Conscious Cleaning?

There's a lot of cleaning going on around the house this week. The guys are painting the exterior trim, power washing the fence, and cleaning up the flower beds. All this outside activity has me stuck in the house on a gorgeous spring day, so I thought I would help Mom clean the inside of the house. Who knew a pug could be so helpful?

Mom switched to eco-friendly cleaning products a few years ago and has never looked back. Over time she has researched various products and tried them out to see which ones were not only good for the planet but also good for the house. Like the clean house, meaning they were effective. I know that lots of people clean their houses with good old baking soda, vinegar, and water, but Mom is not there. Yet.

Mom and I also believe in supporting great eco business because the more we support them the more readily available their products are, the more people make the switch, and the more Mother Earth smiles upon us all. Eco friendly cleaning products have come a long way in the past few years and there's really no excuse for not using them.

Mom got this product free when she bought the Brita pitcher for Josie's family. This product is not something she would buy because it isn't really green. Items labeled green, eco, natural, and earth friendly aren't necessarily good for the environment. Companies can claim their products are green by using these terms but if they're not really green it's called greenwashing. Companies don't have to disclose the ingredients of their cleaning products because they are protected trade secrets. I don't know about you, but Mom won't buy products that don't list their ingredients unless it's something that doesn't warrant an ingredient list like an apple.

The Green Works wipes have an ingredient list but in lieu of researching the ingredients, Mom just scanned the barcode with her GoodGuide scanner. How do you think it scored?

4.3 overall score = N/A health, 3.7 environment, 4.8 society

Mom then checked the web version of the GoodGuide and received this score:

5.6 overall score = 8.0 health, 3.7 environment, 5.1 society

What? How come the scores aren't the same? It looks like the scores from the scanner reflect the company itself and not the product. This just doesn't make sense to me and I'm more confused now than I was before. But let's move on and take a closer look at the wipes.

The label claims the ingredients are 99% natural, but what about the other 1%? Think 1% doesn't mean anything, think again. Clorox lists the ingredients for these wipes but not for their conventional products. Hmmm. I wonder why.

The wipes are biodegradable. That's a great thing because no waste means they won't take up space in a landfill but this is only if you compost them. And the plastic container is made from 25% post-consumer recycled plastic and is #2 plastic which is highly recyclable. I'm not sure about the cap, but I'm going to look into its recyclability.

The Sierra Club logo is displayed near the barcode with the following: "The makers of Green Works products are proud supporters of the Sierra Club's efforts to preserve and protect the planet." It's also noted that the logo is used with permission, but that this does not constitute a sponsorship or endorsement of any company or product. So Clorox supports The Sierra Club but not vice versa. Interesting. I don't really know what to make of that but I do know that this product has not been tested on animals. Yeah! I don't want anything tested on me and my friends.

I've concluded that I need to conduct further research on this product. Remember, Clorox is a large company that makes lots of products that aren't good for the environment. Simply stepping into the green arena doesn't make you green. While it is a step in the right direction, I hope their attempt with Green Works is about doing the right thing and not simply about making money, but I doubt it. You will need to decide for yourself if you want to use Green Works wipes but remember to take everything into consideration before you make your choice.

Mom bought this Terracycle cleaner a few months ago and has yet to use it. Many of you recognize the Terracycle name from their efforts in the recycling world. They buy trash from consumers and turn it into products. Trash like drink pouches, chip bags, candy bar wrappers all become useful products that can be purchased in stores across the country. It's a brilliant business model that's good for you and for the environment. The brains behind Terracycle, Tom Szaky, started the company almost a decade ago and it's grown into one of the greenest I've ever seen.

The all-purpose cleaner was not listed on the GoodGuide. This isn't necessarily a bad thing and could just mean that it hasn't been reviewed yet. Instead of writing it off with the thinking absence usually signifies guilt, I chose to take the high road and gave it the benefit of the doubt until I could read the ingredients.

The list of ingredients is a little vague, even for me: water, grease cutters and performance enhancers (linear alcohol ethoxylates), and essential oil cleaners, all derived from natural sources. Linear alcohol what? The same rule applies to household cleaners that applies to packaged foods: if you can't pronouce the ingredients, you shouldn't eat it or use it. I wish I could tell you that I researched linear alcohol ethoxylates or that Mom is a chemist that knew what it was as soon as she read it, but neither are true. But an eco friendly company like Terracycle wouldn't make a product that isn't good for the environment, right? Maybe. Since I haven't figured out the ingredients mess, let's take a look at the packaging.

Could you tell just by looking at the bottle that it was a soda bottle? A good old #1 plastic bottle from who knows where. What a great way to recycle all those plastic bottles! There are two endorsements on the label: one indicating the product is a Canadian environmental choice and the other indicating the product has zero footprint. Both sound totally cool but do they mean anything or is this another attempt at greenwashing? The Canadian eco logo is the strictest certification given by the Canadian government and the zero footprint label is Terracycle's own label indicating the product is made from a waste stream bottle. I'm not sure where the bottle top and sprayer originated or if they can be recycled so I have to do additional research. The jury (me) is still out on whether this product is really green but my paws are crossed that it is. I really like Terracycle and can't believe they would make a product that isn't good for the planet.

It's hard to tell from the picture but this product gets a lot of use. Mom uses this to clean the windows of pug snot residue. Not that there is any but she's a bit of a clean freak. The maker of this window cleaner, Earth Friendly Products or ECOS, is a tried and true brand in our house but let's see what the GoodGuide had to say.

Scanner scores: 7.9 overall = 8.0 health, 7.3 environment, 8.4 society

Web scores: 8.1 overall = 8.0 health, 7.2 environment, 9.0 society

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the scanner and web scores were different. What gives? Why the discrepancy? I've made a mental note to email the GoodGuide people to get to the bottom of this because it's very confusing. The good news is that the cleaner scored a great overall score which makes me happy.

The list of ingredients is easy to read, even for me: purified water, vinegar, ethanol (derived from corn), and coconut based surfactant*. The asterick after the last ingredient indicates that it does not contain SLS. SLS is sodium lauryl sulfate and is a big no-no, but unfortunately it's found all around the house because it's commonly used in soaps, shampoos, detergents, and toothpaste. It's used in these products because it's cheap for the manufacturer to use but not cheap for your body to use in terms of your health. It gets absorbed by the body and is a known hormone disruptor - yuk! Mom avoids using anything containing SLS or its relatives like the plague.

This product is not tested on animals but there are many, many products on the market that are. The bottle is #1 plastic and will definitely be recycled when it is empty. As with the Terracycle top and sprayer, I'm not sure of its recyclability. ECOS is made locally in Winnetka, IL and that's another reason Mom loves it. Purchasing locally made products is not only earth friendly (no pun intended) but is great for the local economy too. And check out what it says on the back label:

Thank you for using our natural, non-toxic product. Each time you use our products, you are helping to maintain a healthier and sustainable home, lifestyle and environment. One by one, we can change the world and make it a better place. Let us know what you think, and tell your friends about us.

How cool is that? These guys are really commited to doing the right thing and it shows in their high society scores. I'm doing my part by telling you, my friends, about ECOS and I hope you'll give their products a try. Mom also uses their laundry detergent and loves it.

Conscious cleaning is easy to do when you know what to use. By reading ingredient labels, using online tools like GoodGuide, and researching companies, you can make smart, conscious decisions. You owe it to yourself and the planet to clean your house with a clean conscious.

I'm Trying Something New

My good friend Tweedles left a comment yesterday asking me to ask Mom if she would share some tasty vegetarian recipes. I asked Mom, who of course said yes and a light bulb went on over my head - Tasty Tuesday! I'm going to try this out for the next month of Tuesdays to see how it goes. Even if you're not a vegetarian Mom swears you'll still love the recipes. I'll have to take her word for it because I don't eat her food.

Today's recipe is one that Mom has been making forever. It's a staple in our house and can almost always be found in the refrigerator and freezer. It's super easy to make and it freezes really well.

Three-Bean Chili

The Vegetarian Slow Cooker

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped

1/2 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon chili powder, or more to taste

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder, and cook about 30 seconds longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, beans, and water, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Notes:

You can substitute 1 1/2 cups slow-cooked beans for the canned beans. Buying dried beans in bulk is the best option, but even buying a large multi-serving bag is better than buying single-serve. The plastic bags the beans come in are recyclable in most communities so check with your recycler before throwing the bags in the garbage.

Organic beans are the best option, but conventional will work if organic is not an option for you. One reason to choose organic beans besides the fact that they are organic is because they are more likely to come in BPA-free cans. Yes, BPA is used to line cans because it lengthens the shelf life of products. It may lengthen the shelf life but it could potentially shorten yours. Eden Foods does not use BPA in their canned beans. There may be other brands out that don't use BPA in their canned beans, so if you find another brand please leave me a comment.

It's much harder to find organic tomatoes in cans that aren't lined with BPA. Tomatoes are very acidic thus companies claim the cans must be lined with epoxy containing BPA. My advice is to limit your exposure as much as possible so choose wisely.

Slow cookers are an eco-friendly cooking method. They use less energy than using the stove, oven, or microwave. Plus they're easy to use - just put everything in, turn it on and let it do it's magic. While your food is cooking you can take the pug for a walk or put the pug in the bed and take a nap. I personally vote for nap.

Mom is a garlic freak so she triples the garlic in the recipe. She's also a ground black pepper lover so she doesn't measure it. She just puts the grinder over the cooker and grinds until it looks peppery enough for her.

One last thing. We use to have an old school blue flowered Crock Pot but then it died. Dad went out and bought a big huge All-Clad slow cooker that's bigger than what this recipe calls for and it works fine.

Please let me know if you make the chili and the products you used to make it. If you make it but doctored it up a little, let me know that too. Mom is always looking for ways to kick her cooking up a notch. I've never tasted the chili but that's not for lack of trying. Maybe an almost empty bowl to lick is in my future. Miracles do happen.

A Must Read!

Mom reads to me a lot and sometimes I listen but most of the time I don't. It's not that I'm not interested in what she's reading, it's just that all that listening really cuts into my nap time. And nothing comes between me and my naps except maybe Popeyes. When Mom picked up this book from the library last week, I didn't expect to be so caught off guard with how good it was despite the fact that it's about food. But the book is about so much more than food.

Do you guys remember The Conscious Kitchen mini challenge I did a few weeks ago? I had lots of fun doing it and I learned lots too. That challenge and this book are from the same author. The challenge was just a brief intro into the world of what it means to have a conscious kitchen and even if you didn't take the challenge, this book is a must read. A must buy even because there's so much great info in it that's like a reference book. I like to think of this book as a beginner's guide to eating consciously. Some of you are beginners, some experts, and some on the fence. No matter where you fit into the range of conscious eating, you'll learn a lot from this book.

The introduction of the book has the conscious commandments and while I won't list them here, I will tell you that part of one of them is to use reusable bags when shopping. You see, you can't have a conscious kitchen with plastic bags lying on the countertops. It just doesn't work that way because there's nothing good about them. They are just plain bad. Period. Oh, and another commandment speaks to saying no to bottled water. Again, bottled water in the kitchen is a no-no unless you live in a community, in a developing country that lacks access to clean drinking water. No exceptions!

Mom is telling me to calm it down a bit so back to the book. There's a list of essential terms you need to know and while this may sound a little dumbed down for some, a refresher course is never a bad thing. Just when you think you know it all, new terms or new definitions pop up. Life is dynamic and you have to roll with the changes.

Chapter one is all about what kind of food to buy while chapter two is about where to shop. I know many of you will immediately think the author is going to recommend only buying organic and you would be right. She explains in detail, in laymen's terms why organic (in most cases) is the best option. She even provides a sliding scale from best to worst when detailing each food group. Again, a great reference to have on hand when faced with the overwhelming amount of food decisions you must make each day.

The part of the book Mom loves the most are the reference features. I'm referring to the many websites the author provides to enable you to gain additional information on the given subjects she discusses. These websites are littered throughout the book and there are many that Mom wasn't even aware of. There are even some books, reports, and movie recommendations for those wishing to further their conscious kitchen education.

The part of the book I love the most are the author's own eating and purchasing habits. She goes into details about what, where, when, why, and how she buys her food. There's a lot to be said with being the so called expert and putting yourself on the line but she does a great job explaining her reasons for doing what she does. And she does this without an elitist attitude. She's just a regular person who is trying to do right by herself, her family, and the planet. Is it asking too much for everyone to think and act this way?

But it seems that even with a great book like this one, Mom has issues with certain parts. Like with the seafood section. And even a little with the meat section. The author is not a vegetarian but she does her best to eat local, organic and sustainable meat. I see nothing wrong with that but Mom feels that if you were to do right by the planet, you wouldn't eat meat. I do right by the planet and I eat meat but Mom doesn't hold that against me because I'm a dog. Whew!

Mom is only halfway through the book and can hardly put it down. She still has to read about drinks (you can bet bottled water will not be the only thing discussed), packaged foods, pots and pans, appliances, cleanup, and my personal favorite waste. Yes, having a conscious kitchen means dealing with waste (organic and inorganic) in the best way possible for maintaining a healthy planet. There are so many elements to having a conscious kitchen that most people never think of and that's another reason this book is so great. It gets you thinking, way outside your comfort zone. It also gets you questioning your food purchases and even yourself. And I don't think those are bad things.

Mom doesn't really buy books but she's really thinking about buying this one. If she doesn't buy it for herself, I think I'm going to surprise her with it for Mother's Day. What better way to say I love you than with a great book?

One Company's Trash

Mom read me an article last week about how P&G is turning garbage into goods and my first thought was why can't all companies do this? I'm not a big fan of P&G because truth be told, most of their products aren't that great for good ole Mother Earth. But I have to hand it to them for moving in the right direction at least when it comes to waste.

P&G is a $79 billion dollar company with 82 product brands in the US alone, so most people have several P&G products in their house. Some of their more well known brands are Tide, Charmin, Bounty, Downy, Pampers, Pantene, Crest, and Gillette. The reason most of their products are not environmentally friendly is because they don't source sustainable materials, and their laundry and healthcare products contain toxic chemicals. But this post isn't about what they're doing wrong. It's about what they're doing right.

The process of manufacturing products involves waste. It's that plain and simple, or as some would say, just the cost of doing business. But it's what companies do with that waste that separates the bad guys from the good. P&G created GARP (Global Asset Recovery Purchases) two years ago with one employee and has since grown to 25 people.

GARP turns garbage into goods via 20 industrial partners around the world who are involved in the program, many of whom specialize in alternative use recycling. Many of the waste or garbage materials in the past (or in other industries) would end up in landfills. Thanks to GARP, turning garbage into goods has kept tons of waste out of landfills thus enabling P&G to reduce its disposable waste by 30% since 2007. Just think of all the waste that a company like P&G creates through the manufacture of its products. The idea behind GARP is that if they can't find a use for a material one of their partners can. So selling or donating materials to their partners is a win-win for everyone because it not only keeps waste out of landfills, but it also reduces the need to use raw materials. GARP is so much more than recycling, don't you think?

P&G converts 96% of their raw materials into finished products but the rest is left for waste. That's where GARP comes in by finding partners who can utilize the waste that P&G cannot. But what type of waste am I talking about? I think you'll be surprised when you find out. And even more surprised when you read what their partners use that waste for.

In China, facial cream components are converted into products used for leather care. Seven distribution centers worked together to come up for a use for the facial cream waste. P&G China now keeps 97% of all scrap materials out of landfills due to GARP.

In Budapest, GARP teams use scrap feminine pads to fuel kilns at a local cement factory. This not only reduces the factory's energy consumption but also P&G's disposable waste. The team found that when the pads are shredded, they burn really well. The two Budapest factories now have shredders on site and they sell the scraps to a local cement maker.

Here in the U.S, ingredients used in toothpaste have found a second life as an additive in wheel polish and jewelry cleaners. Who knew? Mom did! She has been cleaning her jewelry with toothpaste for years. P&G shares the toothpaste with a U.S. company that blends it to make high-performance polish. By reusing this material, P&G is not incinerating the unused material and the partner is not using raw materials.

Another U.S. factory that produces Metamucil has found that a byproduct used in the manufacturing process that is typically considered waste can be recycled for soil retention in landscaping projects. This byproduct, when mixed with water and sprayed on developing landscapes, helps with soil retention thereby giving grass a chance to take root and grow.

Can you believe the garbage that is turned into goods? I'm so impressed with how P&G is addressing waste that I'm going to research how other companies deal with the same issue. I realize a program like GARP takes time and money to develop but it's the commitment to doing the right thing that makes all the difference. I'm hoping I find more companies handling waste in a similar fashion to P&G. If not, my question still remains - why can't all companies do this?

Recycling Cell Phones

Did you know that this week is National Cell Phone Recycling Week? It sure is and not a moment too soon because there are so many unused phones that need to be recycled instead of being thrown in a landfill. I'm sure your parents have a cell phone or two they don't use anymore and what better to time to recycle them than this week?

So the official name of this campaign sponsored by the U.S EPA is "Plug-In To e-Recycling National Cell Phone Week" but you guys get the point. Through April 11, the campaign brings cell phone manufacturers and service providers together to educate consumers to recycle used cell phones, batteries, chargers, etc. All these items can be recycled but most aren't. Experts estimate that only 1% of the 4 billion wireless users worldwide recycle their old cell phones. In the U.S. only 1 in 10 cell phones are recycled.


All of this leads me to wonder where all these cell phones are that haven't been recycled. Are they in junk drawers or in landfills? Putting all that e-waste into landfills leads to the materials in the phones- copper, plastic, & heavy metals - leaching into the soil and water - yuk! All those reusable materials are going to waste. The EPA says that for every 1 million cell phones recycled, we can recover 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, 33 pounds of palladium, and 35,274 pounds of copper. Another problem with cell phones in landfills is that the batteries can explode if exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight. E-waste doesn't belong in landfills any more than plastic does.

So how can you recycle your used cell phones? There are so many ways that there's really no excuse not to. The EPA is partnering with AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, RecycleBank, Samsung Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless to recycle all the cell phones you,your family and friends have laying around the house.

AT&T has three simple ways to donate and recycle phones. Even if you're not an AT&T customer, you can still drop off used cell phones and accessories at any of their stores across the U.S. If you can't make it to an AT&T store, just go to www.att.com/recycle and download a free shipping label and mail your phone in for recycling. If you don't have a printer or if you're like Mom and are out of ink, you can request a postage-paid mailing envelope be mailed to you. I told you there's no excuse!

The best part of the AT&T recycling program is that they use funds from recycled cell phone to buy prepaid phone cards for active duty military members through the Cell Phones for Soldiers program. AT&T collects the phones and then sends them to ReCellular, the world's largest cell phone recycler. ReCellular in turn pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone and the funds are used to buy the phone cards. How cool is that? The Cell Phones for Soldiers program was started by two teenagers and has already distributed more than 75,000 prepaid phone cards to soldiers overseas.

Sprint is the only major U.S. wireless carrier to offer in-store financial incentives to consumers for recycling their eligible devices regardless of make, manufacturer or carrier. Their buyback program offers an instant account credit to current and new customers who turn in up to three eligible devices per active line of service each year. To participate in this program without going to a retail store, log on to www.sprint.com/recycle.

Sprint's Project Connect program accepts all wireless phones, batteries, and accessories regardless of carrier or condition. This program is available to everyone and free postage-paid envelopes are available at any Sprint-owned retail store. You can also print free postage-paid mailing labels at www.sprint.com/recycle. All the proceeds collected help keep kids safer online through Sprint's 4NetSafetySM program. Charitable partners include the National Center for Missign & Exploited Children, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the NEA Health Information Network.

ReCellular also works with other charities beside Cell Phones for Soldiers. Check out their recycling partners here.

CollectiveGood is similar to ReCellular and offers donations to several organizations in exchange for your cell phone.

ECO-CELL is yet another company that accepts used cell phones. They partner exclusively with conservation organizations and some of the workable phones are donated to hospitals in the Louisville Metro area so patients can make emergency calls.

You can always get some money for your old cell phone by selling it yourself or sending it to YouRenew. Enter your cell phone model details on their website and get a quote instantly. If your cell phone is a little old and out of date, a quote will be emailed to you. Even if your cell phone isn't worth anything, you can still send you phone to YouRenew and they will recycle it. YouRenew will even pay the postage.

Mom is only on her second cell phone ever so she only has one to recycle. I've lost count how many cell phones Dad has had. He also has piles of chargers and other phone accessories, so he needs to get with the recycling program. I hope you get with the program too because there's no excuse not to.

Rain Date

I was so excited to go to the Easter egg hunt yesterday that I forgot to be excited. I love riding in the car and am usually, as Mom puts it a spaz, but I was so excited I was calm. Weird huh? The egg hunt was a rainy disaster but Josie was there and that's all that mattered.

Mom wouldn't put my window down in the car because it was raining. I thought maybe the rain would let up by the time we arrived at the egg hunt, but in the back of my mind I think I knew that the rain was going to dampen the day's activities so I chilled out in the car until we arrived.

Despite the downpour, there were lots of dogs ready to hunt for eggs. Shortly after we arrived, Josie and her mom drove up. All of us were standing in the rain and then huddled in an empty storefront before we made our way to the egg hunt area. By the time we got there, the hunt was over. Over? No treats, no eggs, no nothing. I was only a tiny bit disappointed that I didn't get anything but then Josie's mom suggested we go back to her house and I was on cloud nine.

I think this picture says it all. Josie is one hot chick and a great hostess as well. Anakin and Izzy didn't go to the egg hunt so when we got to their house they were crazy excited to see me. And I was a little freaked out by their welcome. I kept telling them to chill out but they didn't listen to me. They were finally summoned to the dining room where the gate was closed behind them. A little time out never hurt any pug.

Josie and I were both happy to be alone at last. We talked about our bloggies and about what we have been up to lately. We also talked about taking a road trip but I can't tell you where we are going. Somethings are secret.

Our alone time didn't last for long and soon Anakin and Izzy reappeared. Izzy had to be contained via her leash and all her craziness freaked me out. I tried to hide between Mom and Dad because I was scared. I remember what happened last time I visited and I didn't want it to happen again. I really think Izzy needs some medication so she can chill out.

Josie's birthday is tomorrow, so I brought her a little gift. Can you guys see what it is? It's a little pig. Josie totally loved it and of course Izzy and Anakin were jealous. Mom says I should have brought gifts for them too but I her reminded her that the gift was for Josie's birthday. She reminded me that I didn't get Izzy a birthday gift, but I turned a deaf ear to all her babbling and went back to talking with Josie.

Josie loved the little pig so much she decided to take a nap on it. Doesn't she look cute resting her head on it? A little pig pillow! She's so sweet!

Crazy Izzy totally loves me. She just can't get enough of me but I told her to keep her distance. I let her come close to me for only a second because she's just too crazy for me. I sure hope The Bean likes all that craziness.

Anakin is such a cool dude. He hung out with Dad for quite some time and Dad said that Anakin reminds him of me when I was younger. I can see the resemblance. We are both good looking dudes.

Izzy finally calmed down and decided to chill out with Anakin. They are really best buds. Eventually Izzy jumped up on the sofa by her dad and took a nap while Anakin snoozed on the floor. Ahhh. Quiet time.

The rain finally stopped and the sun came out. Yeah! I didn't want to overstay my welcome and I was getting really sleepy, so I told Mom and Dad that I wanted to go home. Josie didn't want me to go but I told her that I would see her again soon. It was at that time that I asked her to come over to my house on Friday. Guess what? She said yes! Dad is going to cook for us and I'm going to show Josie all around my house. It's going to be a blast!

I think Josie wanted to go home with me but of course she couldn't. Did I mention that Josie gave me some Easter gifts? She bought me a box of Peeps and a box of Goldfish crackers. Yummy! Mom is going to let me have a Peep later today and I'm sure I'm going to love it. My friend Puglet says they're delicious and that they stick to your snout. Mom is saving the crackers for some unknown reason. I'm going to try to get some out of her tomorrow so wish me luck.

I hope everypug has a happy Easter. We are celebrating Easter by having my favorite food - Popeyes!

Look What Mom Did!

Click here to see what Mom did to my bloggy!

Stop plastic bags from trashing our oceans! Learn more about how plastic is trashing the oceans and then trash your friends' blog! http://trashed.healthebay.org/

A New Problem Without A Solution

Just when I thought I had this recycling thing down pat, something new comes up. A problem. A big problem. Sheesh! What's a pug to do?

Everypug knows to look on plastic containers for a recycling symbol. Numbered 1 - 7, the number indicates the type of plastic the product is made from. Please check out my post on recycling symbols here if you need a refresher. The real confusing thing is that plastic is not always labeled. Even though some pugs think if it's not numbered that means it can't be recycled, this is not the case. Confused? Me too.

To add to the confusion, Mom read me an article today about how some plastics are being improperly labeled. What? They are labeled as # 1 PET, but they aren't really #1. Two major plastic recycling associations noticed this mislabeling recently and have come forward to alert consumers.

#1 - PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is found in so many products that you probably use a number 1 plastic container every day. Soft drink bottle, mouthwash bottle, peanut butter containers, salad dressing and vegetable oil containers, and even ovenable food trays are made from this plastic. Commonly used for single-use beverages due to being inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to recycle, it poses a low risk of leaching breakdown products. This plastic can also be recycled into so many things.

But back to the questions surrounding mislabeling: Is this a problem? Why are manufacturers mislabling plastic? Is it intentional? And why is it happening now?

First things first. Mislabeled plastic is an issue because it creates a huge contamination problem in the recycling stream. If something is labeled #1 but is really #6 then it can't be recycled in the same manner as #1. Plastics contain different chemical compositions and not all are created equal. When plastics with different melting points combine with the PET stream, it thickens to such a consistency that it renders the stream useless. Recyclers are the key to the recycling process and if they cannot meet the demand that's been created for recycling PET due to contamination, then we all suffer.

Can you believe that recycling labels have been imprinted on plastic for 25 years? The plastics industry, which has always been self-policed, has never had to deal with a mislabeling problem until now. There's never been any issue like mislabeling so no outside regulations have been needed. Now two recycling associations involved in bringing this mislabeling to light, the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), say several manufacturers are improperly labeling plastic on purpose.

But why is this happening now? The experts think that it is probably due to the economy but they don't really know for sure. Steve Alexander, executive director of APR, explains that in states like California the price of manufacturing is often based on the recycling rate of a manufacturer's material. Thus the higher the rate, the less of a fee you pay to put your material into the marketplace. If PET has a higher recycling rate (which it usually does), it may cost manufacturers less to distribute it. Makes sense but only if manufacturers play by the rules.

David Cornell, technical director for APR, tells us that the issue may be one of status. Huh? #7 gets such a bad rap because it's the catch-all category for plastic that is hard to recycle. Manufacturers don't want to be associated with a product that gets a bad rap so in an effort to avoid negative press, they may be mislabeling their goods as #1.

Consumer awareness and pressure on manufacturers is the first step in stopping the mislabeling. This issue isn't a legal matter yet, but it could be soon. Even though Alexander could not comment on the specific companies accused of mislabeling, he did say that if the issue goes to the Attorney General the companies will be revealed. The action of mislabeling is just wrong and must be stopped.

So what can you do? Alexander says to pay attention to the plastic you recycle. He says the best example of plastic mislabeled as PET are bottles with handles. He claims it's virtually impossible to create a PET bottle with a handle, as the material just doesn't support it. So now you know that if you see a plastic bottle with a handle that is labeled #1, it has been mislabeled. Please report any mislabeled plastic to APR because they need consumers' help to address this issue.

I was really bummed by this mislabeling news. I know all of you have been recycling like crazy and I don't want this news to put a damper on the great work you've done. Let's not look at this issue like we're taking a step back in the recycling process, but as an opportunity to learn more about the plastic we recycle. And as a chance to use less plastic since that really is the best solution.

It's Almost Time!

What will you be doing between 8:30 - 9:30 pm tonight? Well get your candles ready because we're turning off the lights for Earth Hour!

In case you're not familiar with Earth Hour, this is the mission straight from the official US website for Earth Hour:

On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. In the U.S. where we are already feeling the impacts of climate change, Earth Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about this issue and want to turn the lights out on dirty air, dangerous dependency on foreign oil and costly climate change impacts, and make the switch to cleaner air, a strong economic future and a more secure nation.

It's all about getting people to do just one simple thing - turn off their lights - to raise awareness about global climate change. And just so you don't think that the power of the people on planet Earth can spark changes just by turning off their lights, consider the history of Earth Hour.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change.

Fast forward to 2008 when 371 cities and towns in more than 35 countries participated in the event. A highly conservative estimate concludes that 50 million people participate. This number could have been as high as 100 million people.

And then in 2009 hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour, creating a visual mandate for action on climate change effectively kick-starting the world’s first global vote.

2010 promises to bring even more people together then ever before for this lights out event. In this, only the 4th Earth Hour, millions of people have joined the movement and made a difference.

Here in the great state of Illinois (Land of Lincoln, home to Blago), we are participating in Earth Hour for the third consecutive year according to myearthhour.org. Chicago's skyline will once again be in the spotlight. Icons such as the Chicago Theatre, Navy Pier, Willis Tower (Sears Tower to us Chicagoans), Merchandise Mart, the Wrigley Building and Trump International Hotel and Towers will be among the more than 200 downtown buildings turning out their exterior lights.

“ComEd is committed to environmental stewardship, and we are proud to once again partner with World Wildlife Fund to bring Earth Hour to Illinois,” said Anne Pramaggiore, president and chief operating officer of ComEd. “We hope Earth Hour will help our customers and people around the world learn more about the need for energy conservation as a cost-effective way to slow climate change and benefit our environment.”

In addition to Chicago, dozens of communities across the state have pledged to go dark for Earth Hour, including: Algonquin, Bolingbrook, Carol Stream, Deerfield, DeKalb, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Homer Glen, Lombard, Mount Prospect, Naperville, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Olympia Fields, Orland Park, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg and South Elgin.

“By participating in the symbolic event of Earth Hour, we show that, together, we can collectively make a difference to protect and preserve the environment,” said Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

The State of Illinois is participating in Earth Hour by dimming the lights on the State Capitol Dome and the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, as well as at State-owned buildings across Chicago, including the Thompson Center and Bilandic Building.

“By turning out our lights for an hour on March 27, the people of Illinois will show our commitment to fighting light pollution,” said Governor Quinn. “Earth Hour highlights the importance of conserving energy and protecting our environment for future generations.”

I'm a little upset that my community, Mundelein, has not pledged to go dark for Earth Hour. Hmmm. I wonder why they haven't joined the rest of communities in showing their support and commitment to this cause. I'm going to have Mom look into this for me. I'm going to do all I can to ensure that our community pledges to go dark next year.

By going dark for just one hour, people around the globe will have saved tons of energy. They will have also raised awareness and if nothing else then it's made a difference. Dare the naysayers to make such statements like an hour of darkness doesn't mean a thing and won't change a thing. Nonsense! And dare the geeks of the world that say burning candles produces significantly more CO2 and other pollutants per lumen than incandescent bulbs. While this is true, this moment, this hour is about uniting people together for a common cause. Global climate change is real people. And it ain't going away until we make changes and quick.

I found this short video history of Earth Hour very inspirational. If you hadn't already decide to participate in Earth Hour tonight, I hope it will persuade you to. I'll be in dark from 8:30 - 9:30 pm, thinking about what I can do to save planet Earth. Won't you join me?

What's In What You Eat?

Mom attended a sustainable foods presentation last night given by these two women. If you can't read the fine print on the picture they are Frances Moore Lappe and her daughter Anna Lappe. The theme of the presentation was 'Hope's Edge: Rethinking Old Myths, Building Sustainable Communities'. I could not attend the presentation because they don't allow dogs in the college unless they are service dogs. I tried to tell Mom that I am a service dog but she just shook her head no, gave me a pet on the head, and ran out the door. Sheesh!
Frances Moore Lappe wrote this groundbreaking book almost 40 years ago and it really changed the way people thought about food and eating. I wouldn't go so far as to say it did for the food movement what "Silent Spring" did for the environmental movement, but it's impact was felt and is still being felt today. The premise behind the book is that there is a global food shortage. This was true in 1971 when the book was published and is still true today. Millions of people die from hunger each year despite the abundance of food that is grown around the world. This disturbed Lappe and she made it her life's work to educate people about this issue, traveling around the world informing people on the changes they can make in their diets so that there is no more food crisis.

Flash forward to the 21st century. Lappe's daughter Anna gets involved in the food movement but instead of focusing on food policy she focuses on how what we eat contributes to global climate change. This is such a hot topic (no pun intended) because so many people don't even believe we are experiencing global climate change. At least not to the extent that it is a human caused problem and that it will lead to more destruction with each passing year until we do something about it.

The presentation was really good and Mom said the passion in the presenters' voices could be heard as well as felt. These issues are so serious that Mom feels it is this generation's responsibility to address them and quick. These times they are a changing and it ain't looking good. But, with every problem there is always at least one solution. It's not all doom and gloom because there are so many opportunities to make changes daily and locally that Mom just believes it's a matter of educating people. I don't know why she feels it's her job to do this but since she's in charge of me (I report to her) who am I to argue?

So what does all of this have to do with anything? Everything! Mom was reading me a blog post on thedailygreen.com the other day called The Conscious Kitchen challenge. The challenge was to take a really good look around your kitchen to determine if you know where your food comes from (and I'm not talking the store), what it is, and how good it is for you and the environment. This is stuff that Mom thinks about a lot because she is obsessed with it. Some people smoke, drink coffee, drink alcohol, do drugs, gamble, etc., but not my mom. Nope. She obsesses and stresses about the environment. I guess someone has to do it.

So the first step in creating a more Conscious Kitchen is to perform a self-exam of sorts. You are to walk into your kitchen and see what's in there. I mean dig deep to see what you're eating and what's in what you eat. There are many parts to the challenge but Mom decided to focus on the food portion, specifically the fridge. The other food parts - cabinets and freezer will come at a later date. The other kitchen parts involve looking at your oven and stove to assess how much you cook/eat at home, and also looking at your garbage to see how much and what you are throwing away. Okay, so we are going to do a mini fridge challenge to get things started. This will be just a little sampling of what we need to do and we encourage all of you to conduct a similar challenge.

Look at that refrigerator. There's not a thing to eat in it! Where's the leftover Popeyes? Where's all my cheese? Hello lunchmeat, I'm looking for you. This is why I'm starving. Uh, sorry for freaking out. It's just that I feet that some of my food should be included in the challenge but Mom said we were focusing on human food.

Okay, so Mom looked in the fridge, but what was she suppose to be looking for? The first thing was to notice the ratio of fresh whole foods to packaged items. Are your veggies wilting or are they something you shop for often? Mom would like to add "are they in plastic, reusable cloth bags, or loose?" Now take a look at how many ingredients are listed on the packaged food. Ask yourself what's in there that you think is Conscious, and what would you like to see go?

Now for the challenge. Try to visualize how each ingredient was produced. Do you picture a farm? All food comes from a farm, it's just a matter of which type of farm. Do you know where that farm is located and how it produced that ingredient? Or is it an ingredient that you might expect to find in a household cleaner as opposed to your fridge? This is going to be much harder than I thought. There is a scoring system for the challenge but since we are doing a little sample challenge, our scoring system will be paws up or down.

Mom decided to grab a few items out of the fridge to start with. Our challenge focused on packaged food since those items are usually the least conscious, thus there is greater room to make changes.

This sampling of food items can be found in our fridge on any given day. Two of these items are Mom's, three are Dad's, and one they share. Just for the record, I would include two of them if I were doing a Stubby challenge, which I'm not, but I'm just saying. I'm sure you guys know which two are mine because all us doggies seem to eat them.

This is Dad's pomegranate juice. He drinks a shot of it every day. I'm not sure why Mom doesn't drink a shot too but she doesn't. I've never tasted it so I can't vouch for it's drinkability. Reading the ingredients it looks to be pretty conscious. 100% pomegranate juice is the only ingredient listed. That means there's nothing else in the bottle except what's suppose to be there. I can definitely picture a pomegranate orchard, most likely in California. Bees buzz, birds sing, and butterfiles dance around the pomegranate trees. Besides the plastic bottle the juice comes in, I give this 2 paws up. Glass is easier to recycle than plastic plus with glass there are no leaching issues. This plastic bottle will go in our recycling container and the cap will go to Aveda.

Mmmmm. Peanut butter. I love this stuff! I could eat it every day but I don't. Mom eats it on bread and on bananas. But is it conscious? It is organic peanut butter but that doesn't mean it's conscious. Let's take a deeper look. All the ingredients came from a farm and don't look like ingredients that you would find in household cleaners. Organic dry roasted peanuts imply that there were no pesticides and herbicides used to grow them. That's good but what about the organic palm oil? Palm oil is one of the worst things for the environment but unfortunately it's made it's way into so many foods we eat every day. Just because the palm oil is organic doesn't make it conscious, right? Great question. I'm going to have to look into that because I just don't know. I hope it's okay because I would hate to give up eating peanut butter. Organic refined cane sugar and sea salt seem okay to me so overall I think I give this peanut butter 1 1/2 paws up. The jar is glass so it will be recycled along with the metal lid. Mom could very easily make her own peanut butter and maybe this challenge will push her to try.

Who doesn't love cottage cheese? Mom! That's fine with me because that means there's more for Dad and I to eat. Yummy. But look at the list of ingredients. Hmmm. There are some very suspicious looking ingredients in there. Some of them look familiar but others do not. What really jumps out at me is potassium sorbate (a mold inhibitor). Apparently there's not enough of that stuff in there because our cottage cheese always gets moldy when Dad is out of town. I'm betting potassium sorbate isn't even good for you. It's just in there to preserve the real ingredients like milk and cream. The rule usually goes that if you can't pronouce an ingredient in a food stuff, then you shouldn't eat it. Easy to say but hard to do. So many foods today contain preservatives to increase shelf life. But what effect do these preservatives have on you? How does your body handle them? More great questions, but no answers. Unfortunately, I would have to give this cottage cheese 2 paws down because I don't think it's very conscious. I'm sure there are healthier cottage cheeses on the market that Dad and I can eat, maybe even some that aren't packaged in plastic. The good thing is that this type of plastic is extremely recyclable, so in the recycle bin it goes.

This is the worst picture ever. I bet you can't even tell this is the list of ingredients on a jar of salsa, can you? Please don't blame the blogger - blame the photographer. The one with the very unsteady hands. If you could read the ingredients you would see that for the most part they are all recognizable. I can definitely picture farms where these ingredients are grown. Of course they aren't all grown on the same farm given the mono agriculture most farms practice. But they are farms none the less. None of the ingredients are organic but like we all know, some produce is cultivated using less chemicals than others. There are peppers, tomatoes, black beans, garlic, and spices listed in the ingredients. The only suspicious ingredient would be the last one: natural flavor. What is it and how is it natural? Natural what? This natural flavor could be anything and of course food companies don't have to tell you what it is. Some companies hide behind this labeling for fear that if consumers knew exactly what went into a product, they could simply duplicate it at home. But again, it could be anything, so I have to give this salsa 1 1/2 paws up because it is semi-conscious. I like that it comes in a recyclable glass jar with a metal lid, but Mom could easily make her own salsa.

This is not a product I directly eat, but Dad uses it to make my eggs. Mom uses it in stir frys and on bread, so we go through a lot of it. It was not too long ago that Dad used regular old margarine for cooking but then Mom found this stuff and Dad liked it. In case you couldn't see it in the group picture, it's called Earth Balance and it's a butter substitute. Now that doesn't mean it's conscious, but before we decide if it is or not, let's take a look at the ingredients. The natural oil blend contains palm fruit, aka palm oil. Remember what I said about it? I told you it was found everywhere. Ugh. Mom is wringing her hands and pulling her hair out. The rest of the ingredients were grown on farms, but where? The label tells us this product is non-GMO. Yeah! There's so much controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms that we could do a month of posts on them. For our purpose let's just say the jury is out, but that we should try to eat as few as possible. So is this product conscious? I give it 1 1/2 paws up because of the palm oil. The plastic packaging is not great but this plastic, like the cottage cheese container, is highly recyclable.

Do you guys remember when Dad was sick last year? After he got out of the hospital, the doctor told him to give up caffeine and artifical sweeteners. So just like that, Dad gave them up. Cold turkey. Dad was a big soda drinker (so was Mom), so the doctor suggested La Croix carbonated water. Even though this picture is bad you can see that there are only two ingredients on the label: carbonated water and natural flavor. What's with all this natural flavoring? What do the La Croix people think? That Dad is going to go out and buy a Soda Stream machine and make his own faux La Croix? Good luck with that! Mom suggested this machine before but they just never bought one. I mean how hard could it be to make lemon flavored La Croix? Put water in machine, press button, add lemon juice and drink. I could probably even do it! But the real question is, is this conscious? That's a tough one. Is this any better then bottled water? Why can't Dad just pour himself some good old tap water and squeeze some lemon juice in it? It's all about the carbonation people! Which leads me back to the question at hand. I have to give this product 2 paws down. This product is not conscious, even though the cans are highly recyclable, as is the cardboard box they come in. Water is water, plain and simple. Why pay $4.00 for 12 cans when you can drink water out of the tap for months for less?

I learned a lot from this sample challenge. Besides not having any food in the fridge, I learned that Mom and I have a lot to learn about food. We don't know where our food comes from. We have no connection to the farmers that grew it, the people that picked it, or the company that manufactured it. Some companies are more conscious than others, so that is definitely a factor when shopping.

I'm hoping we can do a full on challenge soon because we do have real food in our fridge. There are lots of glass jars full of soup Mom makes, so it is going to take quite some time to break down all the ingredients in each one. It's important to know what's in what you eat because there's only one you. Only you can decide what you eat. Know what you're eating for your own good and for the planet. Take the challenge and let me know what you learn. The keys are to learn and make changes where necessary. Remember, the times they are a changing.

Those Elgin Pugs!

Do you guys remember the ValenPug party I went to last month? I met lots of pugs (and their people) at the party like Gen and the Foo, and Rainy. It was so cool to meet these pugs that I had been talking to for months. Mom calls it putting a face with a name. Um, okay. I already knew what they looked like so I'm calling it putting a smell with a face. Makes perfect sense to me!

I also met some new pugs at the party. I didn't get everypug's name but I spent a lot of time with one pug family in particular. Josie, Izzy, & Anakin along with their parents Katy and Rob drove a long way to get to the ValenPug party and I'm sure glad they did. All us pugs hit it off right away but Josie and I formed a special bond because we are both slow movers. Over this past month I've been emailed Josie and we've gotten to know each other pretty good so this past Sunday I paid her a visit.

When Josie met me outside I couldn't believe my eyes. She was a true vision of beauty. She got all dressed up and even took a bath in preparation for my arrival. I was suppose to get my nose cleaned but somehow I managed to get out of it. Josie didn't mind because she told me she likes stinky pugs.

Josie is a recycled pug. She came to her forever family from Northern Illinois Pug Rescue and Adoption. Even though she's blind and deaf, she still has many years left in her. Isn't she pretty?

I played a little hard to get when I first got to Josie's house. I didn't want her to think that I was a total pushover (which I am) or that I was easy (which I'm not) so I just hung out with Dad while Josie chilled out.

Josie digs me because I'm totally her speed - slow. She has trouble getting around but since she's been on her meds, she's been getting around a lot better. I'm still refusing my meds despite some tricks with cheese that Dad has tried. My sniffer is way too good to be fooled. I may be old but I can still smell medicine!

Of course I had to make the rounds and get pets from everyone. I think Josie's dad Rob approved of me because he gave me lots of pets.

When it came time to go outside for a potty break, Josie had to take her dress off. It snowed here on Saturday and even though most of the snow had melted, it was very muddy. I asked Mom to get a couple more pictures of Josie in her pretty dress before we headed to the backyard.

Once we came back inside, we hung out some more. I hung out with Josie's brothers too and this good looking guy is Anakin. He used to live in a barn! Can you believe that someone would put a pug in a barn to live? He's lucky he didn't freeze to death poor guy. I just found out today that he has a crush on a certain pug who lives in Virginia. I can't tell you who it is but her name begins with a S. Yikes! I think I spilled the beans!

I had lots of fun hanging out with Anakin. He's a very cool pug and he approves of me dating his sister.

This is Izzy. I call her Crazy Izzy because she couldn't sit still. She's eight years old but has the energy of an eight month old puppy. I think she was a little jealous of my relationship with Josie because we got into a little tiff. Everything turned out fine between us but I told her that I'm a one puggy kind of guy.

Josie is just like me and can't jump up on the furniture. Unlike me, Josie is content to sit on the floor. I must always be on a lap because I need to be on people. I must be touching people most of the time or I'm a mess. A hot mess as Mom likes to say.

Izzy had to be contained by her dad because she was getting a little too excited. At one point I barked because I saw someone ride by on a bicycle and Izzy snapped at me. I think she was going for my cute little pug nose but luckily her mom caught her just in time. She's definitely the boss of the house and I think she was just trying to keep me in line.

I did not have to be contained. I just had to be on Dad's lap for most of the visit. I don't like a lot of crazy running around and I feel safe when Dad is holding me. Mom says I'm getting to be a big baby in my old age but Dad saying I'm turning into a COP - Cranky Old Pug. Whatever!

Josie decided she wanted to be at Stubby level so her dad picked her up and put her on the sofa next to me. She was totally digging me!

I didn't want to overstay my visit, plus I was getting tired, so Dad told me it was time to leave. I would have stayed longer but I didn't want to miss dinner at home and I knew Mom would not approve of us going through the drive-thru at Popeyes. Josie's dad held us for one last photo I like to call 'The Cute Couple'.

In between hanging out, Mom showed Josie's mom how to start a blog. After we left, all the pugs and people worked on the blog and then emailed me the link. Yeah! Another pug blogger! Please visit Josie, Anakin and Izzy at their blog Those Elgin Pugs. They've been reading some of your blogs for the past month and can't wait to meet you!

I had such a great time visiting with Josie that I can't wait until we can get together again. I don't know when that will be but soon (hopefully) the weather will stay nice and we can play outside. I'm even going to invite Josie to my house so we can play in my yard and maybe even go to Popeyes. I know you might think that Popeyes is not an appropriate place to take a date but believe me, if Stubby loves Popeyes then Josie does too!