Lou's Upcycles

New Year, New Ideas

2012-01-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

With a new year, comes new inspiration.
I can confidently say that I have nearly mastered plastic as a textile. It is now time to see where I can go with it.

Recently, I finished a table cover from a couple who had saved their gift bags over the years as they traveled the states, and the world. It has been an amazing project to work on, not only because I had to get plastic to "behave" like fabric, but honestly, being away from the consumer packaging aspect of my work was refreshing. These bags, technically, can be recycled as most every gift bag is #2 or #4. Even so, to capture the journeying of this couple was a blessing. I hope to do more custom orders like this in the future.

Another path I am pursuing is my wall art. I cannot say why I initially put my designs on tote bags and purses in the beginning as I was never a bag type of person. I really liked having my work on something functional and it brought a new dynamic to designing accessories. This week though, I nurtured the designs by allowing them to live on a flat, stationary surface. The images pop off the base page and hang off in some cases.

This has been something that I am not free to do with my accessory line because of the nature of use. Knowing that these images will be on a wall, desk, dresser, or book shelf allowed me the freedom to turn my 2-d graphic design into 3-d.

I have had a great time creating these and will continue to do so along with my current product line.

HP printer ink among many products now wrapped in Enviroshell packaging

2011-11-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Enviroshell blister packaging

New packages that use half as much plastic as a heavy clamshell can lead to reduced shipping costs, and therefore fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Packaging company Winterborne created Enviroshell blister packaging as an oyster alternative. It uses recycled PET plastic and recycled paperboard as well as soy-based inks. Corrugated board is sealed with water-based glue.

The stiff board sandwiches the plastic without adhesives, so both can be separated and recycled. Packaging designers praise Enviroshell for holding heavy products well and being easy to take apart, although a blade is ideal for cutting the board.

http://www.greenerpackage.com/database/converted_packages/winterborne/enviroshell_trapped_blister_package

Lou's Upcycles Holiday Craft Fair and Event Schedule

2011-11-14T05:19:00.000-08:00

Sunday, November 20th 12-5 pm

Shelburne Falls Autumn Market

Buckland-Shelburne Community Center, Corner of Main and Church Streets

The Shelburne Falls Farmer’s Market is showcasing vendors for an Autumn Market that will feature farmers, artisans, and crafters. Some offerings will be autumn produce, maple products, jams and jellies, wool, meat, eggs, dried flower bouquest, and glass beads.

http://www.buylocalfood.com/page.php?id=154

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Saturday, November 26th and Sunday the 27th 11-6

Festival Fete's Holiday Market

	Festival Fete's Holiday Market is on Thanksgiving Weekend at the RI Convention Center RI Convention Center: One Sabin Street, Providence, RI 02903-1814

	Over 125 american art and craft artisans Farmer's Market sponsored by Whole Foods Market RI's own Big Nazo along with Matthew the Balloon Man and Mime-alot Free Gift wrap **Free Childrens Gift Crafting area Tickets $5 Children under 12 are FREE with an adult Sponsored by: Whole Foods Market www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop RI Monthly www.rimonthly.com Cardi's Furniture www.cardisfurniture.com Natural Awakenings www.rinaturalawakenings.com Yelp Providence www.yelp.com Cat Country www.wctk.com Roger Williams Park Zoo www.rwpzoo.org Project Undercover www.projectundercover.org Providence Roller Derby www.providencerollerderby.com Zip Car www.zipcar.com Alex and Ani www.alexandani.com Balise Auto www.baliseauto.com Garden City Center www.gardencitycenter.com Cutco www.cutco.com

**Over 125 american art and craft artisans
**Farmer's Market sponsored by Whole Foods Market
**RI's own Big Nazo along with Matthew the Balloon Man and Mime-alot
**Free Gift wrap
**Free Childrens Gift Crafting area
Tickets $5
Children under 12 are FREE with an adult
Sponsored by:
Whole Foods Market www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop
RI Monthly www.rimonthly.com
Cardi's Furniture www.cardisfurniture.com
Natural Awakenings www.rinaturalawakenings.com
Yelp Providence www.yelp.com
Cat Country www.wctk.com
Roger Williams Park Zoo www.rwpzoo.org
Project Undercover www.projectundercover.org
Providence Roller Derby www.providencerollerderby.com
Zip Car www.zipcar.com
Alex and Ani www.alexandani.com
Balise Auto www.baliseauto.com
Garden City Center www.gardencitycenter.com
Cutco www.cutco.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Festival-Fete/172981576059711

http://www.festivalfete.com/Holiday_Market__11_25-26.html

http://www.riconvention.com/

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Tuesday, November 29th 10-5 pm

Assumption College's Holiday Bazaar

Charlie's Eatery
Assumption College
500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA
http://www.assumption.edu/
__________________________________________________________________

Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday the 4th 12-5 pm

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County’s 31st annual Northampton Winter Craft Fair

Northampton High School: 380 Elm Street

The fair will feature one-of-a-kind handmade crafts from 90 juried artisans, delicious food from Nancy Jane’s Catering, a fabulous silent auction on Saturday, live musical entertainment on Sunday provided by the Northamptones and the NCMC Children’s Choir and plenty of FREE parking.

The fair will also feature a children’s book sale with hundreds of pre-loved children’s books at bargain prices. The book sale, organized by children’s book illustrator, Diane deGroat, is a treasure trove for children, families and teachers.

Admission to the fair is $3, with the proceeds going to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, a program of the Center for Human Development (CHD).

http://www.chd.org/index.php/bbbs-events-view/events/big-brothers-big-sisters-northampton-winter-craft-fair.html

__________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, December 6th 1-4 pm

CUREfest - Clark University

This student-run craft show event is a fundraiser to benefit local HIV/AIDS agencies. Last year, the group raised about $1500!

Crafts, art, music, food, coffee, and more.

Show your support for this worthy cause and the growing local handmade movement by coming out and joining us on the 6th for some fun holiday shopping!

________________________________________________________________

There are a few more in December that will be listed soon!

Recycle your holiday lights for LED discount!

2011-11-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

Home Depot Recycles Holiday Lights, Gives Discounts

by Alexis Petru
Published on November 7th, 2011
No Comments

Find your local recycling
solution for string lights

Looking to replace your incandescent Christmas lights with a more eco-friendly option?

From Nov. 3 through Nov. 13, Home Depot is accepting old, broken or used holiday light strings for recycling. For each unwanted incandescent light string, customers will receive a coupon of up to $5 off new LED Christmas lights.

LED holiday lights use 80 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts and can last up to 10 times longer, according to Home Depot.

READ: An $18 LED Bulb That Lasts 5 Years?

LED lights offer other benefits beyond saving energy and money: Because LEDs are cool to the touch, you’re less likely to have a Christmas tree catch fire. LEDs are also more durable and shock-resistant than other lights because they do not have moving parts, filaments or glass.

Incandescent holiday light strings dropped off at Home Depot will be separated into their material streams – glass, plastic, copper and steel – and then sent to recyclers to be made into new products.

Customers bringing in their incandescent Christmas lights will receive a $3 coupon for Home Accent-brand holiday lights, $4 for Martha Stewart Living or GE lights, or $5 for EcoSmart or Light Show lights. Each customer is limited to a total of five discounts.

Homepage image: Flickr/moonlightbulb

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Alexis Petru

Alexis is a contributing reporter for Earth911. You can follow her on Twitter @alexispetru.

Fossil Fuels as the Whale Oil of the Future

2011-10-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

October 27, 2011, 12:53 pm

Fossil Fuels as the Whale Oil of the Future

By MATTHEW L. WALD

Amory B. Lovins, the longtime efficiency guru, has a new book out that analyzes the possibility of converting the nation to almost total reliance on renewable sources of energy. The conclusions may not win instant acceptance, but it is certainly in the running for the best-blurbed energy book of the year.

Chelsea Green Publishing

“Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era” carries a quote on the cover from Bill Clinton, who says it is a “wise, detailed and comprehensive blueprint.” Both Marvin Odum, the president of Shell Oil, and John W. Rowe, the chairman and chief executive of Exelon, wrote forewords..

Released with a launch event on Thursday morning at National Geographic’s headquarters in Washington, the book credits both Mr. Lovins, a physicist, and staff members of his Rocky Mountain Institute as authors.

Mr. Lovins has long argued that the world should pay more attention to efficiency and that it has prospered when it has done so.

He gives the example of pumping water from a pipe; if the power plant that supplies the electricity starts with 100 units of energy, it will lose two-thirds of that in making the current and another 10 percent in transmission and distribution. The motor will be only 90 percent efficient; so pumps, motors, drive trains and throttling valves along the way will lose more, leaving the plant with 93 units of energy.

One argument advanced in his book is that renewable energy is already cheaper than fossil fuels, which he describes as “ancient pond scum.”

One reason is that the price is fixed, Mr. Lovins says. A company that set out to hedge the future price of, say, gasoline by buying financial instruments to assure a fixed cost in the future will spend $2.95 a gallon to do so for the next five years, he writes.

That’s just for the insurance policy on the price, not for the gasoline itself, he said in a telephone interview. “The volatility imposes risk on a business, and risk means cost,’’ he said. “You can’t plan sensibly if you’re whipsawed by prices bouncing all over the place.”

Renewable energy, on the other hand, is riskless, he said, because once the project is built, the energy costs are fixed. His analysis predicts further declines in prices for renewables.

And just as whale oil for home lighting was supplanted by kerosene and then by the electric light, fossil fuels are about to be replaced by renewables, Mr. Lovins predicts.

Wind power is already cheaper than power from natural gas, even at today’s depressed natural gas prices, he contends. But the electric system will have to adapt to use it.

The book is a broad look at buildings, transportation, the electric system and industrial energy use. In the interview, Mr. Lovins paraphrased a saying attributed to President Dwight D. Eisenhower: that if a problem seems to have no solution, the best approach is to enlarge it.

For example, he said, if the electricity system finds it challenging to run on energy from the wind and sun, which cannot be scheduled by system controllers, the solution is to combine the electricity and transportation systems, hooking up millions of car batteries that can deliver energy as well as accept it.

Are your credit cards green?

2011-10-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

Page: http://www.GreenAmerica.org/livinggreen/ResponsibleCreditCards.cfm

Real Green Living

FEATURE ARTICLE - MAY/JUNE 2008

Responsible Credit Cards

There are more options than ever for conscientious credit card users to make a difference every time they make a charge.

When you open a credit card with a bank or credit union, your fees— late fees, annual fees, balance transfer fees—as well as the fees that the merchants pay, provide a profit for the issuing institution. The bank, in turn, puts that money to work in the form of loans to individuals and businesses. The question for conscientious credit card users is whether the banks issuing their cards are sustainable, or are financing destructive projects.

“Community investing and socially responsible banks and credit unions provide the best opportunity for consumers to avoid supporting negative practices,” says Fran Teplitz, Green America’s director of social investing programs. “When you use a mega-bank’s card, you’re bolstering all the things the bank’s loans support, from clearcutting forests to building new coal-fired power plants.”

Since Real Green last looked at credit cards in 2005, several more socially responsible cards have been introduced. Of course, it’s important for all of us to be mindful of our purchases, to minimize debt, and to pay off credit balances in full each month. But if you do use credit cards, it’s easier than ever to put your money to work for change every time you make a charge.

Mega-Bank Madness
If you got a credit card offer in the mail today, chances are it came from a corporate mega-bank. Such banks often fund projects that may not be in line with your values.

Contributing to climate change: There’s no doubt that climate change presents a serious threat—so it makes no sense to continue building carbon-spewing coal-fired power plants. However, mega-banks Citigroup, Morgan Stanley (Discover card), and Merrill Lynch were perfectly willing to finance TXU’s 2007 plans to build 11 new coal-fired plants in Texas. Fortunately, protests from Green America members and our allies helped stop 8 of the 11 plants, but it’s clear that these three mega-banks need to stop funding the climate crisis.

In addition, Bank of America is the funder behind Massey Energy, which has been devastating communities and the environment in Appalachia through its practice of mountaintop-removal coal mining.

Harming the earth: Some mega-banks have been connected to other environmentally destructive projects. For example, five Canadian banks—RBC, Scotiabank, Toronto-Dominion, BMO and CIBC—are bankrolling oil, gas, and forest-clearcutting operations that are harming Canada’s Boreal Forest, according to the Rainforest Action Network (RAN). Canada’s Boreal Forest provides critical habitat for several species and is one of the largest intact forests remaining on Earth.

And, says RAN, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch provided loan capital for China’s notorious Three Gorges Dam, an electrification project that displaced over 1.4 million people, submerged toxic facilities like factories, and destroyed critical wetland habitat.

Playing politics: Many mega-banks make large political donations to parties and causes that may or may not mesh with your values.

Republican donors: Merrill Lynch, National City Corp., SunTrust, US Bancorp, Wells Fargo, and Wachovia gave primarily to Republican candidates in 2007–2008.

Democratic donors: The majority of donations from American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Citigroup, City National Bank, Deutsche Bank AG, First National Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Mastercard, Morgan Stanley, and Visa went to Democratic candidates in 2007–2008.

Balanced donors: Campaign donations from ABN Amro and Credit Suisse Group were split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats in 2007–2008.

For detailed information on campaign donations from these institutions, visit the Center for Responsive Politics’ Web site, www.opensecrets.org.

Predatory lending: Some financial institutions engage in the unscrupulous practice of predatory lending, or the use of high fees, exorbitant interest rates, and other tactics to take advantage of targeted groups—often the elderly, students, and low-income people. When it comes to credit cards, banks may market cards to these groups that contain hidden transfer charges, high late fees, or exploding interest rates, and they may even send out bills too late for most consumers to pay on time.

Consumer Reports rated several credit card issuers in October 2007 based on interest rates, predatory practices related to interest rates and bill timing, and problem resolutions. At the bottom of the pack were mega-banks like Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, Providian, Target National Bank, US Bancorp, and Wells Fargo.

Better mega-banks on predatory lending issues were American Express, National City Bank, and Juniper Bank. And those with the best records were USAA Federal Savings, Navy Federal Credit Union, and a group of other credit unions. The ratings leaders had lower median interest rates and higher customer satisfaction. Credit unions overall are less likely to engage in predatory credit card practices because they are run by members and so have a vested interest in keeping those members happy, while mega-banks have to worry more about keeping investors happy.

The Federal Reserve and Congressional representatives proposed new rules on May 2 that would outlaw certain predatory practices by credit card issuers. The proposed rules are available for public comment until mid-July 2008. To voice your support, visist the Federal Reserve Web site.

Other: Mega-banks may be connected to problems other than those mentioned here. For example, five current and former African-American employees filed a discrimination lawsuit against Bank of America, claiming that the bank limited the employees to minority and low-net-worth clients out of the belief that clients are more “comfortable” working with members of their own race. And Fidelity, Vanguard, and JP Morgan Chase continue to invest in PetroChina, despite the fact that it’s one the largest players in the Sudanese oil industry, helping to bolster Sudan’s genocidal government.

For more information on these and other issues connected with mega-banks, visit our ResponsibleShopper.org.

Affinity Cards
Affinity cards are cards issued by a major bank in partnership with a select organization or charity. Each time you use an affinity card, the issuing bank donates a set amount to the partner organization—averaging half a penny for every dollar you charge or transfer, according to Bankrate.com.

While affinity card donations can add up when many people use them, the cards are generally connected with a mega-bank. Therefore, most of your fees and the fees that retailers pay when you make a purchase with the card support that bank and any of its problematic practices.

Interest rates are often higher than with standard cards; annual percentage rates (APRs) on affinity cards range from 15–22 percent. Many charge annual fees, while most standard cards do not.

Working Assets Visa Card (0% APR first year, then 9.99% apr, no annual fee): One of the best affinity cards offered through a mega-bank is the Working Assets Visa card, which donates ten cents with every purchase to a portfolio of 50 progressive nonprofit organizations, including ForestEthics and Oxfam America. Working Assets plants a tree and donates ten cents to renewable energy organizations like the Rocky Mountain Institute for every tank of gas purchased with its card. And Working Assets also serves as a progressive political force, giving its customers the opportunity to speak out on critical issues through its CredoAction.com Web site.

One caveat: Working Assets Visa is issued by Bank of America, a major funder of dirty coal. “We require a large bank to support a credit card portfolio our size,” says Laura Scher, the CEO of Working Assets. “Our activism (halting 30 coal-fired power plants last year, for example) and our $60 million in donations to progressive organizations give consumers the opportunity to be part of a community of social change. We believe real change can be made through small, everyday acts, like making a call or making a purchase.”

Brighter Planet Visa Card (9.99% apr, no annual fee): Another affinity card that directs dollars to a good cause is the Brighter Planet Visa, which automatically funds a ton of greenhouse-gas reductions through NativeEnergy for every thousand dollars spent through its card. Brighter Planet began as a class assignment in a Middlebury College economics class, and hopes to direct millions of dollars to renewable energy projects.

The card is issued through Bank of America. In explaining its choice to work with a mega-bank, Brighter Planet says: “As the leading issuer of credit cards in the world, we believe that Bank of America offers us the greatest opportunity to reach people and ask them to take charge of climate change by supporting renewable energy development with every purchase.”

Cards Connected to Better Banks
There are socially responsible banks and credit unions that exemplify responsible lending practices—as well as community investing institutions that take the social mission one step further by also investing in low-income populations.

Wainwright Bank Visa Cards (fees and rates vary): Wainwright, a Boston-based bank with a tradition of “socially progressive” banking, offers six different Visa credit cards with different rates and terms. All of these cards are issued and managed by Elan, a financial services company. Steven F. Young, senior vice president at Wainwright, says they “chose Elan because we felt their consumer practices were best.”

Permaculture Credit Union’s (PCU) Visa card (13% apr, no annual fee): Based in New Mexico, PCU is committed to Earth-friendly and socially responsible loans and investments. PCU’s card is issued by the Illinois Credit Union League to anyone, whether or not they are a PCU account holder, though applicants should mention they are “affiliated” with Permaculture Credit Union.

ReDirect Visa (15.15% apr, no annual fee): One PacificCoast Bank, FSB, has partnered with TCM Bank, N.A. to issue the ReDirect Guide Visa Platinum credit card. TCM Bank, N.A. is owned by ICBA Bancard, a subsidiary of the Independent Community Bankers of America.

Your card fees support ShoreBank Pacific’s community investing mission, and half of the card’s proceeds go toward reducing CO2 emissions through Sustainable Travel International’s “MyClimate” high-quality offsets. In addition to a conventional rewards program, the card also earns cardholders discounts at the sustainable businesses listed in regional “ReDirect Guides” for Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins, CO; Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA; and Salt Lake City/Park City, UT. Those businesses that offer Internet purchasing will extend ReDirect discounts to any cardholder. There’s no need to have a ShoreBank Pacific account to apply.

Salmon Nation Visa (15.15% apr, no annual fee): This card, also from ShoreBank Pacific, directs a percentage of its income to growing a community of citizens that practice environmental stewardship of “Salmon Nation,” a bio-region stretching from Alaska to Oregon where wild salmon live. Like the ReDirect card, Salmon Nation Visa isn’t benefiting a mega-bank, and you don’t need a ShoreBank Pacific account to apply.

The Loop Card (11.99% apr, no annual fee): A Visa from Albina Community Bank in Oregon. Profits from this Visa from Oregon’s Albina Community Bank not only support Albina, but one percent of every purchase goes to Portland’s neighborhoods, funding education, health, social services, environment, the arts, or economic development projects. You do not have to have an account with Albina to get the card, and it is not connected to a mega-bank.

Shorebank’s Elan Visa Consumer Card (variable apr, no annual fee): ShoreBank, in the Midwest, is a community development and environmental bank that issues a credit card available to anyone nationwide through Elan, the same company servicing Wainright Bank’s cards, at a rate determined by your credit history.

Self-Help credit union cards (9.95–12.95% apr, no annual fee): Self-Help, headquartered in North Carolina, works in communities traditionally underserved by conventional financial institutions. It offers Classic and Platinum Visa credit cards to members, and through online banking, anyone nationwide can become an account holder and apply. The cards are issued by Self-Help, a community development bank.

For those purchases you make by credit card, using one of these best-option cards can make your charges a force for good.

—Joelle Novey & Tracy Fernandez Rysavy

Resources

• Brighter Planet Visa: 800/511-1472 (mention priority code FABZDX)
• Green America Visa
• The Loop Visa: 800/814-6088
• Permaculture visa: 888/415-6154
• Redirect Visa: 877/326-4326
• Salmon Nation Visa: 877/326-4326
• Self-Help Visa: 800/476-7428
• Shorebank’s Elan Visa: 800/905-7725
• Wainwright Visa: 888/428-BANK
• Working Assets Visa: 800/932-2775

For North Carolinians only:
• Latino Community Credit Union’s Visa (9.75–15% APR, no annual fee). LCCU is a community investing institution serving NC’s Latino community. Its Visa is available only to credit union members and is not associated with a mega-bank. 866/USE-LCCU

For upstate New Yorkers only:
• Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s Visa (9.5–14.5% APR, no annual fee). Alternatives, based in Ithaca, NY, is a community investing institution. Its card is available to residents of Ithaca, Tompkins County, and contiguous counties. It is not connected with a mega-bank. 877/273-AFCU

Important Note! The information in this article is be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

Plastic bag industry takes Chico Bag to court

2011-09-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

In a War of Words, Makers of Plastic Bags Go to Court
By FELICITY BARRINGER
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/science/earth/12garbage.html?_r=1&ref=plasticbags

SAN FRANCISCO — The plastic bag industry, increasingly on the defensive as municipal bag bans proliferate, has gone on the attack against ChicoBag, a competitor that bills itself as an eco-friendly alternative. A federal lawsuit in South Carolina accuses ChicoBag of illegal trash-talking about plastic bag waste.

The lawsuit, filed by three leading plastic bag manufacturers, contends that ChicoBag (whose reusable bag, when compressed into its carrying pouch, looks like a slightly squished Hacky Sack) knowingly overstated figures like the size of the garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean and the number of marine creatures killed by eating plastic garbage.

Andy Keller, 38, the inventor of the ChicoBag and the company’s president, said Wednesday he believed the industry was going after a small competitor because “their product” had “become the poster child of unnecessary waste.” He added that the facts on his Web site “have been part of the public debate for years.”

Not so, said Philip Rozenski, the director of marketing and sustainability at Hilex Poly, a maker of plastic trash bags. He said that ChicoBag’s Web site cites Environmental Protection Agency information that is outdated. The E.P.A. no longer endorses estimates like the one ChicoBag cited: that only 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled. Mr. Keller said an industry site used the same figure until recently.

Citing E.P.A. figures from 2009, Mr. Rozenski said that 11.8 percent of bags, sacks and wraps made from the most common polyethylene compounds are recycled. That category, however, also includes shrink wrap, plastic coverings over fresh grocery items or the plastic enclosing cartons of water bottles.

Perhaps the most creative form of trash-talking done by ChicoBag, however, is not part of the lawsuit. Noting that Americans use an average of 500 plastic bags a year, Mr. Keller sometimes dresses up as “Bagmonster,” donning 500 bags and going to rallies in his trashy regalia.

Mr. Keller also notes that Hilex Poly’s Web site also appeals to the environmentally conscious, promoting new reusable or biodegradable products and encouraging reduction in paper bag waste. He said, “We agree on all those things. Their business is single-use bags, mine is reusable bags — we disagree on the proper course of action.”

Mr. Rozenski styles his company’s lawsuit as a business case. “This is about a direct competitor making false and misleading claims within the marketplace. When ChicoBag is making these claims, it directly benefits Chico.”

Rick Kurnit, a lawyer specializing in claims made under the federal Lanham Act prohibiting false and misleading advertising, indicated the plastic bag manufacturers may not have an easy time of it, even if Mr. Keller’s claims prove to be exaggerated.

“If a consumer cares about the environment, lowering their footprint, if he cares about disposal — would it really matter if the swirling mass in the Pacific is the size of Texas or just Rhode Island?” Mr. Kurnit said.

He added, “It kind of comes down to whether the degree of exaggeration, as alleged, if proven, would be sufficiently material as to influence a consumer’s purchasing decisions.”

What if you couldn't get your to-go food in polystyrene?

2011-06-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

Departments - Plastics
Recycling Today

Beyond Bags Bans

6/15/2011

Single-use plastic bags are not the only items legislators are threatening to ban. In California, Sen. Alan Lowenthal has introduced a bill, SB 568, that would ban polystyrene (PS) food containers in that state.

According to a fact sheet on the legislation, its purpose is “to help mitigate the detrimental effects polystyrene is having on our waterways, storm drains and marine life.” The fact sheet cites a study of beach debris at 43 sites along the Orange County coast that claims EPS (expanded polystyrene foam) is the second most abundant form of debris.

SB 568 would prohibit restaurants or food vendors from dispensing prepared food to customers in EPS containers on or after Jan. 1, 2014. Public schools would have until July 1, 2015, to comply.

Forty-seven California jurisdictions, including the cities of San Francisco and Oakland and the counties of Marin and Santa Cruz, ban food vendors from using EPS packaging.

SB 568 has the support of numerous cities and restaurants as well as nonprofit groups such as the Institute for Local Self Reliance, Californians Against Waste, Defenders of Wildlife and the California Coastal Commission.

Those opposed to the bill include the American Chemistry Council, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Film Extruders and Convertors Association, Dart Container Corp. and Pactiv Corp.

The Hermosa Beach (Calif.) City Council recently rejected a similar proposed ban on EPS food service containers. According to a report in the Daily Breeze, Councilman Michael DiVirgilio called the proposed ordinance “draconian” and instead encouraged the implementation of an outreach program.

“I don't think a ban is the right approach,” DiVirgilio told the Daily Breeze. “This is not going to solve the problem. It may eliminate some use in restaurants, but it’s going to force folks to change their products and be frustrated with us. I think there is a better way.”

In response to the proposed ban in Hermosa Beach, the Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group of the American Chemistry Council released a peer-reviewed study, available at www.plasticfoodservicefacts.org, that finds food service containers made from polystyrene foam use significantly less water and energy than comparable paper- or corn-based alternatives.

Markets for secondary plastics remain stable as spring advances. When it comes to domestic generation of plastic scrap, a reprocessor based in the Midwest says it remains steady, as manufacturers continue to emerge from the recession.

He characterizes domestic and export demand as strong, adding that buyers for Chinese consumers are “buying any commodity grade plastic they can get their hands on.” He continues, “As is the trend of the last several years, China continues to expand into engineering grade materials as well.”

Prices for secondary engineering grades remain stable, the reprocessor notes, adding that demand for recycled PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) and PS continues to increase on the secondary market.

(Additional information about secondary plastics, including breaking news and consuming industry reports, is available at www.RecyclingToday.com.)

http://www.recyclingtoday.com/Article.aspx?article_id=117283

Repost: The Story of Stuff. Have you seen this yet?

2011-06-06T08:20:00.001-07:00

For those who haven't seen this, it's one of my favorite ones to recommend when I am out speaking with people at fairs and festivals.

It'll only take 20 minutes to open your eyes. Warning: you may never shut them again.
Kid and family friendly, easy explanations of consumer products to waste stream.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

What is your eco-confession?

2011-06-05T13:46:00.001-07:00

Lou is here to absolve you of your plastic sins!
Share your eco-sins, ask for forgiveness and we'll find a solution together.

To make you feel more comfortable, I'll start you on your way.

My eco-confession is that I can't stop buying small bags of chips (it's a consumption limit thing), I have a favorite sandwitch that is wrapped in saran (which is the only saran I use in all year), and I am not fond of homemade toothpaste (why can't it be not-gritty?!).

Let it out, shout it loud, let's band together and cure ourselves of the final frontier of plastic sins! List your stories, confessions, and things you want to change. I know you are out there. I see that oreo wrapper among the Trader Joe's stuff... Let's get out of the plastic closet and start tackling these speedbumps.

You CAN lead a plastic free life... but it's hard.

2011-06-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

I have been enamored with this blog for some time... I love the plastic waste tally at the top of the site. I can only hope I get that low. I have done an enormous amount of work to lower our family's plastic waste but one can always do more...

www.myplasticfreelife.com

Soap doesn't have to be wrapped in plastic

2011-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Our family has found our new favorite soap. "Gardner's Delight" from Little Birch Farm. Not only does it take care of my skin, it is NOT wrapped in plastic. If you do get a bag to take it home in, the bag is biodegradable. So appreciative of those companies that take care of us AND the environment. Thanks Little Birch Farm! You can check out their products and order here: www.littlebirchfarm.com

No more plastic straws! You have other options.

2011-05-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Current estimates state that 5 Million plastic straws are used world wide PER DAY! Wow. Considering we use them for less than an hour and then throw them away, shouldn't we be finding an alternative? Here are some other options.

These paper straws can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WasteNotSaks
Or search Etsy.com using "straw" as your search term.

How about some glass straws? Shop around, these are made in the USA.
http://glassdharma.com/straws.html

There are plenty of options and 5 Million reasons to switch!

Lou's Upcycles 2011 Show Schedule

2011-04-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

2011 Show Season

____________________________________________________
~ ~ ~ May ~ ~ ~

Saturday the 28th
Mayfest Arts and Crafts Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bennington, Vermont
http://www.betterbennington.com/mayfest2010
__________________________________________________
~ ~ ~ June ~ ~ ~

Saturday the 11th
Garden City Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Providence, Rhode Island
http://www.festivalfete.com/Garden_City_Center.html
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th
Old Deerfield Summer Craft Fair
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Village of Old Deerfield, Massachusetts
http://www.deerfield-craft.org/
__________________________________________________
~ ~ ~ July ~ ~ ~

Saturday the 2nd
SatARTday in the Park
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lee, Massachusetts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AM-events/154965747875152
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 9th
Amherst Arts on the Common
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Amherst, Massachusetts
More Info Here
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th
Green River Festival
Times TBA
Greenfield, Massachusetts
http://www.greenriverfestival.com/
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 30th and Sunday the 31st
Park opens for Crafts at 10 a.m.
Fort Adams State Park
Newport, Rhode Island
http://www.newportfolkfest.net/
__________________________________________________
~ ~ ~ August ~ ~ ~

Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th
Steppin' Out
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days
Blacksburg, Virginia
http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/steppin_out.aspx
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 20th
Portland Music and Arts Festival
11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Portland, Maine
http://www.theportlandmusicandartsfestival.com/
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 27th
Red Fire Farm's Tomato Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
7 Carver Street
Granby, Massachusetts
http://www.redfirefarm.com/news/tomatofestival.html
__________________________________________________
~ ~ ~ September ~ ~ ~

Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th
Mattoon Street Arts Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Springfield, Massachusetts
http://www.mattoonfestival.org/
__________________________________________________
Saturday the 17th
Local ARTery II
Time TBA
Northampton Historical Society
Northampton, Massachusetts
More info soon!
__________________________________________________
Sunday the 18th
stART on the Street
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Worcester, Massachusetts
http://www.startonthestreet.org/
__________________________________________________
~ ~ ~ October ~ ~ ~

Friday - Sunday the 20th through the 23rd
Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) Festival
Camp Rockmount, Black Mountain North Carolina
http://www.theleaf.com/
__________________________________________________
~~ November ~~
TBA
~~ December ~~
TBA

2011-04-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

When it comes time to pick up after your beloved pooch, choose a biodegradable bag instead of regular plastic. Otherwise, you are wrapping one of nature's quickest degrading substances in something that takes decades to break down.

Where can I take my recyclable plastic bags?

2011-03-17T06:49:00.001-07:00

1. Big Y Foods, Inc.	http://www.bigy.com
2. Hannaford Bros. Co.	http://www.hannaford.com
3. Harvest Co-op	http://www.harvestcoop.com
4. MarketBasket supermarkets	http://supportmarketbasket.org/storelocations.aspx
5. Shaws	http://www.shaws.com
6. Staples	http://www.staples.com/
7. Star Market	http://www.supervalu.com/
8. Stop & Shop	http://www.stopandshop.com/
9. TAGS Hardware	http://www.tagshardware.com
10. Wal-Mart	http://www.walmart.com
11. Whole Foods	http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

Don't forget, and PLEASE!, recycle all #2 and #4 bags...unless your community accepts other #s. Go to your county's waste management site to check what local stores will accept.

#2 and #4 include but are not limited to:
* DRY CLEANING BAGS
* GROCERY STORE BAGS
*FOOD WRAPPERS (CHECK THE BAG FOR #) INCLUDING BREAD BAGS, TORTILLAS, FROZEN FOODS, PITA, SALAD MIX. ***NOT ALL WRAPPERS ARE RECYCLABLE***
* ICE BAGS
*WOOD STOVE AND PELLET FUEL BAGS (#4)
* COLORED AND CLEAR NEWSPAPER BAGS
*ANY ANY ANY BAG WITH #2 AND #4, EVEN SOME BLUE AND COLORED BAGS ARE LABELED FOR RECYCLING...

Please take the extra moment and check to see if it's recyclable before tossing it in the trash or bundling it up for me to use :) Also, please rinse out your bags before donating!

About 30% of donations that come in to Lou's Upcycles are actually plastics that can be recycled!

Thanks for all you do,

Lou

All Hail the Seed Bomb

2011-01-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

Celia Alario

Grassroots Media Strategist from the Blue Southeastern Corner of the Red State of Utah

Posted: January 14, 2011 04:55 PM

On a recent visit to Los Angeles I was overjoyed at the creativity, ingenuity, business savvy and pure chutzpah of a green service project presented on the streets, a Green Aid Initiative by the Common Studio called Seed Bombs!

I was drawn immediately to the strangely out-of-place green painted gumball machine outside a popular restaurant in the Fairfax district, clad with a stencil of a hand grenade with a flowering plant growing out of it. I was already fishing into my wallet for a couple of quarters before I even knew what I was going to get.

I was thrilled to see this inscription next to the price tag of 50 cents:

Seed Bombs
Combat the forgotten grey spaces you encounter every day.
Simply throw them into sidewalk cracks, vacant lots and parking meridians,
even your own backyard.
Seed Bombs are a great way temporarily reclaim and transform these derelict
urban sites into places worth looking at and caring for.

Yes indeed, a ball of various seeds and soil, mashed together into something just about the size of an 'Everlasting Gobstopper' and dispensed for your planting pleasure.

As I rolled the ball around in my hand, smelling its fecundity I 'oohed' and 'ahhed' myself into a tizzy, feeling the slightest beginning of dissipation of my Nature Deficit Disorder as the soils seeped into my skin.

But alas, this is not just your basic totally adorable urban gardening gimmick, as I would find by exploring their website. This is a truly fabulous execution of a fabulous idea. First off, the machines, their placement, maintenance and their eventual contribution to the greening of the community is an invitation to a partnership. If you are willing to help buy or lease a machine and bring it to your neighborhood in Los Angeles, San Francisco or any other increasing number of locales, these Common Studio folks will reward you by creating and continuously supplying you with a custom Seed Bomb, particularly formulated for maximum germination and success in the soils on your side of town.

Taking advantage of what the internet has to offer, the Common Studio's website offers mapping technology displaying the current placement of the Seed Bomb dispensers, and providing gentle prodding to fill in some of the spots not yet graced by the machines.

I was sold, but then I am a bit of sucker for this such thing. I'm that strange L.A. native that cheers on the trees as their roots push up that stretch of Santa Monica sidewalk yet again. I marvel at the renegade dandelion that finds enough space and soil in the cracks of the Brentwood pavement to spring forth and flower. Nothing makes my day more than a center divider in Venice, that sweet little square of dirt displaying the miraculous abundant diversity of eight different coastal wetland plants, laid out for your viewing pleasure all within a stone's throw of the latest new exclusive wine bar.

I regularly geek out over urban gardening phenoms large and small, and once went 25 blocks out of my way to shoot a video of a small tomato plant bearing fruit in a vacant lot on Market Street in San Francisco. It was truly an urban botanist's dream!

Staring at the Seed Bomb machine I saw the fruits of victory, and raised a toast to the many people I've known and loved who have created, fostered, tended and defended urban gardens. Cheers to the folks who worked so hard on the South Central Farm in East Los Angeles, and to those who bravely defended Esperanza Gardens in New York's Lower East Side.

I celebrated the Seed Bomb with a close friend, and well, we were sort of making a scene I suppose. A waiter came outside the restaurant after watching us linger in front of the machine taking photos, and shaking his head, regaled us with stories of folks who'd absent mindedly cranked a Seed Bomb out of the machine and taken a bite out of it, thinking it was a hip raw food dessert of some sort, only to be sorely disappointed.

I am anything but, and though I've yet to invest in a Seed Bomb machine partnership, but I have hit 'refresh' feverishly on their site's map looking strategically for where the next one should be called into service.

What about outside of your place? Is there some forgotten grey space that needs greening?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celia-alario/all-hail-the-seed-bomb-he_b_808288.html

Disney reusable shopping bags test high for lead

2011-01-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

Disney-themed reusable shopping bags sold in Safeway grocery stores contained more than 15 times the legal limit for lead, according to independent lab tests commissioned by an environmental watchdog group.

The Center for Environmental Health is demanding that Disney, Safeway and the bags' manufacturer, Advanced Publisher, stop selling the "Toy Story" and "Cars" plastic bags. The center, based in Oakland, has threatened to sue unless the companies also eliminate lead in their bags and pay a civil penalty.

The companies have 60 days to respond to the Jan. 11 notice before the center may pursue legal action.

"These hazardous lead levels in Disney-themed products from a major retailer like Safeway are especially disappointing now that it has been almost three years since federal legislation banned lead in children's products," Michael Green, the center's executive director, said in a statement.

The federal limit for lead in children's products is 300 parts per million, or 0.03 percent lead by weight. The center has asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the bags.

The center purchased a couple dozen Disney bags from Safeway stores in Oakland and Oregon. A spokeswoman for Safeway told the Glendale News-Press that the supermarket chain no longer sells the bags.

"They were available for just a few short weeks last year, and we sold less than 2,000 nationwide," Teena Massingill said.

Disney officials said they were looking into the matter with Advance Publishers, based in Maitland, Fla., the News-Press reported.

"We require that all Disney products must be tested by our licensees and manufacturers, and that they comply with all laws before being shipped," Disney said in a statement. "We are currently in contact with our licensee, to ensure that these bags were tested and are in compliance."

Other Disney-branded products – including baby bibs, diaper bags, children's jewelry and lunch boxes – have tested high for lead as well, according to the center.

"With a company that has the resources that Disney has, they should be a leader," said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the center. "They should be one of the companies that's doing the most to avoid these kinds of problems. For it to continue like this seems unacceptable."

Long-term and high exposure to lead is toxic and potentially fatal. It can damage the nervous system, brain, kidneys and reproductive system. Children are particularly vulnerable to the heavy metal.

The Disney bags contained the highest amounts of lead in their plastic interiors, posing risks for hand-to-mouth exposure, Margulis said.

"If you're using this as a shopping bag, food's going in there – lead can rub off on the food," he said. "It's a kids product. Kids might use it for carrying their toys. … Lead can come off onto their hands. Hand-to-mouth exposure is pretty common with kids."

The center recommends consumers use reusable cloth bags, as some plastic bags have been found to have lead problems. The center offers free lead screening of reusable plastic bags at its office or by mail.

New Year brings new donations to sort through

2011-01-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

Greetings and Happy New Year!

A new year brings a fresh start to all the donation bags that have been growing too big for their storage spaces. I have begun digging through the past 3 months worth and am finding some interesting habits presenting themselves. Same as last year, I'm compiling a list of reminders that will help you decrease your household's plastic consumption. I will add on to last years and we'll see how many you can work on this year .

1. Bring your own cloth bags to any store you are headed to.
2. Don't buy beverage bottles in plastic. Choose aluminum or glass.
3. Carry your own reusable steel or ceramic beverage container. Use a glass mason jar instead.
4. Don't get to-go coffee or hot drink containers. Take in your mug, you'll probably get a discount.
5. Go to the farmers' market and purchase fresh veggies and fruits and bring them home in a cotton bag.
6. Don't buy convenience foods packaged in plastic.
7. Make your own bread.
8. Buy bread and meat from bakeries and butchers that package in plastic or wax.
9. Clean with backing soda and vinegar instead of cleaners packaged in plastic.
10. Buy laundry detergent in cardboard boxes, not liquid in plastic containers.
11. Buy farm fresh eggs in reusable containers. Return your cartons to the farm.
12. Get your cheese from the deli and have it wrapped in paper.
13. Get your tofu from the coop in bulk and put it in a jar.
14. Package your leftovers in foil at the restaurant. Bring your own Tupperware to restaurant. No Styrofoam!
15. Put your own leftovers in foil or glass at home.
16. Use bar soap to wash your dishes.
17. Use deodorant that comes as a natural bar, there are many that are more effective anyway.
18. Don't use air fresheners. Light a candle or incense instead.
19. Store all your food in glass containers that were once other products you bought.
20. Buy bulk cereal, bring your own container and pack milk for work.
21. Buy tortilla chips packaged in paper bags or buy a large bag instead of individual small bags.
22. Buy bulk coffee packaged in paper or reuse the brown bags next time.
23. Buy milk in paper cartons... most cartons come from the local farm anyway!
24. Buy peanut butter in glass containers.
25. Buy bar soap, not liquid body wash.
26. Compost your trash, reduce the amount of garbage bags, buy biodegradable garbage bags.
27. Line small trash bins in your house or office with paper bags, don't line at all!
28. When ordering drinks, say "no straw please".
29. Buy real maple syrup that comes in glass containers.
30. Buy toilet paper that is wrapped in paper.
31. Don't use Ziplocs! If you need to keep things in the fridge, use aluminum or wax or glass.
32. Use cloth rags for clean up around the house, you can wash them instead of buying paper towels.
33. Use matches instead of plastic lighters.
34. Use cloth napkins instead of paper wrapped in plastic.
35. If you want a fun drink, buy chocolate milk in a carton or apple juice in a glass bottle.
36. Don't buy a drink in a collectible or funky plastic do dad glass when at an event.
37. Put empty cardboard boxes in your car to carry heavier items to your car without a bag.
38. If you do forget your bags, request paper bags or nothing at the store.
39. Don't use plastic cutting boards, use wood or glass.
40. Use baby bottles made of glass.
41. Use stainless steel sippy cups for kids.
42. Use cloth based toys for kids and pets.
43. Buy cloth diapers. It's easier than you think!
44. Buy CDs packaged in cardboard sleeves or buy your music online.
45. Use junk mail and other paper to stuff into packages to ship instead of bubble wrap.
46. Use real silverware for parties instead of plastic.
47. Use rechargeable batteries to reduce buying batteries wrapped in plastic.
48. Make a compost heap to reduce food waste, a large component of the trash can bulk.
49. Use a reusable cloth bag to carry your lunch to school or work.
50. Buy a 2-liter bottle and pour some into a glass jar or buy soda in cans. Limit 20 oz. bottles.
51. Shop at the co-op or market where you can buy bulk and use the in-house glass jars for carryout.
52. Wash out your Ziploc or bags to reuse them, it's as easy as doing your dishes.
53. Buy larger bags of candy that aren't individually wrapped.
54. Steer clear from individually wrapped anything.

Proud to be part of the "Made in WMASS" Etsy Team

2010-12-30T09:05:00.000-08:00

Made in WMASS is an online collective of artists, crafters, and artisans who sell on Etsy and are interested in being part of the handmade revolution. We are here to help, promote, and encourage WMASS Etsy sellers. This group is a collective and will work together to encourage the sale of handmade goods in our local communities and the world.

http://www.etsy.com/teams/5332/made-in-wmass

New Handmade movement discussed on WFCR

2010-12-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

AMHERST, MA (wfcr) - The buy-local movement that has food buyers scurrying to area farm stands ... is moving to the arts. In part two of a series on the arts economy, Western Massachusetts artisans are hoping to convince local merchants and fair organizers to prioritize home-grown talent. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. © Copyright 2010, wfcr

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wfcr/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1740377/WFCR.Local.Features/Buy.Local.Movement.Comes.to.the.Arts.-.Series.Part.2

Repost: Plastic Bag Recycling Rules

2010-10-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

~PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING RULES ~

~ PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING CONTAINERS ARE LOCATED AT GROCERY STORES AND SELECTED TRANSFER STATIONS ~

NEVER PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN REGULAR CURBSIDE RECYCLING CONTAINERS:

***PLASTIC BAGS IN THE RECYCLING BINS CAUSE SAFETY HAZARDS AT THE RECYCLING PLANT***

DO RECYCLE:

· Only bags that are empty clean and dry. Remove receipts.

· Grocery bags (all colors OK)

· Plastic newspaper bags (empty)

· Dry cleaning bags (no receipts)

· Any plastic bags labeled with:

· #2 , “HDPE”, “PE-HD”

· #4 , “LDPE” “PE-LD”

· or “LLDPE”

(some produce bags are labeled 2 or 4)

DO NOT RECYCLE:

**UNLESS LABELED WITH A #2 OR #4 **

· NO bags with food in or on

· NO garbage bags

· NO food or cling wrap (Saran)

· NO bread bags or food storage bags (such as Ziploc)

· NO prepackaged food bags such as frozen food or prewashed salad bags

· NO chip bags or wrappers

· NO bags with paint or glue

· NO compostable plastic bags

· Any bag with a recycling symbol or # other than those described in the “yes” column

*** CAN’T RECYCLE IT? DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT?

GET IN TOUCH, IT MAY BE UPCYCLED! LOUSUPCYCLES@GMAIL.COM ***

2010-10-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

EcoEnclose is proud to present entirely unique biodegradable, compostable, and recycled packaging products that will be sure to please your own green conscience and impress your ever growing number of eco-conscious customers.

Allow us to introduce the new standard in mailer shipping! EcoEnclose is proud to present a fully biodegradable poly mailer that will be sure to please your own green conscience and impress your ever growing number of eco-conscious customers.

EcoEnclose Biodegradable Poly Mailers:

Will completely biodegrade within 5-60 months.

Returns to the earth as humus and biomass.

Will break down in composting or in LANDFILLS!

Features a handy tear strip for easy opening.

Double adhesive strip that allows reuse before disposal.

Are guaranteed to maintain integrity in storage and in use.

Made in the USA!

http://www.ecoenclose.com/

yup. our fault.

2010-09-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

The real scoop on decomposition of plastic bags

2010-09-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

Posted on Mon, Sep. 20, 2010

EarthTalk: How long does it take for a plastic bag to decompose?

By E/THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE
Emagazine.com

Dear EarthTalk: I've heard conflicting reports regarding how long it really takes for a plastic grocery bag to decompose. Can you set the record straight?

- Martha Blount, San Diego

Researchers fear that such ubiquitous bags may never fully decompose; instead they gradually just turn into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic. The most common type of plastic shopping bag is made of polyethylene, a petroleum-derived polymer that microorganisms don't recognize as food and as such cannot technically "biodegrade." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines biodegradation as "a process by which microbial organisms transform or alter (through metabolic or enzymatic action) the structure of chemicals introduced into the environment." In "respirometry" tests, whereby experimenters put solid waste in a container with microbe-rich compost and then add air to promote biodegradation, newspapers and banana peels decompose in days or weeks, while plastic shopping bags are not affected.

Even though polyethylene can't biodegrade, it does break down when subject to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, a process known as photodegradation. When exposed to sunshine, polyethylene's polymer chains become brittle and crack, eventually turning what was a plastic bag into microscopic synthetic granules. Scientists aren't sure whether these granules ever decompose fully, and fear that their buildup in marine and terrestrial environments - and in the stomachs of wildlife - portend a bleak future compromised by plastic particles infiltrating every step in the food chain. A plastic bag might be gone in anywhere from 10 to 100 years (estimates vary) if exposed to the sun, but its environmental legacy may last forever.

The best solution to plastic bag waste is to stop using disposable plastic bags altogether. You could invest a few bucks in reusable canvas totes - most supermarket chains now offer them - or bring your own reusable bags or backpacks with you to the store. If you have to choose between paper and plastic, opt for paper. Paper bags can biodegrade in a matter of weeks, and can also go into compost or yard waste piles or the recycling bin. Of course, plastic bags can be recycled also, but as just explained the process is inefficient. According to the nonprofit Worldwatch Institute, Americans only recycle 0.6 percent of the 100 billion plastic bags they take home from stores every year; the rest end up in landfills or as litter.

Another option which some stores are embracing - especially in places like San Francisco where traditional plastic shopping bags are now banned in chain supermarkets and pharmacies - are so-called compostable plastic bags, which are derived from agricultural waste and formed into a fully biodegradable faux-plastic with a consistency similar to the polyethylene bags we are so used to. BioBag is the leader in this field, but other companies are making inroads into this promising new green-friendly market.

San Francisco's pioneering effort to get rid of polyethylene bags is a positive step, but environmentalists are pushing for such bans more widely. A California effort to ban plastic bags failed again recently, but will likely eventually succeed. Washington, Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina are watching closely and considering similar laws depending on what happens in the Golden State. Worldwatch reports that taxes on plastic bags in South Africa and Ireland have been effective at reducing their use by upwards of 90 percent; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan and the UK are also planning to ban or tax plastic bags to help stem the tide of plastic waste.

CONTACTS: Worldwatch, www.worldwatch.org; BioBag, www.biobagusa.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, c/o E The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

© 2010 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/20/v-print/1833375/earthtalk-how-long-does-it-take.html#ixzz10AYt41NZ

More Upcycling Information, become a facebook friend!

2010-07-13T15:50:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to sign up as a Lou's Upcycles facebook friend! There are links to articles, shopping, tips and ideas in the plastic not-so-fantastic world. Thanks for paying attention to your waste!

http://www.facebook.com/LousUpcycles

Repost: The Story of Stuff link

2010-07-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this video, please gather your children and your parents and your neighbors and spend twenty minutes to change how you look at trash. please.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Today is International Plastic Bag Free Day!

2010-07-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.residusiconsum.org/mails/3juliol/mail-3j-1-en.html

Take action here...

A forest of Plastic

2010-07-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, these are all plastic bags...

51 Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Use

2010-04-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

Many have requested that I put this up for printing. Try to do one a day, a month, as much as you can. Go ahead and add some if you like!

51 Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Use

1. Bring your own cloth bags to any store you are headed to.
2. Don't buy beverage bottles in plastic. Choose aluminum or glass.
3. Carry your own reusable steel or ceramic beverage container. Use a glass mason jar!
4. Don't get to-go coffee or hot drink containers. Take in your mug, you get a discount!
5. Go to the farmers' market and purchase fresh veggies and fruits
6. Don't buy convenience foods packaged in plastic.
7. Make your own bread
8. Buy bread and meat from bakeries and butchers that package in plastic or wax.
9. Clean with backing soda and vinegar instead of cleaners packaged in plastic.
10. Buy laundry detergent in cardboard boxes, not liquid in plastic containers.
11. Buy farm fresh eggs in reusable containers. Return your cartons to the farm.
12. Get your cheese from the deli and have it wrapped in paper.
13. Get your tofu from the coop in bulk and put it in a jar.
14. Package your leftovers in foil at the restaurant. Bring your own tupperware to restaurant.
15. Put your own leftovers in foil or glass at home.
16. Use bar soap to wash your dishes. Dr. Bronner's is perfect!
17. Use deodorant that comes as a natural bar, there are many that are more effective anyway.
18. Don't use air fresheners. Light a candle or incense instead.
19. Store all your food in glass containers that were once other products you bought.
20. Buy bulk cereal, bring your own container and pack milk for work.
21. Buy tortilla chips packaged in paper bags or buy a large bag instead of individual small bags.
22. Buy bulk coffee packaged in paper or reuse the brown bags next time.
23. Buy milk in paper cartons... most cartons come from the local farm anyway!
24. Buy peanut butter in glass containers.
25. Buy bar soap, not liquid body wash.
26. Compost your trash, reduce the amount of garbage bags, buy biodegradeable garbage bags.
27. Line small trash bins in your house or office with paper bags, don't line at all!
28. When ordering drinks, say "no straw please".
29. Buy real maple syrup that comes in glass containers.
30. Buy toilet paper that is wrapped in paper.
31. Don't use Ziplocs! If yo ned to keep things in the fridge, use aluminum or wax or glass.
32. Use cloth rags for clean up around the house, you can wash them instead of buying papertowels.
33. Use matches instead of plastic lighters
34. Use cloth napkins.
35. If you want a fun drink, buy chocolate milk in a carton or apple juice in a glass bottle.
36. Don't buy an alcoholic drink in a collectible or funky plastic do dad glass when at an event.
37. Put empty cardboard boxes in your car to carry heavier items to your car without a bag.
38. If you do forget your bags, request paper bags or nothing at the store.
39. Don't use plastic cutting boards, use wood or glass.
40. Use baby bottles made of glass.
41. Use stainless steel sippy cups for kids.
42. use cloth based toys for kids and pets.
43. Buy cloth diapers. It's easier than you think!
44. Buy CDs packaged in cardboard sleeves or buy your music online.
45. use junk mail and other paper to stuff into packages to ship instead of bubble wrap.
46. Use real silverware for parties instead of plastic.
47. use rechargeable batteries to reduce buying batteries wrapped in plastic.
48. make a compost heap to reduce food waste, a large component of the trash can bulk.
49. use a reusable cloth bag to carry your lunch to school or work.
50. Buy a 2-liter bottle and pour some into a glass jar or buy soda in cans. Limit 20 oz. bottles.
51. Shop at the co-op or market where you can buy bulk and use the in-house glass jars for carryout.

Want another option besides plastic wrap in your kitchen?

2010-03-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Abeego Flats are natural, reusable, eco-conscious food packaging created using hemp/cotton fabric infused with a blend of beeswax and plant extracts. Once you get these, you won't need plastic wrap or tin foil for your leftovers anymore!

The convenient Abeego Flats are the perfect kitchen companion, especially for families moving toward a plastic-free life. The natural waxy coating allows it to be molded and pressed to a variety of dishes or directly around the food item being stored. The fluid-resistant coating keeps food fresh and is easy to clean.

Simply hand wash Abeego in COLD, soapy water and enjoy the long life of this plastic free, durable product. A set of Flats includes a 6, 9, and a 12 inch square.

Find them here:

Recycle your potting soil bags!

2010-03-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

While getting your seeds tucked in for the spring sprout,

make sure to take a look at your potting soil bag...

it may be recyclable along with your other #2 and #4 bags!

Here's some other links about plastic bag recycling:
http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/plasticbag/index.html
http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=5
http://earth911.com/news/2009/06/15/360-recycling-plastic-bags/

The Story of Stuff - Watch And Be Inspired

2010-01-19T06:31:00.001-08:00

I highly recommend this video. It's poignant, easy to watch, good for all ages.
Have a group gather around and see for yourself... do you have 20 minutes to change how you see the world?

See the movie by clicking here: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

to get more info you can check out the blog at:
http://www.storyofstuff.org/blog/

Captain Charles Moore - Lou's 2010 Inaugural Plastic Hero

2010-01-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Meet Captain Plastic - my research obsession

Please Please Please:
Watch his lecture on TED discussing the Sea of Trash: (Only 7 minutes long)
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

Oceanographic Research Vessel Alguita and its Captain found their true calling after a 1997 yacht race to Hawaii. On his return voyage, Captain Moore veered from the usual sea route and saw an ocean he had never known, "there were shampoo caps and soap bottles and plastic bags and fishing floats as far as I could see. Here I was in the middle of the ocean, and there was nowhere I could go to avoid the plastic." Ever since, Captain Moore has dedicated his time and resources to understanding and remediating the ocean's plastic load. Along with collaborators from the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project he developed protocols for monitoring marine and beach micro-plastics which are now used from the remote beaches of Polynesia to the United Nations Environmental Programme in Europe.

He is the lead author of two scientific papers published in Marine Pollution Bulletin:

" A Comparison of Plastic and Plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre". Article by C.J. Moore, S.L. Moore, M.K. Leecaster, and S.B. Weisberg, Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Published in Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 (2001) 1297–1300.
" A Comparison of Neustonic Plastic and Zooplankton Abundance in Southern California’s Coastal Waters". Article by C.J. Moore, S.L. Moore, S.B. Weisberg, G.L. Lattin, and A.F. Zellers; Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Published in Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 (2002) 1035–1038.

His 1999 study shocked the scientific world when it found 6 times more plastic fragments by weight in the central Pacific than the associated zooplankton. His second paper found that plastic outweighs plankton by a factor of 2.5 in the surface waters of Southern California.

Captain Moore has now done ocean and coastal sampling for plastic fragments over twenty thousand miles of the north Pacific ocean, across 22 degrees of latitude and 50 degrees of longitude. His latest 7,500 mile voyage was featured in the Nov. 4 issue of US News and World Report.

Repost: Here you go kids! Make your own Plarn!

2009-11-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a little tutorial on here to show everyone that materials can be free of charge!!
Trashion-heads like me know that where there's trash, there's something new.

Here's how to make "plarn" - plastic yarn. Now YOU can save 5 billion plastic bags from ending up in some landfill under our nearest walmart.

Step One: collect trash bags from anyone and anywhere. i like to pillage the recycling bin at the local markets. i'd really like to see the looks of people's faces when only my rear is showing because i found a really cool colored bag way way way down at the bottom of the barrel. you can also have your friends collect them for you or leave a donation box out on your porch for passers by.

pile 'em up. i like to do a whole batch at once. cuts down on the rustling and crinkling that will drive your household nuts. you can do one bag at a time (folding, cutting, looping) but it really is more efficient to lay them all out first. *** make sure when you flatten the bags, tuck in the sides as the bag would naturally fold ***

keep folding the bag in half and half and half until you have a long strip. perfection is not necessary.

cut off the sealed end of one side and the handles of the other side.

cut into approx. 1" strips (you can make them bigger but you need a bigger hook size) those who prefer to knit might want to make 2" strips. the bags are quicker to make with larger strips but the overall quality improves with 1" strips.

pull apart the cut strips to create plastic open loops. it's best to have a brown paper bag or some other container to keep all the cuttings in.

create a long chain of loops by attaching each loop to the next using a slip knot.

*** remember not to pull too tightly when you loop as the plastic at this stage is pretty fragile

continue to attach the loops until you have a fairly long chain to begin crocheting with. you can wind the chain into a ball as you go or wait until your chain is complete. option three is what i choose: sit in the pile of plastic and crochet myself out of it (results not typical):

after you have a ball or pile or what have you, find your last loop if you haven't lost it already and begin your first crochet loop with your hook or your first stitch with your knitting needles.

there you have it, you are ready to save the world and have a ton of fun doin' it. use for rope, beading, crossstitch, anything that requires a fiber! enjoy!

Lou's Upcycles to join Artisans of WMASS!

2009-11-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

What an amazing group of people! We'll make sure you never shop at a big box again!
Click HERE to find out more on Facebook!

Happy International Day of Climate Action!!

2009-10-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

On 24 October, people in 181 countries are coming together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people are gathering to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

http://www.350.org/action-list to locate events in your area

Welcome to "NO Impact Week" October 18th - 25th

2009-10-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to No Impact Week with the Huffington Post
Click Here to learn all about it!

Click Here to get a plethora of articles relating to the environment that we keep jeopardizing.

"Do what you can, when you can, with whomever you can, please."

Green Garbage Project: Go on with your trash selves Amy and Andy!

2009-09-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

The Green Garbage Project is pretty simple, really. It’s a little like a science experiment, where we start out with a question: Is it possible to live for one year without producing trash that winds up in a landfill? With a few minor exceptions (see Ground Rules, below), we think this is possible, even living in the country that produces more trash each year than any other country in the world. So, we set out to answer the question by putting our own lifestyle to the test. For one year, we will produce as little trash as humanly possible – ultimately, we hope to produce one plastic grocery sack (or less) of garbage bound for the landfill.
go HERE to read all about it!

Where can I drop off my recyclable plastic bags? What IS plastic? What's the difference in number?

2009-09-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

If you need to know where plastic bag drop off locations are in your state/area you can go here to find out more...

If you would like to know more about plastic in general, this is a great site!

You're on your own for the next hour :)

Plastic Bag drop off locations in MASS

2009-09-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

1. Big Y Foods, Inc.	http://www.bigy.com
2. Hannaford Bros. Co.	http://www.hannaford.com
3. Harvest Co-op	http://www.harvestcoop.com
4. MarketBasket supermarkets	http://supportmarketbasket.org/storelocations.aspx
5. Shaws	http://www.shaws.com
6. Staples	http://www.staples.com/
7. Star Market	http://www.supervalu.com/
8. Stop & Shop	http://www.stopandshop.com/
9. TAGS Hardware	http://www.tagshardware.com
10. Wal-Mart	http://www.walmart.com
11. Whole Foods	http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

Don't forget, and PLEASE!, recycle all #2 and #4 bags...unless your community accepts other #s. Go to your county's waste management site to check what local stores will accept.

#2 and #4 include but are not limited to:
* DRY CLEANING BAGS
* GROCERY STORE BAGS
*FOOD WRAPPERS (CHECK THE BAG FOR #) INCLUDING BREAD BAGS, TORTILLAS, FROZEN FOODS, PITA, SALAD MIX. ***NOT ALL WRAPPERS ARE RECYCLABLE***
* ICE BAGS
*WOOD STOVE AND PELLET FUEL BAGS (#4)
* COLORED AND CLEAR NEWSPAPER BAGS
*ANY ANY ANY BAG WITH #2 AND #4, EVEN SOME BLUE AND COLORED BAGS ARE LABELED FOR RECYCLING...

Please take the extra moment and check before tossing it in the trash or bundling it up for me to use :)

About 30% of donations that come in are actually plastics that can be recycled!

Thanks for all you do,

Lou

Lou's Upcoming Events

2009-07-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

In addition to the Farmers' Markets:
Wed: Turners Falls
Fri: Shelburne Falls
Sat: Greenfield

Fused plastic will be rockin' at:

Aug. 7 & 8 -- Steppin' Out - Blacksburg, VA
http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/steppin_out.aspx

Aug 21st & 22nd -- Boston Greenfest - Boston, MA
www.bostongreenfest.org

Sept. 11th & 12th -- Franklin County Fair - Greenfield, MA
www.fcas.com

Sept. 19th & 20th -- Old Deerfield Craft Show
www.deerfield-craft.org/fall-fair.htm

Oct. 3rd & 4th -- North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival - Greenfield, MA
http://www.garlicandarts.org/

Oct. 14th Catwalk to Campground Fashion Show - Providence, RI
http://www.theautismproject.org/events_fashionshow.php

Oct. 17th & 18th -- Gill Fall Arts and Crafts Festival - Gill, MA
http://friendsofgill.org/info.htm

Oct. 25th Rays of Hope Walk for Breast Cancer - Greenfield Energy Park

Nov. 13th & 14 (keepin the fingers crossed!) TWIST - Northampton, MA

more events TBA!

Upcycled Hiking!

2009-06-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

What a great time we had at the DAR State Forest Sat. June 27th at the campground pavilion! Lou demonstrated how to make fabric out of un-recyclable plastic wrappers and yarn out of plastic bags... great camping spot too!

SHOP YOUR FARMERS MARKETS!

2009-06-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Farmers markets support a sustainable food system by offering regionally-grown produce. Small family farms stay in business; land is protected from development, and consumers receive fresh food that does not travel far. Many markets sell more than just fruits and vegetables, and include meats, wines, cheeses, flowers, herbs, baked goods, wool and hand-crafted items. These markets provide a direct link between the farmer and consumer, benefiting both.

HEAD DOWN TO YOUR FARMERS MARKETS! ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY, LOCAL ECONOMY, FARMS, AND THE EARTH!

Also... vote for your favorite market here: (winning market gets $5,000!)
http://www.care2.com/farmersmarket

Message to all from Lou

2009-06-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

To all fellow upcyclers, supporters of upcycling, and other humans affected by the Earth's future:

This month marks the one year anniversary of the point at which I stopped crawling in dumpsters and began collecting plastic bag donations. It has been an amazing journey, from researching each type of plastic, to getting to know it as a fiber and learning how disgustingly much we waste as consumers. Hindsight being 20/20, there is little I would actually change, but I have reached a crucial point of reflection as we spring into summer.

I don't know if it's what I have been putting out there as I talk with hundreds of people about my mission, or if the message is coming across skewed - but somehow, the amount of plastic coming to me is increasing tenfold. While I am grateful for material to work with, this is not what I imagined.

I am afraid Lou's Upcycles has become a place where plastic can delivered so consumers do not have to feel guilty about buying hundred-packs of chips, cases of water bottles wrapped in plastic, tiny candy bars, and other scary over-packaging. "Oh, it's okay, Lou can use all of this to make cool stuff." I think we may have forgotten that what I make should be unnecessary and unfortunate, in a way. Lou's Upcycles was created by something that is suffocating the planet.

My goal has always been two-fold: to make art and to inform others about really looking at their purchases and trying to make choices with less of an impact on our Earth. It has been an increasing concern that Lou's Upcycles is justifying these purchases, rather than discouraging them, as I have noticed that the amount of convenience food wrappers is, again, increasing. Although donating them to good use is far better than putting them in the landfills, eliminating the culprit purchases from the get-go is a far wiser ultimate goal.

Believe me, I am not the perfect guru of purchasing. I need my stuff like anyone, and that stuff is wrapped in plastic 99% of the time. I am just analyzing my business plan, particularly its non-art part, as a whole.

Here are some ideas I've come up with:

1. Please continue sending/donating/dropping off your donations. Lou's Upcycles will turn them into something that will last - and look good doing it. When you are making the purchase that created the donation, though, be critical. Please don't let my creations encourage your purchase. Hopefully, each successive donation will start showing a decline in the amount and type of plastics included.

2. Please stay vigilant about what you are buying. Is there any way to get it in bulk, a larger size, with less packaging, or with more Earth-friendly packaging?

3. Invent new choices: use bread bags instead of ziplocks, cereal bags to store snacks in, newspaper bags for animal poop, small chip bags to use as snack bags for lunches - filling them frequently from a larger chip bag, pellet bags/soil bags for trash bags... there are soooo many choices that we can make that will head all of us in the right direction.

4. Here are some other tips:
· Styrofoam can be tough to avoid, but not impossible. Bring your own mug with you to get hot and cold drinks. Try to avoid deli items packaged on Styrofoam trays, and request a simple foil wrapper for your restaurant leftovers.
· Look for products with the least amount of plastic packaging.
· Try to reduce the need to throw away plastics. For example, use canvas shopping bags. Don't accept a bag if you don't need one. Some stores sell cooking oils, liquid soaps, and detergents in bulk; refill your own container.
· Vegetables and fruits at the grocery store don't need to go in a plastic bag in the aisle and then another at the checkout. If you do use bags for veggies and fruit, reuse them in the place of a ziploc at home.
· Reuse plastic containers or make them into something else.
· If you must buy a plastic product, choose one made of recycled plastic- this will help strengthen markets for recycling plastics.
· Many local mailing service stores and some small businesses accept foam packing peanuts for reuse. Check the yellow pages under “mailing services” or “shipping services” for the one closest to you. Be sure to call first to confirm that the store will accept them. Of course, try to avoid them altogether - use fabric, newspaper, or even popcorn to tuck your mailings in.
· Some local stores will accept plastic bags for recycling. If your grocery store doesn’t, ask them to start. Many area secondhand
and used books stores will accept bags for reuse. Ask your dry cleaner if they will reuse their bags. But why recycle them when you can reuse them or never use them at all!?
· When you purchase new plants, ask your garden center about returning the plastic pots.
Thank you for hearing Lou's friendly public service announcement. We all, including my family of course, need reminders every so often to re-open our eyes to things we already know but may have let become temporarily clouded.

Thanks for your time and thanks for all you do,

Lou Leelyn

Lou’s Upcycles
www.lousupcycles.etsy.com
www.lousupcycles.blogspot.com
lousupcycles@gmail.com

Lou finishing her square for the United Quilt project in Portland

2009-05-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Environmental Art Group Leave No Plastic Behind  presents:

United: The Plastic Quilt Project

Opens June 5

(Portland, OR). In 1985 the Peace Ribbon Project was started as a peace demonstration. Two years later The AIDS Memorial Quilt took shape to remember loved ones lost to HIV/AIDS. Over two decades later, in March 2009, Leave No Plastic Behind (LNPB) began United: The Plastic Quilt Project to represent the growing awareness of how plastic affects our ecosystems and bodies. Each 12”x12” square represents individuals, families and communities who actively seek alternatives to single-use plastic in their daily lives.

United: The Plastic Quilt Project exhibition begins on First Friday, June 5th, with an artist reception from 6-8 p.m. at S.C.R.A.P. Gallery (2915 NE MLK Jr. Blvd), where LNPB is now a tenant. The exhibition continues through Tuesday, June 30. On display are works from over 18 participating artists including project statements that give a sense of the participants’ experience with the project. These can also be viewed online at www.LNPB.org. The plastic quilt is expected to grow as the project travels to different places, involving more participants.   

Plastic included in the quilt squares are from participating artists, who made a commitment to take the three month plastic-free challenge, which inevitably gleaned plastic pieces that were then incorporated into their final submission. Over the past two years, 43 different artists from around the country have participated in a plastic-free challenge episode of LNPB, and several artists have participated in two or more.

LNPB presents art exhibits and creative events year round to raise awareness about the damaging effects of single use plastic and to offer alternative suggestions on how to reduce and reuse. LNPB continues to be inspired by Captain Charles Moore and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. LNPB recently expanded its services by locating to S.C.R.A.P. Gallery in NE Portland.

ARTISTS (Portland-based, unless otherwise noted)

 Kristin Anton Kelly Bryan

Vicky DeKrey Dani Dennenberg

Laurie Ewing Dana Fenwick

Kasey Goltra Geri Jarvis

Diane “Ruby Reusable” Kurzyna – Olympia, Washington

Lou Leelyn – Greenfield, Massachusetts

Cheryl Lohrmann Jessica Lyness

Melissa Porter Lhisa Reish – Olympia, Washington

Mollie Royer Ashley Taylor

Jessica Wansart Kristialyn Young

More information about United: Plastic Quilt Project

More information on the Peace Ribbon Project

 More information on the AIDS Memorial Quilt

S.C.R.A.P. Gallery is located on 2915 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, at Stanton.

  "Think Ahead, Leave No Plastic Behind." 

TUTORIAL: MAKE PLASTIC YARN (REPOST)

2009-04-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

Lou's Upcycles comes to Franklin, MA

2009-04-24T11:07:00.001-07:00

www.heirloomartisanexpos.com for more info...

Earth Day event! Come learn how to fuse plastic with Lou!

2009-04-21T19:36:00.001-07:00





		“Green” education, entertainment, food, fun & More

	Questions? Call Karen Buell at ext. 8686 Or Email environmentalcommittee@bankatpeoples.com

One Plastic Bag at a Time

2009-04-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd just share how much plastic Lou's Upcycles has saved from the landfills. This is only a small fraction of what has passed through the studio. Now it's not an excuse to go out and be a plastic consumer raging out of control with take out containers but it does help to see the impact I'm making everytime I slip up and grap a straw for my drink.
Thanks to all who have donated and to all who have thought twice before heading to the trash can. Now, let's just work on sending less next time... that means you are increasing your waste management.

I'd hate for everyone to say " oh, i'll buy the BIGGER package so that lou can make more fabric" ouch! missing the point!

put me outta business. seriously.

Deerfield Craft Show, Springfield MA

2009-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Congrats to all the new parents of an upcycled creation.
We had some great conversations with people about upcycling and hopefully opened many eyes. Remember to take this experience home and start looking at your lives and ways you can cut down on the amount of consumption, waste and singled wrapped obsession your family has...
Take a look at some new owners of a Lou's Upcycled bag: Thanks to all who came out and donated plastic bags!

See you at the next show!
-Lou

HUGE ADDITIONS TO THE LINEUP

2009-04-01T09:43:00.001-07:00

CHECK OUT WWW.LOUSUPCYCLE.ETSY.COM
100+ things have been added to the shop including:

Bibs:

Bi-fold Wallets:

and Plastic Confetti Zipper Pouches:

Spring Thing 3 Runway pics

2009-04-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Trashion comes alive!
Spring Thing 3 Providence, RI March 28th

Channeling Mickey Rooney

2009-04-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Cheryl from the LNPB blog left this perfectly summed up editorial I wanted to share:
Read the entire blog and follow the links at: http://lnpb.wordpress.com/

Don’t Cry for Me

March 5, 2009 by lnpbpdx

posted by Cheryl

Dear friends,

I feel an apology is in order. So many people who know me say that when they have a fall out with single-use plastic, they think of me. I don’t mean to be guilt inducing and would rather you not see MY disappointed face when you feel you have no choice. Maybe it’s the reason for all of my good fortune lately, but I’ve come up with ten things you can imagine instead. Whenever you use single-use plastic:

(these are mostly drawn from recent news about plastic)

1-another city decides life is better with the flimsy bag.

2-a plastic bag recycling outlet stops accepting the material.

3-a large chain store with a green policy still carries plastic bags.

4-a little more chemical leaches into someone’s hot coffee.

5-some finds a bit of plastic in their chicken sandwich.

6-another 3.9 billion pounds of plastic go to waste in the U.S (happened in 2007)

7-another undesirable t-shirt is not turned into a reusable bag.

8-a school chooses to purchase milk in plastic containers (In the 80’s I remember filling a cup, and having chocolate milk, too, not to bring the attention back to myself)

9-another food processor “improves” its packaging by changing to plastic.

10-yet another city decides not to ban plastic bags. Like, all the other kids are doing it, so it’s okay…

I hope this helps you to think more about yourself, than about me, when you give in to the ubiquity. After all, it’s really about all of us.

Channeling Andy Rooney, David Letterman, or somebody,

Cheryl

Leave No Plastic Behind has kicked off Episode 5...

2009-03-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.lnpb.org/plastic/episodefivegallery.html
Head here to read about the other artisans who will be making the United plastic quilt with me!

Why make wine when you can make plastic confetti?

2009-03-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

The daughter has been assisting with the confetti plastic... too bad she doesn't have the midas touch. Check out the Superhero Messenger bag created from this arduous process...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22702417

St. Patty's Day Sale at Lou's Upcycles

2009-03-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

happy st. patty's day!!! Shop www.lousupcycles.etsy.com and receive 17% any green item in the shop *********************

where it all began

2009-03-06T08:08:00.001-08:00

1955 - Life Magazine. After the war. No more scrimping, saving. Now mom can save time. Everyone can have leisure time now! Just throw it away!

50 years later. There is no such thing as away.

This blog entry is quoted from Sea of Consequences
http://seaofconsequences.blogspot.com/2008/01/1955-life-magazine-article-called.html
"Check out the photo... makes you wanna go "WOOHOO!!" (though actually BOOHOO is more appropriate)
Seemed like a good idea at the time. Fewer dishes to wash. The 1950's, a post WWII time of phenomenal growth in this country, hand in hand with growth came the mass production of single-use disposable plastics. And why not-- just throw the junk away.

Problem with "throwaway" though, 50 years later- there is no more "away." Too many people and too much stuff. Think about it - every plastic fork, knife, spoon, cup, plate and tray in this picture continues to exist, and will do so for the next... ohhhh.... 500-1,000 years. Teaching children to cross the street we say
"STOP, LOOK, & LISTEN."
We need to do similar - 1,000 years of floating around the ocean for a plastic knife to make a ham and mayo sandwich -
"STOP, THINK, & ENACT."

my thoughts exactly.

Follow Lou's 3 month Plastic Free Pledge

2009-03-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

Check out my other blog for a journey through three months of plastic free living. Honest, committed solutions for living as plastic free as possible:

Sponsored by Leave No Plastic Behind: http://lnpb.org/

Head to: www.loulnpb.blogspot.com to read updates

Lou's Season Show Schedule

2009-02-27T10:29:00.001-08:00

Lou will be spanning New England this spring and summer to spread the word of upcycling. Come and see trashion creations at any of these shows: Bring Lou some plastic to use in the next creation and receive 10% off your show purchase!

March:

13th Artwalk Easthampton, MA
http://www.artwalkeasthampton.org/
21st Holy Craft!, Cambridge MA
http://www.holycraft2009.blogspot.com/
28th A Spring Thing Fashion Show Providence, RI
http://providence.craigslist.org/eve/1039467758.html

April:

4th and 5th Old Deerfield Spring Show Springfield, MA
http://www.deerfield-craft.org/
11th Artwalk Easthampton, MA
http://www.artwalkeasthampton.org/
18th and 19th Greenfield Green Fair Expo Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldgreenfair.com/
25th Heirloom Artisan Expo Franklin, MA
http://www.heirloomartisanexpos.com/

May:

1st and 2nd TWIST fair Northampton, MA
http://www.twistfair.com/
3rd Cambridge Design Hive Cambridge, MA
http://www.designhivemarket.com/
9th Eastworks Spring Fair Easthampton, MA
http://eastworks.com/events.html
15th - 17th Sprinkler Factory 3 day fest Worcester, MA
http://www.sprinklerfactory.com/
23rd Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/
30th Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/

June:

6th Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/
7th Cambridge Design Hive Cambridge, MA
http://www.designhivemarket.com/
13th Shelburne Falls Riverfest
http://www.shelburnefalls.com/calendar/view_entry.php?id=11261&date=20080614
13 th Artwalk Easthampton, MA
http://www.artwalkeasthampton. org/
20th ArtsFest Beverly Beverly, MA
http://www.beverlymainstreets.org/artsfestbeverly12.html
27th Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/

July:

4th and 5th Summerfest New Bedford, MA
http://www.newbedfordsummerfest.com/
11th Amherst Crafts on the Common Amherst, MA
http://www.chd.org/bbbs/documents/07summerapplication.pdf
16th - 18th Green River Festival Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenriverfestival.com/
18th Art Beat Somerville, MA
http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/programs/artbeat/
25th Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/

August:

1st Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/
7th, 8th Steppin' Out Blacksburg, VA
http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/steppin_out.aspx
8 th Artwalk Easthampton, MA
http://www.artwalkeasthampton. org/
15th Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/
21st, 22nd Boston Greenfest Boston, MA
http://www.bostongreenfest.org/
29th Greenfield Farmers' Market Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenfieldfarmersmarket.com/

See you there!

-Lou

Terra Cycle hits the general public. Brilliant idea!

2009-02-05T05:03:00.000-08:00

Hooray for Terra Cycle! Check out their running brigades. Exactly what I'm doing except I'm not a 7 million dollar company who can donate 2 cents a package...
I was heat treating a bag of oreos the other day when i saw it... Brilliant!
Join a brigade, they will send you a collection bag, receive $0.02 per item collected to be donated to the collecting group (albeit a school, church, scouts, etc.)
I have a tear, I am so proud of our mentors, the littlest worm poop that could.
GO ECO-CAPITALISM!!
please read about them and support their cause! (and any wrappers they aren't collecting, you can send them to me. lol.)

Cookie Wrapper Brigade

Three cheers for Leave No Plastic Behind!

2009-01-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

what a great revolution happening in portland. thanks for the comment from the advocate for change. i found this great checklist on how to continue to be plastic free. do your best, do what you can, whenever you can. i find that for some people, it is so very difficult to live plastic free. this site offers great recipes for things like shampoo, toothpaste and all those tricky packaged things. go to your co-op, there's a ton of bulk!

here's what i came across: I KNOW, I KNOW, you can't read it... but if you are just a little intrigued... go to the link: http://lnpb.org/plastic/pledge.html and read it in its entirety.

Wherever you are on this greening earth, copy, print & post these reminders on your fridge! There will be no exhibit at the end of the winter, just the great sense of freedom and joy that comes along with living plastic-free.

As of 1/21/09 43 people in 5 states (goal: 100 people in 50 states) are taking the Winter plastic-free pledge. Tell us if you are joining us and tell your friends about it!

Ongoing Productions • Reduce Reuse Record
Located in Portland, Oregon
Email: cheryl@cheryllohrmann.com

THANKS FOR ALL THE DONATIONS!

2009-01-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

many many thanks to those who have donated plastics over the past year. as long as there are plastics filling up the landfills, there will be lou's upcycles. get in touch if you want to be a new donor! lousupcycles@gmail.com we'll take anything you don't want to throw away!

Start the New Year with a Recycling Program!

2009-01-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

Need information on pushing a recycling agenda at work? at church? at your neighborhood restaurant? in your community? Here's a great link for getting some preliminary information to create your 2009 game plan!

thanks for all you do,
Lou

http://www.greenandmore.com/environmental-information/home-recycling-5.html

link on over to some inspiration!

2008-12-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some great sites that have great inspiration to blast into 2009 as plastic free as possible:
p.s. no one is perfect, just do whatever you can, when you can!

http://plasticfree.blogspot.com/

http://www.crypticmoth.com/blog.html

fakeplasticfish.com

a new year, new tols, and new designs, 2009 = the year of plastic

2008-12-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

so very excited to begin the new year. so many ideas swirling around begging to be put on the board. santa was kind to the crafty lady this year... preparing to roll out some new and interesting twists on upcycling. hold on to your plastic, we're starting the journey!

phew! busy girl!

2008-12-16T18:40:00.001-08:00

Thanks for coming to Greenfield Center School, what a great venue! Hooray for homemade holiday shopping!

Lou is one busy girl this month! Lovin' it!

Check out the online store for new custom made bags and new checkbook designs!!

Lou switches to Eco-felt

2008-12-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

Although the felt now used to line Lou's wallets and pockets is purchased (by definition not upcycled), the felt is made from recycled plastic bottles. Read more to learn about the process: We think the exchange is honorable if not completely homogeneous to the upcycling pledge. Lou will be forgiven right?

Eco-fi is a high-quality polyester fiber made from 100% certified recycled plastic PET bottles. The fibers are warm, durable, weather resistant, lightweight and comfortable. Eco-fi can even be blended with other fibers, such as cotton or wool, for enhanced qualities.

How is it used

Used for a wide range of textile applications such as clothing, blankets, carpets, wall coverings, auto interiors, home furnishings, and craft felt.

How is it made

Plastic PET containers are picked up at curbside and community recycling centers, and then sorted by type and color. They are stripped of their labels and caps, washed, and crushed, then chopped into flake. These tiny pieces are melted and extruded to create fiber. The fiber produced is crimped, cut, drawn and stretched into desired length for strength, then baled. The baled fiber can be processed into fabric for a variety of textile product end uses.

Technical specifications

10 PET Bottles = 1 Pound of fiber

JUST FIGURE IT OUT

2008-11-18T04:50:00.001-08:00

It really gets me going sometimes how people come up with sooo many excuses not to change their habits. NY is in such a tizzy over modifying their carrying habits. I say - JUST FIGURE IT OUT - we must pretend that the plastic bag either DOES NOT EXIST or IS NOT AN OPTION. PERIOD, if we are to learn to live without it.

there was a time when we were not so dependent. we can do it again.

stop whining about your plastic bag people. problem solve. find a new solution. be the smart, inovative americans that you are. care just long enough to see that you are not the only one living on this planet. your convenience is the planet's death. not morbid, just true.

did you happen to see the article on how polar bears are eating each other because they are so hungry? we did that people. we did that. ice is actually needed up there and we're melting it. quickly.

JUST FIGURE IT OUT.

i have been virtually bag free for years. my groceries still make it home. even when i forget my tote. it can be done.

November 18, 2008

Seeing a Pitched Battle Over Plastic Bags

By MIREYA NAVARRO

Steven Thrasher usually carries two reusable cloth bags for any impromptu shopping. At the Ikea store in Brooklyn the other day, he gladly forked over $1.18 for two of the store’s big blue bags, made of durable plastic for repeated use.

But even an environmentally aware New Yorker like Mr. Thrasher cannot shake himself loose of the everyday disposable plastic bag. Friends visit him with food and drink wrapped in plastic. Sometimes, caught without his cloth bags when running into a store for an unplanned purchase, he accepts a plastic bag. For all his good intentions, he has a balled-up pile of them under his

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced this month that he would push for a 6-cent fee on each plastic bag, both to raise as much as $16 million a year for the city in its economic slump and to steer New Yorkers toward greener practices — switching to bags they can use over and over.

In interviews over the past week, many shoppers said the city’s largely carless, minimalist style did not easily lend itself to toting canvas or heavier plastic bags around like another accessory. Many also pointed out that the plastic bag is hardly a throwaway — indispensable, they said, for cleaning up after pets, camouflaging the smell of a dirty diaper, hiding an open can of beer or simply holding other trash.

“I’d have to buy garbage bags, which is more plastic again,” said Ellen Goldstein, 56, a painter and animator who lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Ms. Goldstein agrees that plastic must ultimately go, and she has plenty of cloth bags in her car. But that is where they remained when she caught a ride with a friend to Fairway Market in Red Hook last week.

So while her friend, Sarah Goldman, 42, a baker from Long Island, filled one side of the trunk with reusable bags reading, “There is only one earth,” Ms. Goldstein self-consciously filled the other with more than a dozen plastic bags fresh from the store.

“I do feel guilty,” she said.

Several European countries already impose hefty taxes of as much as 33 cents on standard plastic bags. San Francisco has banned them altogether at large grocery stores and pharmacies unless they are biodegradable bags, which are more expensive than regular ones. The news that New York was about to grapple with the issue drew hundreds of comments last week to The New York Times Web site, many of them welcoming the city out of the dark ages.

“How do I clean out my litter box every day?” one New Yorker asked. “What do we use in place of plastic bags? I am serious!”

John of Phoenix replied: “Simply keep the bag the litter came in and pour the used litter back into it. Problem solved.”

Lydia of New Jersey said she solved a similar problem by sliding a folded newspaper under her dog “when she squats to do her business.”

“Then I simply refold the paper around her droppings and discard the whole thing,” she wrote.

Robert Lange, director of the city’s recycling program, said the bags posed a challenge for such large-scale recycling because many are not clean enough to enter the recycling stream and, once there, tend to wrap themselves around other recyclables.

Count Mr. Collins among those willing to pay a tax for plastic. “If I need seven or eight bags, I’m not going to take eight canvas bags with me,” he said flatly.

There are, indeed, logistical issues that may make it impractical for many New Yorkers to bring their own reusable bags along when they shop. Most people walk or take the bus and subway, so they have no car trunk in which to carry a number of them. Because so many purchases are spur of the moment — as easy as spotting a storefront and remembering you need candles or toothpaste — sometimes the backpack, briefcase or humongous handbag that can store them are not handy.

And many people have found at least a second use for the single-use plastic bags. Janice Thomas, 47, a nanny in Brooklyn, said she used them to wrap items for her care packages to relatives in Granada. “You fold the stuff up and put them in the bag for shipping,” she said.

Mr. Thrasher, the Brooklyn man battling the wad of bags under his sink, finds plastic bags ideal for, of all things, composting. He uses them to store food scraps in the freezer, then takes them once a week to his farmers’ market. With a paper bag, he said, “I’d worry it’d rot through.”

On rainy days at Luna Deli, a bodega in East Harlem, some customers demand plastic bags even without a purchase.

“They ask for bags to cover their shoes,” said David Cortes, a store clerk who said he sometimes charges 5 cents per bag in such cases because “the store pays for those bags — they’re not a gift.”

“It doesn’t make sense to have to carry an empty bag around,” she said of the idea of bringing her own bag. “That’s what the plastic bag is for.”

But many grocers and retailers oppose the tax, fearing an increased demand for the paper bag, which they point out is more expensive and, because it is bulkier than plastic, requires more space and trucks to deliver. While easily recyclable, paper bags also require killing trees.

But the world may have to wait for New York to adjust. Mr. Thrasher, who grew up in California, said the New York mindset is such that he gets looks whenever he goes out to the corner deli for a pint of ice cream and refuses a plastic bag for it.

“People always think it’s weird, but it’s a 40-second walk from the deli to my house.

“If you can carry it to the cash register,” he said, “you can carry it home.”

Elation, Hope and Peace is finally here. Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a tribute to all the crafty dems who put their talents and energies into spreading the word about how great the future can be. We applaud you!

Lou's Upcycles hits the stores.

2008-10-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Lou's creations are now being sold at the following stores:

Happy Valley - 229 Main St. Northampton MASS
totes and shoulder bags sold here!

River Valley Market - 330 N. King St. Northampton MASS
lunchboxes, zippies and wallets sold here!

Stop by if you are in the area and get your hands on one of a kind plastic fantastic trashion accessories!

Cheers to Trex! Build a deck without cutting down a single tree!

2008-10-21T07:50:00.001-07:00

If you are in the need of a deck, railing, fencing or trim... check this company out of winchester, VA. they're rocking the recycled wood/plastic bag revolution.

Trex keeps some 300,000 tons of plastic and wood scrap out of landfills every year.
- that comes to about 600,000,000 pounds saved annually
NO TREES ARE CUT DOWN for the purpose of making Trex. Our wood comes from:
- reclaimed wood from woodworking operations
- used pallets
- sawdust (300 million pounds a year)
Trex recycles all forms of polyethylene.
Trex is one of the largest plastic bag recyclers in the United States.
- Grocery/Retail/Drug Stores
  - 7 out of every10 recycled grocery bags in the U.S. end up at Trex (about 1.5 billion per year)
- Industrial Accounts
- Agricultural Operations
- Food & Beverage plants
- Government agencies
- Colleges & Universities
- Bulk Pellets/Flake & Densified
Our manufacturing process is as green as our final product.
- Trailers are hydraulically powered with vegetable-based oil
- Our proprietary processing method eliminates smokestacks
- Factory runoff/refuse is recycled back into the manufacturing line
As much as possible, Trex packaging is made from recycled paper and plastic.
We regularly seek out third-party audits to make sure we’re continuously improving our green practices while meeting all environmental, health and safety guidelines and regulations.

trying to wake everyone up

2008-10-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

I'm posting an ad on Craig's List these days stating that if anyone sends me plastic bags, i will make them a wallet. The response has been huge and i want to believe that i am getting people to think twice about throwing that plastic trash away... if you are interested, email me: lousupcycles@gmail.com and i'll give you the info! Happy upcycling!

Words of Wisdom from the JUNK ship

2008-10-08T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am compelled to go back again and again to read about "JUNK" the upcycled, repurposed raft used by Captain Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation that made it 2,600 miles of open ocean crossed in 87 days on the Pacific Ocean to raise awareness about ocean suffocation due to plastic and disposable waste.

A great mission. True wisdom. One of my favorite quotes:

"That’s been our point. The Synthetic Century should have ended 8 years ago, replaced by the Age of Sustainability."

I presented our last gyre sample from our marine debris trawl. In a glass peanut butter jar were hundreds of fragments of plastic and zooplankton floating around. “This is what you get when you skim the ocean surface. 2/3rds of the earth is ocean, and is now a plastic soup.” I also showed the shriveled stomach from the rainbow runner I caught a couple weeks ago, with 14 fragments of plastic in it's stomach. This is why we crossed this ocean. Then we talked about what we do about it.

kinda makes you think twice... it better

2008-09-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

# of Plastic bags consumed this year:

courtesy of: Reusable bags . com

Hooray for the TWIST fair!

2008-09-10T05:57:00.001-07:00

The TWIST fair was a success! Thanks to the hard work of Lexie and Cory and all the volunteers and staff, we had a huge turnout! I met so many talented and completely amazing people; i was blessed to be a part of it. Thanks to all who came out to support local handmade artisans! Because of you, we will be launching a spring TWIST as well! Go bi-annual fairs!

Many of my creations were "adopted" and I was pleased to see them go with people who understood the purpose of my art... to get plastic out of landfills and to make a statement about upcycling.

There were two other fabulous ladies making art out of plastic:

Cara Taylor @ www.carataylor.com who creates amazing bags and really cool change purses. She also makes a deal for you where if you make the effort to recycle and send her plastic bags, she will award you with a free change purse. Cara's vibrant' colors make her wristlets rock too! Check her out...

The other plastic-fantastic booth was Bluma, Inc. @ www.hannahbluma.bigcartel.com
Hannah is rockin' some recently picked up colored plastic from Mexico and used basket weaving techniques to create super south american representin' basket bowls. from plastic trash! i love it!

Thanks again everyone! Lookin' forward to the spring.

If you want a list of vendors that attended, (*and you do!*) check out. www.twistfair.com

Franklin County Recycling Information

2008-08-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ever have that one thing in your house that's headed to the trash but the little voice in the back of your head wonders if it can be recycled after all? Check this site for great public information regarding any and all solid waste management issues...

http://www.franklincountywastedistrict.org/

Check out the Green Team supported by 93.9 FM The River

2008-08-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

go to http://wrsi.com/ and support your community efforts to create proactive, pro-planet ideas.

Lou's Shop Displays

2008-08-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

*** CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE***

Welcome to Lou's "virtual portfolio"! These items are no longer for sale in the online store but give you an idea of the possibilities in upcyling. Lou has gotten many new donations in every color under the sun so if you have something in mind, get in touch to create your ideal upcycled creation! If you have one bag to work with or 20, let's customize size and pattern to fit your needs!

Fun facts about where your recycled materials go...

2008-08-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Do you know what happens to the 45,000 tons of recyclables the Springfield Recycling Facility processes each year? After sorting and baling plastic, glass, and metal containers, and processing paper and cardboard, Waste Management Recycle America, the MRF operator, sells them to manufacturers who use the baled material as feedstock in manufacturing various products. As oil and gas prices continue to rise, recycled materials are in demand as an alternative to more costly and energy consumptive raw materials.
Water bottles, along with juice and soda bottles, #1 plastic aka PET, is sorted and baled at the MRF and then sent to Plastrec in Ontario. There it is shredded into small pieces about the size and shape of corn flakes. After cleaning and sorting by color, the flake is sold to manufacturers who make fleece clothing, fiberfill, plastic bottles, insulation, and carpets. PET plastic is in high demand’ the MRF receives $300 per ton for this type of plastic. Plastic milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles are made from high-density polyethylene, aka HDPE, or #2 plastic. Colored HDPE is sorted, baled, and sent to a Canadian company that makes plastic pallets and recycling bins. Opaque plastic, is sent to a company in Alabama that makes a plastic resin that eventually becomes non-food containers, plastic pipe, or automotive parts.

How to Make Plastic Bags into Your New Ball of Yarn

2008-08-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a little tutorial on here to show everyone that materials can be free of charge!!
Trashion-heads like me know that where there's trash, there's something new.

Here's how to make "plemp" plastic hemp (the current hip word is "plarn" - plastic yarn but i prefer "plemp". it's just durable as hemp, probably even more. Now YOU can save 5 billion plastic bags from ending up in some hole under our nearest walmart.

Plastic Backpack Captures Cow’s Flatulence to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions

2008-07-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Now here is something you’d think you’d only see on The Simpsons.
And yet, here it is –scientists are testing out plastic backpacks the
capture a cow’s gassy expulsions,to see if this can combat global
warming. By capturing the methane expelled by cows,
Argentine scientists hope that they’ll be better able to understand
the impact the gashas on global warming.

Considering that cow flatulence makes up over 30% of Argentina’s
greenhouse emissions, and that methane is >23 times more
heat-trapping than CO2, I can see why the scientists interested in
pursing this. They’re also changing up cows’ diets to see if that helps
them produce less gas, giving them clover and alfalfa
rather than grain to help them produce as much as 25% less gas – kind
of a major DUH thing to do considering cows are evolved to eat clover
and alfalfa and not grain anyway, so a diet of grain is bound to give
them a bit of indigestion.

Anyway, the backpacks don’t seem to bother the cows much, and
we’ll have to wait and see the results of these odd tests – and wait
to see if someone figures out how to run cars on the methane collected
from feedlots…and, um, other sources. Personally, I say we all just
eat less red meat and skip manufacturing yet more plastic
or wasting time on selective breeding.However, I love the fact
that cattle emissions is getting the attention it needs, and I won’t bash
on this backpack much – and I won’t even get started on the long
list of issues to using this on a large scale – because it’s likely not going
to be a realistic solution to global warming anyway.

New milk jugs prove that environmentalism works as long as nothing changes for consumers.

2008-06-30T08:32:00.001-07:00

By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — A simple change to the design of the gallon milk jug,
adopted by Wal-Mart and Costco, seems made for the times. The jugs are
cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher when it
arrives in stores, and it costs less.

What’s not to like? Plenty, as it turns out. The jugs have no real spout,
and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the
simple task of pouring a glass of milk. “I hate it,” said Lisa DeHoff, a cafe
owner shopping in a Sam’s Club here.

“It spills everywhere,” said Amy Wise, a homemaker.
“It’s very hard for kids to pour,” said Lee Morris, shopping for her grandchildren.

The new jugs have many advantages from retailers point of view, and
Sam’s Club intends to roll them out broadly, making them more prevalent.
The redesign of the gallon milk jug, experts say, is an example of the changes
likely to play out in the American economy over the next two decades. In an
era of soaring global demand and higher costs for energy and materials,
virtually every aspect of the economy needs to be re-examined,
they say, and many products must be redesigned for greater efficiency.

Mary Tilton tried to educate the public a few days ago as she stood at a Sam’s Club
in North Canton, about 50 miles south of Cleveland, luring shoppers
with chocolate chip cookies and milk as she showed them how to
pour from the new jugs.

“Just tilt it slowly and pour slowly,” Ms. Tilton said to passing customers
as she talked about the jugs’ environmental benefits and cost savings.
Instead of picking up the jug, as most people tend to do, she kept
it on a table and gently tipped it toward a cup.

The new jug marks a sharp break with the way dairies and grocers
have traditionally produced and stocked milk. Today, they bottle
and ship two different ways. The old way is inefficient and labor-intensive,
according to members of the family. The other day, a worker named
Dennis Sickafoose was using a long hook to drag plastic crates loaded
with jugs of milk onto a conveyor belt.

The crates are necessary because the shape of old-fashioned
milk jugs prohibits stacking them atop one another. The crates take up
a lot of room, they are unwieldy to move, and extra space must be
left in delivery trucks to take empty ones back from stores to the dairy.

But with the new jugs, the milk crates are gone. Instead, a machine
stacks the jugs, with cardboard sheets between layers. Then
the entire pallet, four layers high, is shrink-wrapped and moved with a forklift.

The company estimates this kind of shipping has cut labor by half and
water use by 60 to 70 percent. More gallons fit on a truck and in Sam’s Club
coolers, and no empty crates need to be picked up, reducing trips to each
Sam’s Club store to two a week, from five — a big fuel savings. Also, Sam’s
Club can now store 224 gallons of milk in its coolers, in the same space
that used to hold 80.

The question now is whether customers will go along.

more facts you may or may not know

2008-06-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

a good friend who inspires me daily led me to this multimedia presentation about the evilness of plastic... things you may not be aware of. hopefully this will be a great boost in motivation for you. please visit:

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

2008-06-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

Extraordinary Eco-Friendly Fine Art

My vision: to respond to the muse through the disciplines of painting and mosaic by creating a connected collection of representational or abstract images in segments of amazing color utilizing resources that would otherwise go to waste.

It's an organic communion of thought and inspiration. I portray images as I imagine they should be. I am motivated by external stimuli - art and beauty, fashion and design.

I am a rabid recycler - I am compelled to upcycle* unusual resources to create my art and give others’ images and words a new life in my work. Look closely for menu items, cruise itineraries, gallery openings... stand back to view the sum of the parts - a textural representation of beauty.

See more of this extraordinary brilliant artist at: http://schimmelart.com/collection.htm

Lou's Upcycles

New Year, New Ideas

HP printer ink among many products now wrapped in Enviroshell packaging

Enviroshell blister packaging

Lou's Upcycles Holiday Craft Fair and Event Schedule

Recycle your holiday lights for LED discount!

Home Depot Recycles Holiday Lights, Gives Discounts

Alexis Petru

Fossil Fuels as the Whale Oil of the Future

Fossil Fuels as the Whale Oil of the Future

Are your credit cards green?

Real Green Living

Plastic bag industry takes Chico Bag to court

What if you couldn't get your to-go food in polystyrene?

Beyond Bags Bans

Repost: The Story of Stuff. Have you seen this yet?

What is your eco-confession?

You CAN lead a plastic free life... but it's hard.

Soap doesn't have to be wrapped in plastic

No more plastic straws! You have other options.

Lou's Upcycles 2011 Show Schedule

Where can I take my recyclable plastic bags?

All Hail the Seed Bomb

Celia Alario

Disney reusable shopping bags test high for lead

New Year brings new donations to sort through

Proud to be part of the "Made in WMASS" Etsy Team

New Handmade movement discussed on WFCR

Repost: Plastic Bag Recycling Rules

~ PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING CONTAINERS ARE LOCATED AT GROCERY STORES AND SELECTED TRANSFER STATIONS ~

NEVER PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN REGULAR CURBSIDE RECYCLING CONTAINERS:

yup. our fault.

The real scoop on decomposition of plastic bags

EarthTalk: How long does it take for a plastic bag to decompose?

More Upcycling Information, become a facebook friend!

Repost: The Story of Stuff link

Today is International Plastic Bag Free Day!

A forest of Plastic

51 Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Use

Want another option besides plastic wrap in your kitchen?

Recycle your potting soil bags!

The Story of Stuff - Watch And Be Inspired

Captain Charles Moore - Lou's 2010 Inaugural Plastic Hero

Repost: Here you go kids! Make your own Plarn!

Lou's Upcycles to join Artisans of WMASS!

Happy International Day of Climate Action!!

On 24 October, people in 181 countries are coming together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people are gathering to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

http://www.350.org/action-list to locate events in your area

Welcome to "NO Impact Week" October 18th - 25th

Green Garbage Project: Go on with your trash selves Amy and Andy!

Where can I drop off my recyclable plastic bags? What IS plastic? What's the difference in number?

Plastic Bag drop off locations in MASS

Lou's Upcoming Events

Upcycled Hiking!

SHOP YOUR FARMERS MARKETS!

Message to all from Lou

Lou finishing her square for the United Quilt project in Portland

TUTORIAL: MAKE PLASTIC YARN (REPOST)

Lou's Upcycles comes to Franklin, MA

Earth Day event! Come learn how to fuse plastic with Lou!

“Green” education,

entertainment, food,

fun & More

One Plastic Bag at a Time

Deerfield Craft Show, Springfield MA

HUGE ADDITIONS TO THE LINEUP

Spring Thing 3 Runway pics

Channeling Mickey Rooney

Don’t Cry for Me

Leave No Plastic Behind has kicked off Episode 5...

Why make wine when you can make plastic confetti?

St. Patty's Day Sale at Lou's Upcycles

where it all began

Follow Lou's 3 month Plastic Free Pledge

Lou's Season Show Schedule

Terra Cycle hits the general public. Brilliant idea!

Cookie Wrapper Brigade

Sponsored by Nabisco®

Three cheers for Leave No Plastic Behind!

THANKS FOR ALL THE DONATIONS!

Sponsored by Nabisco^®