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Spring 2021 Vol. 7

Tips for environmentally conscious living

One Planet, One Home

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Letter from the editor, As a bonafide granola kid, Earth Day was always a pretty big deal growing up in my life, and I have fond memories of how we celebrated each year. Whether it was collecting leaves and flowers to press into window art, walking the mile-long stretch of downtown picking up litter with friends or just eating a really fresh and vibrant dinner, we always made sure to take a moment or two and just appreciate the planet we’re on. That moment of gratitude and reflection is what we tried to capture in this issue of Duck Living; the basics of upcycling and recycling, lessons on your relationship with the earth, tips on reducing your carbon footprint and more. In honor of Earth Day, practice gratitude for our natural home, really take time to stop and smell the flowers, and remember—the grass is always greener where you water it. Enjoy!

Skyla Patton

Staff List PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Bill Kunerth

VP OF OPERATIONS Kathy Carbone

DIRECTOR OF SALES & DIGITAL MARKETING

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Skyla Patton

WRITERS

Siena Dorman Parker Campbell Asha Abrams Kelsie Heffernan

Shelly Rondestvedt

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Stella Kalomiris Lily Teague Amy Menendez Fritz Hergenhan Patrick McCumber

For all of our up to dates CREATIVE DIRECTOR publications visit: Sam Rudkin dailyemerald.com/duckshousing

PHOTOGRAPHERS Isaac Wasserman Isaac Wu

ART DIRECTOR Emma Nolan

DESIGNERS Isaac Morris Kate Bossi Vanessa Marach ˜

Cover Photo by Isaac Wasserman

Written by Asha Abrams Photography by Isaac Wasserman and Karolina Grabowska 4

Spring 2021

e all know that it takes privilege of wealth and time to transition into a zero-waste lifestyle, which is not always accessible for many college students, but even small changes can be very impactful when adopted by more people. In honor of Earth Day and in the face of the looming climate crisis, here are a few small things you can do that could make your morning routine more earth-friendly.

GREENING YOUR GROOMING HABITS

MAKING BREAKFAST MORE EARTH-FRIENDLY

Reduce the amount of plastic waste in your morning routine by making easy swaps with the products you buy. Notice the little plastics and single-use items you throw away every day such as q-tips, cotton balls and dental floss. Plastic shampoo and soap bottles are not recyclable in Eugene, so perhaps experiment with the shampoo bars which are growing in popularity, and try switching from body wash to bar soap, which can have all the same ingredients without the packaging. It is also important to try to reduce the amount of water you use, which can be easily accomplished by turning the shower off while you are applying products or shaving.

Reduce the waste that comes with your morning caffeine hit by using refillable containers to collect freshly ground coffee from the bulk bins at grocery stores. If you prefer tea, try out looseleaf instead of throwing out individual wrappers with every cup. Simple changes that reduce the waste in daily activities, such as preparing your staple morning beverage, add up in the long run.

Reuse and clean washcloths or washable cotton pads as an alternative to single-use products. For those who wear makeup, you can even make your own washable (and free!) makeup remover wipes by cutting old cotton fabric into squares to use with a non-comedogenic oil in order to remove make-up. Another money-saving hack is to get a second use out of coffee grounds by mixing them with coconut oil to make a simple, natural exfoliating scrub.

Invest in refillable k-cups instead of throwing out single-use ones if you have a Keurig. You can also purchase a washable coffee filter for a drip coffee-maker. Additionally, when grocery shopping for the produce you might have for breakfast, reuse produce bags instead of taking new ones every time.

Recycle cardboard products and packaging used in the bathroom, such as the often forgotten toilet paper rolls.

BEING A SMART RECYCLER Recycle every bit of food packaging that you can, but be mindful of not including what is not accepted by the Eugene system. The city of Eugene urges us to “when in doubt, find out or throw it out,” because improperly recycled items take extra time to sort out and make the recycling system less effective. You can quickly find out if a questionable item is recyclable in the city of Eugene with the city’s easily accessible WasteWise search tool, found at lanecounty.org or by downloading the WasteWise app. If you are not from Lane County originally, what is accepted by the recycling system in your hometown may not be accepted in Eugene, so it is a good idea to check out the recycling guidelines found at eugene-or.gov to make sure you are not recycling what you shouldn’t be. A common culprit is waxed paper milk cartons and plastic yogurt tubs, which are recyclable in other places but are not currently accepted by Eugene. There is also a fairly new program that allows us to put compostable food waste in the yard debris bins in Eugene, so if you didn’t know about this before, it is super easy to start composting food waste, and it is good for the environment since food rotting in landfills can break down into methane gas.

Spring 2021

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Upcycling: Written by Parker Campell

The New Way to Spring Clean

or many of us, the beginning of the pandemic was filled with closet cleanouts, deep cleaning and finally going through the old junk drawer. Recently, I have found that I have too much stuff, but it’s stuff I am also not fully ready to part ways with. I have been looking for ways to repurpose the things I need, but don’t regularly use. Here are a few easy ways to upcycle and repurpose the random, but necessary things we have laying around the house.

Repurposing the Clutter As a college student who does NOT like to cook, kitchen tools like a cheese grater, strainer and 11 extra spoons are just collecting dust in my cabinets. If you’re someone who likes to accessorize with jewelry, turn your cheese grater or strainer into an earring or necklace holder. This will keep your jewelry and accessories more organized and accessible while repurposing those kitchen items you rarely use, or maybe even have multiples of. Turn extra silverware into key or lanyard hooks. For the excessive amounts of silverware, some of us may have and can’t get rid of, warm the metal over a flame of some sort and curl it into a hook-shaped holder. Then, by finding an old piece of wood (which can be found discarded at lumber yards, or even the dump) nail the softened metal to the wood, and voila! You have a quirky new key holder.

Room Makeover If you go on Pinterest right now, most bedroom aesthetics are white or neutral in color and very minimalistic in style. Growing up (unless you were ahead of your time) I bet most people did not have this aesthetic. So, as we go to college and often outgrow our childhood bedrooms, replacing the furniture can be expensive. Paint your old dresser. Paint it white, light blue whatever fits the new style you are going for. This will save you money and the hassle of figuring out how to move your old dresser out of your home and the new one in. Mix-and-match cabinet or dresser knobs from around the house, or even trade with a friend for a funky take on your old dresser. Use old mugs, cups, or jars to house your random knick knacks. This can help declutter your room. If the jars are clear, consider painting them to keep with the “zero clutter” theme.

Shelving it Throughout our lives, many of us have collected random small bottles of paint for school projects or small craft ideas. Instead of buying a new bottle of paint for each craft, finish the bottle on some new upcycled shelves or vases for your home. Create fun shelves with a pop of color by taking apart, painting, or repurposing old wooden furniture or picture frames. Once you have a loose piece of wood, then you can paint it, color it or create fun designs for when the shelves are hung somewhere around the house. Additionally, put some cute potted plants on the newly reclaimed shelf! Pot plants in old or broken teapots, mugs, cups, or vases. You can paint or design these items as well, or leave them unfinished for a more retro look.

I hope these quick upcycling tricks inspire you to clean up your living space while helping save the earth at the same time. Some items are hard to part with and upcycling is an easy way to incorporate these items into your home without contributing to landfills.

Happy upcycling!

How to Make

Your Diet ”Greener” Written by Kelsie Heffernan Photographed by Isaac Wu

Global warming has become an increasingly alarming concern for people all around the globe. A lot of our everyday habits around consumption are damaging the planet, and it’s time to adopt new habits that help make a difference. The food we eat and where it comes from has a large impact on the environmental crisis. The animal agriculture industry is responsible for 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions as of 2018 and transportation contributes 28%. Most of the main culprits are the biggest industries in America, such as beef, dairy and food transportation. 10

Spring 2021

Shop Local Another major cause of greenhouse gas emissions is from automobiles. Transporting fruits and vegetables long distances causes the trucks to use large amounts of gas and emit harmful greenhouse gases along the way. Buying fruits and vegetables as local as possible reduces the distance they had to travel to get to your salad, which lessens your carbon footprint. If local produce in your area is too expensive or unavailable, ordering a box of rejected or “imperfect” produce to your home reduces the amount of food waste and is often much cheaper than average store produce.

The Environments Beef with Beef For most Americans, meat is a staple in every meal of the day. Unfortunately, cows are the highest agricultural contributor to greenhouse gases worldwide. While other meats contribute to greenhouse gases as well, varying your meat consumption throughout the week by replacing your beef meal with chicken or turkey will not just lessen your environmental footprint, but reduce your risk of heart disease. Red meat is linked to poor cardiovascular health due to large amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat, and it’s not recommended to be eaten daily. The National Institute of Health found that eating red meat daily triples heart disease related chemicals. By implementing a Meatless Monday or Tofu Tuesday into your week, you’re lessening your contribution to greenhouse gases and doing a favor for your heart.

The Dairy Diaries: How We Contribute to Pounds of Milk Consumption Since cows produce large amounts of methane that contribute to greenhouse gases, another main food to be cutting down on would be dairy products. It takes approximately ten pounds of milk to make only one pound of cheese, and the average American eats about 40 pounds of cheese per year. Replacing cheese with healthy fats like avocado or vegan dressings for some of your meals can increase variety and can add creaminess to your food while lessening your carbon footprint.

Prevent Food Waste The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that wasted food is responsible for 30 to 40 percent of the entire food supply in the United States . Food waste happens at a much larger level than throwing away spoiled leftovers in your home. Grocery stores, restaurants and factories are responsible for over-ordering pounds of extra food to ensure a full stock and then throwing it out instead of finding a better use for it, such as donation, before it goes bad. On a personal consumer level, to prevent food waste in your own home, try planning how you’re going to use each perishable item that week and make sure you don’t buy any extras. If you’re going to buy a pound of carrots for a recipe that calls for less, try incorporating them into the rest of your meals that week or freezing them to thaw and use in soup. Meal services that provide recipes and only the necessary amount of ingredients are becoming more popular and may be a good option if it’s affordable to you.

Enjoy All Foods Mindfully Lessening your footprint doesn’t mean cutting out everything you love, it can be as simple as finding alternatives and new recipes you enjoy. The most effective way to lessen your footprint is to expand your diet by adding the foods you know cause less damage, rather than completely cutting out the ones that do. Learning how to lessen your carbon footprint helps make the world a better place for everyone, and the future even more promising.

Spring 2021

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Get Some Plants

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME GREENER Written by Kelsie Heffernan Photo by Isaac Wasserman If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, look no further than your own home. Our everyday routines can produce a lot of waste, and learning how to look at our habits through an environmental lens helps lessen it. Creating an eco-friendly living space is often the most cost friendly option as well. Here are a few things you can do to make your home more green.

Make Your Own Household Cleaners Instead of cleaning with chemicals that are damaging to the environment, it’s easy to make your own cleaners with more environmentally friendly ingredients. To make your own surface cleaner, fill an old spray bottle with warm water three quarters of the way and add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, and one slice of your choice of citrus fruit to enhance the smell. For kitchen surfaces that may need more disinfecting, you can add small amounts of dish soap or rubbing alcohol. Using a vinegar based cleaner helps kill mold and bacteria in your home and prevents the use of chemicals that will be damaging to the planet to produce and dispose of.

Spring 2021

Plants help make your home greener in the most literal way, and they’re also good for your health. Common houseplants can remove toxins from the air and improve your mood. When looking into which houseplants to buy, consider how much light your home, dorm room, or apartment gets and how much watering you’ll be able to commit to. If you’re looking for the best plants for reducing air pollution in your home, philodendrons were shown in a NASA study to be some of the most effective.

Don’t Let Water Go to Waste When you’re waiting for your shower water to heat up or rinsing out your water bottle, you can put that water to other uses than going down the sink. If you save the water in a larger container, you can use it to water your plants or for cleaning dirty dishes. You can also consider buying an eco-friendly tap attachment that uses less water as it’s running. Eco-friendly aerators can be as cheap as $10 and save up to 50% of the water the normal sink would use by combining it with air.

Never Buy New New furniture is expensive and can be lacking in character compared to older pieces, not to mention the toll that it takes on the environment to produce. Buying refurbished or thrifted furniture will make your home look more unique and stop items from going to landfills. Many other household items you may think you need to buy new, such as placemats and appliances, can often be found second-hand and are much cheaper as well. Upcycling or vintage stores can be great alternatives to thrift shops because the gentrification of thrifting has become a large problem and is damaging to less fortunate communities. Thrifting is great environmentally, but prices of thrifted goods have risen due to higher demands and this causes the people who need it most to not be able to afford it. Going to higherend second hand or vintage stores if you can helps keep thrifted goods accessible for the people who need them.

Quick Tips •Use LED light bulbs that save energy and are better for the environment than incandescent light bulbs •Replace your paper towels with cloth napkins and use reusable rags and cleaner in place of Lysol wipes •Choose eco-friendly candles if you’re going to burn any •Invest in reusable baking mats instead of using parchment paper •Buy an eco-friendly or recyclable toothbrush •Bring your own containers to the store and buy your food in bulk

2021 | 9th ANNUAL

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