We all know that “going green” is the right thing to do, but many have perpetuated the notion that it also has to cost us more of our hard-earned dollars. At WasteCap, we’d like to think that it doesn’t have to be that way. To borrow a quote from a recent Sierra Club blog post on Facebook:
“Going green doesn’t just save the outside world; it also can save the hard-earned money in your bank account.”
I find it interesting that some of the things that a person can do to save money really aren’t that far outside of the sensible realm. Many you see others doing these things day in and day out, but wouldn’t consider them “green” because of it.
Take dining out for example. We all do it, for lunch or dinner; special occasions or when we just don’t feel like cooking; to have something different or to have a favorite dish; there are many reasons. But, just because you dine out doesn’t mean that you’re not green. You can make plenty of choices while dining out to minimize your impact on the environment. Here are a few of my favorites:
Tip #1: Save Leftovers (from the Sierra Club)
Dining out can become an expensive proposition. To get your money’s worth, and since portions come so large nowadays, eat only half of what you’re served, then take the leftovers home. Voila! A “free,” restaurant-made meal for later. Wasted food comprises 12 percent of the U.S. waste stream (30 million tons per year!), 98 percent of which lands in landfills where it stinks up the atmosphere with methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
Tip #2: Dine Close to Home
Make it a habit to minimize your carbon footprint by driving short distances to your dining experiences, or even take alternate transportation like walking, biking or riding the bus. When you burn less fuel, your outing is greener no matter where you dine, plus you save money!
Tip #3: Seek Out Local Foods
Many restaurants now advertise the use of locally produced foods in their establishment. Especially here in the midwest, there are an abundance of foods grown and raised right in our backyards. You also get the bonus of supporting local agri-business! Depending on the business and their suppliers, the food may be cheaper since it traveled less, using less fuel to reach your table.
Tip #4: Drink Water to Save Water
If you’ve been out to eat lately, you know that even a simple glass of soda at any sit-down restaurant will run upwards of $2/glass, and an upscale coffee can run $3 or more! You’ll not only save on the purchase of the sugary and caffeinated stuff, but you’ll also be saving water. How you ask? The typical soda manufacturer uses several liters of water to make one of soda, producing one cup of coffee can use up to 37 gallons of water! Plus, water is more thirst quenching and has less additives (sugar, salt, color, etc).
Much of the green movement can make a person feel like they aren’t doing “enough”. “Enough” is hard to define, and can only be determined on an individual basis. As long as I’m taking at least small steps towards that ever-far-reaching “enough”, I’m content.
Until we green again,
~Candy, WasteCap Staff
August 26, 2009 at 6:45 pm |
Well, Candy, speaking of greening your dining out experiences, I have a dining opportunity to share. WasteCap Nebraska will be holding its Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Luncheon on October 15th, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at The Country Club of Lincoln.
I just finished making arrangements with our hosts and it’s going to be better than I ever imagined. We will be dining on Smart Chicken Forestiere (locally raised hormone-free chicken breast served with a wild mushroom gravy) AND Pasta Primavera for the vegetarian entree. For dessert, we’ll have brownies and lemon bars (homemade of course).
And this will be a zero waste event. Everything will be reusable except the food waste left on plates, and the Country Club is looking in to composting it for us. If they are unable to accommodate the composting, we will find a way to do it with the help of our local farming friends.
Finally, Bill Witherspoon, our special guest speaker will have such an interesting story to tell on his company’s sustainability initiatives. Below is some biographical information.
Bill Witherspoon is the founder of The Sky Factory, LC., manufacturer of SkyCeilings™ and Luminous Virtual Windows™, realistic illusions of sky and nature for enclosed interiors. Founded in 2002, The Sky Factory is Bill’s most recent project in a career of more than 40 years spent exploring the deep intersection of art and nature with a scientist’s discipline and an entrepreneur’s visionary zeal.
As an entrepreneur he has founded six companies, saved two, and taken one public. His business ventures have gravitated toward agricultural development, biotechnology, and environmental exploration. At The Sky Factory he has implemented an avant-garde management structure that relies on financial transparency, non-hierarchal management, distributed responsibility, and consensus-based decision-making.
Bill is also an artist who has presented his paintings and sculptures in dozens of exhibitions, and created numerous large-scale public land art projects. He is the recipient of the 1998 Arts & Healing Network Award. In his long career, Bill has been a featured public speaker at hundreds of events.
Bill may be reached at The Sky Factory, PO Box 1177, Fairfield, IA 52556; 641-472-1747 x 202; billw@theskyfactory.com