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Guests:

Ami Voeltz talks about her organization Do It Green Minnesota and what they are doing to make our area more sustainable.  She shares info about the brand new 2009 version of the Do It Green Magazine.  It's chock full of great articles about saving water, eating local, reducing your carbon footprint and much more!  You won't want to miss getting your hands on a copy.  She also shares with us some tips for making a smaller carbon footprint this holiday season starting with attending the Green Gifts Fair, Saturday November 15 from 10am until 5pm at the Midtown Global Market.  Shop for green gifts with local businesses, learn about greening your holidays and eat some tasty holiday treats!

Barbara Parks speaks with us from Green Career Tracks.  Barbara has been a career counselor for years and a few years ago was bitten by the green bug.  She now uses her great skills to help folks find green work opportunities in eco fields.  Barbara has a solid track record helping hundreds of individuals gain meaningful work in a changing and challenging economy and job market. Her clients have included college graduates, first-time job seekers, dislocated workers, and mid-career changers. She draws on 15 years' experience as a career and employment counselor for a jobs training program, corporate outplacement counselor, workshop facilitator, and instructional designer.  Whether you need career counseling, resume help or just someone to brainstorm ideas, Barbara is a wonderful resource to help you on your path to a greener career!

Info and Tips:

Safest Plastics for Food and Beverages - by Lori Bongiorno

It's worth avoiding the following plastics when you can. You can identify a plastic by looking at the recycling code number that appears inside a triangle at the bottom of many containers.

#3 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can leach pthalates, known male reproductive toxicants. It can be identified by code 3. One way to avoid it in the kitchen is by choosing plastic wrap made from polyethylene rather than PVC. If a box is not labeled, find a brand that is or call the manufacturer.

#6 Polystyrene is used in Styrofoam products. It may leach styrene (a neurotoxin) when it comes into contact with hot, acidic, or fatty foods. It's marked with recycling code 6.

#7 Polycarbonate can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with a long list of health concerns. Baby bottles, "sippy" cups, 5-gallon water jugs, and reusable beverage bottles are typically made out of this plastic. Products may be marked with recycling code 7 (also includes any plastic that doesn't fit into the 1 to 6 recycling code categories) and/or the letters "PC."

The following plastics are considered safest for food storage. Glass and stainless steel are also good options.

#1 Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene (PETE), code 1.

#2 High-density polyethylene (HDPE), code 2.

#4 Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), code 4.

#5 Polypropylene (PP), code 5.

Old Fashioned, Eco Friendly Turkeys

If you want your holiday dinner to have a little authentic history -- and be kinder to the earth -- order a heritage turkey this Thanksgiving. These varieties have changed little from their 19th-century versions and don't have a lot of the ills associated with more recent, mass-produced birds.

Heritage turkeys have long lifespans, mate naturally, and grow slowly. They're smaller than the modified birds because they don't have overdeveloped breasts, and heritage birds have a more balanced ratio of white and dark meat.

Farmers usually raise heritage turkeys "free range" so they get a richer, game-like flavor, plus the meat is leaner. Most, but not all heritage turkeys are organic, so make sure to ask.

Search for heritage turkey farms in your state on www.localharvest.org , or buy online from the same site. You may need to order a couple weeks in advance to ensure timely delivery.

Carpet Recycling

Here are some facilities that will take old post-consumer carpet.  Remember to follow these rules before you drop these items off:

• Must be dry, no wet carpet or pad

• Rolled residential carpet accepted

• Commercial carpet accepted only with prior approval

• Maximum 6 feet for width of carpet in rolls

• Rolls tied with string or twine (no duct tape)

• Separated urethane foam padding accepted

• No rubber backed carpet or rubber pad

• No carpet tile or other rigid flooring

• No carpet scraps or trimmings

• No tack strips, nails, staples or knife blades

• No wet glue, debris, refuse, rocks or caked mud

• Minimal loose dirt

• Absolutely no co-mingled refuse accepted

Bro-Tex Inc.
St. Paul, MN  55114

Atomic Recycling
Minneapolis, MN 55411

Hennepin County Recycling Center & Transfer Station
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445