Image from PathtoFreedom.com 

When it comes to sustainable-living, not many people can say they are living a sustainable life, much less a green one.  Don’t get me wrong, many people have parts of their life where they are trying to be green or trying to act more responsible when it comes to the environment, but aside from maybe using biodiesels, driving a hybrid, recycling or trying to conserve water, how much are we really doing?

Well the DerVaes family in Pasadena, CA decided they wanted to do more.  Over the past 20+ years, they have transformed their early 1900’s Craftsman bungalow home and run-down yard into a whole new level of urban living.  Determined to live a self-sufficient, low-impact life right in the middle of a big Southern California city, the Dervaes set out along their “Path to Freedom”.

Here are just some of their accomplishments on their Urban Homestead:

To start off, they try to do four days every week without using their car.  That’s four days where they walk, ride their bikes or take public transportation.  The other days when they do drive, they use their own homemade biodiesel.  Since they average less than 4000 miles a year on their car, every month or so they just brew up a 30-gallon batch of biodiesel made from used vegetable oil provided by one of their restaurant clients.  (NOTE: For those of you who don’t have vehicle that runs on diesel or don’t have a hybrid/electric vehicle, using a reliable fuel additive is another good alternative to help reduce emissions and increase fuel economy.) 

They have organic vege-fed ducks and chickens which provide eggs and goats which are used for milk.  None of the animals are grown for meat purposes, but the manure from those animals (and their rabbits) is another re-usable product and great for gardens and future growth.   

They have about 4350 sq ft of gardens where year-round they grow fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and even edible flowers.  Any excess the family doesn’t use is usually sold to local restaurants and caterers, however individuals can also get on the mailing list to be notified when excess produce is available.  They grow over 350 varieties of edible and useful plants (seasonal, of course) totaling about 6,000 lbs per year.

They have cut their energy use in half with 2/3rds of their energy coming from their 12 solar panels.  They also follow key energy saving tips such as using rechargable batteries, line-drying their clothes, using energy-efficient appliances, using olive oil lamps and homemade candles.  They use people-power to run many of their small applicances including a hand-powered toaster, bike-blender and radio.  They even have a solar powered oven.  They have no A/C and no central heating, but have solar attic fans and a wood-burning stove which uses up their scrap wood.

They have dramatically cut down on their water-waste, even with the large volume of produce they grow throughout the year.  They have incorporated low flush toilets and solar outdoor showers into the household.  They also do hand watering, mulching, re-use laundry water, etc.

I, for one, am very impressed not only with their dedication but with their accomplishments.  They aren’t living on a 12-acre farm somewhere, instead they have turned their city home into a profitable and viable way of sustainable living.  Incorporating everything from biodiesel to water waste, the DerVaes family has set the pace for urban homesteaders everywhere!

Biodiesel Home Brewing Guide photo from Peddlerswagon.com. Garden photo from DerVaesGardens.com.

Image by vagawi 

Whenever you have tires that just don’t have any tread left on them it’s time to get rid of them.  But what happens to tires that are worn down or no longer able to be used effectively?  Is there a biofriendly way to recycle them?  What kinds of things can be made by recycling tires?

First of all, before I go into tire recycling, let me mention a few tips to improve the life of your tires.  Make sure you rotate your tires regularly and keep them properly inflated.  Keeping your car tuned up (regular oil changes, using a proven fuel additive, tuning up your brakes, etc), driving on paved roads, ensuring your car isn’t weighed down with heavy items and even car-pooling are also steps that can help improve the life of your tires.  

But, when the time has come time to trade in those worn tires and get new ones, make sure you take your tires to a company that will recycle them.  Recycled tires can be used for a wide variety of products and with approximately 290 million tires discarded every year, recycling them is vital. 

For example, Vulcana® has a leather alternative (RubbRe™), which is made using recycled rubber from tires that were dumped in landfills.  Recycled tires can be used as planters in gardens or for that all-important tire swing in the backyard.  There are even companies who make tire mulch for use in gardens and playgrounds.  Mats, runners and truck bed liners are also common uses for recycled tires.   Another great use is as a fuel supplement for power plants, steel mills, etc.

Needless to say, there is no reason to fill up landfills with “used” tires when there are so many products that can be made by recycling tires.  Additionally, biofriendly tire advances continue to be made, like the researchers at Oregon State figuring out a way to “insert cellulosic plant material into tires, thereby cutting down the amount of dirty carbon black needed to make tires“.   Their cellulosic tires are not only more biofriendly, but have better traction on wet surfaces and are less affected by the heat.  Sounds like a winner all around!

Image from Pricegrabber.com 

Ziploc recently launched their Ziploc® evolve™ Sandwich and Storage Bags which are designed to be better for the environment. Great news, right?! But, why did they make a new line of bags instead of just making their existing bags more environmentally-friendly?  Well, according to their website, the new bags “are an option for those consumers looking to make better environmental choices in their lives”.

Wait…if you don’t want to make better choices for the environment, then Ziploc will continue to make their regular plastic bags so you can have more plastic, fill more landfills and continue polluting?  That seems a little off to me.

But let’s check out the new Ziploc® evolve™ Sandwich and Storage Bags anyway.  According to Ziploc, these new bags use a resin blend that uses 25% less plastic.  One other good thing is the boxes they use are 100% recycled paperboard.  SC Johnson also states their Ziploc products do not contain harmful BPA and they are 100% dioxin free.  All good things!

Here’s my question though…if Ziploc is really serious about making a change for the environment, why aren’t all their bags made with 25% less plastic, packaged in recycled paperboard boxes and manufactured with wind power?

What are they waiting for? Their website states they are “continuing to explore environmental improvements for all of our products”. That’s a good thing, but does that mean these bags were just a stop-gap measure designed to promote how “Ziploc is going green”?

A few other things to note: these bags are NOT reusable.  You also should not use them in the oven or microwave.  As far as whether they are recyclable, One Earth Recycling suggests that most recycling centers will take these types of plastic bags.

So, what do you think? Do you think Ziploc is making some good environmental changes or do you think they should go a little broader?  Let me know, I’d love to hear what you think.