"Pre-cycle" before you "Recycle"

I came across an interesting new term to add to my eco-dictionary.
Pre-cycle.
Possible interpretations?

Maybe a synonym for "reduce", as in lower your waste so you don't have to recycle.
Or could also mean early "re-cycle", as in, re-incarnate before end of life; use it elsewhere in existing form so that cost and environmental impacts of recycling are reduced or eliminated.

Hmmmm! the English language never fails to intrigue me!

Do you "g" Diaper?

I am sure eco-ist parents are fighting over a very important questions as they prepare for their baby. Do I go cloth or disposable? Well, there is a third option that is neither cloth nor disposable and gaining a lot of popularity. Biodegradable or flushable diapers. Hmmm sounds good!

Cloth diapers are reusable but use loads of water, detergent and electricity that is not the most eco-friendly solutions. Also babies are prone to diaper rash and there is a greater risk of leakage and increase in laundry loads for households. So these are not excatly a win-win situation.

Disposable diapers are water, chemical and energy intensive and live on for ever!

10,036,000,000 disposable diapers are landfilled each year in the U.S. That is a huge number and we should be very concerned. Their lack of eco-friendliness is a no-brainer! But they are comfortable, convenient and cheap!

The biodegradable/compostable or flushable diapers seem like a great option. One brand is called "gDiapers". They are chlorine and dioxin free and consist of a "gpant" and liner. Best of all they are "flushable".

The website says the flushables are made of a water resistant, breathable outer material that keep bottoms dry and wetness away. It is made of all natural fiber and is 100% biodegradable. The interior uses elemental chlorine-free tree farmed fluff pulp and Super Absorbing Poly-acrylate to absorb wetness. These super absorbing materials hold up to 100 times their weight in liquid.
The ‘little g’ pants are made of a soft, breathable outer cotton/elastene fabric giving them a slight stretch that are washable and reusable.

These diapers can be flushed, composted (only the wet ones) or tossed. The website claims that these will degrade in a landfill in 150 days compared to the 500 years a disposable diaper will take. I am not sure that anything biodegrades in a landfill, and there are conflicting answers on this depending on whom you ask.

On the whole, these seem to be a better option than either cloth or disposable diapers. So till a better product comes along, an eco-friendly way to diaper your bundle of joy!

Great going Mexico City!

Mexico City has banned the use of thin plastic bags that are not recyclable. These bags are a menace, hard to recycle and threaten ecosystems.

San Francisco lead the way in the US banning plastic bags in 2007 and encouraging compost-able or recyclable paper bags.

Hope this will lead to more cities joining the movement.

Snow Leopard!

I am so excited about the Snow Leopard release this week!!! Yahooo!

Check out the info on the "greenest laptop" ever. Way to go Apple! I expect nothing less.

Photo Blog: Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington DC

Theodore Roosevelt Island, DC is a beautiful national park, dedicated to the president's love of conservation. Ideal summer day outing...

Banking Green

PNC Bank has emerged as the one of the greenest businesses in the world. Apart from encouraging e-banking and reducing paper transactions, PNC has developed a green program in the last decade that has set it apart from other private institutions.

From 2002, all new or renovated banks have been USGBC LEED certified which is very impressive. PNC has more LEED certified branches than any other company in the world!
Their buildings are made of recycled materials and have very high energy efficiency standards. Most of their buildings not only achieve LEED certification, but also are eligible for a Silver rating.

PNC says the greening of their banks has not only helped in greater employee retention and well-being, but their eco-buildings have reduced their operating costs by over 35%.
At a recent Grand Opening of a new branch, close to where I live, they gave away goodies in a nice big "re-usable" bag. I hope folks in my neighborhood will use that grocery shopping!

Apart from all the goodwill they create with their environmental initiatives, I personally feel that a company with such a high level of corporate responsibility will also have sustainable banking and lending practices. Looks like PNC is leading the way in two of the most urgent needs of the hour. Sustainable Business and Banking!

An ecological thriller is on its way!

Many of you may have heard of Colin Beavan, or the No Impact Man, who along with his family went off the "grid" for a year. His experiment will be featured in a documentary and a book.

Before he started, in 2007, he said, "For one year, my wife, my 2-year-old daughter, my dog and I, while living in the middle of New York City, are attempting to live without making any net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no carbon emissions, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no toilets…"

Sounds really hard.

Colin tried to minimize his footprint, no one can "not-impact" the earth, but Colin off-set his now small footprint via positive environmental efforts, like reforestation and other initiatives.

I am really looking forward to watching the documentary and see how he dealt with missing out on all the energy guzzling we are all habituated towards. I don't think Colin intends to preach his drastic lifestyle change to everyone, but really educate everyone (and understand for himself) on how we cannot sleep-walk through our daily routine, but must really sit-back and think about its consequences.

The documentary is being screened right now and a book will be released in 2009.