Anyone cursed with bad vision remembers, none too fondly, the names like “four eyes” and “nerd” that seemed to follow them through their academic youth. But, with the geek-chic trend came the need for glasses to complete an outfit. Today, any number of people can be found wearing plastic frames with plain glass for lenses. Now, these fashion staples have been remade for the environmentally conscientious wearer.

Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes, a model, author, designer and activist, has paired up with eyeglass designer MODO to bring consumers a truly recycled line of eyewear that anyone would want to rock. From the frames, to the glass, to the soy ink used to print on the recycled packaging, the ECO line by MODO is truly a fashionable way to reduce your impact.

But the brand doesn’t stop there. For each pair of lenses sold, a tree will be planted through Trees for the Future and the Mozambique-based Mezimbite Forest Centre. The line has taken several additional steps toward ensuring its line has as small an impact on landfills as possible. Oakes spoke with 1-800-RECYCLING.com about the project.

1-800-RECYCLING.com: First off, tell us a little bit about how the partnership with MODO came about.

Summer Rayne Oakes: A filmmaker who I had been working with initially made the connection. After learning about my work and knowing how passionate MODO is about pushing the envelope on environmental and social integrity in eyewear, he asked if he could make the introduction. The team and I hit it off, and we started working with one another almost immediately.

It’s an exciting collaboration. I often work with brands who are just getting started. MODO was already out making an impact. I’d say that Alessandro [Lanaro, CEO of Modo] and his team are doing for eyewear what Ray Anderson did for carpets.

1-800-RECYCLING.com: Were there any trials in crafting an eco-friendly line of glasses?

SRO: Since our stainless steel is 95% recycled post-consumer waste and our acetate plastic is 95% pre-consumer waste, it does take us a bit of time to collect the materials, create our preferred color mix and produce new sheets of material for our factory to use.

1-800-RECYCLING.com: How many styles are there?

SRO: Three sunglasses and four optical frames.

1-800-RECYCLING.com: What degree of UV protection will the sunglasses provide?

SRO: 100% protection.

Will you be searching your closet for recyclables in 2012?

I mean, am I ever going to use this avocado slicer? Probably not, because I typically just use a regular, old knife.

As I sat down to consider my green resolutions for the New Year, I started thinking about how and why I have somehow managed to obtain all of the miscellaneous items that have been accumulating over the past few years. The reason, actually, is quite simple: I hate getting rid of things. Yes, some of them do have sentimental value to me, but the major reason is that throwing them out means that they end up in my local landfill.

A few years ago, when I moved, I put a sofa on the curb with a “free” sign attached to it. Surely someone would want it because it was in perfectly good condition, but was just too big for my house. The following morning, I awoke to that sofa being thrown into the garbage truck, which was grinding away trying to get it in. I had to cover my ears.

Call it ridiculous, but our state landfill here in Rhode Island is filling up at an alarmingly quick rate, so it’s difficult for me to think that I’m not one of the culprits.

“But there’s nothing wrong with it,” is a common phrase used around here, and the thought of throwing out items that are perfectly fine makes me cringe. I definitely get that from my parents. So, the item heads to the basement or a box in the closet that will be most likely be forgotten.

In 2012, I’m making it my goal to simplify my home. As you can imagine, this will be a big step for me. Over the next year, I’ll take you through my process, room by room. My challenge will be to find ways to recycle and repurpose almost everything that I’m getting rid of and to do what I can to keep my old items out of the landfill.

Now, does anyone out there need an Ebelskiver pan? It comes with a cookbook…

Now, I don’t use paper towels on an everyday basis. I use biodegradable sponges to wash my dishes, I use dishtowels to dry my dishes and wipe my hands, and I use my reusable cloths to wipe up spills. But when it comes to cleaning — especially the bathroom — guilty as charged. The toilet? Yup, that’s the ultimate worst.

There are many paper towels on the market today that are made from recycled content. However, many are still made from virgin fibers and as we’ve mentioned before, as many as 51,000 trees per day are required to replace the number of paper towels that are discarded every day. That means that if every household in the U.S. used just one less 70-sheet roll of virgin fiber paper towels it would save 544,000 trees each year.

I have to say that it takes me a while to get through my gigantic package of paper towels, so the money spent on them in this household per year certainly isn’t as high as others. And luckily, as long as your paper towels are unbleached and chlorine-free, they are safe to toss into your compost bin, not the trash.

In 2012, I’m promising you, dear readers, that I’m going to treat my paper towel addiction. I will head into my bathroom, armed with reusable cleaning cloths and sponges that I own in various colors and sizes. I will no longer have to take several trips to the trashcan to unload my used and dirty paper towels, and I will no longer feel guilty as I stare at my pile of waste.

Now how many cloths is it going to take to clean this dreaded toilet?

Crate & Barrel's 1-gallon compost bin is great for composters who lack yards. Photo courtesy of Crate & Barrel.

The New Year always provides an opportunity to reflect on the year prior, and this year I’m particularly pensive about my waste-reduction habits. In 2012, I want to push myself further when it comes to waste management in my home. One area that really needs improvement is my disposal of organic waste.

I live in the heart of the city, and as such, I lack a yard to care for. This lifestyle certainly has its benefits, but one of the drawbacks is the difficulty when it comes to composting. When I was growing up in the suburban Midwest, my family had a heavily wooded back yard, which became home to a rather large and effective compost bin. Dead leaves, old banana peels and egg shells, grass clippings — it all ended up in the compos

t bin down the stone-lined path from our home, left to become mulch some time later, yielding some seriously rich and dense soil.

I don’t have the benefit of a compost bin to bolt to my apartment floor, so I need to be a little flexible. That’s why a countertop compost bucket is atop my next-purchase list. At first, I kind of laughed off the idea of keeping a 1-gallon compost bucket around. It would fill up with food scraps quickly (I count my home-brewed coffee habit as my premier vice) and then there is the question of what to do with the end product.

Interestingly, it took a look back to my 2010 resolution to make my 2012 resolution a realistic possibility. Two years back, I resolved to eat locally by supporting my neighborhood farmers market and restaurants with a lean on local products. I consider that resolution a major success — I eat locally whenever possible — and it helped me to realize a passion for cooking with fresh-grown herbs.

The problem up to this point has been regularly purchasing these cooking aids, which has really added up to a major strain on my wallet. This is where the countertop compost bin will really come in handy. I can use the resulting soil to plant herbs on my balcony, a spot that receives plenty of daily sunshine needed to sprout healthy buds. It’s a win-win-win for me: No more throwing organic food waste into the garbage can, and free herbs for home cooking at the ready, which means big savings for me. Reuse to the rescue!

I will need to be persistent in reminding myself to utilize the compost bin as I’m getting started. It will definitely take some getting used to, even after I plant my first herb pots, but I plan on sticking with this one. Who has had success with apartment composting and gardening and can offer friendly tips?

Because money tends to speak louder than words when trying to get the business industry to listen, my New Year’s resolution for improving the planet is twofold. The first component is to purchase goods that are sustainably created and can be reclaimed or recycled when I’m finished with them. The second part is to donate to at least one company or organization that promotes environmentalism as a core philosophy. This way, I can focus on preservation of natural settings as well as promote the innovation of a new-age model. To divulge further, let’s start with the purchase of great green goods.

On 1-800-RECYCLING.com, we have profiled a few companies that are breathing new life into sustainability and recycling by crafting and selling products made from recycled materials.

The first part of my resolution is to ensure a greener tomorrow by purchasing from companies that are trying to do the same.

To achieve this step I am choosing between stylish bags and other swag at Alchemy Goods; an always useful, 100% recycled, recyclable and PBA-free water bottle from Liberty Bottleworks; or maybe a few of the impressively sustainable earthCell batteries that are revolutionizing the portable power industry. All of these companies stand out for their industrious way of taking a stand to better the environment by offering a new genre of products — those that improve quality of life as well as mitigate negative effects on nature. Innovation is made every day in regard to truly “green” products. Now, on to step number two.

This step will require a little more legwork on my part, as I haven’t decided which niche in the environmental realm to support. Really, there are so many quality options and causes to support that it might make choosing one difficult. However, I feel that a revolution is coming in the way that we are creating, storing and using energy.

The days of the coalmine and oilrig are coming to a close over the next several decades (well, hopefully). As such, the focus on clean, local and sustainable energy is paramount. Finding companies that create and promote wind, solar, wave, hydroelectric, biomass and geothermal energy is of particular interest to me.

Zeroing in on a local company in Washington State has led me to Farm Power Northwest. The company takes organic waste materials like cow manure and food waste and transforms it into usable methane gas for energy production. Companies like this are creating new ways to solve a handful of old problems through hard work and innovation. And it is companies like this that need our help most to ensure we have a bright future with working eco-systems and sustained, comfortable lifestyles.

If you want to do the same and promote eco-friendly businesses, do some Internet research to see what companies in your area are driving the economy while saving the planet. But remember to keep an eye out for the greenwashers — those that promote their product as being sustainable without any real evidence or data to back the claim.

Look for products that are made locally in a sustainable manner; those that are crafted from reclaimed or recycled materials; and those that can be recycled when they’re no longer needed. Also, keep an eye out for those organizations in your area (nonprofit or otherwise) that are striving to restructure the ways in which our society works so we can all look forward to a greener future.

Last year, one of my resolutions was to be more thoughtful about my purchases when it comes to resources. If a product had excessive or unrecyclable packaging, I really considered if I needed the product at all. And, if I did, my plan was to look for an alternative brand with less or more environmentally friendly packaging. I tried to make this resolution a habit that will continue into the New Year.

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.

— Author Unknown

This year, I plan to turn it up a notch.

Resolution: I will try not to buy anything that does not contain recycled content this year.

Choosing recycled packaging can greatly reduce consumers' environmental impact.

There are many benefits of using recycled materials; for example, recycled pulp created in the production of paper requires fewer chemicals during processing.

According to the Clark County, WA, website, production of new paper from recycled materials saves approximately 40% of the energy that it would take to produce paper from virgin trees. The production of new aluminum cans from recycled materials saves as much as 95% of the energy that it would take to make from virgin mineral ore.

Accomplishing my resolution: I plan to continue being thoughtful about all my purchases. Instead of buying products made with virgin materials, I will look for those same items with recycled content. By buying items with recycled content, I will be helping to “close the loop” and encourage manufacturers to use recycled materials. I will also reuse or repurpose things I already own and buy used items when possible.

The details:

1. I will continue writing out my shopping list for every trip to the store so I’ll know what items I should inspect to find if they contain recycled materials.
2. I will reuse or repurpose things I already own, instead of buying new items, whenever possible.
3. When appropriate, I will buy gently used items that will make a new purchase unnecessary, diluting the impact of its original manufacturing, transport and packaging.

I hope your New Year is full of wonderful resolutions and bright beginnings.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

— Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Manufacturing products made of recycled materials has typically been something taken on by smaller, niche companies who want to set themselves apart from the mainstream. But now, Panasonic has announced that it will be launching a line of eco-friendly appliances in Japan made of recycled materials.

Set to debut this coming February, the line will include a refrigerator, rice cooker, washer/dryer and a vacuum cleaner. The products will incorporate recycled resin and vacuum insulation made from recycled glass. The recycled materials have been recovered from old air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and televisions at Panasonic’s recycling facilities.

The new appliances will also come equipped with Eco Navi, intelligent senors that are said to make “daily life routine more comfortable and eco friendly”. The Eco Navi appliances adapt themselves to each person’s lifestyle and usage to provide ecological operation. The feature helps reduce wasted electricity and water consumption.

Panasonic says it has been working on various initiatives aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions and is more frequently using recycled materials in its manufacturing processes. Some of its more green focused projects we’ve noted this year include supplying its automotive-grade lithium-ion battery cells to Tesla for its Model S and taking part in a green energy park in Japan.

Source: Earth Techling
By Kristy Hessman

First and foremost is wrapping paper. Most varieties are made from virgin materials, but we are starting to see more and more with recycled content. If you buy shiny or sparkly wrapping paper, it cannot be recycled. You can make your own wrapping from a paper bag, maps or cloth, or look for some that is even made from hemp and flax.

And those ribbons! Not only are they expensive, but they also are not recyclable. But many local hobby and craft stores will accept ribbon and reuse it in the store. Consider using ribbon made from natural materials, such as raffia, which can actually be composted.

Next on our list is holiday cards. Every year, 2.65 billion holiday cards are sold in the U.S. You can recycle your cards from previous years by cutting them in half and using the front as a holiday postcard. Just make sure you don’t send it to the person who previously sent it to you! If you’re buying new cards, look for ones that are made from recycled content and avoid the shiny ones. Shiny typically means non-recyclable, but make sure you recycle the ones that can be.

Did your amount of mail start to increase thanks to seasonal catalogs? It takes 14 million trees to produce the mail-order books that we receive annually. Along with direct mailings, catalogs account for more than 4 million tons of CO₂-emitting landfill mass. Call the mail-order company and asked to be removed from the list, and make sure to toss those catalogs into your recycle bin.

It’s hard to believe that of the 33 million Christmas trees sold in North America each year, many end up in the landfill. If you decide to purchase a real tree (the fake ones, while reusable, are made from petroleum-derived sources) look for recycling centers that will chip it down for mulch. Additionally, many cities and towns are now offering Christmas tree collections after the holiday so that they can be recycled.

LED lights are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. Not only do they shave dollars off your electric bill, but also if one bulb goes out the rest will still work. LED lights use up to 95% less electricity, last up to 10 times longer and are safer since they produce very little heat. If you are getting rid of your old strands, The Home Depot will accept them and give you a discount for a new package of LEDs.

For holiday parties (and really for every party throughout the year) rent real plates, glasses and silverware for a crowd (or use your own) instead of using the disposable kind. If you are looking for easy cleanup, check out plates that can be composted, such as those from VerTerra.

How do you plan to make your holidays greener? We’d love to hear your stories!

What follows are some pointers on how to have a greener impact when it comes to battery purchases for your holiday needs.

Remote controls, alarm clocks, toys and many more holiday goodies are all benefactors of the handy, portable battery. But with so much energy required — and so much battery waste to account for — the best way to limit hazardous environmental impact is to focus on efficiency and longevity. The most commonplace battery is probably the AA, and department stores typically offer bulk deals on generic versions of these.

More often than not, this is the worst environmentally sustainable option for purchase since generic batteries are quickly disposed of. Nobody wants their groundwater supply awash with heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, nickel and lead, but with large amounts of disposable batteries leaching in our landfills, this is often a real threat.

Further, trash incinerators only add to the problem as, “Certain toxic metals are released in the air and can concentrate the combustion ash, and might even result in an explosion,” according to Brighthub.com. Brighthub also notes acid rain and corrosive acids as improper disposal dangers.

Focusing on the two points mentioned above — efficiency and longevity — a better option presents itself in the form of the rechargeable battery.

Prototypes of earthCell rechargeable batteries

Unlike disposable units, rechargeable batteries are, well, rechargeable. This means that they don’t hit the garbage once their energy has been depleted the first time. So, disposable batteries cut down on material heading to the landfill, but any good green-thinker takes a holistic approach to such issues, which leads to the question about how sustainable the energy consumption is.

Fortunately, for such critical thinkers, there are some pretty heavy hitters on the manufacturing side of things that share this concern.

Apple, a company that has become responsible for exponentially increasing the amount of electronic devices created, also pays attention to environmental concerns with its battery charger. This charger is making headlines, as it “has a power-management system that will automatically cut the power when AA batteries are fully charged.” Further, “Apple said that ‘the charger draws 30 milliwatts once batteries are full, compared with 315 milliwatts for other nickel-metal hydride rechargeables.’” What’s more, the batteries with this charger are estimated to last 10 years.

Kudos to Apple, but other companies are revolutionizing the household battery all together in order to achieve what is likely the greenest battery made. An upstart battery company, earthCell, is offering a battery that brazenly promises, “Zero waste. Better batteries. Less money. With your help in getting started, earthCell will transform the battery industry, for good.”

In essence, these are rechargeable batteries with a slightly different chemical makeup, using low self-discharge nickel metal hydride (LSD NiMH) batteries, which, according to the brand’s website, are more effective than both regular NiMH batteries and the traditional Alkaline battery. While new battery technology is great, what makes this company so revolutionary in the battery industry is actually its return policy and end-of-life operations.

Once purchased, earthCell batteries come with a prepaid mailer where spent batteries can be stored and shipped. Batteries are retested at the earthCell HQ. If the batteries are still usable, the company can “revitalize” them for resale. But, if a battery doesn’t meet specification to be revitalized, it is dismantled and the valuable materials inside are used to make new batteries. That’s right: earthCell is bringing to market a cradle-to-cradle battery.

Batteries may be a marginal part of daily life, but with estimates saying that 3 billion batteries are thrown out every year in the U.S. alone, making this facet of your life a little more environmentally conscious can go a long way.

Gift giving can be a strange time for those who try to live an eco-conscious lifestyle. It’s easy to get caught up in the spirit of the holidays, and that can lend itself to spending money on things that aren’t necessary or kind to the environment.

This year, be strategic. Give gifts that not only look cool, but also serve an important purpose. Instead of giving gifts that will break or be obsolete within a few months, select presents that will help your loved ones get one step closer to a waste-free life.

Hydros water bottle

Thirty-eight-billion disposable plastic water bottles end up in landfills each year. Most people drink bottled water because they think it’s cleaner, but studies have shown that most tap water is held to higher health standards than bottled water.

The Hydros Bottle comes with a built-in quick filtration system, so no matter where you fill up you’ll know that you’re drinking clean water. The Hydros bottle is BPA-free, antimicrobial and made in the U.S. And, $1 from each purchase helps fund sustainable water infrastructure projects around the world! (From $29.99)

PeopleTowels

The use of paper towels alone sends 3,000 tons of waste to the landfill every day. Many of the most popular brands use virgin timber to create these disposable cleaning tools. Depending on the size of your family and level of messiness, using paper towels can add an extra $120 to $200 to your annual budget.

PeopleTowels are a great way to curb paper towel and napkin use. Made of 100% organic fair trade cotton, these stylish towels save trees, save money, reduce landfill waste, cut CO₂ emissions and conserve water. Clipped to a book bag or slipped into a purse, these towels are also an easy way to keep hands clean without sacrificing the environment. (From $6.99)

Water Pebble

The average 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons of water. That’s 2.5 gallons of water a minute rushing down the drain, never to be seen again. While taking a 30-minute shower might not seem that expensive, it’s extremely harmful to the environment and disrespectful to the millions of people who live without access to safe, clean drinking water.

Water Pebble is an ingenious little device that will be sure to please the gadget lovers on your list. Once you’ve programmed the pebble, it signals a yellow light at your half-shower mark and flashes red when it’s time to turn off the faucet. The next time you shower the Pebble will flash red just a few seconds earlier. In this way, the device will train you to take shorter showers over a period of just a few weeks! (From $10)

E-reader

There’s nothing quite like curling up with a good book on a snowy day, or reading an interesting magazine article to help pass the time during a cross-country flight. But printed books and magazines are a drain on our natural resources and a hassle to recycle.

An e-reader eliminates paper waste, and the carbon emissions needed to transport books and magazines around the country. Instead of waiting to order a new book online, you can simply download it for the fraction of the price. Some libraries are also getting into the e-reader game, lending out electronic books for free. And you aren’t just limited to books: many e-readers are optimized for magazines, newspapers and blogs as well. The Kindle from Amazon is arguably the most popular, and its basic model is one of the cheapest. (From $79)

1. Alchemy Goods’ Dopp kit: Perfect for traveling, this Dopp kit (below) is made from a truck inner tube, making it super durable. We like that it will keep potential spills inside the kit rather than seeping out to clothing. It comes complete with a shiny bicycle valve zipper pull. ($32)
2.  Black Dinah Chocolatiers gift box: Strawberry balsamic with dark chocolate? Yes, please. Fresh chèvre with bittersweet chocolate? Yum! The Farm Market Collection of truffles from Black Dinah Chocolatiers makes a great gift for a host/hostess or even a stocking stuffer. Each truffle features ingredients grown in Maine. (Eight-piece box: $20, 18-piece box: $45).
3. Recycled Sandpiper night-light: Designed by husband-and-wife team Vawn and Mike Gray, this night-light is fused from post-consumer glass bottles. Each will slightly vary because they are handmade, which we think makes them even more special. ($38)
4. To-Go Ware’s two-tier tiffin and carrier bag combo: For those that ride their bikes or take the subway to work, this is a great hands-free option for carrying lunches. This two-tier tiffin and carrier bag combo from To-Go Ware features a stainless steel tiffin set (complete with a “sidekick” to hold things like dressings, soup and nuts) and a convenient recycled cotton carrier bag. ($39.95)
5. Tiny heart necklace: For a sweet and simple gift for the one you love, this tiny heart necklace is one that can be worn every day. Made from recycled 14k gold overlay or recycled silver overlay, it’s handcrafted in San Francisco, and has an adjustable length. ($35)

It’s no secret that strong recycling systems are critical to creating a sustainable future. At Nestlé Waters North America, we believe that everyone, including corporations, nonprofits, retailers and individuals, has a role to play, which is why we place a high premium on recycling innovation.

Michael Washburn, Director of Sustainability, Nestlé Waters North America

We’re proud to join the ranks of other industry leaders in recycling, like Patagonia, which is advancing the recycling of textiles through its Common Threads Initiative, or Timberland, whose Design for Disassembly shoes will be repairable, and eventually — when they’ve reached the end of their useful lives — recyclable.

At Nestlé Waters, we put ourselves on the front lines of advancing recycling, whether it be in the lab, the field or at the policy level. While bottled water PET containers make up less than 1% of all U.S. municipal solid waste, much work remains to ensure these, and all recyclable materials, stay out of landfills.

To address this issue, we set a goal in 2008 to help double U.S. recycling rates for all PET plastic beverage bottles to 60% by 2018.

In order to reach that goal, we are advocating for an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model for packaging. We hope to bring the financial responsibility of recycling back to the industry, while collaborating with municipalities to increase access to curbside recycling and recycling on the go.

In 2010, Nestlé Waters supported the launch of an EPR program in the Canadian province of Manitoba, featuring four key elements: curbside recycling, public spaces recycling, commercial/institutional recycling and a public education plan. Early results are encouraging, and we believe Manitoba is the one to watch.

Look for this logo on new Nestlé Waters bottles.

At the same time, we aim to reach and engage our customers in a conversation about recycling. Knowing that the overall environmental impact associated with drinking a bottle of water can be reduced by 25% just by recycling it after use, we feel deeply committed to educating others about the impact they can have. Recycling is at the core of our products’ life cycles: The more people recycle PET plastic bottles, the more opportunity we have to use recycled plastic in our products — like our new Deer Park 50% rPET plastic bottle.

To reach the public directly, we launched a first-of-its-kind mobile education tour in the Washington, DC, area this past fall. Thousands of children and adults were able to witness recycling brought to life at the Deer Park interactive “bus.” We also foster ongoing partnerships with organizations like Keep America Beautiful (KAB), with whom we activate creative consumer awareness programs. For example, Nestlé Waters sponsors KAB’s Recycle-Bowl, the first nationwide recycling competition educating elementary, middle and high school students at 1,000 schools in 48 states on the importance of recycling.

Step by step, great progress is being made. Ultimately, it is these collective efforts — of individuals, NGOs, legislators and companies — that will help us achieve the sustainable future we’re striving for.

For more information on Nestlé Waters North America’s recycling efforts, please visit nestle-watersna.com/WhyRecyclingMatters.htm. To read more about our sustainability commitments, visit citizenshipreport.nestle-watersna.com/Sustainability.

Michael Washburn is Director of Sustainability at Nestlé Waters North America. In this role, he leads the organization’s efforts to increase recycling rates in the U.S., innovate in energy use and building design across its facilities, advocate for constructive water policies and engage stakeholders around company sustainability issues. He has more than 15 years experience working in the nonprofit and academic sectors, with a focus on sustainable forestry, land conservation, green building and conservation leadership.