I can thank my grandmother’s actions, not lectures, for my care of our earth. She always had a garden, and allowed me to just go into it as a child, to eat every one of her ripened strawberries. I’ve had my own gardens since the early 70s; first planting in her garden, after she couldn’t. Then, finding my own garden spaces as I went along in life… to this day. Mimi used to use plastic bags, over and over again. I thought she was nuts, seriously; but today, I’m doing the same. Her refrigerator was never jam-packed with leftovers, and neither is mine. We have a composter in our garden, for all internal and external clippings. Yesterday, Jose and I spread a billion worms and compost into our 2020 gardens. It’s also amazing to get outside and listen to the birds, while gardening.

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HELPFUL HINT FOR NOT WASTING FOOD: When cooking a meal, if there are leftovers:

• Place in a container.
• Masking tape: mark on top or the side what it is and a DATE. The date is the most important part.
• Place in your refrigerator on a “special shelf” just for leftovers.
• All of a sudden, you’re not wasting any food, and you’ve got a much cleaner refrigerator.

Recycling is my middle name, so when I got this query for a story, I responded by saying I was swamped with work, but I’d save it for the future, because this is really important for all of us. Today’s the day I have caught my breath.

And, am I surprised that Truett Hurst is involved? My buddy Paul Dolan, who’s as granola as I am, is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Truett Hurst, Inc., and the Truett Hurst Winery. Paul Dolan was making organic wine for Fetzer, in the early 1980s, as an early adopter of the concept. All he’s accomplished has been done with a mind toward sustainability, as long as I’ve known Paul.

THE PITCH I GOT

Hello, I’m reaching out to you on behalf of the End of Waste Foundation, a sustainable packaging certification program based on using blockchain tech to increase glass recycling in the US.

Nearly 60% of carbon emissions in the wine industry are caused by manufacturing and hauling glass. And more often than not, glass doesn’t get recycled even if it gets thrown into a recycling bin.

We’ve recently partnered with Truett Hurst Winery in California, an early adopter of the model. This partnership has already saved millions of pounds of glass from landfills.

California Companies Tackle Glass Waste in Wine Industry

Six Months Into EOW™ Traceability Loop Saves 2,625 Tons of Glass: First Traceability Chain Proves New Recycling Paradigm Works

HOW IT WORKS

[INFO-GRAPHIC is from the End of Waste Foundation.]

It seems like an info-graphic shouldn’t be necessary at this point in world history; however, I also know that there’s a lot of things that are recyclable, but aren’t being taken care of. So, as a reminder, while saving the glass your winery produces, you’re also offsetting your carbon footprint. Just check out this info graphic for end of waste.

“The End of Waste Foundation is built on the vision of producing a circular economy within the recycling industry, eliminating waste and fostering a revolutionary paradigm of shared responsibility.

“Through our Recycling Traceability System™ (RTS™) we track quantities of glass from bin to bottle, ensuring efficiency and accountability. At each stage of recycling, we’re creating the opportunity to divert glass from landfills and give it a new life.”

End of Waste Foundation is on a mission. They are dedicated to reversing climate change, and we’d all better begin – if not already on board – if we want a planet for our children and grandchildren to inherit.

The End of Waste Foundation offer is businesses and individuals a new and easy way to become more sustainable and offset their Carbon Footprint. (I’m going to look into it for a place to deliver my wine bottles… As someone who has samples to her, it’s extremely difficult to be bringing my bottles to a dumpster, which I know is not doing a good job for recycling. Read the Atlantic’s story about China refusing to take our recycled trash anymore, so where is it all going right now? If this doesn’t bother you, you might want to reconsider the health of our planet.

End of Waste Foundation helps businesses and consumers offset their CO2 footprint and reach their sustainability goals by boosting recycling through technology. We all need to get on board, if we’re not there already. We’ve been left to our own devices; and, early adopters ahead of the curve, like Paul Dolan, will continue to lead the way.

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