Individually Packed Dry Fruit - Wasteful or otherwise?

For all those dry fruit connoisseurs who love prunes (dried plums), here is some food for thought!

nutsonline-com

Bowel movement and overall health are a great argument when it comes to buying prunes in plastic bags. 

or grabbing a bottle or two of prune juice....

 (sunsweet website)

Manufacturers are already adding to the plastic clutter and the ocean patch, and have every reason to rethink their packing methods. And as if existing problems weren't enough, a genius marketing strategy session later, Sunsweet launched its individually wrapped prunes.


 Each prune individually wrapped in plastic...:-(

And then put them in another HDPE container..

Seriously!, did we need more plastic in the world? All in the name of a little of convenience!.. It is sadly amazing to see that consumers do not assess the impact of their choices on the planet? The nutritional information provided on their website, mentions eating "about 4 prunes" to equal one serving.

My question - why not package them in packs of four then? Back to the basic question - WHY the Wrapping in the first place. One logical explanation could be (probably) - that the company has to come up with new shenanigans to appeal to consumers and appear dynamic by showing that they are constantly reinventing themselves. Agreed. As much as that intention is appreciated, individual wrapping is a serious mistake and a definite waste of resources. On a lighter note! imagine having to eat more than one and all the packaging one has to peel..lol...hmm..seems like it is the company's trick for portion control!!! :-)

Given the fact that Sunsweet controls over 2/3rd of the prunes market in the US, higher sales figures for the single-wraps means an avoidable 3 sq inches of plastic wrap in the trash can (for every piece consumed). Isn't it time we as consumers took action and made informed choices?.

Any argument for and against this idea are pleasantly welcome.

(Sunsweet is a US based food and beverage manufacturer specializing in packed dry fruit and juice). 

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Guest Post - The Eco-Friendly Backyard: How to Save a Little 'Green'

It is a pleasure when thinking individuals acknowledge my crusade and want to put in their two cents! I was contacted by Elizabeth Greene of - My Dog Age My Blog, for featuring a guest post, I agreed. Its a pleasure to introduce Joy Paley and her take on American Consumption patterns and her thoughts on Lawn maintenance in particular. I am sure you will love this post...:). Onto Joy

The post

There’s no place near the “normal” American home that doesn’t reek of conspicuous consumption, and the backyard is certainly no exception. As post-WWII suburbs sprawled across the nation, so did the idea that a happy home was one in which the front and back yards were covered in emerald green turf. Not only does keeping a carefully maintained lawn use up an incredible amount of water (and money!), it also keeps rainwater from making its way through the soil to groundwater and causes pesticides and fertilizers to flow into nearby streams and rivers. Here are a few tips to green up your backyard and save a little dough in the process.

1. Get Rid of the Lawn

What is the alternative to a cushiony green pillow extending from your doorstep to the curb? How about a garden of native shrubs, flowers, and trees? It’ll need to be watered and troubled over much less than a lawn, will allow water to percolate through the soil, and it will attract native wildlife.

2. Collect Rainwater

Having the sprinklers or the hose running all the time zaps money from your pocket and uses up precious resources. Consider putting barrels in your yard or under your gutters to catch rainwater to use on your plants, instead.

3. Mulch Those Plants

Even if you get rid of your water-sucking exotic plants and make the switch to native species, you can still preserve energy by mulching around what you do have. Mulching keeps the sun from sucking up water out of the soil.

4. Compost

Composting is a low-cost way to generate nutritious soil for your garden and cut down on the amount of household waste you send to a landfill. A tumbler or regular barrel is a great way to start. Check out this Cornell site for the basics.

5. Use Earth-Friendly Yard Products

Most people maintain their yards to actively enjoy them, by picnicking, letting their kids play outside, etc. But would you really want your kids playing on a lawn that had been cared for with toxic pesticides and fertilizers? Check out organic lawn care options that are safer and easier on mother nature.

6. Upgrade Your Mower

Some old gas lawnmowers emit an incredible amount of pollution. Switching to a push mower is best, as they use less energy than ride-alongs. If you can’t stand the idea of pushing a mower across your lawn, an electric ride-along is your next best bet.

source: Joy Paley

This eco-friendly "no mow" lawn made of native grasses and plants is more attractive than any suburban turf I've seen

About the author: 

Joy Paley is a science and technology writer based in Berkeley, California. Check out her musings as a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog or as a writer for Online Schools.

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Guest post - coming soon!!!

I was contacted by Elizabeth Greene of - My Dog Ate my My Blog with a request to feature one of their guest authors on The Green Crusader. 

I thought I'd share her mail here ...

Dear Sudha,

Great blog! Your posts are very informative and I appreciate your post entitled "An Introduction to Ecocide".

My name is Elizabeth, the assistant editor at My Dog Ate My Blog. We have been blogging about politics, education, and technology for a few months now and we think it is about time to start reaching out to other passionate people.I would love to have one of our bloggers write a guest post for your blog. If you have any topic or style guidelines for guest posts, send them my way.I am looking forward to talking with you more.

Elizabeth Greene
Assistant to the Editor - My Dog Ate My Blog

PS: 

My Dog Ate My Blog is a creation of editors, writers, and marketers in the education industry looking for an outlet for their general creativity and immaturity.

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Eco friendly Printer - Not really

A friend sent out a group mail with ten eco friendly/green living ideas. One of them was a printer which doesn't need paper or ink. This is how it works-


source:eamusing.com
Company creates a desktop printer that doesn't use ink nor paper

Who says printers only use paper to print documents? It's time for you to meet the PrePeat Printer then. Different from conventional printers, PrePeat adopts a thermal head to print on specially-made plastic sheets. These plastic sheets are not merely water-proof, but could be easily erased, just feed the sheets through the printer again, and a different temperature will erase everything or just write over it. Also claimed by the manufacturer, such one sheet could be used up to 1,000 times so that you'll reduce your expenses on paper for sure."

My take!! - Why isnt this a green solution?...
A very important matter of concern - The plastic sheets used to print and erase content. Inventor(s) needs to work on that part of the invention...one major peeve being, the printer itself is made of plastic, whatever the lifespan of the appliance, it is going to end up as tiny immortal bits of plastic floating across some place in the world...hmm.. i am really hoping that i am not the only one who wants to think green or eco sense as a holistic approach

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