Sustainability: Let’s Go Green A N D R EA M AS S O P RA M OS MCN NOMINATING COMMITTEE
What do you do with your apple core, eggshells and coffee grinds when you are done with them? Probably the common response is: throw them out. In my household we practice composting. First we collect compostable items like banana peels, orange rinds, or skins of any fruits or vegetables, and then we take them to our compost bin in the backyard. We add shredded leaves, newspaper, twigs, dirt and pure horse manure. These components mixed with water and sun are the recipe for quality fertilizer for our garden or yard. A great way to pay it forward to our environment is to go green and promote sustainable actions. Sustainability is when you are not causing harm to the environment or depleting natural resources, therefore maintaining longevity for our ecological future. Composting is a part of environmental sustainability.
By utilizing natural food waste we are harnessing the nutrients of food as it breaks down into soil and follows the circle of life. Healthy soil and compost promote nutrient-rich foods and flourishing plants. When pesticides or fertilizers are used on the garden, the soil is robbed of its nutrients and eventually the soil will no longer be able to produce - this is not sustainable. It will take years of mixing in natural nutrients for the soil to produce again. Going green is when you intentionally choose environmentally friendly products that will not cause harm. For example, instead of using plastic straws that take 200 years to decompose, you can use edible straws or marine biodegradable straws that will break down in 58 days. Reducing waste is when you use items until they can no longer be used. Let’s use food as an example. When you use an orange, lime or lemon, once you have used the juice, you can use the skin as a rind for flavor in a recipe or dry the skin out for a few days in the sun and use the dried skin to make tea. This is using the fruit fully until there is nothing else to use, therefore reducing food waste. Whether it’s sustainability, going green or reducing waste, these contribute to the health of our environment and the betterment of all living organisms. Consider what you can do to pay it forward and sustain our world. Andrea Ramos, MCN, Founder and CEO of Healthy FRIENDZ Nutrition LLC. Through interactive programs, it helps families with health concerns improve the quality of life with fresh foods, customized for ethnicity and cultural heritage. Andrea is passionate about children, mentoring and giving back to our communities. She believes children will learn through interaction and they are excited to take the lessons home to teach the family.
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TIPS FROM NE TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY: y Bring reusable or cloth bags to the grocery store y Turn off your computer at night y Install low-flow toilets and showers y Prioritize energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs y Go digital to avoid printing on paper y Utilize public transport, bike or walk if able y Use a rain barrel to water your lawn and garden y Go paperless with your banking and pay all bills online y Put your thermostat on a timer to avoid unnecessary use y Repurpose old towels to make cleaning rags instead of using paper towels y Carry a reusable water bottle with you y Choose the cold water setting to wash your laundry y Reuse printed-on paper by using the back for scratch paper
