Takeout Food for the Office and Facts on Holiday Waste

As a vegetarian and a locovore (someone who tries to buy local), I try to make as many meals at home as possible. However, last Monday when I was out shopping, I stopped by the local PF Chang's for some takeout before I journeyed back to the office because I was low on food in the office fridge.

Normally, when I do any kind of shopping, I BMOB bring my own bag. The one exception has been when I get takeout. I keep making a mental note to BMOB, but have continued to fail on this front. Also, I just read an article about a green office that leaves those little tiny sacs which are the size of a small ball at the front desk for employees to use when they get takeout. Well, I couldn't be outdone, so I've made it my mission to begin this practice and I began on Monday!

When the take out guy waited on me, I sweetly asked, "Do you mind putting my order in this bag?" He didn't blink an eye. Whew! Let's hope behind that pleasant smile, he wasn't thinking I was a crazy environmentalist. I also asked him to not worry about the plasticware and some of the condiments. When he brought my order in my own bag - in my own bag - I was ecstatic and handed him a tip. I didn't look in the bag until I got in the car. Big mistake. It contained not only chopsticks, but plasticware and TWO sets of condiments. Argh! Did he do this to irritate me or was he on automatic pilot when he was loading my food into the bag? I'll never know. I emailed PF Chang's headquarters to tell them about my experience (I was nice about the quick service and the ability to use my own bag), but chastised them for all the waste with the condiments. Think of all the energy that goes into making those chopsticks, the plastic ware, the condiments and the containers they come in. Think of how many get thrown away without being used. Think of all those products in the landfill. Think of all that money wasted. I hope they change their ways...

Green Tip:
Facts on Holiday Waste

Below are some facts on holiday waste that I received from Eva at Earth Alley, a Baltimore gift shop that provides Earth friendly, fair-trade, locally-sourced gifts.

From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases at least 25%, an additional 1 million tons a week. U.S.'s annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons.

Christmas Trees
50 million Christmas trees are purchased in the U.S., about 30 million go to the landfill.

Food
28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year - over 100 pounds per person. One less cookie on Santa's plate will reduce his snacking by about 2 million pounds.

Transportation
If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we'd reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons.

Cards
1.9 billion Christmas cards at this time, the amount of cards sold during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high, and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees.

Ribbons
38,000 miles of ribbon is thrown out each year, enough to circle the Earth which is 25,000 miles.

Paper
Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products.

(Sources: EPA; Use Less Stuff, 1998; www.recycleworks.org; Cygnus Group; Recycler's Handbook, 1990; Environmental News Network)

Join Me at the Fourth Annual Polar Bear Plunge! and Wine Cork Recycling

I'm doing it again! I'm taking a cold plunge to fight global warming.

In less than one month, on January 10th, I'm going to jump into the icy Chesapeake Bay for a cause I am extremely passionate about: the fight against global warming.

Yes, I, Lori Hill, the one who is ALWAYS cold in the winter time (I'm sitting in my basement office right now wearing 3 layers of clothing and fingerless gloves as I write this!), will be plunging right into the water near the headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation which happens to be one of the greenest building the country!. I'll join hundreds of other crazy folks in the Fourth Annual Polar Bear Plunge.

The event, organized by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), is meant to raise awareness about the growing crisis of global warming and to raise the funds needed to continue the fight against it.

The basics are right below. To read more about CCAN, see further below.

The Basics
Last year, I had a blast plunging AND I raised over $1,200. I'd like to nearly double that this year with a goal of $2,000. In addition, this year I'm donating my event planning services to ensure that the plunge is a green event!

Last year, my friends and family pledged anywhere from $25-$100 each. I realize that with the current economy, you may not be able to pledge that much, so GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN GIVE! $5, $10 or $20 is fine by me. Give up one of your vices for a week and put it towards a good cause! Contributions are tax-deductible.

How to Make a Pledge
It takes about TWO MINUTES to make a pledge! IF you pledge, I promise to email you photos of me plunging!

Credit Card
Donate via secure webpage.

If you pledged last year, you'll be happy to know that it is MUCH EASIER to pledge this year!

Check
Make your check out to "CCAN" and mail to

P.O. Box 11138
Takoma Park, MD 20912

On the memo line, write Plunge/Lori Hill on the memo line, so they know who your pledge is supporting.

Watch Me on the Video!
Watch the video of last year's plunge. That is me at the 1:40 mark – the gal with the toboggan.

Thanks in advance for your interest and support in the fight against global warming - and for supporting me while I turn a little blue in the process!

If you're not busy, please consider coming out to join me I the plunge or cheer me on this January 10th - it's a really fun event!

Thanks for helping CCAN save the world!

Warmly (but not in the global sense),

Lori

*More About CCAN and How I Got Involved with the Plunge

Not too long after I saw "An Inconvenient Truth", I went to a clean energy open house at the home of CCAN's executive director Mike Tidwell. That was the impetus that began my quest to be as green as humanly possible.

By making a pledge to support my playful suffering, you'll help CCAN fulfill its very serious mission of educating and mobilizing the citizens of Maryland, DC and Virginia to take concrete steps to protect our climate. We are particularly at risk of the effects of climate change – Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, DC and cities in Virginia could be under water if we don't act soon.

CCAN is an extremely reputable, nonprofit organization with an emphasis on community-based, grassroots organizing. They have been central to every major fight on global warming in the Maryland/Virginia/DC region, and are currently leading the charge for comprehensive global warming legislation in Maryland, for no new coal in Virginia and, as part of 1 Sky, for strong federal legislation in 2009. You can learn more about them at www.chesapeakeclimate.org.

Green Tip:
Wine Cork Recycling

Instead of pitching your wine corks in the trash (who would dare do such a thing?), send your corks to Yemm & Hart Ltd.

They are collecting wine cork stoppers with the goal of converting them into a useful self sustaining product (Y&H are all about converting recycled materials into something new).

Another alternative is to make your own cork board. Hot glue corks to a piece of plywood and attached photos, notes, etc. You can place the corks round side up and/or cylindrical side up.