Hey!
i ll directly start writing about why people do not recycle.
Well, it depends. it can be due to infrastructural problems. For instance, if you live in the most beautiful city as i do now, you can have the most beautiful scene but not recycling facility provided by municipality. They seem like they are trying. They put few recycle bins on some corners of the streets, yet they do not specify which is what. i mean, recycling has its own language. Not every plastic is plastic, and not every paper look alike is paper. Same for metals, glasses. Therefore, there should be more informative signs at least on the recycle bins.
Can we put chocolate cover in plastic? What can we do with milk bottles? Are they paper or plastic or should we collect them seperately? What about bulbs? Are they glass or is there any place where we can bring to elektronic waste or are they hazardous waste?
You see? Questions, questions... And none of them is answered by any responsible person, institution what so ever! Believe me, i can list many more question that can scare you! Not only because i m creatiave about asking questions, but also i have been observing 'my' wastes and feeling sooo confused.
Yet,lacking information is not the only problem. Convenience seems like a bigger problem. Because, putting everything in the same garbage is easier. Besides, if you need to carry your waste a bit far away, it does not seem worthwhile to spend money on oil (for the people who 'drive' their waste to the nearest recycle bin). Well, i m afraid that can be right unless you go on foot.
There are also motivational problems. People want to know what happens after they seperate their garbage. People want to be reinforced for spending their time on seperation. i m sure there are many more reasons that is counted vital for the people.
Lessons the be learned:
1) Be positive: if there are many problems, there is soo much space for improvement! May be we should force municipalities for more convenient solutions.
2) You can not be aware of unless you know. So, talk to people why recycling is important.
3) Be sporty: carry your garbage on food!
Tip of the day: Check this to learn more about recycling!
Cheers!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Getting Complicated! Source Separation...
Hey!
Yesterday, i started to write about 3R concept and will continue with Recycling today.
So, here we go!
As i wrote and everybody was aware of, recycling is not the best option comparing to REDUCE and REUSE. However, it still is a way to replace our virgin sources. The best way to recycle our wastes is 'source separation' which means no mixed-waste. There are many categories and sub-categories that you can seperate your wastes. Glass, plastic, metal, paper, food, electronic, hazardous wastes are the ones that come to my mind at the first place. However, it is not only about separation, but also keeping them clean. For instance, when you collect your paper waste separately, you need to be sure that there is no food residual which makes the waste contaminated. i know it sounds weird: you are not allowed to 'dirt' the dirt. In universities in which try to reach 'zero waste' level, paper cups and pizza boxes are put in food residuals to compost. Napkins as well. For plastics, it is a bit different. i mean you do not need to be that 'clean', yet still, you need to remove food residuals roughly. Same, for others.
However, there is also many critisizm about RECYCLING. Some people say that, recycling actually do not work since we can call it as 'downcycling' instead of recycling. Unfortunately, they are true since when you recycle, you can hardly keep the quality of waste.However, it can be the other way around as in the documentary WASTE=FOOD. Really nice documantary, and the book mentioned in documentary is one of the essentials on environmentalism. Do not worry, i ll say the name of the book :) it is CRADLE TO CRADLE. i ll not talk about documentary furtherly since it will be one of the topics of next month, Sweet November!
One more thing about recycling and i ll stop, enough lecturing for today. Although recycling is not the bestsolution for environment, it helps another problem not to explode: land-filling. There is not that much space on the earth that both we and our garbages can live. So, make your choice: either them or us!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Keep your waste clean!
2) Your waste can be someone else's treasure!! (not my words:P)
3) Check that news to learn how people got 'creazy-creative' to spend less money! ('Reducing' is about keeping your money in your packet as well. Do not get stingy, though!! )
Tip of the day: Buy eco-labeled products!
Cheers!!
PS: Tomorrow, i ll write about why people do not recycle.
Yesterday, i started to write about 3R concept and will continue with Recycling today.
So, here we go!
As i wrote and everybody was aware of, recycling is not the best option comparing to REDUCE and REUSE. However, it still is a way to replace our virgin sources. The best way to recycle our wastes is 'source separation' which means no mixed-waste. There are many categories and sub-categories that you can seperate your wastes. Glass, plastic, metal, paper, food, electronic, hazardous wastes are the ones that come to my mind at the first place. However, it is not only about separation, but also keeping them clean. For instance, when you collect your paper waste separately, you need to be sure that there is no food residual which makes the waste contaminated. i know it sounds weird: you are not allowed to 'dirt' the dirt. In universities in which try to reach 'zero waste' level, paper cups and pizza boxes are put in food residuals to compost. Napkins as well. For plastics, it is a bit different. i mean you do not need to be that 'clean', yet still, you need to remove food residuals roughly. Same, for others.
However, there is also many critisizm about RECYCLING. Some people say that, recycling actually do not work since we can call it as 'downcycling' instead of recycling. Unfortunately, they are true since when you recycle, you can hardly keep the quality of waste.However, it can be the other way around as in the documentary WASTE=FOOD. Really nice documantary, and the book mentioned in documentary is one of the essentials on environmentalism. Do not worry, i ll say the name of the book :) it is CRADLE TO CRADLE. i ll not talk about documentary furtherly since it will be one of the topics of next month, Sweet November!
One more thing about recycling and i ll stop, enough lecturing for today. Although recycling is not the bestsolution for environment, it helps another problem not to explode: land-filling. There is not that much space on the earth that both we and our garbages can live. So, make your choice: either them or us!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Keep your waste clean!
2) Your waste can be someone else's treasure!! (not my words:P)
3) Check that news to learn how people got 'creazy-creative' to spend less money! ('Reducing' is about keeping your money in your packet as well. Do not get stingy, though!! )
Tip of the day: Buy eco-labeled products!
Cheers!!
PS: Tomorrow, i ll write about why people do not recycle.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Time to see me! Halloween's Recycle Bin!
Hey!
This is me, just few minutes before i left home with my dear friend MT who dressed up like LINUS from Peanuts. Preparation part was great. i used the same materials that i prepared for another presentation. Since, that presentation was over, i decided that they can become very nice pieces to decorate my.. Recyle Bin! i know, i do not look alike a Recycle Bin, but still everybody got the point. Though, i am not sure if there was any person left in my uni who was not aware of my 'green' side. i am proud of myself, not my roomy though:)
So, as i dressed up like a recycle bin, it can be a good start to talk about RECYCLING!! This is one of the most favorite topics among environmental problems and/or solutions for me.
i ,of course, start with shiny part of recycling. As you all know, and as i wrote/told hundreds of time, reducing the world sources do not help us to save the world. Therefore, we need to replace it. We first can do REDUCE part of 3R. We can reduce buying, we can reduce consuming, we can reduce wanting more. REUSE is the next best option, and stands for the 2nd R. You can do shopping from 2nd hand stores. You can wear your mum's clothes (i use mum's, since my dearest dad's clothes do not fit!). Use your imagination! As the 3rd R, you can RECYCLE! Then you do not need to cut more trees, dig for more petrolium, bomb rocks to find more metal!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Reduce!!!
2) Reuse!!
3) Recycle!
Tip of the day: Obey the order! Think about what you need, shop rationally!
Cheers!!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 27th (confessions!!)
Hey!
Today, unfortunately, im not going to write you about what i didnot, but what i did.
Since the beginning of October, i was dedicated to my challange. However, as i reflected to you sometimes, i had some questions about Slow Food. i sincerely respect people who can devote themselves to do so. However, especially somethings as i ll clarify it, does not feel right!
Where to start? Yes, slow food was/is great idea to make people think about our daily consumption pattern. It is great, because, everybody eats... without an exception! Therefore, from the beginning, without investing hundreds& thousands, you can do something, not only for environment but also for your health. Good for environment, because as you live slow, not lazy though, you consume less. Practically, let's say you have 2 hours, you want to eat chips. You can go to market,preferably the closest one, and buy one,two,three - as many as you want - packed chips and finish them in few minutes. Probably, you still have more than an hour, and if you want, you can do the same and eat 3 more. However, if you want to 'make' your chips by yourself, it will probably take whole two hours including washing the dishes and what you eat is not as much as you do when you eat packed ones. After all, there is no package which has 2 bad effects for the environment: First, packages are made out of 'something' else, therefore it is a source use. As we all know, nothing is infinite -universe's case is excluded, since it is still questionable:)-, so the more we use our world's sources, the less left to use for further consumption. Second, after you trash it to bin, it is almost never 100% recyclable let alone reusable. Then, here is where all our wastes come from!
However, it is not always the case. Unfortunately, we do not only eat chips. Frequently, we get hungry and do not have time to cook. For this point, i may say that, i want to cook and spend my time on cooking although i do not like it. Because, i can not justify for myself that i have no time. Let's be honest, i have time and i do not want to accept that i m lazy! So, this is kind of challange for me to cook. And you know that i like challenging! However, i can not belame people who still have time but want to value that time by doing some other things and not cooking. Besides, i totally understand people who really do not have time.
Another point is that, organic food is expensive. When i asked Slow Food Lady, whether it is fair to people who does not earn that much; she said 'We are already eating more than we need. We do not need to consume that much. Also, we can decide on which we want to spend money; something important for our one(feeding) of the two reasons to live or anything else!' From her point of view, she was right! By spending more money on eating healthy, we can consume less of other things since we have lesser money to spend on. We -people and mother earth- can live happily ever after. However, it is not the case sometimes. There are some families, which hardly live with the money they earn. So, as soon as the prices are high, there will be some people who can not afford to buy 'healthy' food. It brings us another question: 'Is not it, being healthy, one of our existential rights? ' If so, can we exclude some of the people?
Beyond all of these, i still believe in fair trade, unless it exists. i still want to lessen my carbon footprint. Therefore, i ll keep going open market where i know the producers and the food is not coming from far far away. Of course, noone knows that if the food they sell is local unless you ask them. i still keep eating unpacked as much as possible. Not because it is healthier, but because i do not like plastic.
So, now, i can confess that, i was dining out tonight!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Never say never! (but you already know it!)
2) Eating is not only for survival, but also for socializing!! (my friends, especially my roomy and my beautiful sister, know it!!)
3) Eat slowly then you can extend the time you enjoy!!!
Tip of the day: Be a bee in Holloween party! (or something that can emphasize your environment-conscious side:P i m gonna be a recycle bin!)
Cheers!!
Today, unfortunately, im not going to write you about what i didnot, but what i did.
Since the beginning of October, i was dedicated to my challange. However, as i reflected to you sometimes, i had some questions about Slow Food. i sincerely respect people who can devote themselves to do so. However, especially somethings as i ll clarify it, does not feel right!
Where to start? Yes, slow food was/is great idea to make people think about our daily consumption pattern. It is great, because, everybody eats... without an exception! Therefore, from the beginning, without investing hundreds& thousands, you can do something, not only for environment but also for your health. Good for environment, because as you live slow, not lazy though, you consume less. Practically, let's say you have 2 hours, you want to eat chips. You can go to market,preferably the closest one, and buy one,two,three - as many as you want - packed chips and finish them in few minutes. Probably, you still have more than an hour, and if you want, you can do the same and eat 3 more. However, if you want to 'make' your chips by yourself, it will probably take whole two hours including washing the dishes and what you eat is not as much as you do when you eat packed ones. After all, there is no package which has 2 bad effects for the environment: First, packages are made out of 'something' else, therefore it is a source use. As we all know, nothing is infinite -universe's case is excluded, since it is still questionable:)-, so the more we use our world's sources, the less left to use for further consumption. Second, after you trash it to bin, it is almost never 100% recyclable let alone reusable. Then, here is where all our wastes come from!
However, it is not always the case. Unfortunately, we do not only eat chips. Frequently, we get hungry and do not have time to cook. For this point, i may say that, i want to cook and spend my time on cooking although i do not like it. Because, i can not justify for myself that i have no time. Let's be honest, i have time and i do not want to accept that i m lazy! So, this is kind of challange for me to cook. And you know that i like challenging! However, i can not belame people who still have time but want to value that time by doing some other things and not cooking. Besides, i totally understand people who really do not have time.
Another point is that, organic food is expensive. When i asked Slow Food Lady, whether it is fair to people who does not earn that much; she said 'We are already eating more than we need. We do not need to consume that much. Also, we can decide on which we want to spend money; something important for our one(feeding) of the two reasons to live or anything else!' From her point of view, she was right! By spending more money on eating healthy, we can consume less of other things since we have lesser money to spend on. We -people and mother earth- can live happily ever after. However, it is not the case sometimes. There are some families, which hardly live with the money they earn. So, as soon as the prices are high, there will be some people who can not afford to buy 'healthy' food. It brings us another question: 'Is not it, being healthy, one of our existential rights? ' If so, can we exclude some of the people?
Beyond all of these, i still believe in fair trade, unless it exists. i still want to lessen my carbon footprint. Therefore, i ll keep going open market where i know the producers and the food is not coming from far far away. Of course, noone knows that if the food they sell is local unless you ask them. i still keep eating unpacked as much as possible. Not because it is healthier, but because i do not like plastic.
So, now, i can confess that, i was dining out tonight!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Never say never! (but you already know it!)
2) Eating is not only for survival, but also for socializing!! (my friends, especially my roomy and my beautiful sister, know it!!)
3) Eat slowly then you can extend the time you enjoy!!!
Tip of the day: Be a bee in Holloween party! (or something that can emphasize your environment-conscious side:P i m gonna be a recycle bin!)
Cheers!!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 25-26th (Recycling!!)
Hey!
Yesterday, somehow, i could not find anything to write. Not because we were running out environmental problem, but because i was again a good girl and truly obeyed my own rules! As, you understand, i did not buy any new stuff and i ate properly!
After informing you about very interesting part of my life, i may come to another point: Recycling! Since it is going to be my next challange, i was searching through web-sites and i found that really worth-to-read text. It explains why people do not recycle.
Then tomorrow, i ll also write about why people do not recycle. They sometimes have really good reasons! Even i can say so! i ll also write about what can be done, what people expect to have.
For now, i let you enjoy the article!
Tip of the day: Recycle!
Cheers!!
Yesterday, somehow, i could not find anything to write. Not because we were running out environmental problem, but because i was again a good girl and truly obeyed my own rules! As, you understand, i did not buy any new stuff and i ate properly!
After informing you about very interesting part of my life, i may come to another point: Recycling! Since it is going to be my next challange, i was searching through web-sites and i found that really worth-to-read text. It explains why people do not recycle.
Then tomorrow, i ll also write about why people do not recycle. They sometimes have really good reasons! Even i can say so! i ll also write about what can be done, what people expect to have.
For now, i let you enjoy the article!
Tip of the day: Recycle!
Cheers!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 24th (green, Ça, Fabulous!))
Hey!
Today was yesterday's tomorrow; so, i m telling about green business today! First of all, i really would like to thank 'wikipedia' for being my holly web-site. Yes, it was a confession: i read from wiki! Not only from wikipedia! You can not imagine how many articles were written on green sustainable businesses, startups, universities.. Do not stop reading! i ll not write about all:)
To start with, of course there are many criterias for being called 'green'. Most of them starts with ISO (14000, 14001...). Other than that, there are many labeling systems, rewards, cerificates from green buildings to products, from energy use to services provided to waste management!!!
However, as i understand if a firm wants to be greener, it has to think broader than just switching off the lights. Involvement of each level of business is crucial. Green decisions should be on the agenda when firms talk about strategic moves. What can be the decision points? To start with what is sustainable, by definition green business “meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs." Well, at least they are supposed to.
It is not only what businesses need to do, but also what people who read this blog need to/ would / could / may do! (feel the pressure, right? :))) So, here is another story by Ça. She is also a friend from my department and i felt sooo happy (Warning! Extreme emotions!) to receive her mail telling me what's her - and her mum's- deal with environment. As she said, after reading my blog (applause!), she felt pretty environment-friendly. Not because she read the blog (sigh!), but she has already been carrying stuff in her bag (as she mentioned they are 'BIG'!) so not using plastic bag; seperating papers from other wastes (her mum seperates also electronic wastes & batteries, plastics and glass). Besides, she and her roomie -i suppose- do not use plastic kitchen tools since plastic has a 'happily ever after' life in the nature!(congrats!)
Then, time to talk about my day: i did not buy any clothes and i am still into my October!. Btw, i told you that, i m not going to have another challange for November. BUT!! i have one! Next month, i ll carry all my recyclable waste to recycle bins. For the people, who already has source seperation system provided by state, it can seem easy to you! For me, it means to carry my plastic , paper and metal wastes to bins which are 10 min away from where i live, and for glasses it will take even more. However, i ll still write about documnetaries as well! Here is getting hot and crowded ! Yay!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Green is not only a colour any more!
2) When there are 3rd parties to audit your performance, you are more likely to proceed better! (talking about businesses!)
3) Hearing from friends is good. It is even better, when they talk about what you do!
Tip of the day: Buy local, eat local!
Cheers!!
PS: SPECIAL THANKS TO MY 'FABULOUS'!
Today was yesterday's tomorrow; so, i m telling about green business today! First of all, i really would like to thank 'wikipedia' for being my holly web-site. Yes, it was a confession: i read from wiki! Not only from wikipedia! You can not imagine how many articles were written on green sustainable businesses, startups, universities.. Do not stop reading! i ll not write about all:)
To start with, of course there are many criterias for being called 'green'. Most of them starts with ISO (14000, 14001...). Other than that, there are many labeling systems, rewards, cerificates from green buildings to products, from energy use to services provided to waste management!!!
However, as i understand if a firm wants to be greener, it has to think broader than just switching off the lights. Involvement of each level of business is crucial. Green decisions should be on the agenda when firms talk about strategic moves. What can be the decision points? To start with what is sustainable, by definition green business “meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs." Well, at least they are supposed to.
It is not only what businesses need to do, but also what people who read this blog need to/ would / could / may do! (feel the pressure, right? :))) So, here is another story by Ça. She is also a friend from my department and i felt sooo happy (Warning! Extreme emotions!) to receive her mail telling me what's her - and her mum's- deal with environment. As she said, after reading my blog (applause!), she felt pretty environment-friendly. Not because she read the blog (sigh!), but she has already been carrying stuff in her bag (as she mentioned they are 'BIG'!) so not using plastic bag; seperating papers from other wastes (her mum seperates also electronic wastes & batteries, plastics and glass). Besides, she and her roomie -i suppose- do not use plastic kitchen tools since plastic has a 'happily ever after' life in the nature!(congrats!)
Then, time to talk about my day: i did not buy any clothes and i am still into my October!. Btw, i told you that, i m not going to have another challange for November. BUT!! i have one! Next month, i ll carry all my recyclable waste to recycle bins. For the people, who already has source seperation system provided by state, it can seem easy to you! For me, it means to carry my plastic , paper and metal wastes to bins which are 10 min away from where i live, and for glasses it will take even more. However, i ll still write about documnetaries as well! Here is getting hot and crowded ! Yay!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Green is not only a colour any more!
2) When there are 3rd parties to audit your performance, you are more likely to proceed better! (talking about businesses!)
3) Hearing from friends is good. It is even better, when they talk about what you do!
Tip of the day: Buy local, eat local!
Cheers!!
PS: SPECIAL THANKS TO MY 'FABULOUS'!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
No Packed Food, OCTOBER! 23rd (green business?)
Hey!
Daily report: i have been sooo healthy today. i went to local open market,had an organic breakfast, my roomy cooked at home for dinner. Besides, i did not buy anything. So, it has been 56 days that i have not bought any clothes. Just to remind you, these months were sales months; to remind me, it was easy!
And today's topic: green businesses!!
What is green business? What makes them green? Do they need to work on environment or is it enough to make their processes more environmental friendly? If so, do they practice it voluntarily? Can we call businesses green when they apply only basics? How can we decide if it is green or just 'green-washed'? Can a business be light green? What is the 'optimum' green level? Can a business get greener by being more efficient?
OK! changed my mind! i m gonna write about that tomorrow. For today, just questions! Class dismissed!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Try not to be mad at your parents or teachers! You are gonna be like them! (mum=me, me=mum)
2) Do not sit in front of PC, all the time!
3) Stop reading this part! Seems like there is nothing more to learn :P
Tip of the day: Turn off the lights, light a candle! Be romantic! (Si's understanding of getting green!)
Cheers!!
Daily report: i have been sooo healthy today. i went to local open market,had an organic breakfast, my roomy cooked at home for dinner. Besides, i did not buy anything. So, it has been 56 days that i have not bought any clothes. Just to remind you, these months were sales months; to remind me, it was easy!
And today's topic: green businesses!!
What is green business? What makes them green? Do they need to work on environment or is it enough to make their processes more environmental friendly? If so, do they practice it voluntarily? Can we call businesses green when they apply only basics? How can we decide if it is green or just 'green-washed'? Can a business be light green? What is the 'optimum' green level? Can a business get greener by being more efficient?
OK! changed my mind! i m gonna write about that tomorrow. For today, just questions! Class dismissed!!
Lessons to be learned:
1) Try not to be mad at your parents or teachers! You are gonna be like them! (mum=me, me=mum)
2) Do not sit in front of PC, all the time!
3) Stop reading this part! Seems like there is nothing more to learn :P
Tip of the day: Turn off the lights, light a candle! Be romantic! (Si's understanding of getting green!)
Cheers!!
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