Charleston Waterkeeper has kicked off the Water the Future campaign.They’re asking lowcountry residents to share images of local waterways, give a little to support the cause, become a member, and spread the word about the Charleston Water keeper mission.

On a recent trip to a Mount Pleasant recycling drop site, it was clear that people were making just as many mistakes with their recycling as they were their trash. And since 2008 was the year of the Fail meme, which has generated its own blog and Wikipedia entry, I thought it might be time to start  a new column: Recycling Fail!

I mean, we’ve all been to one of Charleston County Recycling‘s drop sites and seen the piles of trash people have left – what are they thinking? I’ve even blogged about the serious problems they are having at one of the Mount Pleasant drop sites.

The first pic above is the most interesting, only because they made it all the way to the drop site and THEN failed. I mean, after you know what to recycle, one of the only other rules is to flatten your boxes. It even says so right on the dumpster! FAIL!

And what about the person that left a bag of trash and a pumpkin? A pumpkin??? I wish we had county-sponsored composting, but that doesn’t mean I can toss used holiday fruit wherever I please.  Also note that the pumpkin was discarded in a recyclable bag.

The person who left the mess below clearly scoffs at the rules. They probably drive in the left lane, take 2 newspapers, and sneak home office supplies too. Rules are rules peeps, so lets try to keep the trash in the landfill, not in the middle of a parking lot. I mean, that’s someone’s fence/backyard right there…how would that make you feel?

If you’ve seen some Recycling Fail around town, or even have some pics, please let us know!

Foam packing peanuts

There’s good news: If you receive foam peanuts this holiday season, you can drop them off for reuse at a shipping place instead of throwing them into your garbage!

That’s what I did…

When you receive a package stuffed with foam peanuts, save them in a box, bag, or basket near your other recycling. Once you have a big enough pile, or actually have something to ship, take them with you to the nearest packing place for reuse. Michael from Mail & More at Belle Hall Station told me that as long as the peanuts are clean, dry, and are not mixed with other trash, most packing places would love to have them back.

This is a great way to reduce the demand on new foam peanut production, all the while keeping polystyrene out of the landfill, air, or ecosystem. I have a relative that ships us boxes full of foam peanuts each Christmas, and it’s nice to be able to dispose of them in a green way. Of course, they’re always good for office pranks…

So head on down to the mall on Saturday to participate in America Recycles Day. Be sure to call 843.720.7111 if you have any questions. Happy recycling!

1. Vinegar is as old as dirt. Not really, but vinegar has been a part of human life for 10,000 years.
2. Hippocrates used apple cider vinegar for its many healing properties.
3. 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water, and a squeeze of a lemon equals the best household cleaner I use.
4. Vinegar is a great antibacterial agent, with a pH lower than 3 – organisms don’t stand a chance.
5. Vinegar is incredibly versatile.
6. Vinegar is cheap – about $1.25 for two liters.
7. I can purchase vinegar just about anywhere.
8. Vinegar has its own institute and its own book.
9. I love a good fresh salad topped with a balsamic vinaigrette.
10. The volcanic action of vinegar plus baking soda is simply a childhood classic.

Currently, there is an old Seventh Generation spray bottle filled with 1 part vinegar, 1 part water, and a little lemon waiting for use everywhere in this house! Vinegar is one easy answer for ways to make one’s home a little more green.

He didn’t want to chat for long – said he wanted to keep his heart rate elevated. I think I surprised him by stopping and thanking him. Not too long after, I spotted another obvious marathon man jogging capably and smartly with a plastic bag. I wondered if he, too, was picking up litter. Sure enough, I watched him stop briefly to put a discarded item in his bag.

Then I remembered the fabulous internet! I’ve read the Adopt-a-Highway Program signs, but what can individuals do to make a fighting difference against litter? I began with Keep Charleston Beautiful, a division of the Parks and Recreations department composed of community leaders appointed by Mayor Joe. An annual clean sweep week seems to be their most hands-on offering.

I was impressed with Palmetto Pride site, especially their list of programs and contacts. They also list a lot of ways to become involved, and local contacts.

South Carolina Litter Control is a non profit association, currently and actively seeking sponsorship. They have a partnership with Palmetto Pride, and work with local officials and concerned citizens to fight the litter fight.

I will continue to check these sites, hopefully join in a beach sweep. If you know of other efforts, I would like to hear about them. My spare time is rather limited right now, so I will join Steve and marathon man in a personal mission to clean up our area. Every litter bit counts!

Don’t get me wrong…I LOVED using the trimmer. That dirty little engine had some power, and it made easy work of fuzzy garden edges and unlucky volunteer plants. But I knew if I experimented a bit, I could find a solution using simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly tools. After fine tuning the process all Summer, I’m getting great results with only a slight increase in work and time. It’s also a solution that is quiet, sustainable, and low impact.

Here’s how I did it…

The Human Powered Lawn has always been an interest of mine, probably stemming from my Amish roots. Or, it might be the annoying gas-powered cacophony of leaf blowers, edgers, mowers, and trimmers I hear every weekend on my otherwise quiet street. When did we become so dependent on these machines for basic yard work? How lazy are we?

So, I’ve set out to eliminate all four of these machines from my landscaping process. I’ve never used a leaf-blower (my broom works just fine) or an edger (I’ve always used a flat shovel + a trimmer), so I was already halfway there at the start of the Summer. I decided to eliminate my trimmer next, a tool I have been using since the dawn of my Junior High lawn mowing business days.

After a few months of practicing and refining, I have the replacement tools down to three: 1) A flat shovel, 2) flat hand held garden shears, and 3) that weed removal poker thing. That’s it. These simple tools replaced a gas-powered, factory-assembled, carbon-emitting non-necessity. Nice!

Here are some tips on using these tools around your yard:

• Edging driveways and other straight lines – Use the flat shovel to cut away an inch of soil and grass along each edge, and the weed removal poker thing to pop it out. This creates a nice, deep edge that will last all summer. Then, for edge maintenance, use the flat shears like scissors to cut back the grass. Just cut along the line you made with the shovel.
• Trees, poles, and fences – The shears work fine for all of these things, and only adds a little time. Switch hands to avoid fatigue, and do it before you mow so you can mulch in the trimmings.
• Weeds in beds – Sometimes I would use the trimmer in our large pine straw bed to remove weeds and volunteer trees. I now use the flat shovel for this, and just walk along forcing the blade into the crown of each plant. This pops them right out.
• Garden bed edges – Use the flat shovel to carve out a trench between your mulched garden and your yard. This will give you a nice border, and prevent grass from crawling into the bed (and make it easier to remove once it does).

Those are the basics – it’s not that complicated. Yes, this is slightly more labor intensive, but actually takes about the same amount of time when you get good at it. The results are similar too, with the only real difference being the edges around my driveway looking more natural, less manicured (but still clean and tidy).

I know the Human Powered Yard isn’t for everyone, and I’ve certainly had a couple of neighbors ask if I wanted to borrow their trimmer (they assumed mine must be broken), but I really think re-imagining how we do simple things can make a difference. I would rather be xeriscaping, and I know these tools are all made in a factory and shipped to Lowe’s, but replacing the machines with muscles has been a positive experience for me, and it might be for you too.

Earlier this year, the Charleston County Council voted to turn off the Montenay/Veolia incinerator in 2009, but are reconsidering. If you feel passionate about this issue, please attend the Charleston County Council Public Hearing at 6:30 p.m tomorrow night (June 24th) at the Gethsemane Community Center.

If you want to know why we should avoid burning our trash (Dioxins…oh my!), read this great paper from the SC Sierra Club, Lunz Group.

Over the last few years, I’ve spoken with many Prius owners about the car, and a pattern emerged. There was very little talk about saving money on fuel, despite the seemingly unstoppable surge in gas prices we are seeing. Instead, people bought them because it was simply the right thing to do. Skeptics often say that the savings in gas will never pay for the car, but this isn’t an exercise in ROI; it’s a chance to make a good choice for the planet…and I’ll pay for that.

Yes, I’m happy about the lower emissions, but that’s certainly not the whole story. One of the most effective ways to create social change is to vote with your wallet, and buying a Prius does that in a big way. The hybrid system is so amazing, and I really don’t understand why Detroit can’t seem to figure this out. Sure, they are “trying”, but a $50,000 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid that only gets 14/20 mpg is both laughable and embarrassing. Clearly they aren’t trying hard enough.

Along with doing the right thing comes setting an example, and that was certainly part of my motivation. I agree with Mary Gatch, who was quoted in this Treehugger.com post (you go girl!) describing the satisfaction of having people ask her about Prius. I like this as well, but not as much as I like having my two boys ask me about it. Influencing them means a lot to me, and I’m already imagining them telling their college friends about all the kooky green stuff we made them do growing up. But you know what, that stuff will stick, and their generation will see things differently…and that should be reason enough for all of us all to get hybrids.

So, if you have a chance to get a Prius, jump! And if enough of us jump, mother nature will certainly notice (and maybe Detroit will too).