By: Bailey Grimmett
Once the holiday hustle and bustle slows down and the presents have been unwrapped, you’re somehow left with a mountain of excess materials such as cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon and bows, Styrofoam and other packaging materials. You’re not alone! In fact, the amount of trash produced in the United States increases an estimated 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day! But, did you know tha…
By: Susanne Harm
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Today’s backyard chickens are pampered pets… especially when compared to my Grandma’s hens. My Gram raised chickens out of necessity to feed her family. Raising chickens was about not going hungry. Gram’s chickens did not have names. My hens, a.k.a. The First Ladies, do. In a relatively short time, America has gone from chickens as sustenance to chickens as feathered, backyard pets with benefits (eggs, insect control and free fertilizer). But where did the original idea of having hens in our backyards come from? Recently, a coworker gave me this … |
By: Valerie Vines and Bailey Grimmett
It’s been more than a year since the City of Austin joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. Austinites and businesses have worked together to decrease the amount of plastic and other single-use items used each day. To that we say, “Kudos!”
Let's look beyond plastic straws and toward the year ahead. We found even m…
By: Ashley Pace
Breakups are hard, but deep down you know it’s usually for the best. Especially, when you are breaking up with plastic bags. Many Austinites are in the habit of bringing their own bags to the grocery store, but there are a lot of unexpected ways to get more use out of the dozens of reusable bags you have likely accumulated. So as you say “bye bye bye” to flimsy single-use plastic bags forever, say hello to your new friend with benefits: the reusable bag.
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