Comments on: Do You Want to Do More Than Recycle? How to Precycle. http://twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/do-you-want-to-do-more-than-recycle-how-to-precycle/ Twilight Earth is dedicated to saving the Environment through shared News, Discussion, Advocacy and Activism Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:39:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Heather http://twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/do-you-want-to-do-more-than-recycle-how-to-precycle/comment-page-1/#comment-4177 Heather Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:18:03 +0000 http://www.twilightearth.com/?p=2693#comment-4177 With regards to the paper towels thing -- last year I lived in a community that had introduced curbside-pickup for composting, and in addition to ANY organic (using 'organic' in the 'carbon-based life' sense here, not the 'grown-without-chemicals' sense) materials (including meat and fat) you could compost paper towels, used kleenex, human hair, dryer lint, microwave popcorn bags... all sorts of things that you usually can't compost in your backyard. So I went through a phase of happily using paper towels again, knowing that they would be turned back into soil. Now that we've moved and this community does NOT have composting, I've gone back to cloth towels exclusively. And for the plastic bags for your produce, you can use reusable bags for that too. There are mesh bags, and small thin bags, that you can get for your produce. They're light enough that it doesn't make a noticeable difference to the bill. Many also help keep your produce fresher too! And since you mentioned growing your own coffee, we should also remind folks about growing EVERYTHING. I buy a lot of canned tomatoes. (I do buy as many as I can from the farmer's market in the fall and preserve them, but they only go so far). This summer (now that I have garden space) I'm going to grow my own, and save on all those cans, and all the transportation and manufacturing etc etc, and not have to recycle the cans later either. With regards to the paper towels thing — last year I lived in a community that had introduced curbside-pickup for composting, and in addition to ANY organic (using ‘organic’ in the ‘carbon-based life’ sense here, not the ‘grown-without-chemicals’ sense) materials (including meat and fat) you could compost paper towels, used kleenex, human hair, dryer lint, microwave popcorn bags… all sorts of things that you usually can’t compost in your backyard.

So I went through a phase of happily using paper towels again, knowing that they would be turned back into soil. Now that we’ve moved and this community does NOT have composting, I’ve gone back to cloth towels exclusively.

And for the plastic bags for your produce, you can use reusable bags for that too. There are mesh bags, and small thin bags, that you can get for your produce. They’re light enough that it doesn’t make a noticeable difference to the bill. Many also help keep your produce fresher too!

And since you mentioned growing your own coffee, we should also remind folks about growing EVERYTHING. I buy a lot of canned tomatoes. (I do buy as many as I can from the farmer’s market in the fall and preserve them, but they only go so far). This summer (now that I have garden space) I’m going to grow my own, and save on all those cans, and all the transportation and manufacturing etc etc, and not have to recycle the cans later either.

]]> By: Adam Shake http://twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/do-you-want-to-do-more-than-recycle-how-to-precycle/comment-page-1/#comment-4150 Adam Shake Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:50:46 +0000 http://www.twilightearth.com/?p=2693#comment-4150 Randy, I see your point, and it's a good one. I'm not a fan of useless words, but the word "Conservation" is one of those that already has more than one meaning. To assign another meaning to it, I think, would be a mistake. I also think that it's more succinct to say "Precycle" than to say "making a conscious decision to refuse to use some disposable product which will only recycled later." I think the word precycle, puts a thought or philosophy into one word that can be easily understood. But hey, I've been wrong before! Adam Randy,
I see your point, and it’s a good one. I’m not a fan of useless words, but the word “Conservation” is one of those that already has more than one meaning. To assign another meaning to it, I think, would be a mistake.
I also think that it’s more succinct to say “Precycle” than to say “making a conscious decision to refuse to use some disposable product which will only recycled later.”
I think the word precycle, puts a thought or philosophy into one word that can be easily understood.

But hey, I’ve been wrong before!

Adam

]]> By: Randy http://twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/do-you-want-to-do-more-than-recycle-how-to-precycle/comment-page-1/#comment-4134 Randy Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:36:19 +0000 http://www.twilightearth.com/?p=2693#comment-4134 Getting back into this green lexicon discussion, the term “precycling” seems a bit extraneous to me. If someone makes a conscious decision to refuse to use some disposable product which will only be either recycled, or thrown away, then doesn’t amount to simple conservation? They would be avoiding the harvesting of the materials in the first place. The initial cycle never takes place, so there’s really no “pre” about it. That would be a present tense action. Sorry if it sounds like I’m splitting hairs here, or being critical. I’m not, but after the discussion about the term “green” I have become more sensitive to confusing and frustrating the masses. Perhaps there are some who feel the term conservation is becoming old hat and needs a makeover? Or maybe the term precycle will be better received by a new generation since it seems like a new thing, even if logic dictates that conservation is as relevant as ever. Getting back into this green lexicon discussion, the term “precycling” seems a bit extraneous to me. If someone makes a conscious decision to refuse to use some disposable product which will only be either recycled, or thrown away, then doesn’t amount to simple conservation? They would be avoiding the harvesting of the materials in the first place. The initial cycle never takes place, so there’s really no “pre” about it. That would be a present tense action. Sorry if it sounds like I’m splitting hairs here, or being critical. I’m not, but after the discussion about the term “green” I have become more sensitive to confusing and frustrating the masses. Perhaps there are some who feel the term conservation is becoming old hat and needs a makeover? Or maybe the term precycle will be better received by a new generation since it seems like a new thing, even if logic dictates that conservation is as relevant as ever.

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