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Archive for August, 2009

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Another weekend in the Blue Ridge mountains of north Georgia swimming, hiking, running, and tubing!

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 31, 2009

On top is the perky me prior to Sara's and my three hour adventure on Flat Creek Trail in the Aska Adventure area of Blue Ridge; in the middle is our group of friends getting ready to tube down the Toccoa River (such professionals we are); and on the bottom is Zack, Grant dog, and me at Amicalola Falls during our detour on the way back to Atlanta

On top is the perky me prior to Sara's and my three hour adventure on Flat Creek Trail in the Aska Adventure area of Blue Ridge; in the middle is our group of friends getting ready to tube down the Toccoa River (such professionals we are); and on the bottom is Zack, Grant dog, and me at Amicalola Falls during our detour on the way back to Atlanta

In another installment of what some friends & family jokingly refer to as “the adventures of Jack & Zenny,” our busy summer continued the weekend-before-last with a trip to an amazing Blue Ridge cabin! We are lucky to have an incredible group of friends who make this (and every trip) so much fun – and are willing participants in my quest to be outdoors as much as possible. So, for those of you who are looking for an active getaway to the north Georgia mountains and the Western Blue Ridge, here is a breakdown of the weekend’s outdoor adventures…

#1: Open-water swimming in Lake Blue Ridge

On top is Zack wrapping Grant up in his doggie life-jacket and below that is Grant swimming in a cove of Lake Blue Ridge; at the bottom is our group at the cabin!

On top is Zack wrapping Grant up in his doggie life-jacket and below that is Grant swimming in a cove of Lake Blue Ridge; at the bottom is our group at the cabin!

Zack, Adam, and I rolled out to Blue Ridge after a half-day of work on Friday and, after a pit stop at the local Food Lion, headed to the cabin to drop off our stuff. Zack and I grabbed towels and Grant dog’s new doggie life-jacket and headed down to the lake. We were advised of a boat ramp close-by, which was just off of Aska Road. If you’re coming from Blue Ridge, get onto Aska Road going east from town and make a left on Dry Branch Road. A little way up the road, you’ll see the parking lot to the right. Only one other woman was around when we got there, so we walked straight down to the boat ramp and got into the water.

The cove itself was a tucked-away edge of the lake with a still, glassy surface – perfect for an open-water swim and throwing the ball for Grant dog. If you’re looking for a beach swimming area, this isn’t it, but if you’re looking for a workout or just to splash around for a bit, this is great. The Lake Blue Ridge swimming area is to the north at Morganton. Any google search will reveal a great deal of info.

#2: Trail running and hiking from the Rich Mountain Trail

My friend Sara is training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk at the end of October and I am training for the Stump Jump 50K at the beginning of October, so both of us wanted to hit the trails for a significant amount of time on Saturday morning (as we got up early, we were alone for this part of the trip). We drove down to the Aska recreation area, which is also just a few miles from Blue Ridge on Aska Road (just look for the brown national park sign pointing to the parking lot). The tiny gravel lot sits on the intersection of Aska Road and the Rich Mountain Trail, which feeds into the long-distance Benton-Mackaye Trail to the south. You can also hike the Rich Mountain Trail north to the shore of the lake.

Sara and I set out with the intention of spening a quality three hours on the trails, doing a few big loops. We found the perfect set-up after hiking in about .6 mile and reaching the Flat Creek Trail – a 4.5 mile loop. I decided to run the loop three times while Sara hiked it twice. We veered off onto the right fork first and, initially, the trail was packed gravel and made for a comfortable run. But after about a mile or so, it droped off down the ridge and became the root-and-rock riddled trail I was hoping for. After another mile or so, I had settled into a good pace and was quietly enjoying the filtered sunlight through the trees when the path opened up to a forrested hill of ferns and I heard a rustling about 30 feet to my left. The rustling rapidly morphed into crashing through the woods as I caught site of the rear-end of a medium-sized black bear. It’s not every day that I get the chance to intimidate a black bear into running for safety. Needless to say, my little feet picked up their pace for a little while after that. And I felt like a fool (but an alive fool) as I spent the rest of my run clapping, singing, and whistling my way through the woods to scare him / her off. No roly poly, curl-up-and-protect-your-head moves for me today.

The rest of the trail was fantastic. It dropped down to the forrest floor and crossed Flat Creek by a few hike-in campsites. Then started the ascent back up to the fork in the trail. Parts of the trail were pretty technical, and by the time I turned around at the top, I was looking forward to the descent. I ran back by Sara and shared the good news that the path was officially cleared of spider webs (thanks to my face), but the bad news was we were a guest in a black bear’s home. Which led to two of us clapping and singing our way down the paths. We finished up without another bear sighting and headed back to the cabin in time to eat the breakfast that everyone else had just finished cooking. Impeccable timing (thanks Gerard!).

#3: Tubing down the Toccoa River

The Toccoa River runs along Aska Road for a good distance and, as a result, so do the tubing companies. We picked a tubing outfit about 8 miles or so up Aska Road from Blue Ridge (Aska Road featured prominently in this trip) and, Saturday afternoon, packed up our tubes and water bottles and hit the water. I’m not sure what the name of the company was that we used, but they had big red tubes and were situated across the river via a wooden-trellised bridge. Another prominent company was the pink tube outfit a little further up the river. The tubing was only a few miles long and lasted a couple of hours (in pretty shallow water), so relaxation outweighed excitement. The Tocooa River rambles on to become the Ocoee River, which is known for its whitewater rafting if you’re looking for more adventure (an adventure we had last fall).

#4: Hiking Amicalola Falls

Zack and I headed back a little later on Sunday afternoon and diverted to visit Amicalola Falls on the way. It’s a bit touristy, but I’ve always wanted to see the falls, and I can why they’re a destination – not too bad! We hiked up the paved path to the right and then back down the hiking trail to the left of the falls. You can find plenty of information about Amicalola online, so I won’t really go into it here, but you might want to consider checking it out. And if you’re planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail, this is the check-in point and approach trail to Springer Mountain, which is the starting point of the AT.

That’s enough for one sitting! Please feel free to let me know of any north Georgia outdoor activities or hiking / camping spots that you love – I love hearing from people about their favorites!

Posted in Be Active! | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Trail running and the Platinum LEED certified visitor’s center at Sweetwater Creek State Park

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 29, 2009

Black bears in the Blue Ridge Mountains, rattlesnakes in Sweetwater State Park… nobody said that trail running doesn’t come with its fair share of dangers, but I’m still loving it! Today, I spent about 3.5 hours in the woods of Sweetwater Creek State Park training for the Stump Jump 50K coming up in Chattanooga on October 3rd. Below is a description of my run (if you’re thinking about running Sweetwater), but first, some of the thoughts that kept me occupied during my second hour or so today. After years of road running (and my more recent forays into trail running), here are a few observations of trail running versus road running. And please feel free to let me know what I’ve left off!

  • There’s a lot more under-the-breath swearing that goes on while trail running…
  • The scenery while trail running is usually amazing! Even though you don’t necessarily get to see that much of it since you’re concentrating on every step…
  • I’m okay with a run / hike combination on trails whereas when running, my ego doesn’t often let me run / walk, which makes trail running more enjoyable. (I would venture to say I feel less competitive on trails, but we’ll see after my first trail race…)
  • You’re a little more likely to sprain your ankle running on trails versus roads.
  • When trail running, I hit my squirrel zone earlier. If you’ve ever run with me before, you’ve probably heard me talk about the squirrel zone. It’s the point you reach while running where your mind and body are so tired that you can’t be trusted with logical decisions. Poor judgment prevails and it would be in your best interest to have someone looking out for you (so you don’t cross roads into oncoming traffic, etc.). On streets, this usually hits around mile 18-20, but on trails, I’ve found it happens in the early teens. This is due, in part, to the constant mindfulness of every single step as well as the dappled sunlight – which sounds romantic, but actually kind-of messes with your eyes as you keep running in and out of shaded leafy patterns.
  • Trail running should be easier on your body since you’re not pounding pavement, however, we’re still trying to figure out if we end up more sore from trail running than road running. Last weekend, after 15 miles in Blue Ridge, I was pretty sore, but I hadn’t really been before that. We’ll see after today’s run – perhaps it’s just that you’re using more muscles and in different ways when you’re on trails?…
  • You don’t usually get a view like this when running on roads:
Sweetwater Creek State Park trail running

Taking a break by Sweetwater Creek after running for a few hours

  • If you’re lucky, you get to do this after a trail run:
Why not lie down in the river? You can't do that on streets!

Why not lie down in the river and cool off? You can't do that on streets!

When I started out this morning, I took the blue trail to the white trail loop (5 miles) and then did that same loop in reverse. Following that, I cut back through the parking lot by the interpretative center, and headed out to the yellow trail loop (3 miles) to do that twice. Several months ago, Zack and I did the blue-white loop and I loved it because parts of it were pretty technically challenging (roots, stumps, boulders, etc.) and enjoyed it just as much this time (except for the never-ending hill halfway through the white trail, but even that wasn’t as bad as I remembered it). Then it was pretty straightforward, open trail back to the parking lot. The part where the trail runs through the woods on the soft ground is a pleasant change of pace. Both trails follow along the river for sections and have hilly parts for your running enjoyment. When it came to the latter legs of my workout, perhaps I should have done a better evaluation before choosing to do the yellow loop second…

The yellow loop runs north of the other two and consists of a steep hill, intense enough to where I was cursing it as I was walking part of the way up and wondering how I was going to do this loop again. Of course, what goes up, must come down, and the downhill on the other side was quick and dirty. So by the time I made it back to the parking lot and coerced myself into leaving the proximity of my car and heading back out again, I had decided to do the loop backwards, which proved to be better since the hill going that way was steeper, but took less time. And all I wanted at that point was to get in the water!

On a side note, another thing to love about Sweetwater State Park is their platinum LEED certified interpretive center / visitor’s center. More to come in a separate blog post, but here is a photo of the green roof and building:

Sweetwater State Park's interpretive center is platinum LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council

Sweetwater State Park's interpretive center is platinum LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council

You can also take a Green Building Tour and the upcoming dates are:

  • Sunday, Sep 13, 2009 2 PM to 3:30 PM
  • Sunday, Oct 18, 2009 2 PM to 3:30 PM

The cost is $5 plus $5 to park. You’ll learn about environmentally-friendly buildings, sustainability, and what sets this one apart. Please call 770.732.5871 for more information!

And if you’re a fan of Georgia’s parks, you may want to check out the Friends of Georgia State Parks website here!

Posted in Education, Parks | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

“Field of Greens” local food event will feature local farmers from across the Southeast!

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 28, 2009

Field of Greens header

This week, my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Moore Farms and Friends sent along this announcement about the upcoming local food event, Field of Greens:

Will and I [Laurie] are so excited to play a larger role in this year’s Field of Greens event! This festival is becoming one of the premier local farm events in the Southeast. A celebration of local food, farms and chefs, this is an affordable day of fun that we hope you can enjoy with us this year! (We are coordinating donations for the raffle so if you have an item or gift certificate you would like to be included please let us know.)

  • What: Field of Greens (“This popular farm festival brings together locally grown food, live music, and green living education, all in a family-friendly, fun environment.”)
  • When: Sunday, October 4th, 2009 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 3 p.m. is the Three Not-So-Little Pigs Cookoff!
  • Where: Whippoorwill Hollow Organic Farm is a 74 acre certified organic family farm run by Andy and Hilda Byrd. The farm is located 35 miles east of Atlanta, in Walnut Grove.
  • How much: Ticket price is $15 for adults, and kids 12 and under enter for free (includes small-plate tastings that showcase locally grown food, prepared by fifteen of the most talented chefs in Georgia!)

Slow Food Atlanta (see below) is the repeat sponsor of Field of Greens this year and will welcome 50 vendors / exhibitors with an expected attendance of 1,000 people! Restaurants and chefs include Food 101 and Leon’s Full Service of Decatur. Plus, the 3×3 Three Not-So-Little Pigs Cookoff: 3 pigs from 3 farms bar-b-qued by 3 chefs!

About Whippoorwill Hollow Organic Farm:
This 74-acre certified organic family farm is run by Andy and Hilda Byrd. You can frequently see Hilda at local Atlanta farmers’ markets around town. She’s great – I’ve spoken to her at the Morningside Organic Farmers’ Market and the Decatur Organic Farmers’ Market about growing onions and a variety of other vegetables. One Wednesday afternoon, Hilda was headed to Leon’s Full Service restaurant in Decatur to drop off an order of lettuce heads. So for those Decatur residents who enjoy the food and drink of Leon’s, know that some of it comes from just 35 miles outside of Atlanta!

About Slow Food Atlanta (from their website):
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Today, we have over 120,000 members worldwide.

We believe everyone has a right to enjoy good, clean and fair food. We believe the food we eat should taste good, that it should be produced in an earth-friendly manner, and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work. We consider ourselves co-producers, because by being informed about our food production and making choices in support of good, clean and fair food, we become a part of the process.

Field of Greens Flyer 09

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Bring the heat? How hot will the future of August be in Atlanta?

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 26, 2009

Image of projected heat wave increases in the month of August across major U.S. cities

Image of projected heat wave increases in the month of August across major U.S. cities

For those of us in the Atlanta and Decatur area, we know that August is one of the hottest months here in the South! This past week, I received this email from Ben Strauss with Climate Central:

“[I thought] you might be interested in some research and graphic animations my organization just published–about climate change and the future of August heat.  Taking all the cities we’ve analyzed together, our results suggest the number of August days over 95 could nearly triple by 2050.  Atlanta is one of the places we looked at and illustrated.”

Click here for a quick video clip and more info about Atlanta!

For the projected heat increase for other major U.S. cities, click here!

Climate Central is a nonprofit science and media organization created to provide clear and objective information about climate change and its potential solutions. Their work has appeared on PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, TIME.com, newsweek.com, Scientific American, grist.org and beyond.

If you would like more information or know of an organization or someone who would be interested in talking with Climate Central, you can email Ben at bstrauss@climatecentral.org!

Posted in Environment | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Vote for your favorite green Atlantan in the Cox Conserves Heroes-Atlanta contest!

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 25, 2009

After a substantial nomination process, the Trust for Public Land and WSB-TV have announced five finalists in their search for Atlanta’s greenest citizens! You can check out my previous blog about the contest and click below to vote! Voting closes on August 31st, 2009 at 5 p.m. with a winner to be announced in early September.

Each of these unsung heroes is dedicated to improving and protecting our shared parks and outdoor spaces, making Atlanta’s communities better places to live. View the stories of these extraordinary volunteers and cast your vote here: Cox Conserves Heroes! The winner receives $5,000 to give to the environmental nonprofit of his or her choice.

Finalists include (alongside their environmental nonprofit of choice):
Ms. Angelou Ezeilo (Greening Youth Foundation)
Ms. Evonne Blythers (Keeping It Wild)
Mr. Donald Wells (Mountain Stewards)
Mr. Doug Williams (Park Pride)
Ms. R.R. Harris (Park Pride)

Nominations reflected a wide variety of conservation and educational programs by impressive community volunteers.

The finalists were selected by a Judging Circle of local environmental leaders, including:
Clean Air Campaign’s Executive Director Kevin Green
Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Commissioner Chris Clark
Greenplate’s Co-Founder Polly Sattler
Providence Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta’s Senior Pastor Rev. Gerald Durley
Sustainable Atlanta’s Executive Director Lynnette Young
Southface Energy Institute’s Executive Director Dennis Creech
Turner Foundation’s Trustee Laura Turner Seydel

About Cox Conserves Heroes
Launched in 2008 by The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, Cox Conserves Heroes honors individuals who work to create, preserve and improve the shared outdoor spaces in our communities. By showcasing these unsung heroes, TPL and Cox hope to inspire more people to take an active role in neighborhood conservation.

About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and national, state, and local agencies to complete more than 3,500 land conservation projects in 47 states, protecting 2.5 million acres. TPL has helped states and communities craft and pass over 330 ballot measures, generating almost $25 billion in new conservation-related funding. In Georgia, TPL has conserved over 20,000 acres and has been instrumental in three primary programmatic areas: Parks for People (including the Atlanta BeltLine and other urban projects), Chattahoochee River Protection Campaign (Phase III) and Georgia Green (also called G2). For more information please contact us at (404) 873-7306 or on the web at http://www.tpl.org/georgia.

About WSB-TV
Channel 2, WSB-TV, is part of Cox Media Group and is an ABC Affiliate. Cox Media Group, Inc. is a broadcasting, publishing and digital media subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises. It includes the broadcast stations of Cox Television; publishing titles of Cox Newspapers; majority-owned, publicly-traded Cox Radio [NYSE: CXR]; and the national advertising rep firms of TeleRep, HRP, MMT Sales and Cox Cross Media.

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Mark your calendar for Atlanta’s and Decatur’s fall plant sales 2009!

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 19, 2009

Click here for information on the 2010 Fernbank Science Center’s tree, shrub, and plant sale!

For all the gardeners out there, we know what the coming fall means – that it’s about to be planting season again! Although we’re in the heat of August and I am in denial that fall is around the corner (I’m never really ready for summer to end), I wanted to go ahead and take a look at when our Atlanta and Decatur fall plant sales are going to be so we can mark our calendars.

Fernbank Science Center:
September 19th from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Fernbank Science Center with native trees, shrubs and perennials! Located at 156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta, GA (map it!).

Trees Atlanta:
Saturday, October 10th starting at 8 a.m. at the Trees Atlanta’s Kendeda Center on Chester Avenue (map it!). The Trees Atlanta plant sale is always full of native and unusual species. Contact Greg Levine with questions at greg@treesatlanta.org or 404.681.4895. You can check out more Trees Atlanta events on their calendar!

Elachee Nature Science Center Native Plant Sale (slightly further afield in Gainesville, Georgia):
Elachee’s Pre-Order Fall Plant Sale list will be available Sept. 15th, and orders must be placed by Oct. 1st.  Pre-order high quality, drought resistant plants, wildflowers, perennials, native azaleas, and woody shrubs that attract butterflies, birds and wildlife and will create a garden of color later this autumn.  Mid-October pickup dates and times from the nature center to be announced soon.  Get directions to the Elachee Nature Science Center!

State Botanical Garden of Georgia (further afield in Athens):
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s Fall Plant Sale is October 10th, 2009 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at 2450 South Milledge Ave. at UGA in the Visitor Center (map it!). Details at www.uga.edu/botgarden. And while you’re there, be sure to visit the Garden, which is also open “for enjoyment by the general public who find beauty, knowledge and solitude in a garden setting.”

Oakhurst Community Garden:
Still waiting to hear back from Stephanie Van Parys on the details! I love their plant sales. She’s the director of the garden and can be reached at (678) 642-4977 or director@oakhurstgarden.org.

Chattahoochee Nature Center:
They usually have a fall sale, but this year’s is on hold until April 2010! So stay tuned in the spring…

Posted in Gardening | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Sourcing Green Packaging for your Business with Southeast Green

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 18, 2009

Postponed! I just put up this blog post and then checked my email and saw a follow-up email from Southeast Green saying they’re rescheduling this event. But stay tuned and I’ll update this when the event is back on!

Are you a business owner who has made the switch to green packaging? Or a supplier of green packaging? Southeast Green invites you to join them for their first lunch and learn on August 21, 2009! Co-hosted with Green Chamber of the South and Green Plate, this event is for businesses with an interest in green packaging resources.

  • Where: Radial Cafe, DeKalb Avenue (map it!)
  • When: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Who: Restaurants, retail stores and anyone looking for resources for green packaging
  • Cost: $15.00, lunch included

Limited seating available. So register here today!

Posted in Environment, Recycling | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Intown neighborhood Lake Claire boasts Atlanta’s only biodiesel fuel pump

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 18, 2009

The following is courtesy of the Lake Claire Clarion (the local newspaper of an intown Atlanta neighborhood) and was printed in their August 2009 issue:

The Only Biodiesel Pump in Atlanta Is Right in Our Backyard

If you’ve found yourself on Arizona on the other side of DeKalb, you might have noticed a shipping container in a parking lot, sandwiched between a warehouse and a brick office building, that appears to be a pumping station. This is Atlanta’s only biodiesel pump, a 24/7 self-service kiosk operated by Refuel Biodiesel, a program of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE). Founded in 2006, Refuel collects used cooking oil from restaurants and kitchens in Atlanta and processes it locally into biodiesel for the Atlanta market.

“Our locally-based production model aids local waste management and significantly decreases the energy costs associated with feedstock and fuel transportation,” the program states on its Web site. “Furthermore, because we are part of a nonprofit organization, all proceeds from the Refuel program are used to promote responsible energy solutions in the southeast.”

Who uses the biodiesel fuel? Is it available to the general public?

Refuel Biodiesel’s pump is located in the Lake Claire neighborhood at 250 Arizona Street near the intersection with DeKalb Avenue (map it!). The self-service pump is B20 with plans to add a B100 nozzle in the future. Here is what their site said about who can use biodiesel fuel:

  • Biodiesel can only be used in vehicles equipped with DIESEL engines.
  • Biodiesel can NOT be used in vehicles equipped with gasoline engines.
  • The use of biodiesel MAY affect your vehicle’s warranty coverage, check with your auto manufacturer to confirm allowable usage.
  • Refuel Biodiesel is not responsible for any damage resulting from biodiesel usage.
  • If you are unsure about biodiesel usage, contact us first.

Interested in learning more about biodiesel and which vehicles can use it? Visit Refuel’s Web site at www.refuelbiodiesel.org.

Posted in Environment, Recycling | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Kickstart an active lifestyle with Walk Georgia from the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Office!

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 16, 2009

In an effort to get Georgians out and exercising on a regular basis, University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension office is sponsoring an eight-week Walk Georgia program from September 6th – October 31st. The goal is to start out by covering 15 miles of ground a week on foot with increasing mileage each week. You can participate as an individual or a team as you travel across a virtual Georgia.

Registration is free and available online Aug. 25 – Sept. 8. The Extension Office is seeking team captains to head walking teams. For more information, call 404-298-4080 or visit Walk Georgia online!

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Slowly, but surely, we’re making progress on a more sustainable work place!!

Posted by Our Green Atlanta on August 14, 2009

Hopefully with the new plates and bowls, we can start to squeeze out the use of styrofoam and plastic products around the office!

Hopefully with the new plates and bowls, we can start to squeeze out the use of styrofoam and plastic products around the office!

Yesterday, my spirits soared when I walked into the kitchen at work and saw stacks of ceramic plates and bowls on the counter. Yes! My boss and I have “discussions” from time to time on the merits of reusable plates, bowls, and cups versus the styrofoam that currently stocks the shelves, and I have requested that we please acquire enough plates and cups to completely eliminate the need for plastics and styrofoam (see my previous blog about recycling in the office). We do have a mish-mash of cups and plates in the cupboards that serve most of our team members’ purposes, which is awesome, and now we have plenty of both to go around now – so nobody has an excuse to use anything else!

It’s the small steps.

On a side note, I had this exact same conversation twice last week with two different team members:

  • Me: Would you mind using a coffee mug from time to time instead of using styrofoam every morning?
  • Offender: We have coffee mugs?
  • Me: Seriously? We have an entire cabinet shelf full of them. Right here. Take your pick. (I open the cabinet doors in the kitchen)
  • Offender: Huh. I never knew we had those.
  • Me: Wait, you’ve worked here a year and a half and never in that time did you open a cabinet door in the kitchen?
  • Offender: No, I guess I didn’t. But I don’t mind using the mugs. Too bad I’ve been using styrofoam all this time. Oh well.
After two people claiming that they had no idea we had real cups and plates in the kitchen cabinet, I put up this hand-written note in front of the styrofoam cups as a deterrent!

After two people claiming that they had no idea we had real cups and plates in the kitchen cabinet, I put up this hand-written note in front of the styrofoam cups as a deterrent!

In general, I try not to berate people too much, instead encouraging them to choose a more environmentally friendly option, but c’mon. Really? You’ve worked some place for a year and half and didn’t think that the kitchen cabinets might contain, I don’t know, kitchen stuff like mugs?? Both of them said they would use mugs from now on. At that point, I made a hand-written sign and placed it in front of the styrofoam cups for all to see, politely suggesting that they please consider using regular cups instead of styrofoam.

In another small victory, I walked in and saw a coffee mug on another team member’s desk for the first time in his two years of working there (previously, he had lived and died by styrofoam). I immediately noticed it, but wasn’t quite sure when he had made the switch, until he said, “Jenny, did you notice that I’m using a real mug today?” And I said yes, and thank you!!

My boss also bought more cups last week (red, restaurant-style plastic cups which we can fit a lot of in the cabinets), for which I was grateful. Luckily, I am not alone in my quest for a more sustainable office, and we have agents who are just as frustrated by the use of styrofoam. Collectively, we seem to be shifting things. I just hope there’s an advocate in each work place to keep people moving in the right direction!

Posted in Recycling | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

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