Starbucks … good or evil? April 28, 2008

I have never been a fan of Starbucks — I generally do not enjoy the taste of their coffee, it is incredibly too expensive, and most of their “fun” drinks and food are too calorie-laden for my taste. I also don’t like the idea that they are a huge conglomerate that kicks the unique mom and pop coffee houses out of neighborhoods that rely on small businesses to stimulate the local economy.

But the more I hear about Starbucks’ environmental practices, the less hostile I find myself toward them. Several impressive initiatives they have taken in the past few years include:

• “Grounds for Your Garden” – an initiative to reuse coffee grounds that involved Starbucks distributing grounds to community gardens, nurseries, and parks to assist in composting efforts
• Reducing in the size of paper napkins and the thickness of trash bags. This eliminated more than 1.8 million pounds of waste in 2004. Let’s just hope that workers aren’t using two bags to make up for a weaker, thinner bag!
• Making their cardboard cups with 10% post-consumer fiber content. This is minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but it is a start
• Assuring that 20% of the energy used to power their North America Company-operated stores comes from renewable energy sources
• They are North America’s largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee

Now I have to say that, considering the reach of Starbucks and the depth of their pockets, I expect more from them; they should really be a leader in greening large corporations. But their efforts to date seem respectable and I commend their social responsibility.

Has anyone else experienced a slight change of heart about Starbucks like me?

 

K Cup Alternatives? April 22, 2008

After I wrote my recent post on K Cups  and how they continue to fill up our landfills, I found myself wanting to research more eco-friendly alternatives to this recent office addition. One of the benefits of the Keurig coffee system is that there are so many varieties of coffees and teas available, so potential alternatives would need to provide a similar benefit.

1. The old-fashioned office coffee pot

Cost per cup: about $.10

Advantages:

* Hundreds of choices of beans from all over the world

* Grinding your own beans will give fresher coffee

* Waste is all/mostly recyclable or biodegradable

* Tea bags made of unbleached, recyclable materials can be purchased for tea options

Disadvantages:

* Frequently having to brew a new/fresh pot

* Constant electricity usage from keeping the coffee warm

* Requires more maintenance to clean than a single-cup system

2. Coffee pods (brands include Senseo, Home Cafe, Melitta)

Cost per cup: about $0.30

Advantages:

* Quickly produce a single serving of fresh coffee

* Offers coffee and tea options – over 250 options available

* Coffee pod brewers are frequently less expensive than Keurig machines

* Coffee pods cost less than K Cups

* Coffee pods are made from biodegradable materials

* Option to purchase a refillable pod holder to further reduce waste and customize your brew with your own ground coffee

Disadvantages:

* Coffee pods are packaged in plastic cellophane wrappers.

* Your office may need to purchase a new coffee machine capable of brewing coffee pods

3. Coffee packets (Flavia)

Cost per cup: about $0.35

Advantages:

* Quickly produce a single serving of fresh coffee

* Offers coffee and tea options

* Filterpack technology uses 25% less coffee beans to make the same strength drink as a drip coffee machine

Disadvantages:

* Only 14 coffee and tea options are currently available

* Coffee is packaged in plastic packets that are not recyclable or biodegradable

 

Of course there are other options available, but these are the three best alternatives to the K Cups that I have found. I have tried all of these options, save for the coffee pods, and have found the freshly brewed coffee to best the best over all. If you have a large office this may not be feasible, but in a small office, it may be the most environmentally friendly and economical solution.

This week’s DIY – Mouthwash March 25, 2008

As my co-workers can easily attest to, I have a slight obsession with buying unusual beauty and haircare products. But what they don’t know is my other obsession with using natural household products in my daily skincare and haircare routine.

I will be starting a weekly feature on how to incorporate common household products into your beauty routine, and also how to make your own products too. Ken asked last week about how to make your own mouthwash so I found a few recipes. Most just involve simple combinations of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, herbs, and/or oils. I will have to try these!

BASIC MOUTHWASH FORMULAS

1. Mix 2 ounces of Water, 1/4 Teaspoon of baking soda or sea salt, 1 drop of pure peppermint oil, and 1 drop of tea tree oil.

2. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in an 8-ounce glass of water, swish, and spit it out.

If you want a recipe that’s a bit more involved, try the following:

BASIC ALCOHOL FREE HERBAL MOUTHWASH FORMULA
(http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-mouthwash.html) 

INGREDIENTS
1 ounce cloves or powdered myrrh OR 2 to 4 ounces goldenseal or rosemary
2 cups boiling water

1. Place the plant materials in a pint mason jar and cover with the boiling water.
2. Let steep overnight, then strain.
3. Swish around in the mouth and then spit out.

The basic science behind the above is that the baking soda (NaSO4) neutralizes the acidic bacteria in your mouth, eliminating bad breath. Tea tree and peppermint oil have antibacterial and antifungal properties that aid in reducing bad breath as well. You can also add a bit of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to these for added whitening and cleansing.

When is organic not (really) organic? March 18, 2008

According to the USDA, only foods and products with 95% organic ingredients can be labeled “organic”, while those made with 70% organic ingredients must be labeled “made with organic.” According to Joan Shaeffer, spokeswoman for the USDA, “If any product meets the USDA organic standards for production, handling and labeling, then it is eligible for USDA organic certification.”

Thedailygreen (http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/oasis-organic-label-47031704) reported on Monday that the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is protesting a new label being placed on personal care products in accordance with the Organic and Sustainable Beauty Standards (OASIS). Developed by major industry players (EsteeLauder, Aveda, L’Oreal, and Hain), the OCA says that OASIS:

allows a product to be labeled outright as “Organic” (rather than “Made with Organic Specified Ingredients”) even if it contains hydrogenated and sulfated cleansing ingredients like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate made from conventional agricultural material grown with synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, and preserved with synthetic petrochemical preservatives like Ethylhexylglycerin and Phenoxyethanol.

The label is deceptive to consumers who are already being swayed by product marketers who greenwash them into thinking that “natural” or “green” products are safer and more effective than their equally chemically-laden counterparts. The USDA has been certifying organic personal care products for the past four years and today, according to the OCA, “there are more genuinely organic products on the market bearing the ‘USDA Organic’ seal on the front label than ever before.”