What is Sustainability? May 19, 2016 Sustainability is being able to continue certain habits without having long-term, adverse effects on the environment. It is taking aspects of those habits and making them more environmentally friendly. These changes don’t need to be complicated and do not just mean recycling, it can also include carpooling or even buying locally produced goods. Because our actions can influence the environment, it is important that our decisions have minimal effects on the Earth wherever possible. The growing problem of waste…

What Does Zero Waste Mean? May 19, 2016 Zero waste is a way of using resources that are intended to reduce what we send to landfills eventually down to nothing. This is accomplished by recycling and composting refuse instead of disposing of it in a landfill whenever possible. Along with recycling and composting, zero waste relies on source reduction to bring the total waste generated down to zero. Cities and municipalities are beginning to implement policies to reduce their output of waste and eventually move…

With waste continuing to be a growing problem, more alternatives to the landfill are needed.  One of these solutions is composting. You read that correctly, that black, soil-like substance gardener’s make for their plants can help in reducing waste.  Part of recycling is reusing and composting accomplishes this by allowing you to reuse your organic waste in a way that benefits both the environment and your garden. So whether you have a green thumb or are just looking for a way to cut down on…

How many plastic bottles do you use over the course of a year? Probably a lot more than you can imagine. Instead of tossing them all into the recycling bin, why not reuse them! Plastic bottles can be repurposed in new, creative, and eco-friendly ways instead of being tossed into the recycling bin without a second thought. Plastic bottles are made of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which is a type of synthetic resin that is made out of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid making it a…

We’ve all heard it before.  “How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice!”  Though a cheesy way to start a conversation, there is some truth to it.  As global average temperatures continue to climb, the Arctic and Antarctic will continue to melt, forcing animals that live in these regions to find ways to adapt. Not only is the polar bear feeling these changes in the North, but emperor penguins are finding complex changes in the South just as bad, with both…