Recycling glass...some things I learned

Like a good Michael Moore movie, let's start with the depressing part and then we can get to the solutions we can use at home.

Just because there is a lot of sand on this planet, does not mean glass will always be plentiful.

• A lot of sand on the Earth is not useful for industrial purposes. 
• A lot of the sand that is useful for industrial purposes comes from river beds and 3rd world countries are destroying their ecosystems to harvest this sand and make stuff for us. 
• And, by the way, some people are being murdered over sand harvesting.

Here are a couple podcasts to listen to that are very informative about sand as a resource.

• Planet Money: Episode 853: Peak Sand
• BBC World Service: The Documentary Podcast: The End of Sand

Glass Solution time!

In my efforts to be a better recycler, I did my diligent Google search and proceeded to find no website in an hour that could give me tips on recycling glass. So I sent an email to my recycle company to ask them what I needed to know.

Their response was shocking!

Them: "I'm sorry, but we do not offer glass recycling in your area."
Me: "What do you mean? It says right on your website that you recycle glass. Here is the link."
Them: "I checked. You are right. We do recycle glass."

I was glad to hear this, because I was starting to mentally prepare myself to run my glass every couple of months to a facility that did. But it was disturbing that such a large waste management company could be so bad at informing customer service reps of policy.

This was just another sign to me of how badly our collective population does not take Reduce, Reuse, Recycle as serious as it should and how much more effective the Save, Simplify, Substitute campaigns were during WWII.

Now the customer service person could help me with being a better recycler.

Be a better recycler

To be a better glass recycler:

• The bottle needs to be clean. 

I know. I know. But that uses water. You would be surprised how much gunk you can get off of the glass container by just filling it to the top with tap water and letting it sit for a day. No need to sit there rinsing and rinsing and wasting and wasting water.

• Everything that isn't a paper label needs to be removed. 

Do not attach the cap back on the jar. And I have read different rules on what to do with that cap, especially when it is metal. The general rule I have read is that large metal caps are fine to be tossed in the recycle bin. Small metal tops like wine bottle tops might be too small and not get properly sorted, so check with your recycle service on what to do with those small metal caps.

And that piece around the neck of the wine bottle or that little tiny aluminum ring around the olive oil that is left after you remove the top...that needs to be removed as well. I now keep pliers and wire cutters in my utensil drawer. And a big +...those little pieces are often made of aluminum and can be put in the recycle bin too!

Reduce, ReUse, Recycle...Save, Simplify, Substitute...History Repeats Itself

During WWII, resources were scarce and production could only go so quickly. Governments around the globe passed laws requiring citizens to curb their own consumption of resources so that there was enough to fill more important needs. Everyone did their part to Save, Simplify, and Substitute. The collective did it together.

And they had help to accomplish this. Governments bombarded citizens with propaganda to essentially alter their habits. Unfortunately, our government does not do this for everyday citizens, so not nearly enough people are onboard with living a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle lifestyle at home.

This is how we should be living now. The current global population is 7.7 billion people. That is almost double what is was in 1980. And population growth is slowing, but when your base start number is 7.7 billion and the estimated population will grow another 3 billion people in the next 40 years, that is a lot of people consuming our planet's resources everyday, every week, every month, every year. And throwing it away.

We all freak out about how much garbage there is in the oceans and the wars over fossil fuels. Now consider, that without significant changes in our consumption habits, this is only going to get worse.

I wasn't trying to make this depressing, but maybe it needs to be depressing in order to get better.

I am making a serious effort to reduce my carbon footprint. I am going to share what I do periodically with you hoping you might be inspired by some everyday easy changes to use.

STAY TUNED!

Green Grasshopper Pie Jell-O Zombie Brain Mold for Halloween

Perfect for an October potluck! Adults only! There is a little bit of alcohol in this one. I made this for my LUPEC meeting this month.

I didn't really experiment on this one before I made it. I have done Jell-O molds before, so I knew enough to alter this original Grasshopper Pie recipe from my 1960s Joys of Jell-O cookbook that I picked up at an antique store a few years ago. I looked for brain mold recipes online, but they were mostly made to look like real brain color and I really wanted to do a green one.

Grasshopper Pie for Brain Mold recipe:
This is the recipe with the alterations I made to the original to make it work for the mold. See the original Grasshopper Pie recipe at the end of the post.

This recipe did not quite fill the mold. If I make this again, I might add another 50% of everything to fill it better.

2 packages (3 oz) or 1 package (6 oz) Jell-O Lime Gelatin
1/2 tablespoon clear flavorless gelatin to help hold shape better
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup cold water
1/3 cup green creme de menthe
1/3 cup creme de cacao
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of whipped topping from the spray can

Dissolve all of the Jell-O Gelatin, sugar and the salt in boiling water. Add cold water. liqueurs, and vanilla. Let cool in a bowl on the countertop for about an hour. Blend whipped topping into Jell-O. Add to brain mold and then chill in refrigerator overnight.

For chocolate (dirt floor) crumb crust:
2 cups chocolate graham crackers broken into crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine ingredients and mix well. Press firmly and evenly on the base of the serving dish.

To get the brain out of the mold:
Some people add a fine layer of Pam to Jell-O molds to make removing the mold later easier. I don't love doing this, because oil and water, as we know, don't mix. They separate. So sometimes you can get these weird particles at the surface of your Jell-O masterpiece.

I prefer this method. Fill a container with hot water that is large enough that you can dunk your entire mold up to the rim into it. When you dunk the cold mold into the hot water, it will melt the Jell-O that is attached to the mold just enough to loosen it.

Practice this part. The first time I did this with a mold, I let it sit in the warm water way too long and it made the final mold mushy looking. You also may need to run your finger along the outer edge of the mold to help it separate.

Flip it over the top of your Dirt Crumb base. If the the brain still doesn't loosen out, wet a washcloth with hot water and rub the cloth over the mold to heat it up until it separates.

Original Vintage 1960s Grasshopper Pie Recipe:
2 packages (3 oz) or 1 package (6 oz) Jell-O Lime Gelatin
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup cold water
1/3 cup green creme de menthe
1/3 cup creme de cacao
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg white
1 envelope Dream Whip Whipped Topping Mix or 1 cup whipping cream
9 or 10 inch chocolate crumb crust

Dissolve all of the Jell-O Gelatin, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt in boiling water. Add cold water. liqueurs, and vanilla. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat egg white until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating after each until blended. Prepare whipped topping mix as directed on package, omitting vanilla, or whip the cream.

Then measure 1/2 cup gelatin and set aside. Blend meringue and prepared topping into remaining gelatin mixture. Chill until quite thick. Spoon into crust, using as much as possible. (Any remaining filling may be chilled in a sherbert glass for another meal.) Drizzle the reserved clear gelatin over the top of the pie; pull spoong through a zigzag course to marble. Chill until firm. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired.