It's funny, mom, that you should mention cards. This year for your birthday I tried something new-- a photo I took this winter of a fairy door in Ann Arbor (http://www.urban-fairies.com/). I sent it as a post card ...Happy Birthday! The homemade cards do take a several hours to make- from coming up with an idea, gathering materials, to making the card. Probably the cards are more wasteful than storebought cards because they are made from several different materials. So the homemade cards address the anti-consumerism part of our compact, but maybe not the environmental part.
Here's a question for you, mom. You bought a card for a family member with cancer. I am trying to envision how a homemade get-well card for someone with cancer would be received? Or a sympathy card? Most of my cards are whimsical and are given for birthdays and happy occasions. I suppose you could create a card appropriate for a sadder occasion but this compact has made me realize what narrow limits there are on acceptable behaviors for such occasions.
You could forego the card altogether. If the sick recipient in question is closeby, non-card options could include a visit, or even helping out with gardening, running errands, etc. If the person is out of town, it gets a bit tricker. A phone call is always nice, if the person is well enough to receive it. Any other ideas?
Last week, a bunch of friends decided to go in on a gift for a laid-up member of our running group. I suggested buying her a food basket from a local specialty deli. Turns out some other runners had already stocked her up on food for the next several weeks. The next suggestion was to buy her a t-shirt from a running relay race she had to drop out of. Am I really going to say no? I am taking her place on the relay!
What about sympathy sentiments? Options to replace cards or flowers? You could always donate money to a charity in honor of the friend or family member (although that would still involve a card, no doubt). Plant a tree? Any other thoughts??
Monday, May 21, 2007
Ingrid: When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best
I fell off the wagon a bit--only a little. I bought a card for my brother-in-law who has lung cancer. It was my intention to use up my supply of about 12 cards (no get wells in the batch) and then to make them like Kristin does. She sent me a little cloth mini-drape last year when I made her some drapes for her living room. When I lifted the little drape, she had embroidered "Thanks" underneath. How perfect is that? On my last birthday she made a sun and moon card with some stars and various bugs and flora glued on to commemorate my life and the people in it. And--she wrote a long poem to me on the back. You can't get much more meaningful than that. (I can't wait to see what she does for my birthday this week.)
But this card for my brother-in-law seemed so perfect. It was very funny. But it was kind. Just the tone I wanted to strike in the card I would have made him. But I hadn't thought enough about the card-making venture. Somehow it seems easier to make cheery birthday cards than a get well card. But I'm a writer. If it's too hard for me, how can I expect anyone else to do it? Okay, Kristin, some questions for you: What kinds of cards to you make? How do you make them? How much time does it take?
But this card for my brother-in-law seemed so perfect. It was very funny. But it was kind. Just the tone I wanted to strike in the card I would have made him. But I hadn't thought enough about the card-making venture. Somehow it seems easier to make cheery birthday cards than a get well card. But I'm a writer. If it's too hard for me, how can I expect anyone else to do it? Okay, Kristin, some questions for you: What kinds of cards to you make? How do you make them? How much time does it take?
Monday, May 14, 2007
KT: Packaging Promises
When I started the compact I decided to give up all take out meals and bottled drinks because I figured, as a rule, packaging was bulkier and more wasteful for carryout items, especially since many carryout meals are packaged in multiple or bulky containers even if you skip the wad of napkins and plastic utensils. But since I have started to pay closer attention to food packaging, I'm not sure that's a logical place to draw the line.
I have always stayed away from over-packaged grocery store items, like some dried soups that come in plastic bowls, shrink wrapped, and then wrapped in cardboard. And those little individual packages of raisins. But what about 6-ounce yogurt containers? And boxes of cookies with the plastic insert tray?
At the taco place near my office, you can get a to-go burrito wrapped in a square piece of tin foil (when you ask for no bag & no napkins), and at the deli around the corner, I can carry out a sandwich wrapped in a piece of deli tissue. I can’t imagine packaging any lighter than that. And restaurants (though no doubt wasteful in many ways) do order food in bulk.
I occasionally peruse the bulk section at the grocery store but today I took a close look. Dried fruit, cookies, nuts, cereal, flour, sugar, couscous, rice… these are all things I plan to start buying in bulk.
An interesting side note, Walmart is putting pressure on its vendors— 66,000 of them—to reduce the amount of packaging they use and has promised to become “packaging neutral” by 2025. Here is the link, from the NY Times published May 12, 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/business/12package.html
I have always stayed away from over-packaged grocery store items, like some dried soups that come in plastic bowls, shrink wrapped, and then wrapped in cardboard. And those little individual packages of raisins. But what about 6-ounce yogurt containers? And boxes of cookies with the plastic insert tray?
At the taco place near my office, you can get a to-go burrito wrapped in a square piece of tin foil (when you ask for no bag & no napkins), and at the deli around the corner, I can carry out a sandwich wrapped in a piece of deli tissue. I can’t imagine packaging any lighter than that. And restaurants (though no doubt wasteful in many ways) do order food in bulk.
I occasionally peruse the bulk section at the grocery store but today I took a close look. Dried fruit, cookies, nuts, cereal, flour, sugar, couscous, rice… these are all things I plan to start buying in bulk.
An interesting side note, Walmart is putting pressure on its vendors— 66,000 of them—to reduce the amount of packaging they use and has promised to become “packaging neutral” by 2025. Here is the link, from the NY Times published May 12, 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/business/12package.html
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Ingrid: Consumerism in Your Face
I had 4 hours to while away in Traverse City, Michigan last week. I walked from the bus station up and down 8 blocks of Front Street. There, I encountered every kind of shop you can dream up--tee shirts, sporting goods, candy, kites, luggage, jewelry, shoes, toys, kitchenware, hats, art, picture frames, 2 coffee shops and a several restaurants. I glanced in the windows of the shops but resisted going inside. A few were tempting--half price sales, going out of business. A really jazzy lime jacket caught my eye. It was me. But I didn't bite. Because it wasn't me anymore. I had a cup of tea and a biscotti. I walked for another hour and a half and had a salad. I realized, as never before, that this is what cities are all about--consumption. In this stretch there wasn't even a green area with a bench where I could sit down and people watch. It was buy, buy, buy, up one street and down another. Traverse City is a nice enough town. I even considered living here once. But stuff is everywhere. Consumerism is in your face. It's not just Traverse City. It's almost any city in America. I don't want to wake up and look at Chico's. I want to wake up and look at the sun.
Monday, May 7, 2007
KT: New House: New Stuff?
I am buying a house, and moving into it next month. How will I avoid purchasing new items? I haven’t yet decided. A used hot water heater is not likely to be as energy efficient as a new one. And what if I want to install a garbage disposal? A composter for the back yard? I suppose you can buy almost anything used but how energy efficient will it be, how well will it work and how will it look in my new home? And how much time will I have to spend to find these items?
Here’s another thought. Say I find a bookshelf or futon on Craig’s list. How do I pick it up? I drive a very small car and can probably accommodate a small chair at most. There are only so many favors you can ask friends with trucks. And renting a truck is a huge hassle. I suppose some of these items can be disassembled but how would this compare to buying something new that comes in a flat box, packed with special assembly tools? Or to getting it delivered from the store to my doorstep?
I will ponder these things in the coming month. In the meantime, I’ll peruse these recycle/freecycle sites, which allow people to share free stuff with others. It’s amazing what you see for free on these sites… TVs, a digital camera, refrigerators, and other large and small items. I am finding more and more evidence of a growing community that cares about overflowing landfills and all the waste that many people don’t think twice about. Here’s two Web sites, the first is actually a Yahoo group that you must join to get access to (the link is to a local Ann Arbor Web site). The second is an international freecycle organization with many local branches in the U.S.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnnArbor_eCycle/
http://www.freecycle.org/
Here’s another thought. Say I find a bookshelf or futon on Craig’s list. How do I pick it up? I drive a very small car and can probably accommodate a small chair at most. There are only so many favors you can ask friends with trucks. And renting a truck is a huge hassle. I suppose some of these items can be disassembled but how would this compare to buying something new that comes in a flat box, packed with special assembly tools? Or to getting it delivered from the store to my doorstep?
I will ponder these things in the coming month. In the meantime, I’ll peruse these recycle/freecycle sites, which allow people to share free stuff with others. It’s amazing what you see for free on these sites… TVs, a digital camera, refrigerators, and other large and small items. I am finding more and more evidence of a growing community that cares about overflowing landfills and all the waste that many people don’t think twice about. Here’s two Web sites, the first is actually a Yahoo group that you must join to get access to (the link is to a local Ann Arbor Web site). The second is an international freecycle organization with many local branches in the U.S.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnnArbor_eCycle/
http://www.freecycle.org/
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
KT: One Month In
It’s been one month since we started the compact. No new stuff, no take out, no store-bought gifts, no pump soap or paper towels. I guess this is where I ‘fess up. I fell off the wagon last week. I had some fairly new trail running shoes, which fit fine for walking around but by the time I realized that they are too short for running, it was too late to return them. A necessity? Nope. After all, I already own regular running shoes. But trail shoes protect your ankles and feet from roots and rocks and uneven terrain, and I was getting ready for a half marathon on a very rugged trail. In the end, I decided it would be better to go off my diet than risk twisting an ankle. I felt a pang of guilt, but then got over it pretty quickly. After all, it’s not the kind of thing you can find at a thrift store.
But then on Sunday when I was running the trail race, I couldn’t help but notice all the runners who were wearing regular running shoes (including people who were sailing past me). I didn’t see any of them twisting an ankle. Did I really need those specialty running shoes for safety? It’s debatable. Comfort? I still had blisters by the end of the race!
Aside from the trail running shoes I have been pretty diligent about following the compact. One month in, I still feel withdrawal pains pretty regularly. I miss take out terribly. I am a bachelor and don’t love cooking. I do love my local salad bar, the occasional take-out pizza, to-go burrito, and the soup stand across the street from my office (he serves the best lobster bisque in the city on Thursdays and Fridays). And all those beautiful deli items! I threw myself on the mercy of a Whole Foods deli employee a few weeks ago, but could not convince her to allow me to bring my own container for their heavenly sesame greens (due to the health code).
Bottled drinks are everywhere and I didn’t realize how often I buy them. I am not a regular soda drinker, but I enjoy one occasionally. Especially now that it’s getting warm outside. But the thing I miss most is mineral water. The bubbles! I have stuck to the compact on these things and my guess is that I have saved a lot of plastic and glass in the past 30 days.
May is another month and it will be interesting to see what challenges it poses for my mom and I!
But then on Sunday when I was running the trail race, I couldn’t help but notice all the runners who were wearing regular running shoes (including people who were sailing past me). I didn’t see any of them twisting an ankle. Did I really need those specialty running shoes for safety? It’s debatable. Comfort? I still had blisters by the end of the race!
Aside from the trail running shoes I have been pretty diligent about following the compact. One month in, I still feel withdrawal pains pretty regularly. I miss take out terribly. I am a bachelor and don’t love cooking. I do love my local salad bar, the occasional take-out pizza, to-go burrito, and the soup stand across the street from my office (he serves the best lobster bisque in the city on Thursdays and Fridays). And all those beautiful deli items! I threw myself on the mercy of a Whole Foods deli employee a few weeks ago, but could not convince her to allow me to bring my own container for their heavenly sesame greens (due to the health code).
Bottled drinks are everywhere and I didn’t realize how often I buy them. I am not a regular soda drinker, but I enjoy one occasionally. Especially now that it’s getting warm outside. But the thing I miss most is mineral water. The bubbles! I have stuck to the compact on these things and my guess is that I have saved a lot of plastic and glass in the past 30 days.
May is another month and it will be interesting to see what challenges it poses for my mom and I!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Ingrid: Junk Mail
I don't order a lot from mail order catalogs but I seem to collect them. And I waste time looking at them. If there's a Pottery Barn catalog stuck in there with the bills I can while away an hour poring over the jute rugs and seashell bedding. And I stick them under the sofa so I can look at them again and waste more time. The past two weeks I have divested myself from the 17--seventeen!--catalogs that were in my house. I called every one of their toll free numbers and asked them to take me off their mailing lists. At one time or another I have ordered from about half of these catalogs but the others just came unbidden. In my quest to rid myself of junk mail I learned that if you've ever ordered anything online, from a catalog, used a credit card, made a donation, or have a magazine subscription, your name goes on various marketing lists. Direct marketers rent, trade and sell these lists and guess what? You get on lots of other lists.
I also found out that in our quest to sell more to more and more customers we spend a lot of money and waste a lot of trees. In 2005 more than $5.6 billion was spent on production and distribution of 41.5 billion pieces of mail ads. The junk mail industry destroys 100 million trees every year. I knew it was time to cut my link to this tremendous waste of time and energy (both real and psychic). I googled "stop junk mail" and found a number of sites that told me step by step what to do. Besides, stopping mail order catalogs, I was told how to take my name off marketing list. I registered with the Direct Marketing Association (www.dmaconsumers.org) to get off mailing lists. It costs $1 and will have to be done every few years but should cut down drastically on the junk mail even though I'll still get local mailings, mail from professional associations and political solicitations.
Finally, from now on, whenever I order anything or donate money, I will request that my name not be sold to other marketers. If the transaction is via mail, I will enclose this message in large letters, "Please do not sell my name or address."
I also found out that in our quest to sell more to more and more customers we spend a lot of money and waste a lot of trees. In 2005 more than $5.6 billion was spent on production and distribution of 41.5 billion pieces of mail ads. The junk mail industry destroys 100 million trees every year. I knew it was time to cut my link to this tremendous waste of time and energy (both real and psychic). I googled "stop junk mail" and found a number of sites that told me step by step what to do. Besides, stopping mail order catalogs, I was told how to take my name off marketing list. I registered with the Direct Marketing Association (www.dmaconsumers.org) to get off mailing lists. It costs $1 and will have to be done every few years but should cut down drastically on the junk mail even though I'll still get local mailings, mail from professional associations and political solicitations.
Finally, from now on, whenever I order anything or donate money, I will request that my name not be sold to other marketers. If the transaction is via mail, I will enclose this message in large letters, "Please do not sell my name or address."
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