How (un)sustainable is your fast food?

AA is one of the greatest places to eat in the entire world. Our food is so good that Buzzfeed even wrote an article about it. World famous eateries line our streets, like Zingerman's, Angelo's, and Tíos (which was featured on Man vs. Food for their Mount Nacheesmo). But we aren't lacking in America's beloved fast food restaurants, either. Fast food, with its high-profits-at-any-cost-to-society atmosphere, however, is not very eco-friendly. This post features a go-to guide on our city's fast food restaurants and their varying levels of (un)sustainability. 

Image retrieved from Google Maps.

1. Wendy’s 

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The first stop on our tour is Wendy's, located in the basement of the Union. Since we are the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office, this post will focus mostly on each company's packaging and recycling programs. 
Wendy's, unlike some others on this list, does include a page on their website for 'Environmental Sustainability,' but it's so vague that it's practically useless.They make statements like,"We continually strive to be good stewards of the environment by working closely with our vendors, to purchase products and services with a view toward energy efficiency and a low environmental impact." What are the more energy-efficient products? What does 'work closely' mean? 

This photo was retrieved from the 'Environmental Sustainability' page on Wendy's website. 

A vague "many" of their restaurants recycle corrugated cardboard boxes and used cooking oil, so that's something. Also, Wendy's recently started using tray liners made from 100% recycled materials, which they claim represents saving 21,250 trees a year. See the image to the right for more fun facts. Also, see the bottom of this blog post for an assessment of Wendy's sustainability by Tree Hugger.

2. Subway 

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Our next stop is right around the corner from Wendy's. Literally around the corner in the Union basement. Subway seems to be making more of an effort to include recycled materials in all of their products, as well as to be more transparent about it. Their towel and tissue products are made with 100% recycled material and are printed using soy or water-based inks. Subway is also making significant strides with waste reduction. They are reducing waste by removing the paper interleaf between their cheese slices, which has removed 450,000 pounds of paper from their waste stream. It's a bit harder for them since anyone can be a franchisee, but they do have recycling and composting bins available for any interested franchisee. The recycling and composting program isn't necessarily being enforced, though. However, according to Tree Hugger's analysis below, Subway is making considerably more effort than most other fast food chains. 

3. Noodles & Co.

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Now let's move up State street to Noodles & Company. Well, this is embarrassing. For them, I mean. I can't find any information on them making a single sustainability initiative. While they do not appear to be making any sustainability initiatives directly, they are inadvertently reducing waste by serving their dine-in meals in china dishes rather than disposable packaging. 


4. Five Guys

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Cross the street after Noodles, and we've reached Five Guys. Similar to Noodles, it is my inference that Five Guys engages in a number of sustainable behaviors without explicitly trying to. For example, they only have coolers, no freezers, in their establishments. While they do this to sustain the delicious flavor in their patties, it is also more energy-efficient. In addition, their packaging is minimalist - an unbleached paper bag, some aluminum foil, and a paper cup will be your only waste from getting a burger and fries. They also process their own fries on site, cutting down on pollution from transport. However, they serve mainly beef, which is the least energy efficient form of meat - it takes thousands of gallons of water to raise a cow, not to mention the energy it takes to process the meat. 

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5. Potbelly

Cross the street to the corner of State and East Liberty and we're at Potbelly. Potbelly claims they recycle at 70% of their shops.The chain has an ongoing initiative to increase recycling; they're working with their landlords and waste collectors to expand their recycling program and decrease waste. Whenever possible they reuse a building’s existing wood floors, brick walls, ceilings and other historical elements. It’s an acknowledgement of the building’s history, but it’s also less wasteful and therefore better for the environment. 

6. Chipotle 

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Chipotle is right across State Street from Potbelly. Chipotle has an in-store recycling program that captures glass and plastic bottles from consumers and cardboard from the kitchen. Construction projects recycle roughly 95% of their waste through the creation of a construction waste management plan. They take measures like using 25% fly ash (a by-product of coal combustion) as a recycled material in their concrete. Chipotle also uses packaging materials that have minimal effect on the environment. Their burrito bowls are made from 93% recycled material (mostly recycled newspapers) this saves over 58,000 trees a year. Their aluminum lids are made of 95% recycled materials, including aluminum cans. By using 100% recycled content in their napkins, the company saves over 22 million gallons of water per year. They've reduced more than 140,000 pounds of chemical pesticide since 2005.  

7. Panera 

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Head South and round the corner at North University and you'll find Panera. Panera, like Noodles & Company, uses real dishes, so this is a waste-reducing effort made on their part. According to Mother Nature Network, they've also promised to remove all artificial ingredients from their product by 2016.






8. Taco Bell 

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Keep heading down North University to the basement of the League, where you'll find Taco Bell. Taco Bell is owned by Yum! Brands, who have developed Sustainable Sourcing and Waste Recovery Principles for their restaurants. Sustainable Sourcing ensures that paper and paper-based packaging products aren't coming from illegal fiber sources. This also means they are going to prefer suppliers who provide certified wood fiber. They also hope to source fiber from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Yum! wants to increase the amount of recycled content in their packaging, but they say that limited availability of recycled fibers restricts their ability to do so. They spent 6 months in 2013 surveying their global suppliers, asking questions about recycled and certified fiber content and country of forest fiber origin. Next, their Waste Recovery Principles are active in both restaurants as well as corporate offices. Yum! is expanding recycling to all of our restaurants as recycling systems become available. They also work with cross-industry groups such as the Paper Recovery Alliance and Food Waste Reduction Alliance to further food waste recovery and recycling efforts.

Works Cited

"Environmental Sustainability." Home. Wendy's, n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.

"Environmental Leadership." Environmental Leadership. Subway, n.d. Web. 10 June 2014.

"Green Initiatives." Respect the Planet. Potbelly, n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.

"Chipotle: Restaurants." Chipotle: Restaurants. Chipotle, n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.
"Chipotle: Food With Integrity." Chipotle: Food With Integrity. Chipotle, n.d. Web. 09 June 2014.
"Sustainable Paper-Based Packaging." Goal. Yum! Brands, 2013. Web. 11 June 2014.
Chheng, Tommy. "Fast Food Companies Fall Short on Deforestation Commitments." TreeHugger. TreeHugger, 27 May 2014. Web. 11 June 2014.

Red, White, and Green: Tips for an Environmentally-Friendly July Fourth

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The Fourth of July is this weekend! Here are a few tips to keep your Independence Day red, white, and green.

1. Use Reusable containers.
You're bound to have leftovers, so save them in tupperware containers so your guests can chow down on them later.

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2. Try a black bean burger instead.
Cattle farming is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the leading causes of deforestation. Avoid the beef - try a black bean burger! They have innumerable positive health effects.

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3. NO plastic water bottles!
Encourage your guests to bring their own reusable water bottles. The Fourth of July can get hot and sweaty, so be sure to stay hydrated and waste-free.

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4. Purchase local meats and produce.

Doing so will reduce the energy use and pollution caused by transporting foods.

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5. Buy organic.

Avoid exposing your guests to toxic chemicals by keeping them out of the soil, air and water supply.

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6. Grill more veggies and less meat. 

Have a healthier feast with a lower environmental impact. Also, cook your entire meal on your grill, including your vegetables, beans, and garlic bread. 

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That's all, folks! Have a Happy Independence Day. For more, Check out fun U of M Fourth of July activities here! 

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 'MURICA!

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Works Cited

"Generation Green." Generation Green EcoTip of the Week Fourth of July Celebrations Comments. Generation Green, n.d. Web. 12 June 2014.

Whittaker, Luke. "Green Grilling: Make Your Next Barbecue Experience Better for You & the Environment." INSTALLITDIRECT. INSTALLITDIRECT, n.d. Web. 12 June 2014.
"10 Animals That Are Bad for the Environment - Cattle." MNN. MNN, 2013. Web. 17 June 2014.
"6 Health Benefits of Black Beans." 6 Health Benefits of Black Beans. Eat This!, 29 May 2011. Web. 16 June 2014.

Trash Art

Today's post is all about trash. And art. Trash Art. It's a real thing, and it's fantastic. Check out these photos!

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Can you tell how many different items Mona Lisa is made up of? I see a spoon, a measuring cup, a Barbie's arm, a zipper, and a ton of buttons. 

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The above dog is made of used kitchen spoons. The horses below are made of a collection of different plastics.

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This fantastic dragon is made from thousands of aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

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The next two photos are done by the same artist, Francisco de Pájaro. Rather than taking bits of trash and making them into art elsewhere, Francisco finds trash on the streets and turns it into art right then and there. He usually writes "Art is Trash" near his works, so while his message is geared more toward defining art than reducing waste, he still reuses materials to make his art. If you'd like to know more about this artist, you can read de Pájaro's blog here.

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Recognize the photo below? It is a recreation of Seurat’s masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte, done with 106,000 aluminum cans. A closeup of the work is immediately beneath it. 

These photos were retrieved here.

Lastly, my personal favorite trash art is the work of artist Gregory Kloehn. He goes digging through trash for supplies to make tiny homes for the homeless.

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This photo was retrieved here.

In the following photo is Wonder, a homeless woman Kloehn has known for a few years now, sitting in her new home with its creator. 

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Hopefully this post has inspired you to create some of your own trash art!

It is likely we will see some trash art at the Ann Arbor Art Fair from July 16-July 19, 2014! Nearly 500,000 people attend this event every year. Check it out!

Works Cited

Friedman, Vitaly. "40 Terrific Works of Art Made From Common Trash - Noupe." Noupe. N.p., 12 July 2010. Web. 09 June 2014.

Inspiration, Resources. "Non-Trashy Recycled and Trash Art." Webdesigner Depot RSS. N.p., 29 Dec. 2009. Web. 09 June 2014.

"Amazing Recycled Art by Jane Perkins." Fine Print NYC Blog. N.p., 9 July 2013. Web. 09 June 2014.
"I've Seen People Turn Garbage Into Some Cool Stuff. But THIS.... This Is Absolute Brilliance." Viral Nova. N.p., 4 May 2014. Web. 09 June 2014.
Artz, Matthew. "Oakland Artist Turns Trash into Homes for the Homeless."MercuryNews.com. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 09 June 2014.

9 Waste-less Things to do in Ann Arbor This Summer

In honor of the summer solstice this weekend and spring classes ending soon, here are nine super fun and wasteless summer activities to do in Ann Arbor.
1. Thrift at PTO thrift shop

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Shop for some new summer clothes or fill the awkward space in your apartment with a new couch. Shoot, you might even find $40,000! You'll feel like a hero, saving your new clothing from a tragic death in a landfill. Not to mention you can save hundreds of dollars.

2. Buy a book from the sidewalk book man

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Sidewalk Book Man sets up shop just outside of Red Hawk's on State Street most warm weekday evenings. 'Shop' is a couple wobbly wooden tables piled high with books of all shapes and sizes. Stop by one night and pick up a book. Not only will you be reusing,  you'll get the opportunity to read an exotic new tale!

3. Take a trip down the Huron river

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Always wanted to try PaddleBoarding? Well this is the summer for it. The Argo Canoe Livery and the Gallup Canoe Livery both provide kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards for you, your friends, and your family to travel the Huron in. With oodles of trail options, you can have a river rapids ride or a trip down the lazy river. It's up to you!


4. Go for a walk

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Whether you take an evening stroll down down the streets of Ann Arbor or an afternoon hike in the Arb, take a minute to go for a walk. It's good for your heart, your mental health, and your wallet (walking is free, after all). It can reduce blood pressure and improve circulation, decreasing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Elle Woods says it best. "Exercise gives people endorphins. Endorphins make people happy!"

5. Tour the MRF

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A Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) tour takes you and a group of friends and/or family through the recycling plant of Ann Arbor. Get an idea of where your recyclables go, how much Ann Arbor produces every day, and why we can't recycle some of the things we can't (like Styrofoam and PVC pipe!) Check out this video of Michigan Radio's tour of the MRF!
To sign up for a tour, go here.

6. Get in touch with your artsy side at Scrap Box

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Love scrapbooking? Need a card for someone's birthday? Just feeling like being creative? I know I tend to get crafty and DIY-y during the summer. Let's all get our craft on! The Scrap Box has everything from ribbons to buttons, beads to paper, and bamboo sticks to colorful nylon. The best part is the Scrap Box is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all the materials available are reused and recycled! This is guilt-free crafting at its finest, people. The Scrap Box is located at 581 State Circle in Ann Arbor Michigan. It is a straight shot down State Street. Be sure to hang a right after you cross I-94. If you pass the airport, you've gone too far. 

7. Shop at the Kerrytown Farmer's Market

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Open to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering an unbelievable variety of foods and other products. Live bands, such as 'Appleseed Collective' play while you peruse through the market. Come for the local produce, stay for the live music and charismatic vendors. To learn more about the market, go here. Or check out their blog!


8. See an Outdoor Movie

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Top of the Park is showing tons of awesome outdoor movies at 10:00 p.m. on Rackham's Stage this summer...and they're all FREE!! 

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on June 15
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on June 17
• Despicable Me 2 on June 22
• When Harry Met Sally on June 24
• Spaceballs on June 25
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on June 22
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding on July 1
• Star Trek Into Darkness on July 3
• The Wizard of Oz on July 6

9. Give to the Violin Monster

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A popular figure in Ann Arbor, this man has been playing violin in a terrifying mask on Ann Arbor Street Corners for years now. It has been rumored that the pink tube socks will make a comeback this summer. Being the violin monster is this man's full-time job, so if you're lucky enough to run into him this summer, drop him a few coins. He'll appreciate it, though his face will be saying "RAAAAAAAWWWWWWWRRRRR."

Come to the Ann Arbor Green Fair!

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The Office of the Mayor of Ann Arbor is hosting a Green Fair THIS Friday, June 13th! A wonderful event with over 100 exhibits, you can interact with live birds of prey, listen to solar-powered live music, and chat with members of environmental nonprofits. This is the 14th Annual Green Fair, located on Main Street between Huron & William! I know we here at the U-M Waste Reduction and Recycling Office are super excited about this night of green fun and entertainment!

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For more information, see this website!

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What is A2Share?

What is A2Share? 

A clothing swap held by members of A2Share. 
This image is provided by A2Share's Facebook page.

A2Share is an organization dedicated to building up the sharing economy in the Ann Arbor area. They host monthly events such as clothing swaps (see photo to left), film screenings, and Sharing Summits, when members get together and share their skills, ideas, and resources (ie, food, seeds, books, and clothes). A2Share was created in February 2013 with funding from Shareable Magazine, an international online magazine for the sharing economy. 



What has A2Share been up to?

This image is provided by A2Share's Facebook page.

Over the last year, A2Share has created an online directory to gather all of the local sharing resources onto one handy website. In August of last year, they held their first Sharing Summit at the Campus Farm (see image to right). They invited all sharing-affiliated organizations such as the People's Food Co-Op, the Inter-Cooperative Council, and the Office of Campus Sustainability to 'table' at the sharing festivals. The event was successful, with 25 organizations and roughly 80 students and community members in attendance. After a very positive response, A2Share started monthly meetings, sometimes in the form of potlucks, which are held at Hathaway's Hideaway or member's houses.
Why share?

First of all it's cost-efficient. For example, sharing a lawn mower with two other houses cuts the cost down by two-thirds. Second, it is convenient - if I need a loaf of bread, I would much rather go across the street to a neighbor's house than all the way to the grocery store. Lastly, community members have much talent they don't put to use often enough. Maybe you're a Master Gardener, but you really want to learn how to play the piano. A2Share can put you in contact with someone who can teach you how to play and you can help them with their garden. This is an example of a service A2TimeBank, a new project A2Share is working on, can do for you. A timebank is like a bank, but you exchange your time doing something (teaching someone to play piano, gardening) rather than money.

Awesome! How do I get involved with A2Share?
If you're a student here at U-M, you are in luck! A2Share just started a student group and in the fall they'll be looking for new members as well as officers for the group. If you're interested, reach out to info@a2share.org; they'll keep you updated on upcoming events and ways to get involved. If you are anyone with access to the internet, you are ALSO in luck! Go to A2Share's website and sign up for their newsletter. Don't forget to follow A2Share on Facebook and Twitter, and email them at info@a2share.org. Also, there's a link to sign up for their newsletter here.
Lastly, the greatest way to get involved is to come to an event. It just so happens that A2Share is having an event on Saturday, June 7th(see flyer below)! See you there!

This information was provided by Ryan Gourley, founder of A2Share.

Why should we recycle E-waste?

First off, what is e-waste? E-waste is the more informal term for electronic products that are no longer useful to their original consumer. Computers, televisions, DVD players, speakers, and copiers are all common products which become e-waste. 

This photo was retrieved from the Office of Campus Sustainability website.

Why should I recycle e-waste locally? Electronic waste is NOT the same waste as everyday trash, which is why it should not be thrown in a landfill like regular trash.

1. E-waste recycling conserves natural resources.

2. E-waste contains toxic materials which can pollute our water systems.

3. Some e-waste materials are shipped out to developing countries, where unethical practices cause massively negative health effects on local populations.

1. E-waste recycling conserves natural resources.

Electronic waste contains many precious metals. Circuit boards, a common functional piece in computers, calculators, and televisions, contain metals with commercial value.The EPA estimates that “One metric ton of circuit boards contains 40 to 800 times the amount of gold and 30 to 40 times the amount of copper mined from one metric ton of ore in the US.” Should you throw your old IPad, Nook, or camera in a trash can, these precious metals will be stuck in a landfill, never to be useful to society again. E-waste recycling also indirectly conserves resources such as coal and oil, because e-waste recycling saves energy. We would save the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 24,000 US homes in a year.

2. E-waste contains toxic materials which can pollute our water systems.

While E-waste contains many commercially useful metals, it also contains many toxic materials. When you throw your electronic waste into the garbage can, it is likely to break during the process of reaching the landfill. The toxic materials inside such as lead, mercury and arsenic can leak and contaminate the landfill. Due to improper sealing of landfills, these toxic chemicals can seep into the ground as ‘garbage juice’ and contaminate the water supply, causing health problems such as cancer in local communities. Have you ever heard of biomagnification? Biomagnification is the act of a pollutant working its way up a food chain, existing in higher concentrations in top predators. For example, mercury from e-waste hypothetically seeps into the Huron River from the Sauk Hill Trails landfill in Wayne County. River plankton may absorb low levels of mercury. Fish then eat large amounts of plankton and mercury collects in the tissues of the fish. Members of the local community fish in the Huron River, eat the mercury-tainted fish, and potentially suffer from neurological impairment. Arsenic, another toxic component of e-waste can disrupt cell communication and cause cancer or diabetes. Additionally, lead exposure can impair cognitive and verbal activity, and eventually cause paralysis, coma and death.

3. Some e-waste materials are shipped out to developing countries, where unethical practices cause massively negative health effects on local populations.

In China and India, gangs hire locals to burn the heaps of computer monitors, DVD players, and televisions. The burns are meant to melt away the plastic and expose the valuable copper wires. Burning plastic releases some of the most toxic dioxins known on earth. Not only that, but proper workers safety regulations are not being put in place. Children and adults alike work in and live among these toxic air pollutants without any respiratory protection. Workers also suffer from burn marks on their hands and higher prices for water because drinkable water needs to be trucked into the town. Guiyu, a town in China with the largest e-waste site on earth, has the highest levels of cancer-causing dioxins in the world, and that pregnancies are six times more likely to end in miscarriage. 

This photo was retrieved from Greenpeace. See the webpage here.

That’s awful. What can I do about this? First, recycle your e-waste! Check to see if the manufacturer of your device will take the product back. Many manufacturers have take-back programs, including Apple, Dell and Toshiba. Sony even takes their products back in exchange for credit. These companies know the product best and therefore can most efficiently dismantle it into reusable parts. If the manufacturer will not accept their product back, drop off any electronics you are done with at any of the following locations:

• Best Buy- 3100 Lohr Rd.  
• Drop-Off Station - 2950 E. Ellsworth  
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore- 170 Aprill Drive 

Each spring the Office of Campus Sustainability partners with Ann Arbor schools to collect e-waste from citizens, small businesses, and non-profits in the local area. This year, a total of 220 tons of e-waste was collected during this three day event, from April 24-26. The equipment donated at this event is properly dismantled and recycled into raw materials at a licensed facility in North America.

This photo was retrieved from the University Record article on this year’s E-waste event. Read the article here.

The Bottom Line: E-waste isn’t really waste at all; it is a useful product that is no longer useful to you. If you don’t recycle your e-waste, precious metals like copper, silver, and gold will be stuck in a landfill, never to be used again, polluting our local water supply.

Works Cited

“What is E-waste?” What is E-Waste? CalRecycle, 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 May 2014.

“High-Tech Trash – Quiz: E-Waste- National Geographic Magazine.” High-Tech Trash – Quiz: E-Waste- National Geographic Magazine. n.d. Web. 12 May 2014.

“Frequent Questions I Ecycling.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 12 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 May 2014.

Toothman, Jessika. “How E-waste Works.” 04 June 2008. HowStuffWorks.com http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/e-waste.htm 12 May 2014.

“Following The Trail of Toxic E-Waste.” CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 9 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 May 2014.

Elger, Dana. “Faculty and Staff Help Recycle 220 Tons of Electronic Waste.” The University Record. The University Record, 5 May 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.