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	<title>We Hate To Waste</title>
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	<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com</link>
	<description>Let&#039;s create a waste-less world</description>
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		<title>&#8216;Shop&#8217; for Back to School Supplies in June, not September</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/school-supplies/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=school-supplies</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/school-supplies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:38:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne Fogarty</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Use It Up]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=4111</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my house, we &#8216;shop&#8217; for back to school supplies in June, not September. I&#8217;m a grade school teacher. Every June when my students do &#8220;locker clean-out&#8221;, it’s sickening to see all the school supplies they throw away. Barely-used binders, pencils, pens, pencil cases, crayons, and spiral notebooks. All tossed into the trash without a second thought. Even lunchboxes and backpacks in good condition!  To celebrate the start of summer vacation, the family of one of my students actually burn everything on the last day of school in the backyard! (Note: Literally don&#8217;t try this at home. It&#8217;s not only a waste of materials &#8212; the fumes can be downright toxic!) Then, a short two months later, throngs of parents and kids head to the Staples and Wal-Mart to buy loads of new stuff for the upcoming school year. Some people even consider it a fun ‘tradition’ to shop for new school supplies. But I have a different idea&#8230; Since preschool, I’ve told my two sons, now a high school freshman and junior, that backpacks and lunchboxes are to be used for at least two years. Then, once backpacks become &#8220;ratty looking&#8221;, we use them for Boy Scout excursions until they are completely beyond repair. Prepping the School Supplies Box for the Basement On the first day of summer vacation, my boys and I go through their school supplies. We take apart the partially-used spiral notebooks, we recycle the used paper and the metal spiral, and we keep the blank sheets for next year. The sturdy plastic-covered binders are spruced up (with a green brand of cleaner), and used again. Pencils are sharpened and put into the pencil cases; accompanied by all the pens, markers and highlighters that still work. Ditto for the rulers, protractors, 3-hole-punches and erasers. Backpacks and lunchboxes are washed and air-dried. Then everything goes in a box in the basement, awaiting Fall. Helping the Environment and Saving Money, Too During the first week of school, when my boys get their respective lists of needed school supplies, we buy only the things that are absolutely needed. This year I spent less than $20, and last year, we didn’t buy anything new! We&#8217;ve been doing this since pre-school so they are accustomed to it and do not feel like they are missing out on anything. In fact,  it feels perfectly natural to them &#8212; and they actually like helping the environment.  How&#8217;s it going in your household? Any ideas to share?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Live Simply — Like the Swedes (And Volvo and Ikea, Too)</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/live-simply-swedes/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=live-simply-swedes</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/live-simply-swedes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jun 2013 01:33:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina Andersson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Live Small, Live Smart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Live Smart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=4090</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Being a Swede and an ardent Wastehater, I often am asked “Why are Swedes so conscious about waste”? My best answer hits at the heart of what it is to be a Swede: the so-called “Law of Jante”. This law is embodied in the essence of Volvo and Ikea, two well-known Swedish brands. Welcome To The Land Of “Lagom” It all starts with the American dream — striving for prosperity, success and climbing the social ladder. Americans are not ashamed to show their socio-economic status through materialism — keeping up with the Joneses, buying new, bigger, better, and more. Growing up in Sweden, I didn’t know the Joneses. Instead, I got introduced to the Law of Jante. Created by a Danish author in the 1930s, the Law of Jante consists of ten rules that portray and criticize individual success and achievement as unworthy and inappropriate. Nowadays, Swedes rather laugh at Jante and his rather depressing rules. We, too, want to think that we are special and good. However, Jante&#8217;s spirit still exists and forms us as citizens. It is no coincidence that the word “lagom”, meaning “just the right amount”, only exists in the Swedish vocabulary. Sweden, Home to Volvo and Ikea So it is no coincidence that brands like Volvo and Ikea were born in Sweden. They bring us the safe, the robust, the functional and the timeless — rather than bold, shiny, edgy and over-the-top. What makes these brands so appreciated by the more simple living Swedes (as well as some Americans), is their honesty and straightforwardness. In Volvo’s and Ikea’s world, everyone is treated equally with safety and care in mind. It’s all about value for money and engineered craftsmanship. Keeping Up With The Joneses Is Destructive For The Planet I think Sweden and America can learn a lot from each other’s cultures. Swedes need to be more American — believing more in themselves, daring to stand out and embrace success. But the planet would probably be in better shape if Americans learned to live simply the Swedish way. Reducing waste is not just about recycling and reusing. It is not just about repairing instead of buying new, either. It is also about “not”.  As I’ve been hearing people say: not buying things you don’t need, with money you don’t have to impress people you may not even like. Reduced waste will be achieved in a less materialistic world where status equals consciousness, functionality and moderation, rather than showing-off. As many Americans appreciate driving a Volvo and furnishing their homes with Ikea, I hope a cultural change happens. I hope more Americans will learn to appreciate the timeless design, the sheer functionality and minimalism of Volvo and Ikea — two brands that may be more Swedish than the simple living Swedes themselves.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
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		<title>New Map Shows Where Less Is More in the Big Apple</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/less-is-more-nyc/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=less-is-more-nyc</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/less-is-more-nyc/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:35:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Brawer and Aaron Reiss</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Durable, Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Durable Not Disposable]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=4120</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[GUEST POST FROM WENDY BRAWER AND AARON REISS OF GREENMAP.ORG For those of us who enjoy thrifting, yard-sales, and even harvesting treasures from the curb, the joy of a great secondhand find is almost addictive. But beyond just shopping at thrift stores and religiously recycling, we New Yorkers have truly unique opportunities to prevent waste. Now we even have a map to help us mine the urban ore. It’s the most recent in the worldwide series of “Green Maps” from my Green Map System not-for-profit and it’s appropriately called the Less = More Green Map. To learn more, including how YOU can create a map for your own city, read on. Our Less = More Green Map guides readers though many waste-reducing places including the uniquely New York Film Biz Prop Shop that sells used props and set pieces. Perfectly good furniture and home goods (not to mention gorilla costumes, fake limbs and Viking helmets) — and even a listing for WeHateToWaste — make this an amazing resource for even the most ardent wastehater. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Our map also walks readers through the many reuse resources available in the five boroughs, from tool lending libraries and repair coops to dumpster diving tours with local Freegans and online databases of recycling information. Explore an Interactive Version of the Less is More Green Map on Facebook Designed by Aaron Reiss, a cartographer who&#8217;s also passionate about preventing waste, our Less is More Green Map can be found on the Less is More NYC Facebook page. It will tell you where you can pick up a copy or download a PDF or JPG to share online. You can explore the interactive version of the Less is More Green Map, too. It shows another 150 sites where waste is being preventing in practical and convenient ways. Add your own photos or comments to any site (click the icon, then title, then Multimedia tab), or suggest new resources for the map on Facebook’s wall. Bike Share, Too! We designed our Less = More Green Map to be both an environmental resource and an alternative tour guide to NYC. Many of the places on the map would make a great bike ride destination on a sunny day. Indeed, our nonprofit also produced a cycling and resiliency Green Map about our Lower East Side neighborhood this season – perfectly timed for the launch of NYC&#8217;s Bike Share program. Want a Free Copy? 10,000 free print copies of Less = More (printed on 100% recycled paper) are available, thanks to support from Con Edison. Want one by mail? Send a SASE to Less = More Green Map, 220A St., NYC 10009. For multiple copies for your class, club or community group, call (212) 674-1631 or email apple@greenmap.org. Waste Reduction Has Always Been Part Of Green Maps! This is the thirteenth Green Map of NYC produced by the Green Map System as part of its own local mapping initiative. Find other editions at GreenMapNYC.org, including the Composting in Manhattan edition. Make Your Own Green or Less = More Map The global iconography we now share with locally-led Green Map projects in 65 countries includes symbols for reuse shop, rental/share, repair shop, and many more. Find out about leading your community’s Less = More map project at GreenMap.org/join.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>What I Plan to Do About My Disposable Pen Peeve</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/disposable-pen/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=disposable-pen</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/disposable-pen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 02:35:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Fredrica Rudell</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Durable, Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Durable Not Disposable]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=4057</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’re all entitled to a pet peeve or two. Mine is disposable ballpoint pens. No Small Problem According to the EPA, Americans throw away 1.6 billion disposable pens every year. Add the rest of the world, multiply by over 50 years of writing with disposable pens, and that’s a lot of metal and plastic waste ending up in landfill!  I suspect it’s just the tip of the iceberg, given the piles of disposable pens that many of us haven’t thrown out yet. Not to mention the refillable pens that we never take the trouble to refill. Let Me Count the Ways… I did a census of my ballpoint pens today. You know, the ones stashed in drawers, crammed into pencil cups and broken coffee mugs. I counted 19 in the kitchen, 18 in the den, and 11 in the living/dining room. There were 34 in my study (mixed in with pencils, markers, highlighters, scissors and not one, but three letter openers), 8 in the bedroom, and 6 in my purse. I found another 32 in my office, and 10 more in briefcases and bags. En route to school, I harvested 3 from the glove compartment of my car—for a grand total of 141! (And I haven’t even checked under the couch cushions,  or in my old purses or coat pockets.) The strange thing is, I don’t remember buying any of them. They seem to follow me home from meetings, events, hotels, and conferences, and end up staying permanently. Judging from the numbers, I suspect that some of them are reproducing when I’m not looking! How Did I Get So Many Disposable Pens? I would guess that many of you are experiencing similar disposable pen proliferation. How did this happen? And what can we do to prevent further waste? For better or worse, our dependence on computers, tablets and smartphones means that we are not writing that much anymore. Way back in third grade, I practiced penmanship under the watchful eye of my teacher, Miss Hepburn. Letters and words literally flowed from my treasured green fountain pen. I loved that Esterbrook pen, a present for my eighth birthday. In those days, good quality pens were routinely given as gifts for special occasions and became cherished possessions. (Just try giving your niece or nephew a pen for graduation this year!) When my Esterbrook ran dry, I gingerly opened a bottle of ink, dipped in the nib, and slurped up another barrel-full. Eventually, ink bottles were replaced by less messy cartridges, and most people used ballpoint pens for everyday writing. But back then, we would buy one ballpoint pen and purchase refills as needed. Disposable Pens by the Dozen Fast forward to the age of Bic, and the advent of cheap, disposable pens. New habits were formed, and ballpoint pens (not refills) were soon sold by the pack. (I’m not sure that Gen Y’s are even aware that ballpoint pens can be refilled.) Now, everywhere we turn, someone is handing us an inexpensive pen with their company name on it. Many end up in a drawer, pencil cup or purse, never to see the light of day or fulfill their intended function. Others are pitched in the trash when they run dry. (Would we throw away a flashlight when the batteries die?) Even if we wanted to purchase one, refills are not widely available, and it’s difficult to find exactly the right type and size for each pen (unlike more uniform AA, AAA, C and D batteries). I Have Met The Enemy… In the battle against disposable pen proliferation, I am clearly the victim and the perpetrator. As a dedicated Waste Watcher, the solution starts with me! First, I’m going to “clean house” and try to find good homes for as many of my 141 pens as I can. Perhaps some will end up in art projects by the Pen Guy and other artists. With the help of Mr. Right (see “Taming a Wasteful Spouse” on this site), I will attempt to limit us to two refillable pens per room, pocket or purse. When people offer me a promotional pen, no matter how slick or cute, I will decline and tell them why. They probably haven’t considered the environmental consequences of their giveaways. I will ask the bookstore at the college where I work to carry refills and display them prominently next to the ballpoint pens. And I just might challenge my Green Marketing students to last a whole semester with one pair of refillable pens, like the Pilot B2P made from recycled bottles. Want To Join Me in the Fight Against Disposable Pen Proliferation? Are pens littering your life? What ideas do you have for reducing disposable pen proliferation? What other waste-related pet peeves are keeping you awake at night?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>At Lush Cosmetics, It&#8217;s All About Naked Products — and Bubbles</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/lush-cosmetics/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=lush-cosmetics</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/lush-cosmetics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2013 21:25:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gina Lee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recycle and Compost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Save Drops Watts and Trees]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=3932</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was a life-changing day when I discovered Lush Cosmetics. I was looking for shampoo and body lotion to bring with me on my semester abroad in Costa Rica. I was to live there on an organic farm that released the water from showers and laundry right into an orchard. I was so impressed with their fresh ingredients that were safer for the environment. Then I saw how Lush Cosmetics used minimal to no packaging — and  I fell in love! The products worked so well in the hot climate, and made me smell so great, I decided to work there when I returned. Naked Products Solid items like Lush Cosmetics&#8217; super effervescent bath bombs and orange and lemon soaps come with minimal or even no packaging. We simply slip our Naked Products into Lush&#8217;s signature mini-bags. The ones in our store now are black and white and talk about no animal testing. Buying a gift? We don&#8217;t give you wrapping paper. Rather, we wrap them in a Japanese style furoshiki which we call Lush &#8220;Knot-Wraps&#8221;. Tired of Looking at Those Clunky Old Palmolive Bottles? Lush Cosmetics&#8217; Dish Fairy soap is solid so it needs no packaging at all! It comes on a wand that looks like a Popsicle stick. (I&#8217;m giving one to my Mom for Mother&#8217;s Day.) All you do is fill up the sink with water, and swish the pink and green Fairy around in the water to get big, frothy, lemon-scented bubbles. Once the Dish Fairy has finally dissolved away (after a whole bunch of sinkfuls of clean dishes), all you are left with is one wooden stick! Check out this video — seeing is believing! Black Pots and Free Face Masks Although 46% of Lush Cosmetics products are “Naked,” liquid products, such as our “It’s Raining Men” shower gel (I love the honey version myself — it&#8217;s so moisturizing and calming!) and &#8220;Daddy-O&#8221; shampoo (for blondes), are packaged in 100% recycled plastic bottles or Lush’s signature black pots. The pots are black since they are made from a combination of Lush’s own purified plastic waste such as toner bottles. (The only virgin plastics are those used for the pumps.) Lush has even gone so far as to disclose their total plastics usage via the Plastics Disclosure Project. (They were the first member!) And they are really good about telling you how they are getting certain chemicals out of their products, too. Check out their Lushopedia on their site telling you about all the ingredients they use. When you bring back five black pots for reuse or recycling, you get a free face mask! No ordinary face masks, these are made of a combination of fresh fruits like grapefruit and kiwi, seaweeds, and clays, among other cool ingredients like ground-up almonds and asparagus. (They’re so fresh, you have to keep them in the fridge.) Fun Our &#8220;Lushies&#8221; want personal care products to be luxurious, even fun. So we let our customers try out the products in the bowls of water we place throughout the store.  There’s even a product called Fun, a playdough-like combo soap, shampoo, bubble bath and toy literally rolled into one. Great for travel, they lure kids right into the tub, too! Why Do My Hair and Skin Look and Smell So Good Today? No packaging and a lighter green footprint might have drawn me into the store, but its the luscious scents — and the fact that they work great — that keep me and the rest of the Lushies coming back. And you don’t have to go to Costa Rica to want to try them. With stores now in 45 countries and in many U.S. states, chances are, one is already near you. Go in and take a whiff. You might even want to sign up to work their too. (Let me know if you do. You&#8217;ll see how much fun it is!)]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>I Wish Every Package Was Like My Sugar Bowl</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/sugar-bowl/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=sugar-bowl</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/sugar-bowl/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2013 13:51:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jacquie Ottman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Durable, Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Durable Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[permanent packaging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=3234</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I wish every package was like my sugar bowl. Pretty and permanent, gracing my table, Reminiscent of Mom and Grand Mom, Likely to serve my niece and her niece. I wish every package was like my sugar bowl. Refillable from sacks, all papery and crumply, Emblazoned with logos from days gone by. I wish every package was like my sugar bowl, Producing no guilt, just pleasure, Producing no waste, just pure functionality.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>This Earth Day, Use a People Towel Instead of a Paper Towel</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/paper-towel/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=paper-towel</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/paper-towel/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:26:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jacquie Ottman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Durable, Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bring your own towel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Durable Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reuse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=3809</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You’ve got the cloth bag. Check. The reusable water bottle. Check. Now you need to get a People Towel. (Make it the one new thing you do for Earth Day this year!) You Asked For It, You Got It! “We Hate To Waste” Japanese Style was one of our most popular posts. Everyone hates paper towel waste and was so taken with the simple and colorful notion of using a cloth “People Towel” instead. We couldn’t resist! Introducing We Hate to Waste People Towels. Check out our custom designs at PeopleTowels.com. Carry around your favorite WeHatetoWaste parade or sporty plaid (Good for the men in your life, too!). Pick up a few while you’re at it. They’re great for drying your hands in public restrooms, the baby bag, the gym bag, the glove compartment &#8211; you name it! Stay Tuned We plan to start giving them away via Facebook and to new subscribers. We love them. The trees will love you. And of course, we love you for hating waste as much as we do. Meanwhile, have a great Earth Day on Monday – and every day! Note: PeopleTowels is a registered trademark of PeopleTowels, Inc.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Empty Seats in Your Car? Rideshare to Stop the Waste.</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/rideshare/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=rideshare</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/rideshare/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:32:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Odile Beniflah</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Save Drops Watts and Trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Share, Don't Consume]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drops and Trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Save Watts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Share Don't Consume]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=3749</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[GUEST POST FROM ODILE BENIFLAH OF CARPOOLING.COM Each time you drive alone, the empty seats in your car go to waste. Here&#8217;s the &#8216;sitch&#8217;: there are 1 billion cars on the planet and every car that&#8217;s now driving down a country road or highway has an average of 3.75 empty seats. Now multiply that by 3 trillion highway vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. each year. And factor in the $8,000 cost to own a car and the fact that the average American commuter spends 38 hours a year stuck in traffic. Come on you people: wake up and stop the waste! Solo Drivers Need to Go to Rehab! For me, driving alone is like smoking. People get into the habit of doing it at a young age and simply can’t stop. They may suffer nasty side effects such as huge costs, sitting alone in traffic, or stress during long commutes but can’t seem to see a solution to their misery! Meanwhile, those who don’t have a car (like me) are always looking for a lift. We car-free people may love buses and trains but what’s better than a comfortable car ride with friendly people? Enter Carpooling.com When I moved to Germany in 2008, I discovered “mitfahrgelegenheit” and “mitfahrzentrale”: a service that connects drivers and passengers so they can share their rides together and share costs for gas. It was such a simple idea and it worked: the site was as big as Expedia and LastMinute! I was so excited that it was easy to land a job when the site expanded internationally as carpooling.com. So Why Not in America? To those who come up with lame excuses such as lower gas prices, cultural differences, entrenched consumerism, selfishness, inconvenience, fear of strangers etc., I say Not So Fast! Americans love FUN and FREEDOM &#8212; so carpooling.com would be perfect here as well.  And please stop saying that these green, social, smart behaviors only happen in Europe! I personally believe that America is the country that can make carpooling so cool that the entire world will follow. This is why I can’t wait to see the launch of carpooling.com in the U.S. Stand by&#8230;it&#8217;s coming SOON. Ridesharing is Fun – Time to Show and Tell Think about booking a ride in a fancy 4&#215;4, comfortable sedan, funky pick-up truck, classy Cadillac, outrageous Jacuzzi-limo, luxury convertible, cruising Harley-Davidson, urban Zipcar, VW minibus. Imagine picking up a chef, a writer, a baseball fan, a folk singer from Tennessee, a French tourist, a student in philosophy, a developer of violent video games, a Kindergarten teacher, a BBQ master. Technology has finally enabled the carpooling revolution to take off. With smartphones, people can now offer or book seats on-the-go. With user profiles and social networks, people can get to know each other online before meeting en route. So I am calling all the people who already carpool “21st century style” to speak up and share their stories of cheap, convenient, happy, comfortable transportation. Please show and tell the world! Welcome to the Peer-to-Peer &#8220;Sharing&#8221; Economy and a World of Infinite Possibilities Now you can sell empty seats and reduce your car ownership costs by 75%. You can have access to millions of individual, affordable ride options. Carpooling is a real opportunity to celebrate equity and diversity, and to put human relationships back at the center of our daily lives. So What Can You Do Until Carpooling.com is Launched in the U.S.? Here&#8217;s how you can start to get out of your solo-driving addiction. Start reaching out to friends and colleagues and offer them a ride. Ask neighbors if they want to join you on a trip to IKEA. Start a carpool group on Facebook. (Offer a free lunch to anyone driving you to a beach this summer.) And if you are lucky enough to travel to Europe this summer, carpooling.com  &#8212; it&#8217;s up and running in 40 countries. All you need is to use your imagination and watch out for that carpooling bug: it’s contagious!]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Starbucks Reusable Plastic Cups — Green Marketing or Greenwash?</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/starbucks-cup/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=starbucks-cup</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/starbucks-cup/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 03:24:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miranda Farley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Durable, Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recycle and Compost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Durable Not Disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refillable]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=3711</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love Starbucks. It&#8217;s my go-to spot for late-night study sessions. (The baristas know me by name, #embarrassing.) Last week I spied their new reusable plastic cups that sell for $1. I had a mini internal physiological earthquake as I approached the counter. For years, I have eagerly awaited this moment! Now some of you are probably thinking I’m a complete weirdo for being so obsessive about a reusable plastic coffee mug (you do have a point). But these aren’t just more paper and wax Starbucks disposable cups. This cup is meant to revolutionize the way companies and society think about “to-go” beverage containers. Do they represent a true green marketing revolution, though, or just a green marketing ploy? Introducing Starbucks Reusable Plastic Cups For the past few years, Starbucks has hosted an annual “Cup Summit” that brings together the top dogs in materials engineering and packaging with Starbucks’ executives to strategize how to reduce cup waste.  The latest product from this gathering is their new cup, a look-a-like to their paper ones made from a &#8216;recyclable&#8217; plastic. As an incentive to bring it in for a refill,  (the Starbucks baristas will wash it out with boiling water for you), customers receive ten-cents off their drink. Sounds pretty cool to me. Starbucks has created an incentive for coffee lovers to reduce the amount of material wasted by creating reusable cups, and making them more affordable than the $7 stainless steel coffee mugs they sell in their stores and on-line. More Questions than Starbucks is Answering Time to give Starbucks a pat on the back for their green marketing and green design efforts? Should we applaud Starbucks for these reusable plastic cups and thank them for being a leader in sustainability? (Enter science nerd side of me stage left). Not so fast!….I&#8217;ve got more questions than Starbucks&#8217; website seems to be answering. What about all the energy needed to create these reusable cups? Are we just wasting more energy to create these rather than continue to sip from the single-use disposable paper cups? (How many paper cups does one need to avoid before offsetting the impacts of the plastic?) Chances are, Starbucks regulars like me are going to wash these cups in the dishwasher (top shelf).  This will require a lot of energy, soap and hot water (ditto for washing in the sink). How does this compare to the environmental impacts of a disposable paper cup? As emblazoned on the cups, they are &#8216;recyclable*&#8217; with an asterisk &#8212; noting that they are not recyclable in all areas. So chances are they will wind up in landfills where they’ll likely sit for 500 years. Will Starbucks take them back for recycling? I didn&#8217;t see any signage or recycling bins to that effect. I&#8217;ve heard these reusable plastic cups are produced in China, so I&#8217;m wondering if they are traveling further than the throwaway paper cups – producing more greenhouse gases in the process. To date, despite checking their website, asking the Starbucks baristas, and perusing other reports, I have not been able to find answers to my questions.  Until I do, I’m sticking with my stainless steel coffee mug for my caffeine boost fill-ups  (and I still get the ten-cents off). What do you think – does this reusable and recyclable plastic cup really help to cut down on waste or not? Is it good green marketing &#8212; or simply greenwash? Or perhaps  somewhere in-between?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>63</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Recipe for Truly Satisfying Tomato Soup</title>
		<link>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/tomatoes/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tomatoes</link>
		<comments>http://www.wehatetowaste.com/tomatoes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 06:23:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jacquie Ottman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Respect Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[makeover leftovers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wehatetowaste.com/?p=2538</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was one of those cold afternoons in early winter when it gets dark early.  Six p.m. and already pitch black.  The produce seller who stakes out the corner of 68th Street and First Avenue was just finishing up for the day as I was walking past on my way home. He had a bunch of near rotten tomatoes he was trying to unload.  Soft as pillows, clearly about to burst, they clearly wouldn&#8217;t last another day.  (Truth be told, they were so old, he probably shouldn&#8217;t have been selling them at all.)  He offered me the lot — a whole bag&#8217;s worth — for a $1.  I couldn&#8217;t resist. Surely there would be something I could do with them so they wouldn&#8217;t go to waste. Once home, I flipped through my trusty Fanny Farmer cookbook. (My mother gave it to me over 30 years ago when I moved into my first apartment.) Surely enough, on p. 58 I found a recipe for cream of tomato soup. Luckily, I just happen to have a small amount of heavy cream left over from a less extemporaneous recipe. A “first time in that category”, I whipped up a batch. Ask me how resourceful I felt! Ask me how satisfying that soup tasted going down! When was the last time you creatively made over some leftovers? Rescued some food before it went to waste? Please &#8220;tell all&#8221;.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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