An important achievement

I’m pleased to report that I’ve already influenced a few people to start refusing plastic bags when going shopping, as well as returning eating utensils and packets of ketchup whenever they order food to take home. It’s a pretty simple, easy-to-do step that can help reduce waste too. Now if only more restaurants are open to people taking their own food containers for leftovers or meals to go.

Backyard Composting

From the Lower East Side Ecology Center:

If you live in the Big Apple, the New York City Compost Project in Manhattan is holding a basic composting class on May 14. It will be at the Carver Community Garden on 242 East 124th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, New York, NY 10035. The registration fee is $5 and the class will run from 12 noon to 2 PM. Composting bins will also be available for purchase at a discounted rate.

Doin’ it Rite

Three years ago, I wanted to dispose of a medication that I took only once. I went to my local Rite Aid pharmacy and asked if they could take it back for proper disposal. The answer was no. Last week, I noticed a sign for the Rite Aid Take Away Environmental Return System. For $3.99, you can buy a Sharps Compliance envelope, place your expired/unused/unwanted medications inside, then mail it for incineration.

The program is available in all stores except in the state of Maine, where another program is in place.

Matthew Morrison hosts DASANI Plant Model Fashion Show on Earth Day

For Earth Day, Glee‘s Matthew Morrison played host to the DASANI Plant Model Fashion Show, which was held at The Grove in Los Angeles and featured outfits–all made from 100 percent plant–by Yotam Solomon. Apart from being a fashion show and a celebration of Solomon’s work, the event also launched the new DASANI Plant Bottle packaging; DASANI bottles are now eco-friendlier and are made up of 30 percent plant.

Shown on the left is Morrison with two of the models in the show. See the rest of the pictures on DASANI Plant Model Fashion Show’s Flickr.

Green yoga mats

After not having done yoga for nearly two years, I finally returned to it last month and firmly decided to pursue it seriously this time around. I’m currently using the mat I bought two years ago since it’s still pretty serviceable, although bits of it are already breaking off, so I’m looking around for a replacement when the time comes for me to toss the old one out. I found FitSugar’s post on eco-friendly yoga mats and it’s definitely good to know that they actually exist. Hugger Mugger’s Sattva Jute mat certainly sounds like a good choice, since it’s PVC-free, mold-resistant, and has antimicrobial properties. It would be nice if it were available where I live, of course. I’ve only seen the mats by Manduka, and unfortunately, they’re a bit beyond my budget.