As we are in the middle of the spring months, it is time to think about the outdoors and how we can better care for the environment. When you think about helping our environment, you think of Earth Day, April 22.

But why limit yourself to one day? What some people don’t know is that there are several easy ways to improve the quality of our lives on Earth that may not even affect your daily routine.

As unassuming as it might seem, to mention one’s efforts not affecting their daily routine, but for most it is vital, when making small lifestyle changes, to not outright change one’s lifestyle. So, what can you do to start making some easy changes in your life? It’s as simple as keeping your trash where you can see it.

While on a bike ride in the warm weather, the last thing you want to see is trash on the roadside. Products we use every day, such as plastic bags and aluminum cans, take years to decompose. A simple way to limit the roadside trash is to keep a convenient garbage container in your vehicle until you reach a garbage can where you can throw it away. How easy is that?

I like the added insinuation that you’ll be riding your bike a lot in the summer weather — it’s a good connection to make. I know I just pumped up my bike tires, and am looking forward to getting the most out of the ever-improving weather.

Read on for more on junk mail, the trouble with plastic bottles, the benefits of reusable bags, and how to make everyday your own personal Earth Day.

Today’s particular reminder comes from the Huffington Post, who are offering tips on keeping your lunch extra-tasty and still relatively waste-free with some environmental science and extra-sound reasoning mixed in.

3. Plastic-free is the choice for me!: All that plastic that we use (and rarely reuse) takes a tremendous amount of energy and water to produce and isn’t recyclable in much of America (only water bottles are recyclable in Marin county!). Additionally, beware of using plastic containers for heating or freezing food. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has stated that it’s possible for chemicals from these plastics to “migrate” into food. You can control “undesirable flavors” by using glass or ceramic storage containers when bringing food that requires re-heating or is high in fat (fat attracts toxins). Continue to use your plastic storage containers for sandwiches, fruits and anything else that won’t require a microwave but don’t buy new plastic containers! When you need new containers, move to glass or long-lasting stainless steel. As for the baggie issue, when packing my lunch, I prefer to stick with organic cotton snack bags, but for leak-resistance you can try fresh snack packs, which are food safe and made with phthalate-free plastic.

Not that microwaves are necessarily considered the go-to appliance for optimum health and safety, but migrating chemicals? Yikes! Interested in reading more about renewable sources, reusable bottles, and getting your kids involved? Read the whole article here.

Dianna Smiley, SOLV’s Executive Director, said, “Once again, our citizens have demonstrated their pride in this great state by turning out to preserve and enhance Oregon’s beaches. We extend our special thanks to our partners, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and the local garbage haulers all along the coast who help make this event possible.”

Volunteers unearthed some unusual finds, both big and small, throughout the day.

Many interesting items turned up in the volunteers’ SOLV bags, including a pair of binoculars, a fishing permit from Alaska, an empty piggy bank, a mannequin foot, a work boot and a construction hard hat. Hard-working volunteers also pulled in some larger items, such as a TV, four boat refrigerators, a 300-pound chest freezer, 25 feet of cattle fencing, crab traps and a couple of large fishing nets

That said, some of the most prevalent pick-up items were also the most predictable: plastics were to be expected in this day and age, and they lived up to their reputation by being everywhere.

Beach Cleanup Coordinator Diana Bartlett said there was lots of plastic packing tape, among other strange and common day finds. “Pipes, flip flops, light bulbs, plastic bottles, a propane tank; a large fish sorting tub from a fishing boat, lawn chairs, tires and a rims, some scrap metal, and a plastic truck liner,” she said.

[...] Charlie Plybon, who oversaw the Newport area as well as served as the main coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, said plastic was the big problem. That was something the Surfrider Foundation was trying to raise awareness about, partially by providing reusable bags to all the participants.

Also making a bid for most prevalent contaminant was the much-less-expected contender “sheet metal.” Strange though the day may have been, much was accomplished. Before the day was over, some 60,000 lbs of garbage were hauled away, leaving the coast of Oregon a much more pleasant and enjoyable place to be.

Bottled water is on the verge of becoming the new social pariah, says an activist leading the charge to ban the packaged beverage.

“One day drinking private plastic bottled water is going to be as uncool as smoking in public or drinking and driving. That is my belief,” says Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians and the UN’s senior adviser on water.

Bottled water has become the latest environmental battleground as consumers increasingly say goodbye to plastic bags, gas-guzzling vehicles and electricity-gobbling lightbulbs.

Plastics advocates are lashing out against the vote, claiming that such a policy change “wouldn’t lead to any meaningful environmental change.” It sounds more like fear, however — what better place to teach good eco-friendly life habits than in schools? The changes may be few at first, but the lessons taught will, if the the vote passes, likely last a lifetime.

I am wildly impressed by the collection of not just bags, but reusable boxes for loose deli items like lunch meats and cuts of chicken that might otherwise have ended up in clingfilm or butcher paper. It’s a creative — and effective! — way to drastically cut down on waste and make shopping a little more stress-free and a whole lot greener.

• A frightful thought for Halloween: our plastics are not getting recycled! [Eco Women]
• Speaking of Halloween, check out Danny Seo’s green Halloween tips. [Ecorazzi]
• That said, the AMA Conference took care of almost a ton. [Country Standard Time]
• Midhurst makes a bid to go disposable-bagless. [Chichester Observer]
• MRM recycling is catching on across the country. [Good Clean Tech]
• Reminder: reusable bags can save you money! [Saving in Greenville]
• Chicago moms are proud to be “bag ladies.” [Mom Blog]
• In fact, lots of moms totally love their reusable bags. [The Thrifty Mommy]
• So do savvy businesswomen! [Pink Slip]

Photo via Flickr!

Karen Youso is the Home and Garden columnist over at the St. Paul Star Tribune, and she has a thing or two to say about plastic bags — specifically, their inferiority when it comes to packing a lunch. A reader wrote in with a simple question: “Which is better environmentally, packing sandwiches in plastic bags or aluminum foil?” Youso fired off an excellent answer: neither.

The edge goes to aluminum foil, mainly because recycling keeps it out of the environment and reduces use of natural resources.

If you’re wondering if wax paper bags would be better, surprisingly, they aren’t. They’d come in third, or maybe tied for second. It takes more energy to create wax paper bags than plastic, according to National Geographic’s Green Guide.

The best choice for packing a sandwich is one you didn’t mention — a reusable container.

Snaps! Youso gets extra points for giving her readers the run-down on the dangers of plastic bags and their tendency to be made of non-renewable and unsustainable resources. You tell them, Ma’am! If you want to check out what she has to say on plastic bags (as well as how best to remove Brasso build-up from your valuable brass objects), check out the full article here.

Photo via Flickr!

• Wal-Mart: not as keen on waste as you might have believed. [Reuters Business and Finance]
• A young man tries to find the words to describe his inner struggle with eco-consciousness. [The Lariat Online]
• And then, along came the snarky rebuttal! [Mission Laughter]
• The plastics industry continues to cry foul. [The Nor'wester]
• Composting: the D’Artagnan to the “Three Rs” Musketeers? [Berry Berry Quite Contrary]
• FYI: October’s Recyclable of the Month is… plastic bags! Get ‘er done! [The Swellesley Report]
• Speaking of conservation, what can architecture students build with $10? The answers may surprise you. [The Hook]
• Want to help make a green quilt of many colors? Send away… [Quilting With Kimberly]
• Tasty, tasty recipes — and a brief discussion on reusable bags. [NOLA]

Photo via Flickr!

I haven’t picked up a plastic bag in weeks now*, and I’m looking for a new eco-challenge. I think a wholesale elimination of ALL plastic from my life could be a worthwhile next step towards the continuing greenification of my life.** Why plastic? Yes, it CAN be great (plastic medical devices save lives and plastic helps reduce the weight of cars so they’re more fuel-efficient), but mostly, it’s evil.

Along with the stand-bys (reusable bags, bringing your own silverware for lunch), Starre has some wildly simple-yet-innovative ideas for eliminating everyday waste from your life:

Instead of plastic wrap try: A dish! (My father who lives in Australia actually taught me this one-thanks Dad!) Instead of putting plastic over a plate of leftovers, just use another dish of the same size or smaller. Want to be able to see what’s under there? Use a clear glass plate. For bowls, use teacup saucers (you can find these a goodwill for pennies. Food will stay moist and protected sans plastic, and the plates are reusable forever.

I can not believe I hadn’t thought of that before; it’s genius. To see the rest of the ingenious list, check out the page. You just might make some changes of your own.