• Student Climate Strike poster
    Recycle,  Reduce,  Refuse,  Repair,  Think Piece,  Zero Waste

    Fix it Forward

    When we first moved into our home 40 years ago, the front door lock didn’t work quite right. One day I decided to fix it. Ha! I learned that it just wasn’t that simple. In order to fix it, I needed to understand how it worked. If you want to fix something, it is wise to take the time to find out how it works, how all the pieces fit together.  It has become evident that many, many things are out of balance and fundamentally needs fixing: the economy, health care, the food system, partisan politics, climate change and environment, social and racial inequities, and education. This long list can…

  • Re-genration America pic
    FOOD,  Organics,  RE-THINK,  Think Piece

    The RE-Generation

    During our class, Less is More: Getting to One Can of Garbage a Year, we talk about the three familiar Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. After we discuss these three in order of importance, we ask folks to identify more Rs to move their thinking further upstream. Their suggestions include: Repurpose, Resist, Restore, Repair, Refuse, Reconnect, and Reimagine. Practicing any or all of these behaviors can rehabilitate our planet. Choose the actions that appeal to you and work them into your daily habits. We can all be part of the RE-Generation, no matter when we were born! Another R that is getting more attention now is Regenerate. According to Wikipedia, “the term “regenerative” describes processes…

  • ReCycled Arts Fair
    EVENT,  Re-art,  Recycle,  Reuse,  Zero Waste

    McMinnville Recycled Arts Festival

    *Rescheduled to the Weekend of July 23-25 2021 Trash as Art: Learning that Upcycling is Amazing! Celebrating how easy it is to learn to live sustainably! Sustainably made goods from upcycled content; this is a marvelous opportunity to buy unique gifts for the special people in your life. Sip and Shop – A recycled fashion show with emcee Jenn Jarred, local drag personality. $25 admission not only introduces you to recycled fashion, it also gives you exclusive access to over 50 artists’ tables. Come learn how artistic talent and expression uses upcycled items that many of us would toss into the trash and amazingly useful and beautiful objects are produced…

  • Buyerarchy of needs like Maslows
    Reduce,  Refuse,  Think Piece,  Zero Waste

    Just Enough

    “…..we – you and I, and our government – must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. ”  — – Dwight D. Eisenhow  One beneficial consequence that comes from things getting uncomfortable is that it forces change. That is true whether you get a cramp from sleeping in a funny position, or when the recycling market collapsed after China no longer accepted the world’s discarded plastics. As uncomfortable and distressing as it is not to be able to recycle as we did before, we are now forced to acknowledge all that stuff we bring into our homes.…

  • Garden Home Sustainability Fair
    COMMUNITY,  EVENT,  Repair

    Garden Home Sustainability & Repair Fair

    Friday, October 4, 2019 5:00 pm 7:30 pm  Garden Home Recreation Center Gymnasium  7475 SW Oleson Rd, Portland  Embrace Green Living  Learn about sustainable topics from gardening to recycling to water conservation & much more all from local experts.  Repair Fair is Back  Repair your hopusehold items and small appliances. Limit two items per person.  Free Admission – All Ages Welcome  For more info: Heather Waisanen, 503-245-9932, heatherw@co.wccls.org 

  • tools
    COMMUNITY,  Community Projects,  EVENT,  Repair

    Repair Cafes

    Repair Cafes are free community events where participants can bring broken or damaged common household items and have them fixed for free by skilled volunteers! Volunteers fix bicycles, small appliances, small electronics, jewelry, sharpen tools/knives, and do sewing repairs.  Portland Area Repair Cafes  Sat, September 21, 10am – 1pm  Robinwood Station Community Center  3706 Cedar Oak Dr, West Linn, OR  Fri, October 4, 5:00pm – 7:30pm Garden Home Recreation Center 7475 SW Oleson Rd, Portland, OR  Sat, October 28, 10am – 12:30pm  Multnomah County Library – Gresham  385 NW Miller Ave, Gresham, OR  Vancouver Area Repair Cafes Sat. September 14, 12pm- 2pm Clark County Habitat for Humanity Store   10811 SE 2nd St,…

  • Agilyx liquid fuel
    Business,  ENERGY,  Fossil Fuels,  Recycle

    Tigard Company Produces Jet Fuel from Plastics

    Agilyx, the leader in converting waste plastics to fuels and chemicals, recently announced a collaborative agreement with, Monroe Energy, to supply up to 2,500 barrels per day (bbl) of Agilyx’s synthetic feedstock.  Agilyx Synthetic Crude Oil (“ASCO”) is produced through a proprietary waste plastics recycling technology.  Agilyx has agreed to supply ASCO to Monroe Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. Monroe will refine the ASCO into jet fuel for Delta. Agilyx plans to locate a production facility near Monroe’s refinery, which is located just outside of Philadelphia.  “This is a capstone achievement for Agilyx,” said Joe Vaillancourt, Agilyx’s chief executive officer. “We are very excited to be…

  • prepared and ready
    RE-THINK,  Think Piece

    Ready for Anything?

    The Latin root of PREPARE means to make ready. I knew that Be Prepared is the motto of the Boy Scouts, but I didn’t know why Robert Baden-Powell chose it so I looked it up. “