Do people who use disposable cups hate Mother Earth? And can we feel justified in stealing their lunch from the company fridge?

My company kitchen has dozens of mugs and glasses, and the higher-ups issued every employee a stainless-steel travel mug. We have both paper and styrofoam cups available, also. We are a busy office; we use a lot of paper cups.

Naturally I look down on the enemies of Mother Earth: those employees or visitors who use the disposable options because they are more convenient. I occasionally plot nefarious punishments for them.

The mugs and glasses around the office, however, are carefully washed with hot, soapy water after almost every use. And some part of me has always known that my ceramic Superman mug collection took a lot more energy to produce than a paper cup, and will one day contribute to a landfill somewhere. So should I really be hating on the styrofoam and frowning deeply at my paper cup-slurping colleagues?

Is there a chance that disposable cups are actually greener in certain circumstances?

I read several articles that explore this problem, and I learned that the energy consumed, water used, and pollution produced in manufacturing a “permanent” cup, followed by the typical ways it is packaged and shipped, housed in a warehouse, displayed in a well-lit store, wrapped in a plastic bag, purchased and driven home, and then washed and rinsed using more water and soap… well, it can all add up to a far greater burden than a paper cup, especially a reusable paper cup that comes in a light box of one thousand units shipped directly from the distributer.

In this article (and the followup), the author tries to do the math and argues that

if you use a ceramic mug 46 times, you start to pass the magic point where it becomes more environmentally friendly than a styrofoam cup.

For a stainless-steel mug, it takes 369 uses! Not a single one of the stainless steel mugs at my company have been used a hundred times, let alone 369… and some of them will be lost or thrown out before they even reach equilibrium with a paper cup, let alone surpass it.

Was that blogger crazy? Are there other studies? Another, less optimistic article talks about a study where they performed a total-life measurement of a ceramic cup’s impact versus paper or styrofoam. They use a process called Life Cycle Assessment and conclude:

“With energy you’d have to use the ceramic cup 640 times before it would equal a polystyrene cup and 294 times to equal a paper/cardboard one. With air pollution it takes 1,800 uses to beat the polystyrene and 48 to thrash the paper/cardboard. Likewise you would have to drink 126 and 99 cups respectively for the ceramic to compete with polystyrene and paper/cardboard on the waste issue. And water? Sorry, just the use of a ceramic cup totals more than the entire life cycle water consumption of the other two.”

Don’t get me wrong… when reused effectively, a permanent cup (from a green-minded manufacturer) is still the better option. But the lesson from these articles, for me? Disposable cups are not the devil.

The other fun-yet-ambiguous fact I learned is that paper cups are not necessarily more moral than styrofoam cups. Styrofoam (polystyrene) cups have been outlawed in Seattle, largely based on the fact that they take “forever” to degrade. But paper cups require more energy and produce a lot of waste in production. And to be practical about it, when buried in a typical U.S. landfill, which is deliberately anaerobic, neither one of them is going to break down. The polystyrene cups will compress better and end up taking less room in that landfill.

I’m still staying away from styrofoam as much as I can, but the lesson for me? Styrofoam cups are not the devil, either.

The overall lesson for me: I will not criticize other people’s habits when it comes to cups and glasses. There are too many lifestyle variables that effect the outcome. The best solution, of course, is to own exactly as many permanent drinking receptacles as you and your household need, reuse them as long as you can, and try to wash them in a sensible way.

Of course, that’s the best solution for clothes, furniture, and everything else, too. We need to buy green goods, buy fewer of them, reuse them, and use and maintain them responsibly. That’s why I still wear t-shirts that I’ve had since high school. (Really, that’s why. Uh-huh. Laziness and nostalgia have nothing to do with it.)

And my cubicle mate who drinks from a paper cup? I forgive him. For now.

…so long as he reuses it until the bottom falls out.

Now no one really enjoys the idea of thinking about their toilet(s). It’s one of those necessary evils that has to be in every home, cleaned on a regular basis, and is ready for you when you really need it. But since we don’t tend to think about it is exactly why we should look at it as a place to save water.

As we mentioned in our grey-water article, most toilets installed in the last century will “flush” a whopping 5 gallons of water every time you pull the handle. To properly illustrate that, think about 5 of the gallon bottles of milk filled to the top and poured one after another down the toilet. That happens every time you flush. In recent years we have seen more ultra low flow (ULF) toilets come on the market with the same amount of power as the older models but they work with only 1.5 gallons of water per flush.

Replacing your toilet is no easy task but it is one that any DIY type can do. It will typically take about 1-2 hours and you should be strong enough to remove your old toilet. You can purchase a ULF toilet at any major retailer for $100 to $600 depending on model, style, and brand. Once you have replaced your old toilet, don’t forget to bring it to the recycling center and not the dump. Some communities have an Ultra Low Flush Replacement programs in place that will get you a tax credit for replacing your current toilet with a more efficient one.

If the average household flushes 35 times a week, with a ULF you would save 122.5 gallons of water per week as compared to a 5 gallon per flush toilet. Within 2 months the new toilet will pay for itself from savings to your water bill and that savings will carry on well into the future. If you also add in a grey-water system to the mix, you can eliminate the water expense from your toilet completely.

Clothing and textiles are easy to recycle in the US, yet according to the EPA, 11.8 million tons, or 5% of our landfills, are packed with these materials. And while the federal government is working hard to recover and recycle textile waste once it ends up in landfills, preventing these materials from ever entering that cycle is more effective.

Before you haul your clothes to your local Planet Aid donation box, or schedule a Goodwill pickup, consider some of the other ways you can refurbish your wares. Do you own any clothes or textiles that you can transform? When I was a kid, my mom took all of our old t-shirts, cut out the slogans and patched them together into a crazy quilt. And instead of just ditching the t-shirt remains, she used the leftovers as rags.

REUSE
Maybe you’re not a quilter, but it’s possible that your worn-out bedsheets can be turned into drop clothes, rags or Halloween costumes. Cool fabrics can be turned into patches for holey jeans, worn out pants can be converted into cute skirts, and you can always cut the collars off of t-shirts and use them as headbands! You can always change pants into shorts, long-sleeve shirts into short sleeve shirts, and anything into painting clothes.

The best thing about reusing old clothing is that you can be creative. Think about your resources and your needs, and see if what you have on hand matches what you need. You may not be able to turn an old sweater into a new skirt, but than again, maybe you can! And remember, you don’t have to know how to sew to turn old clothes into new items!

RECYCLE
If you aren’t a tailor, consider offering your clothes to your friends whenever you clean out your wardrobe. If you really want to liven things up, ask your friends to comb through their closets for castoffs too, and hold a party where several of you go through each other’s clothes and take home what you like.

Be sure to grab everything you want to banish from your home – pants, shirts and dresses, but also belts, shoes & socks, purses and bags and even outerwear. While you may be sick of a particular blazer and consider last season’s purse to be tired, your friends may not feel the same! Whenever I give away clothes, I’m always astonished to see what my friends take home, and I always feel like I’ve just been on a free shopping spree whenever my friends toss me their old digs!

To complete your clothes-swap soiree, consider gathering all of the castoffs that no one has claimed and taking them to your local clothing donation box as a team. And remember, when planning a swapping soiree, invite friends of all different sizes, not just those that wear your size – even if you don’t think your size 2 and size 12 friends will have anything to swap, you’d be surprised to see what people have hanging around their closets!

RESELL
If you’re more inclined to make a little money off of your old clothes, especially if you have a professional wardrobe full of expensive items, or you have recently gained/lost a great deal of weight and need an entirely new wardrobe, think about selling your clothes to a consignment store. While each consignment store has its own policies, most will take new and gently-worn items that are relatively new. Once a store has agreed to consign your clothing, they will place it for sale and give you a percentage of the sale price.

Consignment shops will resell your clothing for a relatively modest price, and enable others to purchase nearly-new items they might not otherwise be able to afford. I spend plenty of time perusing my local consignment shop – Second Time Around Clothing – and often come away with bags, designer tops and jackets I could never afford if new.

By reusing, recycling or reselling your old clothes, shoes and household linens, you ensure these items don’t end up dying a slow death in a landfill, and you get to have a little fun too!

For most people, the act of recycling probably includes sorting plastic, glass, and aluminum containers into brightly colored bins and leaving them curbside for removal. And while the growth of curbside recycling programs is to be applauded, it’s important to remember that other household items can and should be recycled.

Our homes are all full of recyclable goods – like old television sets, cell phones and ink cartridges – but if your community lacks an organized effort to recycle such things, it can be difficult to know what can be recycled and where. To help, I’ve compiled a list of alternative recycling programs.

gcycle
When you visit the gcycle website, you’re greeted with chirping birds and the gcycle robot who eats old electronics and emits flowers, birds, and pink smoke – it’s pretty funny actually. gcycle is an electronics waste recycling program that educates users on the dangers of electronic waste (e-waste) in the environment and matches people with e-waste recycling centers. By entering your zip code, you can find out where to recycle batteries, print cartridges, video tapes, video games & accessories, cell phones & accessories, computers and other household electronics. I thought it was cool that my local Staples, Best Buy and Tweeter all participate in electronics recycling – and also that gcycle provides maps to show me how to get to each recycling location. In addition to this information, the gcycle site also provides factoids about the hazards of not recycling electronics, and paints a disturbing picture of exactly how much electronic waste is floating around.

Earth 911
Earth 911 is the force behind gcycle, but offers more than just electronic waste recycling information. Based in Scotsdale, Arizona, Earth 911 is a division of Global Alerts, a cause media company. The Earth 911 website offers information and tips on how to (and where to) recycle electronics, automobiles and household goods, and also provides information on green shopping, product stewardship and composting. While Earth 911’s site is more informational than practical, it’s a great place to start if you want to learn more about the benefits of recycling all kinds of commonly tossed aside items.

The Freecycle Network
The idea behind The Freecycle Network is that by keeping perfectly useful and usable items out of landfills you are contributing to a greener planet. Instead of promoting the traditional concept of recycling, The Freecycle Network promotes the reuse of items, and has a network that people can access when they want to either donate or find other people’s castoffs. The Freecycle Network is a nonprofit organization that allows anyone to post items they wish to give away or to connect with people with items to give. To join you have to sign up with a local group (determined by the zip code you enter) and check out what’s offered by other group members. Anyone can join, and everything offered is free.

Similar to The Freecycle Network is Craigslist – the now ubiquitous online bulletin board that has a “free” section where users can post items they are willing to give away for free. Visit CraigsList to find your local branch and start browsing!

To learn more about recycling in general, check out the links below:

The World’s Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide

How to Recycle Practically Anything

What to Recycle: A Quick List

There are a lot of things in the home that produce waste water. Sinks, bathtubs, and laundry would normally have their waste water dumped back into sewer systems or septic tanks. However, if you own your own home, you can divert this type of water to a Greywater or sullage system for other uses.

Greywater is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes and comprises 50-80% of all residential wastewater. Greywater is distinct from blackwater in the amount and composition of its chemical and biological contaminants. For example, flushed toilet water would be considered blackwater while drained water from a load of laundry is considered greywater. Greywater can be filtered locally to reduced number of contaminants and stored for other uses in the home where non-potable water is used.

Irrigation of lawns is one area where greywater can be effectively used. By directly recycling water into your lawn you will greatly reduce the amount of potable water you use per month and will significantly reduce your water bill. Indoor reuse is also a good place to look for greywater applications. Toilets can be filled with greywater because they do not become blackwater systems until after used. When using greywater in this manner it needs to be treated before it is put back into the home in order to reduce smell and wear on the toilet. However, it can greatly reduce the overall water usage of the home, especially if you do not have a more efficient 1.5 gallon per flush toilet installed.

One great example of greywater use is the Aqus Toilet System as shown in the image above. It uses greywater from the sink, treats and stores the water in the cabinet below, then directly feeds the water to the toilet as it’s primary supply. It is estimated that this system can reduce water use in a two-person home by approximately 5,000 gallons a year.

Greywater systems are becoming a new trend in recycling and are especially attractive to people who live in the Southwest US, where water supplies can be limited. Before installing a greywater system in your home, make sure you find out if there are any local or regional requirements for installation. You can find more information on sites such as Greywater Central, Greywater Saver, and Greywater.com on how to plan, install, and use your greywater system to it’s maximum potential