A little clothing TLC can do a lot to keep ‘textile waste’ out of our landfills

Confession: I didn’t separate my laundry in college. I didn’t even realize the temperature of the water mattered until my roommate, whose mother had instilled good clothes-washing habits in her, scolded me for washing my jeans on a warm cycle. I could probably fake my way through sewing a button on a shirt, but it might not look very good or last very long. I am a product of my generation – a generation with an overwhelming lack of knowledge about clothing maintenance, according to a recent study by the University of Missouri department of Textile and Apparel Management.

That’s right, we Millennials have a serious problem when it comes to clothing care, and it’s a serious problem for our environment, too. The EPA reports that the U.S. generates about 25 billion pounds of textiles each year, and 85 percent of that ends up in our landfills. Much of this can be attributed to the lack of emphasis being placed on clothing care, repair and recycling to young people. Home economics classes are mostly a thing of the past, and many of us didn’t think to learn these basic skills via other avenues.

The good news is that now that this problem is being brought to light, we can do something about it. Taking the time to learn how to properly care for and responsibly dispose of clothes and accessories can save you the money and hassle of buying new things as often and can dramatically decrease the amount of post-consumer textile waste heading into our landfills each year. Here are a couple of easy ways to keep your things from becoming waste as long as possible:

When you can, spring for higher quality. We’ve all heard it a thousand times: They just don’t make things like they used to. Lots of clothes aren’t manufactured to last more than a season in order to keep costs down and fashion dynamic. This creates a lot of unnecessary waste that would be avoided if we all invested in long-lasting, classic pieces to make up our wardrobes. This may mean more money up front, but reduces future spending and means less being thrown away after just a few uses.

Read care instructions on your clothing’s labels. This one seems obvious, but many people simply don’t know how to wash their clothes. Ignoring the wash directions on one’s tags is a common millennial mistake that can be easily avoided, exponentially increasing the life of the item. If your sweater tells you it needs to be washed cold, it needs to be washed cold. Hand-washing doesn’t take that long, and the gentle cycle is a thing that your delicates appreciate. Your sheets are serious when they say, “tumble dry, low heat.” These things are important.

Learn sewing basics. If your favorite shirt gets a hole in it or last year’s winter jacket loses a button, don’t panic or feel the need to replace it right away; repair it! It may seem like a daunting task if you’ve never mended anything before, but many snags and tears are quite easy to fix. Lots of online tutorials exist to help beginners learning to sew, or ask a friend or family member to help you pick up this new and important skill.

Donate or recycle things when you are done with them. Just because you don’t have use for something doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t. Taking your clothes to a secondhand shop is the perfect way to give them new life, and there are a lot of nonprofits who can benefit from your donations. For example, The Hope Center takes donations of men’s clothing, and if you take things to Goodwill or the Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in the name of Greenhouse 17, they will provide families with vouchers to shop with. If something is irreparable or truly worn out beyond use, recycle it instead of tossing it in the trash. For more information on how to do this, check out the Council for Textile Recycling’s website.

 
1 macyMacy Gould is the AmeriCorps VISTA member who serves as Bluegrass Greensource’s green jobs coordinator, working with educators to ensure that students are aware of and prepared for the variety of green career paths that await them after high school. Macy is originally from Minneapolis but considers Lexington home and enjoys visiting her family in Colorado Springs. She recently graduated from Transylvania University. Outside of work, you could likely find Macy planning for her community radio show or taking a long walk downtown.

This article appeared in KY Forward on November 13, 2014.

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Sustainability partner Office Depot to lead free Greensource green purchasing workshop

greenpurchasing

Those working toward a more sustainable lifestyle often spend time thinking about the things they should do or should not do such as turning off the lights, recycling, composting, making sure the faucet isn’t left running or picking up litter. What is equally important, and often not discussed, is the impact of things we buy.

In this consumer-driven society, the way we spend sends a major message to manufacturers and retail outlets. Bluegrass Greensource wants that message to be, “I support sustainable, responsible practices.”

To that end, BG and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government launched the LiveGreenLexington Green Business Challenge and are now offering a free green purchasing workshop for Lexington professionals.

The lunch-and-learn event is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 12-2 p.m. at the Barrel House in Lexington. The Barrel House is located at 903 Manchester St. in Suite 150.

“Every person can do their part to green the supply chain, but sustainable purchasing is even more important in the workplace,” reads a BG news release, “where major accounts and large quantities carry more weight with suppliers.”

The workshop will be led by Office Depot, an “industry sustainability leader,” as identified by Greensource. The event is intended to give Lexington’s business community an overview of green purchasing past and present and its benefits, such as saving money. Product samples from sustainable vendors will be available, and there will be tips to get any organization “moving in the right direction.”

The free workshop is open to anyone representing a Lexington business, but is ideal, say organizers, for purchasing managers and green team members of businesses from office supplies to appliances to cleaners. To register, click here. For more information about Bluegrass Greensource, click here.

This article appeared in KY Forward on November 6, 2014.

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Walmart Grant Provides $50,000 for Waste Reduction Education

The campaign to promote environmental responsibility through recycling in Central Kentucky schools received a boost on September 30th through the presentation of a $50,000 contribution from the Walmart Foundation to Bluegrass Greensource.

walmart press event 1

“Bluegrass Greensource is excited to once again partner with Walmart, to expand the Wastebuster program to more schools in Central Kentucky,” said Bluegrass Greensource Executive Director Amy Sohner at an event at Conkwright Elementary School. “We look forward to working with all of the schools in Boyle, Clark and Madison Counties to help increase recycling rates and teach students and families the importance of waste reduction. Thank you very much to Walmart for giving us this opportunity.”

Bluegrass Greensource will use the contribution to increase student knowledge of waste reduction issues in Central Kentucky. Experiential environmental education about recycling and waste reduction can be taught in three main content areas: practical living, social studies and science.

walmart press event 2

In addition to educating students, Walmart’s contribution will be used to provide classroom bins and rolling carts to facilitate recycling in each school.  It will also enable Greensource educators to work with students to perform two waste audits in each school – one before the program is implemented and one afterward.  Also, grants of up to $500 will be awarded for projects that will help the schools continue their recycling and waste reduction programs after the initial grant period is over.

“At Walmart, our community involvement is based on the philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally,” said Walmart Store Manager Shannon Willoughby. “We believe we can do the most good by supporting issues and causes that are important to our customers and associates in their own neighborhoods – including programs that stress environmental sustainability and incorporating green practices into every day life. We are pleased this donation to Bluegrass Greensource will enable the Wastebusters Program to expand into Boyle, Clark and Madison counties and look forward to following its success.”

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Keep your Halloween green by taking these simple earth-friendly steps

October is finally here and with it comes cooler weather, pumpkin everything and the favorite holiday of every sugar-crazed 6-year-old (or 6-year-old at at heart): Halloween. Honestly, who doesn’t love Halloween?

All that aside, Halloween is another one of those days when our choices can cause lots of long-lasting problems for the environment. Most candy is wrapped in a non-recyclable mix of materials that end up heading straight for the landfill or, if we’re not careful, littering our neighborhoods.

Specialty costumes typically don’t have another purpose and find themselves hanging in a closet, unused, year after year. Pumpkin carvings, and eventually the works of art themselves, often end up being thrown in the trash without a second thought as to how they could otherwise be used.

You can avoid these and other environmental pitfalls by keeping the following tips in mind this Hallow(gr)een.

Be creative (aka green) when choosing a costume. Before purchasing a new outfit to wear, check out your closet to see if you can make your own costume this year. Thrift stores are another great place to start the hunt for the perfect costume. If that doesn’t work out, try organizing a costume swap with friends and family; you never know what’s hiding in someone else’s closet that could be exactly what you need.

Keep your celebration local. Take the kids trick-or-treating in your own neighborhood, carpool to the pumpkin patch or bike to this year’s office Halloween party. There are plenty of ways to reduce your transportation footprint this Halloween season.

Hand out responsible treats. Most traditional candy wrappers aren’t recyclable, so you may have to be creative to green this part of the trick-or-treating experience. Look for candy in paper wrappers, and limit your output to one piece per child. Alternatives to candy – stickers, temporary tattoos and small toys – can be fun too, just make sure to pick products with limited packaging and plastic usage. You could even include printed instructions for ways to upcycle candy wrappers to get as much use out of them as possible and keep them out of the landfill. Lots of tutorials exist online for jewelry, pencil cases, even things such as belts and shoes. Encourage kids to be creative!

Use the whole pumpkin. Look up recipes that involve fresh pumpkin filling so that all those carving remnants don’t go to waste; try salting and roasting the seeds for an autumn snack. After Halloween, when those beautiful carved pumpkins start to shrivel up, don’t just toss them in the trash. Instead, add them to your compost pile for rich spring soil.

Help clean up. When taking your kids trick-or-treating, bring an extra bag to pick up trash you may see on the way. Organizing an early November litter cleanup in your neighborhood is another way to keep those candy wrappers off the streets; you could ask an area coffee shop to donate warm beverages to encourage people to come help out even if it’s cold.

 
1 macyMacy Gould is the AmeriCorps VISTA member who serves as Bluegrass Greensource’s green jobs coordinator, working with educators to ensure that students are aware of and prepared for the variety of green career paths that await them after high school. Macy is originally from Minneapolis but considers Lexington home and enjoys visiting her family in Colorado Springs. She recently graduated from Transylvania University. Outside of work, you could likely find Macy planning for her community radio show or taking a long walk downtown.

This article appeared in KY Forward on October 9, 2014.

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PRESS RELEASE: Bluegrass Greensource receives $50,000 grant from Walmart

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tiffany Smith, 859/797-0324

 Bluegrass Greensource receives $50,000 grant from Walmart

Winchester, Ky., September 30, 2014 –The campaign to promote environmental responsibility through recycling in Central Kentucky schools received a boost today through the presentation of a $50,000 contribution from the Walmart Foundation to Bluegrass Greensource.

“Bluegrass Greensource is excited to once again partner with Walmart, to expand the Wastebuster program to more schools in Central Kentucky,” said Bluegrass Greensource Executive Director Amy Sohner at an event at Conkwright Elementary School. “We look forward to working with all of the schools in Boyle, Clark and Madison Counties to help increase recycling rates and teach students and families the importance of waste reduction. Thank you very much to Walmart for giving us this opportunity.”

Bluegrass Greensource will use the contribution to increase student knowledge of waste reduction issues in Central Kentucky. Experiential environmental education about recycling and waste reduction can be taught in three main content areas: practical living, social studies and science.

In addition to education students, Walmart’s contribution will be used to provide classroom bins and rolling carts to facilitate recycling in each school.  It will also enable Greensource educators to work with students to perform two waste audits in each school – one before the program is implemented and one afterward.  Also, grants of up to $500 will be awarded for projects that will help the schools continue their recycling and waste reduction programs after the initial grant period is over.

“At Walmart, our community involvement is based on the philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally,” said Walmart Store Manager Shannon Willoughby. “We believe we can do the most good by supporting issues and causes that are important to our customers and associates in their own neighborhoods – including programs that stress environmental sustainability and incorporating green practices into every day life. We are pleased this donation to Bluegrass Greensource will enable the Wastebusters Program to expand into Boyle, Clark and Madison counties and look forward to following its success.”

Bluegrass Greensource is an environmental, non-profit organization that has offered resources and educational information to Central Kentucky since 2001. Greensource provides outreach to over 230 schools, 600 community groups, businesses, local governments and private citizens throughout Central Kentucky. Encouraging small, every day changes that make a big difference, the organization fosters positive environmental and economic impact throughout the region. For more information please visit www.bgGreensource.org.

About Philanthropy at Walmart

 Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.

 

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Bluegrass Greensource uses Walmart grant to promote school recycling in three counties

Walmart has given Bluegrass Greensource a $50,000 grant to help promote more recycling and waste reduction in schools in three Kentucky counties – Boyle, Clark and Madison.

The program has existed for a number of years in six other counties – Anderson, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, and Mercer – and been responsible, according to Bluegrass Greensource, for improved student state test scores, an increase in the rate of recycling, and significant financial savings. Fayette County schools estimated they saved $50,000 on their waste removal budget through the pilot program. Another county reports a 40 percent reduction in their landfill-bound waste.

Priorities for the program include increasing student understanding for the need to reduce waste and increase recycling. This is to be achieved, according to Greensource, by working with classrooms, cafeterias, custodians, and administrators on five elements including waste audits; provision of recycling equipment and materials; offering age-specific hands-on activities aligned with Common Core; providing a Manual for Waste Reduction; and helping schools apply for mini-grants to implement school-specific waste reduction initiatives.

Conkwright Elementary in Clark County will host an official launch of this year’s program on Tuesday, Sept. 30, during which students will participate in a school-wide waste audit and complete recycling lessons. Present at the launch will be the mayor of Winchester, the Clark County judge executive, the school superintendent, representatives from participating schools, the Clark County solid waste coordinator, and representatives from Winchester Municipal Utilities.

This post appeared in KY Forward on September 29, 2014.

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