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Written by Stephanie Kantis

Filed under

Conservation, EveryLittleHelps, Green, Recycled, Save the Planet

Recycled Facts

Dec 20, 2019

Written by Stephanie Kantis

Let’s take a little break from the holiday madness for just a minute to talk about my favorite subject…the environment. I hope you guys have been loving these blogs with facts and ways we can make small changes for the betterment of this planet.

I wanted to talk about recycling this week because I get a lot of questions about it’s effectiveness and how much of a difference it truly makes. This was one of the first subjects I jumped into because it seemed like there wasn’t enough information going around.

Here are some facts that seemed to stand out the most to me and maybe will surprise you:

The EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it.

Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to listen to a full album on your iPhone.
The Container Recycling Institute (CRI) estimates that the 36 billion aluminum cans landfilled last year had a scrap metal value of more than $600 million.
Americans throw away about 28 billion bottles and jars every year.
Over 87% of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as few as 30 days.

It’s hard to believe that there are still people that don’t recycle. I know that there might be some obstruction to the process for most people but it’s usually a fairly easy thing to do that can save our world energy and reduce the amount of waste we produce.

I urge you to reach out to your local recycling centers if you are having issues participating. Every little bit helps.

Till Next Week,

Written by Stephanie Kantis

Filed under

Clean-Up, Conservation, Environment, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Green, Greenpeace, Oceans, Recycling

Clean-Up Time

Feb 08, 2019

Written by Stephanie Kantis

In past blogs, I’ve written about how plastic consumption is effecting our world, I talked about the things we can fix and the mistakes we’re making. This week I wanted to shine some light on some of the awesome work that is being done in this world to clean-up the huge plastic footprint we’ve been leaving.

This past week there was some fantastic news related to our pollution problems. The nonprofit organization, The Ocean Cleanup is focused on developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.

The organization utilizes the ocean currents to the ultimate advantage. They are estimating that the passive drifting systems are estimated to clean up half the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years.

The passive system is comprised of a floater with a solid screen underneath, concentrating the debris and leading it to a collection system. It is slowed down by a drift anchor and suspended at 600 meters, making it move slower than the plastic and easy to catch it.

On February 13th, The Ocean Cleanup and the City of Alameda announced they have signed a lease for a portion of the former navel air station. The assembly will begin next month. This is so exciting, and I will keep you updated.

I love hearing how we can make a difference even when it feels impossible. and I wanted to share.

Till next week,

Written by Stephanie Kantis

Filed under

Environment, Green, Plastic, Recycle, Reuse, Stephanie Kantis

The Plastic Problem

Jan 25, 2018

Written by Stephanie Kantis

I’m back with another installment of let’s save the planet. I came across some very interesting yet a little more scientific facts on how plastics are effecting our planet and I want to share. The more we know the more motivated we are to make a change.

“One of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics,” explained David Barnes, a lead author and researcher for the British Antarctic Survey.

There is evidence mounting that the chemical building blocks that make plastics so virtual are the same comments that might harm people and the environment. Such as:

-Chemicals added to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Some of these have been found to alter hormones and have potential health effects.

-Plastic debris is laced with chemicals and get ingested by marine animals, which cannier or poison them.

-Floating plastic waste, can survive for thousands of years in water, can act as mini transportation devices for invasive species.

-Plastic buried deep in the landfills can leach chemicals in the groundwater.

Pretty heavy right? Think about what you can do today or this week to be less depended on plastics. Using a glass bottle at work, stop asking for plastic silverware when you don’t need them, using a glass or steel straw, bringing your own bags to the store, etc.

Till Next week,

Written by Stephanie Kantis

Filed under

Conservation, Green, Ocean, Plastic, Recycle, Stephanie Kantis

Plastic Ocean

Nov 10, 2017

Written by Stephanie Kantis

It's time again for a little lesson on some environmental issues that are close to my heart. As I mentioned a few weeks back I really want to use this blog as a platform to talk more openly about what is important to me.

This week I want to talk about one-time use plastic forks, spoons and knives. I have talked to a lot of people that think plastic cutlery is recyclable and it’s not a problem but it is because not everyone recycling them. Here are some shocking statistics

-Food and beverage packaging make up 67 percent of all littler on the streets

-Plastic utensils rank among the top 10 most common trash items

-The ocean contains more than 8 million tons of plastic

Even the idea of making better utensils like biodegradable options made from potato starch aren’t gonna to solve this issue because they cost twice as much and require a lot of water and energy to produce.

The one way to truly make a difference is to use real forks and knives. China started a BYOC campaign (Bring Your Own Chopsticks) and have seen a lot of improvements. We need to encourage everyone to bring their own utensils and eat at home more. Also let restaurants know when you don’t need plastic utensils so they don’t go to waste.