Overview
Welcome to the second week of the Staff Challenge! This week focuses on “closing the loop” by looking at the whole life cycle of the products and materials we use - from the food we eat to the items we buy. The choices we make can reduce environmental impacts throughout the life cycle, from production to disposal.
Why is this important?
We have a lot of power in selecting products and foods that can shrink our environmental footprint. When we select products, we can look for those that were sourced, manufactured, and shipped in sustainable ways. Equally important, we can make sure that the products we use aren’t destined for the landfill but can be easily recycled. Learning to reduce our consumption up front and then properly divert waste from landfills - or worse yet our oceans and environment - will make us better environmental stewards.
How does the staff challenge work?
We want you to share what you’re doing to be a part of the solution! Whether it’s something you’ve been doing for years or a new action you took for the first time, you’ll get credit just for sharing. There are multiple ways to give your input:
- Open this online form and submit your actions. Feel free to submit as many entries as you want! You’ll get one point for each submittal, and be entered in a raffle with each entry.
- Download and print this offline form, which you can fill out and return to us by the end of April. Feel free to share with your coworkers who don’t use email.
Did you know?
- Up to 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten. That is on average 400 pounds of food per person every year.
- California has a mandatory composting ordinance for businesses.
What Can I Do?
Make Sustainable Consumption Decisions:
The products and materials we purchase or consume can have a big impact on the size of our environmental footprint. By making conscious choices about the types of products we buy (or don’t buy), the food we consume, and the ultimate life cycle of these materials, we can greatly reduce our contribution to environmental degradation and climate change. Sometimes the decision of not buying something is equally or more important- for example single use plastics or items with excess packaging.
Want to go for the biggest impact?
- Make sustainable product choices: By considering the lifecycle of products, you can greatly reduce your environmental footprint. Choose items that are made out of recycled materials over those made from virgin materials. Think about product lifespan: buy for durability and consider the ultimate disposal of all products; buy non-toxic materials to reduce hazardous waste and impacts on human health and the environment; decrease transportation by purchasing locally-made products. Helpful resources to find green products are provided by the City of San Francisco, GreenPoint Rated, and GSA.
- Make sustainable food choices: Our food choices affect land use practices, water and energy use, and use of pesticides and herbicides. By making key choices about foods, you can have a large effect on the planet. For example, plant-based diets tend to have a lower carbon footprint and use less land and water than beef or other meats. A sustainable diet also reduces waste by distinguishing between "buy" and “sell" dates on food.
- Think before you buy: Many of the products we use are designed for single use or planned obsolescence. Did you know that 17 million barrels of oil are being used to make water bottles each year? Plastics are difficult to recycle, require extensive amount of oil and water to produce, and contribute significantly to ocean pollution. Think about ways you can reduce packaging and single use products!
If you can’t quite take the leap…
- Inventory your plastic use for a couple days and reduce it. Approximately 500 million straws used daily in the U.S alone, contributing to water pollution and ocean trash.
- Using recycled content products to support the recycling market. Recycled content products save energy and resources. One ton of recycled cardboard will save up to 46 gallons of oil.
- Buy local, in season food -- Support farmers markets or enroll in a Community Supported Agriculture program. Sustainable food purchases reduces long distance transportation while promoting local and family owned farms. Organic food use less pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
- Reduce food waste: Understand the difference between Sell by, use by, and best buy dates. Embrace “ugly” food. A large amount of food ends up wasted because it does not meet arbitrary aesthetic guidelines. This wastes not only food, but water, energy, and large amounts of pesticides and herbicides used to grow the food.
If you’re just getting your feet wet - the basics:
- Watch “The Story of Stuff’’- a short video about the lifecycle of material goods and issues with modern day consumption and waste. What is one change that it inspires you to make? Share in the Staff Challenge!
- Say No To Bottled Water. Take the #CleanSeas pledge.
- Watch other videos from “The Story of…” project and let us know for the staff challenge to earn points.
- Bring your mug and water bottle to work meetings. Bring your own bags shopping and buy in bulk when possible.
Maximize Diversion Not Disposal:
The average American produces more than four pounds of trash every day, significantly more than the global average of 2.6 pounds. California is among the states with the highest per capita waste produced. This waste represents massive amounts of energy, water, and other natural resources used to produce the products.
Want to go for the biggest impact?
- Challenge yourself to a zero waste day.
- Compost and encourage members of your community to compost! Start a backyard compost or ask your city or property manager to provide compost bins if not already provided.
- Sign up for the Recology Tour on April 25.
If you can’t quite take the leap...
- Attend a GGNRA Recycling training. Commit to adding one thing to your recycling habit.
- Try for a “Buy nothing day” See what happens when you try to reduce the amount of products you buy!
- Keep a daily log of food thrown away. Make a food waste weekly log book and you can review your results weekly and find a pattern why your food is being wasted.
If you’re just getting your feet wet - the basics:
- Find the nearest recycling location for common items (e-waste, styrofoam, etc)
- Purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council (100 % post-consumer recycled content, unbleached is best).
- Opt out of junk mail The production, distribution, and disposal of junk mail in the U.S. creates more than 51 million metric tons of greenhouses gases annually.
If you want to learn even more, check out some of these websites that have tons more tips:
- More videos from the “Story” project
- Zero Waste Home
- Save The Food
- 10 Plastics Items You can Give up Right Now
- "Cleanseas" Information about Ocean Plastics
- NRDC article on food waste system in the U.S
- Environmental "costs" of Meat Consumption
