In case you haven’t noticed, recycling is on the rise. In fact, the last twenty years have seen recycling programs spike in numbers from 1,000 to 10,000 in the United States alone! While we should pat ourselves on the backs for striving to keep more plastic, glass, paper, and aluminum out of landfills, we should also recognize that there’s more work to be done.

Enter America Recycles Day, an event seeking to spread awareness about why the eco-friendly practice is important—and how everyone can pitch in to do their part. Want to participate? Great! There’s plenty of ways to show your support, like attending a local America Recycles Day event, filling out a recycling pledge form, or simply letting others in your community know how they can recycle.

To learn more, check out americarecyclesday.org.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Recycling may not be super exciting, but it is super important. Getting your little ones enthusiastic about recycling their bottles, cans, and paper goods will not only reduce your family’s landfill load–it will also help them build good eco-conscious habits for life. Encourage the practice by keeping it easy and fun with some of these ideas:

• Make recycling rules clear. Keep a list of what is and isn’t recyclable in a prominent spot, such as the refrigerator or a bulletin board. You can also use different colored bins for different items, like blue for paper items and yellow for glass, to help little ones remember what goes where.
• Try some friendly competition. Encourage each family member to see how many items he or she can recycle in a week, or how few items end up in the trash. Take it a step further by creating a neighborhood recycling competition!
• Do some research. As a family, learn about the new things that are made out of recycled material, and try to identify them on your daily outings. For instance, you can point out a playground made of plastic lumber that may have come from old water bottles.
• Find incentives. Find out if RecycleBank or another similar program that rewards recyclers exists in your area. Coupons for free ice cream just from sorting your trash? Sounds like fun!
• Be a good role model. OK, it won’t make recycling more fun, but make sure to practice what you preach!

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Recently, there’s been a lot of buzz regarding San Francisco’s pending recycling legislation, which would make the practice (as well as composting) mandatory in the progressive California city. Today, SF mayor Gavin Newsom announced that he will be signing the bill into law, making it the first of its kind that will require residents to recycle, plus businesses to compost their food scraps. The new law is part of San Francisco’s larger goal to achieve zero-waste status by 2020.

The fine for not recycling? Up to $1,000.

While most people see recycling and composting as a good thing, some are uncomfortable with such a  law, fearing that legislation like this will only snowball. Will people start being fined if they don’t feed their children organic food, for instance? If they drive their car instead of walking, bicycling, or using public transportation? (more…)

While you might not be able to control every snack your little ones eat, you can control the snack’s environmental impact, thanks to TerraCycle.  The company  keeps non-recyclable packaging like cookie wrappers and drink pouches out of landfills by turning them into cool, re-purposed items like kites or backpacks, and has recently partnered with snack giants Frito-Lay and Mars.

The program works when consumers form Chip Bag Brigades to collect used chip bags. They hope to keep more than 5 million bags out of landfills, and what’s more, for each one TerraCycle receives, Frito-Lay will donate two cents to charity. There are currently 1,000 chip bag collection sites, with more in the works.  To learn more about the program, as well as how to start your own Chip Bag Brigade, click here!

-Marygrace, KIWI Staff Writer and recycling enthusiast

EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!

SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
July 14TH to 16TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
2pm – 3:30pm
July 13TH to 17TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
July 20TH to 24TH
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
July 27TH to 31ST

SESSION II:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
August 11TH to 13TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
2pm – 3:30pm
August 10TH to 14TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
August 17TH to 21ST

To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Alison Martin at the Whole Foods Market at 408-257-7000 x325.

Whole Foods Market, Stevens Creek Culinary Center
20955 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014

EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!

AUGUST DATES: TBD. CHECK BACK FOR SCHEDULE UPDATES

OR CALL THE CULINARY CENTER AT 916-488-2800

To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Customer Service at Whole Foods Market Sacramento (916) 488-2800.

Join chefs from KIWI® Magazine and Whole Foods Market® in exploring culinary regions of the world through food and festivity. Each camp incorporates exciting global foods and facts. We’ll crank up the heat and get hands-on as we make international dishes from places such as Mexico, Morocco, China, Italy and Japan. Explore continents and countries one plate at a time!

EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!

SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
June 23RD, 24TH and 25TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
July 13TH to 17TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
July 20TH to 24TH
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
July 27TH to 31ST

SESSION II:
Teen Bootcamp
11am – 3pm
August 5TH to 7TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
August 10TH to 14TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
August 17TH to 21ST
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
August 24TH to 28TH

To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Christine Carroll, The Culinary Center Director at the Whole Foods Market Bowery at 212-420-1320 x245.

If you still have that Zach Morris-style cell phone hanging around, (or any useless chargers, PDAs, or earpieces,) now is the time to get rid of them.  Between April 6-12, many major phone companies  are encouraging everyone to recycle their old phones and phone accessories as part of their “Recycle Your Cell Phone.  It’s An Easy Call.” campaign.

There are about a million reasons to recycle as much as possible, but if you’re looking for specifics, note that electronic devices like cell phones are made from metals, copper, and plastics, all of which require energy to extract from the planet or manufacture.  By recycling these materials instead of using new ones every time a phone is made, we can save resouraces and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Get a head start on Earth Day by rounding up your no-longer-used goods and bringing them to your local AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless dealer, or general electronics store like Best Buy, Office Depot, or Staples.

Marygrace, KIWI intern and avid recycler