The Case for Recycling Paper

This morning I read this well-researched article by Pablo Paster about the case for recycling (or not recycling) paper. Check it out!

I'm just becoming familiar with the Cape Town recycling scene. The city doesn't pick up recycling separately, which I think vastly undermines their efforts- or rather means that residents have to be much more pro-active than otherwise.

That said, if items at the recycling centers actually get recycled, we're doing better than many places. I'll try to find out. There's a thriving informal recycling sector, but near our home in Observatory there are piles of rubbish that include plastic bottles and other recyclables.

How Do You Choose Your Milk?

Milk hasn’t been a priority of mine for very long; Noah’s birth helped spur me towards changing what kind of milk I drink. Much of the milk in the U.S. is produced in bad conditions, where cows’ lifespans are extraordinarily reduced because they’re forced to produce vastly more milk than is reasonable. I’m a big milk drinker, but that’s a topic for another day.

The question is: is milk still good if produced in bad conditions? I think the answer to this can be pretty nuanced: It depends. It’s likely not morally good; it’s not necessarily healthy, but it depends on what else you’re eating as to whether it’s healthy: “Healthy” is a relative term, and your choices depend so much on how much money you have. Maintaining life, particularly in the economic north, always comes at a cost, and my perspective is that I have to terms with that while trying to minimize that cost.

Organic milk vs non-organic is not the only choice here. Buying organic doesn’t necessarily mean you can sleep easy at night, knowing you only drink happy cows’ milk. But restless sleep doesn’t mean anything to cows, either. So here are some things I think about when choosing milk:

1. Cost
If cost is your greatest concern and you’re buying non-organic milk, buy really cheaply at convenience stores like 7-eleven or Store 24 (or Market Basket, of course). If the savings add up, use them to try other kinds of milk for a month, to see how you like them. For those of you in Massachusetts, the cheapest organic milk I’ve found is the 2% Stonyfield at Target ($3.29 for a half-gallon) and the Amish Organic milk at some Market Baskets (2.99 for a half gallon)

For most of us cost is a major factor in deciding what kind of milk we drink. For adults with other sources of Vitamin D and calcium, reducing quantity in favour of quality is a possibility. For the most part, you get what you pay for. That said, non-organic milk at Shaw’s costs as much as organic milk at Market Basket. Overall, non-organic milk is extraordinarily, and artificially, cheap.

Before I talk about the different facets that make up choices over quality, I’d like to suggest that, for those of you who are currently buying only the cheapest milk, consider a gradual transition rather than an overnight one. For example, consider buying organic milk at the end of the month when you discover the budget allows it. And then gradually increase your budget.

2. Taste
Choose milk you love
I’d forgotten how good milk can taste. I compared Garelick Farms (1%, non-organic), Market Basket brand (1%, non-organic), Archer Farms Organic (Target brand, 2%, organic), 2% Stonyfield (Organic), The Organic Cow, Trader Joe’s brand (both organic and non-organic). Of the non-organic milk brands, I liked Garelick Farms best. But to date, my favourite brand overall, based on taste, is Stonyfield. I like that it’s also relatively cheap for organic milk. Trader Joe’s actually has the cheapest gallon of organic milk (5.99/gallon) but I didn’t like the taste that much- the 2% seemed pretty watered down.

3. Organic vs. Non-Organic
Research the farm/group of farms, not just whether it's certified organic
If you have access to milk where you have visited the farm and seen how the cows are treated, I don’t think that the “organic” label matters nearly as the farm itself. That said, based on taste, there’s a clear difference between organic and non-organic milk, whether or not I know much about the farm. So switching to organic milk has been my gateway drug: a starting point before I try to consider all these other important categories.

4. Small farm vs. Large Farm
If you can, choose a farm that's interested in serving the masses (no, I'm not sure what exactly that means)
About a year ago, I wrote about this interview with Joel Salatin. I believe he makes a powerful case for small, local farms. The organic giant, Stonyfield, has helped me take the leap, so I’m very grateful to them for this, even as I'm not sure they're the place to land for the long term. I’d love others to weigh in on the debate, as sourcing milk locally seems really important but I’d be interested to hear the argument for large networks of farms. I'd love to hear how we could make sustainable, respectful farms the norm, rather than the expensive exception.

5. Raw vs. Pasteurized vs. Ultra-pasteurized
Consider pasteurized milk, rather than ultra-pasteurized (I don't know about raw milk yet
I’m actually just starting to read about the raw milk movement, so I’ll review a couple of books in a few weeks; I don’t know enough to comment on raw milk. Most milk that I’ve encountered on the shelves-- including all the large organic milk brands-- is ultra-pasteurized, to make it last longer in your fridge. But I think food should go bad. It’s normal. I’ve found some pasteurized milk from Maine at our coop, and I’m going to use it to make yoghurt and decide whether to start using it exclusively.

6. Packaging
Returnable glass if possible, cartons second and plastic last
Glass, plastic, or cartons? Many cities around the U.S. now recycle cartons (Check the full listing here), which makes them a better choice than previously. I’d say try for glass, and if you can’t go for cartons, and if you can’t go for plastic. What do you think?

If you drink milk, how do you decide what kind of milk to drink and give to your family?

No More Ziplocs, and Concrete Gardener’s First Giveaway!

photo credit: Eug (conferre)

As you know, I’m working on eliminating ziplocs/little plastic baggies from our lives. I’ve been using plastic containers (pseudo tupperwares) as a reusable alternative, but as I phase out tupperwares and phase in glass, containers are not a perfect alternative to ziplocs because glass is so heavy.

So I was excited to find these FlipFlap Sacks by TheGreenCat on Etsy, made by hand. To make them, Cat uses fabric from discarded umbrellas, otherwise destined for the landfill. They’re beautiful, affordable, extremely compact (I was sent two in a regular business envelope) and well-made. Their size and weight are particularly exciting thing for me, as the little tupperwares seem to always do crazy things in my cupboard. They’re also machine washable.

Here’s what Cat writes about the story of the FlipFlap Sacks:
“I've always hated seeing useful items go to the landfill. I do my best to reuse and repurpose items.

I work in Times Square. On rainy days there seems to be a vendor on every corner selling $3 umbrellas. These umbrellas are no match for the gusty winds that can tear down the streets of Manhattan in a sudden storm. The discarded broken umbrellas are a frequent sight on the sidewalks during a rainstorm. Last year I got the idea to strip the fabric off the umbrellas and make them into something useful and thus the Blustery Day FlipFlap Sack was born. On rainy days I make sure to carry my small scissors, a pair of gloves and a plastic bag. This way I am ready to strip abandoned umbrellas no matter where I find them. I get some funny looks from bypassers but I always smile, knowing I'm keeping something out of the landfill for a while.”


And, our first giveaway here at Concrete Gardener, compliments of TheGreenCat: Leave a comment about how you’re thinking about reducing the amount of trash you produce (whatever your context-- it’s ok!), I’ll write down each of your names on pieces of paper and whichever commenter’s name Noah tries to eat first will receive one complimentary bag.  Winner will be drawn and announced a week from today.  You can even choose between purple and red!

Photo credit: Eug (Conferre)

GreenCat is also offering a 10% discount for all Concrete Gardener readers-- just use the discount code Concrete10 at checkout.

*Update: Noah chose Tiff as our bag winner!*

Freegan Apple Crisp in Watertown, MA

Freegans are often people thinking about how to reduce waste and live differently by making use of the waste in our society. I’m not a freegan [yet]; I’m very much part of the American Capitalist Economy. And when it comes to dumpster diving in Watertown, I’m not sure of who does it or how they get into the dumpsters. With that long preamble, there’s something beautiful about taking good food that would otherwise go to waste, and making something great (or even medium ok) to eat. If you came upon this post because you want to learn which dumpsters to go to, let me know. I’ve done a survey and am happy to share. Most are locked, so it would take a braver soul than me to tap their goodness.

But there’s one nearby dumpster that isn’t locked. And as it gets colder, the food quality just gets better. So one early Friday morning, when I saw this open, Jo height dumpster, I also saw my opportunity. Eug is worried I’ll be known as the lady carrying a baby who drives an Audi and dumpster dives. [ Aside: Yes. We were given an Audi. I know.] But the reality was that Noah and I were going for a walk and I noticed that tons of food had been thrown into a dumpster. I didn’t take nearly as much as I should could have. But I got plenty of apples. I now go for walks with my bag, just in case. So most people probably just know me as the lady with the baby and the red bag.

Imagine how good this apple crisp tasted, given that it was virtually free (this is a wonderful apple crisp recipe, regardless of whether the apples were free):
10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Step-by-step Guide to Beautiful Free Furniture

I was inspired by this post over at Frugal Girl. I loved the pictures of her furniture and felt empowered to try finding and painting furniture suited to our needs. Up to now I've been an ikea person because I didn't know any other way... I picked up this little cupboard down the street-- it was brown and dusty with old hinges and keyholes. After painting it, it's replaced a bookshelf and table that used to be side by side (one holding Noah's toys, the other supporting my plants). Here, I'll talk about how to acquire and improve such great furniture.



Step 1 Find a Piece of Furniture you like
These are the kinds of furniture you never have to buy in Boston (and, I imagine, a lot of other towns):
1) Side tables
2) Living room little tables
3) Chests of drawers
4) Small cupboards
5) Bookshelves.
Seriously. I see these pieces in plentiful supply on trash day, and they come up pretty often on freecycle, too. Wooden furniture is super resilient and bad looking tables look great after a coat of paint.

Step 2 Find a Place where it can sit for one week
This can be challenging in Boston, where the weather is terrible but you don't necessarily have a spot where something can just sit. If you do have to keep it in your living room, you can probably finish it up in just a couple of days. Try to keep it somewhere where there's at least some air circulating.



Step 3: Take off Doors, drawers and hinges
By removing these now, you'll be able to get a much smoother paint job.

Step 4: Choose a paint you like, and go to it!
The paint, in my case, was free, but if you have to buy paint, it'll cost about $12-14 a container, and a container will last you several pieces of furniture.

After painting pieces both white and black, I tend towards the black. It's more forgiving.

Fear of the need to sand was one thing that was holding me back, because I knew there was no way I'd get around to picking up the power sander. I think sanding is important (I did do some minimal hand sanding), but if it's between not doing anything and skimping on the sanding to get you started, don't stress too much about the sanding. Don't worry about the "right" way just yet. Just try it out.

Thin coats of paint are THE key tip to take away from this post. I mean REALLY thin. Better to paint 8 coats, each 2 hours apart, than a couple of thick layers.



Step 5: Try Decorative Paper
Eug had the genius idea to add paper to the top section of the cupboard, above the doors. I think this is the key feature of the cupboard now. I love it. We just found a sheet of paper, stuck it on using school kids glue, and started varnishing. It took several layers of varnish to start to look shiny. We used water-based varnish, which really helped with cleanup.

Step 6: Consider Replacing Doorknobs and/or Hinges
Replacing the doorknobs on this cupboard cost about $4, but made a big impact on its overall look. I just painted over the old hinges and keyholes, as they were too old to come in a standard size.

On Reclaiming Furniture

I discovered a small table being thrown away recently. It was black and the paint was chipping, but it was potentially pretty, and very light. I was hoping to have a table for a lamp in our dining room, so I was excited to pick it up.

After cleaning and painting with some left over white paint in the house, this is what it looks like:




Definitely not perfect, but clean and empowering!

Meera, note the birdies-- they are just waiting to be framed and put in their Final Destination on the wall. We love them!

Our ducks were a gift from Eug's aunt-- tradition says that the ducks symbolize the couple in marriage-- ideally moving forward together.