Finding the Root Cause of Litter in Philadelphia

A great post by Green Blog Philly, which ties in perfectly with Earth Week. Here's to a cleaner and greener Philadelphia: http://www.greenphillyblog.com/philly-represent/why-is-philly-so-dirty/

TREAT YO SELF: A Love Letter to Philly Parks & Rec

Dear Philly Parks and Rec,

It's been a while. Too long, really. We're ready for the snow to melt so we can get a good look at that great grass of yours. But enough about us.... let's talk about you.

This is a love letter to you and your beautiful parks, and the road rage you help us get away from. From Kelly Drive to Wissahickon to Pennypack, you make us look better, and help us stay in shape (which makes up for our pretzel, water ice and cheesesteak issues).  You ease our pain, you calm our nerves, and you  help us keep our cool. We don't even feel Philthy anymore. At over 150 years old, you're an inspiration- we don't know how you do it! I mean, over 200 parks?! Girl, you cray cray.

So, it is with great respect and admiration that we say, Parks and Rec: TREAT YO SELF!!!!

Since you already have so many clothes, fragrances, massages, mimosas and fine leather goods, we were thinking that this year (Treat Yo Self 2014), maybe you would want to splurge and get yourself some recycling containers.

We know, it seems so overindulgent! But just think about it. You could save tons on disposal costs by separating out your recyclables, follow the city's recycling ordinance and even set an example for the millions of people that see you each year! Your girls over at the Streets Department have been doing it and have honestly never looked better! They know that cleaner areas mean safer areas, which we suspected all along.
We get that money's tight (isn't it always?!), but this will actually lower the city's disposal costs and free up some cold hard cash so that the Philadelphia School District can treat itself to more teachers.

Anyway, we love you, we love your Organic Recycling Center and just want to emphasize that we'll probably put a ring on it no matter what. But we can't help but think that you deserve this, and we do too.

Treecycling : Give Your Christmas Tree New Life!

Excellent article on treecycling today in the Philadelphia Inquirer... instead of ending up in a landfill in the new year, your Christmas tree can be mulched and reused at a local dog park! The suggested donation at each location is $5. 

Saturday, January 4th, 2014

Kensington/Fishtown: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Palmer Dog Depot, East Palmer Street.

Northern Liberties: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Liberty Lands Park, North American Street.

West Philadelphia: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Clark Park, Baltimore Avenue.

West Center City: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Markward Recreation Center, 400 S. Taney St.

South Philadelphia: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; 13th and Reed Streets. (Greenlimbs.com also is organizing sites: 9 a.m. to noon, Weccacoe Playground, Catharine Street, collection only; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Whole Foods Market, 10th and South Streets.)

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Logan Square: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; parking lot at 22d and Winter Streets.

Fairmount/Art Museum: 1 to 4 p.m.; 22d and Brown Streets.

Chestnut Hill: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Norwood- Fontbonne Academy, 8891 Germantown Ave.

Mount Airy: 1 to 4 p.m.; Gabbie's Community Garden, Chew Avenue off Mount Pleasant Avenue.

East Falls: noon to 4 p.m.; Ridge Avenue and Scotts Lane.

City Drop-off Program

From January 6th  to January 18th, Philadelphia residents may drop off their undecorated trees at the Streets Department's Sanitation Convenience Centers at 3033 S. 63d St.; Domino Lane at Umbria Street; and State Road at Ashburner Street. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Spending Thoughtfully in 2014

When I'm in a rush at work, and on a deadline, I sometimes forget to eat lunch. If you're hungry and stressed, it's difficult to make good decisions about what you'd like to eat... hell, if you give me long enough, a donut and chocolate milk can seem like a well-balanced meal. Science backs up this claim, as researchers have found that hungry shoppers buy food with a higher caloric content than those who haven't fasted. So last Tuesday, after forgetting (yet again) to pack my lunch, and then heading down to 30th Street Station to grab something to eat quickly, I ended up eating a bagel from Dunkin Donuts instead of something that was more balanced.

It wasn't the worst nutritional decision that I've ever made, so I wasn't feeling terrible about it until I recalled a line from an article I had read earlier in the week. It was a great quote by Anna Lappe: "Every time you spend money you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want." I started thinking about the purchases I had made recently; gifts for the holidays, groceries, household items, and realized that a lot of the votes I was casting weren't making the world a better place. In fact, they were supporting some practices with which  I vehemently disagree. The bagel that I was eating was boosting sales for a corporation that still chooses to use polystyrene cups, has no visible recycling program and actively markets "K cups" which generate literally tons of additional waste each year. It was just a hunch, but I figured that I also probably wouldn't have agreed with the farming techniques used for the flour, the other ingredients used, and other destructive practices caused by massive franchising.

I'm not expecting that I'll be able to completely overhaul my life overnight and pack a very thoughtfully chosen local lunch every day of the week, but at the very least, I can choose to spend my money in a more conscious manner. By supporting locally-owned businesses, I'm ensuring that my money is in the hands of businesses that are trying to make life better for their consumers AND the community. Great examples in the Philadelphia area include Metropolitan Bakery, Barbuzzo, the vendors at Reading Terminal Market, and even some of the area food trucks (my personal favorites being Lucky Old Souls and Schmear It). The point is, that even if you're not the biggest spender, you can have a considerable impact by choosing the type of businesses that you support. Even though I only focused on food in this post, there are countless ways for you to "cast a vote" for the kind of world you want to live in, from the organization that you work for to the clothing that you purchase to the vehicles that you drive. So I urge you to ask yourself...  how can I spend more thoughtfully in 2014?

Trash Talk : Recycling in Philadelphia

Yesterday evening, a colleague and I attended a lecture held by Young Involved Philadelphia at WHYY on Recycling, Composting and Disposal in Philadelphia. I was very impressed by the event, as they broached a wide range of topics including curbside recycling, material recovery facilities, composting services, and landfills. Waste is something that we all generate (according to the EPA, the U.S. averages 4.4 pounds/day/person), but many people have never visited the magical place where all of their materials ends up.... whether it's a landfill or a recycling facility.

I really do think that landfills are magical places; I have never been to a place more effective at convincing people that their efforts to recycle and compost matter. They are humbling, sobering, and tragic all at once, a perfect reminder that our consumption has a collective impact. Conversely, recycling facilities are magical because they hold so much potential for creating something new, and give us another chance to use the materials more wisely. Visiting either of these places can make you far more thoughtful about your own waste stream, but it's pretty rare that someone would call up their local landfill or material recovery facility and ask for a tour (although you definitely can and should).

The good news is that the representative from Waste Management showed this wonderful little video at the event last night, which I am very pleased to share with you here. It allows for the best of both worlds... a great overview of recycling in Philadelphia without any of the smell. I'd love to hear your reaction- please leave a post below!!!!

Sustainability Spotlight : Taking a Look at Patagonia

Don't believe in love at first sight? Allow me to introduce you to Patagonia. They're an outdoor clothing company with this central mission: "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." The company is 40 years old, and has integrated environmental considerations into countless aspects of their business, with impressive results. Some of many things that the company does includes donating 1% of sales towards preservation and restoration of the natural environment on an annual basis, managing a recycling program for worn-out Patagonia products, and most recently, building a Gold LEED Certified Service Center in Reno.

The guiding force behind the values that Patagonia seems to intrinsically embody is Yvon Chouinard, a 74 year old "Conquerer of the Useless", and self-described climbing dirtbag. He never meant to be in business, but ended up there, and has been using his company to make a world of difference in the lives of his employees and his customers. Chouinard is known for the "Let My People Go Surfing" policy, and even lets his employees participate in an Environmental Internship program where they can lend their skill to an environmental cause for up to two months while still earning their full salary and benefits.

The company received a large amount of publicity on Black Friday, when they placed an ad in Times Square urging consumers to take a pledge to reduce consumption. Many articles talked about the "marketing genius", even calling it a PR stunt. But anyone who has been exposed to the company knows that they are not trying to drive short term profits, and they don't need stunts, because they have put their values before profit for the past 40 years. Simply put, they have a loyal customer base because they are authentic, and make high quality gear that survives for a very long time. If you're thinking about purchasing some outdoor gear in the future, you should consider them, but at the very least, I would encourage you to do some more reading about the company. Whether it's about their environmental or management philosophies, we could all learn a lesson or two from Patagonia.