for workforce training, some of which can be used for green jobs.

One example is the State Energy Sector Partnership Training Grant, providing $6 million to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including efficiency and renewable energy. The grant will be used to create an integrated system of education, training and supportive services that promote skill attainment and career pathway development for low-income, low-skilled workers leading to employment in green industries.

Northern Nevada’s higher education system is rising to the challenge as well. Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Renewable Energy to prepare students for jobs in solar, wind, geothermal and energy efficiency. University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has created a Renewable Energy Center that “will focus efforts and coordinate programs for competitive research with plans to increase Nevada’s national stature in the renewable energy field.” UNR students can also earn a minor in Renewable Energy through the Engineering Department.

Over the last few years several non-profit organizations have also begun to work with educational institutions, collaborating to bring about real change in our students’ experience of sustainable practices and future possibilities. GREENevada Schools, is a new partnership with a mission to grow resources for environmental education in Nevada schools. GREENevada is a partnership between six organizations that are committed to making schools sustainable, believing that “every school can be green and every child can learn global responsibility through local example. Together, we can change the way students learn.”

Below is information on some of the groups involved in the GREENevada Schools’ effort and what each organization is doing to bring about systemic and sustainable change:

Envirolution has recently started Project ReCharge, a service-learning program for middle and high school students, which provides an opportunity for students to learn about building science, energy conservation and green careers while being empowered to take actions to reduce their school’s environmental impact. Students conduct a supervised energy audit of their school before creating a final report of cost-saving recommendations, which they present to school officials while emphasizing cost-effectiveness and available incentive programs. The project also demonstrates to students how they can save energy at home. www.envirolution.org

Urban Roots has been actively working with elementary school children for the last nine months changing the way kids eat and learn through place-based gardening and seed-to-table education. www.urgc.org

Black Rock Solar provides schools with educational field trips, consultations for solar installs, and on-the-job training in the field of solar. www.blackrocksolar.org

Sierra Nevada Journeys engages students in science and outdoor education while developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. www.sierranevadajourneys.org

NV Energy and the Desert Research Institute (DRI) created GreenPower to support the education of K-12 students in Renewable Energy and incorporating conscious living practices into their daily lives. www.nvenergy.com and www.dri.edu

Collaboration is the key to success and we have the start to great future! If we are successful, we will look to these moments as the foundation of the Green Economy in Nevada!

David Gibson is currently an AmeriCorps VISTA for Envirolution working on energy conservation service-learning programs. He has a degree in civil and environmental engineering and is a LEED Accredited Professional for building design and construction.

Tamara Wright, LEED AP, has a background in architecture, sustainable environments and community. Since coordinating the Women in Green Jobs roundtable for the Department of Labor, she has been working closely with Envirolution to expand their programs relating to green economic development and green jobs.

Post-Planting Tree Care

Business, Conservation, Landscaping

Jun 042010

fer

by Dale Carlon

With all of the planning and preparations that we have done so far to ensure our new trees success we can’t stop once it’s in the ground. The first growing season is critical – things we do now, both right and wrong, have impacts on the tree for decades to come, if indeed it gets the chance to last for decades.

Irrigation

The most common question I get is, “How much water do I apply?” As always the type of soil you have and the environment the tree is in makes a huge difference. However, for the sake of this discussion let’s assume that the tree was planted in a good planting mix with average exposure (full sun, full wind). After the planting we have built a berm around the tree forming a saucer. There is an inner ring that prevents water from soaking the base of the trunk, so our saucer looks more like a doughnut. For the first growing season the soil should be just kept moist, not soaking wet. A good rule of thumb is that you fill the doughnut up three times a week. If you install drip put three one gallon per hour emitters about one foot out from the trunk set to run for one hour three days a week.

Fertilizing

The metabolism of a newly planted tree is stressed from being dug up at the grower, transported to the nursery, and then sitting in a black pot on asphalt at the nursery waiting for you to buy it. Adding fertilizers at planting speeds up the metabolism and adds stress. When we have used a good planting soil the nutrients are there and no additional fertilizers should be applied. In about three growing seasons you can start fertilizing with a deep root feeder, opening up the soil and injecting a balanced set of nutrients.

Pruning

It is a myth that newly planted trees should be pruned. Again, reducing stress is important. Pruning makes the tree work on healing wounds when it should be making topgrowth and root system. Only prune off any dead or broken branches, wait till the third growing season to start pruning.

Staking

The argument about staking is a complex one that I will describe in detail in Greno #5 as there is a lot to understand. For today however, let’s admit that we live in a high wind area. As I write this the winds are at about 60 miles an hour in Reno. We do need to stake. Set your stakes outside the rootball so they penetrate the native soil. Orient them in a west/east configuration. Use a soft material to connect to the trunk, and take them off after the first season.

For more information check www.communityforestry.org and please friend me on Facebook at Dale Carlon Consulting LLC, you will enjoy my daily tree tips, and I love to answer questions there.

Get Your GReNO Here!

Business

May 292010

We’re proud to announce that the Volume 004 of GReNO is now available for you to pick up for free at any of these central locations: distribution map!

And when you’re done enjoying this “POWER UP!” edition, be sure to pass it along to a friend!

You can also download your free PDF copy of this edition GReNO_Vol.4_PowerUp! Enjoy!

The Greenish Family by Jennifer Cole

Business, Food, Health

Mar 062010

Jennifer Cole is a native Nevadan, the mother of two beautiful girls, and the owner of Once Upon a Child, located at 4040 Kietzke Lane; Once Upon a Child is a localstore that buys and sells gently-used children’s clothing, toys, and equipment.Jennifer is like many of us, doing our best to spend our dollars where they benefitthe community, and support the growth of a sustainable local economy.

Let’s face it, sustainability is a nebulous concept. A commonly accepted definition is: the synergy between environmental, social, and economical responsibility. Great, but what does that mean for me? How can I define that within my own life and live it? Maintaining a balance between the environmental, social, and economical that can, well, be sustained, on a day to day basis by regular people like you and me is a real challenge.

What is environmentally friendly isn’t always economically viable and what is affordable isn’t always socially responsible and so forth. Thus the question I asked myself for this article: Is living sustainably possible for a family of four, in a smallish, desert city, in the winter, on a budget, with both parents working full-time?

First, I had to define sustainability in a more concrete way in order to be able to quantify my success in achieving it. To me, it means buying organic, local, and recycled, with minimal packaging, staying within my budget and not wasting time or fossil fuels. This is a tall order when your shopping is done during a 40+ hour work week, between school drop-off, nap time, dance classes, etc. It also means recycling, composting, and reusing as much as possible. This, too, is a tall order with a curbside recycling system in our city that does not comingle or recycle items such as #5 plastics or cardboard.

Finally, it means developing practices that make sense for my family and can be maintained without completely depriving or inconveniencing us. I determined, right off the bat, achieving all aspects of my definition of shopping sustainably was not possible in one spot in Reno. However, store hopping also breaks the tenets of not wasting fossil fuel or time. Therefore, I decided that making one trip to the one store that could fulfill the majority of my shopping needs for that day was the most sustainable approach. This required me to be flexible with my list. For example I shop for “fruit” instead of “strawberries,” and “vegetables” instead of “asparagus” leaving me open to choose what is local, or freshest, or most affordable. The stores I shop regularly in order of closest to farthest from my home are: Raley’s (walking distance), Great Basin Food Co-op, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. All of these stores provide enough variety for me to purchase most of the products I would shop for in a week. I also shop a good deal at Eco Reno for more occasional purchases such as personal care, household, and cleaning products.

All of these stores have “organic” covered more or less. Raley’s has fair sized organic produce section and carries a variety of organic products in their natural foods section. Costco adds more and more organic products each month. I recently found organic eggs, agave nectar, flour, sugar, coffee, ground beef, chicken, raisins, peanut butter and milk there. Great Basin is totally committed to organic and sustainable. Trader Joe’s is approximately 50/50 organic to conventional, but even their non-organic products are produced with a natural or healthful focus. And Whole Foods clearly has the largest selection of organic items. Once we get to “local” however, is where we have a major problem in Reno.

OK, we live in the high desert. We aren’t going to find much local produce in the winter. However, it is important to me to buy as close to home as possible.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult to tell precisely where products originate. Sometimes “a product of the USA” is the best you can hope for. I try to never buy food from outside the country. However, my kids love blueberries and red peppers, both of which are available in abundance right now, but only from Chile. Can we substitute apples or pears, or frozen berries even? Sure, but I will indulge them occasionally especially when it comes to vegetables since they only enthusiastically eat a few. The other aspect of shopping local is keeping your dollars local. So, the Great Basin Food Co-Op and Eco Reno are the clear winners in this category. The Co-Op is locally owned and operated by its members with a strong commitment to local products. Eco Reno is also locally owned and carries many items by area artisans such as soap, jewelry, clothing and accessories. Raley’s tends to carry a fair amount of California-grown produce and Whole Foods labels everything as to origin, so it’s easy to choose as close to home as possible.

Recycling is easy too. Recycled paper products can be found pretty much everywhere. I personally like the toilet paper and paper towels from Costco. I can buy in bulk, affordably, and even the packaging is 100% recycled. Eco Reno and Whole Foods both carry a variety of paper products and 100% recycled Preserve table ware. Whole Foods is also a “Gimme 5” collection location where you can drop off your #5 plastics for recycling into Preserve products.

As far a minimal packaging, Trader Joe’s and Costco can be challenging for shoppers. Trader Joe’s packages much of their produce with a tray and plastic wrap; however they have switched to a paper board tray and offer more bulk produce recently. Costco products frequently have double packaging (boxes within boxes, bags within bags) but some bulk items actually have less packaging such as one 5-lb bag of organic fair-trade coffee versus five small bags.

Finally we get to affordability. Costco wins hands down for a typical shopping list for my family. However, if you shop for what is on sale, not just what is on your list you can get great deals anywhere. I found organic lemons on sale at the Co-Op when I was there last, and apples and pears at Whole Foods for $.99/lb a week ago. Plus your membership at the Co-Op gives you 10% off your purchases all the time.

So what is the answer, can my family live sustainably in Reno? Well, sometimes, and not as consistently as I’d like. The idea of balance is really the crux of the problem. The stores that are the most affordable offer the fewest local options and tend to over package their products, the stores with the most local options have the least variety and often the highest prices, etc. So, what’s the answer? The answer is to be flexible, do your best, and keep voting for sustainability with your dollars. Support your local stores when you can, but when you shop the big guys read labels and buy responsibly.

Just by virtue of the fact that this is being discussed on a broader scale in our community is a positive sign. More and more Renoites are thinking about sustainability every day as is evidenced by the proliferation of green business and products within the last few years. There is hope and change happens a little at a time. I will continue to do my part and will try to do better tomorrow than I did today. And, that’s all we can really ask of each other, isn’t it?

Advice From Your Friendly Local Econista (vol. 003)

Food, Health

Mar 042010

I find myself struggling with which produce to buy, organic or as locally grown as possible? I have a hard time buying organic oranges that traveled 1500 miles to get to my table, but I am equally discouraged by the idea of feeding my family vegetables washed in harsh pesticides. Can you please help me in my quest to make the best possible choice? Which is better organic or local?

- Ms. Divided – Reno, NV

Dear Ms. Divided,

I am glad to hear that you are thinking about the nutritional and environmental impacts of our current industrial food system. The ideal would be to buy produce that is both local and organic, but this is not always an option – there are a few ways to cut this conundrum. Local sustainable farming benefits our community, our economy and enhances our environment by enriching the soil, protecting air and water quality and minimizing energy use. I will be forthright with my bias towards the fresh and seasonal option wherever possible, yet understand that sometimes you want a Strawberry in November.

I eat what is grown seasonally in our local region because it tastes better, it is better for my body and the global environment. Produce is the most nutritionally dense within three days of harvest and most of our local farms are turning towards organic methods of growing (some are just too small to be certified, but have been growing food without pesticides for a long time). Some local farms I recommend are Lattin Farms, Hungry Mother, Churchill Butte and Nana Dew. When the farmers markets open, or when you go to a local grocery or restaurant that has locally grown fruit and vegetables – do your body a favor and give it the good stuff!

When you are shopping for produce grown in other parts of the world, there is a list of things you should always buy organic for health reasons. After you finish reading this letter please head straight to the Environmental Working Group’s website www.foodnews.org. The EWG provides consumers with a complete list of produce rated from worst to OK to buy non-organic: peaches are the worst (always buy organic), followed by apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and nectarines. The EWG is a reliable stop for pesticide related information, and they are motivated by the fact that pesticides “are designed to kill living organisms – insects, plants, and fungi that are considered “pests.” Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose health risks to people.”

Lastly, industrial food production is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, which, when refined and burned, create greenhouse gases that are significant contributors to climate change. When a tomato travels 1500 miles, and its growth was motivated by what it would look like on the shelf when it arrived at Scolari’s in Nevada – your health was not the priority, remember that! As much as forty percent of the energy used in the food system goes towards the production of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By adding transportation, processing and packaging to the food system equation, the fossil fuel and energy use of our current food system puts tremendous stress on the environment.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, both organic and local have a positive value and impact. So, if you are motivated to have the smallest impact and gain the best nutrition for you and your family, buy seasonal and local first, and organic outside of our region for most things, but keep it as close to home grown as possible.

Sincerely,

Econista

Download GReNO Volume 003 Today!

Advertising, Business, Food, Health

Feb 272010

Greno was created because it’s time. As educators, local experts, business owners, and residents in Northern Nevada collaborating to grow a more sustainable region – we realized that this publication did not exist, and it needs to. We needed a place to be on the same page with each other and speak with the community at-large. We were interested in helping others increase their knowledge about different and more sustainable means of prospering, feeding their families, and powering our cities. Daily, more and more people in Northern Nevada are deciding it’s time for them and their families to live better and more responsibly – to waste less, to reduce consumption or reuse an item – because every little step adds to the momentum of this sustainability movement growing in our region.

Now, we have a tool, a place to turn to for guidance, education, community news, and inspiration as we continue to grow a more sustainable, responsible, and green region.

We all eat! So, we decided to focus Greno #003 primarily on food, where it comes from, and those who are working to provide our community with nutritious edibles. This eating process is a big portion of how we live, and in this issue you will meet new ideas and practices that may lead you to change something about how you eat, one spoon at a time.

When we eat Lay’s Potato Chips, drink a Coca-Cola, or even a Fig Newton there is a chain of resources and people who effectively engineered that possibility for us, and unfortunately these companies may not be thinking about our health, but the dollars we give them in exchange for their brilliant engineering!

In this issue of Greno we are investigating a healthier alternative when consuming edible, drinkable and packaged products. Every choice has a ripple effect that connects each vegetable we eat to a network of people, places, vehicles, chemicals, or not. It’s time to get down and dirty!

Please enjoy this issue. We enjoyed putting it together. Download your free copy of GReNO here, or visit your local sustainable store for your free copy.

We look forward to growing with you,

The Greno Team – Morgan, Christal, Larry, Marc and Jason

Advice From Your Friendly Local ECONISTA

Uncategorized

Feb 062010

I am really trying to do better about creating less trash, but still have a weekly amount that heads to the landfill in a plastic bag. I am trying to get away from plastic bags so can you suggest an alternative can liner (that is economical?).

- Bagboy, Reno NV

Dear Bagboy,

I want to commend you on your effort to create less trash. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans generate about 4.6pounds of trash per person—every day. There are nearly 300 million people in the United States; this means as a society we create about 1.38 billion pounds of trash – every day. We all have to produce less trash and trash that won’t stick around so long.

Most Americans still trap their trash in a plastic bag that itself takes somewhere between 90-500 years to breakdown. Nobody really knows for sure how long a regular plastic bag takes to totally degrade because we have only been using plastic commercially for about 50 years. So, my first thought is go bagless. Bagless may be gross at times, but will not be as much of an issue if you continue to reduce the amount of trash that you and your family produce. Buying in bulk, composting all raw materials (so easy), buying items with little-to-no packaging or packaged in recyclable containers (be choosey), and eating less meat are all ways to reduce your family’s trash production. By taking a few steps in this direction a family of 4 should be able to reduce their household trash to one bag of solid waste per week!

If you still need to use a bag you have several options to choose from when looking for an alternative to the traditional “virgin” plastic bag. I suggest you use trash bags designed to return to the biological cycle, use a bag that can literally be consumed by microorganisms in the landfill. The Lockwood Landfill is anaerobic, meaning little-to-no air reaches the waste, and it is very near impossible for anything to bio-degrade there. There are bags made from plant starches , or those that meet biodegradable standards and or look for bags that are made with recycled materials, even though recycled plastic does not degrade any faster than virgin plastic (at least it is being reused). All of these are options e conomical (priced the same as the national brands) – about .25 cents per bag.

Ultimately the solution is comprehensive – we must all make less trash, support manufacturers that are designing biodegradable packaging, carry cloth bags to the store, reuse bags and containers that we already have, and urge our local City Council to support the development of a more inclusive recycling program. Ultimately we should all be looking to eliminate waste completely – rethinking the way we make products from the design stage to repurposing or biological decomposition all the way to the end of its use. Waste is a concept that we could eliminate one day!

Keep working towards smart solutions,

In Solidarity,

-Econista

HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE ECONISTA? SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO econista@mygreno.com

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