Hello, FilterForGoodians! I’ve discovered something extraordinary, and I couldn’t wait to get to my computer to tell you all about it! As you know, we’re all about filtering our own water on this site; no more bottled water here. We’ve made a commitment to stop buying bottled water, but the sad truth is that even if the world stopped tomorrow, the tons and tons of plastic used so far would be with us for eternity. At least that’s been the story up until now. Envion** has developed a process to turn plastic back into crude oil.

The Envion process is easy to get off the ground with simple installation and operation. It’s highly efficienct, and, most importantly, doesn’t cause more pollution in the process. Did you know that plastic production uses 8% of the world’s oil production, with 4% used as feedstock and 4% providing the energy required for plastic production? It’s easy to forget about the amount of effort and energy that goes into making all those plastic bottles, but what Envion makes us realize is that there is still energy in that plastic. Lots of it.

Here’s a great quote from the Envion site:

Envion focuses on reclaiming the valuable energy stored in plastic by converting it back into oil. Since plastic is a derivative of petroleum, plastic possesses a commensurately high level of stored energy content. The energy density of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) is comparable to that of gasoline and is approximately 51% higher than that of coal. Unfortunately, this high level of energy literally “goes to waste” when plastic waste products are discarded. In 2007 the United States produced 58 million tons of plastic, from which 48 million tons of plastic waste entered the nation’s waste stream.

Until now, we could only recycle, throw away, burn or dump plastic bottles. None of those options are very good for the planet. Even recycling is expensive and inefficient. The miracle of Envion’s technology is that it’s a cleaner, more efficient and cost-effective option that is both sensitive to environmental concerns and has the added value of recapturing energy that would otherwise be lost.

It’s hard to deny that plastic has revolutionized our lives. It keeps us safe, clean and just makes life easy. But, we can be smarter than we’ve been. Envion is a uniquely American company that will undoubtedly change the world for the better. I can’t wait.

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Hello, FilterForGoodians. The holidays are right around the corner. I know that’s true because the radio is already playing holiday music, and the drug store’s already got a holiday aisle. It’s only natural that, like the rest of the country, I skip right over Thanksgiving, and go for the main event. Here are five ways you can have a Green Christmas.

#1. LED Christmas Lights

Did you know that LEDs are over 100 times more efficient than standard lights? More than that, they’re more durable, safer and cooler. To make these twinklers even more eco-friendly, put them on a timer so they’ll turn off during the day and very late at night (after everyone’s fast asleep). LEDs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and in every color you can imagine.

#2. Give Green Gifts

Search for “green gift ideas” in Google, and you’ll get a flood of options. Here are some ideas I came across:

• Green Gifts for the Home**
• Recycled Holiday Cards**
• Green Gift for the Cook**
• Tons of Green Gifts**
• Check out Treehugger’s 2009 Green Gift Guide**

#3. Wrap Those Gifts, Greenly

I actually find it charming to wrap gifts in newspaper. There’s something a little Depression-era about it, but in these economic times, it sort of fits. Ok, so if newspaper isn’t your thing, you can actually find a plethora of recycled wrapping paper vendors online. Finding paper like the one above is just a Google search away.

#4. Cook and Eat Local, Organic and Sustainable

If you’re like the rest of us, you always eat the same thing every holiday. There’s probably a big, roasted bird involved. A few casseroles here, some bowls gravy there. Same ole, same ole. Why not go green with this year’s feast? Start at your local farmer’s market for the produce, and build the meal around that. Buy an organic turkey, and if you eat on paper plates, by chance, maybe this year you can spring for real plates. Find a farmer’s market near you.**

#5. “Make” It green

Perhaps the best and easiest way to go green is to do something that doesn’t require a drive to the mall. Make your gifts out of things you already have. Turn old, soft sweaters into cute pillows. Give plants as gifts. Draw a picture, make a video of you singing a song or write the recipient a poem. Remember, it really is the thought that counts.

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Hello, FilterForGoodians. We all know that home is where the heart is, but what makes a house a home (Wow, now that’s what I call a sentence)? A house would be nothing without walls, and for over 100 years, we’ve been building our walls the same way, with the same materials. EcoRock** is about to change the game, and it’s the planet who wins.

I’m addicted to TED** Talks. Seen them? TED is basically this conference where the world’s smartest people come together to talk about things. Lucky for us, they record the speeches, and post them online for free. It was while I was watching the latest batch of talks, that I came across the following video of Kevin Surace, EcoRock CEO, where he talks about inventing eco-friendly drywall.

(Please pull video embed code here)**

Traditionally, drywall’s been made of gypsum, and gypsum takes a lot of energy (and a lot of chemicals) to make. EcoRock is different because it uses 80% less energy to produce, mostly because instead of being cooked in an oven, EcoRock cures and dries naturally. It’s also made from 80% recycled materials.

The coolest part, however, is that the material is made with the end in mind. EcoRock can be used as a pH additive for soils, or can be used to make more EcoRock and other building materials. The bottom line is that EcoRock is landfill safe.

Living in New Orleans, we know a thing or two about mold. Following Katrina, most of the drywall in New Orleans homes turned black from the mold that grew in the warm, wet air. Too bad we didn’t all use EcoRock. It’s the most mold-resistant drywall by outperforming all other mold resistant drywall by 50%. As if this stuff isn’t good enough, EcoRock drastically reduces the quantity of indoor air contaminants over any other drywall, and generates 60% less dust.

Normally, I would ask you if you’ve used this product in your home, but I don’t think it’s going to be ready for widespread use until 2010. I have a feeling it’s going to change the game. Who knows, maybe after another 100 years, all our houses with made of this stellar stuff.

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Hello, FilterForGoodians. The weather’s getting cooler here in New Orleans which means that I’m starting to run again. I hit the road last Sunday, and I was surprised that I could still run about five miles without stopping (I’m not very fast though. It took me about an hour.). The shirt I wore on my first jaunt back was made entirely out of garbage.

I discovered this company called, Atayne** (pronounced “attain”), that makes outdoor and athletic gear out of garbage, or recycled materials. Their reasons are simple. It’s better for people, the planet and performance. I contacted them, and asked if they would send me a shirt to run in. They did. Here’s what I thought:

The Shirt Review

The first thing I noticed when I got the shirt was that it felt just like the other athletic shirts in my closet. It felt a little rubbery and stretchy. It didn’t feel as light or silky as my other shirts, but it wasn’t heavy or bulky. On the run, I didn’t really feel any difference. It breathed nicely, and wicked moisture away from my skin pleasantly. All in all, I didn’t notice enough of a difference to prefer my other, non-trash shirts. In fact, because these shirts are made from recycled materials, I’m more inclined to go “trashy”. Check out their gear for men** and women.** Prices start at $24.

Wait! There’s More.

As if creating workout shirts out of garbage weren’t doing enough for the planet, they throw in some make-you-think eco collaterals just for kicks. First, a tag that spreads more of their company culture and philosophy. On one side, a question, “Why do all your tops have sayings, statements, and symbols?” On the other side, the answer, “We stand for more than performance. We stand for performance with a point of view. And we believe what Abraham Lincoln believed: ‘To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men’.” But, that’s not what I love about this tag. It’s cool because I can plant it, water it and watch wildflowers grow. How cool is that?

The other card in the package listed 10 tips to become a greener athlete. I’m sure they won’t mind if I share a few notables here:

1. Recycling two aluminum cans saves the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas.
2. Drop bottled water. Invest in reusable bottles and a water filter. (Honestly, it says that!)
3. Recycle your old running shoes at www.recycledrunners.com,** or www.soles4souls.org.**
4. Don’t wash your apparel after every workout. Rinse it in the shower, and hang to dry.

Do you own any Atayne gear? Comment below and tell us about it.

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Hello, FilterForGoodians! When you get a new cell phone, what do you do with the old one? Sell it? Give it away? Throw it away? I’ve found an ATM that will allow you to throw your old cell phones away the right way.

The ecoATM** is built to basically gobble-up your portable electronic devices (especially cell phones), and spit out some form of payment. That’s right. Payment. I’ve got several old cell phones hiding in my house, and I’ve never thrown them away because something inside me just felt bad about it. Now, not only do I have an option, but one that pays.

Why the ecoATM Matters

Think about this the next time you get a new phone, and go to throw out your old one. Each year, 75,000 tons of old cell phones end of in landfills introducing vast amounts of arsenic, cadmium and mercury into the ground.

All consumer electronics contain nasty heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic. The kind of stuff you don’t want ending up in your tap water. So, the ecoATM helps us avoid the landfill by either recycling or re-using our old cell phones.

Here’s how ecoATM wants us to re-use:

Most consumer electronics and mobile phones are retired when they still have about three quarters of their useful life remaining. The products have been designed to last, but have been upgraded for newer features, performance or size. The used devices have a market, but are not currently remarketed due to the supply chain. Note that often times these devices are worth only 10-20% of their original value and in many cases less than the cost to mail them to another potential user. By creating a convenient and aggregated method of collecting/shipping devices, ecoATM can efficiently get them to their next user. ecoATM ships devices for re-use in volume to refurbishment companies that sell them to consumers worldwide. We ensure that our products do not enter unsavory recycling (materials reclamation) by only selling devices at 300% of their gross material value.

Here’s how ecoATM wants us to recycle:

At some point in the lifecycle of a device, it no longer has any usability as a device. There are many reasons for this, ranging from water damage to technology evolution to malfunction of key components. These devices can be mined to extract precious metals, spare parts and other materials that can be re-used. This material re-use is a key component to solving the eWaste problem. However, there are environmentally damaging methods to extract the precious metals, which are more cost effective than doing it right. As such, ecoATM sends portable devices for recycle to umicore** that operates an internationally recognized eco-friendly smelting facility for materials reclamation. Note that large devices are often logistically managed by our retail partners recycling channels and in those cases we do not control this flow of goods.

Where can I find an ecoATM

They are just getting started, and they launched their first machine in Omaha. Would you use something like this if it were in a shopping mall near you? Even better, do you live in Omaha and have used or could use the ecoATM? Comment below and tell us all about it!

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Alice Waters** said, “Right there, in the middle of every school day, lies time and energy already devoted to the feeding of children. We have the power to turn that daily school lunch from an afterthought into a joyous education, a way of caring for our health, our environment, and our community.”

Wow. Two sentences to change the world. Whitney Houston knew what she was singing about when she sang “I believe the children are our future.” I’ve got some bad habits to overcome, and chief among them is this sweet-tooth of mine. I’m convinced that I developed my sugar addiction as a child, and often wonder what kind of waist line I would have if things had been different. Here in New Orleans, we’re about to see what happens when kids are taught how to grow, cook and eat healthy food.

The mission of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans** (ESY NOLA) is to create and sustain an expansive organic garden on the public school campus of Samuel J. Green Charter School in New Orleans. The program isn’t just a new way of eating, it’s a fully-integrated curriculum featuring organic gardening and fresh seasonal cooking.

Started in the Fall of 2006, ESY NOLA is working to revive and promote the rich gardening and culinary heritages of New Orleans while providing hands-on growing and cooking experiences for public school students at Green Charter and Arthur Ashe Charter Schools. Through the Edible Schoolyard experience, students learn responsibility and respect for the natural world, and that hard work and collective efforts through teamwork yield real benefits in the garden, kitchen, school and in life.

The NOLA ‘Schoolyard is the first replica of the original Edible Schoolyard** located in Berkeley, CA founded by Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Foundation.** Founded 11 years ago, the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, CA has been cited as a national model for educators and hosts thousands of visitors each year.

Eating is a wonderfully social activity. Meals bring people together. Food teaches and communicates. What a perfect medium for rebuilding the school community after Katrina. I want to make a video of this magic. Let me see what I can do.

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Hello, FilterForGoodians. Cleaning up after a hurricane is something that we New Orleanians have gotten pretty good at. A storm approaches, we evacuate, come home and set the fence back up. However, once-in-a-lifetime, a Katrina comes along, and bouncing back isn’t it easy as it might otherwise be. The past few years have proved that, but one recovery item that takes more time and effort than just about anything else is the process of re-planting and re-growing the city’s trees. Luckily, there’s a group in town investing a lot of time, energy and resources into replacing the urban canopy that was lost to Hurricane Katrina.

That group’s name is Parkway Partners,** and over the past two years they’ve planted over 6,000 trees! First, they started by replacing trees along major corridors. Then, they assisted more than 30 neighborhood organizations in re-planting efforts. Parkway trained more than 75 “tree troopers” to maintain and protect the new planted seedlings.

I love that this story is more than just re-planting trees. Parkway’s actually doing a great deal to educate people about prevention and preparation, instead of just positioning themselves to react to devastation. The first step  in their education process is teaching people how to make wise tree removal decisions.** Here’s an excerpt:

For many homeowners, the visible and physical impact of the destruction of trees and property during storm events is enough to prompt them to engage in “chainsaw backlash,” or the unnecessary removal of perfectly good, sound trees. We have all seen it – a neighbor takes down a beautiful tree because he or she is afraid of what might happen when a storm strikes. And with the tree go all of the benefits that trees provide: cleaner air and water, soil conservation, climate moderation, higher property values, shade and beauty. In regards to trees, people seem to fall in with either tree cutters or tree huggers. The sad fact is that because of this dichotomy, many perfectly good trees are removed because of fear of what might happen while others of us hang on to our trees for dear life (“But it still has green leaves!”), unaware that perhaps some of these older, larger specimens may not be structurally sound. So we end up losing good, sound trees and hanging on to the rotten ones that will fail when the storm strikes. Read more.**

They’re also teaching people about the right types of trees to plant in their neighborhoods. Here’s a bit of their Q&A (source):**

1. What is the width of the area? If the width of the planting strip is less than 5 feet, only a small size tree is allowed.  See the chart below to choose an appropriately sized tree.
2. Are there overhead or underground utility lines? Overhead utility lines limit the size of the tree that can be planted beneath them.  A tree that grows into the wires could cause disruption of utility service to your neighborhood during a storm.  Often, a utility company will have to prune a tree to allow for the unimpeded passage of the wires through the canopy of the tree.  It is best to avoid these problems by selecting and planting the correct tree for your location.
3. Do you prefer and evergreen or deciduous tree? Deciduous trees often have the benefit of autumn color before the leaves drop each fall.  They are also more energy efficient as they provide shade in the summer but do not block the winter sun.  Evergreen trees still drop leaves, either periodically through the year (like the southern magnolia) or as the new leaves are emerging in the spring (like the live oak).  But they are never completely bare.
4. Should you choose a flowering tree, a fruiting tree or a shade tree? After taking into account the space limitations of your planting location, the answer depends a lot on personal preference and your aggravation threshold.  A crape myrtle provides colorful blooms all summer, but some people consider the flowers a nuisance as they drop onto cars and sidewalks.  Berries attract birds, but also bird poop.  The shade provided from a live oak tree can be very welcome in our hot New Orleans summers, but the live oak often demands more room than is available, buckling adjacent sidewalks and encroaching onto roofs of neighboring structures.
5. How do you pick the spot to plant the tree? There are standards for minimum distances between where you plant the tree and existing features along your street.  Plant no closer than 25 feet from a corner intersection or 5 feel from a driveway, so that the tree won’t block visibility and become a traffic hazard.  Allow at least 20 feet between a tree and a light pole.  You do not want the tree to block the light and create dark spots at night.  Stay at least 10 feet away from a fire hydrant.  Keep an area at least 4 feet in width by 7 feet in height clear for pedestrians along the sidewalk.  A tree should never be allowed to impede pedestrian movement.

To learn more about Parkway Partners, click here.**

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Hello, FilterForGoodians! Did the title of this post throw you for a loop? Well, of course you could and should never think of insulating your home with marshmallow fluff, but the spray-foam insulation I recently had installed in my attic looks just like dessert!

I wrote last week about my new windows.** I’m now convinced that the key to a greener home, not to mention lower electricity bills, is insulation. When I bought my home a few years ago, I never really considered how poorly insulated it was. But, after a few summers in New Orleans, my electricity bills made it painfully clear that something needed to be done.

I knew my windows were original to the house, but I thought the real culprit was the pink fiberglass in the attic (or the lack there of). Before I bought my house, I remember the inspector telling me that I needed to get another six to twelve inches of insulation blown in. I had gone up there several times and noticed two things. First, I could see several patches of the attic floor throughout the space. Second, it was hot as heck!

Over the course of three years, I got several estimates for insulation, and for all types. First, I considered a do-it-yourself solution - rolled, pink insulation from a hardware store. I was always a little scared of this option, though. I remember my dad laying the stuff when I was a kid, and he wouldn’t let us touch it because he said it would cut our fingers and get in our eyes and float into our lungs. How could something that looked so much like cotton candy be so deadly?

Next, I considered blown-in fiberglass insulation. I pictured mounds of fluffy-white snow in my attic, and me and my family below in our living quarters bundled up in blankets and coats. It was while I was getting these blown-in quotes, that the contractors starting telling me about spray-foam insulation.

I always wanted the sprayed in stuff, but a few years ago, it was way too expensive. Years passed, electricity bills came and went, and we got used to the way things were - our house was hot, the end. Then, I started writing for this blog, and green things are always on my radar. After a year of writing for this blog, I started paying attention to my energy consumption, and started scrutinizing my house’s inefficient characteristics again.

With a renewed sense of eco-responsibility, I started calling contractors again. Now, three years later, I was surprised that the price of spray-foam insulation had fallen considerably. In fact, it was almost half the price it was a few years ago. The Federal Energy Tax Credit** was the tipping point. We get 30% off the cost of our installation (up to $1500) back, and the same applied to our window installation.

When it was all said and done, and after we file our ‘09 income taxes, the attic insulation will have cost us around $1,000. If even that sounds too expensive, consider the fact that for the past three months our electricity bills were well over $100 less than the bills from the same months last year. If we keep that up, this green upgrade will pay for itself by the Spring.

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Hello, Filterforgoodians. I spent this Summer doing some green upgrades to my house, and I’m thrilled to share some of the benefits with you (and the planet!). I’ve made it my mission to make my house a Winter Wonderland; in other words, cold, cold, cold!

We all know that summertime is the hottest time of the year, but in New Orleans, we take summertime to another level. Around our house, we call it “death heat.” So, to combat the steamy, scorching South, I’m doing a little something call, insulating. I’ve got plenty of opportunities to insulate our interior living spaces from the hot outdoors, and chief among them are my windows and doors.

My house was built in the early ’80s, and back then they weren’t as green as we are today; granted, they didn’t have access to today’s technology. They did have all those amazing episodes of Captain Planet,** though. Anyways, a few months ago, I bit the bullet and had all the windows in my house replaced.

With my old windows, I could stand in front of them as the late afternoon sun came pouring in, and (I swear to you) get a sunburn from all the UV rays bombarding our facade. That’s all changed. Those old windows were single-paned, aluminum windows, but my new ones are vinyl and double-hung and gorgeous.

The new windows’ effect on the temperature in our house was immediate and significant. Now, we come home for lunch, and the house still has that early morning chill. Our electricity bill offers further evidence, but we’ll talk about that in a bit. I love these windows, but energy savings aside, I love them for no other reason than they open and close with ease.

The windows I got installed are called Ultimate 2000, and here’s the diagram that sold me on them (impressive, huh?):

I’ll give you a taste of the proof on my electricity bill. My August 2008 electricity was for $273.53. I just got August 2009’s bill, and it was $164.46. That’s over $100 less! Keep in mind we haven’t changed anything about our daily routine. We still crank the A/C down to 65 at night, use the same amount of hot water and leave the same lights on that we always have.

The next time Mother Nature comes to my house for dinner, I’ll be thrilled to show her my contribution to the planet (and my pocketbook) in black and white.

Well, this post is getting a little long, so I’ll save my other insulation secret for my next post. Wondering what I did? Here’s a hint, in the form of a poem:

What once was hot, now is cold. Looks like cake, or maybe mold. Sprayed on top and up and grows. Gives you green presents, like wrapped in bows.

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Hello, filterforgoodigans. The waste-grease soap making is on hold while I figure out what my next step should be after last week’s disaster.** But, never fear. I’ll be back soon with a video documenting my next move. For this week, I’ve found a amazing new innovation in home building. Imagine buying a plot of land, but instead of a construction crew showing up to build you a home, a FedEx truck delivers your new home in block-filled boxes.

A German company, HIB,** has developed a building system that’s structurally sound, simple to assemble and completely green. HIB uses only natural timbers that have not been chemically treated. The treatments they do use, namely Lignin, is a natural wood compound which makes the panels damp proof eliminating the need for additional weather-proofing. The insulation materials used are woodchip, clay, mussel shells and pea shingle, guaranteeing a comfy room temperature.

The natural, some might say revolutionary, fillings are more than just clever ways of re-using materials. They achieved energy savings 40% higher than standard insulation materials. The insulation materials are blown in and compressed using high pressure machinery which prevents the formation of pockets. The clay properties present in the filling are particularly beneficial in the insulation of roof areas protecting against heat build up in summer and heat loss in winter.

The reality is that you’ll probably want to hire a construction company to assemble your house for you, but the company claims that assembly is so easy that you can do it yourself. They even offer a combo option where you can assemble, but with the supervision of a construction manager. Building yourself means lower costs. Whether you hire a crew or do it yourself, you can plan ahead which enables the components to be cut to size and numbered prior to delivery.

Would you ever consider building a new home using a material like this? Have you built a home using a new, green material? Tell us about it! Comment below and tell your story.

**You are leaving the FilterForGood Web site. The Brita Products® Company is not responsible for the content or data collection of that independent site.

The subject line on the Facebook message read, “Uh oh.” It was in that moment that I realized that soap-making wasn’t easy, especially when it involves waste grease. I thought this post was going to feature another video showing chunky bars of white, fragrant soap ready to lather. Instead, here’s a lesson and warning of something NOT to do.

If you’ve been reading for the past couple of weeks, you’ll know that I am on a mission. I am trying to make soap out of waste grease, and I’ve enlisted the help of my friend and local soap-maker, Emily. Last week, I blogged the part of the process where I get the grease to Emily, and then she was supposed to render the grease into clean, purified, usable fat. That’s when things went horribly, horribly wrong.

Apparently, Emily started refining the grease, and after three bouts, she was only able to produce about two ounces of usable fat. She said that the grease must have been heavily saturated with water and salt and some other substances. Basically, that bucket of grease made one bar of soap.

The story doesn’t end there.

Remember those other substances I mentioned earlier. Well, those substances must smell awful; “ungodly,” as Emily put it. She said her entire home reeked of open sewage, and that her husband and neighbors were, um, upset. One of her neighbors even called the Sewerage & Water Board because they thought a pipe had burst somewhere. They showed up in the neighborhood, and followed their noses to Em’s house.

Back To Square One

We basically have to start all over, but if you knew me, you’d know that I have a plan. I always feel that when things go horribly, horribly wrong, that usually means you’re on to something. Here’s what I’ve got to do:

1. Find out what the heck was in that grease
2. Learn what waste grease I should be using
3. Locate usable waste grease
4. Start over with Emily

Hello, filterforgoodians. Another week, another step closer to having soap made from waste grease. This week’s episode of the soap saga brings us back to Emily (my soap maker). You get an up close look at the grease as Emily and I sit on the floor, and talk about what happens next. So, what is the next step? Watch the video below.

Next, we enter her soap studio, and I get to smell all her lovely creations. She’s got strawberry soap, Absinthe soap and even Red Beans and Rice soap! How incredible! After seeing all of those creations, I know my soap is in good hands. You can visit Emily’s site to view all her New Orleans soap.**

After we talked about all the many soaps she makes, Emily walked over to a wall with shelves from the floor to the ceiling. Each shelf held what seemed like hundreds of brown glass bottles, each containing its own unique scent. On her tipped-toes, Emily strained to reach a small box on the top shelf. “I’ve got three scents in mind for your soap.”

Want to know what scents she chose? Watch the video below.

Making Soap from Waste Grease - Episode 2** from Blake Killian** on Vimeo.**

What’s Next?

Emily’s going to spend the next week cooking-down the grease to get it to someplace cleaner. We should see some soap in molds, and maybe even get to cut a few bars. Our soap will take a little longer to cure.

Join The Conversation

Have you made soap from waste grease? Do you know of soap being made from waste grease in your city? Let us know! Comment below and tell your story.

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