What is the number on the bottom of "your" plastic?!?

Here is yet another confusing, confusing element to recycling, as well as our health. We all want the best for our family but how do we figure out "which" plastics are the best for us??? Grab your plastic bottles/containers, turn them over and check out the arrow normally on the bottom. It will have a number from 1-7. Look at the list below and find out which ones "you" think you would stay away from. We know our answers......

• #1 PET- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE):

1. Used for- water, plastic bottles for soft drinks, juice, sports drinks, beer, mouthwash, catsup, salad dressing, shampoo bottles, detergents & peanut butter containers.
2. Profile- contains stabilizers and flame retardants, but fewer additives that leach into foods, drinks, and the ground under landfills than other plastics. These are "one-time" use bottles. It's a catch-22. You think you are helping the environment by refilling them and "saving" a bottle but you are also leaching plastic in your body every time you refill.

**Widely Recycable & a Safer Plastic**

• #2 HDPE- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE):

1. Used for- bottles for milk, water, juice, cosmetics, shampoo, dish & laundry detergents, household cleaners, plastic bags, cereal box liners.
2. Profile- safer for food than many other plastics (doesn't leach as much) and not quite as toxic to produce.

** Widely Recycable & a Safer Plastic**

• #3 PVC- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, Vinyl):

1. Used for- plastic cling wrap, cooking oil, cleaning product, some plastic squeeze bottles, toys (this use has been banned in many countries), water pipes, phonograph records, flexible packaging for bedding, shrink wrap, deli & meet wrap.
2. Profile- Avoid these plastics at all costs. Vinyl chloride is a human carcinogen. Persistent toxic dioxins are produced during manufacture and incineration of these plastics. Common additives that leach into food include plasticizers (softeners) like phthalates and di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), both considered carcinogenic. Phthalates are known hormone disrupters, and DEHA is linked to deleterious effects on the liver, kidneys, spleen, and bone formation.

**Not Recycled & A Danger!**

• #4 LDPE- Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE):

1. Used for- plastic wrap, grocery store bags, some baby bottles, coatings for paper milk cartons, toys, some squeezable bottles, bags for dry cleaning, newspapers, bread, frozen food, etc.
2. Profile- like its high-density cousin, LDPE is safer for food (it doesn't leach as much) and less toxic to produce than other plastics are.

**Not commonly Recycled & a Safer Plastic**

• #5 PP- Polypropylene (PP):

1. Used for- containers for yogurt, margarine, takeout meals, deli foods, medicine bottles, bottle caps & closures, ketchup, syrup.
2. Profile- Safer than many other plastics (it doesn't leach as much) and can withstand higher temperatures than other plastics without melting.

**Not commonly Recycled & a Safer Platstic**

• #6 PS- Polystyrene (PS):

1. Used for- food service items such as cups, plates, cutlery, hinged takeout containers, meat & poultry trays, packing peanuts, protective foam packaging for furniture, electronics, styrofoam containers
2. Profile- Styrene used to make polystrene, is highly toxic to the brain and nervous system. It is a suspected carcinogen that can leach. It may also have adverse effects on red blood cells and the liver, kidneys and stomach. Manufacture involves the carcinogen benzene, which is notorious for sticking around for eons. Steer clear of thes stuff at all costs.

** Not Recycled & a Danger!**

• #7 OTHER- Usually Polycarbonate:

1. Used for- 3 & 5 gallon reusable water bottles, citrus juice, some ketchup bottles, hard plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, sport water bottles, metal food can liners
2. Profile- This classification is for any plastic other than #1 through #6 but usually it's polycarbonate. Bisphenol A (BPA) leaches from polycarbonate plastic and mimics and disrupts estrogen, which may alter the normal functioning of the endocrine system, affect growth, puberty, and the size of reproductive organs, and decrease sperm productions. It has been found to spark prostate and breast cancer. Studies show that early-life exposure may cause genetic damage. Almost all governmental-funded studies clearly link BPA with adverse effects, including changes in hormone levels; early puberty, changes in gender-specific behavior; prostat enlargement, decreased sperm production, altered immune function and behavioral effects including hyperactivity, increased aggression and impaired learning. Industry-funded studies say it's safe. Be your own judge, but steering clear is likely safer.

**Not Recycled & a Danger!**

• #7* PLA- Polylactic acid and other bio-based plastics (biodegradable plastics made from corn, potatoes, soy, and/or wheat:

1. Used for- deli and take out food containers, cold cups, straws, cutlery, food wraps and bags
2. Profile- These are the great hope for our future health and that of the environment. nontoxic, biodegradable and made with renewable resources, bioplastics need 65% less energy to produce and generate 68% fewer greenhouse gases.

**Biodegradable & Safe**

So! Here you go and it's your decision which plastic you choose for your body. We hope you choose the safe ones!!

**This information was taken from a "fabulous" book called Easy Green Living by Renee Loux. Also from the American Chemistry Council.**

The How, What & Why's of Recycling

Let's face it. Recycling can be ridiculously confusing to figure out. It can be overwhelming and we have seen people, including us, look at a piece of trash and wonder what to do with it. Here are some tips to help you out in the process....

Let's start first with the positives of "Why" to recycle:

• Recycling an aluminum can uses only 5% of the energy required to make a new one
• Recycling glass uses 50% of the energy
• Every ton of paper recycled saves 60% of the energy, 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 587 pounds of air pollution, 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,077 kilowatt hours of energy
• If every household in the U.S. replaced just one package of virgin fiber napkins with 100 recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees

By not recycling here are the affects:

• A typical American throws away 4 pounds of garbage every day. In a year all of that trash adds up to nearly 3 quarters of a ton, which weighs almost as much as 8 refrigerators. Multiply that by nearly 275 million Americans and you can now start to see why this is a big issue. Sadly enough most of our trash could have been recycled.
• Junk mail costs $320 million of taxpayer's money each year to dispose of.
• Junk mail wastes 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing each year.
• Every year, 100 million trees are chopped down for junk mail sent to American homes.
• One third of trash is paper products and grass clippings & yard waste come in second. Followed by metal, glass, plastics, food scrapes and other items such as clothing, wood & rubber.
• Americans are often known as the "ultimate" consumers. The US is the source of a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, with the average of the US household generating more than 80 tons of toxic carbon dioxide gases every year- that's 22.5 tons of greenhouse gases per person, per year. In addition, the average American family uses 102,000 gallons of water and creates 3.3 tons of landfill waste every year. Can we just say......disgusting!!

Now let's talk about "What" to recycle. Recycling is actually easier than it sounds, you just need to learn the basics. Here is what cannot be recycled in your Recycling Bin......

• Soiled/used napkins & tissues
• Ceramic Stickers
• Waxed paper
• Pyrex
• Full Cans
• Milk & juice cartons
• Wet or food-stained paper/fast-food wraps
• Rubber bands
• Drink Boxes
• Laminated Paper
• Plastic with number 3,4,5,6 & 7 (see below for the website to check your local recycling programs)

Here is what can be recycled in your Recycling Bin.....

• #1 and #2 Plastic (look on the bottom of the plastic container/bottle and look at the chasing arrow for what number it is
• Aluminum (rinsed out cans)
• Tin
• Brown Glass, Clear Glass & Green Glass
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Mixed Paper
• Telephone Books
• Magazines
• Catalogs
• Computer Paper

** See below in the "How" section for directions to contact your local municipality. Every city varies in what can be recycled in the recycling bins.**

Now, let's visit the "How" of recycling. This can take a little bit of work at the beginning but once you get it down, it becomes second nature. You first want to check with your local community to see what they say can be put in your recycling bins. It's super easy. Just call 1-800-CLEANUP (253-2687) and follow the instructions with the recorded message .You plug in your zip code and they will let you know the rules of your local community.

You now know what to do with your recycling bins, so let's take a look at all of those nasty hazardous waste products you have lying around. Here is a list from our local community of what we can dispose of/recycle. Again, you want to call the 1-800-CLEANUP and they will also give you detailed information about your local hazardous waste facilities. You can also visit http://www.earth911.org/ for this information.

Hazardous Waste Dispose/Recycle

• Hand motor oil
• Used filters
• Anti-freeze
• Car batteries
• Transmission fluid
• Brake fluid
• Paint
• Cell phone
• Telephone
• Rechargeable batteries
• Single use batteries
• Flourescent light bulbs
• Medications
• Smoke detectors
• Fire extinguisher
• Pesticides
• Insecticides
• Fertilizer
• Household cleaners
• Solvents
• Degreasers
• Adhesives
• Gasoline
• Batteries
• CFL's

There it is......all of the How, What and Why's of Recycling. Make it fun and every week try and reduce the amount of waste you create and send to the landfills. You will be amazed at just the difference you alone can make!!

Fresh & Green Eco Must-Have #1: Purchase a Klean Kanteen, Sigg or some type of reusable bottle. Just make sure that it is not a #7. (In our next blog we will be discussing the good & bad plastics. What numbers to look for and what number's to stay away from.)

Klean Kanteen: http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=4_90&products_id=716

Sigg: http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=423

Fresh & Green Eco Must-Have #2: Your second eco must-have to reduce waste....Purchase reusable shopping bags.

Baggu: http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=6

Reduce, Recycle, Renew: http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=28

Produce Bags: http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=807

Here are our local drop-off recycling locations. Go to http://www.earth911.org/ to see where yours are!

• Bakersfield College ( At the university parking lot)
• CSUB (parking lot near gymnasium)
• Westchester Recycling Center (northwest corner of F & 30th streets)
• Valley Plaza Mall (behind rite aid drug store)
• Tevis Junior High School (on pin oak park boulevard-north of white lane, west of gosford road)
• Lowell Park (R & 4th streets, east of chester avenue)
• Fred L. Thompson Jr High School (northease corner of actis & planz roads-one block east of stine road)
• McKee School (opal street in greenfield park)
• Endeavor Elementary School (meacham road, east of calloway drive)
• Bakersfield Christian Life Center (olive drive and victor street, west of 99 freeway)

**Stastics were taken from the following books: Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano, True Green by Kim McKay & Jenny Bonnin & Recycling by Rhonda Donald. Also from the EPA Environmental Protection Agency.**

Bamboo, What??!?

Bamboo clothing, sheets and towels..... oh my! Yes, that is what we said. Bamboo is an "incredible" fabric. There are numerous positives (and some negatives as there are in all products) and is one of the most "green" fabrics around. Here's some of our reasons why we think that bamboo fabric is simply fantastic:

• It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet today!! Some varities of bamboo can grow up to 4 feet in one day and can be harvested without damaging the original plant. It will then regenerate in 3 to 5 years.
• It produces 35% more oxygen than a batch of trees of the same size.
• Bamboo fiber comes from nature and completely returns to nature in the end. Bamboo is an excellent alternative to chopping down trees that take 30 years to grow full height.
• It has natural breathability and cooling properties. According to authoritative testing organizations, fabric made from bamboo fibers are 1-2 degrees cooler than cotton! For those of you that are tossing & turning with the night sweats, this could be your answer..
• It also has natural antibacterial properties.
• It is a common fact that bamboo can thrive naturally without using any pesticide.
• Incredibly absorbent.

For all of the wonderful positives that bamboo has to offer us, there are some questions arising about the negative sides of this fast growing grass. It seems that growing it is considered truely "green" and sustainable but manufacturing it into the boards to make furniture, wood planks for floors, etc is where the trouble lies. It is an intensive process and you have to be careful that you look for bamboo made with water based, formaldehyde-free adhesives with low/no VOC's (volatile organic compounds). They are focusing on this process more closely and are trying to come up with alternatives. The recent rise in bamboo's popularity we are sure is forcing the manufactures to really look at this process with a fine-toothed comb.

For the purpose of clothing, sheets & bedding we think that this fabric rocks! The minute you feel it you will not want to sleep on anything else or feel anything else against your skin. It drapes like silk and feels so incredibly soft, it rivals even your highest thread count of Egyptian cotton sheets. Not to mention you are doing your part in cutting down on our cotton consumption which is 25% of the world's pesticides. You can snooze with the best of them knowing you are making a difference and not comprising on your luxury sheets! We love that.... the best of both worlds, Fabulous & Green!

Here's some links to some of our wonderful bamboo products:

Click here for a link to all of our bamboo products-

http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=50&osCsid=2711ecf12131fda4c751ab4e4dc68bf1

Click here for a link to our bamboo sheets-

http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=4_53&products_id=426&osCsid=2711ecf12131fda4c751ab4e4dc68bf1

Click here for a link to our bamboo towels-

http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=580&osCsid=2711ecf12131fda4c751ab4e4dc68bf1

Fresh & Green's retail store is now OPEN!!

We have a good excuse for the lapse in our blogs this past month. We've been busy little beavers this past month and we have now officially opened Fresh & Green's retail store! For all Bakersfield residents (and those traveling through) we are located at 7737 Meany Avenue B-3. That is the Northwest of Bakersfield off of Coffee Road in Chloe's Plaza. Come by and visit us soon......

Check out Fresh & Green's write up in the local The Scoop Bakersfield:

http://thescoopbakersfield.com/home-furnishings/fresh-green/

We will post some pictures soon of the store for all to see.........

Greening your Sleep

Well . . . here is something that we have people asking us about all the time, so we thought we would add it to our blog......

What toxins should I worry about in my house? Today we will start with STEP 1.... Your bedroom. Since this is a place that you spend many hours a day, it is important to create a healthy environment. One of our favorite books and one that we will most likely quote often, is Homes That Heal, by Athena Thompson. Since reading this book, we have enrolled in a course called Bau-biologie. It is the study of how buildings affect our health and it has become extremely important to us. Eventually we will become certified but until then, we will provide information along the way that we are reading/learning about.

So! Back to your bedroom....if we all stopped and thought about the fact that every single item that we bring into the bedroom affects how we sleep, we would be overwhelmed. But it is absolutely true! Here are the shocking facts first:

1. Your mattress has more synthetic chemicals than a barrel of crude oil!
2. Most memory foam pillows have petroleum based chemicals.
3. Cotton production accounts for 10% of world pesticide use, and nearly 25% of world insecticide use.
4. Synthetic/cotton blends are usually treated with formaldehyde. (Oh and Fyi.... you can never wash out formaldehyde. More on that below)
5. Gases from formaldehyde can cause dizziness, nausea, fatigue and other symptoms (and we have our head on this!).
6. The average pillow increases 2 pounds in weight from the build-up of micro-toxins that occur naturally in every home. This means dust mites and their waste, mold spores, pollen and even pet dander....yuck!

Now, as much as we try to not shove the "green" way of life in people's faces, this is where we have to just say, "People, this is what we are sleeping on every single night!". And we wonder why the U.S. has the highest cancer and illness rate in the nation. Here are our top 5 tips of how to start the "slow" process in creating a healthier environment for you and your family....

1. If you can start with just one thing, start with new pillows. The healthiest choices for you are organic cotton fill, pure grow wool fill, or a mixture of both. Also make sure that you use organic cotton covers. Another thing to think about is all of those nasty hair & face products that we deposit onto our pillows every single night. Make sure to wash your pillowcases every week at least. Pure grow wool is also dust mite free....;) To view click here: http://www.freshandgreen.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=4_53&products_id=543&osCsid=0a941a48c849ad79108d03da2480cd70

2. Now, this tip is great because it is free! One of the best things that you can do for a "restful" sleep is to remove all of the electrical devices from your nightstand. Just this one simple step made my husband sleep better after one night. He had, like many do, a cell phone, an alarm clock and a lamp all next to his side of the bed. These products produce what is called, EMR (electro magnetic radiation). If you can position the head of your bed away from the majority of plugged in devices and an exterior wall that may have the electric panel, AC unit, hot water heater, etc., then you will decrease the EMR activity and improve your chances for a restful sleep.

3. Try and buy a mattress made from natural materials, such as certified organic cotton, natural latex, or pure grow wool ( this is wool that has been sheared from clean sheep who were undipped, untreated, free-range animals, or a combination of both). You don't want a mattress with metal springs because this also conducts electricity and can interfere with EMR. Vacuum your mattress regularly to reduce dust mites. Also, try to either go without a bedskirt, or at least wash it regularly. This can also create yet another home for dust mites. Now, obviously mattresses are an expensive purchase so if this is not an option, then at least try to purchase an organic mattress cover that again is either certified organic cotton, or pure grow wool (dust mite-free).

4. Another free tip....... Open those windows! Fresh air is one of the most important things that you can do to clear out everyday pollutants that we generate in our homes that have no way to escape. When carbon dioxide levels rise, this is what can cause drowsiness, headaches and poor concentration. So, if you ever find yourself not being able to wake up in the morning, try this out and see if it helps a bit!

5. Here's a big one. Most kids bedroom furniture are made from pressed wood products. Particleboard is one of the "worst" and let me say that again, "worst" products for offgassing large amounts of formaldehyde. Here is the definition of formaldehyde or HCHO: A colorless gas at room temperature with an extremely pungent suffocating aroma. It is a highly reactive gas, classified as a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). The term volatile means that the compounds vaporize, i.e. become a gas at room temperature. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure to formaldehyde in humans can result in respiratory symptoms, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. Limited human studies have reported an association between formaldehyde exposure and lung and nasopharyngeal cancer. Animal inhalation studies have reported an increased incidence of nasal squamous cell cancer. EPA considers formaldehyde a probable human carcinogen. So, if you are buying furniture for a child's room, make sure to stay away from particleboard and if you already have some you might want to think about replacing it with a natural wood product if at all possible. To read more about formaldehyde from the EPA go to this link: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/formalde.html

Here are our tips....... Sweet Dreams!

Are we there yet?

Months later and here we are, still waiting for the completion of our construction....... This has been an interesting, rewarding and sometimes frustrating experience. We are both owners of other businesses and still we forget the challenges of opening a new business! After months and months of reviewing, researching and testing products, we are finally around the corner from opening our doors and launching the website. Who would have thought that a lunch one day would turn into thousands of hours of research, and a new store and website called... Fresh & Green.

So.... here we are and we are so excited to share all our new found treasures with the world! It is so amazing to us that nowadays you can go green without compromising your own style, or the quality of the products. Everywhere we turn we see the news and advertisers offering more and more information/suggestions about "going green". We would love to ask all of those advertisers, "What is going green???"....

Everyone has their own opinion and the answers are usually vastly different. For us, it is simple...... " To live our lives to the fullest-looking good, feeling good, doing good- and at the end of the day, knowing we've made a difference in our world." We truly think this is a personal choice and it is different for everyone. We have noticed that some people are more open to the information that we provide them and some are just a few steps behind. In saying this we mean that they are accepting of the information but need to process it for a little bit and decide in their own time when and "if" they would like to make more eco-conscious decisions. The exciting part is that more and more people are on board everyday. We have tried to bring products to our clients that are not only better for the environment but also healthier for them personally. We are amazed each day about the creativity of some of these products, such as solar paneled backpacks that charge your cell phone & MP3 player, hemp dog collars for our eco pets going green, the incredible luxurious quality of our bamboo sheets & towels, products made out of recycled plastic and milk cartons, paper made out of banana fibers and the list continues. We will continue to keep you apprised of all of these incredible new "green" ideas and products that allow us to keep our quality of life without hurting the environment.

Going green does not mean stop showering and living in the dark! This "fad" as some people would like to call it, is here to stay and we have to start incorporating this choice into our everyday lives. We are girls who don't wear birkenstocks, and unfortunately still drive SUV's (although we do purchase carbon offsets for our homes, automobiles and businesses). We are trying everyday to live healthier and to finally walk-thru life with our eyes wide open. Speaking about "eyes wide open".... We have to share the story of stuff. http://www.storyofstuff.com/ This little film is what sent both of us over the edge!! Our lives were already heading in the "green" direction years ago but this story made us grab every book, workshop and CD out there and we became instant sponges. Knowledge is power as they say and the more you learn, the more you just have to take a stand and start to change your lives. We have found it amazing that many diseases and sicknesses are caused from the everyday items we have in our homes. As you change the toxic products out of your life and start eating organic, you will notice a huge reduction in allergies, asthma, insomnia and just altogether start feeling better.

We will continue to use this blog to update you throughout our green journey. We hope that it will provide you with helpful information, so that we can all continue going down this exciting new path together and all make a difference in this world. It is so true that just one change can make a difference! Please email info@freshandgreen.com if you have any questions...

Enthusiastically- Sasha & Jennifer