It’s a sad truth that birds, mammals, and reptiles can be injured or killed by the trash we throw away. The size and impact of the problem is growing every day, especially because some types of litter do not readily disintegrate and therefore remain in the environment as a threat for decades. To help protect wildlife and natural habitats, local cleanup campaigns and recycling plans are now being implemented.

Litter can be very harmful to wildlife. Discarded fishing lines can trap the legs, wings, or neck of waterfowl such as swans or moorhens. A fishhook may get stuck in a bird’s throat. Water birds suffer lead poisoning when they accidentally swallow small lead fishing weights. Broken glass can cut the feet of foxes, coyotes, or badgers, and unbroken bottles present a hazard to various small animals. Lizards often crawl inside bottles or cans to bask warm interior, to seek protection or search for food; but they may find it difficult to squeeze out again and can die of overheating. Small mammals in search of food often get their heads caught in the openings of jars. Replacing lids on bottles and jars before discarding can help prevent animals from becoming entrapped. Birds, fish, and mammals may be ensnared by plastic six-pack holders. This can be prevented this by cutting up the plastic rings so that they do not become traps.

Litter may appear to be helpful to wildlife. At night in some urban areas, foxes look for garbage on the streets. Often they feed on chicken bones, pieces of hamburger, and other leftovers from fast-food meals. During the day pigeons take over from foxes, these birds often flap around a food-laden garbage can of peck crumbs on the pavement. Gulls are well-known scavengers. These birds have greatly increased their number by feeding on thrown-away food. Inland, they gather in flocks over garbage dumps, where they eat even the filthiest scraps.

But human food is not necessarily good for wild animals. Deer, for instance, love bread and sweets. These purified grain products may form gummy masses in the stomachs of ruminants and interfere with digestion. Deer may actually die from ingesting too much food with a flour base. Discarded food can also become contaminated with microorganisms that cause food poisoning. More likely, however, the wild animals will become accustomed to free handouts and be unprepared to hunt for themselves if the source of human food is cut off.

So what can you do to help protect wildlife? Look at the products your family uses. Is there a lot of extra packaging that is not needed? Tell the company by letter, phone or e-mail. They have offices set up to handle such concerns. Don’t buy from companies who refuse to reduce unnecessary packaging. Check the trash that your family discards. Does your trash get placed in an animal proof container? That will help protect animals. It is still wise to check each item that you discard. What packages could injure animals? Cut up or tie plastic bags and six pack holders into knots to prevent injury to small animals. Remove can tops completely. Seal food in leak proof bags. Put lids on bottles and jars, or plug holes before disposing of them. Get involved with community cleanup projects such as Earth Day — or, better yet, make community clean up a routine. If you see trash in a field or along a road, pick it up (wear gloves or some other hand protection). Teach others about the need for protecting animals from trash.

Spread the word, and do your part to protect wildlife and their natural habitats.

Many of us plan to spend some time this summer enjoying the great outdoors. Whether you’re hiking or camping (or both), be mindful of the environment – leave no waste behind when your trip is over.

It might surprise you to learn that even food scraps take a significant amount of time to decompose. For instance, a banana peel can take up to a month to decompose – in certain climates, a few orange peels could take years to vanish. Every bit of trash left behind builds up as more and more people visit an area.

Traces from a hike through the wilderness, tossing paper napkins, food scraps, and cold cigarette butts will probably be gone in a few years so many people don’t consider such garbage to be a long-term impact on the environment. This type of littering is a great social problem that ruins the experience for other visitors and it runs the risk of habituating animals searching for food.

By repackaging food into reusable containers before leaving home, the amount of potential trash can be nearly eliminated. Storing food in heavy-duty zip-loc bags reduces weight and waste and makes the packing more flexible. Packing all food for a meal into one container cuts down on confusion when figuring out what to unpack for dinner. Reduce your plastic waste by using refrigerator water filters and using your own reusable water bottles.

Dispose of Food and Trash: Pack out all garbage. Food does not burn completely in a campfire. Animals dig up buried food. Handle food carefully to eliminate dropped bits. Sunflower seeds, rice, Ramen noodles, bread crumbs are commonly dropped when a package is opened. Use a knife to carefully open a package inside a large plastic bag or over the cooking pot. If it isn’t dropped, it doesn’t need to be picked up. Only open and prepare food that will be eaten. Eliminate leftovers to prevent waste and reduce the garbage being carried out. Remember, uneaten food gets packed out too. Burn no trash – paper, aluminum, cardboard wrappers, and any packaging will not burn completely.Burning it will release contaminants into the air and soil. Tin foil, bottle caps, pop-tart wrappers and melted plastic are commonly found in firepits.

Dishes and Dishwater: Scrape all food out of dishes and either eat it or store it to pack out. There are very useful small plastic pot scrapers that get nearly everything off a pot or dish. Wash dishes with hot water and a scrubbie, at least 200 feet from your campsite, trail, and water sources. Soap is not really needed for most cleaning. If you must use some, use a bit of biodegradable camp soap. Strain the dish water through a fine mesh screen or panty hose and into a container. The panty hose catches all but the tiniest of food bits and you can then pack them out in the garbage. The resulting water is called ‘grey water’ and should be disposed of by broadcasting it over a wide area. That means throwing the water out in an arc to disperse it as much as possible. This helps it evaporate faster and reduces the attraction for animals.

Like Woodsy the Owl once said, “Give a hoot — don’t pollute!”

A beautiful and healthy lawn is good for our environment. It can resist damage from weeds, disease, and insect pests. Pesticides can be effective, but need to be used according to the directions on the label and should not be relied on as a quick-fix to lawn problems.

Here are some tips to follow:

• Develop healthy soil. Make sure your soil has the right pH balance, key nutrients, and good texture. You can buy easy-to-use soil analysis kits at hardware stores or contact your local County Cooperative Extension Service for a soil analysis.
• Choose the right grass for your climate. If your area gets very little rain, don’t plant a type of grass that needs a lot of water. Select grass seed that is well suited to your climate and other growing conditions such as the amount of sunlight and rain your lawn receives. Over-seed your lawn each Fall by spreading seeds on top of the lawn. A thicker lawn helps to crowd out weeds. Your local County Extension Service can advise you on which grasses grow best in your area.
• Longer is Better. Make sure the lawn mower blades are sharp. Grass that is slightly long makes a strong, healthy lawn with few pest problems. Weeds have a hard time taking root and growing when grass is around 2½ to 3½ inches for most types of grass.
• Water Early. It is time to water if footprint impressions stay in the lawn and do not spring back. Water early in the morning and only for short periods for time so the soil may absorb the water. Longer grass has stronger roots and retains water better.
• Correct thatch buildup. Thatch is a layer of dead plant materials between the grass blades and the soil. When thatch gets too thick, deeper than 3/4 of an inch, water and nutrients are prevented from getting into the soil and reaching the roots of the grass. Overusing synthetic fertilizer can create heavy layer of thatch, and some kinds of grass are prone to thatch buildup.
• Recycle grass. Don’t pick up the grass clippings after you mow. Clippings will return nutrients and moisture to the soil. Consider buying a mulching lawn mower. This will cut the grass clippings finer and blow them into the lawn.
• Let your lawn breathe. Once a year, remove small plugs of earth to allow air and water to aerate the grass roots.
• Invite a few weeds and insects into you garden. Think of you lawn as a small piece of nature where pests have their place. Often, nature provides its own pest control in the form of birds or other insects that feed on the insects we consider nuisances.
• Use manual tools. Tools that don’t require electric or gasoline engines are especially handy for small yards or small jobs. There are hand tools available that will meet a wide variety of lawn and garden needs, like lightweight, quiet, easy-to-use reel push mowers that generate no emissions.

Do you use pressure-treated lumber on your deck, fence, post or gazebo? Learn about CCA (chromated copper arsenate), a wood preservative that contains arsenic, and learn about alternatives to CCA.

Using and Storing Gasoline In the summer, lots of portable containers are used to store and transport fuels for lawnmowers, chainsaws and recreational vehicles. These portable containers can emit hydrocarbons; in addition, spills can leak into ground water. Here are some tips to follow to reduce these concerns:

• Use Proper Containers Use only containers approved by a nationally recognized testing lab, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Containers should be fitted with a spout to allow pouring without spilling and to minimize the generation of vapors. Always open and use gasoline containers in a well-ventilated area away from children and animals.
• Fill Cautiously Fuel equipment on a hard surface such as concrete or asphalt and use a funnel and/or spout to prevent spilling or splashing when fueling lawn and recreational equipment and always fuel outside where there is adequate ventilation to disperse the vapors
• Store Carefully Store as little gasoline as possible and be certain to keep your gasoline container properly sealed. Store the gasoline in a cool, dry place and never in direct sunlight. Store at ground level to minimize the danger of falling and spilling. Do not store gasoline in a car trunk. There is a threat of explosion from heat and impact. Do not store gasoline in your basement.
• Avoid Spills Avoid spilling gasoline on the ground, especially near wells. If a small spill occurs use kitty litter, saw dust or an absorbent towel to soak up the spill, then dispose of it properly.
• Dispose Properly Do not dispose of gasoline down the drain, into surface water, onto the ground, or in the trash. You should check with your town concerning using your local household hazardous waste collection for safe disposal of excess or old gasoline.

Visit the EPA‘s website for more tips!

Communities around the country have helped keep America beautiful this spring by participating in the Great American Cleanup!

Entering its 17th year, the Great American Cleanup is the country’s largest community improvement program that kicks off in more than 20,000 communities each spring, usually from March through early May. This national program engages 2 million volunteers who take action in their communities to create positive change and lasting impact.

Keep America Beautiful and its powerful network of community-based affiliates execute the Great American Cleanup each year by launching service projects based on the knowledge and needs of local communities. During the Great American Cleanup, the  volunteers’ work returns on average $175 million in measurable benefits across the participating communities.

The Great American Cleanup program offers structured service projects including experiential environment education, organized volunteer events and employee engagement opportunities. The organization works closely with governors, mayors and other local government and community leaders including state recycling organizations to ensure that they are meeting the needs of local communities.

Led by more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates and hundreds of other participating community-based organizations, Great American Cleanup events and education programs help to renew parks, trails and recreation areas, clean shorelines and waterways, remove litter and debris, reduce waste and increase recycling, and plant trees, flowers and community gardens, among other activities to inspire a new generation of community stewards.

The Great American Cleanup provides communities with structured service projects that engage volunteers to take greater responsibility for their community’s environment. All Great American Cleanup service projects create opportunity for environmental education and positive behavior change to build and sustain more beautiful communities.

Here’s what the Great American Cleanup does:

• We remove litter and debris from roadsides, highways, shorelines and waterways for safer, cleaner communities.
• We plant trees, flowers and gardens to strengthen our community’s green infrastructure.
• We clean and restore nature trails, recreation areas and playgrounds to encourage play and physical activity.
• We recycle cans, plastic bottles, electronics, paper products, tires, clothing, and even junk cars to give garbage another life.
• We rebuild public spaces in communities struck by natural disasters to renew social connections.
• We restore business storefronts and gateways to spur economic impact.

In 2014, Great American Cleanup participants:

• Removed 37 million pounds of litter and debris for safer, cleaner communities;
• Cleaned 85,901 miles of streets, highways, trails, waterways and shorelines;
• Cleaned and renewed 130,497 acres of parks, public lands and wetlands;
• Collected more than 250 million pounds of items for recycling or reusing, including PET plastic bottles, electronics, newspaper and more; and
• Planted 41,000 trees and 1.5 million flowers and bulbs to strengthen a community’s green infrastructure.

Pretty impressive!

Although most cleanups have already happened this spring, you can take their example and do your own local cleanup. Mark your calendar for next spring! Click here for more information about Keep America Beautiful.

Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With our powerful network of community-based affiliates, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities to transform public spaces into beautiful places. Whether the place is a community garden, a city park or a vacant lot, public places provide a neutral space in which people can come together with a shared purpose of community building. By continually improving public spaces while caring for neglected ones, positive social and economic change occurs in communities across the country.

For your entertainment, here are four garbage stories that made American headlines recently. You can’t make this stuff up!

Georgia garbage collector gets jail time for pre-dawn pickup: one Atlanta suburb has a city ordinance that actually prohibits trash collection prior to 7am. As a result, Kevin McGill, who’s spent just three months on the job in Sandy Springs, Ga., will spend 30 days in jail for violating the ordinance and picking up trash a few minutes after 5am recently. Chief prosecutor Bill Riley, who pushed for jail time, says early trash pickups are a recurring noise nuisance that routinely inspire 911 calls, reports the Atlanta Sun Times. “Fines don’t seem to work,” he said. “The only thing that seems to stop the activity is actually going to jail.” McGill has opted to serve his time spread out over 14 consecutive weekends so that he can continue working and still come home to his wife, two sons, and four dogs. It remains unclear why he was on the job so early.

Texas man makes a living dumpster diving: Matt Malone has a well-paying security specialist career and owns a promising startup business. Yet if you want to track him down after hours, you’ll need to peek inside a bunch of Texas dumpsters. The 37-year-old Austin man told Randall Sullivan, writing for Wired, that he’s made a killing moonlighting as a dumpster-diver, extracting an astonishing amount of “treasure” that he can either use for his own hobbies or refurbish and resell. He’s gotten it down to a science, creating spreadsheets for inventory, figuring out when garbage day is for each target site, and mapping out particularly lucrative locations, like big-box retailers, college campuses (rich kids throw out lots of stuff, he claims), storage facilities, and stores going out of business or undergoing a remodel. His vocation has paid off big time: He says if he chose to make it his full-time job, he’d make at least $250,000 a year. Malone started what he calls his “for-profit archaeologist” career nine years ago when he had to pick through the trash of a client for a security job. He was amazed at his first haul—a line of discontinued printers from OfficeMax, still in their boxes—and was hooked. He’s picked up plenty of tips along the way from other divers, including focusing on consumables (e.g., paper, toner) rather than just big-ticket items, and knows to “move along” if cops ask him to. He takes special pleasure in offering typically expensive finds for much-lower prices to people who couldn’t afford them otherwise. Sullivan, who went with him on a couple of “dives,” predicts Malone could actually pull in about $600,000 per year if every night was as productive as the ones he tagged along on. So why doesn’t Malone just troll for trash full time? He says he likes his day job.

California man gets scooped up by garbage truck: A man searching for his wallet in a trash bin in Northern California was scooped up by a garbage truck and taken on a long, presumably smelly, ride. The Oroville Mercury Register reports that the man survived the ride in the rear of a truck. Yolo County Sheriff’s Lt. Martin Torres said the man, whose name was not released, was inside a garbage bin when the truck made a pick-up on Tuesday. The man told police he used lumber in the truck to reach the top of the garbage pile to better avoid the compactor. He was taken to UC Davis Medical Center for complaints of back and neck pain. “The man said he was stuck in the truck for about an hour, but estimates show it was more like 3 or 3 1/2 hours,” Torres tells the newspaper. “The truck made several other pick-ups before arriving at the landfill, where the driver saw the man crawl out of his trash pile.

Pennsylvania woman accused of assaulting garbage man: A Pennsylvania woman faces assault and harassment charges over her garbage pickup. The 49-year-old in Lower Saucon Township apparently became enraged when the garbage truck passed her home because her trash wasn’t out in time, reports Lehigh Valley Live. Then followed three not-so-proud moments, according to court documents:

• She dumped her garbage on her driveway and ordered the trash collector to return and pick it up with his teeth.
• She said this: “You’re a garbage man, you drive a garbage truck and I drive a Range Rover.”
• When he tried to walk away, she allegedly smacked him so hard in the face that she broke one of his teeth.

Sarah Hart is free on her own recognizance but facing trial.

Earlier this month, we talked about getting started with your spring cleaning by decluttering your home with a solid reduce-reuse-donate-recycle plan. Now here are some eco-friendly tips for scrubbing away the winter dust and grime:

1. Make your own household cleaning supplies: Buying eco-friendly cleaning supplies is a good start, but for a truly green clean, make your own cleaners. You’ll bypass the resources that go into production, shipping, and purchasing–from making that plastic spray bottle to getting the product to your local supermarket–and you’ll save a ton of money. Most of your home can be cleaned with recipes that are a combination of hot water, vinegar, and baking soda or washing soda; add a few drops of essential oil for scent if you prefer. Since you’re only making what you need as you need it, you’re cutting back on waste, and you won’t have any worries about what kind of toxins you may be spraying around your kids and pets.
2. Aim for a no-waste clean: No matter how green your sprays and scrubs may be, if you use an entire roll of paper towels to scrub your bathroom–well, that is not exactly eco-friendly cleaning. And when you’re looking at a project as big as this one, you’ll want to leave little to no waste in your wake. Trade paper towels for reusable microfiber cloths or sponges, and ditch the Swiffer sweeper for a broom (preferably one you already have, of course) or the disposable mop for a reusable one.
3. Choose natural cleaning for big projects: Sure, you vacuum, dust, and wipe the counters on a daily or weekly basis, but spring is the perfect time to focus on the spaces you generally gloss over–by vacuuming out the refrigerator coils to make the appliance more efficient, deep-cleaning your carpet, and washing your drapes. For the carpet, mix borax and essential oil together, sprinkle over the rug, let it sit, and then vacuum; for curtains and drapes that are machine washable, use an eco-friendly detergent. If they’re not up to going in the washer, find an eco-friendly dry cleaner in your area and drop them off there.
4. Go paperless: This is a great way to green your home office every day, but your annual spring cleaning is a perfect reminder to make sure you aren’t overwhelmed by junk mail. Using a service like GreenDimes or 41 pounds, stem the tide of incoming junk mail; then set up your bank account for online billing and payments to cut back on waste. You’ll have fewer papers to file and keep track of, plus fewer forests will be decimated just for another J. Crew catalog. And as your magazine subscriptions expire, see if you can read online instead to keep your living space even more clutter-free.
5. Plan ahead: If you keep these tips in mind all year, then your next spring cleaning will be that much easier. Don’t let stuff accumulate in your home; don’t buy things you don’t need; and don’t be shy about returning gifts you won’t ever use. Take advantage of the seasons to edit your collections and donate or sell goods–you might get more at a consignment shop for a winter coat in the fall then in the spring, and your yard sale of extra housewares may do better in late summer if you can catch the back-to-college crowd.

Thinking green throughout all areas of your life–from your office to your wardrobe to your home electronics–will put you ahead of the game come next spring.

With warmer weather just around the corner, lots of us are thinking about dusting off the winter blues — literally. If you’re getting ready to give your home a good scrub down for spring cleaning, here are some tips to help you do it as environmentally friendly as possible:

1. Reduce: The first step to fighting messes and keeping your home spic-and-span is getting rid of all that stuff you never use. Go through all the places where it accumulates–try closets, junk drawers, out-of-reach shelves, attics and basements, and any other place where you’re inclined to toss stuff as you say, “I’ll deal with this later”and be diligent about– separating out what you really will use someday from what you never will. Be honest: you may say you like that sweater your aunt gave you for Christmas in 2004, but if it still has the tags on it, you aren’t ever going to wear it. And be practical: do you really need that quesadilla maker? We’re not suggesting that you trim down to an uber-minimalist lifestyle, but the quickest way to cut your cleaning time is to simply have less stuff to clean.
2. Reuse: Now you have a pile that you’re ready to get rid of–but wait. Don’t just trash it. First, go through and see if any of those items could serve a purpose you haven’t thought of before: Do you have enough books to stack up and use as a side table? Can you take the frames off those ugly paintings and use them elsewhere? There are ways to reuse everything from single mittens and broken guitar strings to holiday greeting cards and ceramic tiles–so while we aren’t suggesting you keep all this around just in case, see if any of what you have can save you from buying something else.
3. Donate: Once you’ve taken stock of what you can use, separate out items that someone else might need. This includes dishes, kitchen gadgets, clothes, books, magazines, toys, home decor–all of these items could find a second life with someone else. If you need instant gratification, just drop it all off at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army; if you’re slightly more patient, try offering items for sale or barter on Craigslist, turning your goods over to an artist, donating through Freecycle, or seeing what you can get for that collection of comic books on eBay. Your house will be less cluttered, someone else can skip buying new, and the landfills will be that much emptier.
4. Recycle: Once you’ve exhausted all the other options, it’s time to hit the recycling bucket. Of course you’re already recycling newspapers, magazines, and any glass that isn’t salvageable, but take a second look at the rest of your trash, too. Did you clean out the fridge? Find a compost pile. Get rid of old electronics, from cell phones to VCRs to ancient computers, by passing them off to retailers with a recycling program or to a specialized electronics recycling company. Check anything plastic to make sure it’s recyclable, and make sure to safely dispose of anything that’s not recyclable or trash-friendly, like old paint or batteries.
5. Get the right home organization tools: Now that you’ve managed to weed out the useless from the useful, you need to find a system for organizing what you’ve got left–because if you can’t find something when you need it, you’d might as well not have it at all. For this, you’ll need storage containers, but that doesn’t mean you need to stock up on (non biodegradable) plastic bins. Instead, try cardboard boxes wrapped in pretty paper, bamboo baskets, or cloth bags made from old t-shirts. Raise your storage with eco-friendly shelving to free up floorspace and make your rooms look bigger. And note: if, while you’re organizing, you find items that don’t seem to fit with anything else, those are likely goods you could add to the “donate” pile.

Check back in later this month for Part Two, which will address eco-friendly cleaning products and more!

With so many people in the world going hungry every day, it’s awful to consider that millions of tons of food are being thrown in the garbage.

The New York Times reported on February 25 that “a report released Wednesday shows that about 60 million metric tons of food is wasted a year in the United States, with an estimated value of $162 billion. About 32 million metric tons of it end up in municipal landfills, at a cost of about $1.5 billion a year to local governments.” 

And it’s not just in the United States: “The report estimates that a third of all the food produced in the world is never consumed, and the total cost of that food waste could be as high as $400 billion a year. Reducing food waste from 20 to 50 percent globally could save $120 billion to $300 billion a year by 2030, the report found.”

The New York Times went on to report:

“Food waste is a global issue, and tackling it is a priority,” said Richard Swannell, director of sustainable food systems at the Waste and Resources Action Program, or Wrap, an antiwaste organization in Britain that compiled the new report. “The difficulty is often in knowing where to start and how to make the biggest economic and environmental savings.”

The food discarded by retailers and consumers in the most developed countries would be more than enough to feed all of the world’s 870 million hungry people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

But it is not just those countries that have problems with food waste. The report showed that it is also an issue in African countries like South Africa.

The problem is expected to grow worse as the world’s population increases, the report found. By 2030, when the global middle class expands, consumer food waste will cost $600 billion a year, unless actions are taken to reduce the waste, according to the report.

Food waste is not only a social cost, but it contributes to growing environmental problems like climate change, experts say, with the production of food consuming vast quantities of water, fertilizer and land. The fuel that is burned to process, refrigerate and transport it also adds to the environmental cost.

Most food waste is thrown away in landfills, where it decomposes and emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Globally, it creates 3.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases annually, about 7 percent of the total emissions, according to the report.

The United Nations agency points out that methane gas from the world’s landfills are surpassed in emissions by only China and the United States.

“Seven percent is not the largest contributor of greenhouse gasses, but it’s not an insignificant amount,” said Helen Mountford, the director of economics at the World Resources Institute. “But this is one area — reducing food waste — where we can make a difference.”

Over the last several years, some cities and counties in the United States, including New York City, have started programs to tackle the issue. Hennepin County, Minn., the state’s most populous county, provides grants from $10,000 to $50,000 to local business and nonprofits to help recycle food products or turn them into compost.

“There is still a lot in the waste stream,” said Paul Kroening, supervising environmentalist at Hennepin County Environmental Services. “We are just scratching the surface.”

A coalition of food industry trade groups, the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, has also increased effort to combat food waste. Meghan Stasz, the director of sustainability for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a member of the alliance, said the group was working with supermarket chains to reduce waste by clarifying expiration dates and selling smaller portions of food.

Ms. Stasz said the group was also getting its members to donate more food and make changes in manufacturing processes to reduce the amount of wasted food. One member, the giant food company ConAgra, changed the way it placed dough in shell for its pot pies and saved 235 tons of dough in a year.

Mr. Swannell, of the antiwaste group Wrap, applauded those efforts, but said more still needed to be done.

“Awareness of food waste has risen, but we need to do more to tie that awareness to actions on the ground,” he said. “We need to find better ways to deal with food waste, but we need to prevent it in the first place.”