This post, by our own Cassie Walker, was originally published on Friday, August 1, 2008

Over 80 million children and adults are enrolled in schools across the nation, representing about one-fourth of the population age three and older. With all of these students headed back to school, it’s no wonder that this period has become so important to retailers. August clothing sales, alone, are second only to the holidays in terms of dollars spent.

But before you head off to the mall willy-nilly, stop to think about how you can make choices to reduce your environmental impact.

You are what you wear (in junior high, at least)

First, the most important category to many kids: clothes. Of course, the greenest thing to do is to wear last-year’s clothes. Exaggerated eye roll. Hand-me-downs? Irritated stare. Thrift stores? “Gah-ross!” (Hint: try calling it “vintage”–much cooler.) And so the challenge begins.

Read more of this story »

While reading Green Mom Finds, I discovered Fabkins and knew my daughter would love to have her own special set of cloth napkins. Fabkins are cloth napkins especially designed for children, complete with a place on the tag for a child’s name. According to Fabkins, cloth napkins are great for kids because they:

• Make mealtime more fun
• Reduce paper waste
• Encourage good table manners
• Teach environmental awareness

Read more of this story »

If you’re concerned about health risks (or have given up fish for other reasons), but can’t get enough of that lunchtime staple, here’s a simple recipe for an alternative to traditional tuna salad:

1 Can of chickpeas (Bonus points if you can soak them yourself. Find instructions here.)
2 Heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise, or alternative (My favorite is eggless Vegenaise.)
1 Tablespoon flax seed oil
1 Medium carrot, shredded
1/3 Cup chopped celery
4-5 Sprigs of dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Read more of this story »

Last month’s New York Times report on high mercury levels in tuna sushi was certainly cause for concern for serious sushi lovers. (See my previous post Plenty of Safe, Eco-Friendly Fish in the Sea.)

The report might have also made many parents uneasy about the ubiquitous tuna sandwich in their kids’ lunch boxes. Many of us rely on canned tuna for a wholesome, high-protein meal. Once considered a “nuisance food” or “pauper’s food,” today almost half of all American households serve canned tuna monthly. Only shrimp surpasses canned tuna as Americans’ favorite seafood. But does this beloved fish in a can deliver a helping of toxic mercury, too?

Read more of this story »

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds tofu, extra firm or super firm*
1/2 cup eggless mayonnaise (Nayonnaise and Vegenaise are great, but Wildwood’s Garlic Aioli is my fave)
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
4 scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 teaspoons pickle relish
1-1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Black pepper, to taste
10 slices good-quality sliced bread

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mash tofu with a fork, potato masher, or your hands.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Spread a few tablespoons of the tofu mixture on the bottom bread slices. Top with remaining slices of bread. (Toasted slices make this even more scrumptious!)

4. Carefully cut the crusts off the sandwiches with a sharp knife. Cut in half diagonally, then cut in half again so you’re left with small triangle-shaped finger sandwiches. (Throw the crust out to the grateful birds.)

*A word about tofu: There are many different types of tofu available, ranging from silken and soft to firm and extra firm - and even super firm, in the case of my favorite brand, Wildwood Organics, but there are also differences within those variations depending on the brand you buy or the way it’s packaged. The perfect textured tofu for this dish is one that is very firm. I recommend an extra-firm tofu (in the refrigerated section of the grocery store). Wildwood brand is my favorite, but if you can’t find it or can only find one that is in a tub of water, you might want to press out the water first. To press tofu: just dump the water and give the tofu a quick rinse. Wrap the tofu in a towel and place on a plate. Place something heavy on the tofu and leave it there for about 20-30 minutes; the towel will be soaked through.

Serving suggestions:

*Wonderful as a sandwich filling on a hard roll or stuffed in a pita
*Serve on crackers as an appetizer or party dish
*Serve as a side salad – great for picnics and BBQs!

Variation suggestion:

*Use cubed, steamed tempeh for a “better than chicken” salad.
*Use potatoes for a tasty potato salad.
*Use garbanzo beans/chickpeas for a “better than tuna” salad. (Grind the beans in a food processor for a tuna-like size and texture.

Other tofu recipes can be found at www.compassionatecooks.com

Also on GO:

All About Tofu - Part 1

In business, going green is more than a marketing slogan: it’s the new way of doing things. It’s an edge — a method by which you can improve your company’s bottom line while acting responsibly toward your customers, employees, and the environment.

Back home, you’ve swapped your incandescent bulbs for CFLs; installed low-flow shower heads, weather stripping and an electronic thermostat; you’re eating more local and organic foods; and recycling is finally second nature.

Good job. But how does one scale personal progress in green living to the more complex structures of the 21st Century workplace? At home, you have full control. But in a business setting, there are co-workers, customers, and possibly investors involved — and nobody is ever in a hurry to change traditional operating practices. Bringing sustainability into the workplace is a long-term commitment, whether you’re responsible for two employees or two thousand.

The good news is this: green business is profitable business. So. to help you get started, Lighter Footstep has rounded-up twelve specific specific actions you can take to starting greening the way you work. Pick a few, drop them into your organizer, and let’s get started!

Share the ride

Organizing an office carpool can be as easy as posting a notice on your lunchroom bulletin board. While the immediate personal benefits are obvious — reducing employee impact on traffic while preserving our finite energy resources — it’s a great team-builder, too. Look for opportunities to place notices on company intranets and newsletters, and consider incentives for groups which manage to organize and sustain meaningful ride-sharing.

Shut down electronics at night

Every night, computers display screensavers to millions of perfectly empty cubicles. While it’s convenient to be checking email within moments of picking up your morning coffee, a computer works approximately as hard to produce a screensaver as a spreadsheet or any other routine task. That means many office computers waste twice as much power idling as they do actually working. Take a moment to shut down at the end of the day. Modern desktops boot fairly quickly, and you’ll save thousands of watts per year.

Dine out on eating in

Client lunch dates are an important part of business culture. But if you’re routinely leaving the office to eat — particularly if that involves driving — consider packing lunch. It’s probably healthier for you, you’ll save gas, and you’ll recover all that weekly driving time in workday productivity. Are you responsible for other workers? Make sure they have facilities to lunch-in, as well: seating away from their desks, access to a microwave, and a sinks for cleaning reusable utensils and food containers.

Get paperless

Moving to digital documents — through creation or by scanning paper documents into a database — is usually mentioned as a means to save trees and paper. This is true. But the biggest payoff, from a business standpoint, is in data recall. Most modern desktop operating systems now feature robust search functions which drill deep into a document text’s and its particulars, such as who originated it and when. Paperless offices can save storage space and thousands of man hours each year, just by getting their data off paper and onto networks where people can access the information. It’s win-win: save forests and precious time with digital documents.

Recycle the paper you must use

Whether you’re disposing of scanned documents or just juggling the little scraps of paper than tend to multiply like bunnies around the office, recycling is a no-brainer. Not only is it kinder to the environment, recyclable paper may actually be a salable commodity for larger offices and businesses. Set up convenient recycling hoppers around your workplace, along with smaller bins for each desk and cubicle. There’s no reason the zero waste can’t mean the office, too.

Be smart about lighting

Does your workplace have windows? Is their light blocked by cubicle walls and storage units? It might be time to rethink the arrangement of your workspace. Natural lighting is healthy and free — and it sure beats those industrial fluorescent tubes. Consider decentralizing the way individual spaces are lit. Rather than roof fixtures, it may be smarter to install energy efficient lighting at each desk. Of course, if you’re going CFL, be sure to add expended bulbs to the things that get properly recycled. And your mom was right: turn off lights when you’re done with them. Millions of watts are wasted each night lighting empty offices and parking lots. Save energy and curb light pollution by illuminating only what you really need.

Leverage instant messaging and teleconferencing technology

During World War II, offices and alleyways were plastered with posters urging resource conservation. One of the most common was, "Is this trip really necessary?" The slogan still applies today, particularly in view of broadband network connections and powerful real-time instant messaging and teleconferencing tools. With fuel prices up and travel more expensive than in previous years, it makes sense to replace some trips and conventions with electronic events. Not every computer needs a camera — and this might represent a security risk to some companies, anyway — but teleconferencing is a great way to save resources while improving communication with customers and co-workers.

Green your office cleaning supplies

Office supply cabinets contain some of the most powerful toxins allowed for sale — often in institutional quantities. Just as at home, swapping chemical cleaning agents for non- or less-toxic natural equivalents can go a long way toward greener, safer indoor spaces.

Reduce indoor air pollution

Indoor smoking is already a thing of the past in many parts of the world. But offices remain loaded with plastics, artificial fibers, and finished surfaces which may disperse Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the air. Some kinds of common office equipment — fax machines, copiers, and printers — emit pollutants and odors. Keep office air conditioning and ventilation equipment in good repair. Locate offending equipment away from occupied workspaces. And take air quality concerns into consideration when making purchase decisions.

Replace the watercooler with a quality filtration unit

There’s no reason "water cooler talk" can’t be "water filter chat." The ubiquitous water cooler is a nice convenience for office workers, but bottled water, even five gallon quantities, isn’t a good deal. Consider installing reverse osmosis water filters, instead. In many cases, the quality of filtered tap water exceeds that of bottles, particularly when you take haphazard cleaning of office coolers into account. Go with the filter, and encourage employees to bring stainless steel or food-grade polycarbonate water bottles to work, rather than wasting paper cups.

Buy reconditioned office equipment and recycled supplies

Virtually everything for modern business can be purchased in refurbished condition: computers, desks, copiers — you name it. Refurbished goods are often sold with manufacturer’s warranties and are in most respects identical to new items. Expect to save 20-30 percent on refurbished equipment, and up to 50 percent on used. Recycled office supplies are available from paper to printer cartridges. Choosing refurbished or recycled gear is good for the bottom line and for the Earth, keeping older equipment out of landfills and saving resources which would have been used to manufacture something new.

Form a green office committee

Sustainability in business is a day-by-day, department-by-department commitment. Form a standing committee to regularly brainstorm and implement green strategies. And here’s a little secret: it’s usually the front-line employees, not middle managers, who find effective and practical economies. Ask for their input, act on their best suggestions, and reward results.

Get the idea? Once you get started, other actions will begin to suggest themselves. Network with peers to find out what is working for them. Provide green living information to your staff — keeping green issues top of mind is how real change becomes self-sustaining. And and if you already have some ideas on best practices for green business, please share them in the comments section.

Here’s to your success!

Copyright © 2007 Lighter Footstep Media

First, forget about disposable lunch bags, cutlery, and napkins. Reusable bags are inexpensive–simple cloth bags can be found for a few dollars at grocery stores, or at local discount stores. Most people already have silverware, and if you don't want to chance losing your good silver in Susie's school's trash, you can pick up a cheap second set from a secondhand store.

Second, get rid of other disposable containers. Instead of plastic baggies, try reusable containers. Plastic containers with locking lids have become so cheap that even if a child occasionally throws one away, it's no big deal, and a variety of sizes and shapes allows for almost anything to be safely packed (the sandwich-shaped containers awesomely protect, virtually eliminating soggy, smashed sandwiches. Bonus!) Thermoses, which are often included with children's lunch bags, eliminate waste from juice boxes or pouches and soda cans. For the more stylish student, check out LaptopLunches and their Japanese-inspired bento boxes.

Third, buy lunch food that is minimally packaged. Fresh fruit needs no packaging; just wash and go. Although it's tempting to buy individually packaged chips, yogurt, or applesauce, one large container has less packaging and is much cheaper per serving. This is a perfect opportunity to teach kids how to pack their own lunches. Even small children can help, and taking part in the lunchmaking process gives kids ownership of their lunch, and they'll be more likely to eat it all.

These lunch techniques don't have to be just for kids–many adults take their lunch to school (including us teachers!) You can do the same thing. For ideas on easily packable, minimally packaged and processed foods, and more information on organizing school-wide waste-free lunches, check out Waste Free Lunches.