I really really miss the green living board

[munkii]

That was a particularly helpful board. I particularly enjoyed learning about better-earth options for everyday things such as biodegradable waste bags (which there never seemed to be a consensus on), recycled paper tp, and the popular non-gmo foods list that was distributed.

Something I think would be interesting is if we would discuss an item (a specific type of flooring, countertop, or tile, for example) and its overall impact on the environment (how it's made, off-gassing, life cycle, etc.). That could be our spin-off of the green living board. It is really important, after all, for people to be as informed as possible about decisions they make.

[boiler717]

Do you compost? I'm obsessed with that right now!

[munkii]

We just started composting a little over a month ago; so, we're still trying to figure out the perfect ratio.

We have a barrel. We need to pick up a double with a wall, though, because we go through so many vegetable scraps, or we need one of these: www.totercomposter.com/. What do you do?

[lavender444]

Our city doesn't offer composting, so I'm really interested in what people use to compost at home.

Is there a bad smell involved? Can you add old potting soil to the compost to use the next year?

[pamela]

We built bin, about 3'x3' out of 2x4's and wire mesh that sits in the corner of our yard. We throw everything but meat in there from the kitchen, all garden waste (even weeds, I'll be pulling them anyway and I try to get them before they go to seed), and occasionally DH will collect the grass clippings instead of mulching them and toss that in. No smell really. We do absolutely nothing to it because we're lazy so it takes about a year to get finished dirt at the bottom. We also get volunteer veggie plants that pop up around it that we tend to let grow. Right now we have acorn squash and cherub tomatoes. And our neighbors through the fence appear to have the same (they said they don't mind so we let it stay).

[panicked]

I live on post (army) and the post is gearing up for "Net Zero" waste for the entirety of Fort Hood. They achieved it on Fort Carson when we were there. We have no-sort recycling, which is AWESOME, incentives for using less electricity, composting barrels, and waste-water usage. It's pretty great, considering how huge this place is.

[pamela]

Jul 10, 2014 9:34:53 GMT -5 @juno said:

There's one thing I wonder about a lot. If something is both recyclable and compostable, which is better? This mostly comes up for me with clean paper.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

Compost, by far. Recycling takes energy that has to be added to the process and the final product is typically only marginally post-consumer content so you really aren't saving many newly grown resources.

[nomad100]

I miss it too.

I have a compost tumbler but am looking to expand to something like this since we have lots of scraps/egg shells/weeds that I would like to hot compost.  And we shred lots of paper in the paper shredder that I would like to compost if I can.


I have one rain barrel but need to modify it because after 3 years, it has sludge in the bottom that needs to be cleaned out and the 2 holes in the top aren't sufficient.  So I am cutting off the top and doing something like this.



I still need to hook up my second barrel (and maybe a third).  

I also want to try to make some gravity drip buckets for watering my garden.

[pamela]

Jul 10, 2014 9:57:14 GMT -5 @juno said:

Jul 10, 2014 9:54:35 GMT -5 pamela said:

Compost, by far. Recycling takes energy that has to be added to the process and the final product is typically only marginally post-consumer content so you really aren't saving many newly grown resources.

But is it marginally post consumer because of a lack of recycling input or for some technical requirement? If it's the former wouldn't we just need to recycle more?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

I don't think it's a lack of content. I think the process needs more clean and cheap material that they get from manufacturing scraps and it needs new material to help hold it together/give it the right texture. Whatever they recycle into there has to be chemically processed as well it get a clean looking product.

[pumpkin]

S/O composting, I Iive in a condo so can't really do my own composting but I can put compostable material out for pickup with my recycling. I've tried this a few times but haven't found a good way to store such materials in my kitchen that isn't super smelly before it makes its way downstairs to my bin. How do you store this stuff? I'm open to tips, suggestions, how-tos...I'll take all the info I can get.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 10, 2014 9:34:53 GMT -5 @juno said:

There's one thing I wonder about a lot. If something is both recyclable and compostable, which is better? This mostly comes up for me with clean paper.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

Compost. It takes a lot of energy/water to recycle. So while it's better than just tossing it in the landfill, recycling is inferior to composting.

[pamela]

Jul 10, 2014 10:55:25 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

S/O composting, I Iive in a condo so can't really do my own composting but I can put compostable material out for pickup with my recycling. I've tried this a few times but haven't found a good way to store such materials in my kitchen that isn't super smelly before it makes its way downstairs to my bin. How do you store this stuff? I'm open to tips, suggestions, how-tos...I'll take all the info I can get.

I just use a fiestaware canister (the largest size). It gets emptied every few days because it's full. We started not lining it with anything, but it did tend to get a bit gross. So we started using leftover plastic produce bags. They were going to get thrown away anyway so at least they got an extra use this way.

[pixy0stix]

I'm pissed that rain barrels are illegal in CO.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 10, 2014 11:17:32 GMT -5 @juno said:

pixy0stix, my quote is broken, so a page will have to do.

I'm not trying to be a contrary jerk, I promise. But does recycling old material take more energy and water than growing/cutting/hauling/processing new material?

In some cases yes. It depends on what it is, where it's going to be recycled, blah blah blah. Sometimes recycling can be more harmful than good if it's being shipped overseas, and/or environmentally unsound chemicals are being used to reconstitute the materials. Recycling isn't the best option in a lot of cases. Yes, it's better than buying new, but it's not the end all/be all. The very best option is reduce your usage of anything that you have to throw away/recycle, which is what you're doing.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I have no input on this exactly, because I'm in your boat only not quite as crunchy (although we're working on it).

It seems like green living falls somewhere in-between MM and H&G, amirite? I wouldn't be at all opposed to doing a regular eco-post here, though ... there are things I'd love to be better at (such as air-drying some of our laundry) and things I'd like others' experience on. Plus, it would be neat to see the ecological ramifications of everyday decisions and purchases.

[msmerymac]

Jul 10, 2014 11:09:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm pissed that rain barrels are illegal in CO.

Do you have an HOA? Or a really on-point permit and planning office? Because if not, I would probably just risk it. Unless you mean that you can't literally buy one or have it shipped to you. But can't you just buy a barrel and not tell anyone what it's for?

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2014 11:09:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm pissed that rain barrels are illegal in CO.

Wait, what? WHY? That makes NO sense.

We don't use a rainbarrel as MIL had two and with the pattern of rainfall we get, its not spread out enough so its either completely dry or overflowing.

[Deleted]

I keep forgetting that I want to try moving mostly to washable reusable cotton pads for my face! Looking at the price of the organic cotton ones though, it seems like it'd be more cost effective for me to get organic cotton flannel myself and just sew a bunch so I can have TONS rather than $30 for like 6. I just haven't ordered and fabric yet because I have too many other projects I'm not doing. I mostly use them for applying toner to my face and very occasionally makeup removel (I don't wear makeup often).I'd still use the disposable cotton ones for nail polish and maybe the really bad makeup but it would make a big difference in waste.

[demandypants]

Jul 10, 2014 10:55:25 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

S/O composting, I Iive in a condo so can't really do my own composting but I can put compostable material out for pickup with my recycling. I've tried this a few times but haven't found a good way to store such materials in my kitchen that isn't super smelly before it makes its way downstairs to my bin. How do you store this stuff? I'm open to tips, suggestions, how-tos...I'll take all the info I can get.

I used to keep my compostables in the freezer during the week until the plastic bowl (without a lid) was full then I woudl take it out to dump. Now that I have a freezer drawer I didn't want my old banana peals right by my ice maker. So I switched to a crock. The freezer trick was WAY less gross by the end of the week. And I liked to think the plant cells broke down better once it had been frozen or something.

[pamela]

Jul 10, 2014 13:49:33 GMT -5 @juno said:

Jul 10, 2014 13:20:50 GMT -5 @ksta said:

Wait, what? WHY? That makes NO sense.

We don't use a rainbarrel as MIL had two and with the pattern of rainfall we get, its not spread out enough so its either completely dry or overflowing.

I mean, it kind of makes sense. Rain runoff fills rivers and streams, which fish and other wildlife desperately need. But i'm sure the motive behind the law is less environmentally motivated and more about WATER RIGHTS, which are a big deal in dry states. I'msure those who pump out of the CO river (including CA??) oppose anyone "stealing" runoff because they want to pump it all out for their own use and kill everything that way. There are also groundwater resevoir refilling concerns, I think. I'm mot sure how I feel about it. I'd rather we do things like ban growing grass in western states or figure out how to reuse gray and black water for human consumption because I think that would save a heck of a lot more river water than banning rain barrels, but I'm not optimistic.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

I don't see it being that big of an impact. But supposedly they are also illegal here in LA which absolutely doesn't need the runoff since we have standing water in ditches under normal conditions.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 10, 2014 13:10:39 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Jul 10, 2014 11:09:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm pissed that rain barrels are illegal in CO.

Do you have an HOA? Or a really on-point permit and planning office? Because if not, I would probably just risk it. Unless you mean that you can't literally buy one or have it shipped to you. But can't you just buy a barrel and not tell anyone what it's for?

You can buy one, but should any of my neighbors get pissed at me, we'd face a considerable fine just having one.

To answer the other question: CO is a semi-arid state and provides water to everyone downstream from the mountains. The water law here is insane. Every single drop of rain that falls is someone's property.