Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

No Clear Solution to Disposable Diaper Problem

Companies and consumers look for eco-friendly solutions to the massive 450 Billion diaper a year disposable diaper problem

BY RIDER THOMPSON

Companies like gDiapers have made headlines as they and others introduce new innovative products into the growing "eco-friendly" diaper market.   With each innovation it seems new questions arise as to whether they are actually improvements or just different versions of the same problem. 

The facts are staggering.  Studies have shown an infant goes through between 7,000 and 8,000 diaper changes before entering potty training.  World Watch estimates 450 billion disposable diapers are used each year and contribute nearly 77 million tons of waste to landfills.  Even worse, a disposable diaper normally made out of plastics takes around 500 years to degrade.

What is the solution?  Well a number of companies have created "earth-friendly" diapers however there are varying opinions on how earth friendly these diapers actually are.  Some experts believe the idea of a biodegradable diaper isn't a solution because of the fact many landfills aren't conducive to fostering the decomposition process.

Home Depot Eco Options

Home Depot Introduces Eco Options Label in US Stores Today

Home Depot is formally introducing the Eco Options label today in its US stores.  The new label is for products like fluorescent light bulbs that conserve electricity and natural insect killers, that promote energy conservation, sustainable forestry and clean water.  The new label will identify products at Home Depot as environmentally friendly.

The company has identified more than 2500 Eco Option products (many of which are already on store shelves) such as all-natural insect repellents, cellulose insulation, front-load washing machines, organic plant food and vegetables in biodegradable pots, compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The label will make it easier for consumers to make eco-friendly choices related to their home improvement products.  The Eco Options label in the US is an expansion of the program which the company rolled out in Canada.

How Safe is Organic Produce from China - Canadians Wonder

Canada and the US important large amounts of organic produce from China

Canadians are worried about their peas.  One-third of all garden peas in Canada fresh & frozen, organic and conventional come from China.  Concerns over organic standards in China and the environmental impact of transporting large amounts of frozen peas across the ocean has people worried.

Canada's concerns over peas highlight only the tip of the iceberg on a growing trend of importing produce from China.  China is the third-largest producer of organic foods in the world with over 5.5 million acres of the planet's nearly 77 million acres of certified organic land.

In 2006 worldwide organic agriculture was a $46 billion industry and continuing to grow annually by 20 per cent.  Consumers buy organics expecting their foods is free of synthetic pesticides, irradiation and genetically modified ingredients. 

A 2006 UN report on organic farming in China and India found "A large proportion of organic products are sold informally without certification controls."

Groups in Canada including the Ontario-based Organic Meadow co-op are trying to raise awareness to sustainable agriculture.  The group points out transporting produce like peas from China has a negative environmental impact.  Other researchers have even calculated the impact using a concept called a "food mile"

Whether the concern is potentially lax standards or the environmental impact of transporting large amounts of food for human consumption the fact remains China continues to gain market share in the booming field of organics.

Starbucks Launches New Eco-Video Game Website

Starbucks Launches Planetgreengame.com - New Eco-Video Game Website to Enhance its Environmental Image and Raise Awareness

Starbucks has created a new website featuring an environmentally themed video game in an attempt to further their environmentalist image.

Starbucks teamed up with Global Green USA a non profit environmental group and Tree Media Group a California film and Internet company. 

Visitors to the site create their own identities and explore the fictional town of Evergreen getting scores based on how eco-savvy they are.

The new website is being promoted on the Starbucks homepage, store receipts and a group on Facebook.  It also features music from the new Starbucks' employee-produced CD, Off the Clock.

Stevia

Stevia A Natural Alternative to Sugar

BY RIDER THOMPSON

Diabetics have known about Stevia for years and have sworn by it. Stevia is a small perennial plant native to Central and South America that is sweet, much sweeter than sugar (some extracts are up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar) yet it has little or no effect on blood glucose, therefore it has drawn a lot of attention as a natural sweetener for diabetics and others on carbohydrate sensitive diets whose other alternative sweeteners are Splenda or Nutrasweet – both chemical sweeteners. Stevia has also shown promising signs in medical research for treating obesity and high blood pressure.

Recycled Reusable Options for Paper Towels, Toilet Paper & Tissues

There are many options for making the use of household paper products more eco-friendly

MARCAL HOUSEHOLD PAPER PRODUCTS

BY RIDER THOMPSON

Noticing recent increased interest in eco-friendly options for toilet paper and other household paper products I wanted to follow up on an earlier posting on Marcal recycled paper products.  As you may know I think Marcal products are one solution to the household paper products conundrum many are trying to address.

Sustainable is Good has focused on the problem of household paper products since we began and believe it is one area where consumers of all types can make a significant impact in favor of more eco-friendly products.  My feeling is that household paper products if they are used at all should come from recycled sources.  This is based on the simple reality that most household paper products are immediately discarded after one use.  Recognizing the fact that eliminating household paper products is probably not fully realistic, my goal is to raise awareness to brands like Marcal and others consumers can buy that are much more responsible than the leading mainstream brands like Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle & Viva. 

Seen & Heard

Quotes, Links & Little Bits of News - April 13, 2007

Beyond Petroleum or British Petroleum whatever they are going by now... Have a fun little giveaway at their stations this month.  They are giving away packets of sunflower seeds with the message "Plant a sunflower and make the world a little brighter" - This is part of their Helios Power advertising campaign aimed at 22- 44 year olds.  How fun.

More details on Ikea Homes seen on Jetson Green

Lobster prices hit $16.95/lb on Cape Cod due to shortage of lobsters from Maine & Canada

Dole is doing some interesting marketing related to their organic products - they are offering "farm codes" on all their bananas which consumers can then go to doleorganic.com and enter in for a profile and information on the farm the bananas came from.

About time someone started to do something about the styrofoam problem

"There are people who believe anything sold at Whole Foods is healthy, ecological and probably socially responsible.  That is far from the truth.  But from Whole Foods' perspective they've successfully engendered trust."  - Joel Makower

Sundance Channel begins weekly "green" programming on Tuesday nights at 9pm starting April 17th.  It will become the first regularly scheduled programming block dedicated to the environment.

Is it just me or are people going a bit far with No Impact Man?

Shaws is testing a juice extractor that takes water & juice that otherwise would be discarded from fruits and vegetables producing a pulp that can be used by consumers and farmers as free compost or animal food. 

Photographic Essay: Rime Buddhist Center

BY ALEXANDER HOGAN

What is sustainable living? Is it simply buying the right products? Staying green? I asked myself this question recently while on assignment at a Buddhist temple. Eva (featured in the photos here) described to me her view of sustainability as starting with your emotional and spiritual life.

How can we take care of our environment when we do not take care of ourselves?  I'm not advocating Buddhism per say, but I am finding myself more and more interested in the personal and spiritual side of sustainable living.

Join me as I explore the Rime Buddhist Center in this photo series.

Toronto Inundated with Disposable Coffee Cups

City Overwhelmed by Disposable Coffee Cup Waste

The city of Toronto is trying to deal with a problem I know exists all over North America - large numbers of disposable coffee cups filling up trash receptacles and overwhelming recycling centers.

A recent city audit found fast-food waste was in 77% of trash bins and in 260 of the 480 bins, Tim Hortons coffee cups and lids were the top contributors.

I am certain if the same type of audit was done here in the Boston area the numbers would be similar only Tim Hortons cups would be replaced by Dunkin Donuts.  The impact is worse here because Dunkin Donuts still uses styrofoam for all of its cups except the small size.

Toronto's recycling plan allows people to include paper-based takeout coffee cups in curbside recycling because they can be composted.  However due to the sheer number of cups the recycling plants simply cannot process them.

What is the solution?  Well the best solution is obvious - encourage the use of reusable coffee cups/mugs.   Another is to try and encourage your favorite coffee shop/chain to stop using styrofoam cups.   This is a huge problem in the U.S.  Paper-based cups at least have the ability to be recycled, styrofoam do not.

Scotts Takes Green Steps

Lawn care Giant Taking Green Steps but Could it be doing more?

IMAGE: THE POPULAR SCOTTS FOUR STEP FERTILIZER PROGRAM

BY RIDER THOMPSON

For a while now we’ve seen bits and pieces of evidence the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Osmocote, Ortho, Roundup, Scott’s Lawnservice, Smith & Hawken, Miracle-Gro Nursery Select, Scotts Canada, Miracle-Gro Canada, Hyponex and Earthgro) is considering ways to make their products more environmentally friendly. 

• 2003 – Organic Choice line introduced
• 2006 - Scotts announced it would reduce the phosphorus in Turf Builder lawn fertlizier by 50% by then end of 2008
• 2007 – Scotts natural lawn fertilizer expected to be released

The Marysville, Ohio lawn care giant with $2.7 billion in annual net sales, makes the most popular lawn fertilizer in the U.S. (Scotts Turf Builder & LawnPro).  Despite its strong sales the company is in a position where it’s continued growth and dominance may rely on it being seen as more responsible and sensitive to environmental issues related to its products.