Earth Month Calendar!

 BY ASPEN KVICALA

In just over a week, we will be celebrating the 51^st Earth Day! For 51 years, stewardship of our home planet has taken center stage on April 22^nd, an entire day dedicated to remembering and honoring the many ways our lives depend on the health of our planet. This day is all about acts of service. It is incredibly empowering to remember that we can make a difference- no matter how seemingly small our actions may be.

This year, to inspire you and your family to get outside every day, we’ve teamed up with three other non-profit organizations in the valley - Classroom in Bloom, Methow Conservancy, and Methow Trails - to bring you an Earth Month calendar. This one-a-day calendar features simple daily actions you can take throughout the entire month of April to steward the little piece of Earth you call home. From planting seeds and exploring a new trail to identifying a backyard bird and buying package-free items, you’ll find little ways to celebrate our planet and truly make every day Earth Day.

Click here to download your calendar!

Foxtail Pottery says "No thank you!" to plastic

 BY ASPEN KVICALA

When the pandemic began in March, local potter Mandy Schoger, owner of Foxtail Pottery, had to quickly rethink how she was going to make her sales. The farmers market was on hold, summer festivals were cancelled, tourism was down. Mandy quickly shifted gears and began focusing more on online sales. But while business recovered and sales were up, Mandy couldn't help but feel bad about the piles and piles of plastic that were being sent out all across the country to cushion her pottery. Plastic that the consumer then had to deal with and which likely wasn't getting recycled. She had caught wind of a machine that some potters had begun using that shreds cardboard and makes it into a woven mat of sorts that can be used as padding for fragile items.

Fast forward a few months and Mandy was awarded a small business grant, part of which went to cover this "miracle machine." All of Mandy's pottery is now shipped plastic-free! Customers receive beautiful pottery in reused and still completely recyclable packaging. So incredible!! And how well does the shredded cardboard packaging actually work? Mandy says out of over 200 packages only two shipments had broken pottery (and that was more the fault of the carrier).




We love stories like this because they show us that even small efforts lead to real change. We celebrate Mandy's commitment to reducing waste! She could have just gone on with the status quo bubble wrap and focused on creating pottery but she instead chose to recognize her impact. Who knows what else this small effort may inspire?

Miles' Plastic-Free February

For the last week of Plastic-February (PFF), we are featuring Miles Milliken, our Waste Prevention Program Coordinator! Read on to learn how he makes it work as a single guy, living in the valley, working two jobs.

Methow Recycles: How many people are in your family, and what are their ages? Do you have any pets?

Miles: One person - me. 28 years old. No pets.

Methow Recycles: What was the most difficult part of this challenge for you? 

Miles: The guilt – self-imposed – from using plastics that I know I don’t need (like energy bar wrappers).  The lack of reusable options during COVID, and the amount of packaging from take-out food have also made things challenging.

Methow Recycles: What was the easiest part for you?

Miles: I have figured out some good systems and products during previous PFFs.  For example, I own an Albatros metal razor, a Molly's Soap shave bar, a bamboo toothbrush, and David's toothpaste metal tube with squeeze crank, all from the Mazama Store. I've also learned how to portion and freeze food in serving sizes that make sense for me.

An example of some of Miles' plastic-free products 
 

Methow Recycles: Overall, has it been harder or easier than you imagined? 

Miles: Having done two PFFs, it’s how I live my life now. But taking the time to separate all of my plastic waste for a month has reminded me how much of it I still produce. Over the years I’ve noticed more and more products are being packaged in plastic. In addition, some companies are switching from recycleable forms of plastic like tubs, to nonrecyclable types of plastic such as pouches, which is unfortunate.

Methow Recycles: Are there any products that have made staying away from plastic easier? 

Miles: It's heartwarming to have local businesses serve to-go drinks in reusable mason jars, and for folks to send me out the door with a spare box for my meal instead of a bag just because they know I’m the “recycling guy.” (See below for an example from Miles' recent meal at La Fonda Lopez, which included a reusable mason jar cocktail, a reusable salsa tub, a reusable ziploc bag of chips, and a recycable box instead of a plastic bag for carry out.)

Methow Recycles: Did you find a plastic-free hack in the valley we should know about?

Miles: Attitude, that’s the best way to avoid plastic, and it's damn hard for a single person, living alone, working two jobs to always pull the glass, aluminum, or paper wrapped product off the shelf. Cocktails in mason jars are a nice treat, and then I have more containers for freezing food as well.

Wondering how much plastic Miles has accumulated over the past month? See below - not much at all! Pretty impressive!

 

Betsy's Plastic-Free February

This week, our beloved Executive Director Betsy Cushman tells us all about her approach to Plastic-Free February. There are a lot of great nuggets in here - read on and consider taking notes! :)   

Methow Recycles: How many people are in your family, and what are their ages?

Betsy: I'm 62, Barb is about to turn 64.

Methow Recycles: Do you have any pets?

Betsy: Our polydactyl cat, Willow, is 5 or 6. Four hens named Loretta and Amelia.

Methow Recycles: What was the most difficult part of this challenge for your family?

Betsy: Snacks and yogurt. True confessions, we've been enjoying mini-sized Snickers and Payday candy bars. Plastic in plastic. Clif Bars, plastic. One of us is a daily yogurt-eater with a strong preference for vanilla Greek-style yogurt.

Methow Recycles:  What was the easiest part for you and your family?

Betsy: We've been at this a long time (I've been bringing my own shopping bag for 40+ years), and are equally committed, so as a household, we don't find it that difficult. We don't purchase single-use plastic items as a matter of habit, like someone with a peanut allergy not seeing a peanut butter sandwich as food. Where we have choices, those are easily made. What's become clearer to me over the years of doing plastic-free February are the places we don't have good choices, and how often the result is not recyclable. I've recently replaced printer cartridges in 2 printers, and have collected the unrecyclable plastic bits in which they are packaged.

We also recognize that our circumstances make this easier for us than for some. We have the time and ability to put a little extra effort into avoiding plastic. We know that for many the convenience and economics made possible by plastic is hard to argue with because of the conditions of their lives.

Methow Recycles: Overall, has it been harder or easier than you imagined? How does that change among the different people in your household?

Betsy: Even though we avoid plastic pretty well as a way of life, plastic-free February serves as an annual wake-up call for us. During this time, we pause, notice, and question every single encounter with plastic - like a recent purchase of plastic zip ties sold in a plastic bag.

Methow Recycles: Are there any products that have made staying away from plastic easier?

Betsy: We have a set of silicone bowl-covers purchased from the Mazama Store that replace use of plastic wrap. They work best on straight-sided bowls. Silicone is a very durable product, and not made of plastic.

We also use mesh produce bags and re-closable bulk dry goods bags. We're so happy that our community's Covid-19 response has allowed these back into the mix. As a result, very few plastic bags come home from the grocery store.

Last but not least, we use a Soda Stream - we like fizzy water and make our own constantly. I can't remember the last time I bought something like this at the store.

Methow Recycles: Did you find a plastic-free hack in the valley we should know about?

Betsy: 

• The words, "no thank you."
• Reuse: we wash, dry (see drying rack below) and reuse every plastic bag - ziplock or produce - and yogurt container that enters our lives and use it until it's no longer usable.

• Buying meat and produce from local producers whenever possible. The packaging situation is completely different. We are fortunate to have a large freezer, and every couple of years buy a quarter-share of locally-raised beef. We've been doing this for many years.
• When plastic is unavoidable - like dry catfood - buy the largest practical size to reduce the overall amount of plastic. I wish we could buy Greek yogurt by the gallon instead of by the quart.

Big thanks to Betsy for sharing all of her thoughts and helpful hints!

Aidan's Plastic-Free February

I think we all agree that Plastic-Free February is challenging. Now imagine what it's like to go plastic-free while living in a TENT, in the foothills of the North Cascades, in the dead of winter! That's just what Methow Recycles employee Aidan Torres is doing. We are so impressed with his dedication to low-impact living. Read on for all the details.  

Methow Recycles: How many people are in your family, and what are their ages?

Aidan: Just two! Emily and I are both 24.

Methow Recycles: Do you have any pets?

Aidan: Yes, one cat named Ted!

Methow Recycles: What was the most difficult part of this challenge for your family?

Aidan: Lots of items at the store are in plastic! We eat lots of canned/ glass bottled food (cause, you know, tent life), but things like cheese are still wrapped in plastic. 

Methow Recycles: What was the easiest part for you and your family?

Aidan: Our friends and community have definitely helped us transition to plastic-free. We were given a lot of tools, such as a reusable grocery bag from eqpd, and are grateful there are local stores that allow us to refill on supplies without having to invest in more plastic.

Methow Recycles: Overall, has it been harder or easier than you imagined? How does that change among the different people in your household? 

Aidan: I think for both of us it’s been harder than we expected it to be. Everything is packaged in plastic now. When we first moved into the tent we definitely used more plastic, and now we are slowly transitioning out of that. 

Methow Recycles: Are there any products that have made staying away from plastic easier? 

Aidan: Re-usable coffee mugs, water bottles, and grocery bags have all been key.

Methow Recycles: Did you find a plastic-free hack in the valley we should know about?

Aidan: Glover Street Market, because they allow you to refill supplies using your own containers. 

Big thanks to Aidan and Emily for sharing their experience with us! 

Photos courtesy of Christina Gibson of White Out Racing Kennel.

Aspen's Plastic-Free February

Each week this month we plan to feature a different Methow Recycles employee and their family, and describe their experience during Plastic-Free February.

To kick it off, we interviewed Aspen Kvicala, the Education and Outreach Program Manager at Methow Recycles:

Methow Recycles: How many people are in your family, and what are their ages? Do you have any pets? 

Aspen: There are four people in our family, Scott (34) and I (35), Cody who will be 4 in June and Ira who is 7 months old. Mia is our 12 year old Husky/Lab, Brody our humongous 5 year old cat, and 24 chickens. And hopefully a colony of bees, if they survive the winter 😬

Methow Recycles: What was the most difficult part of this challenge for your family? 

Aspen: The most difficult part has been being consistent. With the kids, life can be so full and wonderful and chaotic, there are times when I welcome anything that makes it easier, like single serving snacks in the car or individual yogurt cups. I do make granola bars in bulk and yogurt at home but my available time to do that is inconsistent week to week and I find myself grateful that we have options, even if they are wasteful. Also, we are on a budget with groceries so when Hank's has crazy good sales on packaged items like beans and lentils it's hard to stick to the bulk price.

Methow Recycles: What was the easiest part for you and your family?

Aspen: The easiest part has been remembering shopping bags and produce bags. I've gotten into a good habit with those!

Methow Recycles: Are there any products that have made staying away from plastic easier? 

Aspen: My mesh produce bags I got at Hank's have been huge plastic savers. I love Ball jars, the variety of sizes are great from bulk storage to serving snacks. Plus the lids are great for fine motor skill development :)

Methow Recycles: Did you find a plastic-free hack in the valley we should know about?

Aspen: Hank's and Mazama Store have bulk cheese!! They may not always have the kind I'm looking for but they always have something good. And you can bring your own storage containers :)

Big thanks to Aspen for letting us take a peek into her life during Plastic-Free February!

Plastic-Free February - Will You Join Us?

Methow Recycles staff will be challenging ourselves yet again with plastic-free February. This will be the third year we are doing this challenge, where we try to stay away from any new plastic items or plastic-wrapped items for the entire month of February.

Would you like to try? Here are the two simple rules of plastic-free February

• For the entire month of February, try not to buy any new plastic or plastic-wrapped items. Plastic stuff you already have in your house or fridge is fine. Purging is not the goal here :)
• Save any newly purchased plastic you do use during the month. At the end of the month, pile all of your plastic up and see how you did.

Throughout the month, notice how the challenge is going for you and/or your family. What is/is not difficult? Has it been harder or easier than you imagined? How does that change among the different people in your household? Are there any products that have made staying away from plastic easier? Did you find a plastic-free hack in the valley we should know about? We'll be sharing our experiences with the community as we go along and at the end in a special e-news so it would be great to get your perspective!

And remember, this challenge is difficult if not impossible and that's kind of the point. The challenge raises awareness of just how prevalent plastic is in our lives. So don't feel bad if by day 2 you are using an item packaged in plastic. Hopefully this challenge will lead to some behavior changes, like switching to bulk tea or bringing reusable bags to use for produce and bulk items. No guilt, have fun, and view this as a learning experience!

Bringing back the blog!

After almost exactly 10 years, we are bringing back our Methow Recycles blog! As you can see, we last posted in 2011, and my how things have changed since then!

Moving forward, we are excited to use this blog in a variety of ways. First, it will be a great way to share new information with you in a longer format than is possible on our social media channels. For example, during plastic-free February, we will highlight one Methow Recycles employee per week on the blog. We'll interview them about how things are going during plastic-free February, include some photos of their home and family, and then publish it all here. 

We also plan to use this blog as a "parking spot" for many of the articles we've written over the years that have been sent out in our e-news, perhaps never to be seen again. We want this to be a searchable resource that allows you to revisit all of the informative pieces that we've already shared with you, as well as those we plan to write in the future.

Check back tomorrow for all the details about plastic-free February and how you can join us!