http://safeschoolbexley.co.uk/we-need-your-pouches/

Hain Celestial ― the company behind Earth’s Best and Ella’s Kitchen baby food ― is reducing its plastic footprint by partnering with recycling company TerraCycle. After consumers finish with their packs, they can download free shipping labels and send the waste to TerraCycle.

For the over-stretched parent who doesn’t have time to puree plums or soak grains overnight, portable plastic packs jammed with organic and healthful ingredients are a godsend. On-the-go moms can just twist off the cap and hand a pouch of blueberry flax and oat to a hungry baby to suck on by himself. No spoon or spoon skills required. While these packs are pricey ― a 4-ounce pouch can cost north of $2  ― families are willing to fork over the funds for the convenience factor. But this convenience comes with another price: Most of these plastic pouches can’t be recycled and are destined for landfills ― or worse, the oceans. The demand is growing even though reasonably priced alternatives are available that can be used over and over again. The problem...

The end-of-year holiday season is off in full swing, and the first date up is Thanksgiving. Whether you are hosting the main event, having mini-celebrations at work or school, or simply want to get in the spirit by decking out your home with festive flair, Thanksgiving is a great time to give thanks to the planet. Give careful consideration to what you buy and why, what you ‘need,’ the options for disposing of the packaging or product when you are done with it, and what you can reuse. In our enthusiasm to decorate, entertain and gift, household waste jumps 25%  during the holidays. Using reusable dishware over disposable cutlery, planning a meal of sustainably and locally sourced food, composting, and using nature’s holiday decorations make a huge impact on the health of the environment. These five decorative DIYs are proof that going green for Thanksgiving can make for stunning, unexpected presentations that charm and delight.

1. Malt-O-Meal Origami Flower Bouquet

A table of loved ones and friends is made brighter with a lively centerpiece. Fresh flowers, while lovely, can be a bit pricey and take a real toll on the land, water and climate and only last a short time. Make a switch from the usual arrangements and go with this handmade version. A sure conversation starter, a vase or bowl of these intricate blooms adds color and interest without breaking the bank. Best part? You can bring them out for other special occasions, or to brighten someone’s day. Click HERE for Malt-O-Meal Origami Flower Bouquet DIY Instructions

2. DIY Acorn Eggs

This fall may have left you with an abundance of  acorns (which also look great as décor in glass containers), but these cute “faux acorns” made from last season’s Easter eggs not only carry some extra kitsch, but also may be a little safer to have around little ones. We like the cool metallic golds and silvers used here, but feel free to modify the colors to match the theme of your party or the scheme of your home. Click HERE for Acorn Eggs DIY Instructions

3. Falling Leaves Garland

Glitter-phobes beware! This glam take on an autumnal garland loves the light and catches the eye. We’d swap out the artificial leaves from the craft store with real ones that have fallen from our trees for a true tribute to the Fall foliage; pick them early and dry between the pages of a book for perfectly flat, sturdy leaves that will lay nice and straight when strung. Click HERE for Falling Leaves Garland DIY Instructions

4. Ella’s Kitchen Placemat

Who said the “Kid’s Table” gets left out? Dapper dining need not be saved for the adults. Placemats pull the table setting together, and these colorful, durable placemats are kid-proof, spill-proof, and can be an opportunity to get little hands involved in your holiday preparations. All you need for these simple placemats are Ella’s baby food pouches and colorful tape. Prepare several sets for a matching spread for all of your tables, or sweet DIY gifts for friends. Click HERE for Ella’s Kitchen Placemat DIY Instructions

5. Wine Box Wine Charms

Keeping everyone’s drinking vessels straight in a day full of dining, hors’ oeuvres and dessert can be daunting. It can also be a bit more stylish with these fitting wine charms made out of a wine box. Highly customizable, dainty and adorable, you can decorate them with glitter, paint, stickers or googly eyes. Better yet – have a wine & design party with family and friends to dazzle up your drinky duds; repeat every year, and you’ll have quite a collection. Click HERE for Wine Box Wine Charms DIY Instructions

We live in a world of packaging. Unless you buy every single food item in bulk, never buy pre-made snacks or meals, and never grab a snack on a whim at a nearby bodega, there’s a very good chance you have a decent amount of packaging in your house. While some things, like cardboard cereal boxes, Tetrapacks, and glass bottles, are a bit easier to sort, there are other items like chip bags, juice pouches, and bar wrappers that don’t seem to belong in any particular recycling bin. With this problem in mind, TerraCycle was born. This innovative recycling program allows consumers to send in material they can’t recycle on their own and allow TerraCycle to take care of it. While TerraCycle has programs that require consumers to purchase special boxes where they can send waste in, the company also partners with different brands and companies to offer free recycling programs. Pretty much what this entails is TerraCycle sending a packing box or envelope to your home, you filling it up with the waste from a particular brand, sending it back for free, and subsequently feeling good about helping bring down the amount of trash that ends up in landfills. Then TerraCycle finds better uses for the material. Pretty good deal for all! Want to participate? Check out these 12 brands that have partnered with TerraCycle to get started. Happy recycling!

http://www.westworthingbaptist.org.uk/rec_opps.html

As a pediatrician and a parent of three boys, I have seen products change and the world evolve into a more environmentally friendly place to raise children. With each of my boys, I’ve established a healthier living environment, but also worked on modeling the message that we need to protect our environment and respect it.