September/October 2013

September/October 2013

Discover a

RECYCLE

(ALMOST) EVERYTHING

Concert for the

CLIMATE

Select Sustainable

Seafood

SEED SAVER LIBRARY

1

Greenability

DON’T JUST DO IT. DO IT RIGHT. An estimated 70-80% of e-waste taken to recyclers is shipped overseas to less developed nations, where workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals and conditions in an effort to recover precious metal. E-Steward Certified recyclers ensure your electronics are recycled in the United States, in safe work conditions, in compliance with all international law, and with data security as a top priority. Surplus Exchange was not only Kansas City’s first e-Steward, we were one of the first five in the country. Our e-Steward certification isn’t just a ploy to get your business - it’s a belief structure that dictates how we go about our business each and every day.

www.surplusexchange.org

518 Santa Fe St. Kansas City, MO 64105

816-472-0444 Tue-Sat 9am-5pm

Publisher’s Letter

You can recycle (almost) everything

E

ach of us generates more than four pounds of trash a day, which adds up to 250 million tons of trash per year. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency reports Americans recycle less than 35 percent of it. When you look at the staggering statistics on how much “stuff” we buy and throw away, it can be overwhelming to think about how we might stem the tide.

So we try to live by a simple philosophy: Buy used when you can, repurpose what you have, and responsibly recycle the rest. It seems easy enough – until you want to buy an artificial Christmas tree because you’re allergic to the real ones, or need to get rid of cruddy carpet or an old computer. Then you have to get a bit more creative and look a little deeper to find it used and recycle it responsibly. (Last year I finally stopped sniffling and bought an artificial Christmas tree – used, from Goodwill.)

In our special section on Really Responsible Recycling, we looked beyond what you can put in your curbside recycling bin to find a place for household and hazardous waste that you might be tempted to put in the trash. We looked at two non-profit organizations that take in tons of used materials each year and yet have a zero-waste goal. Goodwill Industries and Surplus Exchange handle the stuff we don’t want, from stained clothing to outdated electronics. To get us thinking even further up the line, Matt Riggs with the Mid-America Regional Council makes a strong case for reducing what we buy. He calls it the “lost R of recycling.” So add sharing, borrowing and renting to the “simple” philosophy.

On these pages, you’ll also discover a new local seedsaving library. The Seed Savers-KC Seed Library will open this fall at the Ruiz Branch of the Kansas City Library to offer free seeds and seed-saving classes to

the public. As more seed companies are gobbled up by bigger corporations that sell only hybrid plants, saving seeds is a simple way to ensure you can continue to grow food year after year from your own seeds.

Food security is also the focus of our story on why you should care about sustainable seafood and which fish don’t make the list. It’s all part of the Kansas City Zoo’s educational efforts around the opening of the Helzberg Penguin Plaza later this year.

This fall, we are media sponsors for two exciting events. Come join us at the Concert for the Climate on September 28 with environmentalists Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Bill McKibben. There will be energy exhibits, solar displays, electric cars, a children’s area and local food and musical entertainment.

Then, on October 12-13, find us in Lawrence at the Mother Earth News Fair for a weekend of sustainable lifestyle workshops, events and speakers. You can learn more about both on our Events Calendar at www.greenabilitymagazine.com.

A special thank-you goes to our commentary writer Bill McKibben, the environmental activist and book author who challenges us all to join 350.org in its fight to engage the public in reducing our carbon output and lowering the “planet’s fever.”

We hope you enjoy this issue. It’s packed with stories about local eco-heroes and efforts.

Julie Koppen Publisher julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

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4

Volume 7, Number 5 September/October 2013

PUBLISHER

GRAPHIC DESIGN

GREENABILITY

Julie Koppen

Kim Tappan/ Tappan Design

September/October 2013

julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

Connie Saum

(ISSN 1938-5749) is published bi-monthly

OPERATIONS &

COVER PHOTOGRAPH

CIRCULATION

(6 times per year) for $24

Rachel Martin

per year by The Koppen Group,

MANAGER Dani Hurst Brown dani@greenabilitymagazine.com COPY EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY Valerie Kutchko Rachel Martin Scott Seirer

Kim Broers ADVERTISING WRITERS

Julie Koppen

Dani Hurst Brown

julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

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POSTMASTER Send address changes to GREENABILITY, P.0. Box 414056, Kansas City, MO 64141-4056.

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CONTACT US Phone 816-931-3646 Fax 816-960-4841 www.greenabilitymagazine.com

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CONTENTS September/October 2013

Features

13 33 36

10 fall festivities with a green twist Select sustainable seafood Environmental leaders headline Concert for the Climate

Really Responsible Recycling

20 24 25 29

Reduce: The lost R of recycling Green Box to Go moves beyond cardboard Goodwill aims for zero-waste operation E-waste not, want not, at Surplus Exchange

Departments

4 35 38

From the Publisher Commentary: Bill McKibben Greenability Directory

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Local gardener starts seed saver library

KANSAS CITY’S MOST EXPERIENCED SOLAR ENERGY COMPANY AS A MATTER OF FACT,

WE DID THEIR

SOLAR INSTALLATION.

CLEAN ENERGY. CLEAR CHOICE.

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I am a seed saver

By Dayna McDaniel Photography by Rachel Martin

Dayna McDaniel, founder of the Seed Savers-KC Seed Library, will be teaching a seed-saving class in September.

H

ave you ever seen a luffa squash grow? Huge, beautiful, butter-yellow flowers adored by many pollinators give birth to unique little fruits – the ones we would point to as children and say, “tee hee” about when we visited Gramma’s house. She always grew a bountiful crop to make into sponges, giving them away or selling them at the church bazaar. It was a given that she would leave a couple to overgrow and get huge for her seed stock for the next year. They were left on the vine to turn into mummies that were picked after Thanksgiving.

This was only one of the many varieties of seeds gleaned from her garden each year and put into little jars to rest over the winter until the warm spring days arrived once again.

It was the beginning of my fascination with saving seeds.

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Greenability Challenge

Zoom ahead a few decades, and I have a little home, some garden space, chickens, rabbits, a goat and a greenhouse. My love of seed saving has become an important part of my personal history and of my future endeavors as I work with community partners to open a seed-savers library and exchange that will be accessible to all gardeners in Kansas City.

A little seed history Prior to the 1800s, there were no commercial seed companies in the United States. Immigrants came to this country with only a few prized possessions, oftentimes seeds from their homeland hidden in the hems of their coats or hats. These seeds were ones that had been nurtured and grown for many years, sometimes centuries, seeds that were well adapted to their specific climate. If they weren’t saved, they might be lost forever.

In the 19th century, small companies opened that sold seeds specific to their particular region. For the longest time, seeds were grown and sold locally, because that’s how plants grew best. In the 1970s, the seed business began to grow into big business. By the 1980s, 50 of the 250 seed companies that were left were bought out

5 tips for saving seeds How can you save seeds? Start by doing some research, then check out the Seed Savers Exchange website (www.seedsavers.org), attend a seed-saving class at the Seed Savers-KC Seed Library and learn from the experts at www.savingourseeds.org. Here are a few basics: n

Always start with open-pollinated seeds. Hybrid seed will not produce the original plant.

n

Select an easy seed to save, like snap beans. To increase purity, ask your neighbors if they would grow the same variety. Plant seeds and make a good label with plant name, seed company and date planted. Use good organic practices with lots of compost, and wellbalanced organic fertilizer. Harvest some to eat, but let some beans get big, lumpy and brown so the seed is fully mature. They should “rattle” when you shake them. Leave beans on the plant in a late fall freeze to kill bean weevil eggs if conditions are dry. Or put dried pods in the freezer for a week. Then pop the bean seeds from the shells and remove any deformed ones.

n

Before storing, test their germination rate. Place a wet, accordion-folded paper towel in a baggie and position 10 seeds. Keep the towel moist and in a warm, light spot. After one week, count the number of seeds that sprouted: 8 sprouts represents an 80 percent germination rate, 10 sprouts equate to 100 percent. Don’t keep seed with less than a 50-percent germination rate unless it is something rare.

The Ruiz Branch of the Kansas City Public Library at 2017 West Pennway is home to the new Seed Savers-KC Seed Library.

n

Label airtight jars with plant name, company name, days to harvest, germination rate and date stored.

n

Store seed jars in a cool, dry place like the fridge, freezer or basement.

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Greenability Challenge

or went out of business. More than 1,000 non-hybrid heirloom varieties of seed were lost, many of them grown for very specific growing conditions. Given this country’s vastly diverse growing conditions, all of the local varieties were quite valuable to their region. Sadly, the large seed companies took more of a one-size-fits-all attitude. Hybrid seed is profitable because the seed produced by those plants will not germinate as true to the parent seed. This means the farmer or gardener can’t save those seeds, but has to buy them new each year.

While working with an old-fashioned Dutch nurseryman in the 1970s and 80s, I watched as our seed diversity diminished at alarming rates. It was a small mom-and-pop nursery, and the owners taught me how to grow from seed, graft a plant, take softwood and hardwood cuttings, work in field production, and learn greenhouse management and landscape design.

This was before the days of mass-produced hybrid plants, which arrived in flats from far-flung places and were sold in big-box stores with few instructions on how to make them survive in our climate. In those days, small companies located around the country grew plants from heirloom seeds. Sadly, we would get word these companies were being sold to larger operations, and even though we were promised we could still buy their seeds, they were usually discontinued. This happened several times, and each time the larger company would offer a new lineup of all-hybrid seeds, but none of the old heirloom varieties.

If we hadn’t saved any stock from the previous order or from plants we had kept, then we lost those varieties.

Meet Seed Savers Exchange in Iowa I wasn’t the only one taking notice and becoming more anxious about the dwindling variety of non-hybrid seed. In 1979, I learned of Seed Savers Exchange, a small seed-saving organization started by Kent and Diane Whealy in Decorah, IA. They started with seeds from Diane’s Grandpa Ott’s beautiful iridescent morning glories and a German pink tomato that Grandpa brought to this country from Bavaria. As Seed Savers Exchange grew, they provided a wealth of information that helped tremendously to improve my skills with seed saving. Seed Savers Exchange now grows, saves and sells thousands of heirloom seeds.

Using what I learned from Seed Savers and my own Gramma, I started saving seed from my first hand-pollinated squash. From there, I moved to a very sweet, marble-size, yellow tomato that I got from a neighbor shortly before she died. She had brought it with her from Arkansas many years before. I only wish I could have met her sooner to hear her stories about the plants in her yard. She told me that I must take those

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Greenability Challenge

tomatoes and pass them on to others. With those seeds and my luffa seeds, I began my seed saving. It would be hard to say how many I have given away over the years.

Saving seeds in Kansas City Seven years ago, I joined forces with a few other gardeners to start an annual Citywide Seed, Bulb and Plant Exchange. We celebrated its seventh year in May at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. Gardeners and wannabe gardeners come together each year to look at all the delightful free plants brought in for the exchange. I began this event to help promote gardening and offer plants for free in the urban area. It is well attended and coincides with Native Plant Giveaway at the Discovery Center.

Less than two years ago, I launched Seed Savers-KC, a Facebook group, with fellow gardener Dave Lawrence, who is coordinator of K.C. Food Circle. It now has more than 160 members who have lively questionand-answer sessions, share tips and resources and create a sense of camaraderie. I also teach seed-saving classes at local Food Not Lawns classes organized by Steve Mann, a local farmer.

The motto on my business card, which I coined a few years back, says, “Teaching a skill is a lifetime gift, be generous.� I firmly believe we need to share the skills we have with others and to do it for free whenever possible. The more who know about seed saving, the better we can address the seed diversity problem.

When saving vegetable, fruit or herb seeds, select the best of each crop, collect and dry the seeds and save in airtight jars.

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In January, we had our first official Seed Savers-KC Seed Exchange with an outstanding crowd that shared a diverse variety of seeds, including kefir grains. Out of this one-day event, fellow planner Keith Mueller, owner of K.C. Tomato, suggested we start a seed library. I had met Ken Greene of Hudson Valley Seed Library when he spoke at Seed Savers Exchange Festival last summer. Greene started a seed library at the tiny library where he worked, and it ended up becoming a seed company. His seed packages are gorgeous because he uses art from artists all over the country to illustrate each package. He was such an inspiration. It didn’t take much for me to decide it was time Kansas City had its own seed library.

Kansas City seed Library opens We’ve found the perfect spot for the new Seed Savers-KC Seed Library at the Ruiz Branch of the Kansas City Public Library (www.kclibrary.org) at 2017 West Pennway in Kansas City’s Westside. When I approached Julie Robinson, branch manager, she was open and enthusiastic. She is

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Greenability Challenge

no stranger to organic gardening, as the library is host to a tremendous community garden across the street, complete with chickens and ducks.

When we first talked, Robinson said she had thought of starting a seed library, but it just hadn’t come about. The library will be open this fall.

The concept is that people will check out seeds, then a year later, return seeds that they have saved. Of course there will need to be training, and free classes will be offered onsite. We will also offer, for a fee, extended classes where you can make your own seed-cleaning screens.

So come to the seed library, plan your crop, and sign up for a class. Next spring, give those seeds a real good start, label your plants, let them get fully mature before you harvest, pick from a large enough group and the best specimens from it, dry the seeds well, cull seeds that aren’t worthy, do the germination test, label and store. Don’t forget to take some back to the Seed Savers-KC Seed Library to give someone else a start.

You are now a seed saver, and I welcome you to our growing group – and thank you for helping to save the diversity that we need to be sustainable.

attend a seed-saving class Dayna McDaniel, founder of the Seed Savers-KC Seed Library, will teach a seed-saving class from 1 to 5 p.m. September 14 outside on the lawn of the Ruiz Branch of the Kansas City Public Library (www.kclibrary.org) at 2017 West Pennway.

To register, call 816-356-9892 or email dthrumc@sbcglobal.net The class is free.

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Environmental

10

fall festivities with a green twist

By Audrey Faltin and Valerie Kutchko

The Land Institute will host its annual weekend Prairie Festival for those interested in discovering more about the land and its challenges in growing our food. Photo: Scott Seirer

T

he Kansas City area is host to numerous fall festivals and activities, and we’ve found some that focus on environmental issues like growing local food, repurposing resources and supporting nature.

From family fun to a weekend excursion, this list of ideas and activities is sure to bring you and your family a new appreciation for the natural world.

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1 Frolic in the Beanstalk Gardens Grab the youngsters and spend a day at the Beanstalk Garden Fall Family Festival, September 7 at the Kansas City Community Gardens. Visit interactive stations where children can harvest their own food, press seeds, see how cotton is created, paint gourds and ride horses. The garden is wheelchair accessible. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 6917 Kensington Ave., Kansas City, MO. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Find more information at www.kccg.org.

2 Trek to the Prairie Festival

For 35 years, The Land Institute near Salina, KS has been hosting a weekend Prairie Festival for those interested in discovering more about the land. On September 27-29, hundreds of people will drive through the Flint Hills of Kansas to learn about the Institute’s efforts to develop and promote perennial grain solutions to the agricultural challenges of soil degradation, ecosystem destruction and high energy use. The festival features systems that have the ecological stability of the prairie with a grain yield comparable to that of annual crops. This year’s speakers include Mark Bittman, The New York Times columnist and book author. The twoday event includes lectures, scientist-led tours, a campfire dinner, a barn dance and nature walks.

The cost is $20 for Friends of the Land and $30 for non-donors. For more information, contact The Land Institute, 2440 East Water Well Road, Salina, KS; or online at www.landinstitute.org.

4 Be a grower’s gleaner This fall, gather your family and friends and head out to the farms to help the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) in its fight against hunger. For more than 30 years, SoSA and community volunteers have worked to glean more than 20 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food from farms and distribute it to families in need.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 50 million Americans face food insecurity each year, including 8.6 million children.

To help, SoSA partners with farmers and other growers in the Kansas City area who are willing to donate leftover or excess produce from their harvests. In order to collect all this produce, SoSA relies on volunteer gleaners. Gleaning is the practice of gathering leftover crops which would otherwise be left in the field to rot or be plowed under. Instead of letting this nourishing fare go to waste, SoSA organizes volunteers to go into fields and orchards after harvest to gather the leftover food. As a gleaner, you also have the opportunity to deliver some of your harvest to a participating food pantry near your home. To learn more about volunteering, call 816-921-0856 or visit www.endhunger.org/SoSAwest.

3 Trick-or-treat on a farmstead On the last two weekends of October, trickor-treaters can don their costumes for a Night of the Living Farms at the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. Walk through a haunted barn, take a flashlight scavenger hunt, hop a hay or wagon ride, and enjoy other activities. Food is available for sale.

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., October 18-19 and October 25-26 at 13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park, KS. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

More information is available at www.opkansas.org through the “Farmstead” link.

Children and their parents can help the Society of St. Andrew by volunteering to glean more than 20 million pounds of fresh food from farms and distribute it to families in need.

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5 Volunteer for Days of Taste

Looking for a way to give back this fall?

Consider volunteering in a classroom during Days of Taste to help students learn about delicious, local, healthy food. The American Institute of Food and Wine of Kansas City is teaming up with local farmers and chefs to give inner-city fourth- and fifth-grade students the chance to discover fresh food firsthand by taking it to the classroom. The goal of Days of Taste is to teach students where healthy food comes from, how it tastes, and how to make easy, healthy, homemade meals. This year, Days of Taste KC will be held in the morning of the first four Wednesdays in October at various schools in downtown Kansas City.

To volunteer or make a contribution, contact Nancy Potter at npotter1@kc.rr.com or 816-651-3466 or visit www.aiwf.org.

6 Find magic in the woods

Take a walk on the wild side with Mother Nature and her friends in the Magic Woods at Lakeside Nature Center on October 11 and 12. Families can enjoy walking through the nature trail and listening to animal characters tell their stories about life in the woods. Enjoy cocoa or lemonade and munch

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on hot popcorn while watching actors from Coterie Theater, tapping a tune with Eco Elvis or enjoying a magician show.

Kids can make a craft to take home, and the whole family will enjoy the face-painting station. Magic Woods will be open at Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 East Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO from 6 to 9 p.m.

October 11 and 5 to 9 p.m. October 12.

Cost is $5 per person; children under 3 are free. For more information, visit www.lakesidenaturecenter.org.

7 Pick your produce

Head outside on a crisp fall day and pick your own apples and pumpkins from one of several local orchards and farms. Take the whole family and pluck your produce right off the vine or tree.

Some locations host hayrides, petting zoos and other seasonal events.

U-Pick Apples and Pumpkins • Alldredge Orchards, Platte City, MO; 816-330-3448 • Cider Hill Family Orchard, Kansas City, KS; 913-721-2507 • Schweizer Orchards, St. Joseph, MO; 816-232-3999 • Sibley Orchards & Cider Mill, Sibley, MO; 816-650-5535 • 86th Street Orchard, Topeka, KS; 785-246-1442

U-Pick Apples • Wagon Wheel Orchard, Gardner, KS; 913-893-6050

U-Pick Pumpkins • Johnson Farms Plants & Pumpkins, Belton, MO; 816-331-1067 • Louisburg Cider Mill, Louisburg, KS; 913-837-5202 • Pendleton’s Country Market, Lawrence, KS; 785-843-1409 • Schaake’s Pumpkin Patch, Lawrence, KS; 785-843-2459

October Fun at the Kansas City Zoo!

Helzberg Penguin Plaza

Hoots and Howls

Opening Late 2013

Brew at the Zoo and Wine Too

Every weekend in October Different events each weekend!

Boo at the Zoo Last weekend in October Trick or Treat at the Zoo!

Saturday, October 19

kansascityzoo.org | 816.513.5800 The Kansas City Zoo, a private, non-profit organization is operated in agreement with the Kansas City, MO Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, partially funded by the Zoological District in Jackson and Clay Counties in MO, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

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8 Create a Costume

Dressing up like a ghost or goblin has become an expensive and wasteful part of Halloween festivities. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent more than $2 billion dollars on costumes in 2010 (www.nrf.com). Consider greener ideas that will reduce your budget and waste, while fostering your creativity.

Use what you already have in your closet or recycling bin, or head to your local thrift store.

Turn an old drape and some cardboard into a costume fit for a king or queen. A family or group of four can quickly transform into the ingredients for s’mores with some cardboard, paint and a few pillows. If you have a favorite thrift store, spend some time perusing the aisles for inspiration. Focus on a quirky find: an old golf club and plaid driver’s hat lend themselves to a Caddyshack creation, and some flowery pants and round glasses easily become the foundation for a retro, 1970s-esque ensemble.

If you can’t find unique pieces to build an outfit, create an entirely original costume by personifying a common idiom. Think of the fun you could have bringing to life a “chick magnet,” a “bad egg,” or “poker face.” Those who are especially crafty can become anything with a hand-made, paper mache mask. Find an easy tutorial at www.ultimatepapermache.com.

9 Feast with local gardeners

Join the community gardeners of the Greater Kansas City Gardeners of America for a potluck banquet to celebrate the season’s harvest at 6 p.m. October 7. The dinner features a silent auction to raise money for horticulture scholarships. The gardeners club will provide meat and drinks. Guests are asked to bring a side dish. The picnic banquet will be held at Loose Park Garden Center, 5200 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO. It is free to the public. For more information, contact Brad Lucht at 816-941-2445.

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10 Repurpose pumpkins

There are many great ways to “repurpose� a pumpkin after the glow of Halloween fades. You can make your own body scrub by mixing half a cup of pureed pumpkin with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, a half cup of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of honey.

Or try making tasty treats for pets and wild animals. Place seeds in a birdfeeder or cut the pumpkin into chunks and scatter it around the yard for smaller creatures.

Frozen cubes of pumpkin puree make a special snack for dogs.

Repurpose your pumpkins as serving bowls for soup or snacks. Simply hollow them out and line with plastic wrap or foil. Your jack-o-lantern can become both a planter and a fertilizer. Plant flowers in several inches of soil inside the pumpkin, and plant the pumpkin in your garden.

As it decomposes, it will fertilize and enrich the soil.

Join the Metropolitan Energy Center Sept. 19th at Boulevard Brewery as it celebrates 30 years of providing sustainability and energy efficiency in Kansas City. Space is limited. Please RSVP at www.kcenergy.org

by Sept. 6th. See you there!

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Really Responsible Recycling Photograph by Valerie Kutchko

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Reduce: The lost R of recycling

By Matt Riggs

RR

educe, reuse, recycle — the three Rs. We

Agency’s Waste Management Hierarchy, source

hear this phrase all the time. It tumbles

reduction is the most preferred way to deal with

out of school kids’ mouths as easily as

waste. However, most individuals and entities

reading, writing and arithmetic did a few

have not gotten past recycling and reuse. What

generations ago. It shows up in promotional pieces

we set out at the curb each week, or donate to

touting the green efforts of public and private

the local thrift store, is a tiny drop in the bucket

entities. It has become the mantra of solid waste

compared to the energy and resources used and

management.

waste and pollution generated upstream to make

Surveys show we’re doing a better job with

all our stuff.

reusing and recycling. But how much waste

The key to waste reduction, put simply, is

reduction is actually occurring? In my 17 years in

not creating waste in the first place. It involves

the solid waste field, the answer is, not much.

minimizing the amount of resources and energy

According to the Environmental Protection

used to make things and reducing the amount

greenabilitymagazine.com

20

of stuff going into the landfill and pollution going into our environment. It includes many actions that not only reduce the overall amount but also the dangers of the waste created.

The grand total? It takes 98 tons of material to make one ton of paper. And that’s just one out of the many thousands of products being manufactured in the world.

Look upstream

It’s systemic

All of our belongings have an upstream, or source. Objects are produced using resources that come from inside the Earth or on its surface. To turn these resources into material goods, we harvest or extract, produce and distribute. But these processes use a great deal of energy and produce vast quantities of waste and pollution.

Let’s take a quick look at paper to see what’s going on upstream. Trees are harvested and turned into paper. Simple enough, right? Well, not when you consider all the steps that occur between that tree and that piece of paper sitting in your printer. For example, there are the metals required to make the chainsaws and logging machines to harvest the trees.

All this metal must be extracted from the Earth, made into tools, and distributed to logging companies. Then there are the trucks, trains and ships that transport the logs and paper.

Of course it takes fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas) to run all those machines, manufacturing plants and transportation.

And we can’t forget all the water and chemicals used to process the paper and make it bright white.

We have to look at and understand all environmental issues from the systemic level if we are going to find meaningful solutions. How can we transform extraction, production and distribution to produce less waste at the systemic level?

In her book, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard suggests three places we can change the extractive system: the front end, the back end, and in our hearts and minds.

At the front end, Leonard calls for “a massive increase in our resource productivity … to get way more out of each pound of material or unit of energy consumed.”

Examples include reducing packaging; light-weighting (redesigning products to contain fewer materials); and making products durable, repairable, recyclable and adaptable (having removable, updateable components). The back end consists of consumers recycling and reusing products instead of extracting virgin materials to make new ones. Changing our hearts and minds means looking for non-material ways to meet our needs.

One of the best suggestions Leonard offers is the simple act of sharing. On a larger scale, it has the added benefit of building community and enhancing interpersonal relationships.

When it comes to transforming production, Leonard says that we need to start with the most important step: design.

She argues that design is crucial because it determines which ingredients need to be extracted or created, the amount of energy expended in making and using the product, the presence or absence of toxic chemicals, the length of the product’s life span, the ease or difficulty of repair, its ability to be recycled, and the harm caused by burying or burning the product if it is not recyclable.

Changes in design can be incremental, such as removing an individual hazardous chemical from a product, or can involve the complete redesign of a product. Leonard sees biomimicry — where design solutions are inspired by nature — as one of the most revolutionary ways to transform design.

The systemic solutions to distribution are shifting toward local distribution systems and economies, and international solidarity. Examples of the former include the local food movement and the efforts of groups like the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, which unites businesses working to promote community self-reliance and local economies.

International solidarity supports workers and communities in developing countries to transition to locally supported sustainability.

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Greenability

What You Can Do Addressing these issues from the 30,000-foot level can be overwhelming. So let’s take a look at specific actions we can each take as individuals to reduce our waste: Use what you own – Don’t purchase products you already have. Keep things clean and organized so you can easily find what you need.

Donate – Give unwanted items to friends, family, neighbors, charities and thrift stores.

Repair – Fix something instead of replacing it.

Maintain – Maintain homes, buildings, vehicles, equipment, clothing, appliances, etc. Items which are wellmaintained don’t have to be repaired or replaced as often.

Buy durable – Well-made, durable products have a longer lifespan and are more likely repairable.

Reuse at work – Make sure your business or organization has a system for reusing, donating or selling surplus supplies and property.

Shop used – You can save natural resources and save money by shopping for used items. Places to shop include:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Garage sales Estate sales Thrift stores Habitat For Humanity ReStores Consignment shops Antique malls Pawn shops Classified ads eBay Craigslist Auctions

Reuse everyday items – Get in the habit of reusing everyday items. Some common examples include:

• Plastic grocery sacks – Trash bags or thrift store donation bags

• Dairy tubs – Inexpensive containers for leftover food • Coffee cans – Great storage containers for hardware • Old t-shirts – Shop rags • Popsicle sticks, paper towel rolls, egg cartons, etc. – Kids’ art project supplies

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greenabilitymagazine.com

22

hare, borrow and rent – Save money and resources by S sharing, borrowing and renting items you use infrequently. hoose less or no packaging – When choosing between C two similar products, select the one with the least or no packaging.

that supports environmental stewardship through waste reduction, composting, reuse, recycling and sustainable efforts in Kansas. www.kskor.org

uy in bulk – Bulk products often require less packaging.

B However, be sure you are going to use it all up or have friends and family who can share it with you. se safe alternatives – Many hazardous products have a U low- or no-hazard counterpart. se durable bags – Whether you’re shopping for U groceries, clothes, toys or tools, use reusable shopping bags instead of paper or plastic bags.

• M issouri Recycling Association is a nonprofit leading Missouri toward environmental sustainability through waste reduction and recycling. www.mora.org

hoose large or economy-sized items – These sizes C usually have less packaging per unit of product. hoose concentrated products – They often require less C packaging and less energy to transport to the store.

• K ansas Organization of Recyclers is a nonprofit

• P roduct Stewardship Institute is a national nonprofit that pursues initiatives to ensure that all those involved in the lifecycle of a product share responsibility for reducing its health and environmental impact. www.productstewardship.us

Matt Riggs is the outreach coordinator for the Solid Waste Management District of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC).

se refillable mugs and water bottles – These come in U all shapes and sizes. se plastic food storage containers as takeout boxes U – These can replace disposable paper, plastic and polystyrene boxes.

Find a place to recycle (almost) everything

Get involved – There are many ways to take waste reduction to the next level, from implementing wastereduction measures at work to getting involved with organizations dealing with waste issues on the front lines:

When you’re looking for a local location that will take your recyclable item, check www.recyclespot.org, sponsored by the Solid Waste Management District of the Mid-America Regional Council. Or call 816-474-8326 for more information.

• EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management program examines the entire product life cycle and seeks to conserve vital resources, reduce waste and minimize the environmental footprint of materials. www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm

Reduce ♻ Reuse ♻ Recycle

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Greenability

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Really Responsible Recycling

Green Box To Go moves beyond cardboard

By Audrey Faltin

Owners Duane Aldridge (left) and Dean Dixon (with Buddy Baker, chief dog) started Green Box to Go as a consumer and business alternative to cardboard moving boxes. Photo: Valerie Kutchko

C

onsider how much stress would disappear from your move if eco-friendly packing boxes and sustainable packing supplies were delivered to your front door. Imagine as well that all the boxes and supplies were picked up after you were done unpacking.

Sound too good to be true? Not to Dean Dixon and Duane Aldridge, founders of Green Box To Go. They created this eco-friendly moving supply company as an alternative to the cardboard boxes traditionally used in moves, which often end up in landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, four million tons of cardboard hits the landfill each year. Green Box To Go combats moving waste by delivering plastic boxes and packing supplies made from recycled material directly to your door. Once you’ve finished unpacking, they come pick up the empty boxes and extra

packing material. Their reusable boxes help reduce waste both upstream in manufacturing and downstream in reduced waste.

Green Box To Go was created in response to the moving industry’s sluggishness about evolving in an environmentally friendly way, and out of a desire to make a positive impact.

“Kansas City has responded quite positively to Green Box To Go and to moving green,” said Dixon. Since opening its doors on Earth Day of this year, the two owners say the company is off to an incredible start, and they have already begun expanding inventory to keep up with demand. Green Box To Go is available for both residential and commercial moves, which fits very well with sustainability initiatives that most companies have in place. Visit www.greenboxtogo.com or call 913-991-2222AD_024-0513-RRN-LEAF for more information. AD 5/20/13 9:12 AM Page 1 024-0513-RRN-LEAF

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24

Really Responsible Recycling

Goodwill aims for zero-waste

By Dani Hurst Brown Photography by Valerie Kutchko

I

n the second-hand merchandise market, Goodwill is a household name. It is a well-known destination for the public to donate unwanted items and purchase discounted, gently used goods, while supporting

Goodwill’s mission to help people with disabilities or disadvantages achieve their potential through meaningful work.

The good news is that with millions of pounds of donations rolling in to Kansas and Missouri every year, there is no shortage of merchandise. These donations are sorted, displayed on the retail floor for six weeks, then cleared out to make room for “newer” stock. The not-so-good news is that not everything that is put out sells in that allotted time, which means tons of perfectly good clothing, housewares, Brad Burger, president and CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas, is passionate about making Goodwill a zero-waste recycler.

furniture and electronics could end up in landfills.

In recent years, Goodwill Industries as a whole has made a considerable effort to decrease the amount of goods bound for the dump and increase recycling across the country. Brad Burger, president and CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas, now is working toward the daunting goal of becoming a zero-waste facility by the end of the year.

In essence, he wants to take in millions of pounds of donated items and find a (re)use for every single thing.

“People and the planet are our two priorities,” says Burger. “We strive to be a good steward of our community by providing jobs and keeping as much donated stuff out of the landfills as possible.”

In 2012, Goodwill diverted 15.1 million pounds from landfills regionally, not including numbers from retail sales.

Burger says the current rate of diversion consistently hovers between 80 and 85 percent, but he is aiming higher. With

25

Greenability

The clothing items left unsold at the Goodwill Outlet are baled and sold to companies that repurpose them into rags and trunk lining.

a 90-percent diversion rate, Goodwill technically could consider itself a zero-waste facility, but Burger wants to be as close to 100 percent as possible.

vintage items and collectibles to sell online.

Vivian says that she became hooked on the outlet after a very successful resale experience. She recalls buying a

A major contributor to this ambitious diversion rate is

number of small vintage dolls for next to nothing — the

the Goodwill Outlet Store, 1800 N. Corrington Ave., Kansas

whole lot didn’t even weigh a pound — then turning

City, MO. Referred to by some simply as “The Bins,” it is

around and selling them on eBay. She didn’t expect to get

the final frontier, where everything in the region that hasn’t

much, and was surprised when one sold for $125. Since

sold is sent for one last look-through. Most items are sold

then, she has been among the outlet’s ranks of regulars.

by the pound — as low as $0.79 — although certain items,

“Everything I’m wearing is from Goodwill,” Vivian says

such as pieces of furniture, have a fixed price. Marketable

proudly. “And my family loves coming here, too. I have one

merchandise is loaded into blue bins and wheeled onto

grandson that only wants to come stay at my house if we’re

the retail floor, where regular thrifters and professional

going to Goodwill the next day.”

resellers feverishly search for their next great find.

Vivian’s nephew, Derain Mason, has joined the hunt.

Sally Vivian is one such reseller. She has been a frequent

Mason has had similar success stories with reselling items

customer at the outlet store since it opened in May 2012.

from the outlet, such as buying two road bikes for $2, and

Vivian says she is at the outlet store at least once a week,

selling one for $75 and the other for $400.

sifting through the blue bins for everything from clothes,

“It’s addicting,” Mason says with a smile.

shoes, purses and books for herself and her family to

The few items that get passed over by the outlet shoppers

greenabilitymagazine.com

26

are returned to the back room, and sorted through one final

functioning or not — and will assess each piece for resale

time. At this point, the remaining merchandise is headed

value. If the device is sellable, it will receive the necessary

in one of two directions: downstream salvage dealers or

repairs to get it in working order and will then be sold at

the landfill.

Goodwill’s ComputerWorks store, 4824 N. Oak Trafficway,

To further his goal of zero-waste, Burger partners with as many salvage dealers as possible to ensure that each

Kansas City, MO. If the item cannot be repaired, it is responsibly recycled.

item is used to its fullest potential. Unsellable plush toys

While Goodwill does accept a large number of

get sold and made into carpet padding. Clothes are baled

items, there are a few that do not make that list, such as

and sold to companies that repurpose them into rags and

refrigerators, stoves and any sort of hazardous waste.

trunk lining. Blankets with stains or tears are donated to a

Items like these are hard to recycle in the first place, even

number of pet rescue organizations to be used as bedding

with the right technology, and Burger does not want to be

for animals.

accountable for any irresponsible practices.

“Even one donated sock can still have a useful afterlife,” Burger says. “Our goal is to glean as much value as possible

“If we can’t handle it responsibly, we won’t handle it,” Burger says.

from each item and give it as many chances as possible

Burger is currently looking to add even more salvage

to avoid the landfill. We want people to know that we do

partners to the family — particularly those that deal with

good things with their donations.”

wood and ceramics — to help reach that zero-waste goal.

For its e-waste recycling, Goodwill partners with Dell to

He says one of the major challenges is finding responsible

run the Reconnect program. Dell will accept donations of

salvage dealers in a continuously fluctuating market. This

any brand of computer or other electronic item —

means that some stuff still ends up getting dumped.

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27

Greenability

Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas spans 80 counties, encompassing about 1.5 million households.

Between January and May of this year alone, Burger estimates that the organization collected approximately 7,409,080 pounds of donations. Of that number, about 1,286,000 pounds ended up in the trash. That might sound like a lot, but it’s actually an improvement, representing about half of what was sent to landfills by this time last year.

Considering that much of what is donated on a daily basis might have been thrown out anyway, he thinks it is a pretty impressive feat.

“We feel good about where we are, but want to get better,” says Burger. “The message we want people to hear is that when you donate your unwanted items, they have a much better chance of leading a meaningful second life than if you just put them directly in the trash.”

Sally Vivian is a frequent customer of the “The Bins,” the Goodwill Outlet Store in east Kansas City. She buys for her family and for Internet resale, often snagging incredible bargains.

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Untitled-1 1

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Really Responsible Recycling

E-waste not, want not, at Surplus Exchange

Bob Akers, executive director of The Surplus Exchange, oversees the responsible recycling of 1.4 million pounds of electronics annually.

By Dani Hurst Brown Photography by Rachel Martin

H

ow many electronic items do you own?

lives more convenient, the often-irresponsible disposal of it

If you are like many Americans, your count will

is cause for major concern.

start with at least one functioning computer —

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated

and one or two “obsolete” models in storage

that in 2009, Americans discarded approximately 2.37

— as well as all the necessary trappings: printer, scanner,

million tons of electronics, which does not include those

monitor, mouse, keyboard, external hard drive and speakers.

electronics gathering dust in garages and storage units

Add to that number your cell phone, home phone, DVD

across the country. Of those millions of tons, only 25 percent

player, video games and consoles, MP3 player, stereo

went through a recycling process, meaning the remaining 75

systems, and household appliances, and you begin to realize

percent was either dumped in domestic landfills or shipped

just how inundated with electronics we all are.

to countries like India, China, Pakistan and Africa to be

Cutting-edge technology is marketed to us every day, feeding our lust for the latest and greatest device. We are driven to discard our old gadgets and swap them for new ones, even when the ones we had worked just fine.

dismantled in conditions unsafe for workers, burned in open fire pits and discarded in dumps and along riverways.

Discarded e-waste is problematic for multiple reasons.

Electronics contain toxic materials, which must be carefully

One key consequence of this relentless production and

extracted and disposed of. When we toss our e-waste in the

replacement of electronics is an avalanche of electronic

trash, we run the risk of toxins like lead, phosphor, mercury and

waste, or e-waste. While newer technology may make our

chromium leaching into the ground and nearby water sources.

29

Greenability

To add insult to injury, we are also burying the gold, silver,

If the gizmo is on its last leg, it is wiped of any existing data,

copper and other valuable, reusable materials housed inside

its salvageable parts harvested, then is sent to downstream

each device. Considering that hard-rock mining is inefficient

destruction facilities where dangerous materials and toxins

and extremely damaging to the environment — it takes

can be responsibly handled.

about 350,000 tons of earth moved to harvest just one ton

The cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from computer monitors

of gold — it makes sense to recover these bits and pieces

and TVs — which contain a surprising four to eight pounds

instead of letting them accumulate in landfills. It makes even

of lead per tube — are crushed in a specially-built vacuum

more sense to reuse them in future products, which can help

chamber at Midwest Electronic Recovery (MER) in Clive, IA,

alleviate the need to mine new materials.

a recycler that is R2 certified and working toward e-Steward

So how do we escape this doom-and-gloom scenario?

certification. When Akers sends old console TVs to MER, the

Bob Akers, executive director of The Surplus Exchange,

wood is separated and sent from there to a biomass facility.

a nonprofit organization that has spent more than 25 years

Circuit boards are removed, sorted and sent to Integrated

dedicated to the responsible reuse and recycling of Kansas

Recycling Technologies in Monticello, MN, for processing.

City’s e-waste, explains that taking your outdated electronics

By-products like sheet metal go to A-Line Iron and Metals, a

to an e-Steward certified recycler like his is a good start.

scrap-metal recycler in Waterloo, IA.

Akers says that not all certifications are created equal,

Even some of the plastic pieces of our electronics can

as some contain loopholes that allow companies to ship

be recovered and repurposed. For example, the casing of

illegal e-waste overseas. He warns concerned customers

an unwanted computer or printer might find new life as a

against using e-waste recyclers that do not carry the

recycled plastic road sign.

e-Steward certification.

If the item has the potential for a functional second life

As an e-Steward certified recycler, The Surplus Exchange

— which is Akers’ preferred scenario — it is repaired onsite

maintains a zero-landfill policy and does not export any

and either sold in The Surplus Exchange’s retail showcase or

materials to developing countries. The Surplus Exchange

donated to a community cause.

was the first e-waste recycler in the area to gain e-Steward

“Recycling is not as good as reusing,” says Akers. “If you

certification, as well as one of the first five recyclers in the

aren’t concentrating on ‘reuse,’ then you are only participating

world to do so. In fact, Akers helped establish the global

in two arms of the triangle.”

e-Steward certification process of the nonprofit Basel Action Network, and remains on the leadership council to this day.

He helps write the certification regulations every year, and says he is always looking for ways to improve the process and raise the standards.

“We are very tightly married to the e-Steward program,” Akers says. “Because of that, we hold ourselves to a much higher standard. I know that because I’m so active in this field, there is a bull’s-eye on my back.”

The Surplus Exchange handles about 1.4 million pounds of electronics annually, none of which ever sees a landfill. Of that number, about 250,000 pounds is repaired and resold back to the community each year, while the rest is responsibly recycled.

Customers can take all types of e-waste to The Surplus Exchange, from computers, TVs and common household appliances to the strange, the odd, and the oddly strange.

An old Korean War walkie-talkie ranks among Akers’ favorite unusual finds. Akers and his crew carefully evaluate each item to determine whether it has truly reached the end of its life or can be repaired and reused.

David Ready, a computer technician at The Surplus Exchange, refurbishes a laptop for resale.

greenabilitymagazine.com

30

“Our

Reuse plays a huge role in The

commitment

to

the

operation.

environment is not just talk,” says

According to Akers, all the electronics

Akers. “It’s a way of life around

and furniture in his office are second-

here.”

hand, and most came through his

The

Surplus

Exchange’s

crew

at

The

Surplus

doors as donations. He says they

Exchange does everything they

build all the computers they use

can to help reduce any negative

in-house, too. In fact, the only new

environmental impacts of their

equipment onsite are the radios

38,000-square-foot facility in the

they use to communicate with each

West Bottoms. Last year, the

other and the security cameras that

organization

monitor the premises.

Worldwide Energy to make the

Akers says he would rather see technology

in

deserving

At The Surplus Exchange, customers can purchase refurbished computers for home or office reuse.

contracted

with

building more energy efficient with upgraded wiring and lighting

hands

instead of in the recycling flow, and does everything he can

and the installation of a 25 kW solar array on the roof. The

to ensure that outcome. To date, The Surplus Exchange has

photovoltaic system will provide about 20 percent of the

donated about 1,100 computers to underprivileged youths.

facility’s annual energy needs. Akers says they are currently

The nonprofit has also donated computers to area schools

researching the viability of incorporating wind energy into

and nursing homes, and even sent some to children in

their system.

Beginning this fall, The Surplus Exchange will make it

Nigeria.

The Surplus Exchange also offers the Learn and Earn

even easier to drop off e-waste as it partners with the city

Computer Program, which teaches disadvantaged youths

of Overland Park to provide a permanent free drop-off

between the ages of 13 and 16 how to build a computer,

site at the Overland Park Recycling Center at 11921 Hardy

diagnose basic problems and make key repairs. By the end

(www.opkansas.org).

of the curriculum, the students will have built a fully functional personal computer from the ground up.

“The people walking the planet now have to look past their own graves if the following generations are going to

“Our real mission is centered on the community, not

succeed,” says Akers. “There is a tendency to pass on today’s

dollars,” Akers says. “Philanthropy is a big part of what we do.”

problems to the youth of tomorrow, and assume they’ll be

Akers believes that younger generations will pay for our

able to deal with it. This is surely a recipe for disaster. If we

mistakes if we don’t act on the mounting e-waste problem

don’t care, each generation that succeeds us will continue to

now, and is more than happy to lead by example.

build its foundation on quicksand.”

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Greenability

Look for e-Steward certified recyclers The e-Steward certification ensures that e-waste recyclers adhere to the highest standards of environmental responsibility and worker protection.

Basel Action Network (BAN), a global organization focused on confronting the environmental injustice of toxic trade, sets the standards.

E-Steward certified recyclers in our area include:

The Surplus Exchange 518 Santa Fe St. Kansas City, MO www.surplusexchange.org Vintage Tech 4380A Belgium Blvd.

Riverside, MO www.vintagetechrecyclers.com Extreme Recycling, Inc. 150 New Century Pkwy.

Gardner, KS www.extremerecyclinginc.com

As an e-Steward certified recycler, The Surplus Exchange has a zero-landfill policy and does not export any materials to developing countries. The organization was the first e-waste recycler in the area and one of the first five recyclers in the world to gain e-Steward certification.

EPC, Inc. 1133 Erie St. North Kansas City, MO www.epcusa.com

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Still Your Pinky

Select sustainable seafood

By Gary Wesche

P

icture yourself with friends, gathered around a picnic table. Coming fresh off the grill is a perfectly cooked piece of fish, the centerpiece of a lovely late summer meal.

Just the thought of the yumminess to come makes your mouth water. But do you know anything about the fish you are about to enjoy?

Was it fished or farmed in ways that didn’t harm the environment? Is it considered a sustainable seafood product?

Nearly 85 percent of the world’s fisheries are fished to capacity, or overfished. Every seafood choice we make here in the Midwest has the power to make this situation worse, or improve it. If our community commits to consuming only sustainable seafood products, we have the ability to change how companies choose to supply the

restaurants and markets where we buy our fish.

The Kansas City Zoo is taking on the challenge of educating the public about how to make sustainable choices when choosing seafood products. With the opening of the new Helzberg Penguin Plaza in October, the zoo is placing greater emphasis on the conservation message of seafood sustainability. In partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, the zoo will be able to provide current information about the condition of the world’s oceans and which fish consumed in the Midwest are best for supporting a healthy, sustainable planet.

How much do you know about sustainable seafood? Take the Kansas City Zoo’s Sustainable Seafood Quiz. Which of these statements are true?

Buying frozen seafood can be a better choice for the environment.

More than 170 billion pounds of wild fish and shellfish are taken from the ocean each year.

Sharks, tuna and swordfish are all top marine predators.

90 percent of large, predatory fish have already been removed from the oceans.

Half of the world’s seafood is produced by fish farms.

Chilean sea bass sold in restaurants and fish markets is actually Patagonian toothfish.

The seafood industry wastes 42 million pounds of catch each day.

China has the largest impact on marine life.

Shrimp, mussels and salmon are all popular farmed seafood. Mussels are the “best choice” for the environment.

Expanding appropriate aquaculture is one way to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems.

Answers: All true 33

Greenability

3

Run for the Penguins at the Zoo’s Fun Run

ways to choose sustainable fish

seafood from the approved list of the 1 Purchase Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. You can view or print the list from www.seafoodwatch.org or download the phone app to find lists on iPhone and Android devices.

2 you find seafood that the Seafood 3 When Watch list considers “Best Choice” or “Good

In stores and restaurants, look for the Marine Stewardship Council blue eco-label.

Alternative,” post it on Project FishMap at www.montereybayaquarium.org, a mobile phone database of locations that serve sustainable fish.

The Seafood Watch ranks seafood as “best choice,” “good alternatives” and seafood to “avoid.” The complete list is available at www.montereybayaquarium.org.

Seafood to avoid includes:

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

October 5 at 8:30 a.m.

Run or walk the one-mile or four-mile racecourse through the zoo. Funds will support the Center for Conservation of the Humboldt Penguin in Punta San Juan, Peru in South America, which is helping ensure the sustainability of the Humboldt habitat. Register at www.kansascityzoorun.org.

Attend the Sustainable Seafood Soiree (Adults only) October 8 at 6 p.m.

Enjoy an adult-only evening of seafood, drinks and fun while learning about cooking with sustainable fish from Mike McGonigle and Randy Ross of McGonigle’s Market. All seafood will be prepared using sustainable products. Cost $20; Register at www.KansasCityZoo.org or email education@fotzkc.org.

Visit the new Helzberg Penguin Plaza Opening late 2013

Be amazed by the antics of four species of penguins populating their new eco-friendly exhibit space.

The 17,600-square-foot Penguin Plaza is being built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. See these black and white birds both on land and under the water in natural habitats, including snow. Free with zoo admission.

Chilean Seabass/Toothfish Cod: Atlantic (US and Canada) Crab: Red King (Russia) Lobster: Spiny (Brazil) Mahi Mahi (imported) Orange Roughy* Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic) Shark* Snapper: Red (US) Sturgeon, caviar (wild) Swordfish (imported)* Trout: Lake (Lake Michigan) Tuna: Albacore*, Bigeye*, Bluefin*, canned*, Skipjack, tongol, Yellowfin*

* These fish also should be limited because of potential high mercury content.

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Commentary

Environmental

Help us lower our planet’s fever

By Bill McKibben

I

am writing these words on a day in early summer – a day when 19 firefighters died trying to put out a wildfire in Arizona. A day when the temperature across the Southwest was spiking past the all-time records for Phoenix and Las Vegas. A day when people were watching the thermometer in Death Valley to see if it would become the hottest day ever seen on planet Earth.

There are a lot of days kind of like that now. We live in a world of superlatives:

fossil fuel stocks. But we need more, much more. We need you.

Yes, we need you to change your light bulb and drive a different car. But frankly, those are lowpriority items right now. We’re at the stage in this disease where preventive medicine, always a good idea, has to give way for the moment to crisis intervention.

We need you organized, joining with others to fight for the structural change that is all that can help us now. We need to weaken the power of the fossil fuel industry so it can’t dominate our Congress. If we

Bill McKibben will speak in Kansas City on his new book, Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist, at 7 p.m.

September 27 at Unity Temple on the Plaza (www.rainydaybooks.com) and at the Concert for the Climate at 12:30 p.m. September 28 at Kaw Point Riverfront Park (www.concertfortheclimate.org). the hottest year in U.S. history was 2012. Hurricane Sandy had the largest wind field ever measured, and the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded north of Cape Hatteras. Arctic ice melted more precipitously last year than even the direst predictions of scientists.

In just the last two weeks, there were record floods along the Danube in Eastern Europe, the upper reaches of the Ganges in Uttarahkand, and the Bow River in downtown Calgary. The hockey arena where the Calgary Flames play was flooded to the 10th row.

And yet life goes on. Our political system can’t yet seem to grapple with the scale of what’s going on – the fossil fuel industry, whose products drive the crisis, remains as powerful as ever.

Which is why we organize. If the planet is running a fever, and it surely is, then it is up to all of us to be the white blood cells that come to its defense. It’s starting to happen: there’s the fight against the Keystone pipeline, and the divestment movement now surging across the world as colleges and cities start to sell their

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Greenability

divest, then maybe we’ll be able to push through the carbon tax we so badly need. We need to stop the worst projects before they lock us into a carbon-filled future; if Keystone gets built, it will run for decades.

We know what health looks like: In Germany this summer, there were days when half the country’s power was generated from solar panels within its borders. But Bavaria has more solar panels than the United States, because people there organized behind the kind of policies that made a difference.

We can’t do this by ourselves. But together we can do it – maybe. The fever is spiking; for us antibodies, it’s now or never.

Bill McKibben is the founder of 350.org, a non-profit, grass-roots environmental movement working to solve the climate crisis worldwide. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including The End of Nature, Deep Economy and Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist.

R

obert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Bill McKibben will highlight a one-day free Concert for the Climate, a family-friendly event September 28 at Kaw Point Riverfront Park in Kansas City, KS. Sponsored by the Heartland Renewable Energy Society (HRES), the day’s events will explore the global influence of climate change and the practical steps individuals can take to reduce their negative impact on the planet.

Kennedy, founder and president of Waterkeeper Alliance and a leader in sustainable development, will give the keynote address on alternative energy, solar capabilities and conservation techniques. Bill McKibben, an environmental author and founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org, will discuss and sign his new book, Oil and Honey.

Highlights of the event include environmental speakers, musical performances by local and regional artists, energy-efficiency workshops, an interactive children’s area, eco-living displays, photovoltaic solar demonstrations, river habitat restoration programs, an alternative fuel vehicle “ride & drive,” theater performances and a wide array of food vendors.

There will also be a $10,000 Home Energy Makeover contest.

In an effort to reduce the event’s carbon footprint, the sound equipment and displays will be powered with solar energy and recycling bins will be available throughout the park.

“By creating a positive experience for learning and action now, we expect to bring our neighbors off the environmental sidelines to look at mainstream climate and energy solutions that are both relevant and valuable to them, and ultimately have them leave the event with a renewed sense of hope,” said Laura Lombardi, HRES board member and event coordinator.

The Concert for the Climate will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the park, 1 River City Drive, Kansas City, KS. For more information, visit www.concertfortheclimate.org or call 816-510-4000.

HENDRICKSON TREE CARE

Environmental leaders headline Concert for the Climate

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We understand the value of your trees and the value your trees hold for the community.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the keynote speaker September 28.

A 70-foot Planet Earth hot-air balloon will be tethered at Kaw Point Riverfront Park.

greenabilitymagazine.com

38 36

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GREENABILITYDIRECTORY BUILDERS/REMODELERS SunSource Homes Inc. 7832 Rosewood Lane Prairie Village, KS 816-783-3863

Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) 600 Broadway, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 816-474-4240

www.marc.org

www.SunSourceHomes.net SunSource Homes offers net-zero design/build construction services, solar PV system design/installation, net-zero energy design, architectural services and sustainable remodeling.

MARC is a non-profit association of city and county governments and the metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES Randy Reed Nissan

EDUCATION Johnson County Community College Center for Sustainability 12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 913-469-8500

9600 NW Prairie View Road Kansas City, MO 816-459-4800

www.randyreednissan.com Randy Reed Nissan offers fast, friendly, simple and fair service and is now featuring the 100-percent electric Nissan Leaf.

www.jccc.edu/sustainability Want a new “green” career? Explore JCCC’s sustainability programs and train for a career in the growing “green” industry.

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Johnson County Community College 7700 E. 40 Hwy., Kansas City, MO 64129

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38

Metropolitan Energy Center

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

3810 Paseo Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 816-531-7283

cfm Distributors, Inc. 1104 Union Ave. Kansas City, MO 816-842-5400

Metropolitan

ENERGY CENTER

www.kcenergy.org

www.cfmdistributors.com Cfm Distributors is the Midwest’s employee-owned provider of sustainable heating, cooling, and refrigeration solutions for home, office and industry.

The mission of the Metropolitan Energy Center is to help create resource efficiency, environmental health and economic vitality in the Kansas City region.

Missouri Gas Energy www.missourigasenergy.com

EnergyWorks KC

Missouri Gas Energy offers an energy-efficiency rebate for customers who purchase a qualifying energy-efficient, tankless natural gas water heating system.

816-531-7283 www.EnergyWorksKC.org www.kcmo.org/EnergyWorksKC EnergyWorks KC provides resources to help you make smart, easy, energy-efficiency improvements to your home or business to save energy and enhance comfort.

Small Step Energy Solutions Shawnee, KS 913-708-8004

www.smallstepenergy.com

The Hayes Company

Small Step Energy Solutions specializes in home energy auditing and green energy building consultations for both new and existing homes.

Kansas City, MO 816-444-6352

www.thehayesco.com The Hayes Company offers Home Performance services for energy efficiency through energy audits, insulating, duct sealing, weatherization and HVAC balancing.

ENTERTAINMENT Kansas City Zoo 6800 Zoo Drive Kansas City, MO 816-513-5800

Heartland Utilities for Energy Efficiency (HUEE) www.HUEE.org

www.kansascityzoo.org

HUEE promotes energy efficiency through Atmos Energy, Independence Power & Light, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Kansas Gas Energy, Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative and Metropolitan Energy Center.

Come explore 202 acres of the “wildest” animals around, includingthe brand-new Helzberg Penguin Plaza.

Open year-round.

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Greenability

EVENTS

GREETING CARDS

Mother Earth News Fair

Posty Cards, Inc.

Watson Park 6th and Kentucky Streets Lawrence, KS

1600 Olive Street Kansas City, MO 816-231-2323

The Mother Earth News Fair will host hands-on training and leading experts on renewable energy, organic gardening and green home building October 12-13.

Featuring Sustainable Sentiments® locally grown, green greeting cards. Build client and employee relationships with environmentally inspired cards for birthdays, holidays and other occasions.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

First Affirmative Financial Network

Habitat ReStore Kansas City

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913-432-4958

www.firstaffirmative.com First Affirmative Financial Network is an independent, fee-only, fiduciary investment management firm specializing in socially and environmentally responsible investing.

4701 Deramus, Kansas City, MO 303 W. 79th St., Kansas City, MO 816-231-6889

www.restorekc.org

Habitat ReStore collects quality, new and used building materials and sells them to the public at a discount. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity home building.

UMB Financial Corporation 1010 Grand Boulevard Kansas City, MO 816-860-7000

LAWN & GARDEN

www.umb.com

Hendrickson Tree Care Company

UMB offers complete banking, asset management, health spending solutions and related financial services to personal, commercial and institutional customers nationwide.

www.hendricksontreecare.com

GREEN JOBS

913-381-6339 (KS) 816-523-1181 (MO)

Take the guesswork out of maintaining your trees by consulting an ISA Certified Arborist for all of your tree care needs.

Full Employment Council

Missouri Organic

1740 Paseo Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 816-471-2330

7700 East 40 Highway Kansas City, MO 816-483-0908

www.feckc.org

Your Workforce Is Our Career™

The Full Employment Council, Inc. (FEC) supplies employers with a skilled workforce and job seekers with successful training in greater Kansas City.

www.missouriorganic.com Missouri Organic offers a convenient and affordable facility for customers to drop off green waste and purchase quality compost, topsoil and mulch.

greenabilitymagazine.com

40

Hen House Market

LITTER REMOVAL

13 locations

www.henhouse.com

Adopt-A-Highway Litter Removal Service of America

Hen House is locally owned, specializes in Buy Fresh Buy Local food, and offers customers a seasonal Community Supported Agriculture membership.

800-540-8694

sarah@adoptahighway.net www.adoptahighway.net Sponsor-A-Highway and receive promotional signage.

We take away the trash, you take all the recognition. Be seen as we clean.

LOCAL & ORGANIC FOOD

MARKETING Impact Communications, LLC 3229 Charlotte Kansas City, MO 816-520-4021

www.impactcommskc.com

Farm to Fork Workplace Wellness CSA 620-632-4470

Impact Communications is a full service, integrated marketing, advertising and public relations company specializing in businesses in the energy and sustainability marketplace.

Get veggies, meats, eggs and more raised with organic methods and delivered right to your workplace. Easy enrollment at csa.schenkerfarms.com.

RECLAIMED MATERIALS Beaver Timber Inc. 3133 Merriam Lane Kansas City, KS 913-831-2518

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Greenability

Midwest Materials Exchange Bridging The Gap’s By-Product Synergy

1427 W. 9th St., Suite 201 Kansas City, MO 816-561-1061 ext. 115

www.midwestmaterialsexchange.com The Midwest Materials Exchange is a free online marketplace to buy, sell or give away by-products or recyclables. It is a service of Bridging the Gap’s By-Product Synergy program.

RECYCLING Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas 1817 Campbell St. Kansas City, MO 816-842-7425

www.mokangoodwill.org The mission of Goodwill is to help people with disabilities and disadvantages achieve their potential through work.

The Surplus Exchange 518 Santa Fe Kansas City, MO 816-472-0444

www.surplusexchange.org

SunSource Homes Inc. 7832 Rosewood Lane Prairie Village, KS 816-783-3863

www.SunSourceHomes.net SunSource Homes offers net-zero design/build construction services, solar PV system design/installation, net-zero energy design, architectural services and sustainable remodeling.

REUSABLE MOVING SUPPLIES Green Box to Go 14450 W. 100th St. Lenexa, KS 913-991-2222

www.greenboxtogo.com KC’s green, reusable alternative to cardboard boxes for residential/commercial moves. All delivered and picked up from your home or office.

Do you want your green business or service to be seen by environmentally conscious readers? List it in the GREENABILITY DIRECTORY. For information, contact Julie Koppen 816-931-3646 or julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

The Surplus Exchange responsibly recycles electronics locally and offers pickup from metro commercial locations. Visit the Tech Shop and furniture showroom.

RENEWABLE ENERGY Brightergy Solar 1617 Main Street, 3rd Floor Kansas City, MO 816-866-0555

www.brightergy.com Brightergy is the region’s most experienced solar design, installation, financing and leasing firm, with hundreds of commercial and residential installations across the Midwest.

FreeEnergy 816-461-8877

info@FreeEnergyCorp.com www.FreeEnergyCorp.com FreeEnergy is a full-service sustainability company. We design and install solar PV, solar thermal hot water and geothermal GSHP.

Call a specialist!

Larsen & Associates, Inc. 785-841-8707 Contact: Jessica Pryor

www.larsenenvironmental.com Larsen & Associates provides geothermal installation services including loop installation, line purging and charging, pressure grouting, thermal fusion and drilling.

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Buy Fresh Buy Local ® is part of the FoodRoutes Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a new sustainable local food system for generations to come.

Do you know where your milk and eggs come from?

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Stanberry Community Farmers Free-Range, Brown Eggs directly from the Amish Farms in Stanberry, MO