Author: Annaliese White

By: Annaliese White

Living in the Greenbelt Resident Community has given me so much insight into new sustainability practices and habits, it has taught me how to eat “Greener” and to love nature in all of its forms. One of my favorite past times while living in the Greenbelt has been picking some of the Wild Flowers that have grown in our backyard, as it has given me much joy having fresh, beautiful flowers all around our cabin. Through the teachings of my fellow Greenbelt residents, I have come to learn just how unsustainable green lawns are. Before being apart of this program, I never gave too much thought about the sustainability of most people’s lawns, as it never occurred to me that it could be harming the environment!

Not only are lawns expensive and can be a lot of upkeep work, but there are various aspects that go into taking care of a lawn that are pollute the environment. For example, the burning of gasoline in lawn mowers, toxic pesticides and fertilizer which pollute the water sources, and the vast quantity of water that is wasted by sprinklers. The gasoline burned in the lawn mowers contribute to the greenhouse gases, which is hurting our atmosphere. Another harmful effect of so many homeowners planting grass lawns is that it causes other forest life, like weeds and many other plants to be ripped out of the ground, reducing their populations.

One of the main benefits of having a wildflower garden or meadow instead of a grassy lawn is that wildflowers are easier to care for and do not require the consistent watering or maintenance that green lawns need. Having a wildflower garden also increases biodiversity and allows for other species of plants and flowers to flourish. Also, having a meadow can attract wildlife such as deer to your yard which would allow them to feed without worrying about any external threats. Overall the benefits of having a wildflower garden greatly outweigh the pros and cons of having a grass lawn, which is why more homeowners should make the switch to a wildflower garden or meadow!

 

Sources:

https://www.americanmeadows.com/replace-lawn-with-wildflowers

https://conservationtools.org/guides/151-from-lawn-to-meadow

http://www.gogreen.org/blog/the-environmental-impact-of-lawns

 

 

By: Annaliese White

Look around the DH, and you will notice that the majority of the drinks offered are in plastic bottles. I am just as guilty as the next person, as I often raid the DH and grab numerous bottles of apple juice, chocolate milk, and gatorade. Although I am usually conscious enough to recycle them, not all people think before they throw away their plastic bottles. Next time before you go to throw away a plastic bottle, realize this: it takes over 400 years for that plastic bottle to break down in a landfill. That means that the plastic bottle in your hand, if you decided to throw it in the trash instead of recycling it, would lay in a landfill for over 400 years. Think of all those plastic bottles just taking up space and polluting the environment! In fact, a recent statistic in National Geographic estimates that only about 9% of all plastic produced ends up being recycled. This means that nearly 91% of plastic is left to fill up landfills. Instead of getting the drinks in the plastic bottles at the DH, try and use a reusable water bottle. However, if you do end up using a plastic bottle, remember the right way to recycle it, as some places may not accept plastic that is not recycled correctly. 

Remember these steps when you go to recycle a plastic bottle:

1. Empty out the bottle of any excess liquids and rinse it out
2. Check with your local county to see if they allow the caps to be recycled with the bottle. (In Greenville you are allowed to leave the lid on recyclable plastics)
3. Check the number of Plastic on your bottle, 1 & 2 are recycled in Greenville. Although Greenville does accept 1-7 plastics, 3-7 once reaching the processing plant are usually sent to the landfills.
4. If you can, try and break down the bottle to reduce space in the recycling bin!

Although recycling might seem like a small choice, the outcomes of that choice hold a great importance. From that recycled plastic, items such as t-shirts, carpet, sleeping bags, pens, notebooks, and a lot more can be made from recycled material instead of using new raw materials! In fact, using the recycled plastic instead of new materials saves 66% of the energy that would have been used if the product were made from all new materials. Instead of laying in a landfill for centuries, wouldn’t you want that plastic bottle to continue on and have a new purpose?

Sources:

“How to Recycle Plastic Bottles & Jugs.” Earth 911, 13 June 2019, earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-plastic-jugs-bottles/. 

LaFleur, Elizabeth. “Recycling in Greenville: You’re Doing It Wrong. Here’s How to Do It Right.” The Greenville News, 29 Aug. 2019, www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/08/26/recycling-greenville-sc-stop-doing-wrong-do-right-heres-how/1931140001/. 

Parker, Laura. “A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn’t Recycled.” National Geographic Society, 1 July 2019, www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/. 

“Solid Waste, Learn about Recyclables .” Www.GreenvilleCounty.org, Greenville County, www.greenvillecounty.org/solidwaste/LearnAboutRecycling.aspx.