The GLRPPR Blog

On October 9, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. The purpose of the order was “to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for Federal agencies.” The order also required:

• Identification of an Agency Senior Sustainability Officer
• Establishment of the interagency Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability which consists of the Federal Environmental Executive and the Agency Senior Suitability Officers

The Executive Order also set a number of energy, water, and waste reduction targets for agencies to meet, including:

• 30% reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;
• 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020;
• 50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015;
• 95% of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements;
• Implementation of the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement.

So, how much progress have federal government agencies made in on these goals since the order was signed? Quite a bit, actually.

Federal agency strategic sustainability performance plans are available for perusal on the White House Council for Environmental Quality web site. The White House also launched the GreenGov Challenge, which generated more than 5,000 ideas and 165,000 votes from 14,000 federal employees. The GreenGov Environmental Challenge Final Report is available here.

For more information on federal government environmental efforts, check out FedCenter.org, particularly the Sustainability section.

A nationally known speaker on Sustainability and a panel of experts discussing energy savings programs will be featured in an upcoming seminar.  The sustainability seminar will be Thursday, October 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign, IL.   The seminar is sponsored by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC).

The free seminar will begin at 9 a.m. with a presentation from Praveen Gupta, an internationally renowned thought leader in the field of excellence and innovation.  Praveen is founding President of Accelper Consulting engaged in helping companies benefit from excellence and innovation in achieving their business objectives including sustainability.  He believes that sloppy designs utilizing unnecessary resources cause excessive waste, and lack of leadership in developing environment friendly innovative solutions has caused the sustainability fire to blaze.

Praveen has taught professional seminars world over for about 20 years. He has consulted with over 100 corporations in the areas of excellence and innovation. He has taught at DePaul University, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and will launch a class at the University of Illinois, Chicago this spring. Praveen has authored several books.

Following Praveen’s remarks, a panel of speakers will discuss energy assistance programs that are available to organizations and homeowners. The panel speakers include:

• Kristin Chalifoux – Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)
• Steve Baab – ComEd
• Carol Kulek – Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
• Bob Romo – Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
• Todd Rusk – IL Sustainable Technology Center
• Richard Reese – IL Environmental Protection Agency
• Cheryl Miller – Ameren Illinois

Panelists will give brief remarks about their program and then a panel discussion will follow.  Questions also will be taken from the audience.

While the seminar is free, participants must register.  To register, go to http://www.istc.illinois.edu/info/govs_awards_registration.cfm .

The morning seminar is in connection with the Governor’s Sustainability Award program.  Twenty seven organizations will be presented with Sustainability Awards at a luncheon for projects to help the environment and the economy.  The luncheon and award presentation is by invitation only.

ISTC has presented the Governor’s Awards since 1987.  ISTC is a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Tim Lindsey is leaving the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) to take another job with the University of Illinois.  Dr. Lindsey has been an Associate Director of ISTC and head of the Technical Assistance Program.

He now will be the Director of Energy and Sustainable Business Programs at the U of I – Business Innovation Services (BIS).  He will lead the State’s Green Jobs Initiative and will also direct the State’s efforts to create a stronger local foods industry. Business Innovation Services (BIS) provides customized consulting and training services, as well as public workshops and certificate programs.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Tim,” said Dr. Manohar Kulkarni, PE; Director of ISTC.  “Tim is an innovator; passionate about pollution prevention; and a gentleman.  While his daily presence at the center will certainly be missed, I hope to work with Tim on collaborative projects in his new role.  On behalf of the scientists and staff of ISTC, I wish Dr. Lindsey a roaring success in his future endeavors.”

Lindsey recently received a P² Champion award from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.  He has been at ISTC since 1991 and has directed the program that included work in pollution prevention, green business, energy efficiency, alternative energy, carbon foot-printing, water foot-printing, environmental cost analysis, life cycle analysis, and systems engineering.  He is best known for his pioneering work in developing Accelerated Diffusion of Pollution Prevention Technologies (ADOP²T), a model for technology diffusion that speeds the transfer of better environmental technologies and processes from the bench to the plant floor. Lindsey is the driving force behind the Sustainable Electronics Initiative, and has been the leader in ISTC’s effort to promote and improve biofuels.  In recent years, Lindsey has applied his expertise and passion to address sustainability problems in Haiti.  He has worked with local farmers and non-government organizations to set up biodiesel processors and to train Haitians in harvesting a suitable crop like Jatropha, processing it, and operating reactors to produce a quality bio-fuel.

Lindsey was previously employed at Exxon and worked as an Environmental consultant.  He received his B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Science from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois.

We offer Tim our congratulations and best wishes. Those of us at ISTC will greatly miss him!

The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) at the University of Minnesota is seeking a Program Director to provide technical outreach and program oversight. MnTAP is an outreach and assistance program helps Minnesota businesses develop and implement solutions that prevent pollution at the source, maximize efficient use of resources, and reduce energy use and cost. The director will be responsible for developing programs to meet business’ needs, pursing funding opportunities for program activities, collaborating with multiple in-state and national programs, managing staff, and providing technical assistance to businesses within one or two manufacturing sectors. Candidates must have a master’s degree or equivalent experience in a technical field; 8-10 years of experience in program development, budgeting, and project management; and excellent communication skills. To apply, visit employment.umn.edu, click “Search Postings,” and search for job posting #168670.

After 25 years of leading the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP)‘s efforts to assist Minnesota businesses and help improve the environment, MnTAP Director Cindy McComas is retiring at the end of the year. Cindy started at MnTAP a few months after the organization was founded and was named director shortly after joining the program. Upon her retirement, she is looking forward to pursuing new adventures, continuing to teach a pollution prevention course at the University of Minnesota, and spending more time with her family.

We offer Cindy our best wishes for her retirement, and hope she knows that many of her colleagues throughout the region will miss her!

Jeff Burke presents P2 Champion awards to Dr. Tim Lindsey & Phil Kaplan.

Two people from the Great Lakes region were honored recently as “Pollution Prevention Champions” by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable. Jeff Burke, NPPR Executive Director, presented the MVP2 awards to Tim Lindsey, Associate Director of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, and Phil Kaplan, recently retired P2 Coordinator for EPA Region 5. They were honored for their leadership and innovation in pollution prevention programs.

Congratulations to both Tim and Phil for this well-deserved recognition!

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has received a pair of national environmental awards. Awards were received for the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) and by Dr. Tim Lindsey.

The 2010 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards presented by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) celebrate the successes of innovators in the areas of pollution prevention and sustainability. These prestigious awards were presented recently at a ceremony in Washington, DC.  ISTC is a unit of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Tim Lindsey, Associate Director at ISTC; Manohar Kulkarni, ISTC Director; William Bullock, University of Illinois and academic leader of SEI; and Willie Cade, owner of PC Rebuilders and Recyclers and business liaison for SEI.

The MVP2 program award went to the SEI, a consortium dedicated to the development and implementation of a more sustainable system for designing, producing, and remanufacturing electronic devices.  Members of the consortium include academia, non-profit organizations, government agencies, manufacturers, designers, refurbishers and recyclers. Specific elements of the SEI include programs for research, education, data management and technical assistance. SEI conducts collaborative research; facilitates networking and information exchange among participants; promotes technology diffusion via demonstration projects; and provides forums for the discussion of policy and legislation.

Electronic waste is a growing national problem. Americans own some 3 billion electronic products. As new products are purchased, unused products are stored or discarded at alarming rates. About two-thirds of these electronic devices removed from service were still in working order; only about 15% of this material is recycled while the rest is land filled. The existing system for managing E-waste is generally not sustainable; mechanisms for collecting, sorting, reuse, refurbishing, repairing, and remanufacturing are not well developed and/or implemented. Problems of obsolescence, collection, management, and marketing need to be addressed. These are the issues tackled by the SEI.

The SEI last year was partially funded by the EPA as part of the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) program.

Dr. Lindsey’s award was for being a P2 Champion.  This award celebrates an individual whose work has an outstanding impact on implementing pollution prevention.  Lindsey is the ISTC Associate Director and has headed the Technical Assistance Program since 1991. He supervises a staff of engineers and scientists that perform research and assist with implementation of innovative technologies that improve sustainability.  Areas of focus for Dr. Lindsey’s program include:  pollution prevention, green business, energy efficiency, alternative energy, carbon foot-printing, water foot-printing, environmental cost analysis, life cycle analysis, and systems engineering.

Jeff Burke, Executive Director of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable congratulates Tim Lindsey for his selection as a P2 Champion.

Lindsey has long been a P2 visionary.  Processes and plans that he developed have become standard operational procedures for P2 professionals throughout the nation. He is best known for his pioneering work in developing  Accelerated Diffusion of Pollution Prevention Technologies (ADOP²T), a model for technology diffusion that speeds the transfer of better environmental technologies and processes from the bench to the plant floor. Lindsey is the driving force behind the SEI.  He also has been the leader in ISTC’s effort to promote and improve biofuels.  As a strong believer in information diffusion, Lindsey has spearheaded seminars and information opportunities.  In recent years, Lindsey has applied his expertise and passion to address sustainability problems in Haiti.  He has worked with local farmers and non-government organizations to set up biodiesel processors and to train Haitians in producing a crop, processing it, and operating reactors to produce a quality fuel.

The 2010 MVP2 recipients represent a broad range of backgrounds, including federal government agencies, academia, industries, non-profits, and individuals that have demonstrated significant accomplishments in pollution prevention

Jeffrey Burke, Executive Director of NPPR, stated, “These organizations have clearly demonstrated that pollution prevention is beneficial to both the environment and the economy. They are being recognized for their leadership and commitment to promoting a sustainable future.”  The MVP2 awards demonstrate how organizations can become more competitive, form partnerships, realize cost savings, and enhance environmental quality all at the same time.

For more information, please contact Bob Iverson.

National Pollution Prevention (P2) Week is in full swing, and it’s a great time to consider and celebrate what your organization or business, and you as an individual, are doing to prevent pollution in the first place. Promoting the idea of eliminating waste before it is even created is obviously one of the major objectives of organizations like the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR).

This year is particularly special, because it marks the 20th Anniversary of the passing of the Federal Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), which established the national policy that pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible. According to the U.S. EPA’s Pollution Prevention (P2) home page, “Pollution prevention (P2) is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.” The best way to solve a problem is to revise your actions to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place. Pollution prevention not only protects the environment and public health, it also conveys economic benefits in terms of increased efficiency and lessening the financial burden associated with waste disposal, toxic clean up, and other liability issues.

The following links will help you learn more about P2 Week and some of this year’s celebrations. I encourage you to share what you and/or your organization is doing for P2 Week in the “Comments” section of this post.The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) provides general information about P2 Week on its web site, along with providing posters to promote the week. Each year during P2 Week NPPR presents the MVP2 Awards to the most valuable pollution prevention programs, a P2 publication of the year, a P2 “champion” and a P2 volunteer of the year. Those are actually being awarded today in Washington, D.C., and I’ll be posting about the winners in the near future, so stay tuned!

The U.S. EPA is featuring the 20th anniversary of the PPA on its home page, along with links to information on what you can do to make a difference at home and in the garden; at work and on the road; for industry; and in local government. A press release regarding the PPA’s anniversary is also available. The EPA also has a page devoted to P2 Week, which includes information on webinars occurring during the week, focusing on water efficiency for hotels, the environmental and health impacts of personal care products, and greening your business.  This page also features “soundbites” from Steve Owens, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), on ways to help participate in P2 Week. The EPA’s Greenversations blog also features a post on P2 Week. (Thanks to Beth Anderson for sharing these links.)

Indiana is hosting the 13th Annual Pollution Prevention Conference and Trade Show this week, starting tomorrow. Each day during P2 Week, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is publishing a press release on how to prevent pollution in various aspects of your life, including practicing P2 at home, schools, businesses, in the community and at meetings (in that order during P2 week). See the IDEM press release page for links to the specific press releases. (Thanks to Jennifer Schick for sharing this P2 Week activity with GLRPPR.)

GLRPPR’s sister Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx) center, the Western Sustainability Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN) is partnering with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to host the Pollution Prevention Week 2010 Video Contest. See the DTSC web site for details and watch the submitted videos here. The contest’s theme is “What if everyone took one small action to reduce their environmental impact?” There’s still time to submit video responses through October 15, 2010. You can also respond to the question “What small change do you think will have a big, positive impact on the environment?” on the blog of Donna Walden, Regional Coordinator for WSPPN. (Thanks to Donna Walden for sharing these activities.)

So how are you celebrating P2 Week? Share your activities and thoughts by leaving a comment.

It’s a cliche, but things sure have changed since when I was in school. As I mentioned previously, my daughter recently started kindergarten. In addition to recess, which one would expect, she actually has physical education (P.E.) every third day (alternated with music and art classes). I’m pleased she’s being kept active, but surprised to be thinking about gym class quite so soon. In the midst of watching her explore the brave new word of P.E., I received an e-mail inquiry regarding the Greening Schools web site. This was a joint project of the Illinois EPA and GLRPPR’s parent organization, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC, formerly WMRC), which is unfortunately no longer funded (please e-mail me any ideas regarding funding sources to maintain and expand this site). The inquirer was interested in greener lesson plans geared toward P.E. I’ve seen resources related to greening athletic facilities, but the idea of actually greening the P.E. curriculum was an interesting twist to me, so I decided to share some of the resources I provided in response here. In this post I’ll discuss both resources for more sustainable P.E. facilities as well as curricula.

Facilities

Ideas abound for greening athletic facilities and playgrounds, from energy efficiency upgrades to using recycled rubber in athletic track and field surfaces. Check out the following links for ideas.

• GLRPPR Educational Institutions Sector Resource–Athletic Facilities: Provides some links to information on energy efficiency, automatic technologies and flooring surfaces.
• GLRPPR Educational Institutions Sector Resource–Playgrounds: Information applicable for physical education and recess for younger children.
• GLRPPR Educational Institutions Sector Resource–Related Help Desk Questions: Archived Help Desk questions are integrated into relevant Sector Resources. A question on energy efficiency for ice arenas is included. Remember to make use of the Help Desk service if you have specific questions on how to make your athletic facilities more sustainable.
• GLRPPR Outdoor Recreation Sector Resource: Overlap with resources mentioned above, but also includes resources specific to certain types of facilities and activities, such as golfing or skiing.
• Greening Schools–Athletic Facilities: More case studies and articles. Also check the general “Green Your Building” section of the Greening Schools web site for general tips that could be applied to athletic facilities.
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)–Green Buildings on Campus, Athletic (Recreation Centers, Stadiums): Though this set of resources is targeted for colleges and universities, practices highlighted could be applied to such facilities at any institution. Be advised that to access these resources, you need to log in to the AASHE site with a user account–anyone can get one, and you don’t need to be an AASHE member. See http://www.aashe.org/accounts/help for more info.
• American School & University Magazine–Athletic Facilities: Search the resources by topic using the menu on the left hand side of the screen.
• National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF)–Athletic Facilities Design: Information on the planning and design of school and university sports and recreation facilities, both indoor and outdoor. Note that NCEF resource lists aren’t geared specifically toward sustainability, so you’ll have to wade through them a bit.
• NCEF–School Athletic Fields: Information on the design, construction, and maintenance of school and university sports fields.
• NCEF–School Playgrounds: Information on the planning and design of playgrounds for varying age levels, including resources on safety, accessibility, equipment, surfaces, and maintenance.
• U.S. EPA Game Day Challenge: Ok, so this program to reduce waste at college football games isn’t exactly geared toward greening gym class, but the principles could be applied at K-12 institutions. Modifying the idea to implement it at local K-12 schools could be a neat way to green both the facilities and teach green lessons if students are involved.

The list could surely go on and on. If you have other suggestions, share them in the comments section for this post.

Curricula

In response to the e-mail request I received, I did a quick Google search on “greening physical education.” I came across the following:

• GreenHeart Education–Health and Physical Education for the Earth: One section of an extensive site that includes not only tips for greening facilities/grounds and curricula, but also includes related information on school gardens, nature study, homeschooling resources, climate-specific information, etc.
• Greening Our Games–Running Sports Events and Facilities that Won’t Cost the Earth: A book that likely overlaps both the greening of facilities and curricula.
• Green Gym Class: Great video about a physical education class that learns about the environment and creates green energy for their school.
• High School Gardening–For Credit: New York Times blog post by Jared Flesher on an interesting program at Princeton Public High School. (Again, check out the National Gardening Association’s KidsGardening page I referenced in my previous post.)

Do you have other case studies or ideas? Share them in the comments section of this post.

Thanks to Roger Peluso for asking the question!

My daughter started kindergarten last week and next week my son is off to preschool for the first time. We’ll all look back on these days fondly sometime in the future, but for now, I’m having some typical Mommy back-to-school blues. In the interest of combating those blues, I decided to focus on some greens–specifically in the form of green tips related to schools and students. In this post I’ll discuss how to reduce waste associated with school lunches; look for more discussions on green ideas and examples for K-12 and beyond in the days to come.

The Gear

For some online guides to reusable and eco-friendly lunch gear, check out the following:

• TreeHugger—Green Your Kid’s Packed School Lunch: The Buy Guide: This slide show provides information and links to several reusable lunch box/bag and container options.

• Mother Nature Network: Check out this recent blog post with lots of suggestions for eco-friendly lunch gear that will appeal to older kids as well as tiny tots.

The list below provides other specific ideas. Bear in mind that even though I provide notes on personal experience with a few of these items, all descriptions and links are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by me, GLRPPR, or GLRPPR’s parent organization, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC).

• Laptop Lunches: My two little ones are pleased with their new Laptop lunch boxes. This was one of the first companies I became aware of that was selling eco-friendly, reusable lunch gear when I first started learning about zero waste lunches several years ago (before my little ones were born). Their products incorporate recycled fabric and plastic, and are free of lead, phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
• Fit & Fresh: This company offers a variety of BPA-free reusable containers for food and drink. Since my son is a huge fan of macaroni and cheese and both kids love soup, especially in colder weather, I have a few of the hot lunch bowls that include a folding spoon and handle on the lids. On days when they want some warm leftovers for lunch, they can carry these bowls instead of their other lunch boxes. Be advised though, that despite testing whether or not my kids could open these unassisted, my daughter and I both had a bit of trouble getting the lid off when she packed soup to school a few days ago. Small hands may find these bowls unwieldy at times, so this might be a better option for older kids.
• Thermos: I’ve noticed during back-to-school shopping that this veteran manufacturer of products to transport food and drink has begun marketing lunch gear that is BPA-free.
• BebelooshMini: I recently read about Elena Berlo’s reusable snack and sandwich bags, made of organic cotton and recycled hemp with Velcro closures, on the Inhabitots blog. For dry snacks and sandwiches, washable wrappings such as this are a good alternative to disposable plastic bags or plastic wrap.
• Wrap-N-Mat: When I bought a set of these reusable food wraps/placemats/napkins for my own lunches years ago (again, pre-kiddos), I had to order them online because they weren’t available locally. On a recent trip to a chain grocery store, I saw some hanging up like so many other small “impulse buy” type items peppered throughout the store aisles and was amazed at how consumer awareness can change product availability. This is also a lesson in checking your local stores rather than relying solely upon “retail locators” on web sites; the Wrap-N-Mat site says there aren’t any stores within 25 miles of my zip code that carry their products, but I’ve seen them with my own eyes.

Beyond these few suggestions, there are some common-sense ideas, such as including cloth napkins instead of paper (if you’re inclined to use a sewing machine, consider making your own from old sheets, clothes, etc.), sending real silverware instead of plastic, and any way you can eliminate disposable items and/or reduce packaging in your child’s lunch (or your own, for that matter). If disposable plastic bags are simply the best option in a given situation, teach your little ones to bring those back home for washing, just as would any other plastic container. We have done so in our home, and you would be surprised at how long they actually last for reuse. Special drying racks are marketed to encourage this behavior, but honestly, you can just use your existing drying rack–pop them over one of the glass holders, or slip them over some of your drying silverware to dry.

The Process

If you’re a parent, educator or administrator interested in implementing a waste-free lunch program at your school, check out http://www.wastefreelunches.org/. This site describes such a program that was created as a grassroots efforts by some concerned parents. Their waste-free lunch program started when a group of parents noticed how much trash the students were generating during snack time and at lunch. The site provides how-to tips to create a program, resources and success stories. Be advised that the links to lunch kits will simply direct you to the Laptop Lunches web site, since two of the moms involved in the grassroots effort described started their own company as a result, making Laptop Lunch kits.

Also check out this somewhat dated, though still inspirational report, “Best Practices for Food Recovery and Gleaning in the National School Lunch Program: SY 1998-1999.” It describes how the school districts used USDA grant funds to recover food from their cafeterias and donate it to the needy. Included is information on systems to recover, store, and donate the recovered food and how schools formed partnerships with local non-profit agencies. It also illustrates how school districts were able to identify and overcome obstacles to developing their programs. Finally, it shows how students can take an active role in this effort, and how food recovery and gleaning can be integrated into a school’s curriculum.

Food waste will always be generated in cafeterias to some degree–is there a composting program in place at your child’s school? If not, check out this manual from Connecticut, this fact sheet from Tennessee, this Cornell University web site (that includes a related online book to incorporate science inquiry with high school students) and this article from the April 2008 edition of BioCycle for inspiration and tips on how to create such a program. Even if the entire school is not involved in a composting program, individual classrooms can do composting projects with vermicomposting (see the Greening Schools web site for more suggestions on this topic).

The Food

Consider the most important part of your child’s lunch–the food itself–and how or if it contributes to lessons regarding sustainability or waste reduction. My kids help out in our own garden and know how to compost–this means they see food as something that someone works to obtain that isn’t meant to be wasted (though they are still kids and finicky eaters sometimes!). The more children know about the process of producing the food we eat, the more they will value it. Does your child’s school have a garden program? Check out the Chez Pannisse Foundation web site , the Edible School Yard and the National Gardening Association’s Kids Gardening site for ideas. If you have a bit of yard, or even a sunny windowsill for potted plants, consider growing something edible with your kids. Helping them connect to their food will help them understand why they should care about food waste.

Also consider talking to them about the benefits of local foods and eating things in season. Local Harvest can help you find farmers’ markets. Sustainable Table and Food Routes are other sites that can help in discussing issues surrounding food production and shipping with your kids. Engage them now in considering what it takes to get the food they consume and what actions are sustainable. Reducing the waste involved in our meals doesn’t just mean using cloth napkins–we need to consider agricultural methods, consumer demand, resources used in the transportation of food, and other factors. Food is a system, and learning sustainable behaviors starts with learning to think in terms of systems. You are your child’s best teacher when it comes to such worldview issues.

Share your thoughts–tell us about your waste-free lunch ideas and favorite resources in the comments section of this post.