Well, it's been awhile, but we are still thinking and doing green deeds even though it's summer! We're just back from a trip to the Jersey Shore, we had great weather and fun on the boardwalk, rides, at the waterpark and of course the beach. Too bad we had obnoxious teenage neighbors above us who disturbed our sleep each night at horrible hours! But we didn't let them ruin our fun :)
So while we were on vacay we continued to recycle the items that NJ recycles such as cans, bottles, and glass. However, it just didn't feel right to toss out the cardboard and paper goods, juice boxes that need to go to Terracycle, and aluminum foil from our lunches on the beach...so we brought them home and recycled them here! I drew the line at the compostables though and they did not make the trip home :)
Today when we open a pack of Wrigley's gum, we discovered that they have switched to paper wrappers. This saves about 850 metric tons of foil from going into landfills each year, which is equal to 60 millions cans each year! That's wicked cool that a small change, such as a tiny foil gum wrapper vs. a tiny gum wrapper, can add up to be such a major impact. Babysteps all around and congrats to Wrigley's for making the change! http://www.wrigley.com/global/our-commitment/global-sustainability.aspx
I'm smiling thinking that we are chewing gum that has eco-friendlier bubbles....and yes, I recycled the tiny paper wrapper as did Rosebud :)
Ok, I'm INCENSED about the Census mail we received today...let me just say that I am not against the Census. I understand that it is important to collect data to help decide the allocation of federal funding, etc. But, what I don't understand is WHY we received a letter today telling us to watch for the census in about a week!!!! WHAT?!!!!! The government wasted one sheet of paper, one envelope, postage for about 307,000,000 Americans, and let's not forget the impact of delivering all the mail. The greenhouse gases contributed by the planes and mail trucks to deliver the "pre-census letter" is a horrible shame.
The "pre-census letter" has already been recycled at my house, but what percentage of the pounds and pounds of paper will be recycled? Unfortunately, much of that paper will end up in the landfills. How much money did that mailing to tell us they would be mailing the census cost the taxpayers? There are already commercials to let everyone know that they should fill out the census and why (and don't forget those commercials cost the taxpayers money too!)
Bottom line, the letter from the Census today is WASTEFUL, contributes to pollution, and global warming, and I doubt it will make any difference in the outcome. If the government wants to have an impact, they could have a positive green impact by not wasting trees, money, resources, and preventing green house gases.
